I have a Thanksgiving Feast on my mind...

I cannot help it. I LOVE THANKSGIVING! It is my favorite holiday ever. Besides birthdays and my anniversary. I like it even more than the dreaded gift buying must buy lots of things for no reason Christmas.

I have decided that this year I am taking the plunge. I am going to cook a WHOLE Thanksgiving dinner by myself. Well, I will have 4 children and 1 husband helping. We can do it!!!

I already am working on a menu. I am such a GOOBER!!!

Superdad is a magazine freak! If you know him then you already know this. If you have been to our house before this summer and all the magazines were boxed up for a play area, then you have seen all the magazines. I will say that he has introduced me to some pretty cool magazines and some aren't even in print anymore.

The new Cook's Illustrated came in the mail. Superdad loves this magazine. I even gave him a subscription for our 1 year anniversary since paper was the gift of choice. I enjoy reading it too. Sadly I haven't really wanted to try many of the recipes UNTIL now.

My Thanksgiving Menu:

~Roast Turkey from Nov Dec 2008 Cooks Illustrated
~Sauteed Green Beans from Nov Dec 2008 Cooks Illustrated (maybe)
~Dinner Rolls from the Nov Dec 2008 Cooks Illustrated
~Pumpkin Pie from the Nov Dec 2008 Cooks Illustrated

More of the menu NOT found in the magazine:

~Broccoli Casserole
~Mac & Cheese
~Corn
~Deviled Eggs
~Dressing--my grandmothers recipe. OMG it's the best you will ever eat and YES I can guarantee that.

I am sure the menu will be added to and things marked off and added back closer to time! I am EXCITED!!!!!! So, if you are in the area and want a nice home cooked meal--email me. :)

Thanksgiving is about fellowship!!

What are your plans today???

Obama is in my town as I type this and will be speaking later today. I am not going to go because I know it will be CRAZY! Go OBAMA!!!!!

My plans to today include working on Kid Friendly Asheville. I have to DEVOTE more time to it to make it the website I dream of. Finish picking up. Listen to my husband remove more shingles before they put the new ones on this coming week. Play with Ollie and Mads of course. H & B2 will be home this afternoon. :)

Have a fabulous Sunday!!!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month there is something I want to share with you. Someone very close to me is a breast cancer survivor. A wonderful woman who means the world to me. A woman that has always been there for me and my children.

She is a strong willed woman that has taught me how to be one as well. She is the first person I call when I get up in the morning. When I hear something I think she'll want to know. If I want advice. She is also the person I call every night to tell her my love and that I'll talk with her in the morning.

This special Breast Cancer Survivor is my mamaw. I blog about her all the time because she is such a BIG part of my life. She really means the world to me. Her name is Betty and she is 78 years young. She is a widow. My papaw died from a heart attack 19 years ago. She never remarried because she always would say, "When you had the best you will never find anyone like them". They ran off and got married when she was 13 I believe. They had 2 sons together and then they basically raised me. I am the only grandchild, which I totally love. I have given her 4 wonderful great grandchildren that she SPOILS 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week.

I remember when she told me it was cancer. I was pregnant with B2. It was Christmas time. I sat in the doctors office, trying to fight back the tears while listening to her doctor. She chose to take the whole breast off and go from there. I was so scared. My mamaw had breast cancer. How could I possibly live without her in my life?

She had her breast removed the day after CHRISTMAS! I was up there the whole time, never leaving her side. After they brought her back to her room, where I had been waiting, I remember going to the bathroom breaking down, thanking God for letting her come back to me. I sat in a chair by her bed until she went home. She would have done the same thing for me. Well, she has done the same for me.

Everything came back wonderful!! Her lymph nodes looked great. She didn't want chemo or radiation. She just wanted to heal from losing her breast.

Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for my mamaw. She has been a big part of my life making me the strong willed, kiss my butt woman. Thank you Mamaw!

I am a big supporter of Breast Cancer. I buy the pink. I donate to the cause. I hope that one day there will be a cure.

This post is Dedicated to my Mamaw Betty. I love you!



On a funny note, B2 used to spend time with mamaw while I was working. She was changing clothes one day and B2 started to ask questions about not having one boob and then having her fake one for her bra. She went on to explain to him that her boob got sick and the doctor had to remove it. He was pretty content with that answer. Then he said, "Well, your other one is falling down!". Out of the mouth of children.....

Hey, what about that debate last night??? HA HA!!! I promise just ONE SHORT PARAGRAPH about politics. I kept seeing Tina Fey up there. Her accent was driving me freaking BATTY!!! If she called him MAVERICK ONE MORE TIME I was going to lose it. How many times did she actually call him that? When I think of Maverick I think of TOP GUN, then I think of Tom Cruise. If he wants to be compared to a crazy alien believing man THEN GO FOR IT! Okay, I am done. GO OBAMA!!! GO BIDEN!!!!

The menu for the week. In no special order. Veggie Night. Fish Sandwiches. Quiche. Tuna Pasta. Meatloaf. Fried Rice. List is made ~ next to grocery shop.

Okay, time to get the girls dressed. They have a play date today.

PS. There have been clean dishes in the dishwasher for three days. The dirty dishes have been piling up in the sink and around it. Where is my dishwasher fairy???? I hope he comes soon or I'll be drowning in dirty dishes. I DO NOT UNLOAD THE DISHWASHER. Or wash windows. It was in my marriage contract. :)

Things you can always find in my kitchen at any given time.

Someone asked for me to post something about our eating habits. I am sorry I forgot who asked me and sorry I am late at posting it. Here you go:

Things you can always find in my kitchen at any given time.

~onions
~garlic bulbs
~fresh baby spinach, always great for a salad, a quiche or throw a handful in homemade soup
~tomatoes
~some form of fresh or bagged pasta, if you are able to buy fresh pasta, as in just made please use in a week or freeze--BUY IT! I have a bag of Pasta Mama's Spinach Pasta in the freezer I am going to use this week. (I buy it at local organic grocery stores and I have seen it at the tailgate market)
~butter
~canola oil & extra virgin olive oil
~granola, bought in bulk, great for a snack as well as cereal
~almond butter, you grind it yourself at the grocery store and its yummy!!! Use it just like peanut butter.
~frozen veggies, I buy fresh most of the time but bagged frozen is a great easy way to add something to your meal. I want to learn to can because next year I plan to do LOTS of canning.
~tuna, I am a sucker for tuna salad and throwing a can of tuna into fresh pasta with manchego cheese.
~milk, whole milk and almond milk.
~walnuts, great to throw in cereal and use for recipes.
~frozen blueberries, for cereal and pancakes.
~eggs. Fresh from a friends chickens!

We are a 95% organic family. I do not buy organic cleaners, diapers, makeup, shampoo & conditioner, soaps, paper products, sugars or OREO MINT COOKIES!!!!!!!!! The above are just things that compliment meals I prepare. I sit down before grocery shopping and make a menu. I look to see what I have and what needs to be bought. It's easy. I grab my all my recipe sources and I have a great rotation going on. I also love finding a new recipe to add to my rotation.

How's that?

The Weekly Menu and Off The Camera Card

Today is a mixture of subjects.

First, I MADE THE BEST TASTING ROAST LAST NIGHT!!!! I bought a Better Homes & Garden cookbook the other day. It's the special pink one for breast cancer. I found this crock pot recipe and had to try it.

Basically you take a chopped onion, put that in the crock first. Then put your beef roast on top on the onions. In a small bowl combine a big can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, 2 teaspoons of Italian Blend Spices and pepper. Pour over the roast and then add one bay leaf. Cook all day on low. When you are ready to serve and have put the roast on a serving plate take a slotted spoon and add all the veggies around the roast. You can pour some of the "juice" over it as well. Then take some crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle over the roast and veggies.

IT WAS YUMMYLICIOUS! I had to make a word to describe it! I served it with roasted red potatoes, peas and mac & cheese.

Rest of the week I have planned:

~Meatloaf
~Chicken Parmesan
~Fried Rice with Chicken
~Tuna Pasta
~Quiche

Not in that specific order but whenever the mood strikes me.

If you want to share a recipe with me, send me a comment!

Cleaning off the camera card:

Having cereal for the first time.






Sitting up:






We all know how I feel about RUFFLE BUTTS!!!!!


Breaking out into song.

*talking*
Oh my goodness
Honey, look at her ruffle butt
Its so pink and frilly
She looks like one of those diaper commercial babies
That are always on television
They only use her because she looks like a total doll baby
I mean her ruffle butt
It's just so pink and frilly
I can't believe it's so adorable
It's just out there
I mean, it's just so cute
Look, she's just a baby

*rap*
I like ruffle butts and I cannot lie
You other mommies can't deny
That when a baby strolls in with a ruffle butt
All pink and frilly
You get excited
Wanna ask to hold her
Cuz you notice that butt is ruffled
All pink and frilly
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh, baby I wanna hold ya
And take your picture
With your pink and frilly ruffle butt
But that butt you got
All pink and frilly
Ooh, ruffle butt
You smile and look my way
Well use me use me I’ll hold your frilly ruffle butt

I've seen them lookin’
To hell with onesies
She's got pink frilly ruffle butt

I'm tired of plain ole onesies
Saying they are the thing
Take the average mommy and ask her that
She’s got to have frilly ruffle butt

So Babies (yeah) Babies(yeah)
Have you got pink frilly ruffle butt (hell yeah)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake that ruffle butt
Baby got frills



Eating cereal with pears for the third time.


Yes, it does taste better when it's all over my face.


Superdad took this picture last night of Mads chilling with Supermom.

Giveaway #2 Goes toooooooo

Jennifer!!!!

I know I never actually posted giveaway #2. How did she win you ask???

Because I made 2 AWESOME quiches over the weekend. Jennifer posted 2 recipes when I wanted to exchange recipes few weeks ago. Thank you Jennifer!!!!!! I used that recipe as a guideline and made 2 ham & cheese quiches. Instead of pizza dough though, I used frozen organic pie crusts that I found at Earth Fare. They were yummy. I'll have to use them to make something sweet in now!

I sauteed a red onion and then mixed everything up and baked.

THEY WERE A HIT. Except boy child picked out the onions.

Soooooo, Jennifer come over and pick out your goodies!!!!

Organic Foods We Eat

1- Milk
We love whole milk. My HB uses Almond Milk.

2- Eggs

3- Cheese

4- Yogurt
Organic yogurt is the best! I get the kind with cream on top. Add some granola and fresh blueberries.

5- Strawberries
We wouldn't touch them unless they are organic.

6- Grapes
A tasty treat at our house.

7- Apples
Nothing like an organic apple straight from the fridge.

8- Blueberries
Frozen or Fresh. We love them. Add them to homemade pancakes.

9- Oranges

10- Chicken/Beef Broth
Just as good as making it yourself!!!! PROMISE!!!

11- Tuna

12- Pasta Sauce

13- All fresh and canned Veggies

14- All our meat is organic.

15- Bread

Yes organic costs more but I know the benefits are worth it. My family is worth it.

YOU can live without these 10 kitchen items!

BREAD MACHINE
You can buy mediocre bread easily enough, or make the real thing without much practice.

MICROWAVE
If you do a lot of reheating or fast (and damaging) defrosting, you may want one. But essential? No. And think about that counter space!

STAND MIXER
Unless you’re a baking fanatic, it takes up too much room to justify it. A good whisk or a crummy handheld mixer will do fine.

BONING/FILLETING KNIVES
Really? You’re a butcher now? Or a fishmonger? If so, go ahead, by all means. But I haven’t used my boning knife in years. (It’s pretty, though.)

WOK
Counterproductive without a good wok station equipped with a high-B.T.U. burner. (There’s a nice setup at Bowery Restaurant Supply for $1,400 if you have the cash and the space.)

STOCKPOT
The pot you use for boiling pasta will suffice, until you start making gallons of stock at a time.

PRESSURE COOKER
It’s useful, but do you need one? No.

ANYTHING MADE OF COPPER
More trouble than it’s worth, unless you have a pine-paneled wall you want to decorate.

RICE COOKER
Yes, if you eat rice twice daily. Otherwise, no.

COUNTER TOP CONVECTION OVEN, ROTISSERIE, OR “ROASTER”
Only if you’re a sucker for late-night cooking infomercials.

I feel pretty good because I only have two of those items. The rice cooker which I cannot do without and copper pots. I agree with the article because I hate cleaning them!!!!!

I just like to say SALSA!!!!!!!

I have posted this recipe before. But it is sooo yummy it needs to be posted again!!!!!



Mango Salsa

2 Ripe Mango's peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 Red Onion chopped
1 cucumber peeled and diced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Avocado
salt and pepper to taste

I love to make this with a white fish or just with SALTY chips.

~this recipe was taken from another site, I wrote about it in the other post~

Lets Share A Recipe!!!!

I love cooking and call myself an Amature Chef! With it being sooooo hot I try not to spend much time in the kitchen. I also enjoy getting my kids in the kitchen!! It is a big plus letting them help.

I'd like you to comment with a FAVORITE recipe of yours! I'll return the favor!!!

Lets have fun with this!

:)

Day ? On Zoloft

I forgot what day I am on. Yes, I know I could count back and figure it out if I was inclined too. As you can tell I am not. I have been busy here and really feeling crummy.

I actually got dressed in REAL clothes, NOT PAJAMAS, yesterday and left the house. Grocery shopping. The house was empty of anything edible. Well anything GOOD that was edible. I made a pretty simple menu for the week and made my list. Lots of veggies, meatloaf, lasagna and tacos with my homemade guacamole. Well, it's HIS recipe but I will make it. ~A quick and easy tip for FAST tasty tacos. Buy a couple cooked chicken breasts where ever they sell them. Just take the meat off the bone and add it to your onions, peppers and insert favorite taco fillings here. Then enjoy.~ I read that tip in a magazine long ago and thought it brilliant. I love anything that makes cooking for a family easier.
Okay, back to leaving the house. By the time we got to Earth Fare of course it was time to nurse the baby. It is always that way. So I used my handy dandy wrap and nursed her while I shopped! No joke. I was able to maneuver her into the wrap so she could nurse and I could throw things in the cart at the same time. I am down like that I suppose.

It was a bit too much for me though. I had to take a rest when we got home. No biggie though.

Then add company coming over yesterday from out of town with their two kids. ~twitch~ No, it was a great visit. I was just already in a mood and didn't feel well before they showed up.

Ugh, I lost my train of thought. I hate it when I do that. It's like "bright shiny object" and I am lost all of a sudden. I can blame it on the new baby sucking me dry of any brain cells I may have left.

Oh, a movie I watched last night. A Love Song For Bobby Long. Something like that. I got sucked into watching in on the IFC channel while I was channel surfing last night. It was a really good movie. I don't think it got great reviews but I rather enjoyed it. The soundtrack sounded pretty good. One song is called "Different Stars". I think that is one we really like. Check it out. You might like it too. The movie and the soundtrack.

I must go...

Eight Days A Week

Happy Monday. It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Well, now that the clouds have moved out and the sun is peeping around the corner. I even hear birds outside. Of course I have windows open. :) This Supermom is on top of things!

I am even going to cook dinner tonight. I am making HB's guacamole recipe and tacos. YUMMY! I did a lot of the prep work this morning because in the morning I am at my best. Everything is chopped up and I even made a salad. ~insert proud smile here~

You wouldn't know I was about to give birth in 8 days. Well, yes you would if you saw this huge belly of mine.



I need to take all my belly photos in order and make a slide show. I have seen a few of those out and think they are cool. I'll add that to my "list" of things to do. Or I can add it to my HB's list. What is a husband without a "honey do" list? Probably a happy husband I am sure.

I had this odd end of the world dream last night. Everything was flooded, frozen and it was very cold. I remember begging this man for help. It was so cold. I remember train tracks as well. Does this mean I am not one of the "chosen" when the rapture happens? Hmmm, something to think about. Maybe. Or that I am a pregnant hormonal woman with anxiety of having her fourth baby and someone being totally dependant on me. Someone latched to my breast every couple hours ALL day long. Someone to totally adore ALL DAY long as well. It isn't all bad. :) I am all for nursing a baby, wearing a baby, sleeping with a baby and holding a baby. Ahh, the life of a baby in our home.

I am glad I have this huge belly. It gives my new milk jugs something to rest on.

As of tomorrow, I will have 4 weeks to go until a baby! What started out slowly has sped up a bit.

We have had a busy weekend. After my mad rant about H, I’d like to think the weekend got better. ~it is still debateable if it did~

Saturday we were at CEC for O’s birthday party. That was fun. I liked the fact that someone waited on us and cleaned up the mess. LOL Works for me!

Then of course my HB has been watching Carolina Basketball. He pointed out again last night that when I was pregnant with O, his Sox won the World Series and then Carolina won in basketball. Now that we are pregnant again, the Sox won the series and now Carolina might win in basketball. No pressure. LOL So you devoted fans please do not look at me to have more babies so your teams can win.

Sunday we let H go to the movies. She seemed to have a nice time. I on the other hand made some YUMMY homemade veggie burgers for lunch. In fact, that is what I am going to fix for lunch today. They will keep in the fridge for a week and you can cook them when you want one.

However, I did hurt my back yesterday. I am guessing in the same place I hurt it years ago. Doing the same thing I might add. Trying to pick O up. So now I haven’t been able to walk around very well. UGH! I go to the doctor in the morning for my routine pregnant check-up and hopefully he can give me something to take the edge off so I may walk again. I kind of have to walk yanno?

Well, I am off to limp/wobble to plug my heating pad up. Have a fun St. Patrick’s Day!

What’s on your menu for next week?

As I sit here and plan a menu and grocery list I want to gobble it all up NOW!

It looks like something like this:

~Tex Mex Lasagna
~ Homemade Veggie Burgers
~Baked Fish in Garlic Butter with Homemade Mango Salsa
~Ham with Pineapple Casserole
~I am craving an Apple Salad as well.

If you have a quick and easy family recipe you’d like to share. I’d love to add a few things to the rotation. lol

Michelle In Real Life

Hello! We watched Dan In Real Life last night. I really really like Steve!!! I am not sure if I liked this movie though. How about 1 Thumb Up. :)

OMGoodness!?!?!?!? Lucky Otter was awesome yesterday! HB got the special burrito and loved it. I made my own and of course loved it! Spinach wrap, black beans, rice, cheese, garlic, caramelized onions, roasted potatoes and MANGO SALSA! YUMMMMMMYYYYY!!! I already want another one. I was telling Lil O we could make them at home but they just wouldn’t be as good as LO’s.

I still haven’t heard from my sis and her “Passion Party”. No telling what happened with a room full of women and toys everywhere! I mean “bath products”. ~blush~

~BTW, it took my sis 1 whole hour to call me–to tell me she found the quilt pictures.~

My MJ emailed me yesterday. She is planning on coming up to see the new baby and help me. We just have to get a date down. It really depends on when this little girl makes her grand entrance! She has like 7 weeks and 2 days left to grow. Not that I am counting. Okay, I am counting. I even have a countdown clock set up! I am just looking forward to seeing her and holding her after all this time.

I guess I’ll stop rambling and get up and put the roast in the crock to cook all day. Have a lovely Sunday!!!

A Few Awesome Things To Happen Today:

~B2 got his braces off this morning. His smile looks awesome!

~My doctors office called. Her ‘birth’day is planned for April 15th. Yes, that is tax day. Do I get an extra refund?

~HB brought me the most beautiful flowers home at lunchtime.

~I have my Lasagna in the oven cooking. The salad is almost finished. My mamaw and great aunt are joining us for dinner. Then we can all enjoy valentines cup-cakes.

Hope everyone has a nice night with their family.

Why was I raking leaves out of the bed?

~I dreamed I was doing that last night.~

Things have been so BUSY around here. H got her new bigger bed Saturday so we had to get that all set up for her. My HB moved the last bookshelf and Lil O’s playroom is slowly coming together.

I have been cooking. I made a yummy blueberry cobbler last night and today I tried a new vegetarian lasagna recipe that cooks in the crock pot. The only complaint is the noodles got very soft cooking in the crock. Even on low. If anyone wants the recipe–I can post it. I tried to look on the Vegetarian magazine website where I found the recipe but it wasn’t on there. ~I tore it out of my magazine so I am not sure what issue.~

I redid the ties on the baby sweater. The silk ribbon wasn’t working for me. So I crocheted some myself and put them on it today. I also made my first pair of booties from the leftover PINK sweater yarn. They are adorable. Now Lil O wants me to make her a pair. I’ll start on those tomorrow I think. Shouldn’t take too long.

The new ties and the pretty PINK booties.

The shower invites go out on Friday. Exciting! I have been working on the thank you scrolls. HB found some pretty paper with baby footprints all over it. I found a pretty poem online ~from a free website~ to print on the paper. You roll them up and tie with pretty ribbon and hand out after the shower. That way you aren’t writing thank you cards when you are at your busiest. Great thinking there! LOL I did it with all my other showers as well.

This week is pretty busy. B2 has an orthodontist appointment and scouts. I have 2 doctors appointments!!! H wants to go to a dance. ~eyeroll~ It’s my daddy’s birthday and we are celebrating that. Plus that doesn’t count the every day things a mom does. There is cooking, cleaning and of course laundry.

Okay, the boy-child isn’t going to let me write anymore. My only request was to sit down and actually write something tonight. Guess I’ll go find my pj’s. Night Night. :)

From Mommy To Mom

I have noticed the past couple days that Lil O has switched from calling me “Mommy” to &