What's in my bag today...blessings.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go away for a night.  It was great!  No husband or kids counting on me, just time for myself.  It was called a Girlfriends Getaway, and it lived up to the name.  It was a retreat through my church.  We had a good time and were reminded that we are Princesses/Warriors in the kingdom of God.  It was really refreshing to hear the stories of ladies that I know from church.  I had no idea about some of the things they have walked through or are going through now.  It's very easy in life to feel that you are all alone, even when you are surrounded by people who are also going through a tough time.  I applaud my friends for their courage in sharing some hard things with all of us. 

I was driving home from Target today and I was just hit with a wave of gratitude.  I have so many things to be thankful for.  I am blessed beyond what I had ever hoped for my life.  Gods kindness/mercy/grace/love for me, still surprises me.  I am convicted that I do not love Him as He loves me and I hope that each day I can grow to love Him more.  I have to thank Him publicly, a shout out if you will.  It is because I have Him in my life that I am here today.  There are so many different bad turns my life could have taken, but didn't because I trusted in God to lead the way. 

On the dinner table front, I am still trying new things.  Last week I didn't plan that well, but I did try one new dish that I really liked.  I had some turkey sausage and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.  I had resigned myself to just sauteing them and making a starch and veggie, when I stumbled on a recipe.  I took out some Stove Top (gasp)for a side and there was a sausage bake recipe on the back.  It was super easy and pretty quick.  If you don't want to use Stove Top, you could always make your own croutons or buy the plain stuffing mix at the store.  First you add hot water to the stuffing in a baking dish and set aside.  Then sautee the sausage until mostly cooked, then add peppers(I used diced frozen peppers), and onion (also diced frozen), and frozen spinach and cook until tender.  Pour this mixture over the stuffing and then pour a can of diced tomato on top.  I then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and baked in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  I didn't use any seasonings because the stuffing was seasoned (Pork).

Last night I made a Stromboli. First you take the dough out of the fridge a couple hours ahead of time and let it get to room temp.  It's much easier to work with.   Then I cooked a box of frozen chopped broccoli. While that was cooking I chopped up some chicken that I had cooked the night before.  When it was done I mixed it (drain the water if there's any in the pot) with the chicken and a few tbs of pesto (store bought in a jar).  I then spooned it onto the dough I had rolled out.  Lastly I sprinkled cheddar cheese on top (you can also mix it throughout if you want).  I folded over the dough on each side and the ends and cooked it in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.  You want to watch it to make sure the outside doesn't burn or get too brown.  We all loved it!

Later this week I'm going to try a meat loaf with dried cranberries.  I've always been pretty strict about keeping fruit out of my savory dishes, but I gotta get out of my comfort zone sometime.  I may not use as many cranberries as they recommend, just in case we don't like it we can pick them out!  Also in the line up is a Mexican macaroni and cheese.  I'll keep you posted!







What's in my bag today...hash browns??

So last Friday, I finally made the asparagus and goat cheese frittata.  http://search.allyou.com/ay-results.html?Ntt=asparagus+and+goat+cheese+frittata  It came pretty good, but I think I cooked it a little too long on the stove top and not quite enough in the broiler.  So that one will go into the roster, especially when we're having eggs because it's fancier than scrambled!  I decided to do hash browns with it as a side dish totally forgetting that I've tried hash browns before...

As you can see they turned into a gooey gray mess!!  We even googled hash browns during the cooking process and I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong (and yes we did eat them)! They're just shredded potato, who knew it could be so complicated! I also tried a couple of quick dishes (no recipe, just threw together things I already had).

I had a jar of light Alfredo sauce, and some frozen shrimp, so I tossed them with pasta and broccoli.

This was baked chicken breast, potatoes, and roasted tomatoes.  I brushed the chicken with Grey Poupon, and then dipped them in the bread crumbs.  It gives it a subtle flavor without adding extra fat. 

So please if you have any suggestions or tips regarding my hash browns leave a comment.  This week I didn't plan ahead because I did my shopping at BJ's.  I'm trying to use things I already have, I'll let you know how it goes...

What's in my bag today...pictures

Ever since I got my first camera I've been really into pictures.  It was such a big deal to me, to drop off that roll of film and wait three or four days for the film to be developed.  I remember going into the store a couple of times to see if they were ready yet.  There was an anticipation as I opened the envelope to see the pictures.  Would they be really great?  Would there be weird fuzzy ones?  I always ordered doubles and it was pretty disappointing when you had a bunch of crappy photo's and their doubles.  Now it's different, but there was a similar excitement when I got my first digital camera.  My sisters and I all love to take pictures, and I would guess between us all we have taken 40,000 photos.  We've probably over photographed ourselves.  The numbers really jumped when I had my first daughter, and now there are two more little faces to snap(including my niece).  I hope that one day my old self and my old husband and grown children will enjoy the photographic legacy that I am building.

Since having my kids I have entered a whole different world of photography, the portrait studio.  It strikes terror into the hearts of moms everywhere.  There is almost nothing that can take you down like bringing your kids to get their pictures taken.  There is an enormous amount of pressure to get that one perfect shot of your little ones.  I have found myself at JcPenneys, sweating, mentally cursing, begging and bribing my child, for that one little smile.  Now I have two kids and I have not done their pictures together yet.  I am dreading it!  I'm waiting until my little one can at least sit up on her own, because there is no way my three year old can sit still and hold her.  I want the classic record of my two babies in their matching dresses so bad I can taste it, but I know the timing has to be perfect.  There is almost a science to it.  I have to go exactly when "the stars are aligned".  For example, it has to be either before my older one naps, and after my younger one has been fed, but before she gets tired.  They both have to have baths the night before, they have to be dressed at the studio, so their dresses aren't all wrinkled.  The same for the hair, it has to be fixed at the studio.  It's a nerve wracking ordeal. BUT, to me it's all worth it when you hand out those little photos to your friends and family and hear all the ooh's and ahh's.  When I look at the framed photo's on the book shelf I can forget all the trauma and just revel in the cuteness.  For some moms it's not worth it and they don't even bother, but I'll never stop going unless I have a psychotic break during a session.  Which is plausible.  One day I'll attempt the family portrait, and bring my husband in on the torture!!!  Ha, Ha, can't wait!

As for my dinner experiment, I've been doing well.  I did make the Manhattan clam chowder, but unfortunately my husband would not eat it.  He said it smelled "fishy" (duh).  He has a thing about the smell of fish.  He doesn't like me to cook it, but I really didn't think this soup would have the same affect.  I mean, he eats regular clam chowder!  So I told him to make himself a Hot Pocket, and I've been eating the soup for lunch all week.  I have to say it's really good.  I threw in a handful of baby scallops too.  Next up is the asparagus and goat cheese frittata, I'll let you know how it goes...
http://www.allyou.com/food/one-list-five-meals/cheap-family-meals-00411000071237/page3.html

If you have any portrait studio stories please leave a comment and share them.  Also if you've been inspired to try some new recipes yourself, let us know how it went.  I need to know that I'm not the only one out there having these experiences!

What's in my bag today...my new laptop!!

I am so excited, to be typing this from my couch!  We've been talking about getting a new computer for a couple of years now.  We've had our Dell desktop for about 7 years.  It still works okay, but it was time for some new technology.  Plus the baby is now in the office, so when she's napping, I can't be on the computer.  I set up a little area in my kitchen at the bar and I got a stool.  I love it.  I have been trying to drill it into Abby's head that she cannot touch it.  So far she's been good, but I still watch her like a hawk.

So I did try a few new meals this week.  The first was a gyro.  I just marinated the meat in Worcestershire sauce, Montreal seasoning, olive oil, and vinegar.  Then I grilled it on the Foreman grill.  The sauce I made the night before because it needs to set.  It was a tzatziki sauce with yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, and some seasoning.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Greek-Yogurt-Cucumber-Sauce/Detail.aspx?src=etaf  Then we just put the meat in the pitas and poured on the sauce.  I made store bought fries and veggies for a side.  The next meal I tried was Rachael Ray's orange cashew chicken:http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/orange-cashew-chicken-with-broccoli/.  This was really good, the only thing I would do different was add a little more cornstarch to the sauce to make it thicker, and I didn't use red peppers because they bother me.  This coming week, I plan to try a Manhattan clam chowder, and an asparagus and egg frittata.

The last thing in my bag is about being a Mommy.  My oldest is a three year old.  It seems like every day since she turned 3 (39 days, 16 hours, 27 minutes, and 31seconds), she's been a complete mess for all or at least part of the day.  I've come to realize that being a parent gets harder with each passing year and stage of childhood.  There are some days that I just want to put my head through a wall!  But I've also learned that the only way through it other than leaning on God, is to appreciate and savor those really sweet and joyful moments in between the pandemonium.  I try and stop what I'm doing and just kiss my daughters cheek or laugh with her or just sit and hold her.  Sometimes I'm barely hanging by a thread and she says or does something that just stops my heart with surprise.  I guess that's part of the miracle of being a parent and watching this child that is a part of you, grow and learn.  This weekend was my niece's first birthday and it made me think of my daughter's first birthday.  It really does go fast.  It's so neat to see my youngest sister as a mom.  She's doing such a good job.  She jumped into motherhood head first and has not looked back.  My niece is a lucky little girl, she also has a wonderful daddy who thinks the world of her.
 I hope you all have a great week.  I'm going to try the Manhattan clam chowder tonight, so I'll let you know how it goes.  My husband isn't sure that it's actually a meal, but I'll give him some bread  and I think I'm going to add shrimp to it as well.  So we'll see how it goes.... 

What's in my bag today...babies.

You gotta love baby chub, and no I don't mean the extra baby weight after delivery, nobody loves that.  I mean the chubby little rolls that babies have.  My daughter who is 4 months, has these little rolls on her thighs that I just love. 
My sister asked me one time if they go outside or inside the diaper! 

I've been struggling with my post baby body and trying to get rid of my own rolls.  With this second baby it's been coming off much more slowly.  I'm sure there's more than a few factors involved including eating my preschoolers leftovers.  What is up with that?  Who wants to eat something that's cold and been handled my sticky toddler hands?  It shouldn't be that hard to resist!  It's an almost automatic thing. Pop, in my mouth it goes before I even know it.  It must be the mom part of my brain that sees waste and wants to eliminate it.  They should do a study on that.  Maybe they can make a patch for it, really, who can remember to take a pill everyday! 

I was in the shower the other day and I started thinking about those women you hear about who are 65 and giving birth.   I used to think they were crazy, but now I think they're onto something.  Think about it, if you're 65 years old, your boobs are probably already sagging, so you don't have to worry about that.  You're also already tired all the time, so that's not an issue.  If you're lucky, you're retired so you can collect a check and still be home with your baby. Best of all you'll probably be dead by the time they are teenagers so someone else can deal with all that angst. Plus the kids can use your insurance to pay for college.  Win/win!

I'm still keeping to my challenge to try two new recipes a week.  Last night I tried a lighter version of lasagna.  Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/spinach-and-mushroom-veggie-lasagna
It came out pretty good but there was one element that almost/kinda ruined it. It called for 1tsp of dried thyme and my husband and I both thought it was very over powering.  Next time I make it I might omit it or just use 1/4 tsp.  I found a good recipe for simple homemade dressing, here it the link:
Hannah’s Amazing 2¢ Salad Dressing - Healthy, quick, and easy recipes from mom expert Hannah Keeley



I used a light cheese for the top, which is why it's so shiny.



What's in my bag today...hair

My hair is driving my crazy.  I cut it last August because I thought it would be easier with the new baby coming.  Well it ended up taking more time because it was a shaped bob and I kept having to mess with the back to make sure it was laying right.  Now it's growing out and I need a trim.  I'm not sure what to tell the stylist when I go.  I wish I could say "Give me perfect hair that looks good and I don't have to spend any time on it!" or "Give me a Halle Berry!", but only Halle Berry can rock the Halle Berry, so forget that.  I'm sure I'll spend another few weeks obsessing about it and ripping pages out of magazines, that the stylist will never see.  
As if taking care of my own hair was not a big enough responsibility, now I am the keeper of my daughter's hair.  This is the ultimate responsibility in regards to her, second only to keeping her alive and healthy.  Why do I say this?  I challenge you to find me one woman who does not blame her mother for some truly terrible childhood hair.  We all have the pictures to prove it.  We ask what they were thinking and we can't imagine doing that to our own children, but I tell you my daughter is three years old and I've already done it to her twice.  The first time she was around 1 1/2 and she had the longest swatch of hair growing from the back of her head all the way to the front.  So I decided to trim up the front to be a little more like bangs.  I sat her down and had my friend distract her. I picked up the scissors and quickly snipped off the front before she could move and mess it up.  Well in my haste I got too much and gave her micro bangs. Of course everyone in my family was like, "What did you do?". The second time I messed it up I didn't actually cut it myself, but I still feel the responsibility for it since I directed the stylist.  She ended up with a page boy sort of cut.  We're still growing it out.  I am determined I will not take her for another hair cut until her bangs are grown out and I will be very firm with the stylist.  As for my own hair, I'll let you know when I finally bite the bullet and I'll post a picture.  Some women might not like to admit it but hair is a seriously important part of life and should not be taken lightly, lest you be haunted by it in your old age.  Your children will not only mock you for what you did to them but also for the hairstyles that you sported.  Your husband will get off scott free in this arena as in many others, so you will have no one to back you up. 

There are worse pics than this, but this is the only one I had on my computer.

I can't find the pic right after I cut it, but this was in the same month.

What's in my bag today...a failed dinner!

My sister suggested that I post pictures of the recipes that I try.  At first I thought it would be a lot of trouble because of course I would want them to look really nice, but then I realized that I should show you exactly how it came out good or bad.  So at the end of this post I will show you a picture. 

Last nights meal was supposed to be an easy steak and mushrooms, but it ended up being a disaster!  Now just so you know, I am not a terrible cook, just a lazy and uncreative one and I hate to follow recipes to the letter.  So I modified the roast mushrooms and instead of using big chunks, I used the pre sliced ones.  I ended up roasting them on 500 for 15 minutes.  I should have gotten the hint the first time the smoke alarm went off (while I was in the bathroom), but the recipe said not to open the oven because all the steam would come out and the mushrooms would not get crispy.  Any way the smoke alarm went off three more times before I removed the definitely crispy mushrooms.  My house still smells!  So then I set the broiler for the steaks and though I cooked them the recommended time, they came out pretty chewey.  So I made a couple of notes for next time.  I will say that I am working with a brand new oven and there's a slight chance that the oven needs some tweaking. However, I can't blame it all on the oven.  Sometimes you can't take short cuts, or if you do, you have to make other adjustments, like cooking time.  So I took this picture after the fact because we had already eaten but I think it works for this meal....

Mushroom pan with burnt herbs.

What's in my bag today...Fear

So on this second day of my blog, I've been thinking a lot about fear and how it's been holding me back.  I've been afraid for a long time to do this blog and now that I've taken the first step, I see it's not a big deal.  I used to be a very creative person.  In my teens I was really into painting and drawing.  I wouldn't say I was really good, but I wasn't really bad either.  I feel like as I've gotten older and had more responsibility I've stopped being creative and let fear block my way. 
In regards to my cooking, I've been afraid of using fat and that's really limited me.  It's not fair to my husband and daughter (who do not need to watch their weight) to always be cooking grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies.  These meals are so boring and dinner is something you want to look forward to.  I have decided not to let the fear of fat hold me back anymore.  I am trying two new recipes each week and I am not only cooking light fare.  So far I have tried crock pot curry chicken, crock pot chicken and dumplings, tomato basil pasta nests (there's a story to that one I'll touch on later) pesto eggs and rice pudding(the pudding was good, but I cooked it too long and it was more of a solid).   Tonight I am trying steak and roasted mushrooms.  I have also been afraid to try many seasonings.  Growing up, my mom only used basics, salt, pepper, garlic, onion etc.  So with the help of my good friend, I am branching out and trying recipes with seasonings and things I haven't tried before.  I will keep you posted on my cooking progress.  As for the pasta nests, (you're supposed to twirl the angel hair around a fork and serve it on a plate like a nest) they came out like pasta snarls.  Apparently I didn't use a big enough pot or enough water.  Lesson learned.  The recipe also made way too much for two adults and a toddler.  I took a cue from my friend and made a note right in the cookbook next to the recipe to halve it.
 That is my resolve, friends, to conquer fear in my life and try new things.  Who cares if I fail?  Only me and I can get over it.  No one is going to wag a finger in my face if I fail but me, and I'm not scared of myself.  Although my husband might say something if our dinner really sucks.  But I'm not afraid of him either!  lol  So do that thing you've been afraid to try and enjoy that fact that you did it even if you fail.

The beginning...

Today is the first day of my blogging future.  I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog for a while and I finally signed up because I'm hoping to make money with it.  As a stay at home mom, I struggle with wanting to have more money and not wanting to leave my kids.  So I'm giving this a shot and hoping that someone out there will be interested in my life!  I am not a trained writer and it's been a long time since I've taken an English class, so I will tell you upfront to expect grammatical errors and such.  I barely have time to write a blog let alone check my grammar! 

My name is Rachel and I am a 31 year old stay at home mom of two, ages 4 months and 3 years.  I have been married for 8 years to my husband who is 33.  I am a practicing non-denominational Christian and I have a vocational degree in Christian Ministry.  We have no pets, one house and two cars. This is my journey in mommyhood, wifedom and womanhood.  I hope I can entertain you and make a bright spot in your life.

So there it is, day one.  I hope I've set the bar really low, so maybe I can exceed your expectations and be worthy of your time!