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Friday, August 30, 2013

Remake!

  

A few of us local foodie people have volunteered to take part in a cooking challenge put on by The Last Bitten. There are about 500 participants, and we must remake recipes from the last issue of Bona Appétit magazine. They have assigned the recipes and I was chosen to make Fermented Grape Soda!



  Ha-ha, yup, SODA! It’s really kind of funny because a) I do not drink soda, b) I will actually have to measure and c) I have to stay dedicated to the recipe for seven days. To measure and stay on top of the recipe for a week is going to be the most nerve wrenching part.  I mean, I never measure! It’s always a pinch of this and a dash of that then, Tada’. I have a tasty dish on the same day I started.


  This is going to teach me to slow down and take care in what I am doing. Really, it’s forcing me to walk through each step with a little more caution.  It makes me smile to see lessons like this come my way.

  I have grated my fresh ginger, measured my sugar and water. Swirled it around, topped the jar with some cheesecloth and now I wait.

  I am excited to see the dishes our local friends finish as well as how this grape soda will taste. 


Here is the link to the remake;




Wednesday, August 28, 2013

School Is Back, Well Almost

Ah, School is back in session for most everyone now. Everyone except us. We start back Tuesday.

I say we because I am the one who must make the routine happen, the rigid enforcer. Gha! The hubs, is a great help in many, many ways, but he has work. That makes me the one to rally the troops in the morning, supplying their tiny little bodies with enough fuel to get to the moon and back.
I mean after all they burn through so many calories just being the active toddlers they are. To add actual play-time-with-other kids, and learning in there. They will be starved by the time I get them back.


So, how shall I over come the easy way of hitting a drive through for lame calories?
Well, My plan is to actually start prepping lunch just like I do for the suppers I make. Plan ahead, choose real food and pack it in some really cool containers.
I figure if I pack to go, then we can also have a little park time to follow the school day.. Or as I like to call it, wear-them-out-for-nap time. Jesse has long given up on his naps, but maybe just maybe I can sneak them back in. Wish me luck with that one.

I suppose that since I'll be prepping for lunches, you will start to see more kid friendly recipes in the making. Keep your eyes looking for them soon, since school starts on Tuesday :)

Friday, August 9, 2013

Mommy's Timeout!



Over the past few months I have been meeting a group of mothers out for some me time.  We have been eating at different restaurants around the area in no particular order.  Meeting once a month for a few hours is about all we can squeeze into our crazy schedules. Between multiple activities, work, kids getting sick and husbands being out of town its all we can do to manage the insanity.


The group lives throughout the Columbia and Lexington area. There are several members and not all can make each get-together. But thus far, we have managed about ten mothers from a variety of backgrounds. Some ladies have lived here their whole life, some, like me, are transplants.


Mostly we have stuck to places where you know what you're going to get when you order. But at our last shin-dig we decided to put together a bucket list of places and write up weather we enjoyed it or not as a way to remember what worked and what "DIDN'T. Basically compiling a list of "Go To" places depending on what you are looking for. Some outing are just a pizza kind of night and others are a "I need to put-real-cloths-on-wear-a-bit-of-makeup-and feel like a lady" kind of night.


There are so many great places to eat. It's sometimes hard to know what you are walking into. For example; If you are heading downtown Columbia with your two littles, are any of the "HOT" places appropriate to bring them?  Most likely not, but some places may be. It's hard enough getting them dressed and loaded into the car.  Then to get them settled into a place that really isn't kid appropriate is basically a nightmare.


Our Time together, for that short duration, is packed full of crazy. And we talk about it all. With everything laid out for discussion, the last thing we want is a sweet baby to be in a ears-shot of our raunchy discussions. But we need to have this time. So we hop around place to place and enjoy the different cuisine.


I'm really treasuring the time we get to spend together. And to throw in eating too, well lets just say that it's pretty close to a perfect time for me.  Talking about the nastiness that kids bring, eating delicious food, and knowing there are others out there going through the same trials has become such a wonderful blessing.
Keep your eyes out for the ladies!


Friday, August 2, 2013

Changing Lanes

I have spent a good amount of time moving.  Moving like pack-all-your-stuff moving.  I think I had moved about four times by the age of seven. At least those are the ones I can recall. I had an unstable foundation. We always stayed in the same area just swapped houses or trailers.
Yup, I was that kid. I was the kid that counselors didn’t talk to about going to college. I lived in hand-me-downs and everyone thought I would stay in our hometown forever.
I am glad I was able to prove those people wrong about me. You see, I left when I was nineteen and went to college. It wasn’t for me at that time so I hopped a flight and moved to Germany.
When I was childless, it was easy to just get up and go. Go explore all the world had to offer, and I did. I cherish the different places I have lived. I really was a bit of a gipsy as my step mother would say.
When the hubs and I moved to Cayce we had only planned on staying for a year or two at most. We wanted to set our roots but were not sure of which area would best suit us. I mean now we have kids, and there is so much to plan for.
Where are the best schools? What’s the economic outlook looking like? Can I get a job should I need to? How is the traffic? So much more to process then back in my carefree unattached days.
Well almost four years later the time has come for us to get it together. We are renting our place and it’s time to move on. We have a pretty good idea of where we want to be. This being the last move we plan on making. I am thanking god for that. I would be riddled with chaos if we didn’t have at least that going for us.
I have been a bit overwhelmed with the very real fact I will have to go back to a job. I’m freaked out about having to put the kids in daycare. I am more freaked out that daycare is so crazy expensive. I have been a mom for the last few years. I love it. As much as I get stressed out by them, I really do want it to be me with them all day. But the simple fact is our family cannot survive on the state salary the hubs makes, especially when retirement continues to rise and raises just aren’t there.
I know there are many, many people that go to work every day. Dropping their sweet babies off at the place they have so much fun. I know this. But it doesn’t change my feelings of anxiety. I guess it’s time to pull up my big-girl-panties and do what needs to be done.

Let the packing begin!