A Mom Thing

Organization Station

 

What IS it about "organization" that warms the soul?  It just FEELS GOOD.  Helloooo Fall.

Ma'am or Kiddo?

I don't know about you ... but for me...it's a RARE moment when I like to be called either of these.

I'm 40.  I'm not a kid.  And I prefer not to think of myself as a ma'am. Its not an age-thing.  Just a thing.

Unless spoken by someone at either end of the age spectrum, I find either moniker simply uncomfortable. 

Other options I'd prefer? How about:

• Hey lady'
• Hot stuff
• Good lookin'
• (Name's) mom
• Honey
• Sweetie
• Sugar
• Beautiful

Really, I'm not picky...

Mamma's Mushroom Soup...Mmmm

My mom makes soup.  Every Saturday, she makes soup.  She doesn't eat soup but she makes it for all of us.  The varieties are endless.  Favorites are Mushroom, Carrot, Chicken Noodle, Vegetable ... and many mystery soups.  They are all home cooked with extra love and care.  They are SO de-li-cious.

A few weeks ago, I wrestled the recipe out of her for a few and I'm slolwy trying them out.  She never really has a recipe so making it is a near-religious experience.  Apparently, like Rome, most soups are not "made in a day."

The nice thing about this soup is you can store it in "concentrate" form and dilute with broth/stock as you need it.  You can also pre-make a lot of the mushrooms and freeze them for future soup adventures.

The kids love this in their Thermos ... with a half sandwich.  YUM.

Ingredients

• 2 large containers of mushrooms (mix up button and fancy)
• 1/2 cup of wine (white or red)
• 1 cube of porcini broth (diluted in 1/2 cup water
• boiled yukon potatoes, smashed (skin on)
• 2-3 cans of chicken broth
• 1 package leek soup mix (diluted in water)

Preparation

Saute mushrooms in olive oil until the pan is dry of their water.  Pour in the half cup of wine and keep stiring til dry.  Add in porcini broth.  Add in potatoes, broth and leek soup mixture.  Whisk.  Bring to simmer and then puree a bit with an immersion blender. 

The last first front tooth has been lost.

Little Guy lost his first front tooth the other day.  HIS first front tooth is OUR last first front tooth. I love the look...had to capture this moment on film.

They are growing up so quickly.  Sometimes I love it.  They are turning into such fun, nice, loving people. Sometimes I just want to hold onto them in a tight bear hug and say, "NO, slow down...!"

Daughter is easily 10 going on 16. She craves her independence. She rolls her eyes. She is hugely responsible and fairly self-sufficient.

Middle Guy is starting to look like a little man. He has a highly advanced sense of humor which always makes him seem older. He likes to watch football. He thinks girls are ... not so bad.

And Little Guy is losing the baby look.  He's almost too long and lanky to snuggle properly. He'll always be my baby though. 

Time flies.

Papa's Red Truck

 

Another country toy for Papa is his big old red truck.  Perfect for boys running errands.  Off they go....!  Three happy passengers.

Pancake Cake

 

I tried a new recipe on a recent weekday morning.  It was on the generic Buttermilk pancake mix box.  I thought why not!?  I'd heard about people doing these from scratch but I didn't really have the time (or brain space) on that particular day.

Ingredients

• a pat of butter
• 1 cup of buttermilk pancake mix (like Krusteaz)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• sliced apples
• shake of cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix first three ingredients in a bowl, while melting a pat of butter in a 9-inch baking dish.  Pour batter into baking dish.  Top lightly with sliced apples.  Sprinkle with Cinnamon.  Bake (approx 15-20 minutes ... batter will be set).  Serve and top with syrup.

Chopped Salad

 

This is SUCH a go-to for us.  We always have it when we do pizza.  It's pretty, a crowd-pleaser and keeps you from over-indulging on pizza.   I typically use mixed greens (chopped of course) on the bottom layer.  Then a top layer of chopped romaine or head lettuce.  Sometimes some herbs.  Then ... a row of chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, chopped egg and sometimes celery or beets or other leftovers in the crisper.  Top is sprinkled with blue or feta cheese and crumbled bacon then dusted with cracked pepper. 

Perfection on a plate.

School Picture Day!

 

Joey Flay?

 

vs.

Little Guy has taken such a liking to cooking.  Ever since his camp field trip to Kendall College, he's been obsessed with food and helping in the kitchen.  We started calling him "Joey Flay" ... he loooooves that.  His eyes just light up with power and pride.  We watched "Iron Chef" as a family the other night.  All of us.  Fun.

You wonder what your little ones will turn into when they get older. Who they will be.  Who they will help, inspire, teach, create.  I'm ok with Bobby as a role model.  Sure am.

I saw an angry man today.

I was at Dominicks.  It was crowded.  A man in his 40s was still in his workout clothes, running around the checkout area, waving a pint of chocolate milk as if it was the Olympic torch.  And he was shouting, "DON'T BUY MILK AT DOMINICK'S!!!  ROTTEN MILK TWO WEEKS IN A ROW AT DOMINICKS!!!"

It was disturbing, to say the least.  A part of me was gaping at him and another part was thinking to myself, "Geesh, go to another store then."  But the biggest part of me was thinking, "WOW, are we all really one step away from ... that?"  From being so angry that a little thing can send us over the edge of sanity?

Seriously, it affected me.  I've had my own mood issues lately.  More crabby than angry...But still. It struck me to think that it really doesn't take much to get so self-involved that you are unaware of the rut you're in.  And that rut becomes a hole.  And that hole becomes a chasm between you and reality.

Hmmm.  Food for thought for sure.