Rockin Out...

This was what was waiting for me in the kitchen when I arrived home from a quick run to the store after dinner. Enjoy...




The song Annabelle is rockin out to is Ben Lee's "American Television", her personal fave...

Me & Hubby + 2

I'm sitting here watching the season premiere of "Jon & Kate + 8" and something has occurred to me. I have a blog no one but my family and friends will ever read. I have a job no one but me and my family will ever care about. I will never be on the cover of a magazine. No one will ever be stationed outside my house to get the "money shot" of me and my family. No one will ever want to know what "my story" is. No one will publicly criticize me for the outfit I wore yesterday, today, or for the baby weight I have yet to lose since 2005.

My life is real; not for public consumption.

And honestly, I couldn't be happier for it to be mine, just mine and that suits me just fine.

For Papi...

Another weekend. We had quite the disappointment when shortly after take-off, the in-laws plane's navigation system went dead and they had to immediately turn around and abort their flight, leaving MIL, (mother-in-law) FIL (father-in-law), and BIL (brother-in-law) far from our home for the holiday weekend. We were bummed out. Bummed out because we had been really excited to spend time with our family and to have them see how big Sabrina is now and how much she and Annabelle have changed since they last saw them in December. Bummed because BIL had not had the opportunity to visit us since right before I found out I was pregnant with Annabelle. Bummed because for the last several years, a visit from them on Memorial Day Weekend marked the beginning of our summer. But especially bummed because of what a milestone this was to be for FIL.

I have always had a special relationship with FIL. Since Hubby and I were first dating, he always treated me more like a daughter than his son's girlfriend. He is one-of-a-kind and we have shared many laughs, commonly due to his penchant for really bad dirty jokes, throughout the better part of the last 10 years.

FIL has always been an extremely active, now 60-something since I met him. He is an athlete at heart, truly. When I first met him, he was working on getting his pilot's license, a dream of his since childhood. He loves to ski. He was a very avid runner until blowing out both his knees several of years ago. He then dove head first into bicycling and has even taken a hardcore bicycle trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains, not an easy feat for a Floridian biker, let him tell you.

In early March, we got a phone call no one wants to get. On a leisurely bike ride around the lake, FIL was clipped by a truck and wound up in the hospital. He had broken his collarbone and hip, and was told he'd be in a wheelchair for 6 weeks, followed by intense physical therapy. We were devastated. Once it was determined that he would be physically alright, despite the broken bones, we worried about how this injury would affect his spirit, mainly due to the inability for him to enjoy the things in life that he loved. Hubby jumped on a plane a couple of days later to help assist his father in any way he could with the transition. He flew home a few days later, still shaken and worried about how his Daddy would handle it all.

Six long weeks later, FIL was out of the wheelchair, two weeks after that he called Hubby to happily proclaim he was on his way to his first spin class in over 2 months. We couldn't have been more relieved.

Flash forward to this weekend. FIL had mentioned many times during the many phone conversations that his first priority once had the ok from the Dr, was to head up north to visit us. He had been cleared by the Dr just days ago to once again get into the pilot's seat and fly, a major accomplishment to all that knew the injuries he faced just weeks ago. Although we never shared our fears with anyone, both Hubby and I deeply feared that he may never have the opportunity to do so post-accident. We were all looking very much forward to celebrating this major milestone in his recovery together. The disappointment in the instrument failure affected us all, but no one more than FIL. This flight was about much more than the actual flight. This milestone had a larger meaning to him than just the travel and celebrating the Memorial weekend with us. This flight had far greater significance. It was a passage back to his life pre-accident.

Although we wish FIL was here with us, we couldn't be prouder of all he has overcome. We know the last couple of months have been some of the more difficult of his life, and he handled and continues to handle his recovery with such grace, positivity, and trademark humor, which seriously, could sometimes make even me blush! We know he will be here with us soon, and he has a lotta hugs, kisses, and a big fat rum & coke waiting for him when he does arrive.

Papi, I love you more than you will ever know and the Knoxville Garcias all anxiously await your arrival...

XOXO

Going Postal

A letter addressed to the lady standing in front of me in line at our neighborhood post office at approximately 10:37 a.m. this morning:

Dear Lady,

Please forgive me. You seemed like such a pleasant person when you complemented my two daughters on how cute they were. We chatted for a few minutes while we waited in line for the next available postal agent. When the agent hollered "Next!" and you approached the counter, that's when it happened. I can't say I didn't see it coming. I watched in horror as my three-year-old turned around, looked me in the eye, and proceeded to ask me in a voice loud enough for the entire office to hear, "Mommy, do you think that lady's booty is REALLY BIG?"

I felt terrible but didn't know what to do or say. I knelt down to my too-perceptive-for-her-own-good daughter's level, looked her in the eye and quietly explained to her that what she said to you was very rude and mean and that she should think about what she says and whether it would hurt someones feelings before she says it.
You and I passed one another once again in the lobby as I walked out the door and I attempted to smile at you, but a scowl is all you could muster. Again, I am terribly sorry for this embarrassing incident and I hope to avoid having such humiliations in the future. At the very least I will be ordering my stamps from our mail carrier from now on.

Sincerely,
Mommy of the kid with the totally inappropriate remark

Wanna buy some useless crap?

Another busy weekend for our family began on Friday. We had a birthday playdate/end of the year picnic at a local park planned for the early afternoon. Because the usual suspects have so much gear they require, I set my alarm early that morning to get half our lives packed up, so we could be prepared for whatever need arose during a 3-hour time period. We loaded up with camping chairs, lunches, sunscreen, hats, wipes, diapers, stroller, snacks, bottles, formula, and well, you get the idea. It literally took me 2+ hours to prepare for this particular outing. In the midst of my packing, Hubby called to let me know that he saw the sign announcing our annual neighborhood garage sale scheduled for 8am on Saturday, the next morning. This was the first year we had planned on participating, and had been waiting to hear about what date the garage sale was going to take place. I had no idea that we would find out with less than 24 hours to prepare. Add to that the fact that we had a BBQ planned for Saturday afternoon with a good friend of Hubby's, his significant other, and their 3 kiddos. Oh well, I was determined to rid our house of the baggage that I had been carrying around for the better part of the last 15 years, and was all about making a little extra money. We all had a ball at the birthday party/picnic/playdate, and I rushed back home to begin preparations for the garage sale the next morning. Girls went right to bed for a nap as soon as we got home, which left me a full 3 hours to get some much needed work done. By the time they awoke, I had organized and priced all the items for sale and was ready for a little break. Fed the girls dinner from a can (I know, I know, and I call myself a foodie!) but it was an acceptable Harvest Farms Organic Spaghetti Rings that both the girls love. Sat with hubby chatting late into the night and it didn't seem that much later that the alarm clock went off and we were back up to make final preparations for our potential customers. To cut a long story short, we made $132 from 8am-12pm and we happily ran off to spend it on our BBQ fare (if you care to see the blow-by-blow details of my garage sale experience, check out my twitter page, but who am I kidding? I mean, you do have a life). This is what our BBQ menu looked like: -Hamburger Sliders with following topping options: bacon, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce tomato, pickles, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, American cheese, roasted garlic, ketchup, mustard, and mayo -Potato Salad-Grilled Corn -Chips and Salsa -Fresh Squeezed Lemonade (thanks Aaron!) -S'more brownies-Watermelon -Yuengling/Fat Tire Beer for the grownups We got back home from picking up our ingredients just before 2pm, made a quick lunch, and had to prepare all food from menu above in 2hrs. I told Hubby to get in "Top Chef" mode and let's do dis. Believe it or not, we completed everything on menu, cleaned whole kitchen, deck, and grill, showered, and vacuumed, and were completely ready for guests at exactly 5pm, the time our guests were due to arrive. The only thing left to do was cook up the burgers and cut up the watermelon, that and have a cold beer of course. We had a fabulous time, all kids really enjoyed themselves and were so polite and kind to one another. It really was the highlight of our week. Once everyone left, we bathed the girls and put them to bed, too exhausted to even protest. Hubby and I finally hunkered down to watch the season finale of "LOST" that we DVR'd the other night. All I can say about that is, wow...The finale left me speechless. Today, another rainy day. Hubby bummed because his soccer game is cancelled, due to rain, yet again. I have my Baked Chicken Wings in the fridge, so all I'll have to do tonight is throw them in the oven. I plan to serve them with leftover potato salad, corn, and a salad. Is it just me, or don't you find it satisfying to know by noon that dinner is already taken care of? Hubby is content to spend Sunday napping and having a lazy day. Me on the other hand, really wants to get rid of the stuff that didn't sell at the garage sale yesterday to finally purge ourselves of it once and for all. I am thinking about hitting up McKays, a very cool and very large used book store that buys/sells used books, dvd's, cd's, vhs tapes, etc, for cash or in-store credit. Sounds like the kinda place I'd really like to spend my day in today. *Tip of the Day: after being on my feet ALL day on Saturday, my feet were killing me by the time night fell. Since I was out of that yummy peppermint foot lotion, I made a wonderful discovery. I washed my feet in the tub with a loofah and rubbed them down with Tea Tree Oil (something every Mom should have on-hand in her medicine cabinet, click on links for all the uses for it). I put on some socks and sat back as my feet felt just cool and tingly. Will be using this method again! So easy, and when I woke up in the morning, my feet felt so soft and schmoooth... Lastly, here is another video of Sabrina, this time showing just how much she loves the swings. This video was taken during Friday's playdate. Gotta love them legs. Enjoy!

Italians Do It Better

My love affair with italian food began over a decade ago. I have been working tirelessly ever since, to develop the most authentic, old skool marinara, gravy, tomato sauce, whatever you want to call it for the better part of those last 10 years. My love affair with this particular type of cuisine began as I fell in love with my all-time favorite television show, The Sopranos. Some of my favorite scenes of that show are the kitchen or dining room table scenes. I love the way, despite how much the world is crashing down upon this family, the family mealtime remains unscathed and sacred. I began experimenting in the kitchen italian-style every Sunday, so that my hubby and I could always indulge in a good home cooked meal while we sat glued to the televsion. What began with Better Homes and Garden's spaghetti sauce recipe, transformed through the years to include such authentic Italian favorites such as: chicken cacciatore, osso Bucco, veal saltimbocca, wild mushroom risotto, etc. And every couple of weeks or so, I'd make a pot of yet another different sunday gravy recipe with meatballs. I have made probably over 100 pots, 100 different ways, always trying to create the most perfect one. The one that would make Carmela Soprano proud.

When the show came to an end, I was terribly sad. Sad because there would never be another perfectly written episode of television drama. Sad because the family I had grown to love would no longer be a weekly part of my life. Sad, because Hubby and I began watching the show shortly after we began dating, and it had seen us through graduation, several moves, career changes, our wedding, and the birth of our first child. And sad because I would no longer wake up first thing Sunday morning and begin my ritual of excitedly preparing a big bubbling cauldron pot of comfort that we eagerly anticipated eating each time we walked by the kitchen throughout the day.

But my love for the food did not end when the show did. I continued and still continue making my sauce every week, the recipe for which I could now make in my sleep, and I use it all week to help throw together a easy weeknight meal. There is something so comforting to me about cooking, especially this certain fare, and I have daydreams of one day in the future spending a day with my girls teaching them my own special family recipe I developed that will hopefully provide them and their own families with this comfort as well.

So, i'd like to share with you my tried and true recipe (which I make variations on now and then) for my families' Sunday Gravy with Meatballs. It may not be your grandmother's recipe, but my hope is that one day it will be my grandkids'. I hope you enjoy it!

Gravy:
Olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic minced
1 large yellow onion, minced
6 oz. red wine
1 can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn

Meatballs:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb gound pork
1/2 lb ground veal
1 egg
1 large handful or so of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small handful of parsley, chopped finely
salt and pepper
1 large handful or so peccorino romano cheese

For the "Gravy":
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are nearly translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute or so. Deglaze pan with wine and let alcohol cook off for a couple of munites. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. stir and heat until bubbling. Cover pot and continue simmering over low heat.

For the Meatballs:
While sauce is simmering, combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Form mixture into golf-ball size meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet(or you can fry them in olive oil). Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned (the meatballs do not need to be fully cooked, they will continue cooking in the sauce). Once browned and removed from the oven, add meatballs to pot with the sauce, and stir gently until meatballs are immersed in sauce. Cover pot and continue to cook on very low heat for up to 4 hours (the longer it cooks, the better it tastes).

Add torn basil leaves just prior to serving; you don't want the basil leaves to cook down and lose their beautiful color and delicate flavor.

Serve with your favorite pasta (my personal fave right now is Barilla Plus line of pastas), extra peccorino romano cheese, and your favorite baguette.

*If you are feeling really ambitious, or have a whole lotta mouths to feed, add italian sausages, pork chops, and/or veal to sauce pot prior to adding onions. Brown the meats in olive oil (again just to establish the flavor that comes from searing the meat, not to cook all the way through). Remove the browned meats and add onions, garlic, etc and continue to follow the sauce recipe. Once meatballs have been added to the sauce, place the browned meats back into the sauce and simmer on low heat, again for up to 4 hours.

Momma sleepy...

Today was one of the last days of preschool for Miss Annabelle. As summer nears, I like I'm sure many parents, am finding myself wondering what in the world I'm going to do with these two girls for 2 months? I am in a very comfortable routine right now, dropping off Annabelle 2x a week in trusting hands so I can get some work done, shop, snooze, watch tv, cook, clean, or whatever my little heart desires during Sabrina's morning naps (which usually last 2-3 hours). Sometimes/frequently, Sabrina will forgo the morning nap all together to enjoy some shopping with Mommy. I have come to really enjoy this time that we have together, just the two of us. So, since I only had one more day after today to enjoy this time, I packed up the girls and was prepared to stay out running errands, window shopping, just chillin, from the time I dropped off Annabelle at 9, until I had to retrieve her at 1:30.

First stop was the library, where I ordered my new card having lost my old one somewhere. Getting my new card is a summertime necessity, as Annabelle and I have always spent a good amount of time partaking in library activities over the summer. Plus, I have an awesome system for always getting what I want from the library. I keep a running list of books I've read about or heard about that I am interested in, and every couple of months or so, I go online to the library website and place holds on all of my faves. I then really look forward to getting a little surprise in my inbox when the library notifies me one of the books is available for me to quickly pop in and collect. Today, I snatched up some cookbooks for inspiration for this weekend's BBQ get together we are hosting, as well as a Dora video for Annabelle, and we were on our way.

Next stop, Homegoods, to search for treasures to outfit our master bathroom, my latest decorating project. I found the perfect towels I have been searching for, and happily found them to be on clearance! I also found a set of 4 chardonnay glasses to replace the ginormous fishbowl wine glasses we are currently using that have gotten me in trouble on more than 1 occasion. Double score! In the same strip mall, there is also a Ross, which I learned recently also sells home decor. Once there, I found a bathmat and a couple of accessories all which complement my new towels to a tea. We then hit up the grocery store to pick up a couple of necessities. Back in the car, we ran over to KFC to pick up the infamous "rainchecks" on my free meals. A brief stop to pick up a bite to eat on the road and shortly afterwards filled up the SUV with some gas. By this time it was 1:15, just the right time to head on over to the school and collect my eldest. Once home, put both girls down for a much needed nap, while I cleaned up the bathroom, set up all my new goodies, got some work done on the computer, and laundered a few garments. Hubby at home just in time to gawk appreciatively and approvingly at my bath finds, before getting himself and Miss Annabelle ready for their weekly soccer class. Sabrina awoke just in time and didn't even complain when I, for the fifty-millionth time today got her strapped into her carseat, and we all headed off to the soccer complex.

Sabrina and I sat and watched Annabelle and Daddy while we munched on whole grain goldfish. 6 o'clock was here before we knew it, and we headed back home for dinner. Dinner was waiting for us when we got home, as I fixed a BIG pot of tomato sauce and meatballs this weekend. I cooked up some Trader Joe's Sprouted Wheat Papardelle pasta, some broccoli and tossed together an quick salad. Sabrina enjoyed some black beans and rice, one of her faves, cheese, banana, and animal crackers for dessert. The sauce and meatballs were a hit, as usual, but the pasta left little to be desired. I substitute whole wheat pasta for semolina all the time, and rarely is anyone the wiser. This kind however, was like eating newspaper doused in a combination of water and paste. Since we were hungry and not ready to begin a paper mac he project,this didn't quite do it for any of us. Sabrina made a gargantuan mess of herself, as usual, so bathtime shortly followed, with Hubby bathing the ladies and finishing just in time for him to head out for his own soccer game at 8:10.

I am now enjoying the quiet of the house as the girls are all clean and snoozing quietly in their rooms. Wow, what a day! I am exhausting myself just telling you about it. Now its time to relax, pour myself a normal size glass of wine in a new wine glass, and shut off mentally as I watch television I'm too embarrassed even to admit to Hubby that I fancy. I leave you with a short video of the mess that is Sabrina feeding herself dinner. Enjoy!

Pajama Jammy-Jam

My in-laws bought these insanely cute pajamas for Sabrina while on a ski trip a couple of months ago. They are so cute, in fact, that when Sabrina wears the pajamas, I can't bring myself to get her dressed the next morning, so she inevitably wears them all day. They are soft as buttah, multi seasonal, fit her beautifully and not constraining in the least, which at the moment is a very necessary quality to look for in Sabrina's clothing choices. They are somewhat unisex however, so Annabelle insists, as always, that Sabrina wear a barrette or hair bow whenever we leave the house in them so as not to be mistaken for her baby brother (oh the horror!). Seriously, my usually polite and precocious Annabelle has more than once snapped at a random passerby when someone will ask her if she likes her "baby brother". She will always retort, "No! She's not my baby brother, she's my baby SISTER and her name is Sabrina". People don't really know how to react to this and usually just walk away looking uncomfortable.

So I've been trying to get some good photos of these jammies for a couple of weeks, but with Sabrina so on the go, I tend to have a little trouble. Since we spent the day at home today, Sabrina wore pj's sans bow and I took over 110 photos trying to capture the cuteness factor of such garment. Here is the gratuitous shot for you:

Mother's Day & But I've never even been to Mexico Part II

I am so irritated right now because after spending 30 minutes working on this latest post, I accidentally somehow deleted it. So here is a brief synopsis of what I was writing about.
-started to feel a little under the weather shortly after parade debacle
-went to really fun get together on Thursday night anyway
-came home feeling like crap
-went online and researched swine flu symptoms-convinced self had swine flu
-woke up Friday feeling TERRIBLE
-went to Dr. Friday morning
-was forced to wear SARS-masks
-evil looks from other patients ensued
-nurse that got the shit-end-of-the-stick, had to take potential swine flu patient was very displeased and inexperienced
-got flu test done
-flu test came back negative
-walked out of there still feeling like crap but sans mask
-got home and laid around (hee hee, I said laid) all day
-watched Oprah and disappointingly found out my planned free Friday night KFC dinner would never happen
-got irritated and bitched to Hubby about it for 10 minutes
-ate soup and bread for dinner (not 2-piece grilled chicken meal, biscuit, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes as planned...suck it KFC!)
-watched "Locked Up Abroad" (love it) and "Scrubs" (I'll miss you dearly, Mr. Braff) and fell asleep on couch.

I woke up Saturday about 10 am feeling so much better. Hubby and I were feeling like spending a good amount of time in the kitchen this weekend, so we were off to pick out some ingredients. For lunch I made Reuben Sandwiches, which I have never had in my life. I have never even tasted sauerkraut and thought for sure I'd hate it, but actually devoured the sandwich and was pleasantly surprised to hear how good sauerkraut is for you. We will definitely be making them again. Hubby made a fabulous dinner while I cleaned up around the house. Watched some "Ace of Cakes" episodes (awesome) and off to bed in preparation for an awesome Mother's Day with my family.
I know that Mother's Day is supposed to be about appreciating your Mother, and p.s- I have the best one ever, but seriously, I feel so incredibly lucky to be a Mother. And not just any Mother, but a Mother to the two funniest, silliest, sweetest, most beautiful, intelligent girls in the whole world. And despite the challenges of motherhood, at the end of the day, I am so grateful I was chosen to be their Mother. So this Mother's Day, girls I want to thank you for making my journey through this thing called Motherhood such a joy. I love you both more than you will ever know.
And Happy Mother's Day to you, my readers. May your day be as happy as mine is sure to be.

Bunny Ranch

Today was the annual spring/summer parade at Annabelle's school. Each class of 2,3, and 4 year-olds dressed up like different spring/summer themes. We had fishermen, butterflies, cupcakes, little chefs (my personal favorite), and Annabelle's class dressed as bunnies (for the girls) and as carrots (for the boys). Sabrina and I got there extra early so that we could get the primo spot (something we failed to do during the winter parade). There I was with my camera and even brought extra batteries with me, so that nothing could stop me from capturing this adorable parade to share with my blog readers (all three of you), or so I thought...
When we arrived in the classroom, the girls began changing into their costumes while I scoped out the place for myself and the other classmate Mommies to stand. After a few minutes, I began hearing whisperings about the costumes and became so curious, I asked another Mommy to stay with Sabrina in the stroller so I could take a looksy for myself. I peeked my head around the door to the classroom to find my adorable, innocent 3-year-old looking, well how should I say this, like Renee Zellwegger in Bridget Jones Diary, when she arrives dressed highly inappropriately to what she has been told is a "Tarts & Vicars" party. Annabelle was in a hideous mesh number that was supposed to be a leotard, completely see-through, bare legged, exposing her underwear and pretty much everything else, in all its glory. There was white pom-pom stapled to the back of the mesh leotard which created a very droopy silhouette causing her to look like she had just dropped a load in her Minnie Mouse underwear. And atop her sweet little head was a set of bunny ears attached to a headband. I was horrified.

I walked back to meet the other Mommies and wait for the parade to begin. Each class came down the hall one-by-one, looking absolutely adorable. And then came Annabelle's class. Poor things! They had no idea how completely inappropriate they looked, I mean this is a church preschool after all, and the kids all seemed so proud of themselves in their trampy little outfits.

I took a few photos and even a couple of videos before realizing that if I post these pictures, I may end up on some kind of watch list. So after doing some crop work on the computer, this is the one picture I am willing to share on the information superhighway. And truthfully, I don't really need much more than that. I'll probably spend the next 10 years trying to get those images out of my head, but fear they may be permanently burned into my brain.

Mother's Day Came Early...

The rain has not stopped in 3 days. Everything is soaked. The house is dark and stuffy. It is a challenge to find things to do. After waking up on Sunday and realizing we had yet another rainy day on our hands, I joked to Hubby about wishing I could go get my nails done, or something girlie like that. When he replied to me with a thumbs-up and said, "You should. Seriously, I got this. Bye." I was stunned. But not stunned enough to run into the bathroom, brush my teeth throw a doo-rag on my gree-zy mane and get the hell outta there.

I knew immediately where I was going. Not the nail place right up the street where you can get a mani-pedi in a wham-bam-thank-you-Ma'am, 45 minutes. Not today, I drove to the newer Salon & Spa up the road, where each service includes a complementary cocktail. The Salon that looks like you are in the lobby of some schmanzy hotel, if you can disregard the flashing "100% Sanitized" neon in the front window. Yes, I was out of the house without children and I was gonna milk this one for all it was worth.

I enjoyed a faboulous Mani & Pedi, and re-emerged from the Salon feeling like a lady again, albeit a hairless one. Back home to find the kids fed, in bed for their naps, the kitchen cleaned, and all the toys put away. Am I a lucky lady or what? I caught up with my brother, sister-in-law, and GORGEOUS niece on a Skype session and shortly afterwards, girls were awake and ready to play. Hubby retired for a much-needed nap after his long afternoon kicking it solo and I went down to get dinner ready for the girls. While Sabrina ate her dinner, Annabelle found a charming way to amuse her. Check this out:

Once girls were fed and bathed, Hubby and I ordered some Chinese food and settled down on the couch to watch "The Rocker", a movie so bad that it doesn't even deserve to be endorsed on this here website. Suffice it to say, it sucked!!! Bedtime for me quickly followed, when I got to enjoy one of my favorite everyday indulges. You know, one of those little things that make life worth living...clean sheet day. Nighty-night!

Walking...sort of

Whatever Martha!

The last couple of days have been lazy, rainy, dreary days at our household. Coupled with, what has now become a dreadful case of sleep deprivation, make for a couple of blah days. So I began my day with a little experiment I like to call, "Operation Wear Sabrina's Ass Out During the Day So That Lil' Behind Will Sleep At Night". What to do on a rainy day? Well after watching one of my new favorite shows "Whatever Martha!", I was inspired to blow the dust off the front cover of my "Martha Stewart Living Cookbook" and whip up a sweet concoction. After much discussion with Annabelle, we decided to try out Martha's brownies. Annabelle went to nap shortly after our conversation, so Sabrina and I went over to The Fresh Market to pick up our ingredients.

The Fresh Market is our area's only upscale gourmet market, and browsing down the aisles is not a bad way to spend some time on a rainy day. Picked up Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips, as well as some nice catfish fillets and spinach for dinner. Sabrina enjoyed flirting with the other patrons as well as munching on some free samples of blackberries the store was running on special for, gasp!, $.98 a pint! And this bought me a little time to distract Sabrina from her normal naptime so our experiment could continue. Back home to begin prepping ingredients for brownies. Hubby played with Sabrina in family room, while watching Kentucky Derby.

I baked my brownies and began fixing dinner of Cornmeal Crusted Catfish with Lemon & Garlic, Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic. I learned the secret is to marinate the catfish in lemon juice and garlic for 10 minutes before dredging in the cornmeal/flour mixture and then pan-frying it. This gives the fish itself a fabulous flavor as opposed to all the flavor living sole-ly (no-pun-intended) in the crust.

Dinner was great, but brownies disappointed. Per Martha's instructions, I baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. She specifically instructs reader to pull out brownies when they are still soft. Once Annabelle finished her dinner, she discovered just how soft they were, as she enjoyed a dessert of warm brownie batter. Hey, she didn't complain! Finally fed Sabrina, bathed her, and put her to bed, bringing our experiment to a close, and leaving me anxious as to whether or not my plan would actually work .
Back downstairs, I popped the brownies back in the oven at 400 to finish off the cooking process, and after about 10 minutes, pulled them out and found them cooked to perfection. Martha, now I know why I don't use your recipes very often. Would it have killed you to suggest something like, oh I don't know, "Bake at 400 for 30 minutes OR UNTIL a toothpick comes out clean when inserted (hee hee, I said inserted) in the middle"?

Anyway, Hubby and I enjoyed the brownies immensely, while watching a very tragic real-crime story on Dateline. We retired to bed at about 10, and I was awakened by Sabrina's behind at 10:30pm, 11:30pm, 1am, and then 6:45am. Come on girl, is this really progress? I think I can say that "Operation Wear Sabrina's Ass Out During the Day So She Will Sleep At Night" was officially a failure. Must come up with another plan, preferably one that does not involve me driving all the way to Nebraska...(just kidding Sabrina, I love you my little Fuss-Pot-Poopy-Pants!!!)

My sleep-deprived brain has come up with little lights at the end of this tunnel I am currently living in, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite things of the week with you. Hope you enjoy them and for God's sake, get some sleep for me!

The only thing that allows me to function on 3 hrs of sleep a night
Trader Joe's 100% pure Crushed Garlic...don't get me started on how much I love Trader Joe's!

A healthy treat for the kids & adults and an animal cracker with no hydrogenated oils

Ho-Ho's with no trans-fats and only 100 calories? Where have you been all my life?

A very lightweight hoop in the shape of a heart=Mommy wear dem everyday

Found this little handmade Italian olive oil dispenser at the local Goodwill a few weeks ago and life hasn't been the same since.

Welcome to My Journey...

I posted this "20 Random Things About Me" to my facebook account a couple of months ago, and I think it may give you readers, (if there are any of you out there), more of a clue into the person behind the profile. So after a little tweeking, here you go:

1. I could eat tuna fish on a bagel anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
2. Somedays I wish I could go back to work full-time.
3. I love to cook. In fact, I love the whole process of deciding what to cook, looking up recipes, flipping through books, writing new recipes, shopping for ingredients, prepping them and cooking them. I spend a good amount of time each day thinking about what to cook for my next meal. It is a relaxing outlet for me and I plan to include some of my favorite recipes for you here on my website.
4. The last 11 months have been the most challenging of my life. I adore my children, but the addition of a second child, especially a colic-y one to our household has been a struggle. I never knew I could function on such little amount of sleep. Things are just starting to get easier and I couldn't be more appreciative.
5. I love to clean, but I really love the feeling of relaxing in a nice sweet smelling clean home. I am always striving to make our surroundings more beautiful and cozy. If I had the money, I'd constantly be decorating and redecorating our home. But I am very grateful to live in such a beautiful place, inside and out.
6. You will almost always see me in big earrings, usually hoops; maybe its my inner Miami coming through.
7. I miss the ocean but I don't miss the sunburn.
8. I drink wine from a box (yea that's right, what...what?)
9. I still listen to basically the same music I've been listening to for 15 years.
10. Much to my husband's chagrin, I don't want any more children.
11. My brother and his wife have a beautiful baby girl, Lily, that I've never met and it breaks my heart if I think about it too much.
12. I still have celebrity crushes, but let's face it, does that ever really go away? I consider a celebrity crush the only acceptable cheating a happily married woman can indulge in.
13. I love when you are riding in the car somewhere and the song you are listening to is so good, you sit in the parking lot with the car running until it ends. I had one of these moments the other day while listening to Foo Fighters live.
14. Venti-non-fat-caramel-macchiato the $4.37 wonder that can brighten any day.
15. I talk to my Mom and Dad on the phone every morning. Then talk to my Mom a few more times periodically through the day. Both my parents, and the relationship I have with them has an enormous impact on my life.
16. I love the smell of fresh laundry. The discovery of Downy April Fresh in college forever changed my relationship with laundry.
17. I don't shave or pluck as often as I should.
18. I wish I had more close friends with children, being home all day with the little ones can get lonely sometimes.
19. I have recently discovered a love of photography and I strive to take new photos everyday. I have been collecting picture frames for the last 1+ year or so, and I find it very satisfying to take a picture, print a picture, and then hang that picture.
20. I feel so lucky to be married to my best friend in the whole world. Sometimes I look around at the life we have created together and I can't believe how unbelievable lucky I am to have the life I have. I try to remember to be grateful everyday.

Well, that's a little bit more about me. On this website, I plan to share some of my favorite things, stories of the mundane days in my life, and things I have discovered that make my life a little easier. Welcome to my journey...

But I've never even been to Mexico...

Yesterday was a very long day. Sabrina has been especially fussy for the last couple of days for some unknown reason (see any new teef?), and after dropping off Annabelle at school yesterday, I got home to put Sabrina down for her daily morning nap. After a half hour or so, I realized that the morning nap was not going to be on Sabrina's agenda. So, I put her in the car and, having a few hours to kill before I had to pick up Annabelle from preschool, I decided to get some shopping done at the Kroger Superstore. If you are unfamiliar with these stores, they are unlike Super Target or even Super Wal-Mart in that, first off, they are freakin' humongous! Secondly, all the grocery items are not located in one wing of the store; you have to walk through the furniture department to pick up your milk and orange juice; you have to walk past the toy aisle to pick up the baby food and diapers. There is even a Fred Meyer Fine Jewelry store INSIDE the superstore. It's insanely big and with 2 kids in tow, with one of them in the "Mommy we should buy that" phase, it's a little more than inconvenient to get any shopping done there.
You have to understand that I am a grocery store connoisseur. I could spend hours perusing the aisles looking for the newest food product I can't live without. Since I had my daughters, I am always on the lookout for the perfect shopping cart for two. Without one that will entertain the girls for the duration of the trip, all three of us ladies are miserable. I especially love to visit grocery stores whenever I travel and I have decided that my area has one of the saddest grocery store selections around, so I was totally psyched when I heard of this superstore opening. It really is a beautiful store but it is usually just easier to go somewhere else. But today, with Annabelle safely at preschool and Sabrina needing a little social time, I decided to go and check it out.

Within 45 minutes or so, my shopping cart was almost completely full, and I was leisurely reading the labels of some interesting items in the Natural Foods section when suddenly, I thought I heard my phone ring, and after digging out my purse from the bottom of the cart, I saw I had missed a call from an unknown number. I immediately had a feeling it was Annabelle's school, and after calling back said missed call, I learned i was right. I waited to listen to the voicemail from Annabelle's teacher that followed. The gist of the message was: 101.8 fever, face and lips very pale, claiming tummy hurts, wants her Mommy.

Now because I am in this huge store that is so big I think it actually has its own zip code, it takes me several minutes to even navigate my way to the checkout. Once there, surprise, surprise 20+ checkout aisles, 3 of which are open, with 3-4 people in line at each. Arghhh! Doesn't anyone realize my poor daughter is crying for me 8 miles away and that if I don't show up in the next few minutes, I will forever be known as the terrible Mother who took 45 minutes to pick up their sick child from school?

Paid for groceries and ran outta there as quickly as I could. Got everything in the car and flew over to pick up my little princess. Grabbed her from the school office, all the while trying to nervously explain to school Office Assistant that I don't think she has swine flu..."I mean, we haven't been to Mexico". "We don't know anyone who has visited Mexico". "Heck, I've never even been to Mexico". Why I felt the need to blurt out these explanations, like a crazy person, I don't know. Maybe if we didn't have the last name we do, this wouldn't be an issue.

Back home, put girls to bed and called Dr's office to set up 5th appointment with the particular Doctor in the last 5 weeks. Since Christmas my kids have been sick more often that they have been well. It is very exhausting for everyone and my "Explanation of Benefits" file from my insurance company is beginning to look like George Costanza's wallet.

While the girls slept, I prepared dinner. Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas, Oven-Roasted Corn-on-the Cob, and Mom's guacamole recipe. I am beginning to really understand and appreciate Mexican food. I actually told Hubby a couple of weeks ago, how I really wanted to go to Mexico one day. Thank goodness he didn't take me seriously.

Once girls woke up, Hubby arrived home, complaints of his own nasty symptoms of illness. Fantastic!

Gave Sabrina dinner of ham, cheese, and avocado. Annabelle attempted to eat PB&J sandwich until tummy started acting up again. Bathtime and bedtime for Sabrina followed by snuggling on the couch with my Annabelle watching Richard Scarry. Bedtime and storytime, "Corduroy Goes to the Doctor", for Annabelle, followed by catching up on last 2 weeks of LOST episodes. BTW, about LOST, huh? I officially...am...LOST.

Went to bed early, not realizing I'd only get 3 hours of sleep due to the youngest of the usual suspects. More on that later...

This morning went to Dr, and verdict was in: no Strep, no ear infections, no swine flu a.k.a. H1N1.. just a virus, treatments to include, gobs of Goldfish, several episodes of "Go Diego Go!", and gallons of Juicy-Juice, and what is sure to be little rest for Mommy.