Father's Day...I Know It's Late!

So I need to apologize up front...this post may be a little sad.  I know I don't usually do sad well, and you are probably reading this thinking it was false advertising.  I wrote some happy, regular old posts, lured you into reading the blog, then...WHAM, I hit you over the head with sad and heavy.  I used pancakes and homemade laundry detergent as a blogging bait and switch.  I promise you this is not the case!  The original post began as a totally benign, slightly sappy Father's Day post about what great dads and grandpas I've known and a cute interview idea I saw and tried with the minis for Murph.  The interview will be in my next post, but I just had to do this first. 

My Dad, Papa, with the minis

So let me start off by saying that I have been blessed.  I know everyone says that but I really have been blessed.  I have known some wonderful men in my life and my first men were my Dad and my Grandpa.  My Dad has forever been my biggest cheerleader and when needed my biggest critic.  He has loved me unconditionally and taught me to love others the same.  He may live in Georgia, but rarely has a day gone by where we haven't spoken at least once or at the very least shared voicemails with one another.  I also have been blessed to have an amazing Grandpa-he is 90 and still cracking me up.  My Grandpa is like a second father to my sister and me.  We always lived close to my grandparents-either across the street or upstairs.  My Grandpa STILL chases after my minis in the yard and grows the best tomatoes I have ever eaten.  I love the summer because my grocery bill drops considerably once his garden is in full bloom. 

My Grandpa, Jojo, with the minis

 And of course I can't leave out my Murph!  He's not only a pretty great husband, but an amazing father to our two minis.  My kids light up when Murph walks into a room, and with good reason.  I couldn't have imagined that the same guy who drove too fast, stayed out too late and tempted fate too often on the bike ramps he haphazardly constructed would be the same man who would wear a pink straw hat for tea and know all the words to the Fresh Beat Band songs to make his children happy.  

Murph and the minis

Poppa with Stina

When I married Murph, sure I got a great guy, but I also gained his family.  You always hear about "the INLAWS" (generally said with a certain tone). This is only natural when you are merging families and these families have their own traditions, ideas and personalities.  It isn't always easy, but I am lucky to actually have, dare I say it GREAT INLAWS!  I'm not going to make you all queasy and say we all have the perfect relationship at all times.  Both our families are human and I am sure, like everyone else, that there have been times we conflicted on something or disagreed on an issue.  Above all though, my family has accepted Murph and his family with open arms and they have done the same for my family and me.  This brings me to the other father in my life...my father in law.  Murph's father, Pat opened his arms to me from the moment Murph and I began dating.  Pat had raised four daughters and two sons and always treated me as if I'd been there since day one!  Pat passed away on Monday night, the day after Father's Day.  I think it was Murph's uncle who said to me at the wake-his death was expected but so unexpected.  This was exactly it-Murph's father had dealt with a variety of health problems for many years but he had always seemed to push past things and we all sort of thought that he may outlive all of us.  I never realized how hard it would be to say goodbye to him.  Pat was a fixture in the house-he was ALWAYS there!  He was either watching an old war movie, Walker Texas Ranger or playing with his grandchildren.  I think I took it for granted that he would always be there-sharing a strange fact, telling a story about Rockaway, snoozing in his spot on the couch or sneaking the foods he was not supposed to eat.  I don't think I'll ever drink a cup of tea without a pang in my heart.  He was inadvertently funny and that's what I will always remember.  Whether he was announcing the arrival of an Omaha Steaks delivery with gusto or telling me the plot of a Steven Seagal movie, he made me smile.  He didn't like complicated, just ask the TV remote and VCR.  It was simple with Pat-he loved his family and was happiest when he was sharing a story or a meal with them, just talking and being together.  I don't think I'll ever really grasp the idea that he isn't going to be there.

Poppa, my father in law, with Matthew

This week has been a rough one.  Most people who know me know that I am not good with change.  Three years down the line and I am just starting to realize that my Grams won't be sitting at the kitchen table when I walk into my Grandpa's house to visit.  I hate saying goodbye and I cry at the drop of a hat (thanks hormones and pregnancies).  I saw, in action this week that when family comes together, you gain an amazing strength.  So as cliche as it may sound, yes...I have been blessed.  Blessed to have a been born into a wonderful family whose love is unending.  I am blessed to have gained another family by marrying Murph, my inlaws who have accepted me into their hearts and their lives without skipping a beat.  I have been blessed to have friends who without even a word knew gave me their love and support.  I promise, I'll write about the interview next blog.  Thought I'd get it in today, but sometimes you have to change it up a bit.

     

Love & Pancakes

I am in love!  You are probably expecting me to say I'm in love with Murph or my kids, and yes of course I am.  This is a different love however.  I am in love with Nigella Lawson-there I said it!  I love her!  I really do-I love her shows, her cookbooks, her recipes, her website and Nigella herself.  I am basically cooking my way through Nigella's cookbooks.  I am still a devoted Lidia Bastianich fan, but I can have more than one love can't I?  I am not the only one in our house with a little crush either.  No matter where he is or what he is doing (with the exception of napping), when Matthew hears her voice come on the TV at 3:00, he stations himself in front of the television and just watches, in awe, along with his mommy.  I'm not sure what it is exactly about Nigella.  Her voice is mesmerizing and soothing, she is undoubtedly beautiful, and her recipes are some of the best meals I've ever made.  Oh, so I guess I do know what it is then-all these things I just listed.  I guess there is a reason that she is considered one of the sexiest women in Britain.   

In my effort to get back to basics and save a little here and there, I came across a Nigella recipe for pancakes.  She had been making them on an episode of Nigella Express and they looked divine. (yes pancakes can be divine).  Pancakes had long been my nemesis.  I tried different mixes-from gourmet to Bisquick and no matter what I did they were either thick heavy doughy weights or thin burned drips.  I decided to give it a go one last time before I retired my cast iron griddle pan forever.  I had all the ingredients already in the cabinets, so I set out to make pancake mix hoping to eventually create the same fluffy beauties that Nigella served up on her show.  My helper, Stina was in the kitchen with me as we ventured into the world of homemade pancake mix.  She helped me to measure the flour, sugar, and baking powder.  I figured this could double as her Math lesson for the day too.  Within minutes we had a mix all ready for the next day's breakfast. 

The next morning I was determined to make pancakes that were at least okay, if not maybe even a little bit good.  The first batch went on the griddle and cooked up quickly and looked good, no burning, perfect size and shape.  Each batch after seemed to easy to be true.  Breakfast was ready and now the true test-Murph and the kids.  No one expected much, after many failed breakfasts of pancakes at my hands.  The first bite was like a little cloud melting-slightly sweet and light.  These little perfect disks of honey colored goodness were a success!!!!  Everyone loved them!  With Nigella at my side (in spirit of course-haven't been lucky enough to actually meet her) I had made the perfect pancake!!!  I can't even begin to count how many pancakes I have made since that first day with Nigella's recipe, but let's just say, we are now on our 7th batch of mix and it lasts a while.  We now eat pancakes twice a week and have even been guilty of three times around the holidays.  Stina eats the leftovers (rarely are any) spread with Nutella and rolled up for a mid afternoon snack.  Below is Nigella's recipe for the mix and the batter.  Yummy-enjoy!

Nigella Lawson's Pancake Mix (from Nigella Express)

4 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar (I use homemade vanilla sugar)

Mix together and store in a jar.  I use my extra canning jars.

Making the Batter:
1 cup pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

Heat a flat griddle (I use a double burner cast iron griddle.  Nigella says not to oil it, but I do use a swipe of vegetable oil just in case).  Whisk all the ingredients together.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle and wait for the tiny bubbles.  Flip when you see the bubbles.  It is about a minute per side. 

To make homemade vanilla sugar, I just put about 3 cups of sugar (not exact) into a jar and add an open leftover vanilla bean (leftover from making marshmallows).  Close the jar and leave in the cupboard.  Within 2 or 3 days, your sugar is lightly scented and flavored with yummy vanilla.  Just keep adding more sugar as you use it. 

These are possibly the best pancakes I have ever tasted.  There is just something so yummy and light about them, they become addictive.  Hope you love these as much as we do! 

Finding My Inner Frugal

I distinctly remember my Mom's coupon holders.  They were always in her purse and they embarrassed me to no end when I was young.  My parents have never been what you would call cheap.  My Mom is probably Bloomingdale's biggest customer and in the 80's she practically lived in Lord & Taylor.  She has an entire closet (as well as our closets after my sister and I moved out) devoted solely to shoes and her Burberry collection.  She has more Tory shoes than Tory Burch herself I think.  When it came to grocery shopping though, my Mom was never one to pass up a bargain.  She used coupons during every trip and for some reason it irritated me as a kid.  I'm not sure if it was the waiting around while she leafed through her coupon files or the fear that someone from school would see the coupon stack and think we couldn't pay full price. 

As an adult, with my own income, I had learned to shop from the best-my Mom.  I even went so far as to work in Bloomingdale's 59 street more for the discount than anything else.  As much as I loved a sale at Nordstrom's, I still didn't bother to be frugal with most things.  My Tory collection had even begun to rival my Mom's and then it happened...I HAD TO RESIGN!  When I gave up my teaching position and started staying home, I also gave up my financial freedom.  I no longer had "my own" money.  I now had to justify my shopping to my husband who didn't think that the newest Vera Bradley pattern was a big enough reason to run to the mall. 

Enter my inner frugal...

It started as a coupon here and there.  I figured if I could show Murph that I was trying to save here and there it would put his mind at ease about only one income.  I loved it!  Looking at the grocery bill after a big grocery trip and seeing the total saved was exhilarating.  And I understood my Mom a it more.  I did run into problems though-I was a devoted organic shopper.  This made coupons tricky, there aren't many for organics, but I did manage to find some and sign up for sites that emailed me weekly. 

The frugal in me began to take over.  Before I knew it, I was saving everywhere.  I even bought 3 coupon files.  I did have to give up certain organics.  I still follow my dirty dozen list and buy those produce items as organic and our dairy is all organic, but I had to give up others.  I also began to make things and in finding my inner frugal ended up discovering that I was pretty good at it.  I started sewing, cooking from scratch (later this week I will be praising Nigella Lawson's pancake mix-we live on it)  and even making my own laundry detergent.  After reading everywhere about getting back to basics, I decided to try it myself.   And you know what, I love it!  My laundry detergent worked and when I had my helper stirring the mixture it became not only a money saver but a Mommy-Stina project.  Easy to make and best of all, super cheap!

1 1/2 bars Fels Naptha (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)
1 gallon water

Boil the grated soap with the water in a really big pot.  Stir the mixture until the soap melts.  Add the Borax and washing soda and stir to mix.  Once the mix starts to boil, add about 1 1/2 gallons more hot (tap hot) water and stir.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature.  Pour this into a 5 gallon pail, add another 1 1/2 gallons of hot water and leave overnight.  Next morning- stir it (or have Stina stir it for you).  I then put it into jugs (old juice containers and an old detergent container).  I used 2 parts detergent to 1 part water.  I adjusted it to this ratio this time around-I felt my last batch was too thin.  It doesn't smell as good as the tropical fresh ones, but I am pretty sure our clothes are clean.  There are no flies following us around and my kids don't have dust clouds like Pig Pen around them, so I guess it is good.  Best of all, it cost me around $8 and lasts 6 months. 

So my inner frugal wins again.  And I even have some money leftover, maybe a shopping trip downtown with my Mom is calling!  Thank you Mom for teaching me how to enjoy beautiful clothes, a good deal, shop frugally and still cook amazing dishes-using all my coupons for the ingredients :-). 

A rainy Day in May & the return of the Blog!

So it has been ages since I wrote a post for my Mommy blog, but I need to now.  I am still a stay at home Mommy, aka domestic goddess, as I've learned to refer to myself thanks to Nigella Lawson   (more to come on Nigella as the blog posts keep coming).  I am no longer the Mommy to just one mini, but Murph and I have added another mini to our clan.  Matthew arrived on March 30, 2011 and it has been crazy since then (good crazy).  I had no idea I could be as in love with two little beings as I am and still wouldn't trade being home for anything, but I am starting to realize that I need an outlet, hence the return of the blog.  I do not get a chance to be on the computer as much as I once was, but when I do get a chance, I read other Mommy blogs...surprise surprise!  Truthfully, some of my best Mommy ideas have come from other Mom blogs and of course my other addiction, Pinterest!!!  My sister, Missy, is doing her pinterest project on her blog-totally awesome idea and she is beyond creative so check out her blog too, Perfectly Flawed.

I figured if other Moms could write about their ideas, I might as well share mine too.  I have no delusion that my ideas are totally original or that I am the first to try these things, but I found that by reading other blogs and being on Pinterest, I am inspired to try things-just ask Murph-he's gotten to try some yummy dinners thanks to my girlfriends' pins in their recipe boards! 

It was a rainy day in May here in NY and the morning was dark and chilly, so Matthew gets to hang out in pjs most of the day and Stina gets to do some of her projects.  As a former teacher, I have tons of books that have been helping Stina prep for Pre-K in September.  She calls this time at the dining room table "Mommy School".  Mommy School comes complete with a ride on the school bus (the loveseat), a school bag (filled with her stuffies and usually my cell phone or various things from my wallet) and stickers for work well done.  Today during Mommy School, once we finished writing letters and adding (sort of-counting fingers and pictures) we decided to do a rainy day science project and we made Blue Gooey.  So simple, but she loved it. 

1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
a few drops blue food color (not the gel)

Put cornstarch into bowl and slowly add water.  Mix around with hands and have fun squishing. 

The whole idea is to show that cornstarch is a thickener and see how it changes the water-Stina mostly loved the gooeyness.  Just don't do what I did-DO NOT make the goo the day before your child is having a portrait done with her baby brother.  Thanks to lots of scrubbing with a baby nailbrush and lemon kitchen soap, Stina will not be posing for her pictures with Grover hands  LESSON LEARNED!

The Blue Gooey is super simple and the best is that I had everything in the house-no rainy trips to Stop and Shop necessary.  If you don't have blue food color, make Red Gooey, or Yellow Gooey-whatever you have would work fine.  It managed to keep Stina busy and satisfy her love of messiness.  Clean up was a breeze to, except for the hands.  My favorite projects are cost friendly and kid friendly.

And this is my return to the blog world!!!  I'll keep you posted on all our family fun, drama and maybe even help with some cool Mommy ideas. 

Sweetness and smooches...

Nap time

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since my last blog was written. It seemed like every time I would have an idea to write about this summer, something came up or the weather was too nice to sit at the computer and write. Now that our vacations are done and things have settled back into everyday mode, I figured it was a great time to sit down and do this. Plus, Stina (she no longer refers to herself as Teeny) crawled onto the couch and fell into a deep blissful nap, so what better time.



So many things are happening in our family I am ready to burst! Our summer was busy, but lots of fun. I drove to Georgia twice, Stina and Mimi in tow, for great visits to my dad, sister and Sam. I even ventured to Sesame Place alone with Stina for a weekend! I'm still not sure who had more fun-Stina or myself. We had a wonderful shower for my sister in GA-great to meet so many of her friends and new family.

My sister, Missy, is getting married in less than 2 weeks now and I still can't believe it. As old as she and I get, I can't get the idea of her being my little sister out of my mind. I am beyond happy for her and know she and Sam have a beautiful, bright future ahead of them!

And of course there have been changes in our family as well. Murph still has his crazy hours, so I did not return to school again this year. And I am thrilled! I have really grown to love being home with Stina. I have had the chance to watch her grow into a precocious, curious and smart 2 year old! I know in the beginning, even though I was happy about it, the idea of being home with no work in my future to speak of was a little daunting at times. I know now though that I have been given an amazing opportunity to spend so much time with my beautiful girl. She knows her alphabet now, counts to 15 and has a very vivid imagination. Her elaborate tea parties are so much fun-cheers, pouring and sipping sounds included. Stina has become my partner in crime and any doubt I had about staying home has been erased!

We also found out that we will be adding to our family in about 5 months! I am expecting another baby in March and have (somehow) managed to keep it secret for 4 months! Only a handful of people knew-Murph being one of those! I really loved having this secret for so long truth be told. It started for practical reasons-I was extremely sick, nearly daily and with a history of miscarriage, was concerned about the viability of the pregnancy. But the secret also became something the Murph, Stina and maybe 2 or 3 other people shared with me. I was a little disappointed when I was outed by my expanding, obvious tummy. As much as I love and cherish all the good wishes received when a pregnancy is announced, it is also the beginning of unsolicited advice, usually unfounded and totally out of left field. The beginning of opinions-who doesn't like what names and their reasons, what I should and shouldn't do, the look of judgement when I am drinking a cup of coffee and the invasive belly grabbing. Don't get me wrong, I love when people ask about the new baby and all the happiness surrounding the pregnancy. It just seems that the announcement of a pregnancy brings out all the armchair critics and doctors. It can be overwhelming and frustrating to have to defend your choices for names, what you are eating or drinking, or be compared to every other pregnancy that has ever been had. AND this is often the work of STRANGERS!!!!!

I know I probably sound horrendously ungrateful or unappreciative, but let's just chalk it up to charging, unbalanced hormones. Look, we are all guilty of doing this to people, myself included. It is how humans relate to one another, the common bond we share makes us feel closer. I know people are well meaning, but take it from this pregnant girl-sometimes it can be a little too much to process. And please, please, please hands off my belly! If you are wearing new jeans, do I walk up to you and grab your bum? If you've had breast implants, would you want me to walk up to you and grab them out of the blue? Just because my belly looks like a separate entity, just know-it is still attached to my body!

Good things and happiness to everyone! Promise to write more often!

A Tough Addiction

It was the morning of January 28th, 2010 when it happened. A frightening moment of panic and then the sad realization of what had happened. My computer DIED! One day my Dell was happily, although slowly, humming along. The next morning, nothing, not even its familiar hum & buzz. Nothing would go on, power cords were checked, connections were double and triple checked. Finally Murph broke the news to me-my connection to the world was lost. Our computer was done and most likely unfixable.

It may sound a tad bit over dramatic or ridiculous, but I never realized how much I depended on my computer until it was gone. At first I was upset because I had to send out a few emails, then I was worried about losing all our pictures-trips to London, Ireland, Teeny's first year and a 1/2 memories possibly gone forever. And then I thought about iTunes! Thousands of songs lost forever. No more Facebook, blogging, searching for recipes, emailing friends. I have quit smoking and caffeine, both difficult, but they seemed like nothing compared to kicking my computer addiction. I didn't even have the opportunity to wean myself from it-it was cold turkey.

At first it was hard-seemingly impossible. But day by day, it was easier. Some things were more of an inconvenience-late bills because I couldn't confirm scheduled payments. In another way though, it reintroduced me to things I haven't used for a while. I actually used my cookbooks instead of just going online to check out 1000 recipes. I organized my recipe files and found recipes I hadn't used in years. I even baked bread twice!

When Murph told me the new computer wouldn't be delivered until February 22 I was inconsolable, but as time passed, it didn't seem so long after all. When it arrived yesterday, a few days ahead of schedule, I had mixed emotions about it. I love it, new and fancy, faster and sleeker. But I also had a feeling I didn't quite expect-a momentary pang of sadness. Instead of being on the computer, Murph and I watched the Olympics together, relaxed on the couch drinking hot chocolate and just spent more time together instead of checking emails. These little moments, small and insignificant as they may seem, were nice and wouldn't have happened if the computer had been up & running. But alas, here I am, back on the computer, checking emails, updating my Facebook page and blogging. I think what I figured out from this whole thing was that my life without a computer is a bit harder, maybe an inconvenience, but not a tragedy. Sometimes moderation may be the key!

The Dreaded Fifteen

First of all-an update on Teeny. Teeny ended up having croup this past week, not just a cold. My only image of croup was from Terms of Endearment when Debra Winger is sitting in an extremely steamed up bathroom with a screaming kid and a cheatin' husband. Needless to say, after a week of little to no sleep, a cranky toddler and now being sick myself, we have all-Teeny included, come through croup relatively unscathed. We did sit in a steamy bathroom for numerous mornings but no cheating went on-who has the energy to cheat when you've got a croupy toddler?!?!? Only in the movies I guess.

I'm sure everyone has heard of the freshman 15. You know, go away to school, eat bad dorm food, gain weight fight to lose it in time for spring break, only to gain it back in beer weight once on said break. I think this theory applies to motherhood as well. My weight has always been an "issue" for me. I have never been extremely overweight and I am told that I don't need to lose weight, but I know my body and I NEED to. Prior to my wedding almost 6 years ago, I did the South Beach Diet and got really skinny-I loved it! Then gained some back, lost it again and then....GOT PREGNANT! My top weight during my pregnancy was...hold your breath...178 lbs. After Teeny was born I lost alot of the weight, only to put some of it back on again.

I blame my weight gain on being home, and of course, lack of self control. I have been a generally healthy eater, with occasional binges. Except being home has sent these binges into overdrive! I started to eat things I would never have before-Cheerios Snack mix-a whole bag and explain it to myself that Teeny and I had shared it. Shared meaning she picked out some Cheerios and maybe a pretzel or two and I finished the rest for her. My dinner meals had also become more elaborate than when I was working. More time to grocery shop and cook meant more food to me. It also meant trying out recipes from cookbooks I haven't had time to use before. Cookbooks like my fat filled, but oh so delicious French Cooking book or Southern cookbooks filled with buttery biscuits and gravy. I have now been home since June and realized that I have gained my own freshman 15, give or take a few pounds.

So now its time to fight back. I hate New Years resolutions. I usually don't make them because by Jan 2nd, I have most likely over served myself wine or said a medley of curse words to the slow driver in front of me. So this is not a resolution, it just so happens that its easier for me to start a diet once the holidays have passed and we are no longer having wine filled, hors d'oeuvres laden family meals. I began South Beach Diet (again) on January 5. I am not sure of my exact start weight-only got the new scale on Saturday, but since I weighed myself at Teeny's pediatrician on Thursday, I've lost 4 pounds! The first week was pure torture. Leftover Christmas cookies and chocolates taunted me, but I stuck to my diet. Unfortunately for Murph, he is stuck eating the same food I cook for myself for dinner, only he eats double or triple portions. He's been a good sport. The biggest challenge so far has been sitting beside him after dinner watching him eat a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream and pretending to enjoy my cup of sugar free jello. I did overcome a big temptation today though-I baked fudge brownies for Murph and wasn't even tempted to try one! Progress my friends, progress! I even started to do yoga again. I also had a brief encounter with Carmen Electra's striptease aerobics at midnight the other day, but that is something for a later blog-trust me!

What I want is to get to my wedding weight again. Realistically I would be happy to be 10 pounds more than that. Ten years plus one child make me realize that I need to be reasonable. So here's to cutting out caffeine (headache), alcohol for a few weeks (boring) and sugar (life seems a little less sweet). I'll keep you posted on how its going and if Murph continues to enjoy his turkey bacon and butter-less veggies.