430am... ARE U CRAZY?!?!?!?!

....YES, YES, AND OFCOURSE YES!!!!!

i am a silly girl who is always looking for ways to make myself better. I'm drivin by this. I like to make lists for fun, I like to read self help books, I love to read blogs and make others feel good about their amazing ideas... these people (u that read my blog and give me reason to post because of "who u are") INSPIRE ME! I love being inspired.

Here is my latest "inspiration"....

WAKING UP EARLY!!!!!!!

i LOVE it!! Don't get me wrong, it's not like getting out of bed isnt hard, but the more I do it, the more I love it! I have a complete 2 hrs before I go in bedrooms to wake my family. 2 hrs for ME, to make myself better for THEM!! I get up, drink 33 oz of water to start my day, turn on the news, do my 30 min strength training and stretching, catch up on my favorite blogs and have my oatmeal.

I use to get up at 5, but it wasn't enuf time. I have made it a point to not hit snooze. (I had to remind myself, i'm getting up because i want to, not because i have to... so why hit snooze?? it kindda defeats the purpose) I lay in bed and allow myself to wake-up, laying in bed in the morning is one of my favorite things to do... i love the feeling of a warm bed and listening to the quiet and being conscious to noice it. Right now all u can hear in my house is the quiet clicking of the keys as i type.

I don't require much sleep, and i have found that with my new formula, i fall asleep quicker and get a better sleep. While many/most need a solid 8 hrs... I am good with a Solid 5-6... 'solid' being the key term. If i go to bed before 10 my body won't sleep thru the night. So when 11pm rolls around i'm ready because i have been getting up earlier. I hit the pillow at night and go right to sleep and it's SOLID! This morning my body naturally woke up at 428.... and i was pleased as punch to start my little "me-time"....

Benjamin Franklin was right... "Early to Bed (well, that's not really me)...Early to Rise...Etc (u know the rest)"

And so u have a picture to go with this post... here u go:

This is the hubs and I at the beach this last weekend....

what's new??

i have a little bird that is chirping in my ear telling me i am not blogging enuf. I will agree. I will apologize for not doing it more often and promise to be better... but the next time I'll be on here will probably be mid spring... SORRY, JUST TRYING TO BE REALISTIC ABBY! But a girl can try and there's gotta be an award for that. So what new with the crew???

Noni and Pop have moved from California.  After 31 yrs in the military, Pop decided to retire.

They live about 5 miles away (or 12 minutes with lights and traffic).  How do we feel about it????

We give it a THUMBS UP!

Note --only two children in that photo are mine the Skull and lacrosse stix and the surf champ--

After being here only a few weeks my dad (Pop), was notified to say he was being honored with the Legion Of Merit Award.  A 3 Star General From California flew in just to present it to him.  The Medal is the highest award given out that is non war related.  It was "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements".

(we took pics that i will have to get from the rents to post in my next mid spring blog post)

The C-man has learned to use a child proof lighter.  I'm just waiting for the day my house is burned to a crisp over an "unknown" accident.... I don't think i need fire insurance... more like 'Carter Insurance'

Noni and Pop's move was bitter sweet.... 3 days after they arrived, we said goodbye to uncle Ryan who moved back to Cali.... We are all pretty bummed about it.  As u can tell from the photo... he is pretty bummed too!

And this is how i feel DAILY....



But never fear... a light bulb went off in the ol noggin and I have made my life more organized and tranquil indeed.  So listen up mom's and ladies whose lives are so busy and not slowing down any time soon....

I began to pre-make my dinners in large quantities and freeze them!  I have a 3 month calendar planned out with a menu for each night.  Some meals are more staples than others and they may be listed once a month, other meals are a little more complicated and require more work so they are listed less.  Keep in mind, my husband does not like casseroles, or soup (but i can sometimes get away with a potato soup or chili from time to time if i'm lucky!)

I made up my first weekly menu with grocery list and went to the store.  I purchased a large quantity, I think of 25 disposable casserole dishes from Sam's...(they were super cheap $6 or $7) and my other bulk items.  I also purchased several boxes of freezer quart bags, sandwich bags, and gallon size bags.

Here's an example of a weeks menu:

White Chicken Enchiladas

Lasagna

Taco Salad

Chicken Parmesan

Quiche

Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Chips (sat night)

Roast,Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, Salad (Sunday dinner)

then on Fridays (because i don't have to be at the gym that day), I make all my meals.  When i make the enchiladas and Lasagna I make enuf to fill 3 casserole pans to freeze of each (for later use).  When i make Chic Parmesan I thaw the chicken, coat the chicken and bread the chicken and freeze on a cookie sheet.  I buy 3 1 gallon cans of tomato sauce and make my marinara sauce in bulk and freeze in separate quart size bags for easy access.  (note- i use marinara sauce for my pizzas, chic parm, base of my chili with extra spices of course)  Once the chic is frozen individually i place them in a gallon size bag together and take out the necessary chicken the night i want to make that meal, I cook the pasta and add a bag of marinara from the freezer.  My quiche I make in advance (3 at a time) and freeze in the pie crust so that the only thing i need to do is take it out of the freezer the night before and place it in the fridge and let it thaw overnight and thru the next day until it's time to make dinner.  Then all i do is pop it in the oven and make a salad to go with it.  Hot Dogs are easy and require little prep, but I do the same for BBQ beans as I do for marinara... I buy the gallon cans of bush's beans and doctor them up with caramelized onions, bacon, brown sugar, and mustard, then i divide it into 3 bags and freeze.  The night before I pull bag from freezer and place in fridge.  The next morning I put the beans in crock pot on low and let it cook till dinnertime...Grill the dogs and u are done.  As for taco salad I buy my ground beef in the large tube at sams and cook almost all of it into taco meat.  I sautee the onions, brown the meat, drain and season.  Then i divide it into quart bags and use it for taco, red beef enchilladas, chili, burritos...etc.  I just dump the frozen bag into the crock pot the morning of and let it thaw and slow cook until dinner.  EASY PEASY PEOPLE!!

My days are a bit tricky between teaching class right smack dab at dinner prep time, helping with homework, and ball practice for 2 children, PLUS Wednesday night church activities, and monday is FHE, etc.  We were eating out way too much and my life was suffering in more ways than one.  This takes a little time once every few months to sit down and plan out menus but there is something liberating about not having to freak out when ur little one says..."what's for dinner mom, i'm hungry!"

I'll post more meals I do soon...(soon is a relative word on my blog, okay?!?!)

Before i sign out let me give a brief example of how this has helped JUST in this last week.  The missionaries from our church called monday morning and said i wrote on the calendar last month to feed them that day, ofcourse i didn't remember and i had a packed day.... So i pulled a lasagna from the freezer that i made 2 weeks ago and sat it out to thaw.  Later in the day I cooked it and dropped it off with garlic bread and salad...viola ladies... it's amazing!!!

Taquila Lime Chicken, Homemade Tortillas, Mexi Rice, and Black Refried Beans

*photo courtesy of pioneer woman cooks

Hold on to ur horses ladies and gents (like any men read my blog)... I am posting yet another recipe. Wow! What has gotten into me?!?!? I don't know, but I LIKE IT!  I cleaned the house this morning, went to the gym mid morning and have spent the rest of the day in the kitchen... Hmmm, all morning in gym, all afternoon in kitchen???? Sounds a bit like an oxymoron if i ever heard one, nevertheless i have been good and left the muzzle on and not devoured the meal i have been hard at work creating!

Let's begin.

First things I tackled: a nice batch of pico de gallo, marinade for the chicken, and salsa so the flavors would mesh in the fridge before the meal this evening. 

Pico:

4-5 Large (Firm) Tomatoes diced

1 small onion or 1/2 large onion diced

1 jalapeno seeded and diced

1 lime freshly squeezed

2 Cloves of garlic minced

and cilantro to taste

kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and drizzle evoo over top and place in fridge

Salsa:

4 overly ripe romas & 1/2 can diced tomatoes (I use whichever i have on hand, today i did both)

kosher salt

2 spoonfuls of Jarred jalapenos diced and juice from jar

1 tbsp cumin

cilantro (depending on how much you like it in ur salsa)

Diced 1/4 onion

Throw all ingredients into Cuisinart and chop chop chop... make sure it doesn't puree ur mixture... I made the mistake of doing this in my vita mix once and it was one soupy mess.  Place in Tupperware and stick it in ur fridge.  Note: I like to keep a little tub of this on hand in my fridge, you never know when u'll get a hankering for some chips and salsa.  "la la la la la la bamba!"

Marinade:
This is called tequila lime chicken, however I don't drink and rarely use alcohol in my cooking so i usually try for the substitute.  In this case, the sub in cactus juice.  Darn, I'm fresh out!  (who keeps that in their pantry ANYWAYS???) So I am not using it at all.  My sister in law Kimberly makes a marinade very similar to this (or it may be the exact one) and it's wonderful.

1 lime juiced
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
evoo

Throw all ingredients into ur blender and blend baby, blend!  It should be a nice bright- beautiful green.  Pound out ur bls skinless chickens and put them in a gallon sized Ziploc bag, pour in marinade, seal and put in ur fridge. 

--Top Three Recipes are better the earlier you make them, I would even try and do this once i put the monkeys down for the night if i had enuf energy--

                                                          Next, THE TORTILLAS!!!!

Again, this can be made in advance, perhaps on a lazy Sunday.  I'm not gonna lie, they take some time, but you will never want to buy store purchased ever again.  So hold on tight, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Ingredients:

Lard-- YIKES! what a word... You may also use veggie Crisco, but Lard is best once u get past the word
(p.s. you can find lard next to Crisco at the grocery store)

2 1/2 c. all purpose
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c and 2 tbsp lard
1 cup hot (non boiling) H2O-- that means water

Begin by combining flour, salt, and powder. Mix. Drop lard in by spoonfuls into flour mixture.  Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix ingredients.  Continue to break lard up in flour until the consistency is crumbles.  Pour in hot water and mix, once it's formed into one ball knead on lightly floured surface 30-40 times.  Place in a bowl covered with a clean cloth and leave for an hour.

** This gives u time to clean the kitchen of ur used pots and pans, switch over laundry, sweep the floor, contemplate life, and take approximately 5 deep breaths and do some nice yoga moves** I LOVE YOGA

When you come back to ur bowl the dough should of doubled in size (even if it isn't exactly double it's a.o.k!)

Separate into ping pong size rolled balls and place on a greased cookie sheet and allow to rest for 30 minutes before handling.

When you’re ready to make the tortillas, head a dark or cast iron griddle to medium/medium-high heat. One by one, roll out balls of dough until very, very thin. Throw tortillas (one by one) onto the griddle. Cook on each side for 20 to 30 seconds, removing while tortillas are still soft but slightly brown in spots. Remove and stack tortillas, and cover with a towel to keep warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing tortillas in a container. To warm, nuke tortillas in the microwave, or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.

Viola Ladies.... TORTILLAS! unless u are feeding the masses, these should last for a few meals!

Now Let's talk about MEXI RICE

you'll need:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves or garlic (yes i know there is a theme here)
1 1/2 cups white rice (not instant)
1 can drained original rotel (tomatoes and chillies)
1 can diced tomatoes w/juices
3 c. chic stock
cilantro chopped

melt butter in pot, saute onion, throw in rice and garlic, stir constantly.  Throw in can of rotel and diced tomatoes.  Stir well over medium heat until mixed.  Add chic stock and bring to boil uncovered.  Place on lid and turn temp down to med/low and cook for 20 min.  Garnish with cilantro!

And lastly, what's Mexican food without BEANS!!!!
(beans, bean, good for ur heart, the more you eat, the more you, ....uh, er, smile?)

Need:
1-2 Cans Black Beans-1 can feeds 4-6ish, 2 cans 6-8ish (yes i use cans, i Hate preparing, soaking and cooking beans0
2-4 Heaping Spoonfuls of ur Pico De Gallo you made that morning and blend with an immersion blender.
1 Heaping spoonful of LARD -since you just used it on tortillas

Cook over medium heat until warm and serve immediately!

Take Chicken out of Marinating Bag from fridge and grill.  Combine all yummy dishes together with some cheese, guacamole, and sour cream and you have one BEAUTIFUL MEAL!!!

Thai Green Curry Chicken

I dedicate this meal to Abby and Laura.  You have given me the desire to find fun new things to cook!  Thank You, I had hit a slump FOR SURE!!

Last night I was craving some Thai food!  Since my family is really trying to focus on not eating out so much, I was determined to make something from home that would fill my desire.  One of my favorite dishes is Green Curry Chicken.  I was up for the challenge.  I read thru a few recipes I found online then darted into the world unknown and made my own recipe following.  Perhaps it isn't as authentic as the real thing... but let's face it... how many "ethnic" places really are authentic?  I like to think of it as Americanized Thai cuisine!  Here Goes:

Thai Green Curry Chicken
2.5. lbs thawed bnls sknls chicken cut into strips
2 1/2 c. coconut milk (unsweetened)
3/4 c. of chic stock
1 c. cooked peas and carrots (i used it from the can to save time last night, u may use more if u want tons of veggies) *"ps & crts"
2 cloves of garlic, diced
half of a large onion chopped
pinch of kosher salt
1-2 tbsp evoo and butter to coat the pan
3 tbsp green curry paste (again, u can make ur own, but i was trying to save time, last night i just used the paste, if you live local and need to know where to buy some let me know, otherwise i will post how to make it as well)
White Rice (Jasmine or Basmatti are my favorites)
1 bay leaf

Heat a deep pan with the evoo and butter.  Start water to cook rice.  Place onion in and saute until translucent, throw in garlic and stir making sure u don't burn the garlic (1-2 min).  Add curry (3 tbsp) *ps & crts and stir.  Pour in Coconut Milk, Chic Stock, a pinch of kosher salt, a bay leaf and stir until low boil begins.  Throw in chic strips and poach on med-med high (10-15 min) keep stir to make sure the mixture does not burn on bottom. 

Serve over hot sticky rice with a veggie side.  I like the "gravy/sauce" as much as the chicken part (perhaps more) so i tend to make more.  Even when the chicken is gone... i will keep the sauce to use on my rice until it's all gone.

--Delish! As a matter of fact, i had leftovers and am eating some while i write this.

Please Note: I am not a photographer. Sorry the picture isn't very fancy, I almost forgot to take one altogether... this was taken with my phone 30 seconds before it was devoured!

Calzones--DELISH!!

I love pizza! I can not begin to explain my deep love for the food.  It's the one food (minus potatoes) that i could eat every single day and not get tired of.... BELIEVE ME, I HAVE TRIED!  A month ago i was recipe stalking some blogs and came upon these delish bad boys... MMMM MMM GOOD!  They were an instant hit with my family and I would even venture far enuf to say I like them more than homemade pizza I make.  The hubs gives them two thumbs up as well, which is always a good sign!!

First you need to make up some pizza dough.  I try and keep balls of pizza dough frozen in my freezer for easy access.  I just pull two balls out the night before and let them thaw thru the night and next day.
Here is my in-laws favorite pizza dough recipe:

Pizza Dough

(yield 2 pizza crusts) or 4-5 large calzones
5- 6 cups flour
2 Tablespoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water (as hot as you can get it)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey

Put water, salt, olive oil, and honey all in mixer. Add 1-2 cups flour to make a soupy mixture. Then add Yeast and add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until right consistency.

(If you add the yeast to the first mixture then the salt will kill it and your dough won't rise)
Mix until the dough is stretchy and divide into four separate balls to work with. 

I also try and keep a red sauce in the fridge on hand. (the flavor is better if it sits for a few days to let the seasonings and herbs blend).

Red Sauce:
Saute 3-4 cloves of raw garlic in EVOO
Put in a 13 oz can of tomato sauce
Season with
Basil
Italian Seasonings
Garlic Salt
Salt
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
and anything else you prefer...  Sometimes I just use basil, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper... it's my favorite and makes a super marinara over pasta!

Preheat Oven 425-450
Roll out your pizza dough and cover half with red sauce.  Sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese first and any other pizza toppings you like.  Put an extra layer of cheese over toppings.  Brush edges with egg whites and fold in half and roll edges.  Once on the cookie sheet brush entire top with egg wash and sprinkle with garlic salt.  I cook two on a sheet at a time.

Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes (I cook mine at 425 for 12 min exactly and they come out perfect, but everyone's oven is different)
 
 

**A Special Thanks To My Sister In Law Rachael, She is one of the best, most creative, awesome, cooks I know!! I grabbed this recipe from her blog! LOVE YOU RAE**

http://mosteverythingfromscratch.blogspot.com/

p.s. I serve this with a nice cesear salad and extra sauce for dipping!

Tackle It Tuesday (yes, I know it's wednesday)

I'm not one who enjoys cleaning per se, but I hate having a messy house. I use to make myself crazy making sure my home was spotless all the time and would get ill if things got out of order. But in the 9 yrs i have been married, I feel like I am coming to a happy medium. I like to make sure things like my dishes stay clean, floors swept and rooms picked up and only really scrub once a week or so. It makes me happy, my family happy, and keeps our home under control (MOST OF THE TIME). Weekends are an exception to the rule. We are either too busy doing fun things or would rather relax than to clean. So we usually let things go a bit til sunday evening when we are getting things ready for the week ahead and we as a family do a big pick up of the house.

So tuesdays I call my TACKLE IT TUESDAYS. Even tho I keep my house pretty clean... my laundry has still been an issue. It's an unstoppable force. The boys go thru 2 sets of clothes a day plus pj's and joe can get pretty dirty too between working in the yard, softball, work and the man showers 2-3 times a day... needless to say... I have a mound almost at all times. Washing it isn't the problem... IT'S FOLDING AND PUTTING AWAY!! YIKES!

In order to cut down my mounds and time I have made a new system that has worked pretty well for me. I first make sure I do 1-2 loads EVERYDAY but the weekends. I wait until both loads are done and throw them on my bed.

(This is a picture of my laundry for two days... JUST DARKS.-- To my momma friends that have more children than I do I'm sure the pile looks pueny)

I can get this sucker folded and put away in 10-12 minutes flat.... HOW?!?

I set aside two laundry baskets.  One for each room that i need to visit to put the clothes away.  I then begin folding and immediately placing the clothes in the basket of the room they need to go.  No sorting shirts, pants, underwear, pj's...etc.  I am very particular about how my clothes are folded to ensure they will fit into the space I have allowed.  So i have mastered the art of folding quickly.  I can do this while taking care of things that need to be done on the phone (talk to banks, schedule appts, work on church things, etc)... I usually keep a notebook with notes on the bed too so I can make notes of my phone calls.

(This is a picture of everything folded.) 

Items that need to be hung up or ironed I place over to the side and then on top of the baskets once I am finished.  I then take the baskets directly to the room where the clothes belong.  In order to make my laundry folding quick and efficient, I have my closets set up to do be the same. 

(This picture is of my boys closet.)

  While I do have room to spread my children out into different rooms and to have different dressers, I have found this way works really really well.  I keep all their clothes (ALL THREE BOYS) in one closet.  I hang up all their church clothes and fold and put away the rest.  All socks go into one black tub, underwear goes into another, swimsuits another and a small Tupperware for church ties.... this is regardless of size.  When they go to get dressed they just pick out the size that they need.  The system has changed my life (as far as laundry goes)  I keep two Tupperware dressers (with three drawers each) in the closet.  Lucas has his own drawer since his clothes are bigger and the two little boys share one. 

I put their clothes in drawers according to how they dress themselves.  For example. You dress with your shirt on top of your shorts and pj's go on at the end of the day. 

 TOP DRAWER: SHIRTS

MIDDLE DRAWER: PANTS/SHORTS

BOTTOM DRAWER: PJ'S

The two little boys almost always match or coordinate.. While this sounds strange.  It's much easier to keep track. When I fold the clothes both shirts or shorts lay next to each other and I only then have to pick out or decide what one is going to wear because the other will wear the same.  Besides, I have done this for so long with all three (yes, I match all three often) that it's hard for my eyes to look at them when they don't match... it throws me off.   Yes, I know ... I'M CRAZY!

I change their clothes out every six months (spring/ summer and fall/winter).  When they grow out of something I keep a bag on the side of the closet for clothes they grow out of to later consigned or taken to goodwill. 

Even though my clothes are folded in a basket out of order it doesn't take me anytime to put the clothes away.  I sit down in front of the closet with all the drawers open and place them where they belong and toss the socks, underwear, ties, and swimsuits into their bucket.  It's a great system and I LOVE IT!!

Don't go getting any ideas that I'm amazingly organized.  I've just found one more thing that makes my life a little less crazy. =) BECAUSE CRAZY... IT IS!

babies, babies, babies

I have had an inner battle that has gone on for the last year and half. To have a baby or not have a baby... that is the question. I have good reason...my sanity being top on the list and others more on the selfish side, like all the hard work i have done to lose weight. Joe has been begging me for another for some time and that doesn't help the war waging on in my mind. A MOTHER OF FOUR?? it's almost 1:30 here and i still haven't showered for the day... GEEZ!

It consumes my thoughts atleast a few times a day. I have tried getting angry, sad, analytical, defiant... but it's no use. The feeling that another baby is waiting to come to our family is evident... AND I KNOW IT!

Last week I sat down with joe and asked for his real reason for wanting another. I don't want to hear... because maybe it will be a girl (cuz that's all up to mr. XY ANYWAYS), and not because he'd like to have another baby to smash (cuz you can pick those up during any meeting at church and give them back once the huggies start to smell)... but i wanted to know a REAL reason. Now for those who know my sweet hubs, he doesn't usually get too "churchy" on me so when he says something in that nature i tend to lean in a bit closer to hear what's going on in the ol ticker.

"I JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A GOOD FAMILY. BABIES ARE BEING BORN EVERY DAY TO PEOPLE THAT DON'T CARE FOR THEM. WE ARE GOOD PARENTS, EVEN IF WE DO LOSE OUR COOL AND GET FRUSTRATED AND FEEL LIKE WE ARE GOING CRAZY. WE CAN AFFORD ANOTHER CHILD, AND WE HAVE LOVE FOR ANOTHER CHILD. THERE ARE CHILDREN WAITING TO COME TO GOOD FAMILIES... AND WE ARE ONE OF THEM!"

--aw man!! i hate it when he has a good answer that i can't come back with a rebuttal.--

The truth of the matter is, i do have good pregnancies, great births, and tho i joke of losing my mind... WHO DOESN'T FEEL THAT WAY!... i would be a rich girl indeed if i had a penny for every woman out there who says as she watches my babies ...'THEY GROW UP SO FAST...IT SEEMS LIKE MINE WERE JUST THAT LITTLE YESTERDAY'... and i know they are telling the truth. My babies will grow up, begin school, ask to spend the weekends with friends instead of me and find a woman that will steal their heart, marry, and be more important than me (which is ok, that's how i will raise them to think)... and then i will have all the time in the world to watch the price is right, sew quilts, take up tennis, and read all the books in the world. What's 20 yrs if you look at the big picture anyways. I'll tell you... IT'S NOTHING. But the children you have will be yours forever, FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!...

So i guess my mind is made up. I'm not saying I will have another baby tomorrow, rather I will no longer look, think, or talk like my world would come to an end when the mention of having another baby comes. I loved this trailer of the new movie coming out... I can't wait to go and see it!