Grab a Straw!

As I approached the street my heart skipped a few beats. I flicked my turn signal so I could make the left hand turn. Two sweet little girls were sound asleep behind me in the van so I could lose myself in memories. How is it over a year already? It feels like just yesterday we walked down that familiar block to the little park with a picnic in hand and a baby in the stroller.

I came to a complete stop at the three way stop as I always did after being kindly reminded by an officer a few years back. There were the two Victorian homes that looked like they belong in the pages of a book about doll houses. There was the chain link fence marking our driveway which was now filled with two cars that I don't recognize.

There is the house...our home. Oh, my heart almost floated away. I have missed that house so much. It looked so different yet so much the same to me. I wanted to turn in to that driveway, take my girls out of the van, and scurry in to get supper started but I drove on. I drove on down the street to the end and turned.

I saw a new mother pushing her new baby in the stroller with tears streaming down her face as she fought feelings of inadequacy and being overwhelmed. (She was on her phone so I am sure she was talking to her best friend who told her she was doing just fine and it would get so much easier.) Then I passed a mom pushing a little girl who was a bit older and she had that pregnant glow on her face. Then there just a ways up the street was a mother pushing a brand new baby with her big sister in front. She looked pretty sleep deprived but she was beaming with pride over her brood.

Then I came back to the main street, the beautiful tree lined main street and turned to head out of town back to my new home.

I kind of wished I could go back in time to that younger mom and tell her, "Enjoy this moment. Live it to it's fullest. Don't take it for granted. Change will come as it always does. Suck the marrow out of what you have now and hang on during the ride."

As I drove south with those two older girls asleep in the back, I realized that is what I need to do now. Suck the marrow out of this moment. (I love that line that I got from Kelle Hampton. She has inspired me to want to suck out the marrow!) Yes, I live in an apartment. Yes, my husband goes to school full time. Yes, we are in a way, starting over in our mid-30's while everyone else around us seems settled. Yes, change scared the heck fire out of me. BUT I have this moment. I will never get it back. So, pull up the stool, grab a straw and start sucking out the good stuff.

I found this quote on a friend's Facebook page today and boy, did it hit me in between the eyes.
"You are the way you are because that's the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now." (I couldn't make out the name of the person who said this quote. Sorry!)

Start looking at the glass being half full and not half empty!

A Delightful Recipe

A couple of weeks I was up north visiting family and friends and a sweet friend shared with me one of her favorite recipes with me. I promptly came back home and tested it out. It is being added here because it was delightful! The ingredient list sounds a bit strange but when mixed together and baked into a gooey masterpiece it is really good.

Curry Chicken Delight

4 chicken breasts
1/3 c. flour
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 c. honey
2 T. mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. curry powder

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry, then coat with flour. Brown chicken in bacon drippings (or oil). Transfer chicken to an 8x8 dish. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes. Combine honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder. Drizzle this over the chicken. Bake uncovered 15 minutes longer. Top with bacon and serve over rice.

*I used a couple more chicken breasts and a 9x13 dish but needed more of the ooey gooey goodness so I would recommend sticking to 4 chicken breasts in the smaller pan or making a double batch of the ooey gooey goodness.

Pumpkin Bread

PUMPKIN SEASON IS HERE! Can we get an Hallelujah Chorus there? And even better...there is canned pumpkin in the store. Hello sweet nectar of fall!!!!

Last year I couldn't find it anywhere and was a bit perplexed as to what I was going to do this year without pumpkin treats. Yes, I know...pie pumpkins! I've never done that but I was ready to slice and dice a pumpkin for treats. But then my sweet friend emailed me last week and told me she had discovered the canned yummy goodness at our local grocery store and it was on sale so OFF I WENT with bells on.

I bought 4 cans right then and there! I have since made a pumpkin pie for hubby (his all time favorite pie) which disappeared last night. Where did that pie go? I can not for the life of me figure that one out. Haha!

This afternoon our home smelled of spices and pumpkin as 2 stunning loaves of pumpkin bread baked in our oven. I just know they would have been pinned with blue ribbons back in the day of 4-H!

Speaking of 4-H, that is where my trusty Pumpkin Bread recipe came from and it has not failed me since those awkward days of teenagedom. I would like to share this recipe with you.

Pumpkin Bread
3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
1 lb. pumpkin
2/3 c. water
3 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
(I always substitute my spices with pumpkin pie spice. I used 3 1/2 t. of pumpkin pie spice.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 bread pans. Mix sugar and oil. Add beaten eggs. Mix in pumpkin and water. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3-4 minutes. Pour into prepared bread pans, spreading into corners. Bake 1` 1/2 hours or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. (My bread baked in 1 hour 20 minutes.)

Recharge

I feel it. I feel the lack of patience creeping in and the burden of being easily frustrated. I have said it here before but I'm going to say it again, my personality type needs time alone to rejuvenate and time alone has not been a common thing in these parts. Oh, I love my girls to the moon and back and a bushel and a peck, but mama's feeling it again.

I am heading home this weekend for a cousin's wedding and mentioned to someone that my hubby will be HOME.ALONE.ALL.WEEKEND and I felt the jealousies creep in. Now he will be working and studying but he will be alone.

Then I found myself wondering, "What would I do with that much time to myself?" and my mouth started salivating and my head spinning. I would read, a novel, not a children's book. I would go to the bathroom ALONE! I would SLEEP IN past 6:00 a.m. I would watch a chick flick in the middle of the day. I would steal away to some coffee shop with said novel and my computer and WASTE TIME! I would eat hummus and pita chips for supper. I would end the day curled up on the couch with another chick flick.

But then by the end of the first day...I would probably miss my curly headed little girls and long to kiss their sweet lips and smell their freshly bathed heads. I am so blessed, I do know that.

A weekend alone is probably not going to happen so I may have to test the hubby waters for an afternoon of solitude so I can recharge my mama batteries.

Laundry Soap

I finally did it. I have been wanting to do it for so long. I have friends who have done it and are singing it's praises! So....I did it! I made my own laundry soap.

I followed the recipe found HERE! The only thing I did different was use Kirk's Castile soap. Someone told me to stay away from Fels Naptha as it is a carcinogen. Kirk's is all natural. Hubby struggles with some skin sensitivities so I thought Kirk's would work better for us.

The detergent is supposed to turn into a glob (very illustrious word, don't ya think?). Mine did not. After 24 hours it was still very liquidy. After talking to several friends who make their own detergent, they all thought I should go ahead and use it because it had what it needed in it. Instead of using 3/4 c., I have been using 1 c. After a couple of weeks I have noticed it is turning globbier and globbier than it had been. (I know...globbier is not a word! But it works here.)

I think when I make it next time, I will just make the powdered version and not cook the soap down.

A great idea I got from another friend is to take a bottle of Downy and mix it in a bucket of water. Cut some cheap sponges in half and throw those in the bucket. When you put your clothes in the dryer, ring out the excess liquid from one sponge and throw it in the dryer too. This will replace your fabric softener/softener sheets. I want to try this too!

By doing these two simple things, we are saving a bunch of money on cleaning items! How great is that?

A Blessing from Afar

Let me start by saying that I am in NO way trying to toot my own horn. I just want to share with you a really great idea! After our car accident last May I had a friend who lives 4 hours away message me on Facebook. She said she wanted to order pizza for us to be delivered to our home since she didn't live close enough to bring us a meal. What a great idea!!!! How very clever.

I can not tell you the times when I have thought how nice it would be to take a meal to a friend or family member but distance was an issue.

Having meals provided for me after having our children and after our car accident have been such times of blessing to our family. Do you take meals to loved ones who live close by during times of need? It is a HUGE blessing! I urge you to do that if you haven't done it before.

And for those who live far away? Call in a pizza order to a pizza place (or some other restaurant that delivers) and pay for it with your credit/bank card.

We just did this for my hubby's cousin who just had a baby. It felt so good to know she was eating a meal she didn't have to make after having her baby. One thing: be sure to tell the person you are ordering from the situation and that you are paying with your credit card but won't be at the home the order is being delivered to. Pizza Hut would not let me do this since the credit card had to be shown when the order was delivered. I ended up using Papa John's and they had no problem with the situation.

What a great way to bless a family that isn't near! We were so blessed when this was done for us.

Anticipating

My long lost friend is coming.

I can feel it.

I am filled with anticipation and excitement.

I am ready to go dig out the box of decorations I have tucked away in our basement for her arrival.

I bought two small mini-pumpkins at the Farmer's Market to mark the nearness of her visit.

I hope beyond hope that her stay is prolonged this year.

She typically comes and then just as soon as she is here, she is gone.

I'm hoping that this year, she will linger and that she will bring with her a vibrant wardrobe of color.

The trees looks as if they are ready to burst too as they prepare this wardrobe of colors for her.

I want to pick out one special candle in a scent that reminds me of her.

I washed my living room windows and sliding glass door today so I can watch for her.

I will probably bake something in her honor soon too.

I hear Starbucks is anticipating her arrival too with Pumpkin Spice Lattes returning to their menu so I'll have to have one soon to thank them for thinking of her too.

I think she would be delighted to find a mum waiting on our front porch for her.

The sweatshirts and jackets are washed and ready so we can take strolls outside with her to breathe in her scent and hear her sounds.

Come soon, friend and stay awhile!