My Most Favorite Poem

I am drawn back to this poem time and time again, and it speaks to me differently every time.  I share it all of the time with other women friends when they are going through things, because I know that it will speak to them too...and it is all things you learn through life...I've seen different titles but I think this one is correct.

Comes The Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and chaining a soul

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning

and company doesn't always mean security

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts

and presents aren't promises

And you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes ahead

with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

And you learn to build all your roads on today

because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans

and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns

if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul

instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure

that you really are strong

and you really do have worth

And you learn and you learn

with every goodbye you learn...

1971 by Veronica A. Shoffstall

Just Peachy!

*He* likes all pies involving fruit. *I* like making all desserts that don't require me working with pie crust.  I had to give it up for him today though...he put in our new sink and faucet yesterday and it was no simple task (we are finding that replacing anything builder installed never is- who glues a sink down?!?)...so, I just embarked on my first peach pie.  This isn't going to work out so well with me with the Lose It app today, because of course I have to try it!  Add in that veggie boy brought home some smashed up but not yet stale cupcakes I had sent with him to my sister's...what to do?  Trash them?  Nope.  Make a vanilla Greek yogurt based frozen concoction?  I think yes.  I will do what I did with the raspberry over the weekend, just using vanilla yogurt and extract, and at the end I will throw in the smashy cupcakes...and it will either suck, or I will be a genious!  Also not helping is that Wegman's sells a 2 pack of these big ol rectangular pizza crusts- YUM!  Of course we have to try those too (my one "not on my list" purchase but a good one!), so my calories for the day are pretty much shot to hell...luckily I had some saved, but these are all food delights guaranteed to keep my curves curvy and my thighs doughy! This is my pie- hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Public Service Announcement

Consider this a public service announcement:  If you buy the pretzel rolls at Costco you WILL eat too many at 200 calories apiece, and you WILL become addicted, and you WILL decide they are worth the contribution to your curvy, doughy body!  My favorite way to eat them is with grilled roast beast or brisket, a horseradish spread (probably along the lines of this), & some onions.  Did I mention that you probably WILL have an orgasm at the dinner table?  Try to keep it to yourself :).  Today's public service announcement is brought to  you by BBQ Beef Brisket in the Crock Pot...this time of year I would normally grill it but too much going on today...this also acts as a natural air freshener because my house smells divine!  And, since it is just the two of us tonight, I could feasibly be having a pajama Sunday dinner before the day is done!  Oh, and I have saved enough calories this week to enjoy the perfect accompaniment, Goose Island Summertime beer!

Blended Bliss!

This is one of our kitchen walls- the chalkboard paint is about 5-6 feet long, and along the bottom I hung an organizing rail with buckets from Ikea, along the lines of this but a version they had ten years ago.  In the hanging "buckets" are chalk, markers, colored pencils, pens, etc.  We love this spot for countdowns to fun family things, birthday messages, whatever!  I think I used two coats of chalkboard paint, maybe three, but you can tell when you are good.  While we have an eraser it definitely cleans better with a wet sponge.  The clips at the top are also retro Ikea, not sure if they have anymore, but they are great for sports schedules, etc.  They moved into my house over 2 1/2 years ago and we are slowly redoing things to make them "ours" and to fit our changed and changing needs as a blended family.  The kids were really excited when I painted this, and it is just another way to connect- sharing common goals, plans, and wishes...things that are "ours".

Greek Delight!

Look what you get when you take a few recipes and combine them to make it your own!  YUM and I NEVER thought I would say that, and my Lose It app is also happy!  Frozen Greek Yogurt made in the countertop ice cream maker (can't believe that up until a year ago I had stored it away and forgot about it for many years, won't do that again!).  Here is all I did: 3/4 c. 1% milk, 3/4 c. heavy cream, about 1/2 c. sugar; warm just until sugar dissolves; add 2. c. Greek yogurt and mix in, I used plain for that tartness and less calories; I added 1 t. each of vanilla and almond extracts then put in the frig for an hour or two to get colder.  I also defrosted about a cup of frozen raspberries and put them and about 3 T. sugar in the blender, blended til all mashed up, then pushed through a strainer to remove the seeds.  Fast forward to mixing it in the ice cream maker until it was the thickness I wanted, then I poured in the raspberries and for what I calculated at about 185-200 calories per serving (didn't measure the serving exactly but I am close, and this made what I would estimate is 8 servings) I got a great treat with some nutritional value!  Next up- perfect a vanilla version that will get veggie boy eating Greek yogurt!  Might also try this with some Splenda in place of some sugar for myself.  Lovvvvvveeeesssss it!

Give Me an A (& an H & an M & an L & 2 J's)!

So here I go on a special "blended family" project!  Did I mention that in our blended world all 3 sisters are from different misters, and all three brothers are from different mothers? In the end, however, we share them all.  The letters are traced onto paper, and I am working on 2 coats of black paint on the edges of the large letters (Joann Fabrics).  Later I will Modge Podge the paper to the letters, a first for me.  My end goal is each child's initial, which will hang over each child's close up black and white picture I will hang (either will get this summer or will go retro and do pictures from age 18 mos or younger).  I got the frames, 11x 14, I have the blank wall, so now it just time to get the letters and photos done.  In the end I will have unique and personal artwork in our home, representative of our blended family.  I think I will also do a birthday sign in the middle, with all first names and dates of birth.  This will all hang in our favorite room (besides the kitchen if I am cooking!), the gathering room...a great place to spend the day in your pajamas :).  I love only working part time in the summer so I can do fun stuff like this!  Will post when I get the letters completed and eventually a picture of the whole wall completed.

Pin This!

So, with my being back to logging calories I was very interested in the "just mix Angel Food Cake Mix & any pie filling" rage on Pinterest...mix, poof, and you have a low cal low fat dessert!  Well, me being me, half read it, and didn't bother to read the box since I wasn't using their directions...I failed to use a large enough pan (and DUH I have made Angel Food Cake before, I know this!)- yes, that is a 9" round cake pan, I don't recommend you try that at home; thankfully I did put a pan under it in the oven, that helped with the explosion (who doesn't love that burning sugary smell wafting through the kitchen?); I also failed to put the rack on the bottom of the oven, but did have it about 1/2 down.   Suffice to say the top got crispy while the inside was gooey; put some foil over it and then pulled it to check again after a while; top layer stuck to foil (and was actually yummy)...fast forward, turned oven up to the temperature it should have been at the whole time, put it back in on the bottom rack, and gave it time...it is the biggest explosion of Blueberry Bombe ever...but my 16 year old asked me to keep it until tomorrow so she can pick at it all night, and says there probably won't be anything left to trash in the morning because it is oddly good :)!  Well, I guess if she slowly picks away at it and it is gone I save a lot of calories!  Luckily I have enough calories left in today's budget that I think I will go old school with some Nilla Wafers (hmmm, maybe dipped in Blueberry Bombe!)!  Here is a link to what I was trying to do...Fluff Berry Cake Recipe .  Keep a sense of humor and working stove fan and enjoy!

Finally Finding My Brain!

We have been out of school for about three weeks, the first of which I spent painting the living room and negating my various degrees by watching trash t.v., the second of which I worked (comes with my job!) two days and played mom the others, and the third I spent in Charleston and Savannah.  If you heard a loud groan it was me having an orgasm over the pizza we had at Monza in Charleston!  After being assured the homemade sausage fit my definition of sausage (sorry, but it seems that these days anything can be made into sausage and it has really turned into a process vs. a product and that CREEPS me out) we ordered the tomato basil pizza and the sausage/onion pizza.  It was so good we got a third to go!  I am just in a love affair with brick oven style pizza and the world will just have to accept it.

Spent a lot of time learning some history- Charleston was an boat ride to Morris Island that included history and dolphins and the beach- best $ spent after the pizza!  Also spent time on the USS Yorktown (in 100+ degree heat, but  how could I complain when I am touring it for fun and those who lived on it were definitely not there for fun?) and checked out Magnolia Cemetery (interesting stories, esp. about the Hunley).  In Savannah we visited a Civil Rights Museum, which gave history from a different perspective than many of us were taught, and visited Ft. Pulaski.  Again, hot days, but how could I complain?

I also am no longer a Skype virgin!  I have never used it but this trip did it twice with my kids and I loved it, and I think they did too (they were giggly, it was sort of funny!).  I also completed the "50 Shades" trilogy, not for the sex but for the simple fact libraries were banning it...that is enough to make me buy most any book! 

Also continuing my new love affair with Pinterest...tonight making steak kabobs and we have four of the six plus a bf, and trying some Rosemary Bread but I adapted to the bread machine dough cycle.  Adapt is a loose definition, I dumped everything in, hit start, and am hoping...hold please for the outcome!  Dessert will be an angel food cake/blueberry pie filling concoction, we will see if that is all you need and poof you have a lowfat dessert that tastes good!  I am also counting calories with my Lose It ap again...spent a little too much time with my friends microbrew and wine over the past month!  Instead I will OD on Splenda sweetened iced tea and stay up later...wasting time...on Pinterest, Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends...but it is summer so :)!