Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
It is cold out. Really cold. I don’t even want to go out there! It was -15 this morning when we got up! So tonight I am making warm comfort food…. Shepherd’sPie! YUMMY J
I made this before. On a day when I was SICK! It sucks being sick but I was saying how much it sucks to be a mommy that is sick without a Mommy. Now, my sister and her 7 month old are sick L Sending her get well soon vibes and a mental hug, because it is hard to be sick. Hard to be sick with a baby. Hard to be sick with a baby and no Mom to cry to. I know. Hugs.
Yesterday I sent my S-I-Law this article about NeoMommies.
Hilarious! It reminded me that when I first had HBear, every time I looked at her I tried saying her name in my head LOL I felt like the worst Mommy in the world because I kept calling her Raven. WTF? Raven? I know. LOL Ninja had to correct me constantly LOL. Being a new Mom is HARD! Being a second mom is hard but the first makes you question everything you know about yourself, others, life and the point. LOL
Since we are talking about family, I just want to take a second to brag about my brother J He is a musician. A talented musician. He bleeds music. LOL Seriously, it makes him who he is. The other day he was fortunate enough to play with Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth and The Dust! I wish I could have been there to see it! Pretty cool J
On another note, a much sadder note, my nephew is back in the hospital. They cannot manage the pain and he is in so much L It breaks my heart.
I remember when Mom was diagnosed, that same week HBear came home with…. Lice. OMG it was the worst experience! I had to wash everything repeatedly! It took 2 weeks to disinfect the house and her head. She came home with a welt on the nape of her neck, I took her to the Dr and he said it probably was, and then he picked a big bug out of her hair!!! I almost vomited. I never had it. Ninja never had it. We had no idea how to get rid of it LOL. I remember her crying at the Dr’s office and asking me “Mommy do I have bugs in my hair?” Poor baby, I put her on my lap and kissed her head (not even thinking lol) the Dr said, “Wow, that’s the love of a Mom.”
It was just a rotten week. I had so much to deal with.
My B-I-Law and S-I-Law are going through HELL this week. With the little guy in the hospital, having bad trips due to the high doses of pain meds and the terror of what is to come…. Oh man. Their daughter coming home with a stupid childhood torment, oh she had loooong beautiful hair. Sniff, as it grows back, it will just be a physical reminder of this week. This terrible week. Oh and my B-I-Law has to have a root canal!
Please send your most positive thoughts their way. They need love and peace during this time. Thank you. Also if you haven’t done so already, please donate to a great cause, Aaron is helping to find the cure for this HORRIBLE disease with his participation in The HairMassacure. His goal is to raise $50 000. Help him raise money to find a cure J
SBean had leftover mac and cheese from yesterday’s dinner, for lunch today. She LOVED it even more than last night!!!! Can you tell? LOL
A few days ago we made banana muffins. This recipe rocks because you use a ziplock bag… NO DISHES! HBear loved it. She got to do everything! They taste great too. Winner winner!
No Bowl Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Yammie’s Noshery
3 brown bananas
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375
Get out a 1/2 measuring cup and a 1/4 teaspoon (these will be all you need to measure your ingredients).
In a large Ziploc bag, mash the bananas.
Add the eggs, seal the bag, and shake and squish until combined.
Add the sugar and mix well. Throw in the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon. Zip it up and shake it up!
Add the oil, chocolate chips and vanilla and shake and squish until well combined.
Snip the corner of the bag and squirt the batter into a lined muffin tin. Don’t make the hole very big at all because the batter is runny.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cleanup… yup that simple J
For Superbowl my M-I-Law made spinach artichoke dip with crusty baguette. OMG do I love spinach artichoke dip. I mean I would marry it LOL. When my sister came home from Korea I asked what she wanted and that’s what she wanted, so off to Kelsey’s we went LOL. I ate soooo much, I am still eating it LOL.
I was going to serve baked brie with a blueberry compote but we were breaded out. So I had a huge loaf of French bread that was going hard. So, yesterday I made some freezer meals using the leftover bread J
Freezer Sausage and Vegetable Breakfast Bake
Adapted from The Kitchn
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
1 heaping teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
1 heaping teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf day-old French bread, cubed
Olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf day-old French bread, cubed
Olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup cheese, grated
1 tray of Daystarters breakfast sausage
Cayenne pepper
1 cup cheese, grated
1 tray of Daystarters breakfast sausage
Cayenne pepper
Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. (I used 2 8×8 disposable pans)
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, parsley, basil and mustard powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes to the egg mixture and toss to combine, making sure every piece is saturated. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat a few swirls of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and broccoli and cook until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and season generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Toss the vegetables, sausage, and cheddar cheese with the bread mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread in the prepared casserole dish.
Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Label with date and cooking instructions and freeze for later use.
Cooking instructions: Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top is light golden and the center is cooked through.
Totally off topic but have you ever tried this sour cream? If not, do so. It is the BEST! It is rich and creamy and thick and delish. I want to put sour cream on my spinach artichoke dip, right now LOL Yum!
