Sundays w/ Sara: The Mayan Edition

So, busy-busy-busy time of year! My sons birthday was this week, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are coming up, New Years Eve, and the end of the world as we know it is upon us in a couple of weeks - boy, is December just packed full of exciting stuff!

So, not to scare you or anything, but did you hear about what happened in India earlier this year? Almost 700 Million people lost power for 2 Days in July. Can you imagine your life without cell phone, computer, TV, lights, refrigeration, air conditioning, etc for 2 days? Most of us get impatient if something doesn't work after 3 seconds... we wouldn't stand a chance. What about the very real threat of cyber warfare? Everything is on the grid these days, it's not unreasonable to imagine hackers breaking in and bringing down the power grid of any given country. Bringing the world to a grinding halt.

Then what? Are the Mayans right? Does the world implode or explode, literally or figuratively?

Are you prepared to fight your neighbor to the death over a box of (now discontinued) Twinkies and can of chunk light tuna in water? Because that is what's going to happen. It might sound extreme but it's really quite possible. The governments might be able to maintain control for a few weeks, but its eventually gonna fall apart... although, it probably won't actually be because some guy with a gold & leather skirt and feathers in his hair several thousand years ago said it would, it will more likely be our own greed that brings about our destruction... but hey, this is a mixed post :-).

The vast majority of us are completely ill equipped to cope if even the slightest thing goes wrong. Billions of people will die. Though I personally will not lament the loss of the Kardashians or Snookie and Jwoww or Justin Bieber... millions of folks who are more concerned with what's happening on the next season of Pawn Stars will die because they just never learned any skills that might help them survive, and part of me thinks that is sad... a very small part. The rest says "good riddance.", less people means a healthier planet. 

That being said, I have zero confidence, er... uh... fear that anything of any significance will happen on the 21st of December this year. The end of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar isn't significant in any way other than maybe they ran out of rock to chisel on (I'm kidding, of course... everyone knows they made everything out of gold...). The Long Count calendar lasts about 5,125.36 years which is referred to as the Great Cycle. There have been 13 Great Cycles. The next one will be March 26, 2407. Hopefully by then mankind (if we are still around) will have learned that its not a big deal and it will be a proper party.


"However, Mayan scholars and natives dismiss the apocalyptic theories, noting that end of the calendar would be regarded as a time of celebration, much like modern-day New Year festivities [source: Stevenson]. There are also no Mayan inscriptions or writings that predict the end of the world when the Great Cycle concludes [source: MacDonald]." - from how stuff works.

Now maybe you are asking about "Planet X" now. Its a secret planet that is supposed to crash into us and knock us off our axis and into oblivion... Epic winner Neil deGrasse Tyson has this to say on it:

So, that's that... if we use a little logic and keep our noggins clear of irrational paranoia we would be able to see that there is no impending apocalypse, no planetary collisions, no nothing (except our own greed and selfish consumption of finite resources which WILL lead to our end if we don't change...)  Really, we should be looking at this as the best damn New Years party EVER and prepping ourselves for a really great 2013. Hopefully. Sometimes life just sucks, but maybe we can take a crack and making the world a better place, helping our fellow man, and cleaning up our planet, hmmm? Perhaps make the betterment of humanity our goal instead of acquiring giant cars, over priced purses, and iCrap? Maybe? Ok... well... we'll see.

Hope the injuries you sustained fighting that 67 year old grandma for a cashmere scarf during Black Friday have healed... Happy Holidays y'all. 

 

  

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Cranberry Stuffing (or Dressing, if you want to be Technical about it)

Happy Holidays, y'all. I've been graciously asked to contribute a recipe for Thanksgiving by the Life & Style Guild so here it is. My stuffing recipe, presented for the enjoyment of yourself and your family. Technically it's dressing as it appears here, but you can shove it all up in to your turkey and *Voila* stuffing.

The first time I made this was a couple of years ago while we were living in Colorado. It happened almost completely by accident.

I had a slightly stale loaf of Udi's gluten free bread that we just never got around to eating. I didn't want it to go to waste and it was Sourdough or something so it would have been kind of terrible for french toast, so I decided to make stuffing. From scratch. Which I had never done before. This was WAY before Pinterest, so I went to good old Google for inspiration and instruction. I sort of pieced this together from my own imagination and a bunch of recipes, none of which I remember since it was in, like, 2010. Anyway, it came out delicious... like, "Damn, this is delicious!" delicious.

I preface by saying that you can toast the bread in the oven, as I have done today for times sake, but its really so much better if you toast it in a pan on the stove top. It takes longer and is about double the work because, unless you have the largest fry pan in the world, you'll have to do it in batches but its so worth it. Also, if you don't have any rendered bacon fat, stop what you are doing, make some bacon, and use all that drippy goodness for the benefit of all those whom shall sit at your table.

Don't feel the need to go 100% by the book here. Baking is like science and has to be exact, cooking is a little more like religion... there is room for interpretation. If you don't like parsley, use sage instead; if you have shallots and not an onion, use those bad boys. There are no rules in cooking... except washing your hands... you should always wash your hands. That's just good hygiene.

• What you'll need:
• 
  
• 2 loaves slightly stale bread (I used Udi's Gluten Free bread, but you can use what ever you like.)
• 4 tablespoons of bacon fat (You can use butter too. I won't judge you. I love butter... I just love bacon fat more.)
• 4 stalks of celery, cut how you like (I like things to be pretty small, but thats me. If you like big chunks, go big or go home.)
• 1 medium onion, cut how you like (Again, I like it small, so I actually grated mine.)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine (Use something you will want to drink... I used pinot grigio.)
• 1 container of chicken broth (Or 2 cans... or home made, about 14.5oz - 16oz in the end.)
• 1/2 cup of dried or fresh cranberries (Its up to you.)
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves (Fresh or dried, I used dried)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Lubricant of choice for baking pan (Pam, butter, what ev's.)

Directions:

1. Cut or rip your bread into about 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. Lay out the bread in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If you are feeling particularly Devil-May-Care, coat the bread chunks bacon fat (or butter... or olive oil) first. Or toast it in the pan as I mentioned above. Its so worth it. That won't count as the 4 tablespoons though, so have extra. 
2. In a large saucepan, heat the bacon fat (or butter) over medium. Add celery, onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper (To taste or to medical need... a lot of people are cutting back on the salt these days.). Stir occasionally, until vegetables are softened then add wine and cook about 5 more minutes. Transfer this yummy goodness to a large bowl.
3. Add bread, parsley, and cranberries to the veggies. Season with a little salt and pepper. Slowly add in half of broth. Stir. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is just moistened (Not wet, there should not be any liquid pooling in the bottom.). If it seems to dry, beat an egg or 2 together and add it. That's what Martha would do.
4. Spoon stuffing into your baking dish that has been buttered or Pam'd. Cover with buttered (or Pam'd) aluminum foil. Bake covered, 25 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden and delicious, about 15 minutes more.
   
   
   Sorry for the lack of pics, I took several of the process but its a cell phone and most of them didn't really come out very good and since I was concentrating on cooking, I failed to notice. These are the ones that looked good enough to post.

   

   Pretty, Pretty Bread.

   
   

   

   Pretty, Pretty Onion.

   
   

   

   Like a cranberry in the sun.

   
   

   

   On the table. 

   
   

Sundays w/ Sara - The Edition you will probably wish you skipped

My 2 year old son heard me crying this morning. He asked me "what wrong, mommy?" and I almost died inside.

I immediately forced myself to stop because I feel that he should never, ever be burdened with my problems, but I also realized that last year I was crying on this day too, and possibly the year before that.

It's my birthday, but that isn't why I am crying, nothing so inane as that... I'm crying for the same reason that I haven't blogged in several months; shit sucks and things are bad. Like, really bad. And they have been for a very, very long time. I feel like such a jerk for feeling sorry for myself today too. The words "no one should cry on their birthday" keep rolling though my head and I know that is total bullshit. There are people trying not to get blown up in countries across the Middle East, some are grappling with debilitating and life threatening disease, others are battling physical and mental abuse...  what the hell do I have to cry about? I feel guilty, even though my feelings are as valid as the next humans, I know that there are people out there that have it much worse than I do and I hate myself even more for feeling the way I do. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm bitter. I'm demoralized.

I'm not asking for pity nor do I expect it. I don't want words of encouragement or condolence. I am a big girl, not a Disney Princess. This is me venting because I have no place else to put this and I have to get some little part of it out of my head lest it spill over and taint the only good thing I have in my life; my family. I want everyone to take a second and think about everything that goes right for them on a daily basis: having a job, a place to live, good friends, food to eat, a car to drive, good health and the ability to maintain it, etc. Anything above and beyond that. Really be grateful for it, because there are people that have sub-par versions of those things or none of those things at all.

 Its no fun blogging when you have nothing good to report. I'm not going to bore you with the details of my first world problems, just know that things are really, really bad and I am doing the best I can to not let it affect me so much that it affects others. I hope to start blogging again soon if I ever have the energy and appropriate emotional condition to do so.

Happy Birthday to me. Here's hoping things start to look up soon...

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Chicken, Bacon & Avocado

Food that looks like baby poo has always been the Achilles Heel of my food world. I have a really hard time with food textures and consistencies, its why I don't eat tomatoes (fruit snot) or beans (mushy, icky and skin *shudders*) or a host of other foods.

Many accuse me of being weird. I am OK with that. 

I have avoided avocados for 30 years... I happened to try guacamole sort of by accident. I. Fell. In. Love. The most delicious thing you can do for yourself is eat avocados.

A little lime, sea salt, pepper and bacon. Glorious bacon. And Sweet potato fries on the side. Yum.

Since I haven't posted in a few weeks, here is this.

Sundays w/ Sara: the Cold Shower edition.

OK, so for the last week the hot water has been turned off. If its on, the water heater leaks due to the fact that the bottom is slowly rusting out. So... no hot water...

Its simply amazing how much we take for granted these days. I feel like Julia Roberts in 'Eat, Pray, Love' where she learns she has to boil water if she wants a hot bath then, when Julia looks confused,  the old Italian 'Mamma' sort of shouts at her "everything that needs to be clean gets clean!" then throws up her hands and walks away. Aside from the fact that this is apparently woefully inaccurate of how Italian life really is (the Romans figured out the whole "hot water" thing 2000 years ago. They had developed central heating systems for large villas and public baths. They did not rely on kettles to bathe themselves.), its a charming moment of pure, decadent movie nonsense. And it feels a little like my life, only without the old-world architecture and stereotypical Italian mother-type to make it worth it. And the Claw-Foot tub. I love a Claw-Foot tub...

Well, we don't have a bath tub; we have a shower. So I've been boiling water and pouring it into a glass bowl and taking that into the shower with me. I don't know about you, but I can't shave my legs with cold water. The hair washing with cold shower water is fine, all be it a bit uncomfortable, but really... things could be much worse. I could be "tan mom"... ug...  

Oh, shit does suck. Remember how I dropped my phone in a bucket of water? Yeah... it actually just sort of worked itself out of my pocket and *plop* right into the bucket as I was bending over to pick it up but anyway, I let it dry out over night and it works still... sort of... the camera comes on at odd times by itself but I cant take any pictures. The audio is funky sometimes, and it randomly shut off by itself once or twice. But at least it buys me time to see about getting a new one. So really, shit doesn't suck that bad after all.

Friday morning (see, I craft these things over the course of the week as I think of stuff...) I had thought of something brilliant to add to this blog, but I have since forgotten it. Damn it. Why does that always happen? Seriously, I would have a lot more to blog about if I could remember half of my inspired moments... which I can't... so its hard to prove they ever existed at all. Zombie Risk is one though... that will be real... in time.

Our 3rd wedding anniversary was this week on Wednesday. Both of us forgot. Its sad really. We didn't do anything at all that night (well, Beau stayed up playing video games and said some TOS violation-y things that got him banned from Xbox live for 2 weeks, so that was fun). Instead, we went out Saturday evening. Mom babysat the boy, we went downtown to see The Avengers at Cinebistro. The movie was everything that had been hyped. I really really enjoyed it. The food was just as bland and flavorless as last time so we won't be eating there again. Lesson learned. Though, the popcorn did not disappoint. Before the show ewe went to Irish 31 for a drink and some Potato Pub Skins (red potatoes with swiss, sauerkraut and corned beef. OMG). The bartender had on black hot pants, a black tank top and under the black tank top a pink one so that there was a strip of pink just above her butt that said in silver glitter "I Work Out" and it was awesome. She clearly did, but I just thought the song reference was so silly, it made me smile. I should have liked a photo (and the fellas would have liked it too) but my phone did fall in a bucket of water...

The boys feet are GIGANTIC. His skinny little legs end up in these big skis... poor guy. He is tripping over everything. Gonna need to buy him some new shoes soon. I see a bit of belly poke out in some shirts too. My baby is getting so big. *sniff*

Otherwise, not much else report. The boy is good, I am OK, Daddy is still addicted to fishing.
Happy Sunday, All.

Sundays w/ Sara: The Key Largo Edition

So Beaus 30th Birthday was this past weekend. He tried to deny it for a couple of days but finally gave in after the capture of a 15-20 pound black fin tuna whilst deep sea fishing (yes, I got sick...) on Saturday about 25 miles off the coast of Key Largo. It wasn't the biggest fish ever caught, but it was Beau biggest fish and it has given him "the Fever". I may never see my husband again, what with all the sneaking off to fish and all... meh... as long as he brings Momma home something to cook, I'll be happy. He is fishing as I type. He will probably still be fishing when you read this.

Pictures and video of the actual event to come as soon as Mom sends them. *hint-hint*, other photos to be found on FB. Oh yeah, I gave in an went back to FB, if I forgot to mention that. My smug sense of superiority is shattered.

ANyhOo...

Today, THIS was brought to my attention. It is all that is epic and I may have to register.

I have never done a race, let alone an obstacle course-race with zombie hordes, but I honestly don't see how I can pass this up... get some exercise, get dirty, get turned into a zombie or not, get a medal... how can this be a bad day? You get a medal even if you don't place... which I probably won't, so really I just want a zombie medal but they won't let me buy it so I have no choice but to race. I have 6 months to train. They even have a training page with CrossFit type workouts called Z.A.P. - Zombie Awareness Program. I will be doing this. Its in Orlando in November and its $67 if you register by June 6th. It goes up $10 bucks for the following 2 months and again another $10 bucks for the last 2 months before the race. Spectator tickets (for the post-race party) are like $22 bucks. I hope I can spare the dough to register... I would really like to do this. Its like Tough Mudder, only less tough and there are zombies.

Who wants to do this with me? It will be OSM.

Oh, and I started a juice fast today. I'm going to try to go 2 weeks. If I can get the money situation worked out (as in I can still afford to feed my family and do this too) I will try to go the whole month. Detox, Cleanse, start training.

I have a plan. Wheels are in motion. Gears are turning. Shit is happening.

Sundays w/ Sara: The Zoo Edition

So Sundays w/ Sara is fast becoming every other Sunday w/ Sara... sorry about that. I mean to blog more, I honestly do, I am just not that exciting. Some weekends we don't so much and I am so busy, I don't have much free time for the frivolities that would be worth blogging about. Next weekend should be good. Its Beaus birthday and we are going to the Keys for the weekend. We return on Sunday so I will post all the pics, videos, etc probably on Monday...

And with that out of the way, I present a short and not very good video of our jaunt to the zoo this morning. I realized I don't record enough video so I will be making an attempt at doing this... and hopefully my skills will improve, because this movie sucks. The credits rule. I think I utilized the pre-set intros and outtros (is that a word?) quite nicely.  Now, in all its cheesy goodness, my directorial debut.

Enjoy.

Sundays w/ Sara: the Nonsense Edition

We went fishing at the Skyway Pier on Saturday. I caught the first fish, on the first cast. It was osm. I then proceeded to catch nothing else for the 3 hours that followed. Its cool. I still win. We didn't catch much, nothing worth keeping. Gotta get out on a deep sea boat one of these days. The Hubbs is itching to catch a big fish.


Beau cut LBs hair with the clippers and it actually looks really good. I love his long, curly locks but this is much more summer appropriate. Here is the before...

He wouldn't let me take an after pic, but sooner or later it will show up.


Lets see, what else... 


I almost had a doughnut this week but the smell literally made my stomach clench. It was as if my body knew how much pain and suffering it would cause and steered me toward the produce department instead. I am down to a less zaftig 144lbs. I know I am thinner because my belly button is shallower. I know, right? I happened to stick my finger in it by accident the other morning as I was waking up... doing the tummy scratch and stretch... and my finger didn't go in as far as it used to. 


Its a milestone. 


*Here are some photos from this weekend including LB as a monkey in a tree with his new hair cut and Beau being manly.

Sundays w/ Sara: Easter Edition

My phone apparently won't spell check me when I am blogging so you can see just how abysmal my spelling really is.

Just a quiet morning at home. The Boy and I playing outside, drawing in chalk on the patio, riding around in his car, fighing off mosquitos. Its beautiful. There is a pair of Woodpeckers trying to make a home in the telephone pole that stands majesticly in the South East corner of the back yard. I would kick a kitten for a decent chai right about now. I frigg'n love Sunday mornings.

I so would not really kick a kitten. That is all.

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Grouper Cakes

This meal was inspired by this post. The Hubbs doesn't like salmon so I did it with grouper instead. It was fucking delicious.

Sundays w/ Sara: The April Fools Edition

Its officially Spring, but here it feels like Summer already. SO. HOT. So the allergies have been horrific, the bitey bugs won't frigg'n die and the AC is on full blast.

Welcome to Florida.

Anyhoo, its been a... well, its been a week. Beau ended up back in the ER with an infection in his spine from where the stuck him for the spinal tap. He is on bed rest and antibiotics. LB is still suffering from allergies and has probably got that ear infection back. Its a week on, week off type deal and its wearing on me. I am going to try some home remedies before taking him  to yet another quack that doesn't actually care if my kid ever gets better. My deep and abiding mistrust of doctors is only worsening in under these circumstances. Also, there have been reports across the board of many of the other people in my life suffering from various ailments of their own. It seems that I am the only healthy person on the planet at the moment. I was in a really bad mood for no reason for a couple days and I hear it told that many other folks have felt the same this week... something in the air maybe... but the weather has been sunny and cheerful, I've had time to read a lot (while my guys are resting) and I have been to the beach a couple times. I really can't complain too much. All in all, I feel pretty positive today.

This is really just a rambly post because I like the sound of my own voice in my head... though sometimes it sounds like Morgan Freeman or Michael C. Hall... 

Here are some of the fun things I have discovered this week:

Pinterest - I am frigg'n ADDICTED. If I have even 5 minutes of spare time I am on and looking at pretty things. I can't help myself... and its so much easier than the folder full of magazine clippings I used to keep.

Mooncup - This one is about lady parts, so fella's, stay clear. I am interested in trying this. Less waste is always a good thing.

Design Seeds - I love color pallets, and this is so pretty and inspiring.

Frugally Sustainable - I follow this blog and a couple days ago I found an old post linking to her Etsy shop. *love* I plan to make some of her stuff myself (like her tooth powder) but should I ever feel lazy, I can buy it instead.

Art Of Manliness - I am in love with this site. It shows you how to throw a tomahawk, tie a tie, shave with a straight razor, make a small game snare or start a fire with out matches 9 different ways. Its 1900's style manliness for the modern man... and women can enjoy it too. I actually picked up a thing about saturating cotton balls in Vaseline and stuffing 30 or so into a small film container. One used under kindling will burn hot for 10-15 minutes and start a proper fire without much fuss. I plan to use this on our first camping trip of the year. And I am excited about it too.

Ug... I would punch a puppy for a Pina Colada and a Grouper Sandwich right about now...

Oh yeah, here are some pics of LB from Saturday morning. We went to the beach with BeBe.

Sundays w/ Sara: The Hunger Games Edition

I know, its Tuesday not Sunday, but I was too tired on Sunday after the beach in the AM and the movie in the PM to do anything but veg.

So we went to Cinebistro to see the Hunger Games. And it was REALLY good. Its been a very, very, very, very, very, very long time since I saw a movie in the theater that I #1) wanted to see and #2) enjoyed. I am a very critical person when it comes to entertainment since almost everything sucks so bad these days. I had been introduced to the books a few months ago, so I had read them and enjoyed them though I found them to be a bit hurried. On the heels of the wild success of the Twilight series (I admit it... I enjoyed them too... and I am only slightly ashamed) the Hunger Games series felt like it was written to be made into movies. Well paced, but with an impression of being slightly rushed.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the books, but this is one of those rare instances where the film outshines the book... at least in my opinion.  It felt like the proper manifestation of the story. Perfectly cast... Katniss was just as I had imagined, but I still hate her name. Cinna was EXACTLY like I had pictured and I love that they cast Lenny Kravitz. Gale was beautiful. President Snow wasn't how I imagined, but I love Donald Sutherland as a bad guy any day. I wish they had shown more of the Capitol and more of the stylist team. I was interested to see how they would look, but they are only show briefly. The "documentary" look of the movie was spot on and really lent gravity to the overall feel of the film. I actually shed a tear or two.

I am really excited for the next movie, whenever that may be. I hope the same Director does the next 2 and I hope they don't try to split any into multiple movies... The lost of some information would be worth it to keep i a nice, balanced trilogy. I hate when they break it in to two parts...

Anyway, it was great. Go see it.

Print from Entropy Trading Co. via Etsy - I fell in love with this...

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Beer Braised Beef Ribs

Beau saw a Beer magazine in the supermarket with a recipe in it for Beer Braised ribs... Fortunately, I have made them before because the recipe was woefully incomplete, just a list of ingredients and no description as to how to make the Magic happen.

They are wicked yummy. 

Sunday w/ Sara: Paddys Day Edition

Happy St. Paddys day to you all. It fell on a freaking weekend this year so we can actually do something w/o regret. Or can we... *dramatic, tension building music* but more on that in a minute.

So I have slacked off hardcore these last couple of weeks with the blogging. I just haven't been able to find the time... I am *still* frick'n sick... week 4 of coughing, soar throat, earache and congestion. I am really, really tired of it. No time for a doctor though... my work load doubled at work because someone just vanished and another person is resigning... so I have even less energy and time. How do people do it? I hope it levels out at some point... this work/mom/wife thing is a bit overwheming and I still haven't managed to figure out how to tie in friends and family yet.

Beau has been sick too this week. I confess I was a bit jealous when he got to lay in bed all day resting, knowing that I will never ever get to do that unless I am in a hospital. Then low and behold it was me in the bed with a migraine so bad I couldn't even move. AND THEN SUDDENLY... we were in the hospital. For Beau... his headache had gotten so bad that it merited a trip to the ER. They ran blood work, did a CT scan and 2, count 'em 2, spinal taps. All came back in the clear, so the "Meningitis Scare of 2012" was just a scare and nothing more. I think the doc was worst case scenario-ing it for us. He had the nicest doctor though. I think her name was Dr. Rae. She was so sweet and very attentive. Dr. For-The-Win.  And I got a chance to finish my Hunger Games trilogy. It was OK...

We are home now, and Beau is recuperating over coconut waters, tropical fruits, lox & bagels... and Mass Effect 3.

*sigh*

Anyhoo, on to much more better things. Here is LB building tall things with blocks. :-)

Sundays w/ Sara: Another Blustery Day Edition

So, I didn't do a post last week. I have been sick. I am still kinda sick and I just haven't had the energy to do much.

I never get sick... and worse, I never stay sick so this is killing me. Its part allergies, part other crap... we'll see how it goes. LB was also sick this past week. His first ear infection and bacterial pink eye... its not pink, its goopy and its gross. He is doing fine on antibiotics (which I hate...) and a saline eye rinse every couple hours.  

So last Sunday was cold, windy and cloudy... it looked something like this:

Beautiful, but cold and windy.

Today is much the same... I dread venturing outside. Its comforting in some way, that Florida is capable of some kind of winter-esq weather, but I wish it would stop jumping between 85 and 65. Its giving me a headache.

Nothing particularly exciting to report. Yesterday we went to one of my absolute favorite restaurants, Mr. Dunderbaks. Oh how I adore it. Delicious German food and beers in a very authentic feeling setting, extra friendly staff and good times to be had. It looked something like this:

We walked out with a $27 bottle of mead that I am seriously contemplating cracking open right now... its 10:30... in the morning...

I haven't taken any pics of LB this week since he has been so goopy and snot faced.

I'm gonna go read the Hunger Games now and try to ease up this headache.

What a way to make a living.

Working for the man.

So I have worked for 8 days now. And I work again tomorrow. I work very, very hard... and I don't make much money. I will be working even harder in the near future... hopefully making more money. I opened a bank account today to put my new checks in.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. LB has shots in the AM which Beau is going to have to take him to, I have to work at 10 and then at 1 Heather has a dress fitting and I probably have to try some on too. I'm feeling pretty *fluffy* at the moment so this outta be entertaining.

This post was just an excuse to put up a picture of the boy.

ENJOY!

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: The Greatest Hits of Cauliflower

I made 2 cauliflower based recipes this week, both from the lovely CupcakesOMG.

Mushroom/Bacon/Cauliflower "Faux"sotto (risotto). I modified it and used Brussels Sprouts instead of Peas... I hate peas...

... and loaded "Faux"tato Soup with bacon and onions and cheese... it was fucking awesome. I can't seem to locate a link for this one, but its as easy as pureeing steamed Cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Sunday w/ Sara:The Meltdown Edition

So its a beautiful Sunday. Its cool and windy, kinda sunny, kinda over cast. Its really pretty. So why did I wake up in a state of panic? Oh yeah. This is why.

I am having some (A LOT) separation anxiety from LB since starting work. He doesn't miss me AT ALL, but I am so lost without him. I am also freaked out because I seem to have NO TIME anymore for anything. I haven't made dinner in days. I am a little sick (its in my ears, nose and throat) but I can't really do anything about it. LB has been a little sick, but if I take time off to go to the doctor, which he may not even need, I might lose the job that worked so hard to obtain since I am too new to be taking time off. Our living space is a disastrous mess because I am WAY to tired to clean. I haven't taken a proper shower in days. I am losing my mind trying to get LB into day care... the pediatricians office, like, REFUSES to call us back or something about his shot record, he needs a damn shot record to get into day care, he probably needs shots too even though his new Ped. says he didn't. Oh yeah, and he doesn't like her. That is going to hold up the getting into school thing... I feel like pulling my hair out. I spent 5 hours each day driving last week and if you know me, you know my disdain for traffic. I am going to use up the hospitality of my friends before too long with the watching of my kid...

And that isn't even everything... its most of it, but there is more.

I know everything will work out, that things will start to fall into place and I know that I am over reacting and letting WAY to many things get to me. I am trying to calm down. Its just so much change so fast is really overwhelming...

Ok. I feel a little better... not really actually but... thanks for listening to me rant... plus Jen just gave me an awesome chocolate cupcake that made me pretty happy.

Sorry, no new pictures of LB this week... I just haven't had the time. My new phone is bad ass though and I love it, so there will be pictures to come. I'm gonna go watch Dexter...

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Stuffed Mushrooms

I made these Tuesday night but, with my hectic new schedule, I haven't had a chance to post it until now. They were delicious. Chicken, neufchatel and asiago cheese and spinach stuffed portabello.

Bubble?

I hear a tiny voice in the back seat say "Bubble?" I turn and see him poking a large snot bubble...

Sunday w/ Sara: Valentines Edition

Who has two thumbs and is employed? That's right. Yours truly got her first job in 2 and a half years. I start Wednesday. I am not excited about finding day care. The place I REALLY wanted to send LB is full for now, so we are wait-listed. Kinder Care wants us, but they are pretty pricey so I gotta make some phone calls tomorrow which, if you know me, is my absolute LEAST favorite thing to do. I hate talking on the phone. I also need to go shopping for a couple pairs of Jeans to work in, every single pair I have has holes worn in the knees or are huge on me. I also hate jeans shopping, but not as much as making phone calls.

LB had a check up this past week at a new pediatrician and he is comin' along nicely. He is in the 98th percentile for height at 36 inches and, like, 26th percentile or something for weight at 28 pounds. Tall & skinny, like daddy. Doing tons of talking, though we still only understand some of it. He can jump and have both feet leave the ground. He adores slow-motion pillow fights.He can pick stuff up with his feet... like mommy. He is also now off the binkie... mainly because he chewed them all to pieces and I refuse to buy more. He got into some nail polish this week (he didn't get it in his mouth), I am still at a loss as to how he managed to reach it... so we have one tiny pink toe nail, a couple stains on the rug and our Pooh toy looks like it has a pink head wound... This is the reason I get out of bed in the morning. Hot damn, I love that kid.

Saturday was the Baked. cupcake sale, and it went swimmingly. This morning was the Rock & Roll half Marathon, we had a friend running in it so we went downtown at the butt crack of dawn too hold signs and cheer her on from several different spots on the course. Then we hit the Honkey Bucket for lunch and then home so the boy could nap. Beau bought L.A. Noire for me, but I can't imagine when I will ever be able to find time to play it.

It has indeed been a busy week. I feel a bit overwhelmed. Change is always a little stressful. I know once we settle into our new schedule I will feel better. But here I sit, feeling like my brain is operating at 64% of its full capacity. Notice this post had nothing to do with Valentines Day? Read this if you want. I read that this morning... it was kind of fun. :-) And I now know that "Penny Dreadfuls" would be the best band name ever... too bad its taken by a punk band already...

You like cupcakes? We should hang out...

Today, LB thought it would be a awesome idea to wake up at 5:30. I am not in agreement with him. Last night was his first night ever without a binkie. He did really well, but these two things may be linked...

So, on the agenda for today... COME TO THIS IT WILL BE OSM. Its not gonna rain today, I checked.

The 600 block of Central Ave in St. Pete will be littered with street vendors, sweet deals at the stores, music, and 2 lovely ladies selling yummy cupcakes in front of The Trunk. That is to say, Jen Clanton and I will be there pimping her Valentines Day Delights.  We'll be there at about noon and for a few hours after that. Under a big, rainbow umbrella (in case it does rain or is too sunny... umbrellas are handy).

Every one of those links is worth clicking; Its fun, so do it.  And like stuff. And follow stuff. And if you tweet, follow @get_baked_today.

In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Cauliflower Crab Cakes

Yesterday was eventful. Many many productive things were done...

I may be starting a new job next week, my first in 2 and a half years; LB has a check up today and shots (that outta be fun); A day care center has been selected (we can't enroll until after the boys shot record is up to date); My phone broke and a new one is on the way *thpt* and I cooked up something spectacular last night. But more on that in a minute.

LB came to a conclusion yesterday. A couple actually, one is that he no longer wants to take naps apparently, and the other came to him while I was doing dishes. My back was turned, I wasn't paying immediate attention to him, he decided the best way to get my attention was to remove his diaper, pee on the chair, and dance naked around the kitchen. *sigh* I just washed the cushions too.

Anyhoo... For dinner yesterday evening I just pulled a recipe off of the interwebz, Googlin' what I had: Cauliflower & Crab. So I made Cauliflower Crab Cakes. I don't have a camera because that broke, and since my phone also broke I had no way to take a picture of my pretties, so the photo below is from the website (several sites had identical ones actually, so this recipe has been around.. re-posted a million times without any actual original credit, so who knows where this came from... not that it is that frigg'n complex, really...). I skipped the celery since we didn't have any, but it wasn't missing anything without it. I added a little garlic in its place. And a couple tablespoons of breadcrumbs to help hold it together. Breaking 2 pounds of crab legs open and extracting the yummy insides left my fingers pruny, but it was worth it.

Cauliflower Crab Cakes

by MAGNOLIA on OCTOBER 22, 2009

• 2 cups crabmeat
• 2 cups cooked and mashed cauliflower
• 1/3 cup minced celery
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 2 eggs beaten
• Extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil (for saute’ing)
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except the olive oil.  form into 6 patties and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Brown in skillet lightly coated with olive oil. 

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 160 – Calories from Fat 40 – Total Fat 4.5 g  Saturated Fat 1 g – Cholesterol 140 mg – Sodium 500 mg – Total Carbohydrate 6 g Dietary Fiber 2 g – Sugars 2 g – Protein 24 g – Calcium 10% DV

Sundays w/ Sara: Superbowl Edition

Happy "big game" Day everyone. Go Pats? I don't know... what ever...

So we have been blessed with a bit of good fortune. Its kind of shocking with our history of bad awful terrible horrifically abysmal luck, and it still hasn't quite sunk in; someone gave us a car. A pair of kind relatives (thank you Jan & David :-D) have bestowed upon us a vehicle. We have been getting around couple of beach cruisers up until yesterday and I mean to keep using mine, I seriously love it... but DAMN is this helpful to have a car. So, thank you so very, very much. We love you. There is literally not enough ways to say "thank you" for what you have done for us. This is awesome.


In other news, I got to hold a Marlin 922M yesterday. That was fun. First time in a long time... didn't get to shoot it (there is a pin or spring that needs replacing) but I anticipate getting to show my mom how to shoot soon. Every girl should handle a firearm at some point... its too enjoyable not too.

I painted my nails, baked some muffins, ate a yummy sandwich at moms, assembled a new desk and though about Facebook. I am feeling a little lost without the ability to "feed" every single silly thought that pops into my head into a constant stream of other silly thoughts, but honestly I am better off... Its like not having cable; once in a while you miss it, but generally I feel like a more complete and happy person without it in my life.

 PS - Cell Phone pictures SUCK, sorry, but our camera is broken. We are working on getting a new one soon. I hope. One thing at a time.













Beau got some skin cancer removed this week. He is going to have a big, lovely 3 inch long scar on his forearm and 3 on his back about the size of dimes. Hopefully they got all of it. He goes back in 2 weeks for a follow up and to have the stitches removed. I will spare you the pictures here. I'm sure they will be on Facebook sooner or later. He is also slated to start his new job next week, so that is good. Wewt for good news.

*He has just informed me that he popped a stitch in the shower. Oh boy! *ick*

LB is swell, as always. He has doubled his food intake and is growing like a weed; he is as tall as most of the 3 year olds we know, which is bad ass. His vocabulary has gotten "colorful"... as in he heard me say "oh shit" the other day and now its his favorite thing to say. He completely gets how to use it too... Ug.

And one of the baby guy to keep the gang happy, since no one wants to hear about me anyway :-P

That's all for today... go enjoy your commercials, I mean football game.

Can you heal Cavities with Nutrition?

If you had asked me that yesterday, I would have said "Damn, I wish. I have a mouthful of them." but I would have assumed that the answer was "No". I stumbled across this blog post after reading about homemade antiseptic mouthwash (I wanna start making stuff myself like Laundry detergent and toothpaste...) and I am pretty excited about trying this.

The Healthy Home Economist - How I healed my child's cavity

So, I have a need to find these butter oil capsules and cod liver oil (i wonder if regular fish oil would work... I have 2 bottles of that...) I will skip the butter honey toast, thank you very much. I am forced to wonder if Butter was the magic maker here. Maybe all that calcium... Hm... I will get on this (as soon as I find the capsules) and let cha know how it goes. I have at least 2 cavities, one on my left top first molar one in my lower right central incisor.

Goodbye, Facebook.

Well. I did it. I deleted my Facebook account. Technically its still there for the next 14 days because they are assholes but, for all intents and purposes, it is done.

I cannot wait until someone asks me if I am on Facebook and I can say "No! I'm not!" *yay*

Wanna do it too?

*I find that I do have a slightly inflated sense of superiority now. And I haven't "lol'ed" in days. :-P

How does "Sundays W/ Sara" sound for a weekly feature title?

Week in review... nothing too terribly exciting to report
in my world.

A wedding dress was obtained this weekend and that is good news. Not for me... for my pal Heather. She is getting hitched in October and I am in the Bridal Party... which means that I need a dress in 9 months, which means I have to lose 3568871235 pounds before then. OK, maybe more like 15 - 20... This is the only picture I have to post. The others are not allowed because they include the dress in question and husband-to-be doesn't want to ever risk seeing it before the big day, so here is a picture of me taken by a 3 year old.

The boy has grown an inch in the past month I swear. Every time he wakes up from a nap he looks taller and seems smarter. I still struggle to get a "please". We'll ask him to say please when he wants something, but he will respond with "No Please." *sigh*  He is starting to look a little more like me too... so he is getting even more cute, if you can imagine that being possible.

Sorry, Its a Cell Pic. Our camera TOTALLY died hardcore. So we are in the market for a new one...






Gasparilla was this weekend and I cannot express how freaking awful it was. All I did was drop husband off and pick him up again. More than 1 hour in traffic to move less than 3 miles. I will never be putting myself through that horse-pucky again unless I have a bicycle handy to avoid the $25 parking/anal rapage fee. Beau got pretty ill too... Migraine and general ickyness.

Let see, what else...

I can see this is going to be an exercise in making my memory work better. I can't remember much else other than the brief bout of food poisoning I suffered on Friday and a little mildly cool weather.

I can also see that I am going to be using ellipsis... ellipsises... elipsi... dot-dot-dot quite a bit. Good times.


2 more days till I quit the Facebook habit. wewt.

CauliBacoMushLee

So I was experimenting in the kitchen last night for the Baked Too, Oh! projects for Baked.

We are working on a line of meal replacement muffins. They will be high in protein, low in calories and fat and made from wholesome vegetables, gluten free flours and delicious healthy fats. Real, natural ingredients; nothing artificial or processed.

My first contribution to this experiment is the Cauliflower Mushroom Bacon Leek protein muffin, or the CauliBacoMushLee Muffin. Its a mouthful in more ways than one...

141 calories. 19g fat. 12g carbohydrates. 6g protein.

It needs a bit of tweaking to get the fat and carbs down and the protein up, but its a yummy start. No, you can't have the recipe. :-)

Happy New Year!

Our Holiday Family Photo

Happy 2012. The last year on Earth... OK, I don't actually believe that, but its kinda fun to say. Referring to the madness in jest just *feels* right.

Anyhoo. So this Blog (with as few as it reaches) is morphing into a personal blog about my family, myself, my friends, my food... in general, my little life. I am cutting the Facebook umbilical cord and endeavoring to live a life free from Social Networking sites, to build real relationships with real people and do it in the real world. Not that I begrudge anyone their addictions, but this is one I just can't do anymore. I'm saving all the old pictures that I don't have copies of any where else and deleting them. This takes a surprisingly long time. By the end of January my FB account will be no more.

And with my new found freedom I find myself reading more ACTUAL articles about ACTUAL things... boy am I out of the loop. On Natural News I read this article about making it illegal to collect rainwater for personal use... which is pretty fucking ridiculous if you ask me... dirty, lying, greedy bastards. I hate politicians. Things like this are why I am an angry little anarchist.

And this one is just fun and a little gross. With interesting, though slightly incorrect fun facts like:

"Confectioner's glaze" -- a common coating on candies and pills -- is made from the bodily excretions of an Asian beetle.

which isn't entirely true; its not a beetle... its a "scale insect". Its a fun way to make yourself think twice about what you put in your mouth and how potentially disgusting may be. Some of it is lovely things that make you feel good too but beware the in between.

So... since early 2011, I have been casually attempting to live a sort of Primal/Paleo lifestyle... and have been failing miserably. It wasn't bad until November/December... naturally. I had lost about 15 pounds over the course of 5 or 6 months and in 2 months gained 10 of it back. The first week of January we were in Orlando on a mini vacation courtesy of my wonderful mother-in-law and the second week of January I was so very, very sick. I haven't much felt like blogging or putting a lot of effort into eating properly. Now we are in the Third week of January and I finally feel ready to really give this year the old college try.

Speaking of which, I am *trying* to go back to school. I have had some hiccups along the way, some very annoying, almost defeating hiccups, but I am working through the frustration. I am not having any luck at all trying to find a job, so school is my last hope. Its incredibly stupid how hard it is for a SAHM to return to the working world... you're over qualified, under qualified or you're schedule doesn't jive. People don't respect your old talents or your new ones, nor do they want the trouble of someone with kids. Its a bleak way to start a year. I am half hoping this is "the end"; aliens returning or cataclysms... anything has got to be better than this world as we know it.

But that isn't a very sunny disposition, is it now? So... This year I will try my best to:

1. Eat real, whole food and have the will power to say "No" to the junk.
2. Get my ass gainfully employed or back into school.
3. Stop being such a bitter, angry bitch.

These are not resolutions... no one ever keeps up with those. I need to be a better person, and these are the short term goals I need to reach in order to do that... I think. We'll see how it goes.

~SR~