Long Overdue

This summer and fall have flown by... actually, I didn't even notice how quickly until I started going through our pictures! It's crazy. We had a ton of fun... check it out...

Horseneck Beach for a visit with some of Chef Hubby's coworkers. The kids and Henry had a great time splashing in the waves while I chatted with the other wives/moms on the beach :)

Then we went camping again! Had another amazing time and I'm already looking forward to next summer's trip. The kids were a lot easier to do things with and I didn't have to worry about the fire, etc. Good times with great people!

Once again, Daddy and the girls playing in the water while I got to hang out on the beach... hehe :)

btw... this is the 3rd summer that Payton's been able to wear this bathing suit! It's amazing how much room a swimming diaper takes up... when it's gone, there's so much room!

This was the first tooth that Phoebe lost this summer. It was pushed out by the new one growing in. The same thing happened with the other front tooth just weeks later... and no I don't have picture!! I'm pretty sure my mom does though :)

Toasting marshmallows for s'mores is always a scary thing. I hate it when the kids accidentally set theirs' on fire and then swing around with it! Fortunately, Payton could teach everyone about Stop, Drop, and Roll!! lmao

Oh, and fyi... my kids don't usually even eat the damn s'mores... they just like building them and handing them off to mommy and daddy! It's gets sickening pretty quickly - seriously!

Poor little Rebel... he had so much fun, he put himself to bed 2 nights in a row. This particular time, he didn't even bother getting comfy on one of the beds!

The nightly tradition... A sponge bath for the kiddos! Fill the basin with warm water, let them wash their hands, then bring them into the tent and step in it to get their feet, legs, and bodies! It worked great :) and they had a blast

Once they were asleep, we were able to settle in and watch the fire glow... can you feel the moment??

OK, so this is actually Payton's first day of school, Phoebe started a week earlier, but trust me... she didn't change much! lmao

Sisterly love!! Man, I hope they like each other this much - FOREVER!!

Our new daily chart... it's been working great! A friend told me about a rewards catalog and I LOVE the idea, but haven't gotten around to starting it yet. One thing at a time ;)

The first b-day party of the year was a success! Gotta tell you, though - those parents are sooo much more relaxed than I am! The kids had sooo much fun!! I would have been totally stressed out with some of the games they did because of the mess. Ched Hubby told me they did a game where you wrapped a friend in toilet paper to make a living statue... now you know where all of the paper goes after, right??

I LOVE this picture of Payton!! Had to include it :) She's going to be 4 in a couple of weeks. My baby, 4 years old! Wow!!

Well, that's what we've been up to... at least some of what we've been up to. Going to try to do better at posting! Have a great day :) Stay safe!

Pictures!!!

So we really have been busy, and I was actually going to post some more pics, but got frustrated because I forget how impossible it is to arrange them!!

This was Phoebe right after she got her hair cut. They had to straighten it in order to get enough to send to Locks of Love. She was sooo excited to look like her BFF in school, who has straight hair... can you tell??

Then there was Easter... and decorating eggs. Yes, I know that was over 3 months ago, but I'm trying to catch up!!

Isn't it beautiful?!?! hehe

Yes, I'm telling her where to look. She was doing sooo well, but the other 2 were super fast and I didn't want her to get left with nothing.

They all ended up pretty even :)

Career Day at school... Phoebe is a Vet and Payton was a nurse.

The Zooquarium for the class field trip. I couldn't believe that Phoebe actually touched it!!

The Walk-a-thon and field day. Isn't that the cutest!? The noodle is actually a "hose". It started out that way and by the end, all of the kids were running around whacking each other!

Water balloon relay. Do you believe that none of them popped!?!

There's Phoebe on the right... "preparing"

Our little "Calendar Girl". This was during her graduation celebration. She got to do the days of the week and she did awesome!! So proud :)

Phoebe and Tyler... inseparable. Uh oh... Daddy's not too impressed

Yes, that's Payton chewing on her diploma!!

My brother, sister-in-law and niece came to visit. You can definitely tell they are related. Isn't she soooo cute??!

Yay... the zoo!!

Just before her very first "real" hair cut...

Isn't it sooo cute??

Attack dog... lmao

Oh and this is the Peach Cobbler, but I have a confession. I forgot to ask how he made the crumb topping so I can't post the recipe YET. I promise it will be coming soon :)

Update on the Cooking on a Budget

We've been doing pretty other than splurging on some locally handmade ice cream... omg, that is totally my weakness! Well, that and chinese, subway, and Honey Dew!! If you don't have a Honey Dew near you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry because you've never had an Iced Mocha Madness. It's sooo yummy. I know a lot of places have the same type of drink, half coffee/half cocoa combo, but it never tastes like theirs. Theirs' is soo yummy. I actually have to get mine decaf because Phoebe steals it usually and I don't think that a 5yr old really needs any more energy.

Anyway, Price Rite is still helping big time as far as keeping food costs down. Apples are $.99/lb, grapes $1.29/lb, banana $.49/lb, pineapples $2.99 each - all the time!! Awesome. It also helps that cereals are under $2/box unless they are the BIG boxes of Pops, Frosted Flakes, or Fruit Loops, but even then, it's just $2.99 each. I wish they sold store cards because everyone would get those for gifts :)

I know it's the middle of the summer and the last thing on your minds, but don't forget that the food pantries still need help, as well. I'm as guilty as everyone else, because we drifted. Not because we don't care (because we really do) but because we got caught up in life and simply forgot. Silly, sad, typical... I know. BUT that doesn't mean, we can't start again! Canned fruit is great, but stored in the juice is definitely better than the heavy syrup stuff. Canned veggies aren't as refreshing as the fresh produce, but it can still be used to make some great recipes!

I will start posting some canned food recipes, and please, if you have any recommendations, feel free to let me know! I want to make a second edition of the Pantry Cookbook this year :)

Summer So Far

Sorry, I have been the WORST blogger ever, but I am really trying to do better. Even Chef Hubby is helping me get motivated. My plan for today was to show all kinds of pics to prove that we've been busy BUT the adapter for the camera is missing and I can't upload them :(

This is a good thing in way though, cuz that means I will be posting twice this week :) As soon as I find it, you'll get to see my new little garden, Payton's "big girl" haircut, the super yummy peach cobbler that Chef Hubby whipped up for a cookout using some fresh peaches we bought roadside, yesterday, and much much more... hehe. Aren't you excited??

I'll be sharing the recipe for the cobbler when I post the pic, but for now I can share I recipe I borrowed for a work cookout last week. If you love the Girl Scout Samoas cookies, you are going to want to make these IMMEDIATELY!!! lol

Baking Bites made Samoas Bars a while back and I have been meaning to make them since. Unfortunately, I didn't read the recipe and thought that they would be difficult and time consuming... so wrong!! They are very basic and super easy. OK, ok... I bribed Chef Hubby to make them for me while I went out to hang with one of my bestest girlfriends, but I read the recipe and it IS easy :) The most difficult part was dipping them because, the bottoms would break off a little and crumble into the chocolate mixture (then I would just stir it up and smash the pieces to bits - unless the piece was really big, then I would scoop it out and eat it... hehe)

Anyway, check out the recipe!!! She also has other girl scout cookie recipes, including Thin Mints.... mmmm mmm. Those might have to be next!

Now heading to the cookout soon, so I have to get the kiddos ready - it's gotta be a hot summer day cuz I actually got them down for a nap!! Yay! That meant that Chef Hubby and I were able to have some Manchango cheese, crackers, and grapes for lunch. Perfect for the heat. Hope that your 4th of July weekend has been as restful as ours!

Cooking on the budget and more...

The budget for food was actually pretty easy to stick to this week. Thank goodness for Price Rite, it has ridiculously reasonable prices for fruits and veggies. I also tried to stick to the more wholesome, less processed stuff. It required much more forethought than needed in cooking frozen chicken nuggets, but I liked it!

Some of the things I've tried this week are plantains (fried and baked) which I really liked, but hubby was seriously disgusted. I also tried a new coating for homemade chicken nuggets... corn flakes :) Phoebe LOVED them! Payton is hooked on wagon wheel pasta with tomato soup and parmesan cheese grated on top (I make the soup with milk instead of water... I know it's still processed, but it makes me feel better - ok?!?) We've also been eating more salad. I used some leftover corn on the cob to make a little salsa... corn kernels with chopped tomato and oregano.

I'm sticking with the pancakes and applesauce as a "go to" for rushed days and Payton's making it easy by requesting a toast sandwich every morning for breakfast. BTW... Payton graduated Preschool 3 last night!! OK, so she's going into the same class next year because of her age, but she did amazing :)

Tomorrow Phoebe is graduating Kindergarten and going into 1st grade... that's "real school!" OMG... when did my little girl grow up?? She's become such the little writer, artist, actress. She's so amazing! They both are. It's insane to think that she can now read her little sister a book at night. She loves to read and write... I actually had to put a ban on paper this week because she uses too much of it at a time. She doesn't waste it and she draws phenomenal pictures, but she draws a LOT.

Anyway, between all of this I've also taken to the great outdoors. Ok, actually just yard work. I've never done yard work. I've never wanted to do yard work. It was always the thing that needed to get done and I would wait until my poor hubby would finally do it on his very rare moment off. This year, I decided to help out and take a little stress out of his life. So I mow the lawn and cleaned the side of the driveway, planted a little garden, tamed the damn raspberry bush and I'm finally scraping the garage to prepare it for painting!! I feel pretty proud of myself, and he's pretty proud of me too, which helps :)

So, I'm going to go watch a little mindless television and hit the hay. Tomorrow is the first day of the summer for the girls and I have to figure out what we're going to do. I'm a little excited and a little scared... we'll see how long it takes to before I just let them play on the computer. lol

Food on a Budget

I'm sure that my family has the same issues as every other family, including debt. I know this is like a swear word, but hey, it needs to be said. Admitting you have a problem is the first step on the journey to overcome it, right?! So, yes, like most American families, we have accumulated debt. We have a mortgage, and car payments, credit cards, gym memberships, the cable/phone/ internet multipack, etc. Does anyone remember that commercial when the guy is riding around his perfect yard on his beautiful riding lawn mower, saying "I'm in debt up to my eyeballs"?

The pressure came when we decided to put the girls into private school. That was another big chunk placed on top of everything else, but we kept spending. Now, don't get me wrong, we aren't going into foreclosure, waiting for the repo guys to come take the cars, or living off processed foods on sale. Well, ok, the kids do love the processed foods, but I'm starting to feel guilty about giving it to them whenever they ask. We were in need of a change, though.

A few years ago I bought Chef Hubby the book "A Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey and since then it's been collecting dust. Recently, I decided to break it out and maybe find a solution, and I think I did. It talks about budgeting and all the fun stuff that we've never done. I know, budgeting... another swear word, right? To be honest, I've never been on a budget. I mean, we've pretended that we were on a budget, but with credit cards, it simple to sneak in things that you really can't afford. So what does that mean - no more credit cards!

Simple enough. Create a budget. Wow, what a shocker. It's tight, but definitely doable. I'm excited!! I like a challenge and I've decided that in our budget we will be getting only $100/week for groceries for our family of 4. I know that doesn't seem like a difficult task, but at the same time, I want to improve the quality of food we're eating and limiting the amount of processed foods.

I think this first month is going to be really easy since I inventoried our freezer and holy crap, it was stocked! I had no idea how much meat we actually had in there. It's because I only buy meat when it's on sale and then I stock up. Just a snip it of the contents:

• 4 - split chicken breasts
• 2 - 1.5lb bags chicken breast
• 2 - corn beef briskets
• 1 - 1.5lb pork tenderloin tips
• 1 - 1.5lb pork tenderloin
• 2 lbs lean ground beef (2 - 1/2lb pkgs, 1 - 1lb pkg)
• 6 - jenny-o turkey patties
• 7 - black bean chipotle burgers
• 3 lb bag of french fries
• 2 pkgs of french bread pizzas
• 1 pkg filo dough
• 2 frozen pie crusts
• 2 lbs frozen berries
• 2 lbs frozen haddock
• 2 lbs frozen turkey meatballs

See what I mean... and there's more! It's insane!! Anyway, it's still going to be a challenge because, I have a hubby who's a chef. He loves to create especially when we are entertaining, which is what we love to do. Now I've informed him that we will be creating "Iron Chef" style... lol. He's on board and we are super excited to get this started. I've decided that I will be starting to post how we're doing.

So, now the journey begins. It's day 1 and what's for dinner? I'm thinking that we might have to throw the meatballs into the crockpot with some sauce, make up some pasta, and create a side salad with the romaine lettuce, croutons, and parmesan cheese we currently have. Yes, this month is going to be the easiest, but at least it will get me into the habit of planning meals. Oh, by the way, if we do happen to go out to eat - that also counts as groceries. Trust me when I say that I will be second guessing my mid-afternoon coffee runs.

It's been a long time

I know it's been a long time and I once again apologize. I've been pretty busy. I've actually been trying to figure out what I want to do, how to do it, and slowly but surely working on getting it done.

Over the past few weeks, I've actually done more thinking and planning and praying, than I've ever done. A few months ago I decided that teaching might be fun. I'm not saying that lightly, just matter of fact. I can see myself enjoying going to work each day. I love my job now. I love going to the school and working with the kids (young adults... lol) and feeling like I can have an effect on their lives.

I've written several recommendations over the past few weeks for some amazing kids, for colleges, scholarships, and even jobs. When I sit down to write them, I think of how each one of those kids has grown. They've developed into people that I respect. The type of people that I would be happy to someday call a friend. I received a call from one of the parents last week; she told me that my letter almost made her cry when she read it. She appreciated my "kind words" and the thought that had gone into the letter.

I didn't know what to say at first. I thought of the time I've spent working with her son as a patient and now an intern; remembering how soft spoken he was during football his freshman year, how timid he was with the coaches. He'll be graduating in a few weeks and he's already accepted a spot at a highly recognized college. I told her to that she should be proud of herself and I thanked her for the opportunity to work with him. I can only hope that someday, my girls will leave such an impression on people.

So I've decided that I want to teach. It's funny because, the thought of teaching Physical Education was what kept me in graduate school. No, not so that I could one day get a job, but because I wanted to avoid it at all costs! I wanted to work as a Head Athletic Trainer at a Division III College and that's all I had ever wanted to do.

After having my daughter, I realized that college wasn't the best setting for an athletic trainer/mommy. I gave my resignation 1 year later and following a brief period of self-employment, applied for and accepted a job as an Athletic Trainer at a High School/Clinic. At first, I second-guessed myself and thought that I was settling. It wasn't long before I realized that it was where I was supposed to be.

Many people think that high school kids, in general, are a bunch of delinquents. I think that many of them are searching for something, whether it be their identity, a future, a friend, or even just a way out. I've found that the "trouble makers" are sometimes big kids looking for any attention they can get, and sometimes the "good kids" are the ones with the biggest secrets.

I have tests to take, calls to make, and obstacles to overcome, but I think that I'm pretty close to figuring out what I want to be when I grow up... and I just turned 34. My little girls are best friends right now, and growing up faster than I ever expected and my husband just passed a test to become a Certified Executive Chef (he's also a culinary instructor at a local vocational high school). I just finished my very first 5K and I'm working to maybe do a 1/2 marathon with some friends next year. I don't know what's going to happen, but at least, for now, I have some things to work towards. Wish me luck!