Meal Planning Monday & Pantry Challenge Wrap-Up

Dear January... 

I think we should take a break.  I just need some time apart.  It's not you, it's me.  It's been a hectic month trying to adjust to my new routine as a working mom.  I've been trying to live a double life and have been making myself crazy trying to keep up with work, home, and family.  Admittedly, the massive amount of snow you threw at us wasn't particularly helpful.  So, I guess it's not all me.  Please don't get upset!  I want you to know I'm really happy.  I spent all weekend being lazy and playing with my girl.  And it felt really good.  I know that this is for the best.  I hope you can forgive me.  I'm sure our paths will cross again and I wish you the best.

Sincerely,

Jen

Monday:  Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Green Beans

Tuesday:  Stuffed Pork Loin, Stuffing, Carrots (all things from the freezer)

Wednesday:  Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday:  Parmesan Tilapia, Rice, Veg

Friday:  Deep Dish Pizza, Salad

Drum roll, please!  Our final grocery spending for the month of January..... $153.80!

That's about $100 less than our typical month's grocery purchases.  I wish I could say that it's going into a "fund" of sorts, but I'm not quite that organized.  Honestly, I'm going to be putting as much towards the credit cards as possible, so I'm sure it'll get lost in the debt repayment chaos.  But more on that later.

But strangely, we didn't make much of a dent in our pantry over the month.  It became apparent that most of what we eat are perishable staples.  Which I continued to replenish.  Because a life without cheese is a life not worth living. 

I also felt like I was going to the store more frequently.  Probably because I was refusing to buy anything we didn't absolutely need.  So, there were a lot of little trips to the store.  But at least the spending during each trip was kept in check... mostly.


And it also became obvious that we eat variations of the same thing over and over again.  And we're bored.  So bored that we actually ate out a few times the last half of the month.  (So I guess you could say the $100 we saved on groceries went to restaurant bills?)  It's a bit of a double edged sword though, because when I branch out and try something new, it usually ends up being a hassle, taking twice as long to prepare.  But that will be something to work on in February.  And if you have any fantastically easy and delicious recipes?  Please send 'em my way!

Parents... Keep me away from your kids. I am a bad influence. Crap, what does that mean for my kid?

It's been awhile since I've done a 5 Question Friday, so I thought it was about time to give you another peek into my life.  From the safety of my own office.  Please don't come look in my windows.  My house is a huge mess.  And that's just creepy.  Thanks.

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?

That's a really tough question.  Honestly, my heart hurts when I hear of people suffering, but there is suffering everywhere and $1000 isn't going to stretch that far...  So, perhaps it would be better to invest the money in some grassroots efforts.  It's nice to give to the United Way and other similar large-scale organizations, but you never get to see the impact of your donation.  Whereas, making the donation to a local food bank or homeless shelter would improve lives within your community.  Always a good thing.

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?

If if I didn't have a job, snow days would be awesome.  I understand that the world can't shut down for a couple inches (unless you are in Georgia), but people need to chill the hell out and realize that it's not necessary to go shopping when there is a foot of snow on the ground.  If you are a doctor, sure, go to work.  You do something important.  If you work at Abercrombie?  Stay the hell at home and watch tv and drink hot chocolate.  

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?

Without hesitation.  Sing.  It's one of those things that either you can or you can't.  And I can't.  And I'm jealous of those that can.  Like Ursula in The Little Mermaid jealous.  So watch out.  If you start singing around me I might come jam a butter knife in your throat and steal your voicebox.

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?

If I had to choose...  I'd say politics.  I briefly went to school to pursue a career in public policy administration/city planning, so I am definitely very interested in politics, however, I'm not particularly diligent about keeping up with all the details.

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)

These days, I am a wino.  Before that was my martini phase.  Which came after my vodka sour period.  Which was a big step up from amaretto sours.  Which evolved from drinking amaretto straight out of the bottle.  Which was a step in the right direction from drinking vodka straight.  Warm.  Out of a flask.  In the back of my friend's Grand Am.  In high school.  While I was supposed to be in class.

Obviously, I didn't pick these questions, so if you have any other questions you'd like to throw at me, feel free to email me at dearmommybrain (at) gmail (dot) com.  And once I get a few, I'll post a Dear Mommy Brain Q&A post.  Sound fun?

I am obviously not Mexican although I do love Nachos Bell Grande- even if it isn't real meat.

Last night I hit the wall.  Ran out of steam.  Burned out.  I've been trying so hard to keep up with this unrealistic idealistic standard of scratch cooking, bread baking, cleaning, laundry and all the other chores of living that I just cracked last night.  And I'm fairly convinced that the copious amounts of Dr. Pepper that I've been consuming regularly along with the junk food I've been eating all week hasn't been helping my ability to keep my cool. 

So when I went into the laundry room last night to run the next wash cycle on the diapers (thinking I was all ahead of the game by starting them before leaving for work) only to discover they were all layed out and dried by my helpful mother-in-law/nanny.  And I kinda lost it.  But why??  That should be a good thing, right?  Well, they weren't washed.  Just rinsed.  So, back in the washer they went.  Now I know that this isn't a big deal.  I didn't waste any effort.  But for some reason, it just threw my OCD into crazy mode. 



I didn't take any pictures of my tortillas,
however they did look a little like this.

And the multi-stage dinner prep?  Yeah, that was destined for failure before I even began.  Beef enchiladas made with homemade tortillas.  Because I know that Matt doesn't like the whole wheat ones we had on hand and I was putting forth my best effort to stay out of the grocery store.

Let me interrupt to say that if you aren't Mexican or know anyone that is Mexican, it is near impossible to make tortillas.  I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and I'm pretty sure that I ended up cooking plain flour discs.  Sounds yummy, eh?  I stopped once I realized that they wouldn't roll, therefore making enchilada assembly IMPOSSIBLE.  I cooked four and threw out the rest of the dough.

The moral of the story?  Sometimes good enough is good enough.

Sure, it's nice to have freshly baked bread in the house.  And I enjoy eating making it.  But to set the standard of only eating homemade bread?  That's asking for failure.  And that's the kind of pressure I've been putting on myself lately.  (Ironically while eating Nachos Bell Grande for lunch.)

And that's what I need to work on.  Simplifying.  And accepting my limitations.  Because the reality is that I'm not a stay at home mom.  And my desire to be is going to push me over the edge if I don't give in a little.

A Pasta Experiment

Matt absolutely hates it when the words "experiment" and "food" are in the same sentence.  So this one was a tough sell out of the gate.  And although I had to pry it out of him, he did agree that this one wasn't "bad."  I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but I'm fairly certain that for him "not bad" = "kinda good."  And to actually get a "good" rating?  Something has to be exceptional.  A word that is generally reserved for Sci Fi and stuffed pork. 

Coincidentally, he also has the same rating scale when it comes to questions like, "How does this look?"  So, I could put forth three hours of beautifying effort and still get an, "Alright."  And you wonder why I stopped shaving my legs...?  Admittedly, it's kinda nice that he doesn't care.  I doubt I'd be able to live up to the pressure of being a trophy wife. 

However, I did get an unsolicited response from him by donning this fancy accessory.  I believe it was, "Heh."  I'm assuming that translates to, "You look ridiculous."  But what does he know...  I got three compliments at work.  Thank goodness, because I'm fashionably fragile.  

But where was I?  Oh yeah...  On to the experiment...

Given my efforts to avoid the grocery store, I've been forced to get a little creative with dinner ideas recently.  And without meat defrosted and no tomato sauce to be had, I brainstormed for an entire 3 minutes on what I could do with dried pasta that involved no meat or sauce.  Which led to this genius idea.  Penne in not-exactly cream sauce.

What??  Let me explain.  Cream is not a food that I keep on hand all the time.  Because if you don't have a plan for it when it's bought, it just languishes in the back of the fridge until it begs to be thrown out.  Besides.  It's not the healthiest of ingredients.  Because I'm obviously SO concerned with my fat intake...

But I usually have evaporated milk in the pantry.  It's shelf stable and can be substituted for cream in most recipes.  I've actually tried a "cream" sauce recipe with it and it turned out alright.  But I figured I could do better.

So, I thought...  My stove top mac 'n cheese recipe cooks the pasta in milk to help make that ooey, gooey sauce, so why wouldn't that work for a cream sauce?  As the pasta cooks, it releases some of it's starches which in turn thicken the sauce.  I love food science.

Penne in not-exactly Cream Sauce
7oz penne pasta (I only had half a box on hand)
20oz evaporated milk (Add more or less depending on how thick/thin you want it.)

Dump both in a large saucepan.  SLOWLY cook the pasta in the evaporated milk, stirring frequently, until pasta is soft and sauce is creamy.  Add whatever flavoring agents your heart desires.  I added some Parmesan, nutmeg, dried mustard, salt and pepper, but I'm thinking red pepper flakes would be pretty awesome, too.

Lessons learned: Use regular pasta next time.  The whole wheat stuff always seems a little toothy, even after cooking.  Fine for a red sauce.  Not so great with this method.  Also note that evaporated milk is pretty sweet to start with, so when you reduce it down, it will get even sweeter.  If that's not your gig, you may want to skip this one.  Or add something to balance out the sweetness.  Feedback is welcome.

Meal Planning Monday

Dear Blogosphere,

My sincerest apologies for my absence the last week.  Things have been a little crazy up in here, so blogging had to be put on the back burner for a bit.  On the upside, we have a dryer finally.  You don't realize how vital modern appliances are until you are without...  But after much himming and hawing, we resisted the urge to buy a new dryer (that would include delivery) and opted for one on Craigslist.  All we had to do was bribe our neighbor with cinnamon rolls and he helped us load it in his SUV and bring it home.  Not the easiest task with several inches of snow on the ground, but definitely worth the money we saved!

So, yesterday was spent doing copious amounts of laundry and very little else.  But here is another improv meal plan for the week.  Because that's how I roll...

Monday:  Salmon Croquettes, Spinach Salad

Tuesday:  Enchiladas (with homemade tortillas?? we'll see about that...), Black Beans, Rice

Wednesday:  Crock Pot Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Frozen Veg TBD

Thursday:  Brinner

Friday:  BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Applesauce

Total Grocery Spending MTD: $112.29

Yes, I know that's a big jump from last week, but there is a Trader Joe's stop in there.  I have a short list of things I exclusively buy there and since I only go every six-ish weeks for cat food, I usually spend about $20 in groceries.  I did feel a little guilty about the almost $40 spent at Schnucks last night, but we needed some higher ticket items.  Like foil, ziploc bags, milk, and cheese.  And. I. Can. Not. Live. Without. Cheese.

The root of so many problems...

Meal Planning Monday

Warning: I am completely out of it today.

I suspect it might have something to do with yesterday's tragic loss.

I'll be planning a dryer burial later today.  Good thing we live next to a cemetary. 

Just kidding.  The dumpster is about 4 steps closer.  And I don't want to wait until the gravediggers dig a new hole.  I mean, I'm trying to be considerate of my husband's back.  Because that's the kind of thoughtful wife that I am.

But yesterday was a bit of a debacle because I spent about 9 hours trying to dry 3 loads of laundry.  It was emotionally draining.  The checking.  The waiting.  The hoping.  The disappointment.

So, I cheered myself up with a custard donut and a 32oz Dr. Pepper for breakfast.  Perhaps that's why I'm out of it...?  *Sugar CRASH*

Here's my meal plan for the week.  Improv-style.

Monday:  A Pasta Experiment

Tuesday:  Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday:  Sloppy Joe's, Frozen Veg

Thursday:  Hockey Game- Leftovers or Take-out

Friday:  Clean out the Refridgerator Nite

Total Grocery Spending MTD: $52.64 ($50 bucks for 2 weeks!  Hellz yeah!  Good thing, too...  Because I think that the money saved this month is going towards my dryer's funeral arrangements...  RIP)

Book it! Food Rules by Michael Pollan

Reading wasn't on my things I want to accomplish in 2011 list, but I've been thinking...  I watch a lot of tv.  Which is made worse by the fact that we don't have cable.  So, I have become addicted to shows like The Biggest Loser and America's Got Talent.  Which is only marginally better than watching Law & Order reruns on TNT all night.  (Oh, Jerry, I miss you.)

An honestly, I've been kinda okay with my routine.  After 6:30p, I'm pretty worthless, so television is a relatively low impact way to pass the evening.  But I recently started following Life as MOM and Jessica is doing a repeat of her Booking It series from last year.  And I thought, eh, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing for me to do. 

Because I think the biggest reason I don't read more often is that I don't know what to read.  I've never been a huge follower of fiction, so most of the books I read are about geeky stuff, like child care, organic living, or digestive diseases.  Riviting, I know.  But if it's not a relevant topic to my season of life...  I'm not particularly motivated to delve into further research.

So, that's where I can see Booking It being a good fit for me.  There is a recommended reading list, but it's not like school where you have to read The Grapes of Wrath in 10 days and then write a 5 page paper on it.  (Please forgive me.  I have no idea how long it took me to read The Grapes of Wrath cliffnotes or what the required paper length was.  Sorry.  I had to add that disclaimer.  It was bugging me.)  You pick the books off the list that interest you, or make your own choices, and once a month you can link up to discuss.  Or not.  I doubt she's going to send my high school English teacher, Mrs. Harris, after me if I don't report in.

To kick off my reading extravaganza, I picked up a few books at the library on my way home from work.  What to Expect: The Toddler Years, The Toddler Whisperer (Can you tell I'm having difficulties with my almost 2 year old?), and Food Rules by Michael Pollan.  (You know that guy that wrote Omnivore's Dilemma and was featured in the movie Food, Inc?)  Which I read today.  At work.  In about 2 hours.  Between phone calls.  Don't rat me out to my boss, please.

In saying that, I'm telling you to find this book.  And read it.  It's a fast read and interesting in it's simplicity.  Who can't benefit from some nutritional words of wisdom?  And you don't have to be a die hard foodie to enjoy it's content. 

Matter of fact, much of it is pure common sense.  May I introduce you to Rule #2: "Don't eat anything your great-grandmonther wouldn't recognize as food."  For example, Go-gurt.  While yogurt is a wonderfully healthy food, once you add in lots of artificial colors and sweeteners, you're left with a tube of freakishly colored goop...  Kinda gross.

However, I felt a little shame upon reading Rule #20: "It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car."  Egad!  You mean McDonald's is not an appropriate food source?  I mean, seriously...  Even healthy people shouldn't eat McDonald's.  However, knowing better and doing better are not always the same thing.  Along those same lines is Rule #57: "Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does."  I live behind a QT.  32oz Dr. Peppers for $0.69?  Hellz yeah.  I know it's not good for me.  But.  I.  Need.  It.

Reading this book may not instantaneously revolutionize your eating habits.  But it can be the beginning of change.    A change that we desperately need as a society.  Because we are killing ourselves with this crap. 

Simple Savings: 1 Million Uses for Vinegar

It's been awhile since I've posted something useful, so I thought maybe I should do that...  So here you go- a list of one million uses for plain 'ol white vinegar.

1. Glass Cleaner

2. Counter Cleaner

9. Fabric Softener

11. Deodorizer

19. Degreaser

26. Demolder/bacterializer

45. Demineralizer

321. Bug Repellent

657. Floor Cleaner

1042. Carpet Cleaner

8374. Germ Killer

10002. Urine Neutralizer

24682. Body Soil Remover

53263. Soothe Sunburn

114079. Produce Wash

336421. Toilet Cleaner

652815. Frost Preventer

849698. Goo Remover

1000000. Drain Declogger (paired with baking soda)

I am that person that gets the weird looks from the check out lady because I buy two of the extra large bottles at a time.  But I seriously use it for EVERYTHING.  That and baking soda.  Which I've been made fun of multiple times for due to the equally ginormous box I keep in my pantry.

For a more detailed list check out 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar.

Unfinished Business

In November I attempted to do a little blog series entitled Thankful Thursday, however, my final installment got derailed due to holiday travel, an overtired child, and, let's be real here, gluttony.  However, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't finish what I started and dedicate a post to the most important little person in my life.  My little Tazmanian Devil.  My baby girl. 

I have to admit that after living with this miniature human for the last year and a half, I've grown pretty attached.  While there are days I would sell her to the gypsies for a Dr. Pepper, I can't imagine my life without her.  And I shutter to think there was a time when I thought she wouldn't make it into this world.

The choice to start a family was a very deliberate decision for us due to my medical conditions.  Specialists were consulted, medication was tapered, post-partum care was discussed.  The one thing that I didn't account for was my Crohn's going completely coo coo for cocoa puffs. 

There is this thing that doctors call the rule of thirds.  A third of Crohn's patients do really well in pregnancy.  Then another third remain stable.  And then there is the final third that tanks.  And that was me.  (Obviously this means they don't have a clue.  Three choices each with a 33.3% chance of occurrence?  Hmm...) 

By week 7, I was getting that old familiar feeling, except I had never been pregnant before, so I assumed it was purely the influx of hormones getting the best of my gut.  I was wrong.  Dead wrong.  And by week 13, I found myself in the hospital for the first time to receive IV antibiotics and corticosteroids. (Did you know they can give morphine to preggos?)  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I was headed back for a return visit.  (Merry F'in Christmas.)

But under the close watch of my gastroenterologist, obstetrician, and a team of other medical professionals, we managed to get my symptoms under control by the end of my second trimester.  I was beginning to gain weight and I could see my belly growing along with my baby.  I was finally happy to be pregnant and was getting excited to meet this little terrorist causing havoc inside me.

Despite a few minor obstacles (gestational diabetes due to my excessive corticosteroid use, extreme heartburn, and the other common third trimester complaints) we had made it through most of the homestretch without major incident.  Until St. Patrick's Day...

It was at the St. Patrick's Day parade that I began to notice something wasn't "quite right."  I went to visit the port-o-potty and noticed that there was some excessive wetness where maybe there shouldn't be.  I assumed it was just caused by the 80°+ weather.  To be safe, we huffed it back to the car so that I could go home and rest. 

Fast forward 14 hours.  I wake up at 4am to find I'm...  um...  how do I say this delicately?  I'm...  ummm...  leaking.  Matt had just left for work, so I called the OB's exchange hoping they would tell me it was nothing and to go back to bed.  But they didn't.  So, I grabbed armfuls of absorptive materials and drove myself to the hospital. 

Matt walked in about 30 minutes later.  Just in time for them to say, "Yep.  You're leaking amniotic fluid."  Shortly after, we had a team of doctors and nurses traipsing through our room debating about delivering a 33 week and 4 day old baby or trying to stave off labor.  Had I been 34 weeks, there wouldn't have been a question.  Out she would come.  But at this point in pregnancy, every day they are in utero is valuable.  But despite the risks, I was prepped for an emergency c-section.  I barely had time to call my family before they wheeled me into the operating room.

Allison Grace was born at 7:49am.  She came out screaming, but she was oh so tiny.  4lbs 2oz.  17 3/4 inches long.  She looked like a soaking wet chihuahuaua puppy.  Or at least how I would imagine one to look like.  This teeny body covered in pale thin skin that you can see right through.  A disproportionately large head with big puffy eyes.  But she was beautiful.  At least I thought so at the time.  Looking back at her first pictures make me wince a little now.

But she was healthy.  And strong. 

And over the next 12 days, she grew stronger.  She learned to suck, to swallow, and to breathe on her own (all at the same time).  And then they sent her home.  With us.  People that have never cared for a child before, let alone a miniature baby.

Our first night home, I remember sitting in the recliner watching tv with her sleeping on my chest.  It was the most peaceful feeling imaginable.  I couldn't believe that we made her.

I had hoped that would be the end of our medical disasters for awhile, but unfortunately that was not the case.  My body was apparently very confused and thought I was still pregnant.  Maybe it was due to my extended use of maternity pants?  I guess we'll never know.

But despite my best efforts to put out the fire in my gut, nothing was working.  And when I wound up back in the ER for the third time in 7 months, I was ready to give my surgeon a call.  I just wanted something to work.  So I could take care of my baby without being stuck in bed with a heating pad.

So, when Allison was a mere 10 weeks old, her momma had her second bowel resection. 

This was not my first rodeo, so I had high hopes that this surgery would solve all my problems.  After the last one, I had never felt better.  But I hadn't just had a kid before the last one.  And for all of you that have been pregnant, you know that that little monster will lie, cheat, and steal to get what it needs to grow inside you...  Leaving you with very little left for yourself.

So, recovery was a long process...  And my body will never be the same.  I will never have a normal colon.  I will always look like an IED hit my stomach.  But every month gets a little better as I learn how to work with my altered digestive system.

And 21 months after my little girl unexpected arrived into this world, you would never know that she was anything but a normal, happy, healthy child.  For that, I am extremely grateful.

Meal Planning Monday

My dear, dear husband has begun to read the blog.  I love the support.  But.  That means he reads about what's going on in our house.  At the same time you all do.  He's not so keen on that.

But honestly, I come up with most of this stuff on the fly, because I'm a poor planner impetuous like that.  For example...  The No Grocery Shopping January Challenge.  (I'll be taking suggestions for a catchier name!) 

It evolved from a random string of NyQuil induced thoughts.  (Yay!  Freezer meals! --->  Hmmm...  I can't remember what else is in there... --->  I should really clean that out. --->  I betcha there's a lot of crap in there. --->  There's a lot of crap in the pantry, too. --->  We should eat that stuff. --->  We should make ourselves eat it before we buy more crap.)

But the funny thing is that the dear, dear husband never tells me if he reads the blog.  So, he lets me get two sentences into describing my drug induced ingenious plan before he interrupts me with, "Yeah.  I saw."  Enthusiastic, isn't it.  Well, his enthusiasm level changed once we found 4 pounds of ground beef in the freezer that I had forgotten about.  Nothing like a large quantity of dead cow to get a guy excited...

So, I feel like this week is a little too carnivorous, but we have approximately 4lbs of ground beef, 9lbs of chicken leg quarters, 2 boneless chicken breasts, 1 whole chicken, 1 pork loin roast, plus a good amount of leftover ham on hand.  Not that I need to use all of that in the next 3 weeks, but I'm thinking that we should have plenty to work with this month.  However, I will be trying to incorporate more meatless meals into our repertoire in the future.  Sorry, Dear.

Monday:  Cheeseburgers, Potato Wedges, Applesauce

Tuesday:  Grilled Chicken, Edamame Risotto

Wednesday:  Ham and Cheese Spirals

Thursday:  Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday:  Game night with the neighbors, so I think take-out might be in order...

Total grocery bill MTD: $47.39*

*Much of which is copious amounts of juice to combat the black plague that is still lurking in our home.  The rest is milk, bread, cheese, 2 boxes of toasted ravioli (on sale), 2 bags of tortilla chips (also on sale), yeast, sour cream, and some produce.

Out of the fog... For the moment.

I've come out of my NyQuil coma for a few minutes and thought I would post a brief success to counteract the bitchiness of yesterday's rant.

As we were staring into the fridge last night deciding between cooking dinner and going out, I made a realization.  I haven't eaten fast food since before Christmas.  Possibly longer.  Meal planning has been going extremely well (with the exception of this week) and stocking the freezer with pre-portioned leftovers have meant lunches for the work week. 

I know this may not be a big success for most people, but you all know that I am weak.  And the moment I leave the house, I begin to crave McDonald's cheeseburgers.  So, I allow myself to give in to temptation about once a week.  And I berate myself for my weakness the other 1-2 days I hit the drive thru.

But maybe it's due to the cold weather and the long walk to my car, or possibly just the availability of food at home due to the abundance of holiday cooking, but I've been bringing lunch every day.  A couple times it's just been a simple can of soup and a sleeve of crackers, but it fills me up and saves me from pulling out my wallet.

*In case you were wondering, we had Steak-n-Shake for dinner.  I've had a nasty hankering for a cheeseburger lately and we had a gift card from Christmas. 

**Come back next week for a freezer cleanout where I search the depths of my deep freeze for meals that can be thawed rather than preparing fresh.  It's all part of my effort to avoid the grocery store this month.

Dear Blogosphere...

Like thousands of other people out there right now, I'm sick. Not the fun kind of "sick" which really means awesome. (Although I'm kinda that, too.) But the sore throat, raspy hack, can barely breathe out of one nostril kind of sick.


I'm not telling you this to be whiny. Because I kinda did it to myself.  I am fully aware that when my body gets worn out/stressed or whatever, it usually manifests in some sort of cold-like symptoms.  It's because I'm on handfuls of immunodepressants.  But it usually goes away in a day or so without much issue.  Unless I do something stupid...  Like pass around a bottle of champagne on New Year's Eve.  And stay up til 2am.  It's at that point that my body says, "Screw her!"  And decides to teach me a lesson. 

So, five days later I'm trying to hold back phlegmy coughs as I answer the phone with my scratchy, "40 pack a day smoker" voice.  I've been asked several times at work if I need to go home, which I assume means that I look like I have leprosy.  However, going home means dealing with the miniature leper, and I don't think I can handle that.  Not again.  Because yesterday I felt bad for the little munchkin.  I mean, I was the one that got her sick.  So, I stayed home to take care of her.  Big mistake.  Sick taking care of sick never ends well.  At one point, I think I actually had to stop myself from squeezing the breath out of her in order to put a stop to the crying.  I understand that she has no comprehension of why she can't breathe through the snot pouring from her nose, so that's got to be mighty frustrating.  But I'm not particularly well known for my patience on a normal day.  Factor in illness?  And you might as well not come near me, because I'm a ticking time bomb.

But we made it through the day.  Mostly due to my amazing husband that went out to get DQ Blizzards (for the Biggest Loser season premiere) and came home with orange juice.

But that's why I'm sitting at my desk in a DayQuil induced, zombie-like state.  Because it's easier to be sick here than at home.  What happened to home being a refuge?  Oh yeah.  It's been invaded by a 2 1/2 foot, 23 pound terrorist.

So, if you don't hear much from me this week, it's because I'm looking for WMDs hidden somewhere inside my house.  Or I've OD'd on NyQuil.

Peace, Love, and Orange Juice,
Jen

Resolutions, Smesolutions

As you may have gathered by now, I'm not so great on follow-through.  So New Year's resolutions are kinda like setting myself up for failure from the start.

But this year...  This year is different.  A new job.  A new routine.  A new lifestyle. 

I may have to break my own rule a bit this year.  I know.  I'm such a rebel.

With this new employment opportunity, I know that I have the power to make some big changes for my family.  And that's a pretty strong motivator to rally against my lazy ways.

So, I'm creating a plan to set myself up for success and I want you all to hold me accountable. 

2011 Goals:

• Pay off credit card debt.  Since being laid off in 2008, we haven't been in much of a position to pay more than the minimum on our credit cards.  While on paper it seemed like there should have been enough money to cover our basic living expenses every month, there were many times we needed credit cards to put food on the table and gas in the car.  And unplanned expenses?  Pull out the Discover.  It makes me sick every time I balance the accounts to know that we are digging ourselves deeper and deeper into the debt hole.  So this is the year that it's going to stop.  According to my rough preliminary calculations, we should be bringing in approximately $1000 more per month.  I figured with that kind of extra income, we could get the plastic paid off in a year, no problem.  Until I realized that we are carrying $11,745 in credit card debt.  And once you add in interest rates ranging from 8.24% to 23.99%, it's actually more like $12,305 (should we pay them off in one year).  And $12,305/12 months = $1025/month.  So that doesn't really leave much for anything else...  But I'm not giving up yet...  If we get another good tax return this year, we should be able to throw another $3000 towards the debt.  And that makes it possible.  So, while I'm scared that I am biting off more than I can chew, the possibility of living credit card free is definitely worth it.
• Take more photos.  On New Year's Eve I was making our 2011 calendar on Shutterfly (I'm so good at planning in advance) and I discovered that I hardly have any good pictures of the kid after 15 months.  Coincidentally, that is when she began running walking.  So most of the pictures I took were blurry.  Or poorly exposed.  Which brings me to part 2 of this goal...  Save for a faster lens.  I've been pining for one since I bought my dSLR, but could never justify the expense.  However, I found a low-end 50mm f/1.8 lens for about $100.  And I think I will just have to find a way to purchase it.  So, if you see me on the corner with a coffee cup, please throw me some change!
• Spend more time on my marriage.  Since our daughter joined the family, I have this overwhelming need to put her first.  And honestly, I don't think there is anything wrong with that.  But I do recognize that perhaps my husband and I need some "non-parenting" time, both alone and together.  However, I feel like my time with her is so limited now that I'm working, that I don't want to leave her for a selfish desire to get out of the house.  But I want to work on that.  Because I know that we need that as a couple and as individuals.

I know it's only three goals, but I need to start small.  So, please keep me in line and if you see me straying, feel free to give me a little nudge (or a big shove).  And feel free to link up your 2011 resolutions/goals!

Next Post in the War on Debt Series: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Christmas Postmortem

And for my next trick, I will predict Armageddon...  Because I was so absolutely dead on with my Christmas predictions, I think I may have had apocalyptic visions.

• First, what everyone is dying to hear.  How was the green goop that was supposed to serve as mashed potatoes?  Well, it was very green.  And tasted exactly like plain mashed potatoes.  Except that it took an extra pot and the food processor to put together.  So...  totally not worth it.  Now I did cheat a bit and used whole milk in place of cream, but I doubt that was it's downfall.  But if you aren't adverse to eating green goop, try it.  At least the kale added more nutritional content since potatoes aren't really a vegetable.  And the leftovers are still in my fridge a week later.  I'm struggling to work up the desire to eat it again.  I'm a little prejudiced against green food.  Except for guacamole.  However, it did take me about 10 years to work up the courage to try that one...
• I've decided that since my Christmas cards are STILL NOT HERE I should at least draft an apologetic letter to include with the photo cards (if they ever arrive) that will explain why I am such a poor excuse for mom.  But then I realized that I only have orange printer paper.  And that led me to the train of thought, "Well, she is pictured sitting on a PUMPKIN!"

On the up side, I did manage to pull out a few wins in the final minutes...

• I totally rocked the Santa Elf gig.  My child absolutely LOVED her new play kitchen.  I managed to find a few relatively awesome stocking stuffers for Matt.  And my nephews (aka the hardest kids in the world to impress)?  I blew it out of the park with a Spy Kit.
• Pork Roast with Winter Fruits and Port Sauce.  Total score.  And I even went to the effort to source out a locally raised pork loin.  Because that stuff from Schnucks doesn't taste like anything.  However, the sauce was so good, you could serve it on a car tire and it would be awesome.  Not that I am advising that...

And that was my Christmas.  I hope everyone else had a great one and a wonderful New Year's, as well.  Please check back next week as I resume my usual schedule of ranting, complaining, and self-deprecation.  Bring it, 2011!