Menu Monday and September: A Preview

That's right! Two, count them two, posts for the price of one. So with one more day until September I am already booked up with things to do until the 13th. Every year around this time I cook a large feast for the SCA group I play with, occasionally. This year is big one. I chose to do a historical documented late period Roman feast. (300-400 C.E.) We're talking end of the Roman Empire, Hello Visigoths! They still ate like the Romans. I mean who wouldn't? After doing all of my research, my conclusion is that they didn't eat much differently than we did and even had fast food places and street vendors. They couldn't even go to their midday bath at the bath house unless they knew there would be snacks.
Anyway, that basically means I'm going to be doing a lot of prepping and I'm making feast my official personal project of the month. I'm already half way done with the papier-mache pig.
Later in the month Ruby will be going to her grandparents house in Kentucky for the first time, sans parents. During which time J and I will be taking off of work and getting the house in order. Purging, painting, rearranging - All good things to accomplish before the winter hits and we go into hibernation. Yes. We are bears. That will be this months home-improvement project.
Also starting on the 2nd, my online courses for my business degree. I've already checked it out. Looks pretty fast paced which I'm happy about. I was a little worried it'd be a little too independent. I definitely know by now that I am a student that needs clear deadlines and assignments. I never liked having to be somewhere at a specific time so online classes seem like a perfect match for me. Thus, the third and final project for September. Don't fret. In October I will return to my normal crafty self. Here's a visual of one of the projects now.

Think two round chair pillows strapped at the shoulder. Cause that's what it is and they're charging 60 bucks for it.

 This weeks menu is still a work in progress because my shopping schedule has been thrown off due to a Sunday sausage-making session. So I will leave some blanks to be filled in after the shopping is done on Wednesday.

Monday: Pan-fried rice cakes, Scrambled eggs, scallions, bacon.
Tuesday: Turkey meatloaf, mashed cauliflower-potatoes, green beans (never made it last week)
Wednesday: Pumpkin hummus, spinach-yogurt dip, pita bread, roasted chickpeas
Thursday:  Brine treated BLSL Chicken Breast, Farro-sotto (feast recipe try out) except with celery and parsnips, Peas.
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: TBD

Birthday Project: Owls

Too many birthdays in August. Seriously. Thankfully J wants new glasses so I'm not making anything but dinner for him. So it was a friends birthday on Saturday. Started the project last week but it wasn't nearly dry in time for Friday delivery. Luckily it wasn't because I was able to tweak it a little and I'm really happy with the outcome.

Oh you want a closer look?

It's inspired from a stamp I saw somewhere. I used mostly scrapbook papers, a craft knife,  markers, and a flower punch. Look how good it looks matted and framed.

Gotta love those Wal-mart four dollar frames. Happy Birthday Abigail.

Breathe

Sometimes I just need to breathe. Song lyrics for a reason, right?
Lately I've been having to breathe so often I'm very close to hyperventilating. I read an interesting blog post earlier in the week about stress being a choice. That if we feel stressed it's because we're choosing to react that way to a certain situation. I agree with that line of thinking though I often find it difficult to come up with an alternative at all let alone a better one. When I sit down and think about the situations that I'm choosing to be stressed about I tend to realize that all of those situations are a result of my actions or most of the time, inaction. So why am I choosing to do these things/not do these things that ultimately lead me to choose to react in such a stressful manner? The only answer I can think of is that I like it.
I grew up in a stress-filled home, with stress-filled parents, that had stress-filled jobs. I think it may be my natural habitat. I may not actually know how to survive in a stress-free environment. I'm still going to try. I have been holding on to a lot of things. Literally things, materials, objects, etc., that cause me emotional and physical stress reactions anytime I look at them. Well it's mostly the placement and sheer volume of these things that cause the reaction, not the individuals items. I'm holding on to them for the following reasons:

1. They represent money I spent and I feel that if I get rid of it I am throwing, giving, losing money. Well it's already gone. No need reminding yourself everyday of past mistakes and regrets. A little sick, really.
2. I think I'll need them one day. Yeah well, actually it's more like I think it'll be nice to have one day. Or that someone will think it's cool that I still have one, it, them, etc. Awesome, I'm storing useless things for possible future validation by others...a LOT sick. 
3. I think Ruby will want it. Yes, Ruby may grow up and think it's really great that I saved her first pair of shoes. Do I really need her first booties, snow boots, sandals, dressy shoes, white shoes for after labor day, kitschy animal shoes, or shoes she never even wore but might want her possible daughter to wear one day? (Okay so seriously, how am I not locked up?)

I know that I'm doing it because I wanted those things. There are a lot of things that I'd love to have from my childhood to give to Ruby, except no probably not. They would be almost thirty years old, have been stored in a house/attic in Florida for most of it, above smokers and frequent users of air fresheners. Upon further reflection I hope no one has those toys and they have been passed on to toy heaven to run in a field all day and play toy games or whatever it is toys do in toy heaven. Besides, most of the cool toys have been remade anyway and are being sold as retro toys for three times what they originally cost. So if I really want her to have something I did, I can just tell one of her four sets of grandparents. Yes, I said four, but that's another story for another day. So to further my healing I will now provide an embarrassing example of my problems.

This is just one corner of our bedroom. Know what it is? A pile of dressy clothes, out-grown baby clothes and other random junk to get rid of. TO. GET. RID. OF. Yes, seriously. Now you know why I want the clean sweep team for a week. Every closet is just as bad. We're drowning in toys and laundry, clean and dirty. Luckily there's a week coming up that we'll be Ruby and work free. It will be dealt with, one way or another. Until then, stress mountain will stand proudly. Mocking me.

August Syllabus, July Report Card B-

August. This is what I think of when I say the word. August. Hot. Very Hot. Also overwhelming. This is the last month before the down swing into the holiday season. I've found that the year is a lot like a roller-coaster. The faster you go up to the top, the faster the drop. Since this year has flown by so far I guess there's really only a few weeks until Christmas. Okay so I'm exaggerating. A little.  I've noticed my anxiety levels climbing lately. I'm starting to freak out worry about practically everything, even in my dreams. I'm starting to fray around the edges a little so my August projects might seem a little more Me-focused, than they have been.

Back to business. July Report Card.

House Projects - B

• Hang Curtains: A
• Find Something for Kitchen/Ruby work surface: C (I did find something. It needs to be painted and brought over. Since that wasn't done maybe I should give myself an incomplete or something.)

Personal Project - C
I did get a binder for all of the recipes I saved. I didn't organize them, but plan on it today. I also have a cute idea to make it look like my existing recipe book but it involves a trip to a color copier and I have not wanted to provide that amount of effort.

Group Project - B+
We went on all of our field trips. We watched less tv - with the exception of yesterday. It was too darn hot. Plus yesterday was technically August.

So based on my superior math skills I say July was a B- and I'll take it.

August Syllabus

House Project

1. Make-up work from last month. Finish the kitchen.
2. Bedroom Makeover. Clean it. Move it around. Get rid of junk.
3. Clutter purge

Personal Project

1. Make-up work from last month. Finish the recipe project.
2. Cousin Lilly's birthday project

Self-improvement Project
Walking program.
I've signed up for a daily newsletter for a walking for fitness and stress reduction plan. Gives goals and set daily requirements and some required thinking activities. I'm hopeful. It seems doable.

Future Projects

Okay, so because my bookmarks are becoming an unorganized mess I've decided to link everything I'd like to do by the end of the year, here.

Bunting Quilt
Using the bunting from our wedding for a new bedspread for our bed.
Rainbow of Butterflies
For my niece Lilly's birthday.
Flower faeries
I thought these would make cute Christmas ornaments.
Felt Fishing Game
Too Cute. I know two little boys who might love these.
Handprint Pillowcase
For the Grandparents


That's a good start.

Project Wrap-up: Kitchen Curtains

So, June's project was making these curtains. I made them, or at least my version. I changed the bows to tabs, and used some of my leftover wedding fabric and some cute white linen embroidered with pairs of cherries.

Sorry about the lighting. Really small space, bad light fixture, bright window all not great when taking pictures. You can get the idea though. I'm going to paint a bakers rack red and add a wood work surface to it, probably a shelf from IKEA. I'm very happy with them. Total cost was $8 dollars for the curtain rod. I had all the other fabric leftover from other projects. So I guess I'm picking red, pink and white for my kitchen.
I feel so happy that I finished the project completely. Next I plan on making some matching quilted trivets and maybe some matching Mommy-Daughter aprons.

July Syllabus

July. My birth month. My Month. Starts with independence, parades, and fireworks. Has some grilling, cherries, berries, sun and family fun in the middle. Ends with presents and a celebration of me and all of my awesomeness.
Okay, so I like July. Realistically. It's hot, humid and almost always end up with a sunburn, but hey...it's summer and that's how it's supposed to be.

Whitewater WI 4th of July Parade




Field trips scheduled for this month:
I am determined to go Blueberry picking. There are some farms west of us and a little south. That may happen next weekend but we'll see. There's really only a month worth of Blueberry season and it's been open a week now. Pressure is on people.

We'll be taking another trip to J's parents summer house, on a lake in Wisconsin. We went for a big family gathering for the Fourth of July weekend. We all had a great time. No phone, no internet, no TV. That's what I'll be doing in honor of my birthday. A nice quiet family getaway to bond as a family. How nice is that?

"Hi Grandpa, do you like parades too?"


On to the Syllabus:

Personal Project for July

Since I went through all my magazines last month and now have a mags worth of recipes I'm interested in trying, I feel like I need to put them together somehow. Organize them. Maybe in a binder of some kind. Though not a binder because I think that's ugly. This project will take a trip to the office supply store to check out my options.

House Project for July

Finish the curtains, hang them in the kitchen window. Find new desk, table, workspace to make cooking dinner with Ruby, safer, easier and more fun. Maybe some new pot holders and an apron.

Group Goal for July - Exercise/Activity

I want to get out, once a week, all three of us and walk, bike, play lawn games, kick a soccer ball, or even just my Roo's favorite game of 'runa round.' Acceptable activities include going to the botanic gardens, walking in the forest preserves. Going to a field park and kicking the soccer ball for at least and hour. I know J and I aren't getting enough activity and I'm starting to think Roo would be a little more compliant sometimes if she was a little more worn out toward the end of the day.
To encourage this goal, I am instituting a no TV on Sunday, before 6pm, policy. If I said all day, J and I would never get to watch our shows together. We barely have time to now and we really enjoy the time together.

I am continuing the cleaning schedule I cam up with last month. Seems to work well. I'm also going to continue to try and not throw out leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, Menu to follow.

"Ruby loves swimming and Grandma"

Second First Anniversary and a Menu Monday

So Sunday was our First Wedding Anniversary. Saturday night we had Ruby stay the night with her grandparents so that J and I could enjoy a night out to dinner and some time to ourselves. We decided that would be the night we'd stop trying NOT to have a child. So we'll see.
I should be registering for classes soon for the Fall semester. Looking over the courses, they are as necessary as boring as they sound. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Things are moving along nicely for the month of June. With two and a half days to go, I still need to make the curtains for the kitchen. When talking to J about it he said that I should give myself a one-day extension due to the last needle on my sewing machine breaking when I was 3/4 of the way done with my bag project. If I need it I'll take it.

I did not clean the hood vents in the kitchen in bathroom last week, so first thing after the post, that's what I'll do. 
Floors were vacuumed. Dishes were done. No leftovers wasted, week 3. Farmer's Market visited and came home with some lovely cantaloupe and a giant bag full of patty pan, zucchini, round zucchini, cucmbers, and yellow squash. I'll have to investigate some squash recipes.

So for this weeks menu:

Monday - Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry with Pineapple and Noodles
Tuesday - Chorizo, Red Pepper, and Rice Stuffed Round Zucchini Squashes with Quesadilla for the Roo.
Wednesday - Pizza night, bacon, mushroom, and yellow squash a family favorite
Thursday - Sweet Corn Pasta Salad with fresh sweet corn from the farmers market
Friday - Date night with Grilled Burgers and pasta salad, probably some grilled zucchini.
Saturday - Fish and Chips with Peas
Sunday - Fourth of July Family BBQ at J's Parents Summer House.

Father's Day Recap

This was one of those rare weeks when we reached our yearly quota for hosting family and friends in one weekend. We had a very good time. Ruby loved seeing her grandparents and her five year old cousin. They went to Legoland. We painted pictures together. We even played marching band as documented above. One big lesson I learned this weekend was that it seemed easier to parent with two kids around. Granted I'm not saying it is always easier, but the dynamic changed. Instead of feeling like I was constantly at war with my arch nemesis over dyer issues like picking up toys and wearing pants, I felt like the one in charge. For the first time ever I really felt like two kids wouldn't be so bad.

For Father's day this year, J wanted to take Ruby swimming at a fun indoor pool with zero depth entry and a water-play ground. We had a blast. Sunday was the day everyone left for home, so after 11am we were a small boring family again and free to relax and enjoy each others company. All in all a great week.

On to the accountability portion:

1. All cleaning was done according to the schedule.
2. Laundry was even done on Saturday morning and folded/put away by J.  
   Thanks sweetie.
3. The meal plan was altered slightly. We didn't have tacos last week because we had leftovers to eat. All other meals were prepared and devoured.
4. No work on June projects has been started. Thinking about starting later today, but not holding my breath.

No farmer's market as my refrigerator is still overflowing with food waiting to be prepared and eaten.
Today Ruby and I made Banana-walnut-chocolate chip muffins, for breakfast. While the oven was hot I threw together a strawberry-rhubarb crumble for later tonight.

I have been reading. Last week I managed to read Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll. A great short read. I've moved on the The Land of Laughs also by Carroll.
Today is shaping up to be a nice lazy day at home with my baby girl.

Blog post to-do list for the next month:

1. Father's Day craft project
2. Product Review - Mission Fig Goat Milk Ice Cream
3. Second, First Wedding Anniversary
4. Making the curatins
5. Momma's got a brand new bag.
6. Preserving Apricots - Roman style
7. Blueberries and birthdays

Project of the week - Cleaning the kitchen ceiling and the hood vents in bathroom and kitchen.

Menu to follow.
 

June Projects

I will start this post with a review of my May project.




I made this, kinda.

This dress makes me thirsty

 Here's the back.

Hulk ANGRY!!!

This was my first attempt. I didn't have as much fabric as per the instructions so it came out a lot more casual than the example. For Ruby, it may end up being a good thing. She's a puddle-jumping, mud-wallowing, grassy hill-sliding machine. I do have plans for making more but I think I'm going to try for a ruffle skirt next time.


This month my personal project includes making a new bag for myself. A cute little summer bag for toting around water bottles, fruit snacks, hat racks...you know, the essentials.

My house project will be new curtains for the kitchen. I have a cute white fabric with embroidered cherries on it that is screaming out to become curtains and possible matching oven mitts and or towel trim. Since I've picked red as an accent color that will at least narrow down the main color. Maybe I'll just keep the room white. I do have grand plans for the kitchen redo. Originally that was my project for the month but since I'm starting the month a week late I figured I'd space it over two months.

Goal for the month: NO THROWING AWAY LEFTOVERS!!!
I'm so tired of doing that. It makes me feel bad for wasting for AND I may as well be throwing money away. Actually I guess I really am throwing money away when I throw away food that is no longer edible. The shame. I look forward to coming up with creative new ways of using them or even just scaling back what I prepare. Maybe I'll even look into doing more batch cooking now that my freezer has more real estate available.
Wish me luck!

Words to Live By

       This fantastic little cross stitch kit found at Home Ec Shop sums up all of the emotions, worries, and whines that I have been having over the last year, possibly longer. I need to Shut 'my' Piehole. It is time to stop whining about how tired am all the time.  Of course I'm tired. Who isn't? I work full time. I attempt to keep a house just clean enough so that child services doesn't come in and declare it unfit for child habitation. Oh, and the child thing; I'm a parent of a three-year old. Big deal, she's not the only three-year old in the world. She's healthy. She's happy. I'd also choose her over my husband to have my back in a bar fight. Let's just say her middle name should be Sassy. She's a handful. What three-year old isn't?
       But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I am currently failing at life. I'm talking grades, my fellow crazies. (I mean we're all a little crazy, right? Especially us bloggers- talking to faceless strangers about all our inner most secrets and fears. Documenting all of our beautiful and sometimes outlandish likes, talents, and skills.)
       Back to the fail. It's a numbers game. Simply put, there are seven days in a week. In a good week I'm completing just enough tasks to get to the next imaginary "weekend." I wash just enough laundry, that rarely gets folded let alone put away. I cook the basic components of a nutritious meal prepared with no added joy or excitement. Then it's a waiting game until bath time and bedtime so that I can finally go to bed, wake up, and repeat the whole day over again in the great race toward the weekend. For parents, there are no weekends. I've been conditioned my entire life to see the weekend as some sort of promised land, home to all the rewards due from the hard work I had to endure and suffer through Monday through Friday. Every Saturday through Monday, in parenthood, has been one big disappointment and filled with the same drudgery as the work week. Wow, that statement took a long time to realize. Again, back to the math.  Time to confront my demons.


Momma K's Typical Report Card
7 - days a week
0 - projects done
0 - activities for spiritual growth
0 - major home making jobs done
0   Super awesome MoMent.

Those zeros are about to change. Well, I want them to anyway. I have decided it's time to start living, doing, and start passing the course. Throughout my whole life, I have always done barely enough to get by and I have FINALLY realized that simple fact is the reason for my hardship and unhappiness.


Realization: I barely get by.

So, the grand plan:

I will give myself one personal homework assignment in four subjects.
Personal Project, Spirit, House Management, and Mommy:101.
As someone always fond of grading on a curve and realism,  I have dropped one day from the equation, hence:

4 assignments/6day = passing grade.

Coming soon: The Syllabus.
God Speed, fellow crazies.