Archive for February, 2010

Okay, so a little different from last month – I got my link working! Just click on the above page that says bookclub, go to The Help, and join the conversation!!! 

See you there, and if your feeling lazy…click this link THE HELP

*Note to Self
I’m getting addicted to infomercials at 3am…Does anyone want my Tony Little Gazelle? That was soooooooo last year….

I can’t believe I just did that…

There is a moment in time, somewhere in between your job as a mom, a housekeeper and your “real” job, when mixed with lack of sleep, becomes that one second of bad decision making that you just can’t be responsible for….

In my moment of insanity, I did the dishes.  

Now, doing the dishes under normal circumstances usually isn’t a problem. I load the machine, put the soap in the little soap holder.  Close the door, turn the knob and walk away.

 An hour later…. clean dishes!

This morning, however, I was out of powdered dish soap.

I stood there looking in the empty cupboard, telling myself I should have gone out last night and picked one up. But it was late, I was tired, and I didn’t want to pack the kids in the car again…

So I stood there, in my pajamas, looking at the counter, still feeling a titch of lazy, when I had a thought…

I know liquid soap is a bad, bad idea…. but I needed some clean dishes….

Yes, I could have “hand washed” the dishes.  

But… I have a dishwasher.

I also had 100 dirty dishes already sitting in there.  

In my moment of lucidity, I decided “just a titch can’t hurt….”

It did.

The worse part…I knew it would.

So now I have soap EVERYWHERE. Piles and piles of white fluffy suds pouring out the sides and bottom of my dishwasher, into an expanding foamy cloud on the floor…

I had left the kitchen for less than five minutes. FIVE MINUTES! – I leave my kids by themselves for longer than that.

Thinking of which…I wonder what my children are up to?

*Note to Self

I just had a flashback….

Here is a rainy day gooder.  A basic recipe that can take on a life of its own with a little creativity – add carrots or bacon, or peas…

Have any leftover ham?

This is a wonderful, quick and easy soup- and a great excuse to curl up with that new bookclub book!

HAM AND POTATO SOUP

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 tbps oil
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Boil potatoes in water with 1tsp salt until almost done.

In a large pot heat oil and cook onion and celery until soft.

Add ham and water and stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk, and continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through, add the cooked potatoes.

Serve immediately.

*Note to Self

Ahh..the rain..I hear you coming Spring!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, as you know, are me preschool days. And while all us mothers, grandmothers and the occasional father are sitting around waiting for those doors to open you can’t help but chat with one another.

Last Thursday I got to chatting with to my mom-friends mother. She drops her grandson off every once in a while (twice) and we started talking about our weekend plans and the Fort Langley Half marathon came up…

I guess, she miss heard me, because instantly held my shoulder and exclaimed:

“You’re doing a marathon! That’s wonderful, what an accomplishment, you must be really proud of yourself!”

Now any other self respecting person would have nipped that in the bud right away…

And I should have…

But being able to run an actual marathon sounded SO GOOD.

I was really proud of myself.

So I smiled, the classroom doors opened and…

I ran away.

What can I say?

I’m a runner.

Think about it, after all these weeks of practicing piddly 5km’s I had instantly been launched into the category of marathoner. Do you know how hard it is to train for a marathon? That’s a lot of running!

The weekend came and went; I kicked a 5km in the face, and chalked up my chat to a little misunderstanding.  Honestly, who could it hurt if ONE PERSON thought I could run a marathon?

So… what was the likelihood that my mom-friend’s mother would be back the following Tuesday?

Apparently my odds were very good.

Mom-friend’s mother instantly picked me out, again grabbed my shoulder,  asked me how I did, and proceeded to tell me I was an inspiration.

ME… an inspiration…

I panicked… She was so excited…

I replied…

Two hours and a bit…? And shrugged it off like it was no big deal….

Now let’s take a minute to put some things into perspective.

1. How long is a marathon :  42.195 kms
2. How long does the average person run a marathon:  3 hrs ? Longer?
3. How long does a world record holder run a marathon: 2hrs 15 mins
4. How long do I run a marathon….

Perhaps we should stop drawing our own conclusions.

Moving on…

My name is Alanna, and I run marathons.

What do you do?

*Note to Self

Baby Audrey has become a drive by biter.

You could be happily sitting minding your own business on the couch, when all of a sudden this little monster comes up and randomly bites your thigh, giggles and runs away…

Who bites a thigh?

She might as well go for that hangy bit on the back of my arm; it’s just as smooshy tender…

Time to announce another bookclub book!

I’ve been itching for days to blab on about “The Help” but won’t…chocolate pie anyone…?

March’s choice is an oldy from 2005… okay 2005 wasn’t that long ago…

A bit of a controversial story and I don’t know whether you will love it or hate it, but I can promise it will definitely give us something to talk about.

If you’ve already read it – don’t worry- just come back for the chat on March 28th.

The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

From Publisher’s Weekly

Edwards’s assured but schematic debut novel (after her collection, The Secrets of a Fire King) hinges on the birth of fraternal twins, a healthy boy and a girl with Down syndrome, resulting in the father’s disavowal of his newborn daughter. A snowstorm immobilizes Lexington, Ky., in 1964, and when young Norah Henry goes into labor, her husband, orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Henry, must deliver their babies himself, aided only by a nurse. Seeing his daughter’s handicap, he instructs the nurse, Caroline Gill, to take her to a home and later tells Norah, who was drugged during labor, that their son Paul’s twin died at birth. Instead of institutionalizing Phoebe, Caroline absconds with her to Pittsburgh. David’s deception becomes the defining moment of the main characters’ lives, and Phoebe’s absence corrodes her birth family’s core over the course of the next 25 years. David’s undetected lie warps his marriage; he grapples with guilt; Norah mourns her lost child; and Paul not only deals with his parents’ icy relationship but with his own yearnings for his sister as well. Though the impact of Phoebe’s loss makes sense, Edwards’s redundant handling of the trope robs it of credibility. This neatly structured story is a little too moist with compassion.

*Note to Self

Thank you computer virus for my new laptop…

While driving in the car with my girls, a call from a client came in through the vehicles speakers (thanks bluetooth)…

Ms. O. called them “a fish’s fart”…

I now a wear a headset.

*Note to Self

Olivia does not need to be part of every conference call….

I haven’t put anything crafty up in a while. Frankly, because I just haven’t had the time.

Somewhere in between cooking, cleaning and working there just isn’t an extra minute to do, well, much of anything. And yet, I still need to find room to fit in running, reading, yard work – oh right! … I also have kids… so write off anything extra curricular until I am at least 40.

BUT!

If I did have an extra minute… these hooded towels are super cute.

In fact, I seem to have a large array of fringed towels in my laundry basket.  I don’t know if it’s just me, but new towels are  always the last things on my list to pick up.

Now that I am thinking about it… I don’t remember the last time I actually bought towels…

I moved out almost eleven years ago, and I brought with me (among other things) a stash of my mom’s good “nobody touch these, they are GUESTS ONLY towels.”

You know the ones, they sit on the towel rod in the “clean” bathroom, with the empty trash basket and fresh bar of soap.

While I now ponder the actual age of some of these towels, I am also reminded of all the money I have potentially saved over the years… Probably thousands of dollars – towels are expensive!

And the hubby says I waste money on lattes- HA! I’m actually SAVING us money!

I think I deserve a latte…and a cookie.

*Note to Self

When was the last time I bought sheets…?

Things I love besides cookies… there are so many… but after cookies it is usually gravy. Gravy is the great unifier, it brings food together like a little peace treaty all over your plate.

What doesn’t go good with gravy?

PRIME RIB ROAST

1 – 8lbs prime rib roast

Marinade

3 tsps fresh ginger
1/3 cup orange marmalade
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp mustard powder
1 cup beer
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper.

Poke holes all over the rib roast

Mix marinade together and pour over roast – cover and refrigerate at least 2 HOURS

Preheat oven to 400F

Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan and pour one cup of juice into the bottom of the pan (discard the rest)

Pour olive oil on roast and season with salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil and SEAL the edges

TECHNICAL PART

Cook roast 1 hour at 400F

Remove foil and baste – reduce heat to 325F

Cook one hour

When done (test with thermometer for 140 degrees) take out of the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest 30 mins before slicing.

Oh so good…

*Note to Self

Perhaps you would like a good ‘ol Yorkshire Pudding recipe to go with it…?

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

So Ms. O… naturally, has taken to being bossy.

Granted she is the first born and being bossy is as much a right as being the favorite. I should know… I too am a first born.

Unfortunately, she hasn’t fully grasped the concept that we are not bossy to our mothers.  (Yes, I can hear my own mother rolling her eyes right now – Yes, I hear you mom, and no… I was not bossy…)

I wasn’t.

Fine, I have been bossy on occasion… Ok fine, I have a tendency to like things done MY way, but that is not being bossy. It is not my fault I happen to be brilliant.

(I can hear you mom)

Moving on.

After declaring that my clothes are  ‘a little bit ugly’,  Olivia has now taken to trying to style my wardrobe. I’m sorry but I just can’t wear pink everyday.

And by the way, pajama pants are a little bit ugly on anybody!

It got worse yesterday while exiting the bathroom, she looked me over and patted my stomach saying…

“You’ve got a big tum tum”

Okay fine, yes, I have had two kids, and I like cookies, but let us not forget I AM A RUNNER!

It’s not THAT bad… is it?

See! a three year old is getting into my head!

And it doesn’t end there, I am now being to told what to do and  how to do it.

While cleaning up the house – quelle surprise- I had ‘mistakenly’ picked up a toy and was instantly met by a pint sized fairy, in full tutu and furled brow, pointing her finger and asserting that:

“This is not for you, its babies, you give it to her and say sorry okay…hug her! hug her! Now!”

I’m starting to wonder if this is how Rachele Mussolini felt…

Perhaps I should just sit back and try to appreciate that at least, my own little dictator does at least have a nice set of values…somewhere in there.

*Note to Self

I don’t care what she say, tutu’s do not go with these jeans! Ou but a sparklee tiara does!

While in the car, after the subtle suggestion of a ‘dirty shower’ …

The Hubby replies…

‘That would be like two hippos in a kiddies pool”…

*Note to Self

Tomorrow is a run day