Are You Still Smoking, Mamacita?

Even though it's harder and harder to be a smoker these days with all the non-smoking restaurants and bars across the nation, some of you mommas still gotta have one.  Or do you?  Stop the madness! Quit smoking.


Created by: www.OnlineNursingPrograms.com

Holy Competition, Batman!

"I want the right seat!" And the race begins.  My two sons scramble their little feet to the car shoving and climbing to get to the right seat first.  The right seat. The glorious right seat.

This declaration made by Luke a few months ago, that the "right seat" was indeed the best seat in the car, became a subtle relief to me.  What's that you say? No more fighting with the kids to get them to the car?  All I have to say as we're leaving the house now?

"Whoever gets to the car first gets the right seat!" I shout out, keys in hand. I've never seen two kids get dressed and out the door so fast! 

Oh, but yes, it gets better...

"Whoever eats ALL their green beans first will be the strongest and the tallest brother!"  And their greens are gone!

"Let's see who can pick up all the toys the fastest!"  And our living room is clean!

They're even competing for our attention now.  If Zealand trips over the dog and hurts his elbow, Luke follows behind him crying out, "I just tripped over Yukon too and hurt my elbow too! Kiss me too!"

And aren't I the luckiest mommy in the world...when one son picks me a flower, my other son rushes to pick two.


Competition...I think I love you!

Read This ONLY If You Are A Mom Who Enjoys Wine!

Thank you so much for all the videos you sent in!  Now, we need your photos! 

If you have any pictures-or videos- of your children driving you crazy, throwing a fit, or even being sweet, etc. - we'd like to add those to our video montage!  Please send them by 9/7 to leah.speer@gmail.com. Thanks!!

You love to drink wine.

You are a mom.

You long for just a moment of relaxation and maybe a little fun.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Inspire other moms to kick back, pour a glass of wine and ESCAPE!

“How?” you ask.

Just get a 5 second to 30 second video (SO EASY WITH THAT iPHONE OF YOURS!) of yourself enjoying your favorite go-to after a long day. Whether it’s that tall glass of red or refreshing glass of white. Girls’ night out, book club, bunko (have all the girls in one shot smiling and having a FAB time) or just you and the hubs on the back patio (he’ll gladly take a quickie of you with his phone, Miss Hot Thang!). Just you and your snuggie and The Real Housewives of New York City? No problem! Flip your iPad around and get a snapshot of yourself caressing that glass of vino!

The team here at Must.Have.Wine. are producing a video montage (set to the Black Eyed Peas song “I Gotta Feeling”) that we are going to post on YouTubeand send to every online Mom Magazine we can reach. Obviously, our hope is that it’ll go viral and thus send millions of people to our website (it’s being redesigned as you read this) so that millions and millions will buy our book Must.Have.Wine. when it is published in mid-October.

Send your videos or snapshots to Leah at leah.speer@gmail.com or post in on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MustHaveWine/245052782182520?ref=hl

Just think, if it does go viral and they decide to show the clip on The Today Show, you can tell all your friends and family to look for you, you superstar!

DEADLINE TO BE A PART OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE September 7, 2012.

p.s. Extra bonus points if you are singing along to a part of the Black Eyed Peas song in your video!

Meeting Other Moms – Like Picking Up Dudes Back in Our Singleton Days?

Two of my Charleston besties, Susie and Sam!

Have you ever noticed how similar meeting other moms is to meeting guys back in our singleton days?  I realized this when I first moved to Charleston almost two years ago. Luckily, I found a group of moms I connected with so well, I didn’t worry about looking anymore.  I was no longer on the market.  Other moms at the park were just “the others”.  I had my besties in Charleston.

Now that I find myself in a new town with two young boys and endless parks and playgrounds, I want someone to share my time with.  Someone who will make me laugh.  Someone who I can chat with about mothering, movies (ha! Like I’ve seen any new releases in the last several months!), favorite restaurants, dieting, reality TV and, of course, Oprah.

About six weeks ago, how long have I lived here in Florida anyway???, I discovered Destin’s one, and only, Chick-fil-A.  It’s about a fifteen minute drive from my home, not unlike many of the outings I’d travel to in Mt. Pleasant when I did live in the Charleston area. But this Chick-fil-A is a mom magnet!  A good mom magnet, mostly! And it’s a haven for a mom with two rambunctious boys who like to find an escape route from any and all playgrounds…this playland has only one way in and one way out.  And spacious, laptop-ready, shaded picnic tables!

This particular day this week was not unlike each day I’ve spent there over the last several weeks.

I spot her first. Or I think I do. She’s cute.  Stylish! She has equal to or more kids than I, so I know she’ll “get” me. We smile at one another. Finally, one of us gets enough nerve to speak up.

“How old is your little cutie?”

“Three-and-a-half. How about your little girl?  How old is that precious doll?”  See, we're both trying to impress with flattery!

“Just turned four.”

Cool.  We’ve got kiddos close to the same age. 

“Do you live here?” Remember, we live in a highly touristy town-so this is a mandatory question!

“Yes, we moved here a couple of years ago.  We’re Air Force. You?”

“We just moved here a couple of months ago.  It’s great!”

“Yeah, it is.”

Quiet.

That uncomfortable silence.  We both pick up our phones.  I’m checking my e-mail, trying desperately to be cool.  I glance up, she’s looking up.  Good, maybe she’s interested.

“Where did you move here from?” She’s asking me this!  Yay, she wants to talk!

“Charleston, South Carolina.”

“Oh, it’s beautiful there!”

“Yes, it is!  We really enjoyed it there!  But it’s gorgeous here!”

And over the next 20 – 30 minutes we talk about our kids and schools and friends and church and other playgrounds in the area.

“Emma Jane, 5 more minutes and we have to go pick up your sister.”

That’s when the panic sets in.  Do I ask for her number?  Will she ask for mine?  We’ve got cell phones now, we can easily type it in.  No pens or paper needed.  What if I never see her again!

We chat a few minutes more. 

“Emma Jane, put on your shoes please.  It’s time to go.”

I decide I’m not going to ask for her number- that’d be desperate.

“Thank you so much for all the tips you’ve given me on this area.  I can’t wait to start checking out preschools!”  I say, a little too peppy.

“Absolutely!  We’re here every week, usually Mondays or Thursdays.  I’m sure we’ll see you again!  It was nice to meet you!  Emma Jane, let’s go.”

And she warmly says good-bye. We tell our kids to say good-bye to one another too.  They leave.

I feel good about this one.  She was sincere.  Sweet.  Whose got time for numbers anyway with raising our kids!  I pack up my boys and we head out to our car.  My son says, “when are we going to see Emma Jane again?” 

“Soon, baby. Soon.” And I say this with great faith. 

p.s. Did you know you can turn in your unopened "toy" from the kids meal and swap it for a small ice cream.  May be at participating stores, but it worked at ours in Destin.  Yum!

Best Birthday Cake Ever!

Four out of five moms* recommend this cake!  THIS is the best birthday cake recipe ever!  If you're tired of just using the box mix...looking for a moist and delicious cake that is so heavenly; then you found it in this recipe!  AMAZING.  I first used this recipe for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago, and I had to make it again for my 2-year-old's birthday yesterday.  Seriously, try it...you'll LOVE it! 

Best Birthday Cake Ever!

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, sour cream, oil and water. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top of the batter in both filled pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Original Recipe

*Actually, all five moms at the birthday party agreed it was the best birthday cake ever...or at least very delicious!  

A Life of Purpose – Inspiring Guest Post from Cancer Survivor and Real Mom, Heather Von St. James

Written by Guest Blogger Heather Von St. James

When you learn you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, everything changes. Most people never expect to receive such a diagnosis, especially at the age of 36 and having just given birth 3 ½ months prior of your first child.

On Nov. 21, 2005, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. 

There is nothing worse than hearing “You Have Cancer” during what it is perhaps supposed to be one of the best times of your life. 

Following my diagnosis, I basically felt as though I had two options: give up or curse God and wallow in self-pity screaming “Why Me God!?”

I also had another option: Face the cancer head on.

And that’s what I did. 

So, I decided to toss on those rose-colored glasses and do what any new mother would do: Fight with everything she had so she can watch her little girl grow up. Unfortunately, cancer is like a double-edged sword and anyone else who has been through it will say the same thing. 

While it can be the most devastating news you’ve ever heard, there are still some positives that come out of it as well. My life has now changed for the better because of having gone through cancer. This is simply because I decided I wasn’t going to be one of the victims. Instead, I chose to look at a terrible situation in a different light. It helped take the fear away and I vowed I would help others who were diagnosed with it as well. For whatever the reason, I decided to find the positives of the situation and was sent to see the world’s leading specialist for the disease. The doctor gave me hope.

I learned I was going to have my tumor removed on Groundhogs Day 2006. With that said, I decided to name my tumor Punxatawny Phil and renamed Groundhogs Day, Lungleavin Day. 

Today, we have a party every February and celebrate Lungleavin Day. 

Had it not been for my cancer diagnosis, I would’ve never gotten to know some of the amazing people I’ve met. They are among the strongest and toughest I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. These people are committed to raising awareness about the disease, which affects so many. From wives to husbands to sons and daughters; all of us know someone who has been affected by cancer is some way, shape or form.

Now my life is filled with more purpose than it has ever been and with that, I want to continue to do what I can to bring the same hope I felt to others.

Heather Von St. James is a guest blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.

A NEW New Years Resolution

I’ve decided I’m going to look at new year’s resolutions in a new way...no longer with the same, shallow intensity as previous years.  My resolution every year is usually to lose weight.  I don’t smoke, I’m not an alcoholic (maybe a wino…does that count?), don’t have a drug addiction…and since I’m really not considered overweight (unsatisfied and mentally warped doesn’t count as overweight does it?) I’m not making my new year’s resolutions about me this year.  Which actually feels quite strange.  Selling our book isn’t really a resolution because it’s simply going to happen…it’s all in God’s master plan; I’m sure of that.  I don’t want a better house, I don’t need to get promoted…I really don’t want any more toys so to speak. So why do I not feel more satisfied?  Why do I not feel my life is already perfect, nothing needs to change?  Well…because life and happiness aren't about material things.  It isn’t about being thinner, or hotter, or more successful.  If you noticed, all the things I named above are based solely on materialistic views.

So, what do I want for 2012?  What do I need for my soul to feel complete?

I want more quality time with my family.  I want more time to write, to pour my soul out on paper and transform into the magic it does when I’m alone and have the time to do it.  I want more valuable time with my children. I need more time. 

Since having Clayton, our schedule is more jam packed, and crazier than ever.  I feel like we rush from home in the morning to daycare, work, then rush home again to simply cook dinner, bath time…reading and bed.   And like Kenny Chesney says (and no, I'm not really a Chesney fan)…don’t blink.  Before you know it, it will be all gone.

How do I provide more quality family time, when we simply don’t have the time?  What do I cut out?  What do I shave from to get the time?  What is less important?  Or, here’s a thought I ponder: Is it about making more time, or simply enjoying & savoring the time  I already have…more?

My dad recently told me being a grandfather is so great because he finally can sit down, and enjoy spending time with the kids.  He doesn’t have to rush to work…and he knows how sacred those moments are because they are gone in a flash.  How do I get that grandparent mentality?

Whatever the answer is…I’m determined to end 2012 knowing that I at least savored those special times with my children…that first real sentence from Clayton.  Baking with Callie…watching them put together a puzzle or coloring a picture.  It may be only a few moments…but I want to treasure those special memories for eternity.  Look back and know that while I may not have had the time of most mothers…I equally enjoyed the time I did have. ~Trina

Couponing, Really? You Don't Have To Be An Extreme Couponer To Save Money

That's me, top right, with my NYC besties.  This was our
Christmas dinner at Serendipity 3 - home of the famous
$8.95 frozen hot chocolate (who needs coupons!).

Couponing, really?  For those of you who really know me, I’m sure you’re thinking this can’t be true.  Yes, I am the same woman who used to tell my friendset when I lived in New York City, “C’mon, we can afford to eat there and go see a show…let's pretend we're on vacation!”  My credit cards seemed like my best friend back then, or at least a boyfriend who paid for everything and didn’t pressure me to put out.  There was no way I could live in New York City and not go out and do all of the exciting things there were to do…shopping, great restaurants, Broadway!  I was in heaven but didn’t have the cash to support my habits.  So when I tell you now that my new hobby is couponing, trying to save my family hundreds when it comes to grocery shopping; you just have to take my word on it.

My mom couponed.  Even when I left the house and started grocery shopping, she tried to teach me about coupons and how much she saved.  All I saw were coupons for thirty-five cents off Hershey bars, ten cents off of Cocoa Puffs and twenty-five cents off Prell shampoo…not only did I not buy those products regularly, I could care less about taking the time to clip coupons just to save seventy cents at the end of it all.  It just didn’t seem like something that was for me. 

Once I had my children, I still didn’t think much about it.  Even going from two incomes to one in our new life in South Carolina.  It wasn’t until I spoke with a real life do-it-all mom of four little girls that I realized not only could I find the time to do it; it really, truly saves you money if you’re organized enough.  Then just two weeks ago, a co-worker who admitted to being addicted pulled me into a CVS, showed me the sales paper and the handy dandy machine where you scan your card to get instantaneous coupons and had me sign up for a CVS ExtraCare Rewards card.  Five minutes later, I bought a Visa gift card I was planning on buying at Walmart later that day and walked out of the store with a store credit for $10 (CVS CashCard, I think).  The next day, using that credit and a $2.00 off Huggies manufacturer coupon, I spent $4.77 on a box of pull-ups and a gallon of milk.    

I was hooked.  I decided I wanted to give it a shot just in case it could make an impact on our lives.  So over the holidays, I started really researching this couponing business and talking in depth with all my girlfriends who actively play this game….it is a game after all, why do you think so many of these playahs carry around these baseball card binders all the time?    

So here it is ladies, I am a beginner couponer.  Or couponess.  Or couponista.  I’m secretly excited.  I'm not trying to achieve extreme couponer status.  I have no desire to start a stockpile of Dial soap or cereal that tastes stale to me after a few weeks.  I just want to save a little money and share what I learn with you as I am in my apprenticeship.  If you have advice for me or anyone reading this, please leave a comment!  I want to learn!  If you want to learn, leave a comment and let me know I’m not alone in my new obsession.

***My first tips for other newbies…my friends have directed me to southernsavers.com and couponmom.com and they’ve been great, but I have found couponing101.com to be very informative and easy to use.   

Guest Bloggers, Causes We Believe In, Recipes, Mommy Advice and Humor... and Wine in 2012

We have a lot of exciting things coming your way in 2012.  We have a remarkable new direction in our book (wine lovers stay tuned).  Of course, we will keep posting our Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement recipes twice each week.  Our MomAhas! on Facebook and Twitter will keep you filled in on mommy tips- helpful and sometimes a bit sarcastic.  And be sure to look out for a MomAha! app for your phone in late Spring/early Summer.  Of course, we will be reporting to you monthly on our donations to Children’sMiracle Network Hospitals and National Children’s Advocacy Center.  All this in addition to our stories of mommyhood! 

In this new year, we want to be the voice of real moms…not just through our own experiences which we know you relate to; but through your experiences-battles and triumphs included!  Trina and I are excited to announce we will be regularly posting stories from featured guest bloggers.  So when Heather Von St. James contacted us with her inspiring story a few days ago, we couldn’t wait any longer to get moving on this! 

When her daughter Lily was just 3 ½ months old, Heather was diagnosed with Mesothelioma; a type of cancer that kills 90-95% of those who have it.  Today, six years later, she is cancer free and sharing her courageous story with other moms.  She is a source of hope and  inspiration to Trina and I-we know you will gain something from her story, along with a few laughs from this witty Minnesota mom.

Please check out Heather’s blog, and sign up to follow our blog to be one of the first to know when she posts on ours (also, we will donate $1 per new blog follower to the charities we support)!  If you have a story or experience to share with our readers, please e-mail us (see contact page).

Happy New Year, Mommies!

Creating Holiday Magic - When You Can’t Afford To Buy It

Published December 2, 2011 - Baltimore Sun

This Christmas, less stuff but more memories

Lack of material abundance doesn't have to spoil the holiday

By Leah Speer

Everyone has hopes and dreams for their families. I thought I'd planned everything out perfectly. Up until recently, I thought I'd played by the rules. So how did this middle-class, college-educated, gracious woman go from a comfortable life in a cozy two-story house to a stressful, paycheck-to-paycheck life in an apartment? It didn't seem fair. I know — life isn't always fair. But I fancied that statement more when it didn't apply to my life.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the mechanics of it. My husband and I went from two incomes to one when we went from one child to two in less than two years. Then a sudden job transfer left us scrambling to find a renter for our home in an economy we couldn't possibly sell in. Though we were delighted to be back in the South, we were still two hours away from the other home we rented. We found ourselves struggling to support the difference between what we owe on our mortgages and what our renters were willing to pay. We sold most of what we owned and moved into a two-bedroom apartment.

With December here, I cannot bring myself to believe that I'm not going to be able to provide my two young sons with the most extravagant Christmas imagined. For the second year, they won't be dressed in dapper holiday outfits from The Children's Place, complete with new loafers from Stride Right. They won't be waking up Christmas morning to a train table with Thomas and all of his friends choo-chooing by, next to a battery-powered police car big enough for them both to ride in the grassy backyard we don't have. My family won't be lounging on a leather sectional, sipping cocktails at the bar in the corner of our family room or watching the game on our 73-inch plasma TV. I won't be cooking a feast of turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes with an array of delectable desserts on the side table smartly lined with holly.

Thankfully, after weeks of soul searching and dutifully tuning in to Oprah's Lifeclass, I've come to the realization that it's OK. I know things will get better. I believe it. We are just going through a tough time, as so many families are. Some worse; some better. What I keep reminding myself is the importance of making sure our boys are happy and feel secure in our home — no matter where it may be right now or how much stuff we have.

I'm now able to see this fanciful Christmas is all in my mind; it's just my expectation of what would make the best holiday season. And that is what is so beautiful: I can still make their experience magical. With a little creativity, I can make our little home a winter wonderland. My boys will buzz with anticipation as we leave cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning they will awake to an enchanting site of wrapped gifts piled under the tree.

They don't need to have the most expensive or fastest or biggest toys; they'll only play with half of them anyway! Chocolate from their stocking will stain their brand-new twenty-one dollar button-down, and they'll keep their new shoes on for maybe an hour. My parents can really bond with their grandchildren as they cozy up in our humble living room. Maybe we mix it up this year and have a scrumptious lasagna; hey, fewer dishes to wash means more time to drink wine.

What I am going to remember this holiday season is that it isn't how much money I have or what I buy for them; it's what I do with each moment of each day. You can believe this too. We can turn simple moments into special holiday memories. If we keep a positive outlook and take what we've got and make it good, our children will hold on to the good times. If we can find the happiness and really enjoy these moments, our children will feel it. They will have that special place in their hearts of what Christmas means to them.
Years from now, when we are all in a better place in life, we will be so proud knowing we cowboyed up and delivered a special Christmas — no matter how little we had at the time.

Ultimately, that $40 Rock Star Mickey will be fun for our kiddo for about three days before you are ready to toss the mouse out the window. But memories last forever.

Holiday Recipe Spectacular - Appetizer - Thai Chicken Wonton Cups

If you are looking to impress your guests and satiate taste buds - this is ALWAYS a hit!  It looks so delicate and everyone thinks you put hours into it.  But it’s really a breeze; the hardest part is not ripping the wonton wrappers when placing them in the mini tin.  Original Recipe

Thai Chicken Wonton Cups

28-30 square wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1/2 cup chopped cashews

1/2 cup pineapple chunks in juice (cut in quarters), or pineapple tidbits (reserve 2 tablespoons juice)

10 oz (1/2 package) ground chicken or turkey

2 teaspoons Fish Sauce (I hardly ever use this)

2 teaspoons Red Curry Paste

1/2 cup minced onion

1/3 cup minced red peppers

1/3 cup minced green peppers

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon lime juice

Hot mango chutney

Optional: chopped cilantro (cilantro should always be required, in my opinion)

Directions

For Cups:

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Lay wonton wrappers inside mini muffin tins. With slightly dampened fingers gently press wontons down inside of cup and against sides, conforming to pan shape. Bake a few more than needed, just in case some collapse or break. 

Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Remove wonton cups from tins and cool on wire racks. If not using immediately store cooled cups in air tight containers. Cups will keep crispy for 1 week. 

 For Filling:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick skillet, over a high heat. Pat pineapple dry with paper towel, and add to pan with cashews. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned. Drain and remove to plate, leaving as much oil in pan as possible. 

Add remaining oil to skillet. Add ground meat, Fish Sauce and Curry Paste. Stir fry 2-3 minutes, breaking into small pieces. Cook until paste is dissolved and fragrant. 

Add onions, peppers, ketchup and reserved pineapple juice. Stir fry until meat is cooked through and sauce is thickened. 

Stir in lime juice and reserved nuts with pineapple. Cook 1 minute to combine flavors. Just before serving, fill cups with 1 tablespoon of filling and sprinkle with cilantro.  Have hot mango chutney on the side for guests to spoon on top of their wontons.

Holiday Recipe Spectacular - Dessert - Angel Cherry Pie

For as long as I can remember, this has been my dad’s favorite dessert.  My mom, an amazing baker, has always perfected the  meringue (click here for more of her recipes).  Though I have done well with the coloring of the meringue, I cannot make it look as pretty as her work of art along the rim. 

Meringue Shell

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 t cream of tartar
• 3/4 c sugar

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Click here for more info on making the perfect meringue. Beat egg whites until quite stiff. Gradually add cream of tartar and sugar, beating until stiff and satiny. Spread about 2/3 of meringue over bottom and sides of well-greased 8" pie plate. Drop remaining meringue in mounds along rim of plate. Bake 1 hour or until shell is light brown and crisp. Cool on rack.

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 3oz. package cream cheese
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/ 2 t vanilla
• 1 c Cool Whip
• 1 c mini-marshmallows
• 1 can cherry filling

Beat softened cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla. Fold in Cool Whip and marshmallows. Spread cherry filling on top. Refrigerate until serving.

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Apple Cinnamon Pork Roast

Tis the season for apples and cinnamon.  Forget the scented candles, the aroma from this dish will dance around your home-almost from the moment you turn on your crockpot.  Here is a link to the original recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's blog.  I made just a few changes...

Apple Cinnamon Pork Roast

2-3 pound pork-loin roast
1 onion, sliced in wedges
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup apple cider or juice (I used juice)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 granny smith apples, chopped (to add later)1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see notes below)*

Directions
Use a 5 quart crockpot. Sprinkle dry spices on all sides of the meat. Put onion wedges into the bottom of your crockpot, and put the meat on top. Add apple juice and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook it, the more shredded and juicy the meat will become. 20-30 minutes before serving, remove meat from crockpot and let sit on a cutting board. Put chopped apples (no need to peel) into your crockpot. *I would add apple cider vinegar now, too. Stir. Either slice or shred the pork, and add back to the crockpot.  Salt and pepper to taste.

A suggestion from a reader of the original recipe:  took some of the juice (from the crockpot) and combined it with butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Boiled it down in a sauce pan and we added it to each serving.

Buon appetito!

Leah

Guilt Will Always Be There-Let Love Triumph!

“Stay at home or work.  It really doesn’t matter what you do…you’ll find a way to feel guilty about something either way. You just have to do what feels right to you and what works best for your family,” explains a very wise and dear friend of mine.  As we chat on the phone, I am staring out at the Space Needle from my luxurious, very quiet (aaah, I remember quiet) hotel room rubbing my almost-eight-months-pregnant belly. 

At the time, I wanted nothing more than to be a stay-at-home mom.  It had been my dream, even after ten years of exciting business trips and extravagant meals at the best restaurants across the country.  But there didn’t seem to be a practical way to make it work with one salary and two mortgages (we were living in Maryland and still owned our home in South Carolina).  Yet, it made me feel better simply by hearing my old friend, a college sorority sister who I’ve always respected and seems to do motherhood seamlessly as a successful working mom, tell me that all moms feel guilty about something, some of the time. 

Three years later.  I know this to be true.  No matter what you try to do right for your family or your children (or yourself); guilt will sneak its way in.  These are just some of the ways guilty mom syndrome kicks in…

The Working Mom

Her early morning thoughts: Today, I’m going to be the best mom ever! I’m going to work hard today to teach my kids how successful you can be in life; while also making money so we can have what we need to succeed in life, and hey, even a Disney Vacation or two.

Her guilt: I should be home with my kids doing crafts, flipping through sight words index cards, making them a healthy, home-cooked lunch and kissing them at naptime.

The Stay-At-Home Mom

Her early morning thoughts: Today, I’m going to be the best mom ever! I’m going to spend so much one-on-one time with my children today and give them love and affection, teach them about the world, and make a craft out of fall leaves and paint.  We’ll run around the house using our imagination, laughing the day away.  I will make them a healthy, home-cooked lunch before I kiss them at naptime.

Her guilt: I don’t have time to cook these kids a healthy, home-cooked lunch…there are toys all over this place, paint all over the table and chairs, and I can’t even get them to sit still for one minute to do our flash cards.  What if I’m playing with them too much and they won’t learn how to play independently?  I feel so guilty for wanting it to be naptime! 

The Work-At-Home Mom

Her early morning thoughts: Today, I’m going to be the best mom ever!  I’m going to balance playing with my kiddos and working on my business plan.  I’ll take some time to prepare a healthy, home-cooked lunch and snuggle with them before their two-hour nap. After naptime, we’ll

Her guilt: I just spent thirty minutes playing doctor and being locked up in jail.  I painted with them earlier today.  We’re going to the playground after naptime.  Yet I feel bad when I do steal a few minutes to get on my laptop.  Sometimes I can get up to 15 minutes, the rest of the time I feel like I’m neglecting them since I’m not playing with them 24/7.  They’d be happier in preschool, learning and playing with other kids.  The day is ticking by and if I want to get any work done, we’ll have to settle for Spaghetti Os, a cheese stick and green beans.  I guess I can get some work done during naptime and there is always after bedtime.

So there it is moms; guilt in its finest.  You can try to do the right thing and be the best mom ever, but there is always a flip-side of the picture.  You’re either doing too much or too little. 

As Trina and I try to balance our family lives and our working lives with following our dreams to write and build our business, we are faced with guilt in every turn.  In fact, don’t be surprised to see us write about this very subject many times (see Trina’s post: Working Mommies, Let Go of the Guilt). We deal with this every day.  We know that the time, effort and long nights we put into our passion will eventually pay off.  But the guilt is a struggle.

What we have figured out is let the simple, beautiful moments-the ones that really matter-slay the guilt. When your child walks into the room and they can see the sparkle in your eyes that you’re truly happy to see them; with each meal shared with them; the attention you give them when they’re holding that invisible microphone and shaking their groove thing for their favorite audience; when they can feel your love as you hold them tight at night reading them their last bedtime story; with each kiss and I love you whispered in their ear.

Guilt will always be there…let love triumph!

How have you experienced guilt as a mommy?  Please share...knowing other moms feel this way can make us all feel just that much better!

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Dallas-Style Sloppy Joes

I grew up eating sloppy joes.  Manwich-style.  When I met my husband, he insisted you must put mozzarella on top.  It was a beautiful thing...I'd never put cheese on my sloppy joes before, and I do love cheese.  I fell upon this recipe (original recipe)-which caught my eye with the brown sugar and Worcestershire-and decided to try it.  I swapped out a pound of the beef for ground turkey and with the addition of mozzarella and only the freshest of buns, it was a success! 




Dallas-Style Sloppy Joes

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 6 large fresh buns, toasted

Directions

1. Cook the ground beef and turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with sea salt and black pepper, and cook until vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.
2. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and barbeque sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer the mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Top each with a sprinkle of Mozzarella cheese and serve on toasted buns.

Buon appetito!

Leah

There's No Such Thing as a Modest Mother

I’m sure someone warned me that upon the birth of your child, all modesty flies out the window.  First of all, on the delivery table, they have you essentially naked—with a small gown and legs spread eagled for all to see.  Then they have nurses coming to look around in there, to poke and prod and supposedly diagnose progress.  If I knew how many people would’ve been staring at my hoo-haw, I may never have had the guts to give birth! 

   So, at least you’re warmed up when it comes to breastfeeding, right?  Immediately after the doctor pulls this huge being (okay, maybe not so huge, but it sure feels like it!) out of my body, I don’t even have a second to recoup before the nurses are grabbing my breasts, trying to get the perfect position for my young boy to feed.  We spend the next hour of his life letting him suck, let go, and then latch back on.  It’s apparent that hardly anything is coming out and my poor son is getting frustrated, crying in between feedings. 

   The next few days aren’t much better in the hospital.  Every time a nurse comes in, she’s plopping out one of my breasts like it’s one of her medical tools, and pressing my son to me.  She doesn’t hesitate to stick her hands in there to help re-adjust as needed; we have to get the right position or I’ll be sorry later, she keeps reminding me.

   My milk still hasn’t come in, but when it does…that’s enough to make someone want to lose it.  My boobs inflate as big as balloons; my poor nipples are stretched beyond belief and leaking.  I’m so sore, I just want to have a hot bath and forget about this entire ruckus.  My son has a different agenda.

   By the time I leave the hospital, I vow if anyone ever touches my boobs again, I may punch their lights out.  But, within an hour, I’m sitting at home—doing…guess what?  You got it—breast-feeding!  I can’t go anywhere because my precious angel has quite the appetite and is basically attached to my chest 24/7.  Didn’t somebody say this was supposed to be a time of bonding?  If masquerading as an open-all-night 24-hour cafeteria equals “bonding,” I guess that’s what’s happening.
   Within a few days of being home, my breasts are still sore; blisters surround my nipples. He’s obviously been latching on wrong.  That damn nurse was right!  So off to the hospital I go for one more poor woman to grope my boobs and show me what I’m doing wrong. 

   It’s amazing what mothers’ can endure…it truly is.  Eventually, my son and I got the breast-feeding thing down.  We’d feed at the same times pretty much so I was free to do things as needed in between.  Hey, when the time called for it, nobody said feeding in the car, pulled over on the side of the road, was a bad thing.  Desperate times call for desperate measures. 

   At three months, when I had to return to work, I decided to let the breastfeeding go and buy bottles and formula.  Rather than be elated as I’d been expecting, I was depressed.  I went back and forth on the decision probably a hundred times, driving both myself and my husband crazy.  Deep down, I’d become attached to those moments alone, rocking and feeding my son.  I was giving him something no one else could, and although those first few months were tough—I knew I didn’t want to let it go. 

   It’s amazing how with time, I learned how to let go of the modesty, and embrace the open and raw parts of being a mother—even when it included having to give every part of myself.

~Trina