Boy has it been awhile since I have done a Menu Monday. Life has been hectic to say the least. Ok here it is...
Monday: Beef enchiladas, beans
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread
Thursday: Crock pot chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes
Friday: Sammies, chips, apple slices
Saturday: ?
Sunday: Sunday dinner at my sister's house
Happy Eating everyone!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Straddling the fence
Do you ever feel like you live in 2 completely different worlds? That is how I have been feeling lately. I love blogs, forums, the world wide web. I love what it feeds me, teaches me, inspires me. However with all that love comes a lot of differences and confusion.
See, I belong to 2 forums and read numerous blogs. The one forum I belong to is made up of my housewife homies. I love them to pieces and consider them my friends even though I have never met one irl. The other forum I belong to is a health and healing forum I joined when I was battling candida and my mom was battling breast cancer. Let's just the 2 are like oil and water. They just don't mesh. Throw in the blogs I read and that just further complicates things.
I'm a southern girl at heart. I love sweet tea, my sonic fountain cokes esp. during happy hour, casseroles (made with butter ya'll), decorating (love that), and just being an all around GRITS girl. For those that don't know what "GRITS" stands for its: Girls raised in the South. This is in stark contrast to the other side of me...the side of me that craves health and healing. The side that enjoys her green smoothies, taking her supplements, eating clean pure food. But let's be honest here...it is highly expensive to live that kind of lifestyle AND lets just say the kids would much rather eat one of my casseroles than raw kale lol.
This is what makes it hard for me and makes me feel like I am one foot in 2 worlds. I enjoy visiting my health and healing forum but I don't feel like I'm on that level of health. 1.) I can't afford it (when I was doing it to cure my candida hubbie and I fought like crazy over the expense of all my "foods" I needed). and 2.) it takes REAL dedication and I'm just not there anymore. But I truly admire those who really take their health seriously and aim to live their lives cleaning their bodies of toxins and crud. In reality though I go there for inspiration and so that I don't totally go over the deep side. I mean just because I am a southern girl with a liking for southern food does not mean I should be scarfing down bags of doritos and hostess cupcakes. I am much better than before but I am not as good as I used to be. I have made life changes that I have kept ie: using stevia for sweetener, avoiding artificial sugars, avoiding my doritos addiction but I do still enjoy my sonic coke daily, an occasional burger and fries and of course those casseroles I was telling you about.
I guess I'm just having a hard time identifying where I'm at in my life. Am I a health nut? Am a GRITS girl? What am I? But more important I ask myself why the need to categorize myself? Why can't I be comfortable knowing that I am who I am. Yes I take a bajillion supplements. Yes I avoid the really bad foods but I still enjoy my food much like Paula Deen does. And who does not like Paula Deen. That gal can cook but what I do notice is that she uses REAL ingredients and not some processed crap out of a box (who am I kidding? I have resorted to hamburger helper ie heart attack in a box when in a pinch).
I guess I just wanted to fess up. I'm not a total health nut snob but I'm not a junk food junkie either. I'm not a feng shui, asian style minimalist. Instead I am in love with decorating and love to have my candles burning, mini lamps turned on, and copies of Southern Living on my coffee table. I feel caught between 2 worlds but I'm thinking its what makes me who I am and as long as I'm living my life with the best intent possible then that is all that really matters. Right?
See, I belong to 2 forums and read numerous blogs. The one forum I belong to is made up of my housewife homies. I love them to pieces and consider them my friends even though I have never met one irl. The other forum I belong to is a health and healing forum I joined when I was battling candida and my mom was battling breast cancer. Let's just the 2 are like oil and water. They just don't mesh. Throw in the blogs I read and that just further complicates things.
I'm a southern girl at heart. I love sweet tea, my sonic fountain cokes esp. during happy hour, casseroles (made with butter ya'll), decorating (love that), and just being an all around GRITS girl. For those that don't know what "GRITS" stands for its: Girls raised in the South. This is in stark contrast to the other side of me...the side of me that craves health and healing. The side that enjoys her green smoothies, taking her supplements, eating clean pure food. But let's be honest here...it is highly expensive to live that kind of lifestyle AND lets just say the kids would much rather eat one of my casseroles than raw kale lol.
This is what makes it hard for me and makes me feel like I am one foot in 2 worlds. I enjoy visiting my health and healing forum but I don't feel like I'm on that level of health. 1.) I can't afford it (when I was doing it to cure my candida hubbie and I fought like crazy over the expense of all my "foods" I needed). and 2.) it takes REAL dedication and I'm just not there anymore. But I truly admire those who really take their health seriously and aim to live their lives cleaning their bodies of toxins and crud. In reality though I go there for inspiration and so that I don't totally go over the deep side. I mean just because I am a southern girl with a liking for southern food does not mean I should be scarfing down bags of doritos and hostess cupcakes. I am much better than before but I am not as good as I used to be. I have made life changes that I have kept ie: using stevia for sweetener, avoiding artificial sugars, avoiding my doritos addiction but I do still enjoy my sonic coke daily, an occasional burger and fries and of course those casseroles I was telling you about.
I guess I'm just having a hard time identifying where I'm at in my life. Am I a health nut? Am a GRITS girl? What am I? But more important I ask myself why the need to categorize myself? Why can't I be comfortable knowing that I am who I am. Yes I take a bajillion supplements. Yes I avoid the really bad foods but I still enjoy my food much like Paula Deen does. And who does not like Paula Deen. That gal can cook but what I do notice is that she uses REAL ingredients and not some processed crap out of a box (who am I kidding? I have resorted to hamburger helper ie heart attack in a box when in a pinch).
I guess I just wanted to fess up. I'm not a total health nut snob but I'm not a junk food junkie either. I'm not a feng shui, asian style minimalist. Instead I am in love with decorating and love to have my candles burning, mini lamps turned on, and copies of Southern Living on my coffee table. I feel caught between 2 worlds but I'm thinking its what makes me who I am and as long as I'm living my life with the best intent possible then that is all that really matters. Right?
Stolen Property
This just sucks big time. 2 nights ago our home that we are building (almost done) was broken into. Some lame person jimmyed (sp?) the door to pop the temporary lock off and stole a bunch of stuff to the tune of $3,000 worth! They took my microwave hood, my instantaneous water heater, numerous tools, a radio, yada yada, blech.
I cannot tell you the ugly feeling I am feeling knowing someone broke in to my house and stole my stuff. Fortunately, our builder has insurance and we will be reimbursed but it will be a while for that to happen so we will most likely already be moved in before we see that check. In the meantime we are having to put these items that were purchased with our hard earned cash on credit. Horrible I say..just horrible.
The only comfort I have is in knowing that no good thing will come to a person like that. Yes they may be enjoying the profit of their stealing now but some day it will come back to them...in the meantime it just sucks.
I'm trying to look on the bright side though. At least there was nothing else...hopefully they have gotten what they wanted and will leave us alone...and we are installing an alarm system with motion sensors tomorrow!!!
For now we are trying to hurry as much as possible to get the house completed. We only need to finish staining the concrete floors, the plumber needs to install new water heater and we have a commercial cleaning crew coming out...so I'm holding on tight that its just a matter of weeks before we are done.
I cannot tell you the ugly feeling I am feeling knowing someone broke in to my house and stole my stuff. Fortunately, our builder has insurance and we will be reimbursed but it will be a while for that to happen so we will most likely already be moved in before we see that check. In the meantime we are having to put these items that were purchased with our hard earned cash on credit. Horrible I say..just horrible.
The only comfort I have is in knowing that no good thing will come to a person like that. Yes they may be enjoying the profit of their stealing now but some day it will come back to them...in the meantime it just sucks.
I'm trying to look on the bright side though. At least there was nothing else...hopefully they have gotten what they wanted and will leave us alone...and we are installing an alarm system with motion sensors tomorrow!!!
For now we are trying to hurry as much as possible to get the house completed. We only need to finish staining the concrete floors, the plumber needs to install new water heater and we have a commercial cleaning crew coming out...so I'm holding on tight that its just a matter of weeks before we are done.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Eating out is muy expensivo
Last night Mariposa had soccer practice and we didn't get out till 7:30. I was content coming home to leftovers/clean out the fridge night. Let's just say DH was not. He suggested we go to our usual mexican restaurant. We had not been out in close to 3 weeks as I have been so sick so I agreed thinking it would be nice to eat out and not have to worry about messing up the kitchen when it was already late. So we got there, ordered, and got our bill..holy cow! Is it possible that the prices have gone up in 3 weeks? I mean we ordered our usual stuff, water to drink, yada yada and boom our bill was $15 more than usual. Yowza was all I could say.
I must say I have noticed that even at wal-mart they are slowly increasing prices as if I don't notice. What sucks is that I still need bread and milk and they know that and they know that I will just have to pay their inflated price because I need bread and milk on a daily basis. Uugh.
DH and I discussed that our eating out days may be over soon. Our version of eating out will soon be a take out pizza or the $5 footlongs at subway. Oh the joys of being on a very restricted budget.
I must say I have noticed that even at wal-mart they are slowly increasing prices as if I don't notice. What sucks is that I still need bread and milk and they know that and they know that I will just have to pay their inflated price because I need bread and milk on a daily basis. Uugh.
DH and I discussed that our eating out days may be over soon. Our version of eating out will soon be a take out pizza or the $5 footlongs at subway. Oh the joys of being on a very restricted budget.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
I'm Back....
Finally, I'm back. After much hackling from *artist* I am finally back and blogging. Why have I been gone so long?? I have been SICK. I'm talking as my friend Kelly puts it, death on a cracker sick. I have never been so sick. I ended up being diagnosed with bronchitis in the beginning stage of pneumonia and on top of that ended up catching a head cold that I am still nursing now. yeah no good. So after antibiotics I am finally turning the corner minus my head cold and hopefully can return to my normal duties.
One weird thing that happened while being sick for a month was a lesson I learned. By no choice of mine I had to slow down. I have had no energy for anything...no energy to run around with my head cut off...no energy to make boundless lists of things I would stress about to get done...no energy to worry. That is the big one for me. I am a worry wart by nature. I'm an eeyore married to a pooh. However after being sick I have learned that my house is not going to fall apart if its not properly cleaned for a month (it is still standing...). I have learned that I do not have to cross off every thing on my list in order to have a successful day. I have learned that I can still accomplish a lot without running like a chicken with its head cut off. I have learned what sitting outside on my porch chair and petting the alley cat that has adopted us feels like. It feels good.
It feels good to slow down. To sit outside and not be mentally thinking about my lists but instead just enjoying being outside. Feeling the sun warm my skin, petting the soft fur of our adopted alley cat while she sits on my lap, listening to the kids run around, laugh, scream while playing with the water hose...yep those are good times.
Funny how an illness like death on a cracker could slow me down to reawaken me to living more slowly, more purposely, more fulfilled. Don't get me wrong, I'm still an eeyore (wait for my post on swine flu) but I must say now that I am recovering I am so thankful for my body which is healing itself, my family whom I have rediscovered, and the realization that you can take life slow and still succeed. What a revelation indeed.
One weird thing that happened while being sick for a month was a lesson I learned. By no choice of mine I had to slow down. I have had no energy for anything...no energy to run around with my head cut off...no energy to make boundless lists of things I would stress about to get done...no energy to worry. That is the big one for me. I am a worry wart by nature. I'm an eeyore married to a pooh. However after being sick I have learned that my house is not going to fall apart if its not properly cleaned for a month (it is still standing...). I have learned that I do not have to cross off every thing on my list in order to have a successful day. I have learned that I can still accomplish a lot without running like a chicken with its head cut off. I have learned what sitting outside on my porch chair and petting the alley cat that has adopted us feels like. It feels good.
It feels good to slow down. To sit outside and not be mentally thinking about my lists but instead just enjoying being outside. Feeling the sun warm my skin, petting the soft fur of our adopted alley cat while she sits on my lap, listening to the kids run around, laugh, scream while playing with the water hose...yep those are good times.
Funny how an illness like death on a cracker could slow me down to reawaken me to living more slowly, more purposely, more fulfilled. Don't get me wrong, I'm still an eeyore (wait for my post on swine flu) but I must say now that I am recovering I am so thankful for my body which is healing itself, my family whom I have rediscovered, and the realization that you can take life slow and still succeed. What a revelation indeed.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Women equating illness
Oh boy are my feathers in a ruffle today...I read in my newspaper today this big spread on PMDD otherwise known as PMS times 100. Mind you this disorder only affects 3-8% of women yet they talk about it like every woman suffers from it. Now I'm not saying that this not true and unheard of..I'm sure there are some women who do suffer with this and for that I am sorry but why give so much publicity to something that only affects such a small population. For instance, I'm sure you have seen the birth control commercials touting their pill as the cure all for PMDD. We watch this group of women talk about their "symptoms" and how once they started taking their birth control pill they magically felt better..oh but at the end they do give a long list of hurriedly said complications that can occur from said pill such as blood clots, heart attack, etc. No thanks.
Why isn't more publicity being thrown at women's cancer and heart disease. Now that is something to be worried about and concerned over. Why they don't? I believe pharmaceutical companies are at play. I mean there is no "cure all" pill for heart disease. There is no "cure all" pill for cancer. These illnesses require a multifaceted approach to treatment which honestly does not make the drug companies money like this "pill" can.
It makes me wonder though how our society makes women feel like we are walking "illnesses". Why must we box women in? Why must we label women as having this, that, and the other and they must take this magic pill or potion to conquer this, that, and the other.
Why isn't more publicity being thrown at women's cancer and heart disease. Now that is something to be worried about and concerned over. Why they don't? I believe pharmaceutical companies are at play. I mean there is no "cure all" pill for heart disease. There is no "cure all" pill for cancer. These illnesses require a multifaceted approach to treatment which honestly does not make the drug companies money like this "pill" can.
It makes me wonder though how our society makes women feel like we are walking "illnesses". Why must we box women in? Why must we label women as having this, that, and the other and they must take this magic pill or potion to conquer this, that, and the other.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Out of the mouths of babes
Can I not listen to the radio anymore? I mean seriously does every song have to have some kind of bad language in it? I'm not even listening to anything hard core just Top 40 bubble gum pop stations. Uugh.
My kindie told me yesterday as we are in the car driving, "Mom, he said that a** word!" My heavens indeed it was sung on the song! How many times did I miss it because I am so caught up in my mind thinking while driving that I am hardly paying attention to the lyrics. Oy vey. So like a good mom I quickly turned the station to some praise music.
Oh how I wish i had a way to connect my ipod to the car radion I would be one happy camper! I love alternative/folkish kinda music...stuff that is more acoustic and less harmonized like the bubble gum pop.
Looks like we will be listening to a little bit more praise and worship music and some more NPR than those Top 40 stations.
My kindie told me yesterday as we are in the car driving, "Mom, he said that a** word!" My heavens indeed it was sung on the song! How many times did I miss it because I am so caught up in my mind thinking while driving that I am hardly paying attention to the lyrics. Oy vey. So like a good mom I quickly turned the station to some praise music.
Oh how I wish i had a way to connect my ipod to the car radion I would be one happy camper! I love alternative/folkish kinda music...stuff that is more acoustic and less harmonized like the bubble gum pop.
Looks like we will be listening to a little bit more praise and worship music and some more NPR than those Top 40 stations.
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