Funny thing,
I was in the kitchen getting cookie dough ready to roll out
I turned around to ask Olivia to wash her hands before helping me
That is when I saw that my baby is gone
Olivia is now a beautiful young girl.

When did this happen?

It's no doubt that, like other mommies, of two and holding a full time job I am super busy. My schedule is jam-packed starting at 5:45 in the morning and ending precisely when I fall asleep after reading two pages of my novel at 10pm.

Although, I have a rushed morning of throwing lunches together, serving up breakfasts typically comprised of yogurt and cereal and trying to get the kids into some sort of presentable outfit in 45 minutes somehow we manage to get out the door.

It is usually a full 10 hours before I walk back into my house to be greeted by a jam-packed evening of dinner, playing, story-time and bed. I am so exhausted by the time I get the kidd-o's into their bed that I find myself vegging out for the last few valuable evening hours behind my computer screen bouncing from Facebook and iVillage to my flickr account.

I truly believe that having a busy schedule is not the only culprit leading to my exhaustion. I fully believe that part of it is linked to my mediocre diet. While I can usually ensure that two of my meals are healthy, there is a good chance that dinner falls short. Yes, we are guilty of picking up instead of cooking at least once a week and sometimes as much as three night. From time to time we take the healthy route and pick up sushi, but most of the time we fall back on pizza or taco bell. Eeek! Please don't judge.

What does all this mean? Well with the holidays upon me and a renewed interest in healthy living and frugality, I am going to try to eat in more. But not just eat in more, but also eat more whole foods.

So in more first attempts at a healthier and more frugal lifestyle I made a super simple dish, but the key word is "made." In between the loads of laundry and helping the we-ones make holiday gifts I threw together some chicken cacciatore paired up with a mixed green salad and texas toast. Ok, so the texas toast may not be the epitome of health, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine.

Anyway, night 1 - check!

Awww, it's November 1st (what does that mean?)
Well Halloween is over,and election day is tomorrow.
That means we will know what direction our state is heading in
I have been really anxious over the outcome because my job stands on the line.
All seriousness aside, the first of November also means that the Holiday season is about to begin!

Yes, I am a sucker for all the family-fun and cornball activities that the holidays usher in.
Oh yea don't forget about the food.

I also need to start the holiday shopping, menu planning, and knitting and painting like a fiend.
It also means my kindegartener will holiday parties and productions.
Now, this is what I've been looking forward to since orientation back in July!
I can't wait!

We also plan on celebrating Christmas in our new house.
We are set to close on November 12.
Eleven more days until we get the keys!

Then the real fun of moving and decorating begins.

I have been busy, busy, busy.
The studio had its annual art sale.
It also had a show opening at a local coffee shop.
The studio was offered a second show (up on Tuesday)

We bought a second house (its a good investment, we're not hoarders)
We are finishing our house so we can rent it out.
Two years later, and the trim is complete!

Halloween weekend is almost here.
That means my children have been trick-or-treating twice.
They will go again on Sunday.
Halloween also means our city's population will double for the weekend.

Welcome strangers
Please treat our town with as much love as we do.

XoXo

And let's do this again...

I read one of my friend's blog a lot.
It makes me think, "I can do that"
*cough* "yea, right..."
I can try though…
*smiles* "yea, right!"

So here goes:

What is there to know about me?
Well, let's see:

I'm a painter (oils preferably)
I'm photographer (and the proud owner of a Nikon D60)
I work in an art studio for adults with disabilities

I live in SE Ohio
I also live with one guy (that I love lots)
We live with our two kids whom we love lots (wait, is that whom or who?)
We also share our home with a wienie and a chug (they are pretty cool too)

I'm supposed to take pictures every day (but often forget)
I love to cook (but can be kind of lazy so the execution fails)
Completing projects is a challenge for me.
I am also really accident prone (for reals)
I got drywall in my eye today (see told you).
How?
I was taking a pic of my husband while he was being manly and fixing our ceiling.
The drywall just fell in there…

Blogging = Epic Fail

Last night, as mentioned previously, I cooked almond-crusted tilapia for dinner. It was quite simple.

Here's the recipe:
1/3 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
4 fillets
2 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 half & half

1. Melt the butter in a 12 inch skillet on med-low
2. Whisk the egg and milk together
3. Combine almonds, flour, parsley, oregano, and garlic
4. Dip the fillets in the egg and then coat with the almond/flour mixture
5. Cook each side 8-10 minutes.

To make these home-cooked meals go more smoothly, I have made it a habit to always have fresh sliced fruit on hand. That way I already have one side figured out and ready to go. Plus it makes a great snack while waiting for the meal to finish up. Another thing that I also try to keep around to make menu planning simple is fresh pre-washed spinach leaves. I'm so lucky to have found a farmer at our market that sells bags of pre-washed greens. This is a huge help on busy nights. One of my favorites things to do is saute asparagus, onions, and tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil and then serve it over the spinach. This is a quick and easy salad with loads of flavor! I truly recommend it.

Aside from making another yummy meal yesterday, I started to read The Frugal Gourmet, and while I am not religous, I am adapting his ideas to my secular life. So far he has mentioned how bread used to be the main item ate at every meal and it would be supplimented with sides. Occassionally it would also be served with a little bit of meat. Today, bread is optinal - it has been replaced by meat. We as Americans consume too much meat, and the consequences are evident in diseases like hyper-tension. I love the idea of revisting bread in the human diet. Grains, after all, were our first cultivated crops. Bread truly is a comfort food and there is nothing better than the aroma of fresh bread wafting through the house. One of the most satisfying experiences can be taking that first bite of your own bread. Have you ever tried baking a loaf? You should! It is actually pretty easy. In fact here is where you can find my favorite recipe.

Yesterday I mentioned that it was my 10th night in a row cooking dinner at home. What was dinner last night? Marinara served over spinach tofu pasta. I have to admit that I did cheat a little and used a jar of marinara. Now just because it comes from a jar does not make it all bad. Sure, you may pay a little more, but you can find some great natural sauces. Additionally, I always use a jar sauce as a base and embellish the hell out of it.

How I make my sauce:
1 jar natural marinara
1 cup of red wine
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp rosemary
1-2 tsp of sugar (depending on how sweet the wine is)
1 c mushrooms, chopped

Step 1: Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
Step 2: Add remaining ingredients minus the mushrooms and let simmer (covered) for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Throw the mushrooms in the pan about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve.

I typically serve this sauce over spinach tofu pasta that I buy at a local bakery. Well, that is until fall, when I can serve it over locally-grown spaghetti squash.

I only prepare spaghetti 0nce or twice a month but it is great to keep a jar or two of sauce in my pantry for a quick go-to meal.

Now what's on the menu for tonight? Tilapia with roasted veggies and cous cous. Wa-hoo! Day 11, let's see how long I can keep this streak up. I will also try to post a pic and recipe of this meal tomorrow. I think that may be the trend.

Anyway, one of the books I have purchased is The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith. I will begin reading this tonight, and report back from time to time with pointers from Mr. Smith.

Cheers!

It has truly been a long time.

I would like to take this blog in a new direction as I try to do the same in my life.

In the past my husband and I have spent quite a few $$ on books about living more sustainably and eating well. I am definitely at a point where I know I need to crack those spines and make a few changes.

We are currently environmentally savvy enough to recycle, use reusable containers, and buy locally produced food. However, I know there are places that I can improve upon. And this improvement can definitely be applied to our diets as well. Overall, we are relatively healthy eaters, but eating out is a weakness we face. I am a little sheepish to admit that we were buying pizza or other fast food almost twice every ten days. In fact our online budgeting tool allocates almost $600. to restaurants and fast food. It's shocking!

Luckily, two weeks ago our pre-school requested that students start packing their lunches. This request coincided with me watching the entire season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Since then I have made an effort to make home-made meals from the whole foods we were already buying at the Farmer's Market and grocery store. Honestly, all that eating out is a waste of resources. So far, I have successfully prepared 10 meals in a row and also portioned off some to fill my children's lunch boxes each day.

I guess the focus of my blog, for now, is to keep on track with healthy meals prepared in my kitchen and to explore all of the resources my husband and I have accrued throughout the past several years and put those suggestions into use.

P.s. Tonight I am serving a marinara sauce over locally made pasta. I hope to start sharing recipes and photos soon.

For Christmas this year, John and I decided to take a family vacation to Walt Disney Word.

Of course the first thing we did upon arrival was get ready for a Princess dinner.

While, these can be pricey events they are a real time saver for children who want to meet the characters.

In lieu of wating in line for hours at various locations, we got to see all the Princesses in under two hours.

That right there was worth the price!

Not to mention, the food was amazing too.

To save a little bit on the bill, and to have a greater variety of times to choose from, we opted for Akershaus in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot instead of battling over a table at Cinderella's Castle.

Maybe another year we can eat at the castle, but currently it would be a little too stressful for our small children.