For My Readers

Lately I haven't done much of anything.  I have been trying to figure out how to balance it all.  I think life in general is a balancing act sometimes, but this last month or so nothing has gone the way intended.  Over the last few weeks we have had several problems in our house.  A little broken knob turned into a full renovation in our bathroom.  We also have had several trips out of town for my son's doctor and to visit my parents for my dad's birthday.  All this piled on top of bringing up a new blog isn't the best of circumstances, but I'll muddle my way through.  I have been debating on what avenues to take with my blog and I really can't help but wonder what the best point of approach is.  My life as a housewife encompasses so many things, just like any other homemaker.  Some of the more important things my daily activities touch on is the basics of running any household.  Throw in an autistic four year old, a tantrums two year old, and a shift working husband and I'm sure you can imagine the chaos any day can bring.  I've prayed long and hard on how to merge my daily life with a blog that actually would interest others.  So for the most part I'm going to try and focus on recipes, Lord knows we could all use some ideas sometimes, cleaning and how to make it more efficient and fun, and basic household management.  From time to time, I'll throw in a few house and craft projects with my basic take on what it means to be a housewife and biblical womanhood.  I sincerely hope you all enjoy and follow me, rather I know you personally or not.

Manic Mondays

Mondays in my home are usually very busy.  Today is no different, and I have set aside certain task to be done on certain days.  Monday is the day for the bedrooms to get the attention they need.  If all goes as plan my to-do list looks like this:

• spray all mattresses with allergen spray
• change sheets on all beds
• vacuum all bedrooms
• dust all bedrooms
• clean TVs
• dust ceiling fans in each room
• polish furniture in the bedrooms
• cook dinner - Crock pot Lasagna Monday is pasta night
• laundry
• sweep floors - golden retrievers are very very hairy!!
• take out trash
• make sure all clothes are put away
• pick up toys with boys
• dishes
• clear counter
• wipe down table and chairs

I've had a few people see the size of my to-do list and ask how do I have time to get it all done.  My answer is simple, if things are going the way they should it becomes very easy.  Most often my days start around 7 in the morning and end around 8 in the evening.  Now before you ask, yes I do have enough time to get my house clean, cook three meals, and tend to my children; how?  Well if you don't sit down much a lot can be accomplished.

Garlic Chicken Orzo with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 fresh, skinless boneless chicken breast - cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup roasted tomatoes (recipe to come soon)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Until al dente, then drain.
2.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the garlic and red pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.  Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook until lightly browned and juices run clear.  Add tomatoes and mix well, reduce heat to medium.  Mix in parsley and orzo then add spinach.  Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring often until spinach is wilted.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Chicken Santa Fe Salad

My mother came for a visit and this was our dinner! 

To make this salad you will need:
Lettuce - I used green leaf, Boston, and iceberg
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Peppers
Green Peppers
Green Onion
Cucumber
Avocado
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
Creole Seasoning
Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette - Kraft makes a great one
Fresh Chicken Breast
Santa Fe Style Tortilla Strips

Start by preheating your grill, then marinade your chicken.  I usually let mine sit for 20 to 30 minutes. 
Cut peppers in to large strips so they don't fall through the grate on the grill.  Then start tearing your lettuce into a large salad bowl.  Finish chopping all your vegetables and put them into the salad bowl as well.  Drain and rinse the black beans and add desired amount to salad.  Next comes the corn drain three fourths of the can, saute it with a teaspoon of creole seasoning.  The extra liquid will cook out and start to char the corn.  When finished place the corn in a bowl and in the fridge to cool.  Meanwhile go to the grill and cook the chicken, I flip mine often so it doesn't burn the edges.  How long it takes to cook through depends on the thickness of the chicken.  Also add you pepper strips to the grill and cook on both sides until lightly charred.  Make sure to use grill spray so nothing sticks!  Cut chicken strips and peppers to bit size pieces.  Toss in the corn, chicken, and peppers to salad and finish with more of the vinaigrette.  Top with tortilla strips and ENJOY!

Welcome!

I wrote this on my sparkspeople.com blog and it inspired me to revamp my current blog and give you this!  I hope you enjoy it, I'll try to get my things on here frequently but you'll have to excuse me if I miss something from time to time!  So here you go...

To all my fellow housewives…
Being a stay at home mom is something I consider as a blessing. Sure I could put that college degree to use and "work" for a living, but right now I don't have to. I don't have to worry about what TV shows my kids are watching, if they have a jacket on while playing outside, or who is getting them on or off the bus. It's ME that does all of those things. I try to keep the house tidy and presentable incase of the unexpected visitor, but I know it doesn't always happen that way. As I type this I have dirty dishes in my sink, laundry waiting to be done, and a floor in dire need of a sweeping. My husband never has to worry about where I'm at, what's for dinner, or if he has clean underwear. My backyard looks like its very own park with a swing set, trampoline, and tire swing; and lets not even mention my living room. The room of all rooms that houses most of the daily activities for a 4 year old and 2 year old little boys. I cook the meals, wash the clothes, clean the house, and raise my children; and yes I do it mostly on my own. I don't ask for help much and usually I'm to proud to admit defeat. However with this glorious job that I feel I am blessed with comes some drawbacks. My weight isn't where I want it, my body looks funny, I haven't had my haircut in months, and I'm pretty sure my wardrobe is seriously out of date. Then I start wondering why is it this way, where did things change? When did I become one step away from a "What Not To Wear" special or worse one step away from being the old cat lady after my kids have moved on? (Okay honestly the cat lady thing would never happen, I am NOT a cat person!!) I've duelled upon my appearance since I gave birth the first time! I've researched homemaking, and though not perfected it I work hard at it. Then I realized something, I put all my time in my home and my family that as so many of us do I forgot about me. I forgot that my birth certificate does not read Mommy or Honey. It says Lisa, the name my parents chose for me some 29 years ago. I was Lisa long before I was a mom or a wife, and I will be Lisa on my tombstone one day. One of my low points is that I don't put forth the effort for me, and I don't take time to actually look at myself in the mirror with out pointing out the bad things. When was the last time I looked in a mirror and said wow I have pretty eyes, when was the last time you looked in the mirror and realized your beauty beneath the fat, or wrinkles, or new gray hairs? This year I decided to challenge myself to be better, and I'm now inviting you to challenge it with me. If you read this, pass it on to those who need it. Remind yourself if no one else will, that you are someone other than Mommy. All I'm asking is that when you wake up in the morning after you change those diapers or get those babies off to school, take a moment to look in the mirror and enjoy what you see. Then do something little that you feel would make you be a little more like a woman than you normally would do. This could be something as simple as brushing your teeth first, or putting on an outfit instead of those sweats. I once said I had no one to dress for when I was at home then today I walked out of my room in a pink T-shirt and my 4 year old looked it my with those HUGE brown eyes with the longest eye lashes you have ever seen and said "Wow Mommy you look pretty! I think your the prettiest Mommy ever!" My heart smiled, I then knew I have someone to look nice for, my babies are watching and they see a happy pretty Mommy and that makes them happy. So please join me and let me know how it goes, maybe by the time we bring in 2013 we will all be taking more time for ourselves and realizing our potential not just as Mommy or Honey, but also with that name that are parents gave us long long ago.