The Food Edition

I thought I would take this Saturday morning and post a little bit about some of the food I make at home. As a work-from-home mom, I have the opportunity to make some more time consuming meals than someone who works away from home and has daycare, etc to contend with along with groceries and all the chores it takes to run a house. I am very blessed that I have this opportunity and find myself becoming a bit like a 50's housewife. And to tell the truth, I am more than fine with that. I am in the position that my life with my children at home is quickly coming to an end. They are not 4 and 8 and I can't see the horizon. The end is very real on our end. While they both plan to attend college locally, I know that girlfriends, jobs and eventually their own apartments are right around the corner. Bare with me here while I let out a giant sob.  lol.  I love being a mother. Every part of it. I imagine that has a lot to do with my kids, who have given me a run for my money but have never disappointed me, or done anything irreparable. I read sometimes in the comments on other "mommy blogs" that women speak about their children as if they are perfection in a bottle. Those who truly know our family know that is not the case. We had a lot of hard times but are reaping the rewards of our hard work. When people tell me I am blessed with the children I have, I am quick to point out that while my children are amazing, blessed has nothing to do with it. We have worked hard, cried many tears, held many shaking children, done a lot of tough love, and smiled and laughed and joked until there were tears of joy. We spend all our free time with the boys. They choose for now to be with us, and we are not giving up a minute of it. For it won't be long until some girl I will never like steps into one of their lives and .... I won't go on. I guess in a round about (very round about) way I am saying that I am so grateful for my life and the opportunities Craig has provided me. I currently have 3 small businesses I work on, I car pool to and from school with two different families, I take the boys to their volunteer commitments, I go to the gym (sorta), I make breakfast lunch and dinner 5 days a week, and do about 40 other things. I am not asking for a slap on the back, don't misunderstand. I am simply sitting here in amazement at the good fortune of my life. How else would I get the opportunity to make this food for my family (which is what this post started about - oh well, it's my blog, so there). Because I have the time, actually, because it is important to me that my family sits down five nights a week and has supper together, I make time to create meals from scratch (we have eaten enough frozen pizza to choke a horse). This is not for everyone. Many families truly don't have the time and some don't have the inclination - that's ok - more than OK - I will not judge them, if they do not judge me.

OK - enough about that - here are a few things I have made lately - many with my bread machine (Jessica - I heart you):

Fresh French Bread with garlic butter for spaghetti

Homemade cheese turnovers for Chicken Noodle Soup

A loaf of bread on Steroids (lol)

Homemade pizza - a Friday night staple

Homemade buns - most don't look like a circle but they taste damn good

Pizza waffles - amazing what you can do in a waffle maker

Bread bowls (can't believe they actually turned out) filled with stew

 So I guess on Easter weekend, I am counting my blessings (and kissing my bread machine) for the life I have, the family I share it with and the opportunity to be home, and present in these last few years as a family of four. I am not being melancholy (maybe a bit) or melodramatic - things are changing quickly and I know that if I wasn't here I'd miss it, and regret it. It doesn't work for most, but it works for us and at the end of the day, that's the most important.

Now if only I could get a pair of penny loafers.