And Another Book Down.

I was sitting by the pool today listening to my children protest the rumbling thunder that was keeping them out of the pool and somehow I managed to read the last 15 pages of my book.  That makes 33.

I have learned something about myself through this process.  I am drawn to books that are full of imagery.  Under the Tuscan Sun (yes the Diane Lane movie) was one of these books.  By the way, the movie was not at all "based" on the book.  The story line is not even remotely the same except for the fact that it was a newly divorced woman renovating a Tuscan villa while learning to cook authentically Italian.  As for all the romance?  Yeah, not so much.

The book is more of a memoir of the renovations and life in Tuscany but what drew me in and stole my heart was the language of the imagery.  The colors of the sun rising against the house.  The hues of roses planted along the front walk.  The depiction of the vines rambling over abandoned wells and terrace walls. 

And then the food!  Oh, to be able to cook with olives pressed from your own trees!  To have such a diverse collection of cheeses and pastas and varieties of vegetables to grace your table.  Did I mention that it was a rustic "fixer upper"  in Tuscany? 

If we have learned nothing about me in the two on and off years I have been blogging, we have established that I love home improvement and cooking.  And she is a professor of the written word as well?  This book was written for me!

So I guess if I was reviewing a book this would be a five star, but I don't review books because I really feel that every book has to be read with your eyes only.  No one knows your likes, dislikes and passions.  No one knows your story and back story.  How can they say that the book they adored would be perfect for you?  No.  Every book and every recipe in life must be tried and tested by individuals without the coloring of other people.

Books and recipes are not paint with water books.  They colors aren't already there.  You have use your own paints and brushes.

(Coming soon: The Grapes of Wrath)

"You Should be Baking!"

I have become a bit of a Facebook junkie. There - I admitted it. Moving on.

We went to a football party at a friends' home Saturday night and as has become the norm for our circle of friends, I was asked to bring my chocolate chip cookies. Now you may call me weird. You may call me a bold faced liar. You may call me any name in the book but I promise I tell the truth with my next line. Of every 6 dozen batch of chocolate chip cookies I make, I eat maybe 3 on a good round. Not 3 dozen. I eat 3.

I have been told that these are the best cookies on the planet. The same friend who we were visiting is also a tremendous fan of the chocolate covered cherries. I am a bit afraid of the Christmas party this year because I have promised Oreo truffles and I am petrified of his reaction.

Why would I be afraid that someone will enjoy my confections? Because my friend has decided that it is my calling to open a sweets shop/bakery to peddle my wares. This is a bad time of year to suggest it to me. Because once again, I can be sold.

I would love to have my own shop. I would love to be able to get up at 3 AM (properly caffeinated of course); go bake for several hours; take my "lunch" break to go see the children off to school; go back and bake a while longer and be home when they got out of school. It would be a great job for me!

Here's the problem. I am a leg work person. I do not have a business head. I do not have invest able capital and I would hate to try to manage some one and teach them how to make my confections. I have barely been able to teach my children. And there is no way I could begin to deal with allergy labels, ingredient lists, industrial equipment costs, product pricing, and any catering or special order concepts.

Put me in my kitchen and let me bake and I am a happy girl. Muddle my oven with all that other stuff and you might as well turn off the gas. I fear that taking my baking to the next level would kill it. But then again, what if it is just fear holding me back?

So when my friend looked at me and said "Every time I see you post something on Facebook, I think, 'You should be baking,' " he started the annual fall day dream. The great what if parade that makes me wonder if I couldn't pull it off.

But then I'd have to come up with a catchy name, and who has time to be that creative? I have quizzes to take and farms to tend on Facebook!

Wordless Wednesday: The Little Chef!

Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching so I thought I would look back and see what the Little Chef and I were up to. You have to LOVE some homemade mozzarella sticks! Yum!

And before anyone accuses me of being an unfit mother, he did the coating and I did the frying.

Don't worry. We have the Steelers apron ready for this year!

For more Wordless Wednesday (I don't do that very well do I?) check out Mom Dot.

Other things to check out while you're there?
Label Daddy's sponsorship for BlogHer - It could be you!
Dottie Awards '09!

Wordless Wednesday

All this talk of partying and the holidays over at the Zoo got me thinking about food and holiday foods. Man! I love to cook! I mean love it right up there beneath my family. So here you go. A shot of me cooking my first turkey ever! Christmas 2003. Nice hat huh?**Sorry - it's a scan.

Can't get enough of Wordless Wednesday? Pop over to MomDot and grab a few more linky's!

Wordless Wednesday!

Wanna know what happens to pumpkin guts?

The seeds get roasted - Yummy!!

And the meats get stewed.

Watch for Pumpkin Gobs with Cream Cheese Filling and Pumpkin Pies!

Thursday Thirteen

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

What a bogus question! If you had asked me six years ago where I would be in five years, I certainly would not have given you a pitcure of the adventure I am currently on. So here it is; today's...

Thirteen Things that can Happen in Five Years

*

You can gain 28 pounds.

*

You can have three children.
*

You can move two times.
*

You can own five cars.

*

You can paint three rooms four times.
*

You can celebrate 18 birthdays.
*

You can carve 15 pumpkins.
*
You can host two "big" parties.

*

You can enjoy three real Christmas trees.
*

You can take 3, 000+ pictures.
*
You can cook ten turkeys.
*
You can bake a million cookies.
*

You can fall in love four times.

My Battle Against Stress!

Meredith Viera had a 2 minute interview this morning on the Today show that has been in my brain all day.



So we as women are taking this economic situation, plus our family stuff, plus our jobs, plus our children's behavior, plus our attempts to please others and we are doing ourselves in! I have read so many blogs, personal messages, and notes in the last 48 hours from friends and complete strangers that demonstrate this to me.

You may (or maybe not) know that I am blogging over at the BlubHer Overhaul. I have seen so many ladies struggling with stress eating or lack of motivation for working out or just being sick. And now I'm wondering how much of it is linked.

I have friends who have said to me on numerous occasions, "I just can't beat these blahs!" And I wonder if they really mean "I just can't beat this stress."

So of course having had all day and 2 loads of laundry (and the motivation of my own stresses) to ponder this, I started to ask myself "So what do we do to battle it?" Exercise? Eat right? Meditate? Pray? All very valid solutions I told myself. But I want more.

What can I do to help other women battle back against stress? Is it just a matter of leaving a comment on every blog I visit? Is it sending a random e-mail to tell someone I care? Is it praying for other people that I see hurting? But I still want more!

You may or may not have seen Copacabana last week -here's hoping you missed it! But that is what I want to do! I want to start a "Pay it Forward" style campaign. I want women to reach out to other women and make them smile. Even if it's only for a little minute, enough of those minutes from enough other people will make a difference.

I have seen so many references to medications, depression, and stress that I wonder if the tide can be turned. I am an optimist. I believe that it can be. But people have to look outside of their own meditation, exercise, dieting, and prayer and try to help other people. I come back to the gas situation I faced last week. I have no idea what effect if any my half a tank left behind had, but I have to believe it helped someone.

Help me. It's not an official campaign. I don't have a happy blog button for anyone to carry around. It's just what is right. So if you see someone today who needs a smile, tell them a quick joke or just smile at them. You may just save their life.

I Want to Meet the Woman...

Who has the guts to do this. Over at MomDot Trisha put up a post for Fox News. Check it out here. Apparently they are trying to do a special on Super Moms.

Now I know over at the Zoo I did a post about how we are all Super Mom but we all know that that was completely facetious. But just the same.

I know that there are women who try to be a real live Super Mom. They make sure their children are dressed to the nines for everything from playdough to family portraits. Their homes are spotless all the time (just in case someone should stop by) and there is always a treat of some kind freshly baked or baking. They may even be able to do all that and still balance a full time job. Their hubbys are thrilled to trot them out at company functions because they are always guaranteed to be witty, charming, polished and all around delightful. These are the moms whose minivans are always stocked with spare clothes, snack, juice and never have even a crumb on the floor much less a fingerprint on the windows.

But go ahead and ask them about it. Ask them if they think they are Super Mom. Even if they really do they are not about to admit it! We are women before we are mothers. And as women, we have a confidence problem. If we admit that we are Super Mom then someone is going to start watching our every move just waiting for us to mess up. The thought of failing as a self proclaimed Super Mom makes us swear off of PTA meetings for the rest of our child's career at the current school. If we admit we are Super Mom we will be branded as the egotistical too good for the rest of the playgroup mom who suddenly stops getting the invites or is sent incorrect times.

I want to meet the woman who admits that she is Super Mom and does it with such confidence that we all agree. I want to meet the woman who claims the title and then manages to live up to it. She really would be among the people I claim as superheroes in my life.

Now if you won't be too offended, my cape and I have to go wax the van.

Do men have a clue?

Disclaimer: I love my hubby. I just don't love the way he thinks sometimes.

Tonite for example. I made dinner for 5 (us, our neighbor and his 2 guests). I asked ahead of time how many people and what was happening. I thought I communicated with everyone clearly.

Brrrnnnttt!

Turns out my neighbor's sister had Mexican for lunch so my fajitas weren't appealing to her so she and her friend (who wasn't part of the original plan) ordered out for pizza. My beloved said, "Well they ordered their own food so can I invite 2 more people?" Did I mention that I was putting dinner on the table when he asked?

So now my back deck has suddenly become the site of a 8 adult, 4 children, 2 dog dinner party. I have a small round patio table that seats 4. I rummaged and scrounged and used every lawn chair available. Ever dinner plate is now in the dishwasher and I can only hope that everyone had enough to eat.

I don't REALLY mind. I enjoy entertaining. I enjoy it a lot more when I can prepare better. I do have to say though that the last minute guests were the best part of the evening. Fun, helpful, pleasant dinner conversation. The other half? Ate their own food and couldn't get away from my house fast enough apparently.

sigh. Such is life in the bowl.