Yeah....shes my sister, yeah I know...I love her anyway :)

So my sister and I have not always been the bestest of friends.  Yes we love each other, and yes we will ALWAYS be there for each other, and yes I will kick your ass if you mess with her....but there was a LONG time where we couldn't stand to be around each other (HIGHSCHOOL).  Now she is my sissy and I can tell her everything and I hope she has come to realize the same goes for her! We don't get to talk often, but when we do it seems to be a long conversation that always includes a new recipe! Yes the daughter who had to ask Grandma Marcella how to make grilled cheese at 16 can now cook (loved you anyway katie-did).  These are the conversations that make my day...these long drawn out conversations about the little mundane tasks and events in our lives.  I love it when shes here and I REALLY love going to Florida to see her, but trust me a week or two is juuussstt about enough of each other for us.  The main thing I don't like about her living in the Sunshine State is she misses out on sooo much of my kids, well that and she doesn't have a place big enough for all of us and its not on the beach.  She is an amazing Auntie and I feel like my children are really missing out on it with all the miles we have between us. 

So here is my new recipe she really wanted to know about the other night that got me thinking about this...hope you enjoy!!

Stuffed Mushrooms with Shrimp

Tray of mushrooms (about 15-20)                                       2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 Shrimp for every 2 Mushrooms, cut into small pieces        2 tbsp Garlic Powder or Salt
1/2 red bell pepper cut into small pieces                              4 tbsp melted butter
1/8 cup carrot cut into small pieces                                      2 tbsp butter
1 bunch green onion chopped                                              1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheese (i prefer monterey jack)                   1/4 softened cream cheese brick

Clean mushrooms and remove stems.  Cut stems into small pieces and add pepper, carrot, green onion, and seasoning. Cook over medium heat with the 2 tbsp of butter.  When shrimp and veggies are done put into a medium bowl.  Pre-heat oven to 350.  Add cream cheese and shredded cheese and mix, add in bread crumbs slowly unitil forms a ball add 2 tbsp of melted butter and mix in remaining bread crumbs. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.  Fill mushroom caps with mixture and mound on top.  Place mushroom in middle of pan and make sure they are touching.  Sprinkle more shredded cheese over mushrooms and top with palmful of bread crumbs and drizzle remaining melted butter on top.  Bake until cheese has melted and starts to brown!

Just Another Manic Sunday

Ok...so it's already began to sink in.  That feeling on Sunday of  Oh SHIT! I really have to go to work tomorrow.  Every Sunday I know I should be grateful that I have a job...but sorry, here's the reality, I'm kinda just well...not. What I mean is, I'm grateful that I get a paycheck every week, and I'm grateful that I have insurance.  It's just that having to get up and leave my kids and then come home tired and have to clean and cook and take care of all the junk that needs to be done day to day...well, it's getting old. I wish I had more time to play with them and have fun.  I want a week where there is no cleaning and cooking and getting everything ready for work and sitters and daycare. Where I don't have to remember 50 little things that MUST be done or we will be running late in the morning or I will have to come home and do the next night.  It's a lofty goal huh? Well for moms it seems to be! Coming from a house where everything was put away seeming all the time, I feel there's a standard I'm not quite reaching sometimes.  For the most part I can say to myself f-it! Then I will know someone is coming over, or sit here and have a minute and look around and I think, HOLY SHIT!!! How did the house get like this...and where the heck am I going to put all this stuff we seem to accumulate on a daily basis!!!! No matter how much I pick up and put away it seems like it just piles right back up or isn't quite as neat as I started out to make it.

So I have decided something...if it isn't done by 5 it's not getting done on Sunday.  If there's laundry or cleaning forget about it. It's not happening! I am going to take the  time to spend WITH my family, not just beside them.  So lets see how that goes today...1 hour and 1 minute to go.....wish me luck

What will now be know as "The Sharpie Incident"

Life for us on the weekends isn't exactly what it used to be.  I remeber the times when we used to go out with friends (and each other).  With two kids...a 3 year old and a 4 month old...staying at home has become the norm.  Trust me, I'm totally fine with it! Most weekends we just hang out and try to find things for our daughter to do so she stays entertained, this weekend I decided that some much needed cleaning was in my future.  Now Kyla is usually pretty good about playing by herself in her bedroom..on occasion she just needs to time to herself.  Thinking this was what was happening Jon and I enjoyed some relative quiet in the living room. Hahaha, I think most parents know where this is going...   Anyway, she come out with her doll that is pretty much the same size as her..missing it's clothes...and an arm.  What ya doing with that Kyla and where is her arm?  "I took it off" was her cool reply as she grabbed a wipe and headed toward my bedroom.  We generally allow her to play in there since it has the only other tv in it.  A few minutes go by and she comes back for another wipe...Now wait a minute kid, those cost money...what do you need it for anyway? As I walk into my room I'm thinking please tell me she didn't have food in here...That's when I see it, PURPLE Sharpie across one wall...KYLA!!!!! I didn't even know that I OWNED a purple sharpie!! Take her for timeout in her room....MORE PURPLE SHARPIE on the wall!!  Where the heck did this come from??? When I go to pick up the doll I hear something rattle inside it...My darling daughter has invented a genius hiding space for carrying forbidden objects around the house...pop an arm off the doll and voila! perfect place to hide 2 pens and da da da da...a purple sharpie.  Ugh, now to clean it......does anyone have a magic eraser I can borrow?