Last week I was actually tagged TWICE to do one of these meme things...
So I've been trying to think up some good stuff to include in the list.
There is some schpeal I am supposed to say and link to people and tag more people... yada, yada, yada... well almost everyone I know has already been tagged at some point so if I have the time I'll just link to their posts. If you are dying to be tagged just pretend I did tag you and have at it.
on to the good stuff... Me
#1 Mrs F procrastinates to an extreme pathological level... this takes the form of "laziness" although it actually isn't. if Mrs F were to go in the cupboard for new toothpaste.. she would 98% of the time open the box take out the tube and put the empty box back in the cupboard... why?.. I don't know! I'll even have a debate with myself while I do it... "throw it out... I know I should but I'll do it LATER... you are crazy throw it out... I know...do it now or you'll never do it... should I?... yes!... I'm not doing it... I can't believe you are a grown up and you are actually putting it back on the shelf!... I know... I'm crazy". It probably has to do with some childhood trauma.
#2 Mrs F is an actual genius.. I am sure none of you are surprised by this. This is obvious upon meeting me in person I assure you. What you may be surprised by is the fact that I feel compelled to take the Tickle IQ tests just to reaffirm the truth and force Mr F to "bear witness" and that I have actually PAID money to have Tickle send me certificates just in case anyone demands quantifiable evidence.
#3 Mr F fell in love with Mrs F on their first date.. no kidding... he cannot even deny this... he was mesmerised by her obvious wit and charm... that and if she was drunk enough you could dare her to lick cars that were parked along the street...
#4 Mrs F has read every book written (cause Mrs F is like that if she has an interest she takes it all the way) by or about Laura Ingalls Wilder...due in part to Kid's own obsession... and all last year Kid spent most of the time in character as Laura... this was fantastic because Laura is much more polite and obedient than Kid! But I feel I must share with you that the real Laura was NOwhere near as cute as those Garth Williams illustrations.. this was a pretty shocking discovery.
#5 Relating to #4 Mrs F is convinced that she would have kicked ass as a pioneer woman. No fucking question. In fact the entire Furious clan might have been the greatest pioneer family of all time...
#6 Mrs F has developed a series of 5 hits to the head that will kill your opponent with a deadly final blow... she practices this on Mr F ALL the time (minus the actual impact... for now)... live in fear people... live in fear
#7 Mrs F despite all her smack talk is surprisingly skilled in most traditional "homemaking" arts. If you popped over to Mrs F's house there is a pretty good chance she would actually be wearing an apron.
Ooooh Bonus info:
#8 Mr & Mrs F often break out in spontaneous clap offs... yeah... it is probably exactly like what you are imagining.
#9 Mrs F fled an armed robbery last year when she was 8 months pregnant... you've never seen a pegnant woman move so fast! Thank god I had been watching "The Nine" so I was able to think on my toes and make for a quick escape!
#10 Mrs F yearns for some kind of religious or cultural connection.... which probably explains her obsession with the Amish... and the Swedes (kind of)... and is why she keeps trying churches despite not really being a "believer".
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Mrs Furious is So Mad That She Is... Well... Furious!
Goddammit! I am so fucking pissed that if you are sensitive to a lot of swearing you might want to skip this post. Goddamn Mother Fucking Doctor! Arrggghh... I'm actually shaking from adrenaline I am so mad.
Here is the deal...
Today I took both girls into the pediatrician for their well visit check ups. The Furious Clan has chosen a particular "liberal" minded pediatric practice that is supportive of some of our family practices, co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. Our first pediatrician, with Kid, was not supportive of these choices and often pushed us into making medical decisions we were not comfortable with. After a TERRIBLE vaccination reaction to her MMR shot at her 12 month check up we switched to our new doctors. Our new practice has two doctors. They both have good and bad points and I have a hard time deciding which one I want to see for what kind of appointments. Today I made the wrong mother fucking choice.
Being the highly educated mother that I am I have thoughtfully, and by thoughtfully I do mean "with serious fucking thought", chosen an alternate vaccination schedule for Baby. Let me make one thing perfectly clear... I am not asking you for your opinion on this, just like I wasn't asking my goddamn doctor for his... so I really don't care if you agree with this or not. When you have a kid with a neurological disorder... who just happened to have terrible vaccine reactions then you can get back to me with your opinion of mandated vaccines. I didn't say I am NOT vaccinating Baby... I said I am following an alternate schedule.
So our appointments are going fine. I know "Fucking Doctor" (as he will be known) is a strong vaccine proponent so I was some what hesitant as we approached the end of our appointments... but although he doesn't agree with me I didn't expect what was about to go down.
me "ummm... "Fucking Doctor" I'm just gonna give Baby the DTap and Hib today and give Kid the Tetanus Booster (Kid is actually all caught up)
FD "is there a reason you have chosen those"
me "yes I'm following an alternate schedule"
FD " where did you get your schedule"
me "I have done research"
FD "that's not what I asked.. where did you get it"
me (somewhat peeved at the weird pressure) "I'm following a schedule from one of the Sears doctors"
FD kind of smirks "that's fine...it is CRUEL... but that's fine"
me... starting to shake and tear up because I hate confrontation... " "Fucking Doctor" do NOT tell me it is CRUEL, beating your kids is CRUEL, abusing your children is CRUEL... following an alternate vaccine schedule is not CRUEL!! I know plenty of people who bring their kids here and follow alternate schedules and there are other doctors in this office who do not challenge that. I know you don't agree with me... but when you have a child with a neurological disorder, and you have an auto immune disease, not to mention your child had every conceivable negative reaction to all her vaccinations... following an alternate schedule is not CRUEL it is thoughtful parenting!"
FD "I don't need your money if you want a different doctor that is okay"
me "If you aren't going to follow my schedule then I won't vaccinate them at all today... this is already a compromise for me. There are MANY people and doctors who do NOT believe in following the mandated schedule I am an intelligent well informed mother. You do not have to agree with me but that does not make me CRUEL. "Fucking Doctor" that is disrespectful. Do NOT ever tell me that being an informed parent makes me CRUEL."
FD "okay (he was like the calmest person ever throughout all this) I still want to work with you... you guys are some of my favorite patients.."
me "Fine... do not challenge me on this."
My children proceeded to get their respective shots... I said thank you... and left the building.
FYI
The US vaccination schedule was developed to follow the early childhood well visit check ups because it meant that more children would have access to vaccines and they would be easier to track and manage as a series. This means that babies get 4 shots every 3 months. All of these shots have side effects some children are more sensitive to these than others. Either way their little bodies must fight off the vaccines as they develop antibodies to the "viruses"... which is a lot for them to do four at a time. If you have adequate health care coverage and continue to take your children in for well visits there is no reason why you cannot follow a slower and or alternate vaccination schedule. As I said Kid is actually fully vaccinated. Many vaccines need a "booster" ... not if you postpone them... some of those you can actually receive when they are older and avoid needing to boost it. "Fucking Doctor's" take is that Baby will remember getting vaccinated at 2 years old and have a fear of the doctor... why that is "cruel" I do not know. In fact Kid was able to get caught up last year and have 3 vaccines placed in one shot... making it ... one shot... so that seems less painful than the three shots that would have been had she had them when she was younger... but maybe that's just me being... logical! Having a child who has had surgeries, and spinal taps, CT scans, MRIs, etc and still is not afraid of the doctor or the hospital kind of negates this theory to me. The Baby might not remember the pain... but she still feels it... and not everyone agrees with the benefits versus the risks of some vaccines. Just ask anyone you know with an autistic child. Always be informed of your child's medical treatment. That is the definition of good parenting.
Here is the deal...
Today I took both girls into the pediatrician for their well visit check ups. The Furious Clan has chosen a particular "liberal" minded pediatric practice that is supportive of some of our family practices, co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. Our first pediatrician, with Kid, was not supportive of these choices and often pushed us into making medical decisions we were not comfortable with. After a TERRIBLE vaccination reaction to her MMR shot at her 12 month check up we switched to our new doctors. Our new practice has two doctors. They both have good and bad points and I have a hard time deciding which one I want to see for what kind of appointments. Today I made the wrong mother fucking choice.
Being the highly educated mother that I am I have thoughtfully, and by thoughtfully I do mean "with serious fucking thought", chosen an alternate vaccination schedule for Baby. Let me make one thing perfectly clear... I am not asking you for your opinion on this, just like I wasn't asking my goddamn doctor for his... so I really don't care if you agree with this or not. When you have a kid with a neurological disorder... who just happened to have terrible vaccine reactions then you can get back to me with your opinion of mandated vaccines. I didn't say I am NOT vaccinating Baby... I said I am following an alternate schedule.
So our appointments are going fine. I know "Fucking Doctor" (as he will be known) is a strong vaccine proponent so I was some what hesitant as we approached the end of our appointments... but although he doesn't agree with me I didn't expect what was about to go down.
me "ummm... "Fucking Doctor" I'm just gonna give Baby the DTap and Hib today and give Kid the Tetanus Booster (Kid is actually all caught up)
FD "is there a reason you have chosen those"
me "yes I'm following an alternate schedule"
FD " where did you get your schedule"
me "I have done research"
FD "that's not what I asked.. where did you get it"
me (somewhat peeved at the weird pressure) "I'm following a schedule from one of the Sears doctors"
FD kind of smirks "that's fine...it is CRUEL... but that's fine"
me... starting to shake and tear up because I hate confrontation... " "Fucking Doctor" do NOT tell me it is CRUEL, beating your kids is CRUEL, abusing your children is CRUEL... following an alternate vaccine schedule is not CRUEL!! I know plenty of people who bring their kids here and follow alternate schedules and there are other doctors in this office who do not challenge that. I know you don't agree with me... but when you have a child with a neurological disorder, and you have an auto immune disease, not to mention your child had every conceivable negative reaction to all her vaccinations... following an alternate schedule is not CRUEL it is thoughtful parenting!"
FD "I don't need your money if you want a different doctor that is okay"
me "If you aren't going to follow my schedule then I won't vaccinate them at all today... this is already a compromise for me. There are MANY people and doctors who do NOT believe in following the mandated schedule I am an intelligent well informed mother. You do not have to agree with me but that does not make me CRUEL. "Fucking Doctor" that is disrespectful. Do NOT ever tell me that being an informed parent makes me CRUEL."
FD "okay (he was like the calmest person ever throughout all this) I still want to work with you... you guys are some of my favorite patients.."
me "Fine... do not challenge me on this."
My children proceeded to get their respective shots... I said thank you... and left the building.
FYI
The US vaccination schedule was developed to follow the early childhood well visit check ups because it meant that more children would have access to vaccines and they would be easier to track and manage as a series. This means that babies get 4 shots every 3 months. All of these shots have side effects some children are more sensitive to these than others. Either way their little bodies must fight off the vaccines as they develop antibodies to the "viruses"... which is a lot for them to do four at a time. If you have adequate health care coverage and continue to take your children in for well visits there is no reason why you cannot follow a slower and or alternate vaccination schedule. As I said Kid is actually fully vaccinated. Many vaccines need a "booster" ... not if you postpone them... some of those you can actually receive when they are older and avoid needing to boost it. "Fucking Doctor's" take is that Baby will remember getting vaccinated at 2 years old and have a fear of the doctor... why that is "cruel" I do not know. In fact Kid was able to get caught up last year and have 3 vaccines placed in one shot... making it ... one shot... so that seems less painful than the three shots that would have been had she had them when she was younger... but maybe that's just me being... logical! Having a child who has had surgeries, and spinal taps, CT scans, MRIs, etc and still is not afraid of the doctor or the hospital kind of negates this theory to me. The Baby might not remember the pain... but she still feels it... and not everyone agrees with the benefits versus the risks of some vaccines. Just ask anyone you know with an autistic child. Always be informed of your child's medical treatment. That is the definition of good parenting.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Mom You're Always Online!
Yeah that's true...
except:
when I'm nursing the baby
changing her diaper
dressing her
making my breakfast
feeding the baby
taking a shower
getting dressed
making your breakfast
getting you dressed
making my shopping list
making your lunch
taking you to school
doing errands
doing the laundry
nursing the baby
putting the baby to sleep
putting away the groceries
changing the baby's diaper
feeding the baby
eating lunch
picking you up from school
paying bills
vacuuming
nursing the baby
putting the baby to sleep
feeding the baby
reading you books
dancing with you
crafting you heirloom quality nylon pigs
making dinner
eating dinner
working out
and nursing the baby...
but yeah the rest of the time I'm ALWAYS online!
except:
when I'm nursing the baby
changing her diaper
dressing her
making my breakfast
feeding the baby
taking a shower
getting dressed
making your breakfast
getting you dressed
making my shopping list
making your lunch
taking you to school
doing errands
doing the laundry
nursing the baby
putting the baby to sleep
putting away the groceries
changing the baby's diaper
feeding the baby
eating lunch
picking you up from school
paying bills
vacuuming
nursing the baby
putting the baby to sleep
feeding the baby
reading you books
dancing with you
crafting you heirloom quality nylon pigs
making dinner
eating dinner
working out
and nursing the baby...
but yeah the rest of the time I'm ALWAYS online!
This Is The Last Time... I Swear
Today is it... this is your last chance to place a vote for dear old me.
I would like to say that although I'm fighting for 6th place... the amount of votes I have received after blogging for a little over three months is amazing and I am truly grateful to all of you... especially those of you have found a way to vote for me more than once a day!
And a big thanks to Mr Furious who originally nominated me for the weblog award and has shamelessly plugged me all over the blogosphere!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
You Might Want A Gas Mask For That One
Mrs F leans down and smells Baby's diaper and then announces to Mr F...
"Let me tell you who isn't changing that diaper."
"Did she get her poop out?" Mr F asks
"Well... it smells like Hell in there..." Mrs F replies
It May Not Be A Weblog Award But....
Deb over at Missives From Suburbia sent me this...
As I'm sure you ALL know I've been suffering a massive beat down over at the Weblog Awards (KEEP VOTING SO I DON"T HAVE TO KILL MYSELF OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT) so this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem waiting for me.
And Frankly you can take your 5th... okay... maybe 7th... place finish over at the "big time" award I'm happy just to make Deb smile! No... really... I am... (but also keep voting... I'd still be happy not to finish in last place.)
So now to the good part where I get to turn around and bestow this most magnificant honor onto the likes of you....
First I'd like to give this to HEATHER... because she is laughing with me and not at me...most of the time.
I'd also like to bestow this fine honor on EURYDICE... because she reminds me of myself many moons ago when I too was single in the city (but she swears less)
And last but not least this one goes out to KATIEO... who has single-handedly built my readership up by a more than a few hundred readers and to whom I am eternally grateful for all her support!
Not that I don't appreciate all your support.. I do... now go VOTE!
As I'm sure you ALL know I've been suffering a massive beat down over at the Weblog Awards (KEEP VOTING SO I DON"T HAVE TO KILL MYSELF OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT) so this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem waiting for me.
And Frankly you can take your 5th... okay... maybe 7th... place finish over at the "big time" award I'm happy just to make Deb smile! No... really... I am... (but also keep voting... I'd still be happy not to finish in last place.)
So now to the good part where I get to turn around and bestow this most magnificant honor onto the likes of you....
First I'd like to give this to HEATHER... because she is laughing with me and not at me...most of the time.
I'd also like to bestow this fine honor on EURYDICE... because she reminds me of myself many moons ago when I too was single in the city (but she swears less)
And last but not least this one goes out to KATIEO... who has single-handedly built my readership up by a more than a few hundred readers and to whom I am eternally grateful for all her support!
Not that I don't appreciate all your support.. I do... now go VOTE!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Mrs F Takes Mr F To Task
"These spoons are dirty" Mrs F informs Mr F
"What spoons" Mr F replies
"The spoons from the drawer." Mrs F explains somewhat annoyed
"Oh... those might be the ones that got cake batter on them.." Mr F hypothesizes
"Oh these are way beyond cake batter" Mrs F makes clear
"Oh those must be the ones I put up my butt" Mr F retorts
"What spoons" Mr F replies
"The spoons from the drawer." Mrs F explains somewhat annoyed
"Oh... those might be the ones that got cake batter on them.." Mr F hypothesizes
"Oh these are way beyond cake batter" Mrs F makes clear
"Oh those must be the ones I put up my butt" Mr F retorts
This Week The Plan
It's Tuesday so you know what that means... my one day late weekly plan!
Last week went pretty well.... I was really worried about all the meat I bought when I ended up making Meatball Soup at Kid's request for her birthday bumping my menu back a bit. But I sucked it up and did more cooking on the weekend and for the first time... in a long time... I didn't have to throw anything out.
I feel sufficiently recovered from all the birthday craziness and from the time change (which had sucked my life force out of me for a while there) and am ready to bust out some good workouts this week. I didn't quite meet my lofty exercise goals last week. I hoped for 3 - 30 minute interval sessions and 3 - 60 minute sessions. I did 2- 60 minute sessions and 3- 30 minute sessions. This was my first time trying to do shorter more intense workouts. I'm not feelin' it and don't intend to do them again. First of all I'm already doing interval training in my 60 minute workouts and even with running for my intervals I just didn't feel the same kind of overall burn that I do from a longer session. Plus it was harder to find MORE days to workout then to just workout LONGER on a few days. Lesson learned.
I was fairly out of control with my eating this past week... but the good news is that it didn't effect my weight. I have by the way updated my weight on the sidebar.. I had kind of let that sit at 112.. cause... well.. I was waiting to see if that was a weird fluke weigh-in or not. Two weeks later I can attest it was a fluke.. I must have had the emptiest bowels of all time that day. I've been pretty consistently between 114 and 114.4 the past few weeks. I perfectly happy with that and think it is a realistic maintenance weight. Now I'd really like to work on lowering my body fat percentage, which hasn't budged in a while... maybe it won't while I'm nursing. I'd also like to drastically reduce my sugar intake.. it has kind of been a sugar free-for-all around here and I'm not feeling any better for it!
As for cleaning I really didn't do any. I did the laundry and am happy to report I have successfully removed the burger grease from my sweatshirt! Yay!
Oh and I wrote all of the thank you notes and got Kid to sign then and mailed them!! Triumph!
Okay on to this week...
Menu:
Monday - Pork Tenderloin sandwiches with Apple Butter and Horseradish on Homemade Bread with Salad
Tuesday - Meatball Soup (FYI.. I now use Trader Joes "party meatballs" & Trader Joes "organic creamy tomato soup")
Wednesday - Kid and Mr F date night
Thursday - Tortellini Sauteed with Bacon and Steamed Broccoli
Friday - Go out with girls and my mom
Saturday - Pizza Night
Sunday - Homemade Meatballs with Spaghetti and Broccoli (plus freeze 4 batches!)
Exercise:
Okay I'm planning to do 4 - 60 minute cardio sessions and 1 - 60 minute pilates session.
Cleaning:
I need to put away all the clothes.
I need to put away all the Halloween decorations.
To Do:
I want to update both Kid and Baby's memory books... I'm falling really behind!
I need to file my paperwork.
Make vet appointment for Canine Furious
Let's be realistic.. that is all I could possibly accomplish in one week.. especially with Mr F going out of town!!
Last week went pretty well.... I was really worried about all the meat I bought when I ended up making Meatball Soup at Kid's request for her birthday bumping my menu back a bit. But I sucked it up and did more cooking on the weekend and for the first time... in a long time... I didn't have to throw anything out.
I feel sufficiently recovered from all the birthday craziness and from the time change (which had sucked my life force out of me for a while there) and am ready to bust out some good workouts this week. I didn't quite meet my lofty exercise goals last week. I hoped for 3 - 30 minute interval sessions and 3 - 60 minute sessions. I did 2- 60 minute sessions and 3- 30 minute sessions. This was my first time trying to do shorter more intense workouts. I'm not feelin' it and don't intend to do them again. First of all I'm already doing interval training in my 60 minute workouts and even with running for my intervals I just didn't feel the same kind of overall burn that I do from a longer session. Plus it was harder to find MORE days to workout then to just workout LONGER on a few days. Lesson learned.
I was fairly out of control with my eating this past week... but the good news is that it didn't effect my weight. I have by the way updated my weight on the sidebar.. I had kind of let that sit at 112.. cause... well.. I was waiting to see if that was a weird fluke weigh-in or not. Two weeks later I can attest it was a fluke.. I must have had the emptiest bowels of all time that day. I've been pretty consistently between 114 and 114.4 the past few weeks. I perfectly happy with that and think it is a realistic maintenance weight. Now I'd really like to work on lowering my body fat percentage, which hasn't budged in a while... maybe it won't while I'm nursing. I'd also like to drastically reduce my sugar intake.. it has kind of been a sugar free-for-all around here and I'm not feeling any better for it!
As for cleaning I really didn't do any. I did the laundry and am happy to report I have successfully removed the burger grease from my sweatshirt! Yay!
Oh and I wrote all of the thank you notes and got Kid to sign then and mailed them!! Triumph!
Okay on to this week...
Menu:
Monday - Pork Tenderloin sandwiches with Apple Butter and Horseradish on Homemade Bread with Salad
Tuesday - Meatball Soup (FYI.. I now use Trader Joes "party meatballs" & Trader Joes "organic creamy tomato soup")
Wednesday - Kid and Mr F date night
Thursday - Tortellini Sauteed with Bacon and Steamed Broccoli
Friday - Go out with girls and my mom
Saturday - Pizza Night
Sunday - Homemade Meatballs with Spaghetti and Broccoli (plus freeze 4 batches!)
Exercise:
Okay I'm planning to do 4 - 60 minute cardio sessions and 1 - 60 minute pilates session.
Cleaning:
I need to put away all the clothes.
I need to put away all the Halloween decorations.
To Do:
I want to update both Kid and Baby's memory books... I'm falling really behind!
I need to file my paperwork.
Make vet appointment for Canine Furious
Let's be realistic.. that is all I could possibly accomplish in one week.. especially with Mr F going out of town!!
The Donkey Pig
So this is what I've been up to this afternoon...
While the Baby slept I lovingly crafted (okay there were some threats being muttered) this nylon pig as described in one of Kid's books. As soon as I finished... 80 freaking minutes later... Kid (who instead of helping decided to slowly drive me crazy by loudly humming and spreading "fluff" around our house) pronounced... "Mom why did you make me a donkey pig?"
While the Baby slept I lovingly crafted (okay there were some threats being muttered) this nylon pig as described in one of Kid's books. As soon as I finished... 80 freaking minutes later... Kid (who instead of helping decided to slowly drive me crazy by loudly humming and spreading "fluff" around our house) pronounced... "Mom why did you make me a donkey pig?"
Monday, November 5, 2007
Three More Days People
Don't forget to VOTE... Every. Damn. Day.
Okay I might not take home "Best New Blog" but I can still hope for... say... "5th Best New Blog"... so don't give up on me just yet!
Okay I might not take home "Best New Blog" but I can still hope for... say... "5th Best New Blog"... so don't give up on me just yet!
Do You Hear What I Hear
So every morning after Halloween when Kid has gotten up and settled herself on the couch while she "wakes up" I have been turning the radio on to our easy listening station to see if they have started playing their non-stop Christmas music programming. Last year the start date was the day after Halloween. I was initially completely shocked and appalled by that but if you know kids they love Christmas music... is that not a universal truth? it certainly is around here... and hey who am I to keep the kid from something so joyful. Unfortunately I've been basing this decision on last year and that was back in the good old days when I only had one kid so I actually left the house. It never occurred to me what a mistake turning that shit on in the house might turn out to be.
And not to turn you all off of having multiple children I should make it clear that having two kids isn't that much harder... it is just that this second kid is a crazy baby... or maybe it is all the crack that comes through my breastmilk... what I'm not the only mom who is smoking crack to stay awake right... Right?!?!
Well anyway this morning I turn it on kind of as a "hey lets check", they hadn't started it yet so I kind of thought maybe they had pushed it back due to massive complaints or something, well lo and behold they started it. I realized what a HUGE mistake I had made about a few beats into the FIRST fucking song... some Mariah Carey song. Mariah it is nothing personal.. but it is 8 in the morning and this is just not what I want in the background. Now I made my bed on this one and I pretty much have to listen to it ALL freaking day now. I don't know why I ever did this. I mean checking on the car radio would be one thing... but now I'm going to have to listen to this shitty Christmas rotation All. The. Fucking. Time. And if you are wondering why I don't just shut it off... well then you don't have a five year old who is perfectly capable of turning on the radio her own damn self!
Just when everything seemed dismal and potentially homicidal making Kid says "Now that you are putting the Baby down you can read me a book." Like the terrible mother I am I whine (yes really) "Ummm I haven't even finished my coffee" I was feeling a little guilty and just then the Charlie Brown Christmas Song came on and I said "Oh it's Charlie Brown!" Kid was sufficiently diverted and I thought "hmm this might not be so bad after all"
And not to turn you all off of having multiple children I should make it clear that having two kids isn't that much harder... it is just that this second kid is a crazy baby... or maybe it is all the crack that comes through my breastmilk... what I'm not the only mom who is smoking crack to stay awake right... Right?!?!
Well anyway this morning I turn it on kind of as a "hey lets check", they hadn't started it yet so I kind of thought maybe they had pushed it back due to massive complaints or something, well lo and behold they started it. I realized what a HUGE mistake I had made about a few beats into the FIRST fucking song... some Mariah Carey song. Mariah it is nothing personal.. but it is 8 in the morning and this is just not what I want in the background. Now I made my bed on this one and I pretty much have to listen to it ALL freaking day now. I don't know why I ever did this. I mean checking on the car radio would be one thing... but now I'm going to have to listen to this shitty Christmas rotation All. The. Fucking. Time. And if you are wondering why I don't just shut it off... well then you don't have a five year old who is perfectly capable of turning on the radio her own damn self!
Just when everything seemed dismal and potentially homicidal making Kid says "Now that you are putting the Baby down you can read me a book." Like the terrible mother I am I whine (yes really) "Ummm I haven't even finished my coffee" I was feeling a little guilty and just then the Charlie Brown Christmas Song came on and I said "Oh it's Charlie Brown!" Kid was sufficiently diverted and I thought "hmm this might not be so bad after all"
Sunday, November 4, 2007
A Gentle Reminder
If you are here reading this... don't forget to go HERE when you are done and place another vote for Mrs Furious.
It Is Officially Comfort Food Season
This is my beef stew recipe. It reminds me of the stew I grew up having, although I have no idea how my mom made her stew. This is a thick meat and potatoes style stew. Nothing like a Boeuf Bourguignon if that's what stew means to you. I have changed things bit by bit over the years adding sweet potato as a thickening agent and a touch of molasses to the beef broth. The molasses really enhances the depth of flavor without being overly noticeable. This is delicious.
Sweet Potato And Molasses Beef Stew
1 lb stew meat (I cut this into smaller 1/2" chunks)
1/3 c flour
1 t paprika
1/2 t ground thyme
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
place the flour and spices in a large Ziploc bag and mix together. Add the meat and shake to coat thoroughly.
1.5 T oil
Heat a large skillet with 1 T oil. Add a third of the coated meat and brown on all sides. Place the browned meat in a stock pot and then repeat the process with the rest of the meat adding the remaining oil to the pan as needed. You are just searing the meat you are not trying to cook it all the way through... it is okay if parts are still uncooked!
2 c beef broth
1 T molasses
2 bay leaves
Add the beef broth to cover the meat. Stir in the molasses and add the bay leaves. Heat the mixture up to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer this for 1 hour.
1.5 c diced sweet potato, peeled & cut into roughly 1/4" cubes (one medium sweet potato)
After the stew has simmered for 1 hour add 1 cup of the sweet potato and reserve the remaining 1/2 c. Return the stew to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for another 1/2 hour.
1 c carrot, peeled & cut into 1/2" pieces (about 2 medium carrots)
3/4 c celery, cut into 1/2" pieces ( about 2 stalks trimmed)
1/2 c smooth fleshed potato (like yukon gold), peeled & cut into 1/2" pieces (one medium potato)
After the stew has simmered with the sweet potato for 1/2 hour stir the stew and break up (kind of mash with a fork) the softened sweet potato. Add the remaining 1/2 c sweet potato and the rest of the diced vegetables. Return the stew to a simmer and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 1/2 hour more. Remove the bay leaves and season the stew to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Makes 4 good sized portions at 358 calories a serving.
This takes a total of 2.5 hours to make. The initial prep of the meat including browning takes about 15 minutes, then once that is simmering I cut up all my vegetables, which takes another 15 minutes. The rest of the cooking is essentially hands off... it is really not as labor intensive as it sounds! Also the flavors really intensify overnight so the leftovers are even better! On that note you could also make this ahead and reheat it when you are ready to serve.
I should note this stew gets thicker as it simmers... feel free to keep it on a low simmer until you are ready to serve. If it isn't as thick as you want just mash up the some more of the sweet potato and potato chunks... I prefer this to adding a little cornstarch (which of course you could do, but I don't like the consistency as much that way) You will find your leftovers are very thick, you can thin this out with some leftover beef broth when you are reheating it.
Sweet Potato And Molasses Beef Stew
1 lb stew meat (I cut this into smaller 1/2" chunks)
1/3 c flour
1 t paprika
1/2 t ground thyme
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
place the flour and spices in a large Ziploc bag and mix together. Add the meat and shake to coat thoroughly.
1.5 T oil
Heat a large skillet with 1 T oil. Add a third of the coated meat and brown on all sides. Place the browned meat in a stock pot and then repeat the process with the rest of the meat adding the remaining oil to the pan as needed. You are just searing the meat you are not trying to cook it all the way through... it is okay if parts are still uncooked!
2 c beef broth
1 T molasses
2 bay leaves
Add the beef broth to cover the meat. Stir in the molasses and add the bay leaves. Heat the mixture up to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer this for 1 hour.
1.5 c diced sweet potato, peeled & cut into roughly 1/4" cubes (one medium sweet potato)
After the stew has simmered for 1 hour add 1 cup of the sweet potato and reserve the remaining 1/2 c. Return the stew to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for another 1/2 hour.
1 c carrot, peeled & cut into 1/2" pieces (about 2 medium carrots)
3/4 c celery, cut into 1/2" pieces ( about 2 stalks trimmed)
1/2 c smooth fleshed potato (like yukon gold), peeled & cut into 1/2" pieces (one medium potato)
After the stew has simmered with the sweet potato for 1/2 hour stir the stew and break up (kind of mash with a fork) the softened sweet potato. Add the remaining 1/2 c sweet potato and the rest of the diced vegetables. Return the stew to a simmer and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 1/2 hour more. Remove the bay leaves and season the stew to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Makes 4 good sized portions at 358 calories a serving.
This takes a total of 2.5 hours to make. The initial prep of the meat including browning takes about 15 minutes, then once that is simmering I cut up all my vegetables, which takes another 15 minutes. The rest of the cooking is essentially hands off... it is really not as labor intensive as it sounds! Also the flavors really intensify overnight so the leftovers are even better! On that note you could also make this ahead and reheat it when you are ready to serve.
I should note this stew gets thicker as it simmers... feel free to keep it on a low simmer until you are ready to serve. If it isn't as thick as you want just mash up the some more of the sweet potato and potato chunks... I prefer this to adding a little cornstarch (which of course you could do, but I don't like the consistency as much that way) You will find your leftovers are very thick, you can thin this out with some leftover beef broth when you are reheating it.
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