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December 9, 2007
Like my friend Pam says, we will always have dust, but children…they vanish before our very eyes as they become teenagers and adults. Sometimes I try to leap into the future imagining my kids as adults. Will I do a good job helping them transform into grown-ups? Will I be proud of them? What will we endure to get to that day? Then I’m reminded that I really need to focus on this day…today. And today we played hooky from church because of the ice storm. It’s too treacherous for sledding or a snowman, so I guess it’s cookie time!
Oh, and another thing or two…I just thought I’d share a few of life’s necessities…things that help me get through the day or save time and money:
1. Always have a stash of peanut M&Ms in the office drawer. Have two handfuls while kids are at the neighbor’s house or napping! This is my drug of choice. Chocolate is simply good for the soul.
2. At least 3 pairs of black Huntington pants by Majamas. These are pants that fit during and after pregnancy w/o those ugly baby bag pouches. They just form to your body but are not too tight and they do not look like maternity clothing AT ALL. In fact, they feel invisible. Wear them to work, to bed and to church. You can wash them 100 times and they look like new. There are days when I wear them, then go to sleep in them, then wake up and go again…saves on laundry!!! OK, there was a confession. But hey, there are just some days when it’s not possible to get a shower and be a perfectly polished specimen of womanhood.
3. Ever buy grapes at the store, get them home and 1/2 of them are falling off the vine and rotten in the bottom? Well here’ s my solution. Taste one before you buy the bunch. Are they firm? If yes, take them out of those little holey bags, give them a good shake, and put the tight bunch in a fresh produce bag. Leave the rotten ones at the store and only pay for the crisp ones….especially this time of year when they are so expensive. I have to have grapes for Nathan’s meds in the morning and snacks on the go that don’t make a mess in the van, but I’m a cheapskate and don’t like wasting a dime. So, there’s my grape tip.
4. An easy meal that you can’t goof up:
1 3-5 lb. pot roast w/ the strings around it
2 16 oz. cans of beef broth
pepper, onion powder & paprika to taste (no need for salt, the broth has all you’ll need)
Cut the strings off of the roast. Dump it all in the crock-pot at about 11a.m on medium. By 6p.m. it’ll be falling off the bone and as good as chocolate. If there’s any left after supper, make veggie soup the next day w/ a can of tomatoes and a pile of vegetables that your family will eat. NOTE: DO NOT BOTHER roasting the roast in the oven….ever!!! If you do it in the crock-pot it will be absolutely perfect every time. For sides, do some baked potatoes and steam some veggies. This meal is no fuss and cooks on its own so you can do other stuff. I have friends who insist on searing the meat prior to cooking…don’ t bother. Just dump it in the crock pot!!
OK, that’s all I’ve learned in 20 years of home management. I need all the help I can get, so if you have any great tips, I sure would LOVE to hear them. Fast meals and short cuts especially. There’s way too much to do in life and it’s almost impossible to do it all well. But I’m always trying to do it better.