So now he is moping

Isn't that the saddest face ever??? Yesterday, Sonny seemed out of sorts. He wouldn't smile at me or anything. I fixed him an extra special snack--peanut butter on the good bread--and I made him a little toy out of Jason's stinky sock and a tennis ball. Not so much as a lick in thanks. Sheesh, they call me spoiled! LOL!

***

I made homemade tomato soup last night. It was good. I don' think it is something that I will rotate on a regular basis, but it was good for a once-in-a-while thing. I also decided to make bacon sandwiches. I watched Mom bake her bacon over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I thought I could do it too. Looked easy enough. After putting in the oven and waiting what seemed like an eternity, I checked on it. What I saw cooking in my oven reminded me of the movie Better Off Dead. My bacon was slightly translucent, slimy, and an odd shade of green. The only difference between my version and the Mom's version in the movie was that I wasn't boiling it. Jason got home and looked at it sceptically--I couldn't resist saying, "It's got raisins in it. You like raisins."

No one is perfect

(shrug)

I cooked last night. In the crock pot, I admit, but hey! I still cooked. When 6:30 rolled around and the chicken was still not cooked, I ordered pizza. LOL!

I am enjoying looking up recipes. This week's menu will include:

stew
potato soup with dill bread http://www.bread-maker.net/Bread-maker-recipes/Bread-Maker-Recipes/TR900S-dill-bread.htm (Note: instead of water, I add cottage cheese. This makes the bread very similar to the completely from scratch version my Mom makes. Utterly yummy!)
tomato soup with bacon sandwiches http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Tomato-Soup/Detail.aspx
honey curried chicken http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Baked-Chicken-II/Detail.aspx
chicken gorditas
Swedish meatballs
chicken fried steak

Not exactly health food, but a good start. I also coordinated this menu with the specials I found for Kroger at couponmom.com. There will be lots of leftovers to get us through the weekend too!

So, I'm going to cook

(waits for the laughter to die down)

No, really--I am! Every January 1st, I hop on the scale and vow to lose weight. By January 5th, I have given up on dieting and things go back to normal--fast food, junk, candy...crap. (Not literally, silly!) Having been around my 11 year old niece who already has body issues, I decided that I need to change things. If I can't do it for myself, then I can and will do it for my kids. The focus will be less on processed foods and more on simple, yummy whole foods recipes. As the Queen of Heat & Eat, this idea scares and inspires me. I might not lose weight, but my kids will see me preparing and eating more wholesome food.

On a different note, I feel like I have come to the heart and soul of what it is to be a stay-at-home Mom. I feel blessed to be able to do this, especially when the economy is so unsettled. My kids are happier, I am happier. I used to long for something, and I think now what I was longing for was contentment with where I was and what I had. I don't want to waste another precious day of my kids' childhood or the time I have at home with them. For one thing, we are never promised that things won't change. I have this time, and I want to pack it full of good things!