Are Times Really This Tough?

Today while looking around on Momlogic.com I came across this article about woman learning to give themselves cervical exams. My eyes just about popped out of my head! There are a million DIY projects I would love to try but this is definitely not one! Are times really that tough?

Learning a New Hobby

Six years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to knit. It seemed the whole world was getting into knitting and I felt left out. A lady I worked with was a great knitter and she said it was super easy. She showed me the basics and said it would take lots of practice. I had a book, supplies, needles and determination but it wasn't enough. Mike got a big kick out of watching me get so frustrated. Needless to say, the supplies got sold at a yard sale!
For anyone that doesn't know me well, I am a professed picker. My hands are constantly in motion playing with my hair, messing with my nails, picking at something, rubbing my fingers, scratching an itch or messing with my rings. This has been a huge problem for me my whole life and I have tried to control the urge. Stress just makes everything worse!
Last year I got another itch but this time it was to learn how to crochet. Again, I bought a "teach yourself" book and yarn, got my hopes up and failed again! I am the type of person that has to be shown how to do something. The instructions might as well have been written in french! Thankfully, last week my friend Brooke's mom was in town and knows how to crochet. She brought all her stuff and promised to try teaching me the basics. Thankfully, she is a retired special-ed teacher and good at what she does!

I am still working hard, trying to be consistent, but not sure why it seems to be getting smaller! But hopefully I will figure it all out soon. Crocheting is pretty relaxing. Check back to see how it's going.

Disappointing Recipes

The most difficult part of being a Wanna-Be Domestic Goddess, in my opinion, is dinner time. Somehow I need to come up with a yummy, balanced (OK semi-balanced) meal that will be loved by all. Having a three year old makes this task almost impossibly, especially if he is in a mood!
This week I made quite the menu for the next two weeks. I found a bunch of good recipes in an old Everyday Food (issue 45) magazine that I figured we could try and then some of my staples. The creamy pasta with squash and bacon (pg.28) looked promising since the squash is plentiful this time of year. After burning two fingers in boiling water (not paying attention will get you every time) I got the meal on the table. I followed the recipe and even seasoned more than called for and it was still flat. Don't you hate when that happens? Martha assures me everyday on her show that they test recipes over and over to make sure they work. What happened Martha???? Where was the flavor? If you try this recipe I recommend more garlic, more salt and pepper (lots more) and maybe some other veggies.
This recipe was helpful because I now know how to make a super quick creamy sauce. I hope the rest of my new recipes turn out a little better! Have a delicious week!

Going Private

If you are currently reading this post you are one of the select few. Unfortunately I have to make my blog private this week due to some not nice people. When I started this blog I really didn't intend to post a whole lot of pictures of Liam or my family, but they are my life. My everyday revolves around taking care of them and loving my boys.
Hopefully, one day these people will leave my family alone and I will be able to go public again. Thank you all for understanding.

Mel

Why We Love Where We Live

Another Fun Filled Weekend

The thing we love most about living in Pensacola is all the great festivals and events. Every Thursday evening we go a great park on the bay for music and the sunset. This weekend was the Pensacola Craw fish Festival so we headed there on Saturday. Liam got to hold his first craw fish (alive) and participate in a craw fish race. Our #3 was not the winner but it was pretty funny to watch!





Have you ever had the chance to ride on an African Pygmy Elephant? Well the LeCroy's did and we didn't pass it up! The Zoo of Northwest Florida was hosting two amazing Pygmy Elephants who were in town for the local production of Aida (I think). On Sunday we headed to the zoo bright and early and waited patiently. Mike, Liam and I climbed on Congo, a 31yr old female, and took our short but wonderful ride. The Owner/Trainer who was leading Congo and was super nice and answered our questions.
I am so very proud of Liam for not being scared at all and for being almost as excited as mommy! One of Mike and I parenting goals is to make sure Liam experiences life to the fullest. I think we are doing a pretty good job so far!




To finish out the weekend Liam is taking his first ride in Mike's Jeep with the top off. Surprised? For some reason I never thought it was a good idea to have a fair skinned, wee tot in the back of a jacked up jeep with no top! Call me crazy! Mike needed to run some errands and Liam requested they take the jeep with no top! I guess now that he is 3 he is big enough. Hope they have fun and Liam doesn't get sunburned!

A Great Day!

Liam and I had a crazy busy day on Wednesday. We left the house early for an apt and then we met our play group friends at a restaurant on Pensacola that has a playground. The kids played, we all ate lunch then some of us headed to the beach! The kids had a great time in the water and playing in the sand. There's nothing better than a great sunny Florida day!
On Wednesday evening Baskin Robbins was having their $.31 scoop night! Who can pass up super cheap but delicious ice cream? Not the LeCroy's! The yearly even supports firefighters somehow and they had a local fire truck and firefighters in the parking lot. Ice cream and a fire truck that you can climb all over?! It's every three year old's dream!

3 yr. Check Up

With every birthday comes a trip to the doctor to get weighed and measured. Liam's statement to the nurse was "no shots please!" When I looked at the chart and figured out he didn't need any he danced around in his little gown singing "no shots, no shots ya ya ya!" He cracks me up! He passed all his little cognitive tests with flying colors and even gave the eye chart a shot. Liam found it amusing to make up shapes. He is in the 44Th percentile for his weight at 31lbs and only 14Th percentile for his height at 36 1/4 inches. The doctor is a little concerned about his height and suggested we start giving his miracle grow and hanging his by his toes at night. If all that doesn't help in 6 months we will have to get lifts for his shoes. The Dr. seemed to be OK with his weight even though it was a little below average. He said maybe I shouldn't fix so many balanced meals!

Birthday Success!

Liam's birthday party was a great success full of family, friends and fun! Both sets of grandparents came into town again this year for the party. I have a feeling this will be a yearly trip at the request of the only grandson! Liam loves his Mema, MiMi, Papa and Popcorn and is beside himself when they are all around and the center of every one's world! He must get his need for being the center of attention from Mike! (hhahahahahaha)
The cake turned out pretty well. I really should not have procrastinated and spent more time focused on it than shopping with the mom's. Overall though, I can not complain! I was working on the cake till 11 pm the night before the party. But, I needed to make pico de Gallo and potato salad so I wasn't in bed till midnight. Next time I won't cook when tired because my potato salad and pico were both under seasoned! I would have been kicked out Top Chef for sure!
I just wanted to thank everyone for coming and sharing this special day with our family. (Don't worry you will all still be getting thank you cards! I'm not that cheap!) Hopefully everyone had as much fun as Liam.
And next year, hopefully someone will remember to get a big family picture! Not one picture of all of us...or even a picture of Mike, Liam and I! Guess we need to start hiring a photographer! hehhee

LeCroy Adventures

Mike called me one morning and asked if Liam and I would meet him for lunch. In the past this wasn't a big deal. Mike worked 10 minutes from our house and could come home for lunch if he wanted. He is now working 45 minutes from our house. Liam was game for a little adventure and it was a chance to go to a new park. We had fun and that is what really matters.

"Homemade" Pizza

One of my favorite foods in the World is Pizza! When I lived with my parents Friday night was always pizza night and I got into making it all from scratch! My Aunt Linda's neighbor in Virginia Beach was the most amazing Italian woman! Lillian lived right next door and every memory I have of spending time in Virginia Beach at my Aunt's house involves Lillian. She was the type of neighbor people dream of having. She's hilarious, a FABULOUS cook, and great company on the front porch. I was so sad when she moved to Florida! Any who! Lillian gave me her pizza dough and sauce recipe when I was young. I made it a few times and then started adding my own flare. I think I became quite the pizza maker. When I went off to college my cooking and baking ended. Now that I am a Domestic Goddess and I cook often I love making my own pizza rather than spend $20 every Friday.

Shortcuts are always nice and I have a few to share. For the "homemade" dough I use Rhodes White Bread dough from the freezer section of your grocery store. I always find mine at Walmart. Three loaves of dough for usually $2.50. One loaf of the dough is enough to make a couple pizzas. See the pictures above. All pizzas came from one dough "ball". I also make my own sauce. Store bough sauce would be fine but I am not a fan. I simply use one can of diced tomato and one tiny can of tomato sauce. If you prefer a smooth sauce with no chunk action use one can of tomato sauce. There is always sauce leftover and it's great on pasta.
You will also need some olive oil, garlic (1 or 2 cloves finely chopped), little Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and red pepper flake if you like a little kick. Heat a little Olive oil over medium/medium low. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and garlic. Do not let the garlic brown. After the garlic cooks for a few seconds add your tomatoes and stir. Reduce heat to simmer and let it cook away for a little while. After it reaches a thickness you like, taste and season to your taste. I Chiffonade my basil and add to sauce off the heat. Stir in and let the sauce sit and come down to room temp before using.
Another secret: I use a pampered chef baking stone. I do not own the pizza stone but I use my large bar pan. I put my stone in the oven and then heat my oven to around 425-450. Have all your ingredients ready. Shape your dough, open oven and place dough on the stone and then add sauce and toppings. Bake for around 5-10 min. Just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Hope these shortcuts work for you and that you enjoy!

Easter...Just a Little Late!

Sorry to be so behind! I wanted to post some pictures from Easter Weekend. Liam had a blast and so did Mike and I. We took Liam to the Easter egg hunt at Perdido Kids Park and Liam was very successful. He and Mike got in quick and got out with 30 eggs full of candy. It amazed me how many people rolled into the egg hunt at 10:15 and wondered why all the egg were gone! Liam also got a bumble bee painted on his hand and then we headed to the beach! Every Easter should end with a trip to the beach.

The pictures are a little out of order. It really bugs me how that always happens! Also, please note Liam's pumpkin. We needed something big to put eggs in but closed enough to prevent egg stealing from grabby kids! Liam suggested the pumpkin and it worked great. He was the only kid with a pumpkin!

Yummy Yum Cornbread

Sorry I haven't really made any posts lately but the birthday prep and laziness have been keeping me busy! This morning has been spent baking the first of many cakes. A girlfriend let me borrow a 14*14*2 3/4 cake pan that is awesome! I really didn't want to have to buy a large cake pan just for this occasion especially since I have no place to store another pan! I did some not to perfect calculations and figured two cake mixes should be enough...think again! So I might have to make more than two cakes, but we'll see!
I have a lot of post ideas and want to get them written before I forget. This will be one of probably three posts containing some of my favorite yummy recipes. Growing up I was NEVER a fan of cornbread. The only cornbread I had ever had was usually pretty dry and just...blah! No offence to anyone that has ever served me cornbread over the years! Once Mike and I started living together I got into trying new stuff. I believe I saw Paula Deen make cornbread along the lines of this recipe and I thought...that looks yummy! I don't really use a recipe but I am sure there is one exactly like what I am about to write. This is by no means an original and I do not take credit for it's creation!

You will need:
1 box Jiffy corn muffin Mix
1 8.5 oz can cream style corn
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream (more or less)
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese (use whatever cheese you love. add more or less per your taste)

Blend all ingredients and pour into pan or muffin pan. Bake till golden brown. (15-20 min)

**The jiffy box calls for 1/3 c. milk. You will more than likely not need any of it due to the addition of the cream style corn. But if your batter seems a little too tight add as needed.

This cornbread always turns out moist and the addition of the cream corn adds great texture and the cheese adds gooey yumminess! Enjoy!

An Open Letter To the People In the Fashion Industry Who Design Clothes For Grown Women

An Open Letter To the People In the Fashion Industry Who Design Clothes For Grown Women

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Catch Up Soon!

Sorry I haven't posted anything new this week. Liam and I have been going to lots of play dates and playing at the parks when we don't have play dates. Pensacola has more beautiful, well maintained parks than any city I have lived. Belpre, OH could learn a few things! Maybe there wouldn't be so many fat kids and adults if there were a few more nice parks to play!
The build up to Liam's birthday is starting to intensify! I will start on the cake next week and the grandparents start arriving on Thursday. This year both sets of grandparents have to stay in hotels due to our lack of room. Works out well for everyone! HAHAHA!
The simple menu is planned and the grocery shopping will commence this weekend. I also practiced the painted chocolates yesterday and they turned out great. Now I just have to make a bunch! Birthday's are so fun and I love every aspect! I can't wait for the day that I can profit from my love of planning and making pretty things!

My Opinion...

Please read the story about Biden's Dog before you read my blog enrty.



Lots of people make my blood boil but this story really got to me. Yes, people should save animals from shelters but some people aren't up for the guessing game that comes with some shelter animals. I don't believe in puppy mills and I can't stand the mall pet shop, but I do not fault people for choosing to go to a breeder for their animal of choice. Last time I checked this was a free county (well it was before the socialists took office). With the freedom of America, comes the freedom to choose lots of things. If I choose to pay top dollar for a dog that is my right. Is it wrong to buy a brand new BMW instead of saving a used car from that sleazy lot down the street? Should I by pass shopping at the mall so I can save something from the thrift store?

In my 28 years, I have owned some rescue animals and some animals purchased from a breeder. They were all loved equally and were a part of our family. Let's stop bothering people because we don't like who they bought their dog from and worry more about the state of our Country.

One last parting thought. Please know when you support PETA you are supporting animal KILLERS! That's right folks! While we lived in Virginia Beach, a bunch of PETA people went around to shelters to "SAVE ANIMALS" from being destroyed. Where were those poor animals found? In a dumpster in North Carolina. There are lots of wonderful people in this World saving animals. Support them...not PETA!

The LeCroy Challenge- Week 1

The first week of our family challenge is coming to an end. It has been a little tough but we have done a great job. Liam is still wondering why we are driving by McDonald's without getting nuggets! Thursday night we did decide to make a teeny tiny cheat and go out for an ice cream cone. We only went out because I had a coupon for a buy one/get one free. Liam really enjoyed the treat and so did we!
To help us out I created the diner menu to put on the fridge. Gave me something to do and it looks cute! Who knew I had a menu wizard on my computer!
I hope next week goes as well as this week. Stay tuned to find out.

Party Invites

This is a picture of Liam's birthday invitations. I did that super cool wording on the icomic program on my macbook. Took me a couple days to figure it out and get it they way I wanted, but I think it looks pretty sweet! Graphic designer I am not! Found some fun "Monster Traction" stickers and there you have it! Forgot to take a picture of the flip side. I managed to steal some super cute wording from the internet:

Let’s get it in gear to celebrate
Liam’s 3rd year!

We’ll play some games and eat cake too.

We look forward to spending this special
time with you!

Stay tuned for more!

Planning Has Begun!

  Liam's third birthday is fast approaching.  It's hard to believe that my tiny baby is going to be 3!  Birthdays are super special in my book and I like to go all out!  Last year we had a safari themed party with easily 15-20 kids plus parents. This year, like most everything else, we are downsizing on the number of people.  No fun will be compromised in the downsizing of this party!

  This year's theme came straight from Liam.  He has made up his own term "Monster Traction" to explain anything cool with big tires.  Daddy's jeep, Papa's truck, Tractors, etc.  When asked what he wanted his birthday to be about this year he was quick to say "Monster Traction!"  I designed the invitations and ordered a monster truck pinata.  Now I am on to menu planning and cake conception.

  Liam has made the request for a "Monster Traction" cake.  I tend to be a little TOO ambitious sometimes and told him I would make him a monster truck cake.  I have practiced once but it really didn't look like my vision.  Please keep your fingers crossed that it will all work out.  And keep your fingers crossed for nice weather.  Our new rental is way too small to have more than 6 people inside! hahaha! Not sure what my back up plan is yet!

  Keep your eyes out for future posts on the construction of "Monster Traction" cake! 

Real Housewives of...

  I love the Real Housewives of New York and think it's 100 times better and dramatic than Housewives of OC.  Tonight they showed the preview for R. H. of New Jersey!  I have always heard people joke about Jersey mall hair and I am looking forward to seeing it in it's natural habitat.  Couldn't they have gotten a little further from New York for the next series though?  Aren't some of the R. H. of New York ladies from Jersey?

  Hopefully they will start casting the Real Housewives of Pensacola soon so I can get in on that series.  Think they would be interested in my idea for "The Real Playgroups of ..."  Most Americans do NOT understand the real work that goes into planning a play date or the dynamic personalities that make up the average playgroup.  Plus, there's always some kind of underlying Drama!  Anytime there are more than 5 women in a group there is bound to be drama.  Hell, we are women and we could do what every other "reality" show does and create us some good momma drama!

  Fingers crossed!