Thai Chicken wraps

So I think awhile ago I once said i'd share good recipes with you.  It's been awhile, and i've been cooking, but been forgetting to share.  Here's one you might enjoy:

Ingredients:
Sugar
Rice Vinegar
peanut butter
soy sauce
chicken (cut into strips)
Scallions
Shredded carrots (produce isle in a bag is easiest)
Sesame seeds
1 cucumber sliced thin
Flour tortillas


First:
Mix in a bowl Salad mixture
Carrots (about a cup)
Scallions (about a cup, maybe less)
1 cucumber sliced thin
2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar (i added more, i like this taste)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon of Sesame seeds
Set aside


In another bowl:
Mix 1/2 cup of softened peanut butter
2 tablespoons of soysauce
2 tablespoon rice vingar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Set aside


Cook:
Chicken strips (seasoned to your liking)
Cooked in Soy Sauce (about a couple of tablespoons)
I added a tablesoon of rice vingar and sesame oil. 
When chicken is cooked, drain, and return to stove.
Add in 1/2 Salad mixture (set other half aside),and cook in with chicken only for a few minutes


Heat tortilla briefly (like 20 seconds each side)
Spread peanut sauce on tortilla
add chicken mixture
add left over salad mixture
Roll and enjoy!


Great dish for vegetarians minus the chicken

Boots and red trucks

Ok, so as usual, never fails, has happened every single time I visit my sister in Lake Mary.... today I was haunted by "the boot".  The boot that the fire department guys stalk your window with for "jerrys kids".  Theres always that pressure, of  oh god, am I gonna be the only asshole at this red light that doesn't contribute. 

So im sitting there, watching the boot knock at every window.. I see change and even dollars tossed into black boot, and I just sit, pretending that im distracted by the ghost in my car.  I feel them getting closer and closer.  Im struggling with myself as to whether or not I should throw a penny in or something.  The damn boot got me the last time I visited my sister.  I've already made my contribution.  What about my kids?  My kids gotta eat too. 
I make the decision to pass on my boot contribution.   Not in a confident ,im not giving money to jerrys kids kind of way though.  I acted as though the imaginary ghost in my car dropped something on the pasenger side floor and I had to bend down and get it for him (cause the ghost is a him).  So I spent a good minute, bending over to avoid the boot and firefighter tshirt.  It worked. 
Maybe next time i'll be more graceful.

History Rehab

I remember the days when I could pick a zit on my face and look like the girl from the Noxema commercial the next day. 
Now I do it and grow a perminent scar.



I can go back to a place in my heart where there is nothing but peace, warmth and great memories, like being at grandmas house.
Nothing was better than crawling into her clean crisp sheets at bedtime.


I can still hear the sound of our Italian holidays.
Always a bunch of noise, a million kids (all relatives) running around in circles like bats out of hell, a bunch of men playing poker,the ladies drinking coffee and eating cake.
The main course being served as lasagna, baked ziti, salad, octopus salad (gross), a bunch of fresh fish, fresh hot italian bread, Italian sausage, fresh red sauce that took 17 hours to cook, fresh mozzerella, fresh basil, and more.  
Anyways, now it's me hosting the holidays,
and those little kids running wild are mine!



I still hear Sophias voice at 2yrs old singing Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Now I hear her voice, but its singing to Fergie.



It was just yesterday when I could ride a rollar coaster 5 times and still go back for more.
Now I can barely stomach one round.



I remember hang gliding when I was 20,  free like a bird.
Now, just the thought makes my heart palpitate.



The days of sleeping in until 11am are far gone,and I couldn't sleep past 9am if I tried.



An Amber alert never effected me, not even sure I knew what one was until I had children of my own.



Now I watch Oprah and cry. 



It wasn't long ago that I had no time for tv. Now I have a schedule on which shows to watch on my DVR.



I lost the filter on my mouth.
I think that comes with age and being a mother.



I feel more brave, and uneffected by things.   Another thing that comes along with motherhood, i think.



After the experience of childbirth, it takes a lot to embarass me.



When I bend over my back and knees crack.

I tried to do a cartwheel for my neice the other day, and ended up with sore wrists and a headache.



The last contest I entered was our bake off at work.
It used to be a beer drinking contest.



A "big" night out consists of, 3 girlfriends talking baby talk, who get really over dressed (it is our BIG night out) for dinner, 2 glasses of wine cause if you have 3 your drunk.
Just yesterday it was a party, dancing around at a Michigan Winter show.



Don't get me wrong.  These changes in life are amazing.  Its part of life.  Its inevitable.

It just freaks me out sometimes..
I go through moments where I feel outdated.  Then I panic, but never go in reverse.
I just paint my nails black, blue or pink and out jumps my youth.
I throw a random streak of blonde in my hair to still feel that spunk.
I throw on an old Piebald CD and sing outloud in my car. 



When im feeling really old,  i just take a trip to my old stomping grounds downtown. (which is usually like once every two years)
I then make note, that I can still find the same faces in the same spaces. 
I get my fun fix for awhile, go home and thank god that I am where I am today. 



I love my life!

Dish hands!

Only the best hand lotion ever!  The smell is mild, fresh, and feels so silky.  Highly recommended. 

Gina Cleaner

Remember these guys?  I made my kids watch the Garbage Pail kids Movie this weekend.  They found some interest in it, but not as much as I did!  This officially confirms the fact that I am obsessisive/compulsive about cleaning is because I was meant to be this way...  down to my garbage pail name!

Peanut butter in Wonderland

Just another fabulous, part bitter, part sweet weekend to brag about.


Friday after a long week in hell (work) I was glad to take off my germ infested scrubs and put the week behind me.


  Saturday morning was my turn for breakfast (jack and I take turns)...  which was nothing more than frosted flakes with cut up bananas.  Finally Jackson gave the frosted flakes a whirl, and just as I thought he loved them. 
  I did my normal Saturday morning chores.. and even better ,Sophias at the age where she can scrub a toilet.  She does a fabulous job I might add.  She thinks it's a reward when I hand her a big bowl of water mixed with pinesol, and rag, and order her to clean the tub.  I allow her to think this is a priveledge, followed by $2.00 for her efforts!

  Jack finally washed my car which has been dreaded by myself, since I knew he'd bitch the whole time about how I don't take care of my brand new car (now 3 years old) and how dare I let it get so dirty.. blah blah blah..   but he did a great job and my little beach mobile (mazda 3 hatchback) looked as good as new and ready to hit the town.

  I was also reminded by my children, how the simplest things make children so happy, and makes being a mommy so easy.. when I was rewarded by a hug and a "mommy your the greatest mommy any one can ever have"  for making a strawberry and peanut jelly sandwich and bbq chips for lunch!   If its that easy to be the best mommy ever, I'll take it!!!! 

 My mom was brave gracious enough to take the grandkids to see Alice in Wonderland.  They loved it.  Sophia gets alittle anxious at times, and was worried that it would be too scary.  But to her surprise, it was nothing that she couldn't handle. 
  Jackson came home looking like he played in poop and butter,with chocolate stains and greasy butter all over his shirt.. and mom said she had to fetch Sophia and Shaelyn (my neice) new 3-d glasses twice since they blocked their view on their old pairs with butter fingerprints. 
Mom said it was great, but probably wouldn't do it again!


 Sunday morning, I was woken up by Jack pushing jackson into my bedroom in his stroller, saying
"look Jackson, there's Shamu sleeping"  
 Jackson was pretending he was a baby, going "da da, goo goo ga ga" and they were pretending they were at Seaworld!   I wanted to laugh, but when I rolled over and realized it was only 7:30am, I had a freak out moment, about how I never get to sleep in anymore (sleeping in for me is like 7:45am)  and I scared them to where they went hurrying out of the room, saying "lets go look at the dolphins".  
 Again. He has this whole, "welcome the morning, singing to the birds attitude".  Totally makes me nutz!!!!


  I spent the rest of my day relaxing.  I did some more organizing around the house. Then... Jackson and I took a trip to Walmart, which turned into a disaster.  I knew it would since it was nap time, totally setting myself up. 
  He faught with me, cause he wanted everything in the store. I told him I would only buy him ONE thing, if he was a good boy.  He seemed to have understood that.  I was thinking like a .99cent matchbox car or something, he was thinking more like sneakers.  He settled for spiderman flip flops instead.  
  I thought i was in the clear until they moved the matchbox cars to the front of the store. 
 Sooo, Jackson told me I was a cutie (in his words) and once again I was suckered by his cute face, and let him pick out a car.  
He carefully examined every car, which took about 20 minutes. No exaggeration, and chose the mystery car.  After that we go to check out. Of course he sees the candy (why do they do that to us?) he then told me he didn't want the car (after already opening it) and wants candy instead.  Im already done paying at thsi point and have 2 bags in my hand. I tell him no, and to put the candy down.  Apparently he doesn't like my answer and takes off running.  
So here I am, 2 bags in hand chasing my son through walmart. 
He's a fast little shit stink.  I couldn't keep up..    Im trying to stay calm, yelling his name every five seconds, in a low but firm, mommys not playing with you voice.. but he then takes off down an isle, to where I can't see him.  So now I start to panic.   Finally he calls my name, and he's behind me.  He takes off running again, laughing at me the whole time and this is my time to put it in turbo and grab him. 
I finally catch up, grab his skinny little arm so hard, that he starts screaming.  I take the candy, put it down on some random end cap, and leave the store. 
He cries all the way home, and I listen to my music like I dont even hear him.  Even though I have a splitting headache, and im still catching my breath from my aisle chase. 
Thank god, the minute we got home he told me I was a mean mommy and fell asleep on the floor in his room.

However, I am glad that I didn't completely give into him. It was a struggle, and would have been easiest to buy him that god awful blue sweetner.... but I stood my ground.. who cares if i looked like a complete lunatic, young mother that had no control over her kid..  in the end, I win.  I didn't give in.  I will gain better control next time, by wearing sneakers instead of flip flops!


Hope you had a nice weekend!

Diaries of a mad 5 year old

So as usual I started my morning.. in my usual grumpy demeanor.  Jack and I usuallly stay clear of eachother in the mornings..  Because I wake up on what we'd call the "wrong side of the bed" on a daily.  He wakes up in his words "greeting the morning, welcoming it, with a rise and shine attitude".  I can't understand why or how he wakes up singing to the birds. 
He tells me that im teaching our kids that it's ok to wake up and be grumpy every day. Whatever!!! 
 I've tried the whole rise n shine hello morning attitude, and it didn't work for me.  So i've just accepted the fact that im a grumpy morning person..  why can't he!

Anyways, this morning Sophia seemed to have forgotten the morning routine!  She moved as slow as a snail.  She watched cartoons instead of getting dressed as I asked her to do (so frusterating) even after I told her time and time again, to hurry, we have to leave the house soon. 
Jackson refused to eat his frosted flakes.. didn't even want to try a bite.  I even grabbed the box and was impersonating Tony the Tiger..  even did the "they're grrrreeeeeat" move.  But still, no budge.  So i settled, with a "your stubborn just like your father, so starve" attitude and moved along. 

So, i leave the house in a hurry..  as usual, i've set myself behind.  Between the kids moving like snails, and making beds last minute, i was in a hissy. 

I get to Sophias school, and she hits me with "Mommy,  the first day of school I really liked going to the YMCA in the morning, but now that I know what it feels like, its TORTURE".. ... I respond with "Sophia you have no idea what torture is or feels like, now lets get going".  I mean excuse me for my little to no compassion.. but we've been doing this now for little over 7mths now. Same routine, same time every day.  Lets not mess it up now.  
I kiss her probably about 5 times until I realize that she's just stalling from getting out of the car, and tell her I have to go now or i'm gonna be late and off she goes!

My lovely children really keep me on my toes, always with quotes in which sometimes I don't know how to respond.  Hope your Friday is as eventful as mine has started!