Vegetable Soup

This is a dish you're going to want to start fairly early in the day. Also, if you're not a huge vegetble fan, give this a try....you may like it.

1. First off you want to get a large pot ( I use a 6 quart pot but sometimes I use the 6 quart and the 4 quart ).
2. Wash your Rump Roast 
3. Fill the pot with water so it's about an inch to inch and a half over the roast
4. Cook the roast completely adding water when necessary (20 minutes per pound if thawed or 30 minutes per pound if frozen)
5. Remove roast onto carving platter to cool
6. Leave water in pot and add to it a 46 ounce bottle of tomato juice. 
7. Slice the cabbage any way you choose (I do mine in strips) 
8. Add the cabbage to the pot of tomato juice/ roast water mixture
9. Cook cabbage for about 15 minutes 
10. Then add any other vegetables you like in any amount you like ( I add corn, green beans and carrots)
11. Herbs and Seasonings I like to use (not necessarily all together but with the vegetable soup on different occasion) are : Flat Leaf Parsley, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper. 

Ingredient List

Rump Roast

Tomato Juice

Cabbage

Corn

Green Beans 

Carrots
Garlic
Salt 

Pepper

Kendra's Vegetable Soup

Hope you enjoy it!

Simple Cream of Wheat

This isn't necessarily a fantastic recipe from scratch but my husband has pointed out to me on multiple occasions that it's the best cream of wheat he's ever had and he's never heard of anyone eating it this way. So, as I post how my family has always eaten it, please leave a comment and let me know how you eat yours? Is this really as unique as he makes it seem?

Make Cream of Wheat per directions on box (the recipe will begin with cooked Cream of Wheat)

1. "Plop" hot Cream of Wheat into bowl you intend to eat out of
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine 
3. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar or sugar substitute 
4. Add 1/4 cup of milk
5. Stir until not clumpy

And for your personal preference you may want to microwave it a little to warm it back up. But if you're feeding it to kids, it's the perfect temperature.

Please let me know how you eat your Cream of Wheat!

Happy Eating and Drinking!

Where does the time go?

Seriously? Where does it go?

My little boy turned 5 years old yesterday and I'm heartbroken and sick to my stomach all at the same time over it. I don't want him to get older. I just want it to be today forever.

On top of everything else, I have to finish up last minute shopping for his party. STRESSFUL! When people ask "What should I get him?" I just want to answer, "How about you just host the party and that'll do?!?

I'm going to try doing a lego cake in FONDANT. Not just yucky store bought fondant but homemade fondant. Am I crazy? I need this cake. I need this cake to be perfect. Maybe no one else will care about the cake, but it's becoming a personal mission to make it perfect. Josie's cake last year turned out pretty good but I just used regular old buttercream. Fondant is scary. (Sidenote: I'm so tired I just mistyped "scary" 5 times and each time I retyped it I spelled it the same way)

I should be up cleaning right now. Or at least attempt to brush my sweet child's hair, speaking of hair , Malakai needs a haircut before Saturday. Jeez, my to do list never seems to lessen. Every time I get something accomplished I add two on.

Oh the joys of Mommyhood!

PS: Anyone have any tips for a fondant virgin? Send em my way.....PUH-LEASE!


Edited to add photo of actual birthday cake.

testing, testing....1,2,3

Helicopter Mommies

So, I've been labeled. I'm a "Helicopter" Mom. On the Dr. Phil show yesterday it was all about parenting styles, and thus how I got my label.

Apparently, there are lots of different "labels", and I'll go over them later but what bothered me about the whole thing was how because Dr. Phil was a "Free Range" parent he kind of laughed at the "Helicopter" parents. I was, until yesterday, a HUGE fan of the Dr. Phil show. But to be honest, it was  kind of like one of my really good friends making fun of me. So I'm still a little bitter. So here are the style/ labels.

"Helicopter" - Parents that are extremely involved in their children's lives. Drive them to and from places. Don't generally let children go unsupervised.

Quiz - Are you a Helicopter Parent?

"Free-Range" - Parents that let their children make decisions. Parents that trust their children to be alone or go places alone.

I think this is total BS. I don't need to be analyzed and laughed at. I'm a good mom. My kids are happy and healthy. They make decisions. I mean, they may not be "huge" decisions, but they're decisions none the less. My son is 4 years old and he knows that strangers are not his friends. Don't talk to strangers (other than kids his age) unless mommy says it's okay. He knows what to do if someone asks him to get in the car. He knows what he should do if someone grabs him. When we go to heavily populated places I make sure he has my phone number on him somewhere.

I don't really care what anyone else things about me and my parenting style. They didn't get me knocked up and as for my husband, who did get me knocked up.....he knows not to mess with me when it comes to the safety of my children. The way I look at it is, the parents who's children have been kidnapped, molested, murdered or all three, probably wish they would have done things differently. If I always assume it can happen to us and I'm always prepared for it to happen and my kids are always prepared for it to happen, don't we have a better chance of surviving it if it were to happen to us?

My kids are my life and I love them more than my own. I would do anything to make sure they are safe and this includes breaking off my relationship/addiction with the Dr. Phil show.

Wrapped?

So Malakai desperately wanted to play Lego Batman on the XBOX 360. I told him no because we (me, him and Josie) were all watching cartoons and only he would be able to play so it wouldn't be fair to everyone else. We were sitting in the recliner facing the TV and the window. A flock of birds flew by in a perfect "V" formation and I said "Malakai look at those birds" he promptly followed up with "Aww, they're so cute, just like you mommy and you look like a princess. Can I play the game now?" 


Does this mean my son has me wrapped around his little finger? Because it certainly felt that way while Josie and I had to watch him play Lego Batman!

It's that time of year....BACHELOR!

Okay everyone, I'll give you my take on all of these women (or in some cases girls) and who are my top 5 for this season!


Ali - 25, Blonde, Kind of ditzy, scared to fly
Melissa - 25, Dingy is the first word that comes to mind
Alexa - 25, Rides Motor Cycles, Ugly
Tenley - 25, Dancer, Divorced, Really Pretty, Down to Earth
Elizabeth - 29, Works in DC, Ugly
Rozlyn - 28, Model, Sexy, Doesn't seem interested in Jake
Christina -   , Guys girl, kind of a Bitch, brought jelly beans as a consolation prize
Vienna - 23, Calls her dog her "daughter", seems fake and snobby
Michelle -  , When she got out of the limo she pretended to fly
Ashley - 29, Teacher, Pittsburgh, Dressed up a flight attendant
Elizabeth - 29, Dark Hair, Ugly fake boobs, seems sincere
Ella - 29, Mother to 7yo Ethan, Boxing, has cute accent from TN
Gia - 26, Owns hair salon, annoying, seems vain, has long brown hair
Kimberly - 24, NBA Dancer, Brown hair
Emily - 23, Fit Model (what is that?), from WEST CHESTER, OHIO,
Tiana - 31, Nervous about her age, keeps talking about her "future husband"
Caitlyn -  , does pageants
Sheila - , Pilot, Pretty Eyes
Kirsten -  , Said "cut a bitch" and "jillian was stupid"
Jessie - 25, Canada, Said "Do you have a registration for these guns?" (Really?)
Kathryn - 25, Flight Attendant
Corrie - , seems to have the same values as Jake
Valisha -  From TX, Brought soil for Jake as "their common ground"
Channy - 29, Cambodia, Said in Cambodian and then English "You can land your plane on my landing strip anytime" (EWW!)
Ashleigh - , Fell on him before she even said Hello
Stephanie -  , Dance Teacher

My top 5 Favorites
Tenley-She's adorable
Emily-Gotta root for my home town
Kathryn-She was really cute and they have flying in common
Ella-Gotta root for the single mom
Elizabeth-They seemed to click

TMIOF

TOO MUCH INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK


Okay people, really? Do we have to post every little detail of our lives on there? I mean, I like to post just as much as the next person but sometimes when I read other peoples status' it really kind of makes me wonder if I should just hit delete. I have absolutely no urge to hear about invasive medical procedures regarding your anus nor do I need to know what you're doing every 5 seconds. WHEW....this is my rant! (For now) :-)

It's been great....

I can honestly say that I'm going to hate Brian going back to work tomorrow. I've loved spending so much time with him and the kids. We've really had a blast.

Josie is getting in 4 more teeth and it's oh so pleasant to be around her. (Sense the sarcasm?)

How is everything easier just knowing he's here to back me up? I doesn't make any sense to me but I just feel more competent when he's around. (I hope he never reads my blog because all of this would go to his head.)

I can't wait until our vacay in may!

20-10 Resolution!

1.) Be more consistent with my blog. I don't know why I haven't been?!?! I really think I would feel more at peace if I had an outlet of some sort. I guess it's because sometimes my life is REALLY crazy and I'm not so sure I want to put all of that out there on the good 'ole internet.
2.) Be more patient with my children. This one is obvious. Being a SAHM has really worn on my patience. I feel like I'm just their disciplinarian lately and nothing else. I hate that feeling. I love my babies and since my job is to be a SAHM, I'm going to be the best mom I can be.
3.) Not just tell but show my husband how much I love him and try to argue less with him. I love him and he loves me so why isn't that just enough? Why do I always feel the need to be right? I'm so lucky to have him in my life. He's a great husband and an even better dad.
4.) Get every room in the house organized (including closets and totes and boxes)
5.) Pay off our credit cards.
6.) Start some sort of exercise routine and keep with it. (I'm not planning on running for 4 hours 7 days a week or anything. I just need to do something that's healthy for myself.)