So Not Domestic

Here I Go Again

2012-01-21T19:07:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am again. Another year later, many changes, and I'd like to think I'm a little wiser. Since my last post (in November of 2010), my life has changed dramatically. I'm a mommy now. Wow! I'm a mommy now! Sometimes that thought hits me like a ton of bricks. Our son was born August 5, 2011 and is our pride and joy.

The pregnancy was fun. Ok, terrifying. Seriously, it was scary. How do women cope with pregnancy after a loss without being stressed? I truly don't think it can be done. All through the first trimester I had terrible morning (all-day) sickness. I kept thinking, "once the first trimester is over, I won't worry so much." The greatest risk of miscarriage is in the first trimester, after all.

During the second trimester, my morning sickness went away. I felt great, actually, which is great...right? NO! I was terrified that something was wrong because I no longer felt the morning sickness (which is usually a sign of a health pregnancy) and it was too early to feel movement. I felt a sense of panic before every ultrasound only to find my fears unfounded.

By the third trimester, I felt hopeful. I felt like, "Hey, this is really going to happen for us." My belly grew bigger and I finally looked pregnant. I could feel him kicking like crazy, mostly at night. I loved that part of my pregnancy.

I started having problems at 31 weeks with early contractions which thankfully never resulted in anything. At 37 weeks, we noticed some minor problems with the baby's heartrate, but the doctor said he'd prefer to at least wait until 38 weeks unless we really, really needed to induce. One day before he turned 38 weeks, I didn't feel any movement all day while I was at work. "It's okay," I thought. "He's usually active in the evenings. I'll see what he does then." That evening -- still nothing. I did what any crazy, panicky, first time momma would do and headed to the ER (for the 5th time that trimester, to be exact). Turns out, it was serious this time. Although he scored a perfect 8 on his biophysical profile two days before, this day, he only scored a four. A few hours and one emergency c-section later, our little guy was born.

I won't even talk about the hospital stay because, honestly, it was a nightmare. The only reason I will ever give birth at that hospital again is because it is the only one my OB participates with. And I love him. Really, truly, I love him (and so does hubby). He was great.

Since then, life has felt like a whirlwind! He is nearly six months old now, growing so fast, accomplishing so much and bringing more happiness to us than I ever thought possible. I am now back to work and trying to juggle being a mommy with a career. That guilt trip is for another post, though, so I'll leave it there.

I'm Back (No, Really)

2010-11-21T00:10:00.003-05:00

Well, 2010 has not been my year for blogging even though loads has happened. Let me just quickly sum up our life since February:

February - April: Life is pretty much the same as usual. Comfortable. Not too exciting; not too boring.

May - July 28th: Hubby gets new job with local sheriff's office. Happy! He's always wanted to go into law enforcement. He works a few months with other deputies learning the ropes.

July 28th - Hubby leaves for 15 weeks of training at the police academy. Sad. :-( He gets to come home on weekends, though.

August 24th - Found out I was pregnant! Couldn't have been happier.

September 7th - Found out I was miscarrying. It was a heartbreak unlike any I have ever felt before.

October - present: TTC again. Hubby has graduated police academy (president of his class I might add). Things are back to a new kind of normal where I'm happy with having hubby home, hopeful about the future, and still sad about the loss.

A New Month, A New Start

2010-02-01T13:26:00.002-05:00

Time flies! I can't believe January is finished and February is here already. I have big plans for February. BIG PLANS! :-) I turn 28 this month, too, and thinking about that is putting things into perspective for me. Not that I'm one of those women who dreads getting older or anything...no. I'm just feeling more like an adult than a "trying to make it" 20-something. Know what I mean?

Lots of things are changing for me - again. Priorities are different. Work is different. I am different. I need to align myself now more with my life's goals rather than just skating by from one day to the next with nothing tangible in mind. Some of this, I know, was sparked by the loss of my mother. Now that she's gone, I don't feel like a child anymore. That probably sounds silly; I still have my dad. But one-half of that child-parent relationship is gone now and it just feels...strange...and forever changed.

What is in store for you in February? Do you have big plans or are you just hoping to unthaw?

Will 2010 Be Better?

2009-12-26T21:10:00.002-05:00

First thing's first...I'm a doofus and let my domain expire. So now, instead of sonotdomestic.com, you need to bookmark www.notdomestic.com. Sucks, I know, but I hadn't logged in for so long that I hadn't noticed.

I can't believe that I've not made a post since July. It's been a hard year all around. I've taken on a second job out of the home and really enjoy it. I still work at home, too, when I can, and that makes for a very busy schedule of about 80 hours a week. I won't complain, though, because some people have no jobs and I'm lucky enough to have two.

My mom passed away a little over three weeks ago. Sadly, that is what is on my mind most of all lately, so I apologize in advance for any depressing posts. I'll try to keep them to a minimum. I've started journaling about my mother, though, and it's already helping so much. I'm going to start scrapbooking about her, too, after finding this fantastic site about scrapbooking through grief. Perhaps it will help some of you. :)

I have just ONE New Year's resolution for 2010...I'm going to spend more time with my family...as much as possible. It's what Mom would have wanted. We all need each other right now.

What do you think is in store for you in the new year?

Putting Out Fires

2009-07-27T17:00:00.003-04:00

Cover of The Wedding Date (Widescreen Edition)

I have a confession. Several nights back, I had a dirty dream. Where this dream came from, I have no idea. I suppose I should tell you what it was, though. In the dream, I was on vacation on a beach. I called up this guy - a male escort - for the sole purpose of getting it on. I didn't even know that male escorts existed until I had watched The Wedding Date a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, my escort was incredibly hot and...incredible...in many other ways as well. It was such a realistic dream that when I woke up, I was disappointed it was over and then worried that I had talked in my sleep because it seemed so real. I can only imagine what I would have said. Hubby never mentioned me talking in my sleep, though, so I figured I was safe.

The next night, just to be sure I didn't indulge in more dirty dreams, I laid in bed and read the news on my Blackberry. Financial problems, murder, mayhem, Michael Jackson - that will teach my subconscious a lesson! No way will there be any dirty dreams after that, right?

I woke up the next morning with the memory of burning buildings. Ahh, YES! No dirty dreams. Smugly, I walk into my bathroom and start getting ready for the day. Soon enough, hubby was behind me and I saw a smirk on his face as I looked in the mirror.

Him: Hey babe, have any good dreams last night?
Me: Hm, nope. I don't think so.
Him: Are you sure? There was lots of moaning.
Me: *Blushing* No, definitely not. I remember some burning buildings.
Him: These were not moans over a burning building.
Me: I was dreaming that I was trying to find a way to put out the fires! It was nothing dirty!
Him: Unless you were planning to pat out the fires with your gyrating hips, I'm pretty sure it was a dirty dream.

When Will He Learn?

2009-07-26T06:22:00.004-04:00

Hubby spent three hours at Lowes yesterday picking through all the doors, crown molding, baseboard, etc. to pick the very best of it for my bedroom. I appreciate the effort he's putting into this bedroom for me. I really do. That's why he needs as little interference from me as possible. I'm a complete klutz and screw up when it comes to any sort of manual labor.

So, having not learned his lesson in the previous weeks, he asked me to help him carry a door into the bedroom.

ME: Honey, that is such a bad idea. You know what a klutz I am.

HIM: All you have to do is keep it away from the ceiling fan.

*Note: Not sure why we didn't think to just turn off the ceiling fan. We just didn't.*

ME: *Sigh* OK.

HIM: *As he maneuvers door almost past the ceiling fan* OK, OK, Careful, that's it...careful around the fan.

ME: *Looks down to see where clumsy feet are going*

THWAP! THWAP! THWAP! THWAP!

In case you didn't know, that's the sound of the ceiling fan tearing into the brand new door for our bathroom.

Hubby then looks at me with a completely horrified look on his face. Horrified that I could actually be so clumsy as to do the very thing he told me not to do 10 seconds before. Horrified that he spent so much on the door to just have me ruin it. Horrified that it's going to take him even more time now to make it look OK after the ceiling fan's attempt to rip it to shreds.

After I had a mini mental breakdown and vowed to myself that I will never move again lest I cause more destruction, I mumbled an apology. He's only made a couple of remarks about it (to make fun of me).

When will he learn that asking me to help with such things is only creating more work for himself?

On another note, if you want to know what we are doing in our bedroom, here's a picture.

These are the colors (wall is Pine Needle, ceiling is Ochre, trim is Honeysuckle Bloom). I'll take a picture of our actual bedroom once the crown molding is up and the hardwood floor is installed. Yep, I wanted hardwood in the bedroom. I'm not a carpet kind of gal. Well, that and the fact that we have three cats who seem to prefer vomiting on carpet rather than smooth surfaces. I wonder why that is?

Small Doses of Sarcasm

2009-07-24T22:29:00.003-04:00

I love sarcasm. Other people, not so much. Therefore, I try to keep my doses as small as possible when I'm around others. Hubby, in particular, while having a dry humor of his own, tends to think that I'm nagging when using sarcasm.

But sometimes, I just can't help it.

Case in point: I am in the kitchen loading this dishwasher and spy the vacuum with its cord strewn all through the den. Hubby has used the vacuum because he vacuumed the bedroom. I should be grateful he vacuumed the bedroom, right? I am. But I just can't stop myself from saying..."What exactly is your aversion to wrapping the cord around the vacuum properly?"

Another example: Hubby will hit snooze on his alarm a bazillion times. Again and again and again...I can't stand it. How do you people keep doing that? The sound is so irritating to me that I have to get up the first time the alarm goes off so I don't hear it again. After one too many times of hearing his alarm a few days ago, I threaten to kick his nipples off if he lets it go one more time.

I'm really trying not to complain or be too sarcastic. Back in May (I think), I did a complaint free week and it was wonderful! We did get along better, absolutely. It requires more patience than I have on a full time basis but perhaps it's time to try again. Who's with me. Anyone...anyone?

Sit This One Out

2009-07-23T22:36:00.002-04:00

As you know, hubby and I have been renovating (pics to come soon, I promise). So...we were painting in our bedroom last night. We added sand to the paint to give the walls some texture (and it is also wonderful for hiding flaws). I have NEVER painted with sanded added, though. I look at the thick goop, roll my roller in it...and just stare at the wall.

ME: I don't know what to do.
HIM: You just paint like you do without the sand in it.
ME: Really? I thought there would be a difference.
HIM: Just do it like this...*proceeds to show me how.*
ME: Got it.

A few minutes pass...
ME: I'm not getting this. Mine looks awful.
HIM: Keep trying, just do what I showed you. Go over the bottom because you have a lot of texture up top and not much at the bottom.
ME: *Hesitantly* Erm, ok.

A few more minutes pass...
HIM: *Looking at my wall that is now flawed almost beyond repair*...Why don't you sit this one out?

So, moral of the story is, I sucked. I do not know how his walls are so awesome and mine look like a two year old did them. *Sigh* I'm not talented at this sort of thing. I know what I want, but I want someone else to do it for me. Any volunteers?

For REAL?

2009-07-18T22:04:00.004-04:00

Wow, I had no idea that I hadn't updated this blog since May. My, how time flies when you're...not blogging. No excuse, really. I've been busy...yes. But who isn't? So this will just be a mishmash of what I have in my head right now.

1. We have been doing loads of home improvement projects and most recently finished the tile in the bathroom. Fun. Or not. But it looks great, so I'm happy. We are painting the bathroom and our bedroom next...doing new trim, doors, ummm basically everything. Oh and we're doing hardwood floors. This is our tile (which we got on clearance).

2. Next Saturday will be one year since my brother passed away. In the past couple weeks I've went through being sad, angry, grieved, devastated, happy that he's no longer in pain...and now...like there's a big gaping hole in my heart. I thought that since I had dealt with it well in the past few months that the one year anniversary of his death wouldn't be that difficult. It is. It's hard. And it sucks.

3. I'm thinking of becoming Catholic. I don't feel the need to really elaborate on this anymore at the moment...maybe sometime in the near future, though.

4. I'm back to wanting a baby. Badly. We were very much considering adopting a little girl, but circumstances weren't favorable...though those are changing with the little girl we were considering. So...we'll see.

5. Finally, I probably haven't been blogging as much because I've been journaling more. Actual "hold in your hands" type journals. While I've been journaling, I've been listening to David Nevue. Wow, is he awesome. I had never even heard of him before I listened to his music on someone else's blog. This is one of my favorite songs:

How are all of you?

Whoa, Baby! Nightmares about Motherhood

2009-05-29T19:51:00.002-04:00

I have had a disturbing dream quite a few times now. In my dream, I am working, out with friends, at a function...whatever. Basically, I am out of the house. All of a sudden, I will remember I have a baby who is only a few weeks old. My baby. An actual baby I gave birth to. Horror fills my heart to the brim. I rush off to find my poor, neglected baby at home.

When I pick up the baby, he or she is crying, filthy, and starving. My heart breaks as I give the baby food, a bath, a clean diaper, etc. After I get it all taken care of, though, I try to hide the fact that I completely forgot about the baby.

Is this disturbing, or what? My hubby and I have no children yet and I know this wouldn't happen. Yet every time I wake up from this dream, I feel very apprehensive. Has anyone else had dreams like this but turned out to be a wonderful mother? This is starting to affect my confidence as a potential mother. Crazy, I know, but I can't shake the feeling even now, just thinking about it.

Complaint Free Week

2009-05-25T21:00:00.003-04:00

Hey, all. Where do I keep disappearing to? I really don't know. :-) I've just needed time away from the computer lately so whenever I'm not working, I tend to run away from it. I came across a challenge on The Striving Wife blog called the Complaint-Free Week Challenge. And ya know what? I'm going to take it.

I never saw myself as much of a complainer until recently when I started to read books, articles, etc. that brought to light just how much I really do complain. Whether it's in the form of a sarcastic comment, nagging the hubby, making a quip about someone in passing, or just incessantly saying "I'm tired," the complaints are there and they are affecting my attitude and ultimately, my life.

So, bloggy friends, do you think you can get through the week without complaining at all?

Laundry Debacle

2009-05-16T07:27:00.002-04:00

Recently, I made some HUGE laundry mistakes. Thinking to myself that the rules of laundry don't apply to me, I tossed my hubby's jeans, white jerseys, and some other darks and whites into the wash. Together. Honestly, it would have been fine except I didn't notice that I put very dirty jeans in there. Hubby had been working on a demolition project with his cousin.

Hubby nags me about mixing colors and whites, but lets it go after a few minutes. Until he pulled his white jerseys out (Cardinals jerseys, I think). He then notices one has dirty spots all over it thanks to the jeans. Oops. The other one is ok, so he starts to put it on. Did I mention these two shirts were his favorites? He starts to button up the jersey when he realizes that not one, not two, but THREE buttons fell off in the wash. Boy, did I hear it then.

I have now realized that the rules of laundry do apply to me. Break them and the washer will cut off your buttons and make you look like a complete tool.

Carpeting porches

2009-04-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I'm not sure who ever came up with this idea but it is bad, bad, bad. We bought this house nearly two years ago and while it's cute, we want to make some changes to make the house look better. Who doesn't, right? One of the things that must go is the carpet on the concrete porches.

Why for the love of all that is Holy would someone carpet a porch? Especially one that has no roof and is totally exposed to the elements? We get rain, snow, sleet hail, sun, and all that good stuff. The carpet looks...ugh...just icky no matter what we do to it. It's gotta go.

We are going to build a front porch (wooden, of course!) that will extend along much of the front of our house. It will look so much better. If you're thinking about putting carpet on your porch, don't. Just...don't.

If You're a Sinner, Don't Read This...

2009-04-23T06:38:00.000-04:00

That's what this little booklet in my Grandpa's bathroom said. They had this old coffee can on a shelf in there full of nuts, bolts, odds and ends...and that book. I was just being nosy pilfering through everything (they always hated that) when I happened upon it.

Hmm...If you're a sinner, don't read this. OK, that doesn't mean me. I'm just a kid! Nervously, I read the title one more time then opened it up to the first page where it said something along the lines of, "You're going to hell." It went on to tell me the fiery torment that I was going to endure, forever and ever. Oh my gosh! All because I opened this book?

After sitting in the bathroom crying for a while (Hey, I was 7 or 8!), I came out of the bathroom and confessed to reading the book. I explained that I shouldn't have been going through their things but didn't think that was bad enough to go to hell for. After everyone there laughed their butts off at me (picture aunts, uncles, grandparents, and my parents), they assured me that I was not going to hell for reading it and that the book was only for "bad grownups."

I still had nightmares, though.

Small Town Tuesday

2009-04-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd share some pictures of our lovely little town every Tuesday. I actually got this idea from another blogger (though forgive me for not remembering who). These photos were taking while we were driving 50 mph with the windows on the truck up (you can see the glare)...so don't judge.

I'll get some better ones later this week for next week's "Small Town Tuesday" segment. Be warned, there will be lots and lots of horses, cows, and barns. That's what we have around here. Love it.

Winners of the Romano's Macaroni Grill Gift Baskets...

2009-04-20T12:04:00.002-04:00

Thanks for SO many entries! I loved reading everyone's responses. It seems most of us have problems when it comes to getting dinner on the table. The three winners are...

Thomas Johnson
Undermedicated Mama
Leslie (LeslieVeg)

I'll be contacting you all via email to get your mailing addresses.

Thanks again for the entries!

Romano's Macaroni Grill

2009-04-15T15:36:00.006-04:00

**The contest has now ended. Winners will be announced 4/20/09.**

When MyBlogSpark asked me if I wanted to try Romano's Macaroni Grill, I jumped at the chance. I am a girl who loves (LOVES!) her pasta. It's a serious addiction. I received my basket a couple of days ago and in it was a colander, serving spoon, cheese grater, box of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, and coupons to get 3 more free packages the next time I visit my grocery store. Sounds yummo.

Earlier today, I decided to make this for lunch. I expected it to be like most box pastas, but it is much better. Inside the box you get linguine pasta, grated parmesan and romano cheese blend, basil and cheese seasoning, creamy sauce, and sun dried tomatoes. The ingredients seemed to be of a much higher quality than most boxed pastas. After about 20 minutes of a delicious smelling kitchen, it was finally done. I still have to get hubby to try it when he gets home later but as for me, I really enjoyed it. It tasted more like something I could buy in a restaurant rather than something I whipped up in 20 minutes.

Next time I'll definitely follow the quick "cooking tip" on the box and buy already cut up chicken breasts. Touching and cutting chicken weirds me out anyway.

You can win a basket just like this...

Just leave me a comment telling me what your biggest struggle is when preparing a family meal. Three baskets will be given away, selected randomly from the entries. The deadline is midnight EST on Sunday, April 19th. Please answer the question...an entry that just says "thanks" or something similar will not be counted.

Are You Doing What You Love or...

2009-04-14T09:50:00.005-04:00

Just paying the bills?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I have a great job, no complaints about that, I just want to do more. I want to write. Well, technically, I have started writing (surprise to my friends who didn't know that), but I have to do more before I officially think of myself as a "writer." Hubby works in social work and while he enjoys working with the kids and can see the potential in them, he loathes working with the adults because they almost never change. He's not doing something he enjoys. He also has a job doing construction, which is something he would enjoy as a hobby or in doing his own home improvement projects, but again, isn't something that he wants to do forever.

I'm now 27 and he's 28. We have a plan to pay off our debts in the next two years so that we can have children (and more financial security) after that. There are some other changes that we'd like to make, too. I'd like to start writing more and he has actually always wanted a job in law enforcement. Of course, law enforcement doesn't pay very well. In order to do this (career changes and all), we have to be responsible and take care of the bills first. A slow transition, I suppose. I think I'll always have other side projects, too, because I like variety. I also can't imagine leaving the company I work for - I don't want to. They've been wonderful. I need to find a balance, then, of doing that in addition to working more towards the career I want. I know that I need to do it soon, which is why I've been working on it now. I'm sure it would be much harder to make these sorts of decisions when we have kids because it's harder to make those sacrifices (giving up a stable income, changing careers, going back for my Master's) when you have your children to think about, too.

Inspire me. My friend Tammy recently quit her office job to start working her at home job full time. I thought that was pretty ballsy and really admire her for it. I hope you aren't still having nightmares about them trying to make you work, Tammy!

Are you doing something you love...or at least something you're good at and enjoy? Do you consider yourself to have a career or is it just a job to you? Is there such a thing really as people loving what they do?

What's Your Taste in Furniture

2009-04-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

When I look at furniture, I try to take into account the style of our home and our personal tastes, too. I tend to like modern country while my hubby likes rustic country. In keeping with those themes, I think I have found the perfect office desk in a rustic furniture style at Scenic Furniture. It's the walnut 3 drawer corner desk and it is gorgeous. I think I could get really creative with my writing at a desk like that. ;-) It reminds me of my childhood when we lived in a log home. Of course, I'd have to find some matching bookshelves, too. I can never have too many of those. What would your dream desk look like?

Tightening the Purse Strings

2009-04-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

It's common for Americans to live beyond their means these days. I have to admit, I am one of them. We have some credit card debt that is just getting to me. We've agreed not to use the credit cards anymore. We are also working a LOT more just to get it paid off, hopefully by the end of the year.

One way we can definitely save money is by not ordering out as much. I am so, so guilty of this. Even though I work at home, it seems that I barely have time to sleep with all the other projects I have going on, let alone cook. But it's so costly eating out several times a week. I have scolded myself and decided to only order out once a week (likely Saturdays since that's my longest work day). We can also save a bit on our electric bill and cut down our cell phone bill a bit by getting a package with fewer minutes.

It sucks. But it has to be done. I want to be rid of the credit card debt before we try to have kids. Are you tightening the purse strings, too? Give me some money saving tips! Seriously, I need them. :) Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T23:26:00.002-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born. ~Alice Freeman Palmer

Easter was one of my favorite holidays as a kid. I'll admit, though, I was and still am a holiday-a-holic. Easter was fabulous because there were no stipulations with it. No one ever says that the Easter bunny sees you when you're sleeping and when you're awake. He doesn't care if you've been bad or good. Or at least he didn't at our house.

Easter also made it officially feel like spring, even though spring usually started much sooner. Baskets, flowers, pastels, kids running around, the school year almost ending...what's not to like?

Here are some of my favorite memories from childhood Easters...what are yours?

The church Easter egg hunts. Loads of kids running around a field trying to find eggs - there's sure to be some drama there!
Wearing my new Easter dress, hat, gloves, shoes, and purse. Yes, I was dressed to the nines - like an 80 year old in a 5 year old's body.
Peanut butter filled chocolate eggs. I don't dig the solid chocolate bunnies.
Easter egg hunts at my grandparents' house after the church Easter egg hunt.
Easter egg hunts at our own house after all of that. You can't hunt too many Easter eggs.
Ham. Enough said.

I hope you all have a very Happy Easter today. Enjoy your families, eat lots of Cadbury cream eggs, and try not to go up a pants size.

To Do Lists

2009-04-10T04:35:00.000-04:00

Image by Jayel Aheram via Flickr

I am notorious for making to-do lists a mile long and then never looking at them after a couple of hours into the day. Do any of you have that problem? I love lists. Absolutely love them. And I love crossing things off, too, but I put so much on my lists that it seems like I get nothing done. I've devised a new plan, though, and it makes me feel like I accomplish things without my list being too wimpy. You know what I mean, those to-do lists that are like: eat breakfast, feed cats, etc. That's silly. But anyway, here's what I do.

Weekly to-do list. On Sundays, I make a list of everything that I want to accomplish for the given week. Then, each day, I select about five items from that list. Of the five things that I choose, I select 2 that I'm really looking forward to, 2 that I can get done easily but they might not be my favorites, and 1 task that I'm really dreading. For me, the "dreaded thing" is usually a phone call I have to make. I have a phone phobia.

Anyway, that system is really working out for me so far. I get to make my lists AND I actually get things done.

What's your system?

Taco Chili

2009-04-09T06:01:00.005-04:00

It's been cold here the last few days and that makes me want comfort food. I have always loved different types of chili but the hubby doesn't usually care for it. I make things too spicy for him normally. This version of chili, however, he loved. And bonus...it took less than 30 minutes to make. I hope you like it if you try it!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans pinto beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can corn, DRAINED (I didn't use corn in mine and it still turned out great)
6 oz tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 packet ranch dressing powder

Directions:
Ground beef with the onion. Drain. In large pot, mix together remaining ingredients and add the ground beef/onion mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, or anything else you like.

Macaroni and Tomatoes

2009-04-08T07:20:00.002-04:00

If you've never had macaroni and tomatoes, shame on you. I know it doesn't sound very appetizing, but if you love tomatoes (and I do), it's really yummy. You can do this with fresh tomatoes, too, if you'd like, though I never have. If you're using fresh, you'll need to stew them first. So here's how you make it the easy way (thanks to the Coupon Mommie for letting me use her pics):

Ingredients:
8 oz Elbow Macaroni (a box of of macaroni from mac and cheese is fine, just don't use the cheese)
1.5 TBSP butter
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes with juices (14.5 oz)
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:
Salt a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add the macaroni, bring to a boil again, and boil for 7-8 minutes. Drain macaroni. Add butter to the pot and heat on medium till the butter is melted. Add the macaroni, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and juices, and sugar, and stir. Heat through about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like yours soupier, it's fine to eat right away. If you'd like for it to thicken up, wait about 10-15 minutes.

Don't knock it till you try it. ;-)

Married Folks - Don't Argue in Front of Company

2009-04-06T07:07:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, we were at the hubby's sister's house. More often than not, the sister and her hubby start arguing while we are there. Nothing serious, it is usually more "picking on each other." At least, it is in the beginning. That soon turns to the both of them bringing up other stuff and the hubby and I slinking away into the corner trying to avoid being brought into it. The other day, we were brought into it.

I won't go into specifics, but basically, it ended up like this:

Her: Do you think it's safe for our kids to be doing that? (She was asking us.)

Him: Don't you think she's overreacting? I was standing here watching them the whole time.

Her: Well? Do you think I'm overreacting?

Uhhh...

Needless to say, we didn't agree with either of them and left as soon as I could drag hubby away. He tends to like a show, but I feel so out of place when that happens.

Moral of the story, folks, is don't fight in front of company. I don't know how or why couples do this. No matter how angry I am with the hubby, even if I am absolutely infuriated with him, I can always throw on a smile and be civil to him in front of our guests. The whole world doesn't need to know (and doesn't want to know) your business.

Do you fight with your spouse/significant other in public? Have you ever made anyone feel really awkward by making them witness it?