my name is M-U-D

Today has been a busy day. I still am baffled at how much more there is to do now that I am not working. I need to give a huge SHOUT-out to my Madre and CS right now. I am starting to realize how much of the prep and chauffeur duties that they handled. 2-words…A Lot.

I guess I am feeling the SAHM pressure. It’s funny how hard you think it is when you are a working mom and how equally hard you think it is when you are not. The bottom line is that parenting is work. It’s not always hard work but it is constant and you can’t ever stop moving. stick and move; stick and move.

I am finding more laughter in my day. I am slowly learning to just let the kiddos be. They didn’t have me hovering a month ago, I think I should ease back now. Today I felt uber “cool” because I let CB play in the mud. (See muddy feet below.) All that coolness backfired this evening when the kids were having watermelon in the back yard.




I was cleaning up from our delicious dinner of Spaghetti Pie ( a family fave). I realized that I had not heard a peep from either kid in at least 5 minutes. That is in fact all the time it takes to create a new mud puddle and 2 messy kids. I was to busy kicking my coolness in the butt to get a pic of that.

All in all, it was a pleasant but busy day. I am looking forward to an action packed summer, full of arts and crafts, kids, yard sales, and packing up my life once again. Stay tuned as things are moving and grooving in the Novus household. So without further ado I give you;

Spaghetti Pie…

4 oz dried spaghetti
1-2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 beaten egg
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
8 oz ground turkey
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chopped sweet pepper ( we prefer yellow and orange)
2-3 sprigs Italian parsley
1teaspoon salt
1 8 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions and drain.
2. Return spaghetti to saucepan and stir in butter and parmesan.
3. Meanwhile in a medium skillet sauté onion, garlic, Italian parsley and peppers in olive oil until onions start to turn golden. Add ground turkey, salt and brown. Drain liquid. Stir in sauce, oregano and thyme. Heat through.
4. Coat 9” pie pan with cooking spray. Press spaghetti mixture in bottom and up the sides of the plate. Spread cottage cheese over crust and spread meat mixture over the cottage cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, let stand 10 minutes, slice and serve with your favorite bread.

This can be easily made with your favorite meat and dairy substitutes.

I first found this recipe in my better homes and gardens cookbook. The recipe above has been slightly modified from the original.

PLGC-out

Mamacita says...

Mamacita Caliente says: "Better to be a bad mommy blogger than a bad mommy."

Ok so it has been a while since I have set anything down on these pages. Where do I start? Well BG loves school, her exact words "mom, school is fun but we don't really learn stuff we just get to play, and thats okay don't you think?" Uhm, yeah I do think!

I had my first parent teacher conference yesterday and am pleased to report that BG has only 2 outstanding issues; 1. She doesn't clean up when it is time (honestly can't say I was surprised by this one), she likes to dance to the clean up song and ignore her teacher, hmmm, 2. She really spends a lot of time washing her hands. Well I am not putting her into therapy just yet, though we may have to keep an eye on that hand-washing thing!

We have a saying around our house "if it isn't crazy and chaotic then it wouldn't be our life." Well we have been trying to hold up our end of that bargain. I have been ecstatic to be a stay at home mom again, well minus the screaming fits that my two year old has perfected (but only when I am on the phone, in public, or trying to think through a blog). It has taken me just shy of three months to adjust to this stay at home role. So what do I go and do? I am going back to work.

The company that so graciously laid me off three months ago came back with a job offer. I know you all probably think I am a glutton for punishment, but they made an offer I couldn't refuse on an account that has a contract guaranteed for the next 6 months. They are going to work with my schedule let me take BG to school and I get off in time to pick her up. Here is the point where I take back anything I ever said about my Mom, and kiss her feet for agreeing to watch my little "angels" for a few hours each day.

I feel like a Rat's ass. Yup, I know that going back to work, at least as far as my pocket book, bill collectors, and the upcoming holiday's go, is a good idea. I just feel like I am failing somehow. Maybe not so much failing as kicking myself for not appreciating the last three month's more. Gack! Here's is the part where my diatribe turns to mush and I start crying and carrying on. Hey I feel better already.

I am up and down but determined to enjoy the ride. As my M-I-L likes to put it "kids are resilient little stinkers" so I know they'll be fine. Mommy on the other hand, well y'all know I'll be a basket case. It will be interesting being a two income family, we'll have to make sure and appreciate the down time, and I sure as hell won't be the only one doing the dishes! PLGC -out