Get Your Roots Done

My best friend called the other day to tell me she had a woman stop her in the store to compliment her on her hair. She told her how she loved the cut, color and the ombre affect. Unfortunately, Anber, a mother of 3, business owner and part time single mommy as her husband works out of town, who is also preparing her home to sell and is building a new one, had not received a cut nor color in months, in fact the “ombre” affect that she was so adequately complimented on was simply her grow out, and an obvious need for a touch up. Many mothers could sympathize with the sentiment that we lack the motivation for self care when there are so many much needed things to do on the agenda. We skip meals or eat fast food. Sometimes even constituting coffee as all viable food groups while feeding our family wholesome organic, farm raised, pinterest, compartmentalized lunches. Any bathroom activity generally take about 10 minutes or however much time you have left after getting everyone else (including your husband who wanted a shirt ironed 15 minutes before you walk out the door) ready. Our idea of exercise is walking quickly through the grocery store with a cart full of children and any form of heavy scrubbing or mopping.  The 20 something girl who would go tanning ( I know, kills your skin but you know you did it), get her nails done, had her hair done every 5 weeks and worked out and still complained about her size 6 body is long gone. The impeccable closet that was replenished almost weekly with new items is replaced with 15 pairs of yoga pants and more sweatshirts then you care to mention. And the pretty undies- oh please, you know that they are buried beneath a pile of no budge Haines that you tell yourself the “bikini cut” makes them not granny panties, but in reality, you know they are.

Yes we all know that the beauty is not on the outside. We should worry about our actions and not about looking good. But there is a level of self care that we as moms have simply let slide. Mind you this is not for the sake of others- I have no problem seeing a woman in yoga pants at the store in the middle of the week with a crying baby. You made it to the store and you have lip gloss on. Power to ya my sister in the trenches. It’s about the feeling as a woman when you take the time to do some self care that you truly do feel much more powerful.

The same level of mindfulness goes for feeding our spirit as well. We used to paint or dance, cook or climb mountains. We grew things, we built things, and we made decisions with other adults. Some maybe not so great but they were yours and did not require a diaper bag. We seem to forget that we had an identity before children. Yes they are the reason for waking up each day, but where did YOU go?

In the midst of our crazy changes this last year, I found myself in a very low level of spirit. Besides the business changes, the moms group I had so loved had sort of dissolved as each of us found our kids getting older, and the ball games and practices and school functions consumed our lives. Besides our home bible studies with the kids, and occasionally attending the church here in town, our moms group had been my outlet. Sure we weren’t all BFF’s that talked on a daily basis, but it was a sounding board and new perspective. We laughed together, cried together. We went though job losses, miscarriages, weight gain and kids with numerous medical conditions. We had each others back, made meals for new moms and raised money for a little girl’s cancer that lost her life just weeks later. It reminded you that you weren’t alone and that these women were feeling the same things in the day to day as a mom. In the midst of this, and Heath being gone with the business, I started attending the church that his brother and sister-in-law had attended for years. They had a great kids program and we had always loved their music and perspective. Our only reason for not becoming more regular was the 35 minute drive. Over the past 8 months it has become a great part of our weekend as a family and look forward to going each week. Several months ago, an opportunity fell into my lap for being a part of their worship team (a newly vamped phrase for chorus). For those who have not known me any more then my adult life, I have always had a great love for music. I played an instrument all through middle school and high school, was in a children’s choir and high school choir and that portion of my life had fizzled out when I walked out of those high school doors; unless you count singing in the car and the occasional karaoke night.

It was a long forgotten passion, which I had given absolutely no attention to. When I went to the first group workshop before Easter, I heard all of these amazing voices and sheet music lingo and felt myself sinking in my chair. When the opportunity came I was excited and now completely panicked. I had no recollection of music chords or keys. I didn’t remember how to harmonize or know what a coda was.  How in the heck was I going to remember? That person was long gone and that information had been shoved down into the depths of my brain, and was no where to be found. But as time went on and the inner shovels dug past all the business information, dentist appointment times and track practice schedules I began to remember. Bit by bit, piece by piece. I was in a room with other adults, making decisions. I was working on cords, blending and not pushing the song speed.  As each song would work its way through, the harmonizations gave me goose bumps. I really had totally and completely forgot how much I had loved it.

So what have you forgotten? What have you walked away from for so long that you don’t even remember what it feels like to be in that place again? Sure there are things in our life that have a season, but you can never forget your roots. The heart of what made you the person you are before those beautiful little wonders came into your life.

I’m not feeling guilty about my self care anymore. I got a gym membership, made a hair appointment, and my husband and I are going on a date Friday; the first, without kids and string attachments of work or chores, in probably a year. I also decided for my birthday to treat myself to an entire spa day, something I had not done since my wedding.

In the midst of all this mindfulness, it also includes eating better. And I don’t mean eating every green blended protein glop that is posted online. I’m talking about food, real food. No shakes. No powders. No points. Just tweaking the food we love and making it less gluttonous.  In our house we barbeque all summer long. And with that comes the opportunity for every creamy mayonnaise filled salad known to man. In the dressing alone, for a 4 person serving, they carry over 1,000 calories! I decided to do some revamping, and cheat the system without loosing the rich creamy flavors. Here is a great pasta salad recipe that fills the need for a creamy slald without the bulk of the calories.

Creamy Garlic Pasta Salad

1 lb. mini shell pasta

¾ c. 2% plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. regular mayo

¼ c. skim milk.

¼ c. finely minced onion

2 large minced garlic cloves

¼ c. minced cilantro

1 container grape tomatoes cut into quarters

¾ c. grated 2% milk sharp cheddar

1 peeled, seeded and diced cucumber

 

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a 4 qt. stock pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until aldente. Drain and cool.  Meanwhile mix together the yogurt, mayo, milk, onion, garlic and cilantro, chop vegetables and add to dressing. Mix in cooled pasta. Serve immediately or chill until ready.

The great thing about this recipe is you can vary it in so many ways. You can go with more Latin flavors by adding peppers and black beans, maybe even putting in avocado in place of the mayonnaise and a splash of fresh salsa- not the canned crud. You could go Italian and put in some fresh basil instead of cilantro, marinated artichokes and fresh mozzarella. Change up the vegetables to your favorites or add a protein. For my kids and husband they need that richness from the sauce but you could use a fat free Greek yogurt if you want to really cut the calories- or omit the mayo.

This evening I look outside as I’m cooking dinner. I have just gotten back from the gym, the grocery store and taking Payton to track practice. I’m working on a song for Sunday service so the music is playing on my phone. The sun is shining and I see my husband laughing and playing basketball with our kids. It brings tears to my eyes how grateful I am for this life that I am living and all of the people in it. The appreciation of what I have seems to be so much more prevalent when I take care of my mind, body and soul.

Stop, and take the time.

Get your roots done.

Laboring, Lent and Letting go

 

I wake up every morning to a quiet house. I make my way through the toy scattered living room, on most mornings in the dark, to make my coffee, read my devotional and enjoy maybe 5 minutes of silence before the first cry of "MOM!!!" echoes down the hall and is immediately followed by " What’s for breakfast, I'm hungry"- in the whiniest shoulder shrugging tone I could hear at 6:15 in the morning. I know most moms can relate to this morning ritual scenario but mine happened to take a turn 6 months ago that I seem to have not shaken.

On Wednesday August 13th, 2014 we signed papers and officially closed escrow on a second location for Sewell's Taxidermy. We officially became a big game taxidermy chain. The moment they handed Heath the keys, I started to cry. I was so proud of the man he had become and how much his business had grown. He started out in a small woodshop in his grandparents’ backyard and was now the owner of two locations servicing both sides of state. He OWNED his, and might I say, very nice second location. He spent all night that evening tearing down the old signs, clearing walls and sweeping up from the previous business and by 8 am Thursday morning, Sewell's Taxidermy Burns was open and ready for business. The beginning of the first hunt of the year, antelope season, started Saturday so the kids and I held down the new location while Heath work his drop station during the day at the other end of town and an employee took care of things at home.

When the time came at the end of August for the kids and I to head home, I knew I had a daunting road ahead of me. Heath would be running the Burns location through the coming months and I would be a single mom, with my 4 kids, 2 daycare kids (one of which would be a newborn), a business to run, and a home and family to care for. I had no disillusion of how it would all be nor did I completely prepare myself for the havoc that would issue. I was alone; completely alone, without a husband to bumper the needs of school, parenting and especially business. The Hunting season had shot off like a rocket with our second business launch on facebook basically going organically viral and being viewed over 9,000 times. By the end of August we have over 100 pieces at the Burns location and September bow hunting was beginning to look very promising. My first week of parenting alone was sheer chaos. between school, preschool, transporting 6 kids (4 of them under the age of 4)  multiples times in a day, Girl Scouts, homework, laundry, family commitments, and much needed housework (or lack there of)-I was wiped. Oh.... I forgot to mention the 40+ Elk I got in during a 3 week period, the first for Sewell’s Taxidermy during bow season in our entire 11+ years! Taking in customer pieces and contacting employees to come out and help-if they could, all while juggling the above items. I was Cinderella with the 3 trays. I was balancing-sort of. But inside I was coming apart at the seams. The little things-like taking a shower, eating sitting down, or getting to bed before midnight became a luxury. This same cycle went on for 3 months going through every hunting season. I even at one point had to take on the duties of capeing out deer which in my 12 years with Heath I had NEVER done, managed a vomiting flu bug that ravaged everyone in our house, myself included and tended to Heaths hound dogs and the accidental batch of 10 puppies that came the week I got home. But I did it, alone- very alone. I felt like the description Bilbo Baggins used in the Lord of the Rings- "Like butter scraped over too much bread". I was short tempered, tired, had gained 10 pounds, emotional, overwhelmed and missing my husband terribly. I kept looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. My only consolation was that business was booming, but at what cost?? I wanted to pass my burden and move to Burns. Be done with Lebanon, hire a shop manager and start our life in a new place.

It has been no secret that our family has loved Eastern Oregon, and on many occasions seriously spent time looking into moving to the high dessert country of Harney County. It’s small, VERY small, away from the bazillion coffee shops, nothing is open on Sunday, and they have one Movie Theater and maybe 6 restaurants. There is no mall, no Wal-Mart or Freddie’s, and the weather consists of subzero temperatures or blazing summer heat- that by the way; come with massive windstorms, thunder and lightning that start fires EVERY year.

But on the other hand, the side that we see is a family driven community of hard working people, mostly with land and farms (80 acres is considered an average home) willing to make deals with a hand shake and a promise. They have only a few coffee shops in town, but they are owned by local people, supported by local people. Businesses aren’t open or working on Sunday because they are at church or spending time with their families. This small community is held together by the people of Harney County and the few travelers that come through town. The winter snow is beautiful and helps supply water to the multitude of ranches during the hot summers- which are subsided by the old, but wonderful community pool that bronzes every kid from opening day to closing weekend. They may not have the fastest wifi, or a huge selection of shopping options, but it’s worth it all in the end to see people exist on the other side of technology and materialistic things.

 I badgered my poor husband for months about a "plan" even before the second location had finalized. But now I wanted it to be over. I even went as far as to fill out mortgage applications and picking out houses. But no matter how much I tried to force the change it wasn’t happening.

We had this great thing happen. This big, wonderful, life changing thing happen and all I could think about was how I felt like a sinking ship with no rescue in sight. The end of November could not come fast enough for me.

By the time the seasons wrapped up, between the 2 locations, we had over 220 shoulder mounts come in, not counting the other small pieces like board mounts and Europeans, bringing our total intake to well over 300 pieces. The second location was a success. It had officially paid for its self and in our first year- no; first few months. We had made a profit. How many small businesses could say that?! Although this was a victory from a huge leap of faith, I immediately began to think of next year and how it would all play out.

Now here we are, the dust settled, the mounting season is beginning with heads going out the door, and my mind keeps wandering to months from now, when September comes. Will it come and repeat the vicious cycle I had suffered before? Can I fix it all and make it less challenging?

 

  Why can’t I let this go?

As most Christian know today is the beginning of lent- it’s generally celebrated by the Catholic Church but it has begun to make a comeback in non-denominational Churches as well. It is a time traditionally for fasting, but in more modern life it is the act of giving something up- something you value. Last year our whole house decided to omit TV from our daily lives except on family movie Friday and only 1 hour a weekend. Subsequently we had our TV break in the midst of lent last year making it much easier to find something else to do. But this year I think besides giving up something as a family, I need to be giving something up, and it needs to be a bigger sacrifice. Although everything in life needs somewhat of a plan, some things you just can’t “fix”. I need to trust the process, know that this to shall pass and at some point, someday, this will no longer be my burden to bear. Sure I have things I will change, but I now know what to expect after going through it last season. I need to let this go. My mom once told me when she was struggling with the same type of blessing/burdens, “Isn’t this what you prayed for?” I think all of us struggle with some of the great tasks in our life; our kids, work, home etc. But they are all things to be grateful for, things that without, we would so desperately want. The feeling I had seeing my husband receive the keys should be the feeling that gets me through the late nights of capeing heads. When Rueben colors on the walls of the house while I’m helping a customer, I need to remember I wanted my children so desperately. They are also going through this change, not just me. I need to remember that while my husband is alone, in a travel trailer, working 5 hours away from his family I am in my home, with my children and complaining about all I have to do. I am not actually alone in this. I have my whole family beside me, walking this journey.

 

As much as I love food, during those 3 months, my cooking left much to be desired. But I found a short cut foodie way to prepare a yummy dinner along with the kids. We always do pizza Friday in our house. Its mom’s way of getting off the hook, using paper plates and the kids get one night with no vegetables. I’m not a huge fan of pizza, but I found one way during a make-your-own pizza night that I think any foodie mama would love.

 

 

Short Cut Shrimp Pizza

1 tube Pillsbury pizza dough

½ c. Marinara sauce

¼ c. Extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Minced garlic

1 ½  c. Fresh, water packet mozzarella balls

½ c.  Chiffonade (sliced into thin strips) fresh basil

2 c. Small peeled, deveined, cooked shrimp.

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Roll our pizza dough and bake for half the time allotted on the package. In the mean time, mix the sauce, oil, vinegar and garlic together with a whisk until well blended. Spread the sauce over the pizza dough. Warm shimp in a saute pan. Top the pizza with the shrimp and place the mozzarella speratically over the top. Finish with the fresh basil. Salt and pepper according to your liking. I’m normally not a pepper person but a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper over the top really helps this dish pop. Finish baking according to the directions and your liking. I have like to brown mine under the broiler to crisp up the edges.

 

My mornings are chaotic; making breakfast, packing lunches, daycare kids arriving, and hopefully getting the kids out the door on time. It’s a lot to do and a lot to take in and I may only have 5 minutes to myself in the morning but I asked for it all, and its mine. These great gifts I prayed for are right here in my home, and my life everyday. I have no idea what will come next season, it could be just as hard as the last, maybe we will be living in Burns, maybe not, but I know that my family will be with me, right beside me in the trenches and I shouldn’t ever forget that.

Finding a Happy Place

The week of Christmas for our household was probably one of- if not the worst it will see in its entire history together. We didn’t have nasty feuding families or uncomfortable long drives to far off places with blizzards abounding. We had a 3 letter word completely and utterly consume our entire household.

FLU
 
Sounds simple enough, but with 4 sick children, a sick husband and  holiday dishes to be made for the 3 Christmas’ we were to attend in a matter of  days it made it, at best difficult. But to top off our fiasco sundae, I had a surprise planned out for the kids. The mother of all Christmas gifts that they would only see once in their childhood from us. One that I had prepped, planned, thought out, researched and obsessed over since the Christmas before when one of our friends did the same for their children. The one place every little kid dreams about and hears the quintessential music and castle come floating across the TV screen and the twinkle of a fairy spells out the happiest place on Earth-

 

~Disneyland~

 

I had every (literally every) detail planned out. Christmas morning my happy excited children would find a ginormous box sitting in front of the tree with a big red bow, and as the classic “when you wish upon a star” played in the background the box would open with Mickey mouse balloons floating everywhere with the ever typical mouse ears inside with custom made shirts with their names ever so sweetly typed out in Walt Disney font saying “I’m going to Disneyland”. The kids would scream and we would all cry and they would tell us how excited and appreciative they were!

 Perfect right?!

You’re crying aren’t you?  

 Like a scene from a movie it would play out perfectly…..

 And just 8 days after our perfect Christmas morning, we would pack the car as flawlessly as I had planned from pinterest, drive 12 hours straight because of course we would make excellent time and only stop for gas as our kids slept perfectly the whole way to Anaheim.

 Delusional does not even begin to describe how I was thinking, I know.

 
 Once the Plague had set into motion just 3 days before Christmas I has coughing, sneezing, achy, fever ridden children. The day before Christmas Eve the big bomb set in with my husband getting the worst of it. Not to mention we had the bright idea that year to spend the night at great grandmas so she could see all the kids together on Christmas morning. So after drugging the kids and Heath with all medications known to man kind, scrubbing them off in the bath, dressing every member of my household (barely myself) and packing all the items needed for the ever magical surprise box that they couldn’t see until the next morning, all their clothes for the next day and pharmaceuticals to keep them running. Oh- and don’t forget the presents for the 2 Christmas’ in less then 5 hours of each other.

Once we made it through the evening and got the sniffling children and husband to bed I stay up until after midnight making the magic box. In the morning I was met with over tired, sick children, upset that they had to even be out of bed and wondering why Santa had only brought a big box with (supposed) promises of something that was over a week away!

Deflation sets in along with exhaustion.  

The ever present illness then consumed our next 8 days with my husband having  double pneumonia to the point we were worried about even being able to go on our trip- making our already skeptical, barely recovered children question the validity of this “supposed” trip. Once the doctor finally gave clearance I perfectly packed each bag, even put the car carrier on top of the car by myself, looked up gas station, planned out our eating stops and how I would be able to drive the entire trip so heath could continue to rest and I would still manage to conquer our vacation as planned.

I again am in complete denial of our current situation as you can see, and continue with my “perfectly planned” trip.

I will spare you the complete details but after having a crying baby the majority of the drive, myself nauseated and puking my guts out, some even while in rush hour traffic while driving, Heath ended up taking over and driving for most of the trip. After 17 long and grueling hours we finally made it to Anaheim.

The very next day I loaded everyone up for the first day in the park. I was fuming because we were late getting out the door (NOT according to my park plan print out) and  trying to manage all the details again and figure out where to park, catch the shuttle, load all food, water bottles, hats, signature books, pin lanyards oh- and kids, was completely taking its toll.

Then it happened.

We walked through the entrance, the music played, the looks of wonder and marvel and pure magic struck my children’s faces.

 
They were here- really here

And like bees to honey they were taking it all in. They wanted to see every thing, do everything, watch everything, and ride everything. As an adult- being able to see the real magic happen before your eyes was worth all the sickness, loss of plans and utter chaos I had gone through those past weeks to get to that moment. We spent the entire week not following much of a plan.  It wasn’t the way I wanted. It wasn’t the way I had planned it- but it was, in the words of Mary Poppins; practically perfect in every way.

We had the delight of being able to cook our own meals in the townhouse we rented. So here was a meal that made for a magical evening.

Green Chile Cheesy Chicken

4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin

salt and pepper to taste

1 drained 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 slices bacon

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese cheddar, and green chiles.

Lay the chicken flat, season both sides with salt and pepper, place 1/4 of the on the chicken and roll them up.

Wrap each chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon and place them in a baking dish.

Bake about 25-35 minutes

I Am Not My Mother

I am not my mother.



Not in a resentful, distain of possibly being her, I’m just not. As far back as I can remember she has been the epitome of motherly perfection. She never forgets a face, name or birthday. She even remembers to send cards for anniversaries and, graduations. She also sends Halloween, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving cards to each of her 17 grandchildren across the US- ON TIME. In 1983 my parents lived in Colorado Springs Colorado, there was a shuttle landing at the NASA site in Denver  just a few days after my birth and my parents decided to go. At that point my mom was able to fit back into her size 6 jeans- and still wears a sixe 6 at age 60. In the midst of one day in her life she can bake bread for church, drop of her weekly purchase of donations, bring me the shirts she irons every week for the boys, sew a dress for an upcoming event, manage the books for my fathers business, pick the strawberries, tomatoes, onions and zucchini she grew in her garden, mow the neighbors pasture with the tractor and oh- help birth a calf. She makes lists, eats a balanced meal at every meal, can craft anything, sew anything, bake anything, grow anything, raise anything and pretty much should wear a cape and mask.

 

When my husband and I got married in 2003, I had this standard in my mind of how I should be as a wife and mom. A do all, be all mother who can conquers everything in an orderly, organized fashion. For those who know me well enough are probably on the floor choking on my words knowing I am the most unorganized, distractible, spontaneous person you could probably meet. First of all I forget everything, so when buying cards for family members, I either loose them or forget to send them. In high school I somehow managed to wear a size 3 but by the end of my first term in college I was a size 10 and have fluctuated after 4 kids between a 14 down to an 8 back up to a 12 and have managed to work my way back down to a 10 since the birth of our last child, but thanksgiving is coming so I’m sure that will change. My daily life consist of me trying to clean my house but inevitable failing between multiple distractions and children so I end up with a half made poorly done pinterest project, 2 sheets of burnt cookies, dead plants in the back yard, a stack of filing for my husbands business that has been sitting there for weeks, a giant pile of half folded laundry that isn’t put away and 4 kids going to bed an hour past bed time after having Tostinos pizza for dinner…again. I am not my mother.

 

About halfway through the past 10 years I began to resent the fact that I had none of my mother’s talents. I was too unorganized, too distracted to be able to be like her. My mom, my husband, and my kids had never asked me to be those things. I was putting it on myself.

 

But why?

 

 If my family was accepting of who I was then why was I finding all the ways each day how I wasn’t the Martha Stewart, wife of the year, etsy store, organized list maker, pinterest project, organic food, perfectionist, homeschooling mom I wanted to be?

 

 

 

7 years ago I joined a national organization called MOPS- which stands for Moms of Preschoolers.  these women are truely amazing. We all come from different backgrounds, families and belief systems. There have been days where I didn't have time nor energy to go to a meeting, but once I got there I was so glad I did. We meet twice a month during the school year and enjoy adult conversation (a must when a parent of preschoolers), great food and various activities and speakers. Of course it’s like any mommy meeting at first. The feeling of not wanting the rest of them to know what a wholly mess you are, but by the end of the first month you’re comparing war stories about poopie pants and worst mom of the year award winning moments. It was within this group (and during a pregnancy) that I had a complete and utter meltdown. And yes, they still speak to me. At the time I was working, and still attempting to be the all perfect homemaker mom. A speaker was coming to talk about balance in our schedules. As she spoke it came about that she married a man with children and had not had them as babies. I in turn, {again pregnant and hormonal} began to sob uncontrollably. The cure I was seeking to my never-ending unstructured self was not to be found. As I went on my babbling rampage to these poor women, they all began to say the same thing I was. How they felt like they could do more, be more, to be better wives and moms. In that moment it dawned on me that I wasn’t alone. That maybe that one thing was what made us great made me great; the want and need to be better for our families. From a child’s perspective my mom was perfect. I now honestly believe that is the ultimate goal. I can’t be a perfect someone else. I can only be a perfect me; for my husband, my kids, my family and my friends. I know now my mom is somewhat of an exception to the rule, and I’m grateful for it, but I’m also grateful for being so unorganized that I forget to go to a meeting because I would rather watch a movie with my husband. Distractible enough to spend the whole day doing what I love in my kitchen instead of mopping floors. Spontaneous enough to build a fort in my livingroom and not fold the laundry. So for my fellow messy moms- here is a sure fire, last minute meal for those movies, fort, baking days;

 

 

Zucchini Casserole

8 cups sliced zucchini

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup mayo

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 small onion, chopped

1 packages sliced and sautéed hotdogs or 1-2 packs crumbled bacon pieces

Salt & pepper to taste

Butter

Crushed up rice krispies or corn flakes

Bring a pot of water to boil, enough o sustain the amount of zucchini.  Drop in sliced zucchini and boil until just tender but not too long. Drain well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, mayo, Parmesan cheese, onion, protien and salt & pepper. Mix well. Add drained zucchini and mix.
3. Butter a large pie plate and pour zucchini mix into pie plate. Melt butter and mix with desired topping and sprinkle over casserole.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until bubbly.

 

Note: for a lighter version use light mayo and omit topping.

 

In songs of Solomon 4:7 it says “You are all together beautiful my love, there is no flaw in you”.  God created us just as he wanted us to be. Not like another mom, but just us.

 

A Beautiful Mess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Kill it- You Cook it

I remember being a little girl and dreaming about the man I would someday marry. I don't think I could even offend my husband with the statement that dead animals would not be the base of any little girls prince charming. farmer-maybe, hunter...mmm..OK, but Taxidermist? I knew a six to seven figure a year, large company CPA was not in my future, just because I wasn't that kind of girl, but I definitely did not prepare myself for the strange looks- sudden gulps and squished faces when I declare- " he's a taxidermist." Mind you I am not ashamed of the job that puts a roof over my head and clothes on my children's back. Heath is an artist and a craftsmen and I applaud him each and everyday. That being said- I know its weird.

The two most annoying questions I got when we were engaged were " Are you going to let him hang that stuff in the house?" and because I was a culinary arts major, " remind me not to eat dinner at your house?! Ha-Ha!"...yeah...real funny. We don't eat skunk or raccoon, I have all my teeth and no one is playing a banjo in the background. We are a fully functioning {semi} normal family, no old tires in the front yard, and yes we have running water. We have head mounts in the house but they do not look like an ominous creature with crooked eyes bulging from its head like you see in crime shows where the guy has a dead body in his freezer. It's a business just like an auto mechanic or a welder. We provide a service to hunters, and to my surprise over the past decade of my marriage, its a thriving business. Each year his business grows and we see people of all income brackets come through the door. And to be honest, in my opinion, they are the best customers a business could ask for. They are kind and caring, and are more like friends and family then just another sale. We get spoiled by our customer too. Some spend so much time in the woods that they literally give us meat out of their freezer because they have too much. OK-for the moms out there reading this still being skeptical and wrinkling your face let me put it in these terms;

envision someone walking through the door and giving you 10 pounds of hamburger, 6 bottom round roasts (about 5 lbs. a piece), and 3 packages of steaks, about a pound a piece. All organic, grass fed meat from a local sustainable source-for FREE. Crunch those numbers, un-crunch your face and tell me I'm not onto something! The protein we get not only reduces my grocery bill but guarantees my kids, the best option there is available. This also gives me the freedom to create all kinds of things with the various cuts we end up getting.
Most people I think are scared to cook game meat, I know I was. You spend your whole life with pork, beef and chicken and then you try to cook this thing that once had horns and you don't even know where to begin. You've heard the rumors about it being gamey and your great aunt  Bertha cooked it one time and it was either deep fried and smothered in gravy or dry and chalky. Trust me when I say this- its just like BEEF! I know, I know, its like the saying it's just like chicken, but I'm serious. Its a dark meat that is simply leaner, has less cholesterol and when handled correctly, has only a slightly different taste then beef and is not gamey at all. Sure everyone likes something deep fried and covered in gravy but Aunt Bertha weights 260 pounds for a reason. No one can live on a diet like that and to be honest, you loose so much of the flavor. If you become lucky enough to harvest a deer or elk yourself or like us, have it given to you, here is a recipe we love;

Salt Crusted Wild Roast
1-3 to 5lb. Deer or Elk Roast
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. minced onion
1-2 tbsp. minced garlic (depending on your taste)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. herbes de provence
1 cup kosher salt

combine oil, onion, garlic, pepper and herbes in a heavy plastic bag. Add roast and insure it it coated in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from bag and let set on a  roasting rack lined with foil until room temperature. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using hands, message the kosher salt all over the surface of the roast, generously heaping some on the top. Bake for 1-2 hours- depending on your roast size. Roast should reach 140 degrees before removing from oven, longer if you prefer it less pink. remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes. remove salt crust and slice as desired.


The next is a somewhat deceptive recipe I created to get my kids to eat cauliflower and makes a great, earthy side to a hearty roast like the one above.

Creamy Cauliflower Potatoes

3 large red potatoes, NOT peeled
3 cups cauliflower pieces- fresh or frozen ( if frozen thawed)
tbsp. salted butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Dice potatoes and place in a large pot with cauliflower pieces and  heavily salted water. bring to boil and cook until potatoes and cauliflower are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. drain well. in the same pot heat the heavy cream and butter until melted. add in the potatoes and cauliflower and using a potato masher press out the potatoes and cauliflower. In the event you have big chunks of cauliflower, pulse with a stick blender but remember, your making smashed potatoes-not baby food. Add salt and pepper to taste
You can add in bacon pieces, cheese, whatever you want to doctor them up- but don't tell the kids about the cauliflower.

As the hunting season falls upon us and your husband has a friend who wants to take him hunting- shove him out the door! it will save you some time from couponing.

Summer Storm

Most people live by a schedule- as for myself I have found that with 4 kids it works best to have one- but sticking to it ( again 4 kids) generally ends in more havoc then its worth at times. During the summer months for our family I always find our family in a state of discombobulated order. We have a bedtime- but it could be 7:30 or 10:30. We have regular meals- like chicken ala’ McDonalds. I will say my one saving grace for my family’s health during the busy summer months is the barbecue. I truly love it. Unfortunately for me I do not have one of those husbands who slaves over a grill during and cooks a steak to perfection

Yea….that would be me..


He is gladly willing and able to eat whatever I make though- such a good sport!

Anyway, this month is particular was probably the busiest one we have had in the 10 years we have been married. We had out of town guest 2 different times, County fair (that I volunteer at), a HUGE community wide garage sale that went on for 4 days ( plus clean up and take down), and now we are gearing up for our 4 kids’ giant birthday bash. I have finally found the floor of my living room and felt a need to disconnect from the mop and vacuum and spread a little summer recipe cheer. For those of you who are currently living my nightmare reality, I have a great tried and true summer pasta salad recipe that is always a crowd pleaser, super easy to make, goes great with any grilled protein or kabob, and can stay in the fridge for days. In our opinion its better the next day after the pasta soaks up the dressing.



Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb. cooked, drained, rinsed and cooled tri-color pasta

1 ½ c. finely diced sharp cheddar cheese

1 large tomato diced

2 green onions sliced

1 cucumber seeded and diced

1 ½ c. ham diced

1c. canola oil

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

¼ c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. ranch dressing mix


Mix together cooled pasta and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and ranch dressing mix until well blended. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss. Note: if stored overnight the salad will absorb some of the dressing so more can be applied later on.

~ This recipe is one my mom has made every summer for as long as I can remember and is a summer barbeque staple. Thanks Mom! ~

April Showers

  It seems this time of year always makes me smile. Well at least those days where the sun comes out and it surprises you with beautiful 65 degree weather when you least expected it. Of course the following day (or days for us valley dwellers) ends up being a wet mess and makes us long even more for the sunshine. This time of year seems to always be shower season, not in the sense of the beloved Oregon rain, but in baby and bridal showers as well. My mom and I had the pleasure of putting on an event this past weekend for our very longtime family friends. They recently had become grandparents and wanted to have a baby welcoming, and have it be family friendly- dads and spouses included. Now I know most men try to avoid events like this due to the usual lack of other males present but seeing how this was more of a “come meet the baby” then an actual shower with games and prizes, we planned that some men would actually brave the weather so to speak! We knew we wanted small appetizers and hor dourves but how can you make them more appealing to the testosterone in the room?  I mean everyone knows a guy likes to eat. The more fanciful things we could make would not only leave them sniffing the food at the buffet line but eventually asking that beloved, non-adventurous question of

 “What’s in this?”  

Speaking for the males in my family, if it has meat, starch, cheese - OK, and lets not forget some sort of condiment I’m usually safe. So why not play off of the caveman appetite? And that was when I had an idea; a His and Hers Menu! This would allow the men to feel safe with their usual favorites but with a nicer spin on it, and then an adjacent ladies sort of upgraded version.

His Menu

Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes with Creamy Potato Frosting

Hot Wing Dip

Pulled Pork Sliders on Mini Pretzel Buns

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Bites

Her Menu

French Fried Onion and Mushroom Canapés

Cool Cucumber Vegetable Dip

Tarragon Shrimp Sliders on Mini Pretzel Buns

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

So you don’t get EVERY recipe this time, but here are a few to wet your appetite;

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Bites

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep... Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane. Cut each half into half again, making a perfect bite sized piece. Fill a Ziploc bag with cream cheese and snip of the end to pipe out into each jalapeno bite. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink too much so if, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. Serve warm or at room temperature.

French Fried Onion and Mushroom Canapés

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 4-ounces canned mushroom pieces and stems, drained
• one 2.8-ounce can french-fried onions
• 1 loaf cheap white sandwich bread

Lay out slices of bread and using an inch and half size cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Reserve the crust and remaining bread for other use. ( it freezes really well, and the last time we used it for croutons). Generously spray a cookie sheet with spray oil and place the bread round on sheet. Sprinkle the tops with garlic and onion powder. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, mushrooms, and onions. Spread on lightly toasted party rye or pumpernickel. Top each baked round with mixture and broil until brown and bubbly

Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes with Creamy Potato Frosting

• 1 pound Ground Beef ( or in our case elk or venison)
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Bread diced into small pieces
• ½ a Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Egg, Lightly Beaten
• ½ cup Ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper

• 1 ½  pounds Potatoes, Peeled And Cubed

• ½ sticks Butter

• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Evaporated Milk
• ½ cup fresh Chopped Chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini tartlet tray with aluminum  mini foil baking cup liners. Mix ground beef, bread pieces, onion, eggs, salt, pepper and ketchup. Using a small scoop, fill each cup with meatloaf mixture. Filling will be slightly above the liners in a mounded shape simulating the finished cupcake shape since the mixture won’t rise. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Boil peeled and cubed potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and return to pot. Add butter and salt. With a mixer, beat on medium until completely smooth. Add evaporated milk. When meatloaves are done, remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Remove the foil liners from the trays. Be careful because the edges may stick to the trays. Separate with a knife if this happens and lift out of the trays. The meat will have shrunk a little and some grease will be in the bottom of the liners so be careful. Place onto desired serving dish. Spoon potatoes into a large ziploc bag with the corner cut off and pipe potatoes on top of meatloaves in a swirling motion. Sprinkle the tops with chopped chives. Serve warm.

Cool Cucumber Vegetable Dip

·         2 whole cucumbers, peeled and seeded

·         1 bell pepper cored and seeded

·         3 stalks celery, ends removed

·         1 onion, peeled and ends removed, cut in half

·         3 lbs. cream cheese, softened

·         ¼ c. mayonnaise

Take cream cheese and pulse in food processor. Add vegetables one at a time. Finish with mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste. This batch makes a ton, so you can cut in half if needed.

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

• 7 oz. prosciutto, sliced
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 or 2 bundles of  fresh asparagus, trimmed well and ends removed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread prosciutto slices with cream cheese. Cut each of them into 4 strips lengthwise.  Twist and Wrap slices around each asparagus spear. Arrange wrapped spears in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake 10- 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until asparagus is tender or their green color turns very vibrant.  Serve warm, cold or at room temperature

We had no casualties as a result of a couples shower. It was a pretty nice day. Lots of baby cooing and cuddling and so far no complaints about the food. Even during the clean up part, we noticed most of the plates were completely clean. Events like these are always fun because not only are you doing them for people you care about but the small intricate bites give a smorgasbord to your guest. I always have trouble at a restaurant deciding what to get becuase I wat to try it all, and a menu like this gives you exactly that option.  

We have another event coming up next month and a family dinner this weekend so look for yet another blog very soon!