Adventures on becoming a Domestic Diva

After weeks, if not months or years, of feeling somewhat of a failure to the female species I've decided that if I want anything to change, I must take charge. That surge of motivation came to me after having a girls night and watching the wonderful movie Julie & Julia I decided I would take a fun journey as she did. I will not be cooking 524 recipes in 365 days. I am not a cook in the slightest. I would give my...I would say my right arm, however that wouldn't work especially for ME, so I would give my big toe to be a fabulous cook. I've mentioned this many times to my biggest supporter Lover Boy but he insists that I am just fine. Fortunately for me and my lack of determination to conquer becoming a good cook Lover Boy has a single friend who frequents our home with a McDonalds bag, sometimes it's Del Taco. Sergei has mentioned that he would love home cooked meals, but we all know how difficult it is cooking for one. A week or so ago we made a deal that I will cook meals and he will come eat with us. It is nice because I know that ramen noodles or mac & cheese just won't cut it when there is a guest coming for dinner so I have begun cooking.

While starting my journey down the cooking lane, I've realized my biggest enemy in the kitchen the one ingredient that I absolutely despise cooking with is also quickly becoming my favorite. THE ONION. In the past I've just figured that when a recipe calls for onion it should say optional and I opt out of using it. I'm not a fan of that crunchy strong flavor and definately not a fan of crying while trying to chop it. However, that flavor really does add to the dish and when chopped so small and then cooked, it isn't so crunchy and noticeable. I now enjoy the tears streaming down my face, chopping that onion blindly, because I feel that I am sacrificing...I'm sacrificing my vision for a moment, sacrficing a perfectly made up face (well, we'll just pretend it's perfect, lol) while my mascara drips down my cheeks, my nasals burn with the smell of onion, and often the kitchen will smell like onions for a day after. I love cooking with onions:)

Cooking is not my only adventure! I have found myself compeletely slacking on housekeeping duties. Every room in our house has been taken over with clutter and filth. Shelves are full of dust, mirrors covered in splatter marks, floors with sticky messes. Yes I will admit it, we live in horror. Funny thing is I know that if you will just spend 1 hour or less a day the house can remain "clean". I have made myself a routine once again (it really does work for me, maybe not for you, but for me). Monday is the Kitchen. I clean the fridge, throw out old leftovers and wipe spills, I wipe down all the cupboards, appliances, countertops and table. I clean the floors spotless...ok so we all know that's a lie, my floors can never be spotless unless I replaced them, but I do as well as possible. The rest of the week I tackle one room a day(or like on Thursdays I do all the bedrooms). It has been working out quite nicely. I love having a clean house, one that may not look clean because it is old and ragged, but that I know is clean.

Also in my routine I have scheduled set aside time to do certain activities with my children. I find it rather easy to get side tracked and stick them in their playroom (which they really do enjoy) while I venture off on my own...you know catching up on reading everyone's blogs, emails, facebook and browsing the internet for whatever. We have reading time each day (which is my favorite thing to do with the kids because I know it will benefit them later in their lives), we also have art time (I have yet to start this activity with them because I've wanted to get organized personally before creating messes with them...hopefully only a few more days til our house is decorated in one of a kind masterpieces).

Back to the movie Julie & Julia, didn't you just love how she had to wear her pearls?! I loved it. I will not copy her exactly and wear pearls every day, but I am thinking of something. I just thought it was so cute and feminine. I love femininity!! Perhaps when I do yard work I will wear my tallest stilletos, it would serve a double purpose you know, I'd be aerating the lawn while mowing...however that is too dangerous for someone as graceful as I. Back to the drawing board for that perfect idea...what do you think would be fun?

AH...KITCHEN MISHAP..I am cooking my favorite meatloaf recipe while blogging. You bake it for 45 min covered, then uncover and pour the topping on and bake another 60 minutes. The timer just went off, I rushed in put the topping on, while placing the pan back in the oven it slid from my hot pads and splattered...This is my life. Should be no surprise, but still a bit of devastation sneaks in:( O-well right?! I'm sure Betty Crocker or Julia Child made mistakes such as that here and there...I sure hope so anyways.