Friday night with friends....

Thursday afternoon cute Steph called and said she wanted to stop by for a minute if we were home. You know my friends are so good, they always stop by to see me. I love it. Anyways when she came by she said that she missed hanging out with everyone and thought we should plan something for Friday nigh, which of course I completely agree. Conversation went from subject to subject and then I began telling her about the hilarious video (The Ugly Truth, warning: it is a crude show that should not be viewed around children) that Lover Boy and I had just watched. I laughed so hard I was short of breath and ended up snorting throughout the entire movie. Then like a light bulb in my brilliant mind going off...I suggested that we should get together with everyone and just watch a movie Friday night. It would be free and local!!

Needless to say: We had so much fun watching a movie together. We were all rolling! We've decided to make this a weekly treat. We are all on different paths in our lives and it's so difficult to get together, and we're all strapped for cash so this is the perfect solution. I'm excited because my children were able to be here (Little Princess watched a movie in her playroom that was suiting for her age, and Little Man was catching his zzzz) and it's something that we usually do just Lover Boy and I so our schedule doesn't have to change one bit.:)

Well, with life being life...there are times that we lose focus, that we are overtaken by some other force. In our household we've been trying to fight off depression. We have no really great reason to be experiencing it because we do know that we truly are blessed and very fortunate in our life, but despite that knowledge it's creeping in. Fortunately we have recognized it and know just a little bit about it to know that it's knocking at the door...Friday I let him in and nearly gave him control. You know depression is so so scary!! I hate it! I felt the need to take a nap early on in the morning...then about 2, I NEEDED another nap. I woke at 5. While I was awake I was a b*tch to everyone within 50 yards of me...Little Princess just couldn't do anything right, Little Man just drove me crazy, Molly (our dog) bugged me so bad, I even told her that you bug me one more time girl and I will take you down....hahaha wouldn't that make a great YouTube video?!

We were making Miso Soup, Salmon, Stir-fry and Rice for dinner...Lover Boy and Sergie went to the Asain Market to get the ingredients for Miso Soup while I was napping. When they returned I had just woken up, I was NOT in the mood to cook. Luckily for me they were so excited to make this soup that they did just that. (at the Japanese resturants you will pay anywhere from $2-5 for this yummy soup, to make a large pot of it cost $5...no more paying at the restaraunt.) Then feeling a bit guilty for my lousy behavior throughout the day I forced myself off the couch and into the kitchen. I made Salmon baked in Soy Sauce, the stir fry veggies, and rice...at least I got something done finally...While I was cooking though Little Man popped himself out of his bumbo chair that was in the center of the kitchen table (which it says directly on the chair NOT to do) and crashed to the floor...I cursed and began crying with him. Little Princess was just being a four-year old asking questions and informing me that the spoon I gave her was too large and that I shouldn't have given a child a glass bowl...I exploded at her about just being quiet and not complaining...Then I realized it was not her problem she was completely right, but I was the one over reacting about everything...I had a mini breakdown for a minute in my bedroom, wiped the tears, and then headed back upstairs to finish the dinner. Lover Boy is so good because as soon as he sensed my terrible mood swing, he offered to help (which I snapped at and said I was capable of doing it myself), he took the baby and got him ready for bed. After eating I thought it would be best to spend some time with Little Princess before our friends came over. I went down to her play room and layed with her and watched part of a movie with her. I am glad that I did that because I need her to know that mommy may freak out but it's not her fault it's mommy's and that I love her regardless of anything. Man, it sure is rough being a mom!! The rest of the night went much better:)


Here are some recipes from the meals that have been our favorite the past week or so:

Miso Soup

1 bag Dashi soup stock (you can substitue with mushroom stock or fish stock)
3 T. Miso paste
1 brick firm tofu
1 pinch of seaweed
green onions
10 c. water

Boil water with Dashi soup stock. Chop tofu into small cubes and add to soup. Take out 1 -2 Cups of the soup and mix in small bowl with Miso paste until paste is dissolved. Turn to Med-Low Heat, remove Dashi stock bags (like tea bags) then add pinch or 2 of seaweed. Make sure soup is not boiling, then add Miso paste. Stir, do not allow to boil with Miso paste in it. Add green onions.



Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chopped chicken breasts (uncooked)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 t salt
5 cups water
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t garlic
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 dash of parsley
1 pkg egg noodles.

Put all ingredients minus noodles in large pot and boil til chicken is cooked. Pour in the noodles and simmer til noodles and veggies are tender.


Chicken & Broccoli Braid

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded-1c.
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 t. dill mix
1/4 t salt
2 pkg. crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 T slivered almonds

PreHeat oven to 375. Chop chicken, broccoli and pepper. Press garlic over vegetables, add shredded cheese. Add mayonnaise, dill mix, salt. On cookie sheet lay out crescent rolls with the long point going towards the outside and the short side down the center, do on both sides...You will be scooping the mixture down the center and then braiding the long pieces over. Brush on the egg whites and sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 25-28 minutes



Joe's Sisters Spaghetti Sauce

1 large onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 T Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 cans whole tomatoes, crush them
2 plain tomato sauce
2 t. Dry basil
1 t. dry oregano
1/2 t. fennel seed (KEY INGREDIENT)

Heat olive oil and cook onion and pepper. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 1 hr stirring occasionally. BE PATIENT


Mowing for Meatloaf

2 1/3 c. coarsely crushed soda crackers (1 1/2 tubes from package)
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 pound breakfast sausage patties
1 large egg
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, minced
3/4 c ketchup, + 1/4 c. for the top
1/3 c. worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1/2 t black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325. In a heavy duty plastic food-storage bag, place the crackers, seal and roll over with a rolling pin wntil crushed but not powdery.
Take any rings off your fingers and send them to me! {that really is in the recipe..this is from Naomi Judds cookbook and she adds fun little personality like that to every recipe. lol} In a large bowl, with clean hands, mix together all the ingreients except the 1/4 c. ketchup for the top. Mix thoroughly but lightly, being careful not to pack the meat too much. Place in a 13x9x2 baking pan and shape into a loaf. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in the 325 oven for 45 minutes. Removed the foil. Spread the top of the loaf with the 1/4 c. ketchup. Bake, uncovered, another 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

~when I made this one I ended up with only enough ketchup for the mixture and none to put on top. I searched my food storage but was completely out of ketchup but did find a bottle of bbq sauce. So I topped the meatloaf with that...We prefer it with bbq sauce on top~