Tuesday, February 15, 2011

wafflemaker..

My in laws gave me this super fancy, flippy, behemoth of a waffle maker for Christmas. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because a gift is a gift, and it probably cost alot... but I can honestly say that I have made waffles a grand total of 0 times in my 8 years of marriage. (we are more of a quick bowl of cereal kind of people) Now counter space at my house is a hot commodity and there are few appliances that stay there for long. The toaster is a mainstay, the blender comes and goes... other than that its a no go. So the dilemma is, I have a GIANT waffle maker, that doesn't fit in any of my cupboards, but it is a really nice waffle maker, so I don't want to get rid of it. But this sassy little device only does one thing... makes waffles... or does it...


My kids love, and I mean LOVE Eggo waffles... with peanut butter and syrup.


i decided to experiment. get some bread... slab on some peanut butter...


toss her in the ol' waffle maker... (I buttered the outside... probably not totally necessary, but grandma taught me that butter makes everything better)



squish it down... *I don't know if all waffle makers have the "beep when its done" feature, but mine does, so when it beeps ... TADA!!!

dip it in some syrup and the kids will eat it up! ... now that is still sort of a waffle, so in order for me to justify this thing on my counter I had to get creative...



So I got some store bought flaky layer biscuits...



split them in two.... and roll them out super thin.





I happened to have some yummy cafe rio style shredded pork in my fridge so I grabbed some of that and some cheddar and threw them on my biscuit.


Then I put the other side on and rolled up the edges nice and tight... (you don't want any gooey stuff leaking out all over your waffle maker, now do ya?





Toss her in the waffle maker, squish it down, and keep an eye on it. It cooks super fast... so DO NOT WAIT FOR THE BEEP... lol...


some of the ewwy gooey goodness leaked out, but not too much. I serve this up with some cafe rio style ranch for dipping, and it is divine. I plan on making grilled cheese sandwiches, and some "wafflized" pizza pockets... if you have any other ideas for me to try, now that those wheels are spinning, PLEASE let me know... I need to justify people!!!


and on a totally unrelated, yet somehow related subject, I need a new rolling pin. I had to use cream of mushroom... dang kids and their play dough breaking all my rolling pins... "ggrr" I need to buy a heavy duty one this time... anyway have a happy day, and leave me some ideas!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

today...



Today started off pretty rotten. I basically had an emotional breakdown. The stress of all my kids being sick... including my one month old baby... the amount of bills coming in and the lack of money coming in, the laundry, the dishes, and all the usual everyday stresses that come with being an adult. I sat there... staring at the pan of gravy I had forgotten about from last night... I started to cry. Then Annie started coughing... and I cried harder. I didn't really know what to do next... so I called my mommy. She told me to go feed the baby and she would be right over. So I did... and she was. She gathered me up in her arms and said, "I know how you feel... now just imagine having 8 kids to worry over!" (I cant even begin to imagine!) She then shoved her keys in my hands and told me to go clear my head. She made me pinkie promise to come back... There is really only one place i could think to go... so i went and sat on the temple steps... after i got myself together i realized that i was free of children... so i went to DI...(my favorite store) and looked around for a while. Fast forward several hours... I got in the car and said a little prayer. I needed strength. My boobs were hurting like crazy so I knew it was past time to be home... I asked heavenly father to help me be a better mom... a better wife, and a better person. I am pretty sure I have been suffering some post partum depression. Which is really weird and not at all part of my normal character. I would never describe myself as a depressed person, but lately I have been. Anyway I had another good cry there in the parking lot, and put it in drive. When I got home my jaw hit the floor. My sweet, half blind, diabetes stricken mother and my 5 year old daughter had cleaned my house from top to bottom. Every dish, every stitch of clothing... spotless. *cue the tears* There were no words. I don't know if anyone has ever cleaned your house for you, but I tell you what, that is love. She kissed me, and told me not to wait until I was desperate to call... I promised I wouldn't. Then Chantel and I proceeded to make Banana muffins, delivered some to the neighbors. (serving others helps you forget about yourself... true story.) Then the whole family... (even Mitch!) played Yahtzee... lots of smiles, no fighting! (maybe they could sense my emotional instability?) Tacos for dinner... YUMMY! Then our home teachers popped in... they had heard Annie was sick and wanted to know if they could help. I asked them to give her a blessing. They did. I immediately felt better. (thanks again guys!) Then we did homework... then we said nigh time prayers and read stories... then we sat on my bed trying to get Annie to sleep by listening to our favorite primary songs on YouTube... and now I am lying next to the man I love... I am blessed. I know it, but I think my brain hasn't quite grasped the concept yet... emotionally I am still fighting an uphill battle, but I shall prevail... I am determined to become the happy, bubbly, person I know is hiding inside. Thanks for letting me vent... better out than in... =) and now I am going to go to sleep... This day has a happy ending after all!


Friday, February 4, 2011

my lazy life...

aah how I will miss the cuddles, and the lazy days of just sitting around watching judge shows and practicing my photography.

It makes me so happy to make memories with my babies.


I just have to cherish every moment.

because all too soon they will be gone...


So even though I am sad, that my lazy life is almost over, and I will soon be back to run, run run, I must be strong. I will be strong. I have faith. All is well. I simply have to make every moment together count. That way the moments apart won't hurt so much.
~all my love
NETTIE