A new Challange

Hello!

First off I want to thank everyone for wishing me happy birthday. It was really amazing. My phone (which is connected to my facebook) was going off all day it was awesome! So thank you guys.

Second. I had a slight bombshell dropped on me today when I got to work. wanna hear it? well you don't have a choice I'm going to tell you. The children's aunt is moving on the 30th. This is the woman who trades off days with me. This is the woman who has made it possible for me to work only 4 days a week and have time off when I needed it. She is moving to Washington state. What this means for me is that as of the 3rd of January I will be working 5 days a week. No if's and's or but's. A full week. And you all know the hours I work. That would be 10 hours a day minimum. Most times closer to 12. This means between 50 and 60 hours a week. I am trying to deal with this calmly. I will be rational about it. I will not freak out. What I am going to do is ask for them to be sure of coming home 2 days a week at 5pm. This would mean a 10 hour day at least 2 days a week. On these 2 days I will either do yoga or work out with Jono. I will also have to cook enough for a whole week every weekend. As of late I have been cooking enough for a few days at most. I will need to get on top of my diet more and make things I can pack for lunches. I will also start planing now for my spa day in April. The job they are both on right now is going to keep them in work till sometime in March. After that it's all up in the air. They might even be moving up north. So I am going to take the work where I can get it. I may go crazy. I may cry at night. But I will work and make money and hopefully if everything goes as I hope I can go back to school full time soon. Maybe even next fall.

I have spent all day letting this sink in. I know full well they will drive me up the walls. But I hope to have enough structure at home to combat the craziness of work. But before all that is Christmas.

Do you all realize just how soon Christmas is? Have you done your shopping? Have you made your gifts? I haven't. I didn't realize till yesterday that it's less then 2 weeks away. Thankfully I have tomorrow off as well as only working Monday and Tuesday next week. So I will have this weekend and most of next week to make everything. And I do mean Everything. When I started to flip out about it Jono reminded me that I did the exact same thing last year and managed to get everything done in time. So I should be able to do it this time. But I think I am doing more gifts this year... it doesn't matter! I will get it done. I just might go a little crazy. Or crazy-er.

hugs&kisses & Christmas wishes
mce

It's coming!!

Good Morning!
I have the day off and intend to use it. I have condensed, rewritten, revised, sorted, and tallied my Christmas gift list. I have realized that I have managed to give myself about 4 days worth of cooking to do. there are still nine people who I am stumped on. I have 39 people on my list and have had to split it into two lists. A list that of the ones I really need, and a list of ones I really want to. It's not money that makes the difference it's time. I'm not sure I have the time to make 5 stuffed animals. Needless to say it's all a bit stressful but in a good way. on top of all this my birthday is next week!

Now first off I have to say how sad I find it that as you get older birthdays mean less. I love birthdays. I think it's awesome I survived another year and I want others to think so too! I love everything about those old birthday parties you have when your young but no one wants to do that when your older. Most of the time you just get phone calls. Not nearly as fun as presents and cake. Unless you have an awesome fiance like I do! For my birthday (and yes it was early) I got a Keurig coffee maker! It's one of those single serving makers. But the cool thing is you can still use your own coffee in it. We had talked about getting one for a while since Jono doesn't really drink coffee and it wasn't really making sense for me to make a full pot of coffee just for myself. Yes I know you don't have to make a full pot even with the old coffee maker. The really cool thing about the new maker is that Keurig doesn't make their own cups (the little pre packed cups you put in the machine) So every other company that makes coffee or tea seems to make cups to fit it. Everyone from Starbucks to Celestial seasonings seems to have K-cups. It works great for us since I can make just my cup of coffee with my ground coffee in the morning and Jono can make a cup of tea with the pre-packed tea right after. The tea thing is great. I never remember to time how long the tea bag is supposed to stay in and the machine does it perfectly. No more bitter tea! I got it early since we found it on sale in a pack that came with 60 cups and the fill yourself cup. It's pretty awesome I gotta say.

Back to Christmas! If anyone has food concerns, can't have nuts, don't like spicy, love spicy, no sugar, likes chocolate, doesn't like chocolate, that kind of thing please tell me. Even if you think I know just let my know again. I'm a bit frazzled.

hugs+kisses!
mce 

Christmas cheer

Good morning!
I got up way to early for a weekend. But that's ok. I got to see Jono a bit before he left for work.
Winter seems meant for small idealistic moments. Take yesterday evening. I found myself sitting in the dining room with a cup of spiced apple cider listening to Slavic Choral music. I was writing up lists and address Christmas cards. It's moments like that which make me happy. The little ones. The ones where you pause what you are doing for a moment and realize how happy you are in the moment. Now I am sitting at that same table with a cup of coffee watching the fire across the room from me. I have my to do list in front of me and am calming deciding what order to do things in. these quite moments are the best for me. I like my mornings of quite when bella is sleeping curled up on the couch and I can drink my coffee and figure out my day. Its nice to start off the day centered.

I hope you are all getting into the spirit of the season with joy and happiness.
hugs+kisses
mce

Let the sun shine in

Good morning!
The holidays are upon us. I have to admit I have not been in the holiday mood. I've been stress and busy beyond belief. I've hardly had time to sit down much less think about the holidays fast approaching.  I still have a lot to do ( Boxes to unpack and furniture to move and arrange) but we are no longer living in two different places. We are not in an ideal situation living wise but we are getting there. It's not a question of "if" but a question of "when". My crazy work schedule is slowing down again. They are wrapping this week and next and then started on a TV show (Bones) which will give them a more regular schedule. I have tomorrow off so I am going to use it to unpack and clean.
I still plan to make all my presents. Or at least a good amount of them. Yes I know it's a little late to be starting all that. I have also made room for a Christmas tree. These are things I need to do to get in the mood. I have started getting in the mood by crafting with the Marilyn and Amanda. We made Christmas trees and turkeys out of pine cones. I try to get over to there house at least once a week. We sit and craft and joke and eat. They always feed me! And it's always good food.

So in all this madness I am trying to find solid ground again. I'm sure I will. It will just take time.

hugs+kisses
mce

Moved!

Good morning!

Yes you read that right, we have moved at last. No not into our own place but at least out of our old place. The amount of stress was a little extreme. But on the up side I am extremely proud of myself. I packed everything and moved a lot of it. All by myself. I got Friday off and finished packing while Jono was working. When he got off he picked up the truck and met me at the apartment. We started moving things but couldn't get the big things.  So I hired two guys for Saturday and they moved the big stuff. I did a lot of stuff I was uncomfortable with and doing so much on my own. Needless to say the fact that I got it all done and didn't need help makes me very happy. Now this is not because Jono didn't want to help. Jono helped as much as he could but I felt it was more important for him to be working making money then help me packing. So because I was able to do so much on my own I am getting a treat. I am getting my hair done! Now this is mainly thanks to Jono. One of the trainers at his gym is also a hair stylist. He has been pushing me to get my hair done since I have wanted to get it done for a while. I finally got around to calling the woman and have set up an appointment for today. So today I finally get my hair done. I also have to unpack some boxes and cook some. I'm also hoping to get some crafting time in over at the Kecks. But for now I will sit and drink my coffee in front of the fire with my puppy and watch some dirty jobs.  I'll watch the rain and thank god that I finished moving before it started.

hope you are all being productive!
hugs+kisses
mce

Update

Good morning!
I know it's been a few days, ok a week, since I posted but life has been crazy! For those of you not aware Jono and I have to be completely moved out of our apartment by the 20th of this month. Those of you looking at a calender call see that is 10 days. 10 days. Now in these 10 days I am working 7 of those days. I am working 5 days a week right now and minimum 12 hours a day. Jono is working 12 hours on my only days off. Perfect schedule for moving right? I have asked my bosses to arrange a play date for the older 2 Wednesday or Friday next week. What ever day that turns out to be will be the day we move the furniture.  So I will be moving with the twins. I will also be packing with the kids. sounds like fun right?

I have been working ridiculous hours lately. The job my bosses are on runs long and is in the middle of shooting right now so they have longer hours. I have been working at least 12 hour days and by the time I get home I am completely drained. Thankfully I have an amazing fiance. I was hoping to get off a little early yesterday. I didn't end up getting off till 8:20 last night. I had planed on having dinner with Jono and having a little time to relax together before he went to his class at 7:30. Needless to say I was not happy to be driving home that late. I knew he would be at class till 9 and I would be lucky to say a sleepy goodnight to him before I completely fell asleep. I walked into the house pissed off and sad. As I came around the corner of the kitchen Jono was standing there with dinner made.

doesn't that look fantastic? I got to sit down with Jono and have an amazing dinner with a glass of wine in front of the fire while our puppy slept on the couch behind us. Jono had decided not to go to class when he found out I would be working so late. I have the most amazing fiance in the whole world! In the middle of this stress filled time it was so nice to sit down to a nice dinner and just relax. It was what I needed. I am so lucky.

hugs+kisses!
mce

Crisp Morning Air

Good Morning!
Have you noticed the colder mornings? I have. I leave the house by 6:40am and it's still dark outside. It's cold and sleepy. As I get to work the sun is starting to come up and the crisp blue sky starts to lighten. We have had cold clear mornings that warm up later on. This is the weather I used to hate. I was always cold and it always seemed gloomy and sad that summer had gone with it's light dresses and sun-kissed skin.  Fall and winter always meant stress and loneliness. It's was always filled with that bone deep chill that you could never get rid of no mater how many layers you put on. It was all about layering till you could hardly move, which always annoyed me no end.  I always felt that I could either move and be freezing or be warm and walk and move like a penguin. Nothing against that beautiful bird but I'm not one of them.

Now my feelings on this season has changed. I don't mind the cold and the clear cold air doesn't bug me. I can see the beauty in the season and comfort in a warm blanket. I think a lot of this has to do with my change in life style. Before summer or winter my diet didn't change at all. I ate the same things all year. Now though summer means cold foods and crisp salads. Fall and winter means soups and baked cookies and roasted chicken. These deal with that bone deep chill I was talking about. A big cup of spiced apple cider goes a long way towards warming from the inside out. Spice has also entered my diet whereas before I couldn't handle much heat at all. I have been starting slowly with a little bit of spicy tuna in my sushi and not leaving out all the chili or pepper in whatever I'm making. Not only does this aproch to food make the seasons more bearable, it also makes me feel healthier. It all makes so much more sense to do it this way. To reach for hot apple cider rather then lemonade. So I've been looking for more season friendly recipes. I checked out a number of cook books from the library and have been going through them all. One is about canning and making jam and I think I am going to try it. I'm a little late, I know, to start now as most of the good things to make jam out of are going or have gone out of season. But better late then never. There are loads of things I want to make and I hope to have enough time this weekend to do at least some of them.

hugs+kisses

mce

silence

Good afternoon,
I hope everyone had a great Halloween. But that's not what I want to talk about.

I have always been the type of person who would put music on at all times. I hated to be in a quite house. I never liked being alone for any length of time. This has changed. I don't know if it's from growing up or just how my life style has changed, but I long for quite. I wish to be alone. I find now I use music to create that quite I'm looking for. I know this sounds odd but just hear me out. When you are listening to music, I find that music I know well works best, you can let your mind go blank. All it's about is feeling and if it's loud enough it drowns out the sounds of the world around you for a little while. You can live in a bubble for just a bit. Now I know my timing on this is a going to be a problem. I have picked the worst time of year to start to feel in need of quite and space. There are few people who I can deal with when I get like this. Jono, thank god, is one. My family is another. So I hope that the holidays will all be ok since it's all family.

This need for quite has driven me back to my childhood music. It has driven me back to my stories that I know by heart. I have started looking up monasteries and retreats to go to. I'm tempted to run away for the weekend again. I know this is completely out of the question right now though. I am needed here. I need to finish moving and boxing things up. I need to be working. Life goes on and it's not going to stop for me. So I will keep going. But I will find some time for me to be by myself. I will do what I need to do.

hugs+kisses
mce

Morning

Good morning,
It's Saturday morning. And I'm at work. And I got home from work last night at 10pm. I started today at 6:30am. Today is going to be a busy day. I have a costume ball at LACMA with my mother tonight and I haven't finished my costume. I am trying to get back into the grove I had going at our old place. I haven't been cooking much at all even though I now have use of a much better oven. I also need to get used to being around other people again. This is only really a problem when I am cooking or when I get home from work. I really can't handle anyone but Jono right when I get home from work. And the longer the day the less I can handle. When I'm cooking, as I have said before, I listen to my stories. This becomes an issue when other people want to come in and talk to me while I'm listening. Now anyone who reads a lot knows how annoying this can be. I have to stop what I'm doing to turn off the story to listen to them and then turn it back on. I get rather annoyed with this and it throws me off completely. Maybe this is why I haven't really been cooking. But I have hopes for this weekend. I hope to be able to cook at least something tomorrow. I have realized how unused to seeing people other then Jono at home I have become. I have to get used to dealing with other people. I've gotten so used to being by myself so much of the time. This is going to take a little getting used to.
hugs+kisses
mce

let the madness begin!

Good morning!
It's Tuesday. I know you may know this but I need to remind myself. I've been so busy over the weekend that I've lost track of the days. Do you want to hear about my weekend? Well if you don't stop reading right.....now.

We moved!!!!! Surprised? I am. We decided Friday night that the drive was no longer worth it for Jono. Before he was driving on the 405 at off hours so he didn't have too much traffic. But with his new hours he hits all the traffic. So we moved in with his mom again. Not ideal but it's better then where we were. We still have to pay rent for November so we didn't move all our stuff. Only our bed and a dresser. We moved into her guest room so we moved all the stuff that was in there out. We did all that yesterday. Needless to say I am completely exhausted. We still have most of our stuff at our other place and none if it is packed. Which is ok since we need to make room for it all in the garage before we move it. I didn't realize how much location really means to me till we moved. I am so much happier. We've taken the first step but there are a lot more to go.

I hope you all had a productive weekend!

hugs+kisses
mce

New path

Good evening!
I'm back at work on a Saturday night. Thankfully it's only the twins and we are sitting watching movies till it's bed time. But that's not what I want to talk about.

I want to talk about life. Through all the issues I've been dealing with lately I have also been changing my life. And I am loving it! I have started to train with Jono a few times a week. It sucks, but in a good way. It hurts like hell when I'm doing it and I almost dropped a wight on my head last time but after I know I've done the right thing.  I have been eating well. It's not been easy for me in any way and it's been a lot of changes I wasn't sure I could or wanted to make. But I have made them and feel so much better for having done so. I am sore from working out but I know it's a good thing. I know that I worked hard when I'm sore the next day. I know I put 100% into my workout and worked as hard as I can. It's not easy to be healthy. Needless to say I wouldn't be working at this if I didn't have Jono to help me. I don't think I've ever met someone who balances me out so well, other then family I mean. I'm just loving life so much right now and am so healthy I thought you all should know.

Hugs and Kisses

mce

Midweek break

Good Morning!
So it's been a few days since I updated. In that time I went to see my family, came home, and worked. I'll start with the weekend.
I drove up Saturday morning. It was a really nice drive. I took the new car (I truly love that car) and a few books on my ipod and just drove. I've never made that drive on my own though lord knows I've gone up there enough times. I was a little worried since the second half (from Santa Barbra to los osos) always makes me tired. even when I'm driving down that part is always the hardest. But I made it just fine. We started cooking around 2 and I actually got everything I was trying to make done and on the table only a half hour behind our original dinner time. Pretty good I would say. I always love cooking with my family and in that kitchen. People wonder in and out and join the conversation as they come. There is always music playing in the background and laughter from the other rooms. So overall I would say dinner was a success.
Sundauy we had pancakes. For those of you who know grandma Marti's pancakes no more needs be said. For those of you who don't you are missing out. They are thin and have a different flavor. They are not those cakey pancakes you get in restaurants. They are truly amazing. After breakfast my dad, uncle david, and I went into Moro Bay. I hadn't been there is a while and it was really fun to go see all the places I remember from my childhood. We had a lot of fun. It was a beautiful day and I wish I could have stayed longer. But I had to drive home that afternoon. The drive home was fine and I got home in good time and was able to get ready for work on Monday.

Monday was a little crazy at work. The mom is off work or something this week and so she picked the twins up around 1 so I got off early. It gave Jono and I time to go take Bella to a clinic to get her shots updated.  Yesterday was less crazy and I got to go in 2 hours later then normal.

Today I plan on cleaning and finish the filing (I left it all over the bedroom floor in piles). Here are the recipes I used this weekend. Hope you like them!

Roast Chicken with pancetta and olives
From gourmet Italian kitchen
serves: 8
active time: 25 minutes
start to finish: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

2 Chickens (about 3 1/2 lb each), backbones cut out and each chicken cut into 12 pieces (wings, drumsticks, thighs, and each breast cut into 3)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped Thyme
1 Tbsp chopped Rosemary
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp hot red-pepper flakes
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (1/4 inch thick) slices pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine
24 oil-cured black olives

Preheat oven to 450f with rack in middle.

Toss chicken with oil, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon pepper, rubbing mixture into chicken.

Arrange chicken, skin side up, in 1 layer in a 18-by-13 inch heavy rimmed baking sheet. Scatter garlic and pancetta on top and roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

Drizzle wine over chicken and roast 8 mintues more.

Scatter olives over chicken and roast until skin is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes more.

Let stand for 10 minutes.




Souffléd Gnocchi
from Gourmet Italian Kitchen

serves: 6
Active time: 35 minutes
Start to Finish: 2 hours

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup semolina (3 oz. sometimes labeled "semolina flour")
3 eggs
7 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Bring milk with 3/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add semolina in a slow stream, whisking, then simmer, stirring consantly with a wooden spoon, 12 minutes (mixture will be very stiff).

Remove from heat and stir in eggs 1 at a time, then stir in 6 tablespoons cheese and 3 tablespoons butter.

Spread into a 1/2 inch thick slab on an oiled baking sheet using a lightly oiled rubber spatula, then chill, uncovered, until cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.

Cut out rounds from gnocchi with cookie cutter dipped in cool water (incorporating scraps as you work) and gently transfer rounds (they will be VERY soft), slightly overlapping, to butter baking dish. chill gnocchi uncovered, 1 hour.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450 f

Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and brush over gnocchi, then sprinkle with remaining tablespoon cheese. Bake in upper third of oven for 10 minutes, then switch dish to lower third of oven and continue to bake until gnocchi are slightly puffed and lightly browned, about 10 more minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: This I also prepared the day before. The gnocchi can be chilled up to one day after cut and placed into baking dish. You just cover it after 1 hour.



Hugs+kisses
mce

Friday!

Good morning!
This is what my view out the window at work looks like right now. Beautiful isn't it. I wish I had a better camera to show you these amazing sights I see all the time. I actually think that the camera on my Iphone is better them my digital. I find that very sad. I would actually take pictures of the food I make more often if the pictures ever came out nicely. Oh well. While we are on the subject of wishes, I wish I had a dutch oven.  Have you seen those beautiful le creuset ones? I swoon every time I see one in a store. If only the price tag wasn't so big. ugg. That is my next piggy bank project. Do you have any idea how many recipes I have right now that call for one? A lot. And trust me they all look amazing. I also want a kitchenaid stand mixer. Another object I swoon over often. Some of these are on my wedding present list. Yes I know it's still 5 years out and I very well may be able to get these things myself within 5 years. I just thought I would start the list now and add and subtract as I go. Kinda like a master wish list. I can dream.

SO does anyone have any idea what this heat is about? It is crazy hot here in LA. I'm glad to be getting away for the weekend. Speaking of getting away this weekend...packing is a hassle. Needless to say I have yet to start it. I'm hoping (figures crossed) to get out a little early today, so I can go home and clean and pack. The main thing I need to pack is cooking things. I feel like I should be writing the list on my arm so I don't forget anything. I'm glad that I can leave early tomorrow so I have plenty of time to cook and mess up. I have high hopes and big plans!!

hugs+kisses
mce

Weekend Cooking

Good morning!
And it is a good morning. The sun is shining in a clear blue sky and the twins are playing in the backyard. I am sitting in the garage and listening to their laughter and music. It's that cool clear day that you know will heat up fast so you better get in a little chill while you can. As I sit here I am going through my weekend plans. They came together slowly and the next thing I knew I was planing to drive up to see my family. I can tell you that I am really excited.

Let me tell you a little back Baywood. Baywood is about 3-4 hour north of LA. I will always think of childhood when I go up there. It's quiet and calm and relaxing. There is nature everywhere and right on the bay. I love every moment I am there. This was a very last minute trip. I am driving up by myself in our new car (yay!) Saturday morning and driving home Sunday afternoon. Saturday night I am making dinner for my family Saturday night. I am excited about this. My grandmother's kitchen is always full of music and laughter and talking and love. I've only helped before never actually cooked. I've chopped and flipped and taken things out of ovens and tasted. But never actually cooked a meal. My family doesn't put any pressure on me about it but I am kinda nervous about it. It's a new kitchen to cook in and I will have family there. I think it will be amazing fun. I know no matter what my family will eat what I make, even if they spit it out later. It's like a run through for thanksgiving. I'm hoping to make something in that crazy mass of food and cooks and fun.
I'm also excited about the drive up. It's a drive I know well from years of going up there. I will be making it alone for I think the first time. I will have our new car and books to listen to. It will all be fun. I can't wait!
Of course because it's me I want to bring and make a ton of things for everyone up there. I already have dinner planed but I still have lunch and dessert to think about.

kisses+hugs
mce

Routine

Good Morning!
Today I would like to talk about routine. We all have our own little routines we go through during the day. Some of us stick more closely to these and others just have loose ideas. I never really like routines before. I hated doing the same thing every day. If I did the same thing too many days in a row I would get upset about it, and have to change it. This was before I started working. I was never good at keeping to a routine. But this job makes me love routines so much more. Now when life or circumstances change my routine I get testy and tense. With the family I work for routine is a foreign word. The only thing that is the same almost every day is the time I have to get to work. When I get off fluctuates about 3-4 hours either way. Which kids I have can change and what I need to do with them changes. Each week is different. For example today. Today is Wednesday. Supposedly my day off. Not today. I was told at hour 12 of a 13 hour work day yesterday that I needed to work today. See what I mean? This week started with a 8 hour day (it wasn't supposed to be as of that morning but by 4 the mom had picked up all the kids so I was done) yesterday was a 12.75 hour day. And who knows how long today or the rest of the week will be. With Jono's new change in schedule even life at home has changed. It makes me very outsy. I have made little routines for myself to try to keep level. I wake up and make my lunch. I let the twins watch cartoons and play in the living room  in the morning. I drink my coffee ( I bring from home) and read my blogs, check my email, and write some. I leave about an hour early to get the kids at school and the twins start their nap on the way. I listen to KCRW in the car and sit in the parking lot at the school for about a half hour to an hour while I wait for the kids to get out. Once they get out that's where everything changes. I sometimes take them to the library. I drive around for a while to get the older two to nap ( doesn't always happen) and end up back at the house somewhere between 3-5. That's the end of anything I can predict. I try to keep the mornings as much the same as I can. I feel like it gives me a fighting chance to handle the rest of the day.

Here's another change to routine. I might, key word might, go see my family this weekend. I feel like a little weekend get away might help relax and calm me. It would also be better then sitting at home which is what I will do if I don't go. Since Jono works the whole weekend now I will be by myself all weekend. Doesn't sound like my ideal plan. But like I said it is all up in the air. I feel like my whole life is up in the air at the moment.

hugs+kisses

mce

Tea Cookies

Good Morning!
It is the beginning of a new path. Life isn't easy but when you have great people in your life it can be a little easier then you would think. I have great people in my life and am grateful for every single one of them. I am also realized this past weekend how much I've grown up.
This weekend I cleaned, which before I would not have done on my own. I also cooked a lot so that I have lunches for the week. Before I wouldn't bother with lunches. I never took care of my health and would rather just grab something at work then worry about eating right. I have realized that this is not a good way to deal with your health. So I made a very healthy salad. But I also made cookies.
Now let me talk about these cookies. The original recipe called for Early Gray tea. I didn't have any on hand and did want to buy a box of tea just for a little bit of tea. So I used PG tips. This is more of an English breakfast black tea. Jono likes it so we have a box of it in the house most of the time. It is a slightly darker bolder tea. You can use any tea you have on hand I would think because you don't get a very strong flavor from the tea. I find them to be really cute. I love the look and the fact that you can just bake up a few and leave the rest of the dough log in the freezer till the next time you want cookies.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
makes 2 dozen
1 cup all purpose flour 

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon black tea leaves (cheap works better due to the fact it's finer. I used PG tips. )
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 375°F. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.
Add vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Form the dough into a log onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Wrap the paper around and roll the log smooth. Freeze now, or chill for at least 30 minutes.
When chilled, slice the log into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Place on baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.


I would also like to share a little shortcut recipe with you. Potatoes. I love crispy fried potatoes but normally they take forever to cook and I never have the time or the energy to cook then from raw.
ingredents
3 small potatoes ( I tend to keep small red or multi-colored potatoes on hand)
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
olive oil

Take the potatoes stab them with a fork a few times.  Then microwave them for about 2 minutes. I check after each minute to see if they are soft by sticking the fork back in.
When they are mostly soft I take them out and slice them.
Toss them with a little garlic power, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper.
Throw them in a pan where they can all lay flat and cook them in a little olive oil over midiun high heat.
Cook about 2 minutes per side or till they look golden brown.

Over all the whole thing takes about 10 minutes and you are crispy cooked potatoes. They go great with anything! Any time I'm making dinner and don't know what to make as a side I tend to fall back on this recipe.

Hope you all have a great day!
hugs+kisses
mce 

Changing tides

Hello all,
For those of you who have been reading the past few weeks you may have gotten the impression I was a little frantic. You would be right. I have felt that I haven't been able to get my balance lately. Between the uncertainty of my job and the whole ordeal of moving I've been feeling very off balance. At this point I don't feel as off balance, or I've just gotten used to it. But we got a big shock yesterday.
Jono's hours at the gym have been cut dramatically. He went from 5 days a week down to 2.  I will admit I did have a small panic attack when he called to tell me. This is an issue but not as big as you may initially think. So let me tell you have I have decided to think about this.
This is great. Ok great may be a bit of an over statement but it is not bad. Now there are bad things about it, like the timing. The fact that we have given 30 day notice and are leaving our apartment by November 20th. The worry of having enough money to move into a place we like. But now let me tell you why I say it's great.
As some of you know Jono's job at the gym was selling memberships. He was not aloud to train any clients there at all. For all that I love about the man, he is not a salesman. He doesn't push people and is very up front and truthful about everything even the parts that won't help the sale. This was not the job he wanted. He wants to train. That's where his heart and passion are. So his goal was always to be able to train at the gym. Now he can. Some of the provisions to his cutback was that he got a raise and he can train at the gym. This not only gives him the time to take on more clients outside of the gym but he will get paid more per hour when he trains a client at the gym then he did doing sales. So as sudden and panicking as it was at first it is actually what Jono has been working towards this whole time. It just came a lot sooner and more suddenly then we expected. It also means we will have more time together. We will be able to see each other everyday for the most part. We will be able to have nice sit down dinner together again. I think this change will make everything more stable. He will now have time to do things at the apartment that he never had time for before. I'm very excited for him. And for us.

hugs+kisses
mce

Midweek day off

Good Morning!
The sun is out again in LA. It rained here yesterday. Through the rain we trekked up to the westside for more apartment hunting. We looked at 3 different places. One if them we loved the other 2 not so much. But I have to admit it was all a little stressful for me. Looking at so many places is mandatory if you want to be sure you have found a good place, but god does it take a long time. After a while all the rooms run together in my mind and I can't remember exactly how big this room or that was. It's all a lot of stress that I wasn't sure I even wanted to deal with. But then we had dinner.

Last night we had Oktoberfest at Jono's family's house. First let me clarify something. Jono as 2 families kind of. There is his biological family (his mom and brother) and then he has his other family. This is the Kecks. They live about 4 houses away from his mom and are pretty much family. So when I talk about doing things with Jono's family most times it's the Kecks.  The Kecks have welcomed me more then I could have hoped for. They invite us over for holidays and are very supportive of us. I am more grateful then I can say to have them in our lives.

So back to dinner. We had been invited by Jono's brother (not the real one) at the last minute. Last minute as in I didn't have time to make anything. And we were given no information other then someone was cooking. no location till an hour before. So when we could no longer get a hold of his brother we just went over to his family's house. They had not been told we were coming but quickly put more chairs at the table and set out extra plates. That's the kind of people they are. Dinner was great. The food was amazing (as always at their house) and they are all really fun to hangout with. It really reminded me why we are doing all this searching. They were all excited that we will be moving back up near them so we can come over more often. To be able to go see them more often would be great. It makes all this running around and looking a lot easier when I remember what we will be able to do when we move. To see the people who are important to us more often would be great.

So I am once again excited to look and find the perfect place for us to live.
hugs+kisses
mce

Apartment hunting

Good morning!
Did you all have a good weekend? I hope you all got enough sleep. It never feels like it on Monday morning though. I took naps both Saturday and Sunday and I am still tired Monday morning. I'll never win. Oh well though. I did very little cooking this weekend. But I ate well. So lets talk food!

Saturday was date night for Jono and I. after going to look at an apartment (more about that later) we had no idea where to go. We have a few places that we always seem to go to. We wanted somewhere we haven't been. So we ended up at a Japanese restaurant Jono used to go to when he was little. It was amazing. I have never had eel as good as it was there. It was perfect.
Sunday was my little outing with Jane. The show was a little odd. Ok very odd. DIY and wigs and makeup. With lots of alcohol tastings.  Very strange. But then Jane showed me a great little Peruvian place. It was amazing!!! I would go back today if it wasn't all the way in downtown. It did inspire me though.
Now back to the apartment. It was great. We both fell in love with it. It is a two story town home with a  big patio in the back and a small one in the front. It has 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. We would have to cut back on some furniture since there isn't a lot of room but It is in Palms and within waling distance to downtown culver city. We still have to get approved for it but I really hope we do and can stop looking. 
The one thing I did cook this weekend was a stew of a sort. I learned a Peruvian beef stew recipe from my Aunt when we went on our road trip this summer. After that great lunch yesterday what I really wanted was that stew or something close. Alas I had no stew meat. But I did have boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the freezer. So I modified the recipe to match what I had on hand. Here is the modified version

Peruvian Stew

4 boneless/skinless Chicken breasts
1 onion ( I used half white and half sweet)
3 Tomatoes (depending on size you may only need 2 I had small ones. they also get smaller while they cook)
5 small potatoes
2 TS olive oil
1 TS aji Pepper powder (you may need to go to a Mexican or South American market to find this. it's a very perticular Peruvian Pepper)
1 tsp  nutmeg
2 tsp garlic powder


Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks. Marinate with Vinegar and salt and pepper. Leave for about an hour.
Cut up tomatoes and onions. heat oil in big pan and add spices. add the onions and tomatoes to pan.
In a seproate pan cook the chicken just till it begins to brown.
Once the tomatoes and onions start to break up and brown add the chicken.
Stir a few times then cover and turn to low. Cook for an hour.
While this is cooking cut up potatoes onto thick strips and cook in a pan till browned on all sides. Add them to the rest of the stew and continue to cook.
After an hour turn off heat and stir a few more times to make sure the spices cover everything. 
Serve over rice or pasta or just plain!

Stews like this are great the day after and I could eat it for weeks. I will have to post the original recipe for you one of these days.

Fashion

Good morning!
As you see by the glazed expressions it's movie day. It makes being here till 11 last night a little easier.

So I want to talk about fashion. When you work with kids fashion goes out the window. I was never very good about fashion before and now it's just worse. My daily outfits are all pretty much the same. Tee shirts, jeans, converse, and if I need a jacket it has to be a light sweater that when I roll the sleeves up they stay. So 4 days a week I wear that. Not very fashion forward. So when I'm off I just want to wear something comfortable since I spend most of my time off running errands and cleaning. So I'm going to go to something about fashion this weekend. I'm going with Jane to a women's expo. Now I am not very girly at all. So It should be an interesting day.

Jono and I are trying to line up appointments to go look at different apartments on Saturday. We find about 6 new places to look at every day. I also have to start my weekend cooking list. No idea when I'm going to have time. But that won't stop me from trying!!
hugs+kisses
mce

short one

The kids are fed and in the bath. Their hair is washed and now they are playing for a while. Soon they will want to get out and I will dry them off put them in their pj's and put them in bed for story time. I am sitting in the living room listening to them play, drinking apple cider I brought from home, with a small dog beside me. While I wait for them to call to get out, I am looking and present ideas. Boy are there a lot of them. I just wanted to tell you of the calm and contented feeling I have right now to be listening to the kids play while I drink apple cider. It might just be down to the apple cider. I am a great believer in the power of apple cider. It's good for the soul. So is children's laughter, even if it does morph into tears so fast. Even if this is work at least I'm ok right now. I don't do well on late nights but I think I will make it through this one.

hugs+kisses
mce

New Ideas

Good morning!
Normally as I write this I would be sitting with the twins watching cartoons and drinking my coffee. That's my Thursday routine. But not this morning. I am sitting at home. Still drinking coffee but no cartoons and a dog rather then the twins. Today I have gotten a reprieve.  My boss as asked me to work late tonight as they are going to a concert at Disney hall tonight. That means I will be off at around 10:30 11 tonight. Now if i had gone in at my normal time that would mean something like 15 1/2 or 16 hour day. With work tomorrow as well. I would die. completely. When asked to do this I was hoping for an hour maybe hour and a half later start in the morning. I didn't expect more. But, I don't have to go in till 2! That makes today a nice 8 or 9 hour day. I am so grateful. The kids also have the day off from school which makes my job 10x harder. But they are taking Lola (the oldest) with them to the concert so I will just have the 3 little ones. I can't even express the dread that was hanging over me about today. But now everything's good.

Now on to another topic. Christmas. I know, I know, it's still 3 months out. But if I am to make most if not all of my gifts I need to start now. Want to know how many people are on my list? 39. That's the combined list of all the people Jono and I need to give gifts to. At least who I think we should give gifts to. There are a some that Jono doesn't feel are completely necessary. I also got a checked from Jono on this topic yesterday. I was telling him who all I thought we needed to give gifts to and what I wanted to do for everyone.  I'll admit I was rambling, and Jono said he wanted to help. I was a little taken aback, since I was telling him about it all and he could say at any point if he agreed or not, given he could get a word in. I had always thought of presents as more of my thing and then just added his name to the card. But he wants to take part. He wants to really sit down and discuss what we are giving people. He is mostly concerned  with my side of the family. I am always surprised how much he likes my family. I know how different they are from his family and I know that they can get a bit overwhelming if your not used to them. But he loves them. It's one of the things that make me realize how serious he is about us. He know how much family means to me and he makes a huge effort. Whenever there is a family get together he makes a point of coming, no matter for how long he can actually be there, and tries to make time to talk to everyone. He wants to have a relationship with my family. i've never seen someone work so hard at it. So when he said he wanted a say in what we gave people I wasn't going to fight him on it. When I got over my shock I realized that there are some of my family that he might have a better understanding of then I do. For example lets take my cousin Cass. I always think of Cass as 6. I don't know why. But it always takes me a minute to remember she is older and then I'm lost. But not Jono. He has a very clear idea of people and who they are. I'm sure he will come up with much better ideas for Cass then I would. I guess she is kinda past the little kid toy or picture book phase.  I know that I need to realize that Jono does love my family and I don't need to worry about it anymore. He is excited to show them pictures during thanksgiving of what ever place we move into. And it's not fake. He is truly excited to see them. I don't know if I will ever be able to express how much this means to me. I've been with guys who knew family was important to me and would try with Joey and Lars, but not the whole family. I know I need to step back and realize that gifts don't just come from me anymore, they are from Us. And he wants to make sure he is involved.

So on to another topic! Cooking. As you know I cooked a lot last weekend. I was very productive. But I didn't even make a dent in my list of recipes to try. it is 466 pages by the way. Some I have tried. maybe 10 of them. And I add to it every day. What I have decided I need to do is have dinner parties. Or some sort of gathering at our house. Then I can cook these things and they don't just all sit in the fridge. Jono does his best to eat everything before it goes bad but he is only one man. So we have started a list of people to have over for dinner. I have also set up to cook with my dear Jane once a week. That will use up some of them. I'm sure I have some dud recipes in there but which ones? And so we begin. I have started going over them all during the week and making a "to make" list every week. Normally none of these get done but last weekend they did. I hope to do the same this coming weekend. Wish me luck!
hugs+kisses
mce

p.s. I know some of my family reads this. For those of you who do please give me any ideas of what you or others might want. I think I have around 4 ideas total. For 39 people. So any input would be a great help! ( and Cass if you do want toys and picture books I will totally get you some. )

Family and Holidays

Good Morning!
The overcast day is reminding me that we are in fall and holiday season is coming. Walking into my apartment last night also helped. The whole place still smelled of baking and the cider was on warming so it also smelled of apple cider. Since it was only an 11 hour day yesterday at work I had time to make dinner and relax before bed. As we all know a major part of fall is the holidays.
This is going to be a crazy few months. I will be working at least 4 days a week. Jono, it seems, is picking up more work every other day. I've lost track of what his hours are at the gym and how many people he is training on the side and how many classes he is going to be teaching at the gym. Needless to say neither will have much free time. So let me just lay this all out for you.
October starts in a week. Sometime in October we will be moving. Which means this month will be full of packing and organizing. There is of course Halloween. Now this isn't as big a holiday as you get older but I work with kids. And Halloween is on a Monday. So while I may not be gearing up for the holiday at home I will be at work. oh joy.
November is also going to be a little crazy. We will have just moved. So we will be unpacking and organizing. I see a lot of this in my near future. November also means thanksgiving. Since it's on a Thursday I think Jono will have work.  We are thinking of trying to go see my family for the day before thanksgiving. Then maybe thanksgiving dinner with his family? Like I said crazy busy.

December is christmas. Last year went well. We did christmas eve with my family (at my moms house) and then christmas day dinner with Jono's family. But this also means presents. I love giving presents. But this year may get a little stressful. I am going to try to make most if not all of my presents this year. So everyone expect homemade gifts. I know that to get everything done in time I need to start like yesterday. Needless to say I need to get started. And figure out what the heck I'm going to make everyone!
hugs and kisses
mce

The work week begins

Good Morning!
I am in my normal spot in the living room drinking my coffee while the twins watch morning cartoons. Ruby is curled up next to me sleeping. And my head is pounding. Not an good way to start a day of work. Especially when it's work with kids. I'm hoping that it won't last much longer. Pain killers have been taken.
I can't express how much I actually love these kids. I don't have the patience I would if they were my own but I love them. The twins hold a special place in my heart. I have spent the most time with them. In the almost two years I've been working with them there has only been one day I didn't have the twins. They are growing so fast. I remember when they slept most of the day and I used to sit rocking them for hours. Now they are talking and telling stories all the time. I love them. No matter how crazy they drive me during the day when I leave they always yell that they love me as I walk to my car. Now how can that not warm your heart. And so I come the next day, and the next. I get the feeling that when I have kids if I have a girl, she will turn out like Lu. And not for the times she sweet but in the ways that's she's difficult. It's hard for me to yell at her most of the time because I know I would be exactly the same as she is. I know if I had a little girl there is a good chance she will take after me in attitude.
Well here's to hoping today is a good day!
hugs+kisses
mce

A weekend of Achievements

Good evening,
I as I write this the last of my projects are finishing. The last patch of mini quiches is in the oven and the cider is in the slow cooker. my puppy is at my feet (trying to get me to play with her or let her on the table with the cider) and Jono is at work. I have made enough food to last us a while and it all came out right. Here are some pictures. not good ones since I lack a good camera (Christmas is coming!) and I took them at the end of a long day.

Blueberry muffins

Mini zucchini quiches with basil 

Cold pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella

Roast chicken

                                                  Veggie salad with Feta
Well that's all it wants to let me upload right now. I'll just tell you about the rest and post pictures later. The ones I made that are not pictured are, Felafels, Apple Cider, Preserved Lemons, Chocolate Cake, and salsa. Quite a bit no? The one I'm most excited about though is the cold pasta.

This pasta recipe comes through my dear friend Jane. The cook in Italy would make this cold pasta dish that we all loved and none of us could figure out how to make it. We all tried and even though we were sure it was just a few simple ingredients we couldn't get it right. Well Jane finally got the recipe. And gave it to me. Vola! It turned out right! So now i will give you the recipe. Use it well.

Rosa's Cold Pasta

Ingredients
6-7 Tomatoes (make sure you get farmers market or really fresh tomatoes as it really does make a difference in this one)
Mozzarella (I used just a log I get at Costco)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Penne or Fusilli pasta
1 bunch of basil

Chop 6-8 tomatoes into small pieces (off of the cutting board if you can) over a strainer.
Place tomatoes in a bowl and pour over a good amount of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper.
Chop up some basil and put it in with the tomatoes. Mix. Chop Mozzarella into cubes (she normally uses 4 small balls of mozzarella for six people, but whatever you like!) and place on top of the tomato mixture but don't mix in too much.
Let sit for up to an hour.
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente , drain and toss with tomatoes immediately, while it's very hot.
If you use higher quality mozzarella (like bufala), which tends to be softer, I would toss it separately so it doesn't melt too much.





It's just that easy! And trust me it's worth it. Now I used two bags if pasta and 6 big tomatoes, and I will be able to eat it all on my own over the next few days. It is great stuff.




Well I've cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, set the coffee maker, and made sure I have my work bag ready. Some weeks sneak up on me but not this one. I'm ready to take on this week!
hugs+kisses
mce

Sunday Morning Coming Down

Good morning,
So here I am on a Sunday morning drinking coffee and watching my puppy sleep. This is the time I have on my days off to figure out what I want to get done that day. This quite time when Jono is still asleep and I am alone and even the neighbors are quite. I've come to love this time of day. I'm not alone completely, like I am when I get home from work, and I know that if I want I can crawl back into bed with Jono and cuddle. I'm alone enough though that I can listen to my own thoughts and sit by myself and just think. This is the time of day I line up my projects and go through my recipes to see what I want to do.
So here are my thoughts on the day. I want to finish cleaning up from my little project yesterday. Yesterday I preserved some lemons. Now like many of you I had never heard of this before. But I have come across a few recipes calling for them and read a few blog post extolling their virtues. It is also ridiculously easy to do. But I did make a slight mess and I need to clean that up. Jono and I also made roast chicken last night so I need to finish cleaning up from that. I am also thinking about tackling my desk.
Now I'm new to this whole rent/ living on my own thing. I can tel you that my small ability to organize has suffered for it. I don't know what papers to keep so I keep everything. Also we never got my file cabinet from my mother's so we just have a little file box that is ready to explode. I'm hesitant to tackle it all. I know that before we move I need to deal with it since there really is no way to pack it as it is now.
But that all sounds like a lot. And I do have tomorrow off as well. I think I will just go to a street festival with my dear friend Jane and let the rest wait. Yes I think that's the best idea.

hugs+kisses
mce

accomplished

Good morning!
It's fall. I know in some parts of the county it may not feel like it but right now in LA it does. Thank god for that. I normally hate the first chill of fall and the crisp morning air. But this year? not a problem. With cool weather it means I can cook to my hearts content. And I did!
As you know yesterday i talked about how I had big plans for the weekend. At least big plans in the kitchen. And I did it!
Yesterday I made; Felafels, a veggie salad, salsa, and a chocolate cake.  I didn't even plan on the salsa but I had leftover cilantro from the felafels and left over tomatoes from the salad.  Jono had said a few days ago that he wished we could find salsa like the one I make in a store bought form. So I made him some. I also went shopping since I had made the mistake of leaving my undies where Bella could get them and eat them. Over all I felt very accomplished. You know what helps? A book on tape. Really I can't tell you how useful it is when cooking alone. I don't like being in a silent house by myself. Some times I will turn on a nature show to have on while I cook, but this can get very distracting. So we have little speakers set up in the kitchen and I listen to stories while I cook. It works really well.

hugs+kisses
mce

4 day weekend?

Good morning!
So you know how only yesterday I was talking about the touch and go of the movie industry? Well it is in full effect. One of my bosses quit her job. Now for some of you, you might think "well ok now what" but this has been coming. I have actually never seen her as down because of a job before. So for her I'm glad she quit. But I have to tell you that my stomach dropped when she told me. My first thought was "I'm out of work! we have to move soon! where are we going to make up the money?" This is what goes through my head, in some form, every time they come to the end of a job. Thankfully, and I really can't express how grateful I am, she starts a new job on Tuesday. So no long break. And with move out date looming up and the apartment hunt starting, and the mini heart attack I get from seeing some of the prices of places where we want to move to, I am really glad that she is starting work again so soon. But it does leave with a sudden 4 day weekend. Which I plan to use to the full.

This weekend I am going to cook. After the failure of last weekend in the kitchen I am going to try again. Jono and I do a "date night" once a week, when we can that is, and this week we decided to go out on Wednesday (sushi night) and do a at home date night on Saturday. These are our two night together, and we love to spend at least one of them cooking together. Sometimes we will watch a movie other times we will just sit and talk. Last week we knew exactly what we were going to make. That damn rabbit. But this week we haven't thought of anything yet.

I also did a big market trip on Wednesday with big plans on cooking 3 different recipes that keep well for lunches. We have been both trying to figure out this problem with both of us so busy we have trouble, well to be honest it's mainly me having the trouble, with making a lunch to take to work. Now I know some of you may ask 'why do you needo t bring a lunch? doesn't the family provide food while you are watching the kids?" and the answer is yes. If i don't mind eating cereal, their obsession at the moment, pasta, another constant, or toast. Now this is fine, and to tell the truth I eat that stuff a lot since I forget to bring a lunch pretty much every day, but when I'm trying to eat less bread stuffs it doesn't work out well. So I have been hunting for things that taste good at room temp, or tat taste better over a few days. I get bored with eating the same thing every day, a problem that Jono doesn't have in the least, So leftovers have to be good for me to take them every day. And I find that almost all food tastes better right after you make it then the next day or the day after that.We did manage to make, ok Jono was the one who actually cooked it, some chicken. Just a little bit of seasoning so it could be eaten plan and not too much that you couldn't add it to something else. Great idea right? Well we didn't make anything ot go with it. And I don't really want to eat just chicken every day. So I found 3 recipes to try. All are veggie based since that seems to be where I fall short when I grab something for lunch. Now I'm not going to tell you yet what I am going to try to make. After last weeks mess ups I want to hold off till I actually make them. Since as I said I had planed on making them on Wednesday and that never happened. So I well tell you all about how it goes once I actually make them. And maybe since I said here that I was goingo t make them I actually will this time. Before all the veggies go bad.
wish me luck!
hugs+kisses
mce

When kids fall ill

Hello!
So I'll get right to the point. As most of you know I work for 2 costumers who do movies and TV. They have 4 kids. Now we won't go into the insanity of that in its self. For those of you who don't know the motion picture industry, it is very on and off. So this makes my job on and off. They also work different hours then 9-5 which means I work different hours The common issue is that when you have work you work all the time, because after this job who knows how long it will be till the next one. So this is the position I am in. I need both, not just one, to have jobs. In this industry that is not easy. If either of them don't have a job I don't have a job. And there are breaks. Like this last summer. They weren't both working from the middle of April to the beginning of August.  That's 3 1/2 months. Now they are great and keep me on retainer when they aren't working (because who else are they going to get to do my job for them???) but it is about half or less of what I normally make. But this means that I work ridiculous hours when they are both working. Lets take this week as an example, I work sunday night (I normally have this off) till 11pm. Then had to be back at work at 7:15am on monday, which was a 13 hour day. Tuesday was a start at 7am 9my normal time) and a 13 hour day as well. Wednesday was a day off for me. Then today I started at 6:30am. It will most likely be another 12 or 13 hour day. And the kids are sick.
I bow down to all parents when their kids fall ill. I don't know how you do it. I am barely making it through the day.  It is hard enough those last few hours when they start getting sleepy and they really want their parents. But now that stage starts a lot earlier. and they get upset over everything. I go home every day with my ears ringing from there yelling and crying. My goal has gone from maintaining control to just making sure they don't die while I'm here. But I'm working. These long days are a mixed blessing. On one hand they completely kill me, but on the other hand I am working and bringing in money. And I know things are about to get a little hectic. One of my bosses is working on a show that's main actor got pregnant. So they are going on a break in a little more them a week. So that's 2 months up in the air. He will be starting again in December, but then I have no idea when his wife gets off her current job. You see the extra stress? I hope that they both get jobs with a maximum of 2 weeks off. But I know how this all works. I know it may be a while where I don't really have work. So I have to be happy for this time I have where I am working. Right? It's hard to remember that sometimes.
hugs+kisses
mce

Weekend plans

Good Morning!
It's Monday again. It seems to have come much too quickly. Part of that is due to the fact that I worked last night. My bosses had a Emmy party to go to so I watched the kids last night. I left around 11pm and am back again at 7:20am. Not a lot of sleep. But I had big plans for last weekend. Not all turned out right though.

This past weekend was busy and calm. I know it sound confusing but I'm sure you all know what I mean. It was one of those weekends where you were busy for part and then lazy for the rest. Saturday was our busy day as it was our day off together. Saturday is market day (if we didn't make it to the market on Wednesday) Saturday was also the day I got my new phone. I can't tell you how excited I was to get it! I got a new iphone 4 and it's amazing. The amount of things I can do with it is amazing. But enough about my little love affair with my new phone. Now I have an Ipod and Iphone. Still trying ot figure out what to put on each of them. But Saturday was also the day we finally cooked the rabbit. We made it in the slow cooker. It worked out great. We made some bok choy to go with it. Sadly something about the rabbit didn't sit very well with either of us. But we had a nice sit down dinner together which we don't get the chance to do very often.

Sunday Jono had work as I decided to make Gnocchi. I went back to the market (I feel like I'm there so often!) and got potatoes. If you have never made Gnocchi be prepared. It takes a while. I boiled about 2 pounds of red potatoes (since I knew I would be able to use the rest of the bag later. we tend to eat the smaller potatoes more) Then I peeled them all. This takes a while. The recipe called for a ricer to mush up the potatoes, but since I didn't have one I used a fork. You can't get it as smooth this way. Then I rolled out the dough and cut it all up. I even rolled it over a fork to create the ridges. And then I made the mistake of putting them all together in a container. Bad idea! As of right now it is all back to a dough ball as they all merged as soon as they touched. I tried making some. I think I did something wrong. They were slightly slimy and didn't have very good texture. I also didn't have any sauce which may have something to do with it. But over all in the end 2 fails. I also made chocolate chip cookies and cooked them too long so they are crunchy rather then doughy the way I like. So now I have a batch of cookies that I don't really want to eat and a container of Gnocchi that I don't know what to do with. The nice part of making the Gnocchi was that A) I finally tried it, and B) I got to listen to one of my favorite books.

When I'm cooking I like to either have a nature show on or listen to a book on my Ipod. Jono and I always have at least one book on our Ipods. We listen to two main Authors. Either Elizabeth peters, a murder mystery set in Egypt around WW1. Its about a family of Egyptologists  from England. We both love these and have listened to all of them a few times. The other author is Terry Pratchett. If you have yet to read any of his books you should do that now! He is very funny. I have trouble getting into them when I am reading the actually book but I love listening to them. There are 38 Terry Pratchett books and 19 Elizabeth Peters. So we have a lot to listen to. Right now I am listening to a Terry Pratchett in the car and restarting the Elizabeth Peters books on my ipod.  It makes cooking alone much nicer.

Well here's the start of another week. Hopefully this week goes well. Now to find new recipes to make over the week!
hugs+kisses
mce

the quite moments

Good Morning
I know that lately I have been talking a lot about stress. And I have been really stressed. But I don't want to talk about that today. I want to talk about the quite moments.
Yesterday was my mid-week day off with Jono. He still had training in the morning though. I went with and walked from the park where he trains one client to the starbuck near by. We have been so busy lately I haven't had a moment to just walk with Bella.
I love walking with Bella. I forget sometimes but it is really nice. When you can walk and listen to good music and watch the world go by it really puts everything in perspective. I sat at a table outside and watched the traffic go by and read. I love the sound of cars going by. To me it's the sound of blood rushing in the veins. It's the sound of the tide whooshing in and out. Everyone is rushing to or from somewhere. It makes you realize that your problems aren't that big. Your life isn't the only one that is out there and that actually no one really cares. To some this may make then feel small and insignificant. But to me it makes me realize that I don't need to worry so much. It calms me down. I realize that I'm actually really happy and I just need to let things go. What's the point of holding on to all this worry?  My life is good. It may not be exactly what I thought growing up would be like but it really is amazing. It makes me look at what I'm stressing about. I mean really? It's amazing that I am stressing about moving! I am choosing a new place to live with my little happy family. We aren't having to compromise too much on what we want. we are going to be able to live where we want to. I may not be working in the field I want to be in yet but I am working with kids and It really isn't that bad. I love them and they love me. My work is appreciated.  I know my job isn't easy, but really what job is these days. I have a lot of freedom, I can run errands if I need to with the kids. I am with someone who loves me and who I love back completely. We have a great little life with a great puppy. Life is good. I know that once the holidays come we will be able ot see family and have family come over. We live a comfortable life. Yes there is stress, but there is stress in everyone's life. This all comes into perspective when I sit and watch traffic go by. I guess I'm really an LA girl.
hugs+kisses
mce 

Autumn

Good morning all!
So the chill in the morning air is back again. Most years this would mean a frantic rush to do all the summer things I have yet to do. It would mean the rush to get everything I want to do done as soon as I can. Summer always meant freedom. It was the time of year to do what ever you wanted and to laze around all day. That's not how this past summer worked out. It was hot and full of stress. It was full of work. There was little free time and no place to relax outside our apartment. this past summer was spent waiting for Autumn. This year Autumn means more then other years. This year Autumn means moving. It means the next stage in our lives. It is going to be full of baking and cooking. It means a schedule with the kids. Autumn is full of Holidays and family get-togethers.  Apple cider, hot toddies and Glogg. Soups, stews and roasts.  Doesn't it sounds great? It does to me. It means lots of cuddling with the one I love.
So like I said it means moving. Now I've talked alot about this move and I'm sure some of you are getting tired of hearing about it. But it's not just the move I'm excited about. I'm most excited to be in our new place. I can't wait to be in a place that we can make our own. I can't wait to get a new place set up. I know the actual moving part is going to be stressful. We start looking in a few weeks and we are going to have to look sometimes while I have the kids. We had to do this last year and it does make things a little crazier. It's going to be a crazy month full of packing and looking. We learned a lot from the last move. Like label everything! we ended up with more furniture then we planed on taking because we didn't label anything. We also didn't have enough boxes and did everything in a rush. This time round we are doing it differently. I'm going to start packing some of our stuff as soon as we start looking. Since Jono doesn't have 2 days off next to each other I'm hoping we can move everything on his day off and then I can unpack and organize the next day. By Thanksgiving we should be in our new place. In time for the holidays!

If anyone has any helpful hints to make moving and looking easier I would love to hear them! We start the big search on the 1st!
hugs+kisses
mce

what I want

Good morning!
So now that it's September there is a lot on my mind. One of the big ones is moving. We start the hunt next month. We would move out now if it didn't mean losing out huge deposit. But this as also started me thinking about what I want in a new place. I know I won't be able to get everything I want but I thought it would be a good time ot make a list. So here is my list!
1) location location location. No farther north then Brentwood and no farther south then Westchester. No farther inland then Culver City.
2) Close to the freeway.
3) Ground floor. no more stairs! And a small complex. Duplex would be great.
4) some outdoor space. A yard/Garden would be ideal but I know my chances of that.
Now on the the insides!
5) At least a two butt kitchen. One of my favorite times is when Jono and I cook together and I really don't want to give that up.
6) open floor plan. Space that I can see people in the living room while I'm cooking.
7) two bedrooms. one for a workout room where Jono can train his clients and another for us.
8) A dish washer. I know this may seem like a luxury but I am god awful at washing dishes and with both of us working so much we need to be able to wash dishes while we are away.
9) room for our bookshelves. We have four at the moment and will need to get another one soon.
10) lots of windows. I like a lot of light and it always makes me feel better to have the windows open.
11) enough room to entertain. I would love to have people over but we just hate our place right now so much that we don't have anyone over.
12) I would love to have at least 1 1/2 bath. it would be more professional for Jono's clients if they have a different bathroom to use.

I think that's all. I know I won't get everything on this list but I want to go in knowing what we are looking for. I know that we don't want to move again for a long time so this next place needs to fit well with us. I'm really excited for this process to say the least. It was a hassle last time dragging the kids along but it is worth it to be able to find a place quickly. We are giving ourselves a month and a half to find a place.  I hope that will be enough time!

hugs+kisses
mce

The First of September

Good Morning!

As I write this the twins are sitting on the other couch watching Dora and Ruby is curled up next to me. They both have cups of milk and I'm almost done with my first cup of coffee. Later we will all go outside to play and then have a dance party while I make the twins lunch and the older two after school snacks to bring with when I pick them up. Depending on who all is asleep when I get the older two we might go to the park for a while. If today is like the rest of the week has been I won't be off tonight till about 8pm. Making this another 13 hour day. You might notice how calmly I am saying all this. That's because I am calm about all of it. I have a job that pays well, not as well as it could but still good money. Jono is doing what he loves and getting more work all the time. Life is working out nicely. Not how I planed when I was sitting alone in my bedroom at my moms, but you can't plan everything. My days off really help as well. I have gotten the same days off as Jono now and it makes everything so much nicer. When we both have the day off we always try to cook dinner together. Sometimes we will go out for lunch while we are running errands and then make dinner later. Yesterday was just like this.

This was how yesterday turned out. We woke up around 8am. Jono had training so we all went with. We ran some errands and went to lunch. Now about this lunch. It was amazing. We went to a new place we hadn't tried before. We tend to get comfortable with a few places and then just rotate through them. But we decided that we would try this little place around the corner from his moms house. It's called Green Peas. As you all know I am trying to eat better and this was perfect. If you are ever in the area you should really try it. Very filling and you know you are doing something good for your body. Very good choice.
After lunch we took Bella to the park for a walk. It was really nice to just run around with her. We don't get a lot of time all together and it's really nice. It reminds me what I'm working so hard to have. When I'm working 13 hour days and the kids are fighting and yelling and the puppy is going nuts and biting them it's hard to think about why I should deal with it. But when I get days like yesterday it reminds me that I work that hard to be able to have days like that.

After Jono was done training for the day we went home. After relaxing for a few hours and going on a quick market trip we made dinner together. We also picked up cupcakes from Susie cakes. Last night was bison roast. It turned out really well. I really love cooking with Jono. We can each take different jobs and it all gets done and we have fun and get to spend time together. We ate dinner and watched "Little Nemo: Adventures in slumberland". If you haven't seen this movie you need to watch it now. Jono hadn't seen it. It was so much fun. It's an old kids movie. It can be kind of scary when your young but I always loved it. It was really nice.

I feel ready to takcle the month ahead. We have only one more month before we start looking for a new place. We have to be out by the end of november. Can't wait!
hope you all have a great week! 

hugs+kisses
mce

First Day of School

Good Morning!
Today is the first day of school for the older two kids. I'm not sure who is more excited, the kids or me. With them at school it means I only have the twins for most of the day. This makes my job 10 times easier. With only the twins I can do a lot more. It also means that the kids are on a schedule and have a routine.  They need it so badly. They will now have a regular nap time. Even thought I'm not going back to school right now, the kids starting again will help me a lot. With them on a set schedule I can get on one too. my life will calm down a bit since my work flows over into the rest of my life so much. After this past month I need all the help I can get. I need to get back on track. Everything has gotten so crazy this past month that I'm all over the place. There has been such ups and downs this month. Now I need to focus and stay organized. Not easy for me. But I need to get everything in order so that we can move in November. We need to move so badly. We only have 2 months left on our lease and we don't want to stay any longer then we have to. So I have to get it all together.
 Make it Work!
hugs+kisses
mce

Perillo Promise

It's Friday! I can't even express how happy that makes me. But I want to talk about something else first.
They are calling a Perillo Promise. You know that post I made a while back about the blogger Jennie who lost her husband? Well in her honer Some people are making Perillo promises. This is a promise to spend time with the ones you love and appreciate them. So I am going to make a Perillo promise. I am going ot spend time with Jono on his day off and spend time With Joey and Lars on Sunday. I want to spend as much time as I can with Joey since she is leaving for Japan on the 10th. I hate when she does this. I am so close to my sister and brother and rely on them for support so much that I really hate it when I don't get to see Joey for a whole year. So before she goes I promise to spend as much time with her as I can.

Ok so back to Friday. The great part is that I'm sick. The kids were sick a while back and I thought I might not get it since it was around 2 weeks ago. But I guess it's just one of those sicknesses that waits a while to hit. So it hit last night. I really hope I get over it before Monday. I hate being sick and it really messes with me. I also have to take medicine to stay upright while at work. Kinda makes me loopy. Good thing I work with kids.
hugs and kisses
mce

Tomatoes and Salt

How do you feel about salt? Are you cutting back? Well I'm not. I have a new love. It's name is Black Truffle Salt. Doesn't it sound amazing? Well it is. I got a little jar at an art show recently. I could eat it straight from the jar.

Now as much as I would love to just eat it straight I know better. And I have some amazing tomatoes from my mother's garden. So a little mozzarella and sliced tomatoes make a great meal to sprinkle this salt on. They really remind me of childhood summers.
When I was young, maybe 10 or 11, I used to run away. It was the normal, run away to the end of the block, pout, come home. One day I didn't even make it to the corner. I stopped to pout about half way there. I walked up someone's driveway and sat down on the strip of grass he has be his side door. This sweet old man came out to see why this kid was sitting in his driveway with her wagon. When he saw it was me, we all ran around the block enough that everyone knew us, He asked me one question. "So did you run away?" I told him I had. All he said then was "well you will need some food then" and went back inside. When he came out again he was carrying a plate of tomato slices. He grew them in his back yard. All he had done was cut up the tomato and sprinkled sugar on them. They were amazing. I ate a whole plate of them sitting on his driveway. I went home after that since I wasn't mad anymore. They are still the best tomatoes I've ever had. Those tomatoes from a kind old man to a pouty girl sitting on his driveway with her wagon trying to run away.

hugs and kisses
mce

Pancakes!

Good Morning!
It's Monday again! I know I shouldn't be so up beat on a Monday morning when I have work but I am. I had a great weekend and am fully rested. Let me give you a quick rundown of my weekend. Saturday morning Jono and I went to the famer's Market in Santa Monica. They have a really good one there every Wednesday and Saturday. I have been trying to get Jono to go with me for a while now and I was so happy that he went with me. We got a rabbit, beef liver, and some bison. I know quite a mix. Jono has to cook it though. I have no idea what to do with those things. So Wednesday dinner should be interesting. Later we went to My friend Heather's house for a BBQ and doggie playdate. We had a great night. It was nice to go out with Jono even if it was just to our friends house. But we really needed to get out. It had been a hard week. Sunday Jono had work. I made Pancakes! I had gotten the recipe for my Grandmother's pancakes. They are the best ever! After that I ran some more errands and picked up Joey for dinner. I made roast chicken for dinner. Lars came over and we had dinner and watched "Going Postal". It was so nice to have them over and spend some quality time with them. It was a great weekend. It was a great way to spend a weekend and get ready for the week.

Grandma Marti's Pancakes

Makes 10-12 pancakes

1   c flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1   tsp salt

7/8 c milk

1   egg

1   tsp melted shortening (can substitute melted oil, butter or margarine)

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix milk, egg and shortening.  Add milk/egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. (May need more milk if too stiff.)  Spoon onto oiled griddle/pan.

hugs+kisses
mce 

books

Hello!
It's Thursday everyone! That means that tomorrow is Friday. I can't tell you how good that sounds right now. This whole month has really put me into a funk that I'm having trouble shaking off.

Don't you hate when you get in a funk and can't find any way to get out of it? I have tried everything. And I think it's not as bad as it could have been. Part of it is money and another part is really getting back in the groove of working this much again. It takes a little while. I'm hoping that by next month everything will have smoothed out.

One thing I've been doing to keep myself up beat is cooking. I have been stealing my sister Joey and cooking dinner. Last Sunday Joey and I (mostly me) made chicken stir-fry and rice. I also made a Chocolate chip cake. I'm not going to really put up the stir-fry recipe since it's not really a recipe. All I did was cut up chicken breasts and put them in a pan with  sweet and sour sauce. Then I added a bag of stir-fry veggies and most of a can of cut up pineapples. I wish I was able to cook more. I haven't had the time to make anything more difficult then that. Another highlight was we watched "going Postal" by Terry Pratchett. It was amazing. Truly amazing. I wish I was able to have dinner parties or at least have people over for dinner more. I'm hoping that once I move I will have the room to do this. I like cooking for people and having people over. I just don't like where I am living right now.

One day I would love to be able to have a book club. My mom and dad have one and I've always thought was a great book club. They take turns making dinner and hosting the book club. This always seemed like a great way to read new books and have intelligent conversation about it. The problem is I don't know anyone who I think would like to be in a book club like that with me. And I don't want to host anything at my place right now. Someday I would like to be able to do that someday. But for right now I guess I'll just drag my sister and brother over to have dinner and watch movies.

hugs + kisses
mce