Mid-Week Madness

Wow. Do you ever get so overwhelmed with life that you forget the little things? That is exactly how this week has been. It was nice to have a weekend to spend with some family and forget about the every day occurances, but when you step back into the real world-you realize how much you have actually missed. This past weekend we went up to my folks to spend some time with them. It's been about a month since we have actually had the chance to sit down and let the grandparents play with the little tyke. One day of playing turned into the whole weekend.

By the time we got back home on Sunday, I was exhausted and ready for another weekend. Alas, much to my disappointment, I had to get ready to start the week. Getting back to reality put me so far behind and sent me into a bit of a tailspin.

Since we were gone all weekend, I began to play catch-up on Monday with my weekly grocery shopping, coming home and refusing to make anything I had just bought- settled for grilled hot dogs and chips (don't hate me). Last night, after spending my entire lunch hour beginning dinner, I finished my slaved over Mexican Lasagna, only to have my 3-year old throw a fit because he wasn't allowed to cut it up himself.

After dinner I sat down to work on a paper for a class I am taking. Forget it. I wrote one paragraph and went in crawled in bed by 8:00. But here we are. Mid-Week Hump. I can see the weekend coming. I can get through this week. I will be victorious...or so I hope.

Moment of Insanity

Yesterday, I had to make a quick jaunt to the store. I was standing in line with my basket when I noticed what the individual in front of me was putting on the counter. I do this quite frequently to see what mix-mash I can conjure up to see what they are going to have for dinner. All of the sudden I had an incredible urge to drop everything and go running to the dairy case. Is it possible? Can it be? It's as though the clouds parted, the angels began singing, and a single ray of sunlight came down and began shining on this wonderful concoction.  There it was waiting for me...

Let me start with a precursor. I despised egg nog until last year. Couldn't stomach the stuff. Textures can make or break a food or drink for me. Egg nog is very thick and is definitely an acquired taste. Christmas time last year, we had a couple of family members over for dinner and they happened to bring a half-gallon of egg nog. My husband jumped right to it and poured himself a glass. After several cocktails and not feeling the need to get myself anything else, I took a sip out of his glass-it was love as soon as it touched my lips. The aroma enticed me. The taste baffled me. It was a match made in heaven.

To be honest I have tried multiple varieties of this from homemade, light, regular, different brands and so on. Nothing compares. Meadow Gold Egg Nog is top notch. I am more than willing to try any other brand, or recipe to put it up for comparison but this has to be as close to perfection as you can get.

Sadly, I denied my urge to become a linebacker and plow through the isles and isles of people to find this angelic drink, as I knew if I were to crack open my first jug- it would be a staple in my fridge for the next five months and I'm not quite sure I am willing to give into my addiction so early in the year....but we will see what happens when I make my weekly grocery jaunt tonight. :)

The Generation Gap

What is our problem? Is it just me or is the 20 somethings age group becoming seriously lazy. Myself included in this accusation, I wonder what happened. My most fond memories of my childhood were all about family dinners at my grandparents where my grandmother would get up at the crack of dawn to begin the preparations. With merely one cup of coffee in her system she was a cooking superhero. Meat-check. Mashed potatoes- check. Three veggies- check. Homemade rolls- check. Dessert-check. Ever growing family- check. I would always look forward to holidays and hunting season so that we would have another delicious homemade meal where we could laugh and catch up with the extended family. Now I wonder, are our lives moving too quickly for our own good, or is it simply that we don't take the time to slow down and enjoy the small things?

In my mere four mile drive home from work, I pass a total of nine restaurants. NINE! It's no wonder with their bright colors and delicious greasy food that my 3 year old would much rather stop in and play at one of these places rather than waiting for mommy to make dinner. EASY-yes. EXPENSIVE-yes, but is it more expensive then cooking from scratch at home? I have recently talked to my better half about this very question. I love cooking, but have the tendency to fall into what's easy. I want to eat healthy and make wonderful meals for my family, but at what cost? Do I spend more time in the kitchen to provide a more healthy meal than the alternative, or do I go easy so I can spend more time with the family? But at that point do I actually spend more time with them when all is said and done. With the twelve-million calories consumed after a fast-food meal, all my family feels like doing is crashing on the couch and watching a nightly sitcom-is that quality time?

So here we are. Forget the fast food. Bring on the good ole home cooking. Bring back my roots. Follow in my mother's, grandmother's, and great-grandmother's footsteps. Forget the laziness. Forget the bright neon lights that lure my taste buds. Forget the extra 20 minutes of lounging on the couch in a grease coma. Here we go.