No Time

Well the unfortunate has happened......I have fallen behind!  This week, although only halfway finished, is already flown by and I am just realizing I have not updated either one of my blogs!  So let me just sum up the week so far for you......
Monday night I tackled a new recipe from Taste of Home's "The Busy Family Cookbook."  It was a Broccoli and Corn Bake.  I will say that it was good but my other family members didn't really care to ever have it again.  I thought it was a great way for me to eat broccoli so I may shove it in their plates again one day soon!
Tuesday night I took the easy way out and fixed a Sausage and Egg Casserole.  I was yummy but my stomach is not used to the sausage and I've been paying for it ever since.
Tonight will be "eat on your own night" because I have a meeting at church, and Lance and Alex are going birthday shopping for me.  So no great adventures in the kitchen!
Oh update on Washer and Dryer ---- LOVE them!!!  Should have bought them years ago!  I have washed everything I own I think just to test it out.

Out with the Old ...

So it finally happened.....after 15 years my Roper washing machine finally died.  I have joked for a while now that this Roper would last forever.  It seemed like you couldn't kill it if you tried.  Yet, all of a sudden, on Saturday afternoon, it finally happened.
So I want you to see my fabulous Roper machines and see how basic my laundry had been.  Check out the "controls" on my Roper too!

On Saturday evening, my family and I went out shopping for a new washer and dryer.  We went to Lowe's Home Improvement and found a set we had actually been looking at for over a year now.  It was on Sale and they were having a 10% off sale on major appliances.  We decided to run over to another store and check prices and they did not compare in price nor service.  So we headed back over to Lowe's and bought a new set on the spot.

Now to see if I can figure out all these fancy "controls" and wash some laundry!  Here's to a NEW Domestic challenge!

A Broccoli Adventure

So Tuesdays are a busy day here and I decided to try a quick recipe I found in a Tastefully Simple cookbook.  It was Chicken and Broccoli Skillet.  Quick and simple was just what I needed.  Now my family is not big on broccoli but smothered in cheese, I thought it might work!
So the basic recipe called for chicken breasts, carrots, onions, broccoli, cream of broccoli soup, stuffing mix, and shredded cheese.  The picture, of course, made it look halfway appetizing so I thought there was hope.  It started out well and actually simple.  Then when I got to the point of adding the stuffing and the broccoli, I could tell we were going downhill. The consistency immediately changed and it was more mush than anything.  It wasn't looking like the picture anymore.  I ventured on and served it to my family.  I let them know that if this wasn't any good, there was leftover spaghetti in the refrigerator we could eat.  While it wasn't the most appetizing thing I've cooked, it surely wasn't the worse either.  My daughter ended up opting for the spaghetti while my husband and I ate the original dish.
So my adventure to get my family to eat some broccoli didn't turn out well.  Yet somehow, I don't believe it was due to anything I did.  I believe the recipe itself was somehow flawed.  At least that is what I am telling myself.
What is the worst recipe you have ever tried?

Your Moments

Over the past 2 days, I have had friends tell me stories about their own not-so-domestic moments.  One friend showed me the scars on her right arm.  In just the last couple of weeks, she has burned herself 3 different times on the oven and she has 3 scars to prove it!
Another friend showed me a picture of a chicken toenail that she found in her chicken as she was cutting it up.  That alone would have closed up my kitchen for the night!
So what not-so-domestic moments have you had?  Share and make us all feel better about our own not-so-domestic moments!

A Not-So-Domestic Moment

After spending a weekend out of town, we were in need of milk and bread on Monday.  I ran to Kroger around lunch (12:47pm per my receipt).  I immediately came home, grabbed the mail, and finished laundry.  I felt so proud of myself today that I accomplished so much this afternoon!  I even started dinner before I left to pick up Alex from school.  After school, we went straight to ballet lessons.  We came home, unloaded our bags, and I opened the refrigerator.  I gasped and ran to the car!  Guess what was still in the back of the car at 5:47pm --- the 2 gallons of milk and bread!
Ugh!  Another Not-So-Domestic Moment!

Is the Housework Equally Divided?

I often hear wives complain about how all the housework falls on their shoulders as well as carting the kids to and from events.  While I am the first to admit that a man who works outside the home can have a highly stressful job and come home feeling exhausted, there are still those women who feel just as exhausted after taking care of the house and the children.
I want to brag on my husband who is awesome and is always helpful when it comes to taking care of the house.  My husband, Lance, usually works full time outside the home about 8 to 9 hours out of the day.  Then he comes home, does the dishes after dinner, and gives our daughter a bath most every night.  On top of that he is the one that every week will change the sheets on the bed as well as clean the toilets in the house (we have 3).  I don't mind cleaning bathrooms but toilets disgust me.  I can just imagine little germs crawling up my hands and arms as I wipe and clean the toilet.  Don't act like you have never thought the same thing!  I can't be the only one!  So my husband does that job for me!
My husband also does all the yard work because I am heat intolerant!  I only want to be outside if there is a pool and I am in it.  He works very hard not only at his full-time job outside the home, but he is awesome at helping around the house.  Actually I am probably the helper if you want to know the truth!
So what about your house?  Does your husband help out around the house?  Do you have an awesome husband like me?  Please share!

Another Cooking Adventure

So I found a great recipe that I thought I could make easily and quickly.  I recently purchased a Deep Covered Baker from Pampered Chef and decided to venture into unknown territory.  I feel in love with picture in the Deep Covered Baker Cookbook that I bought as well.

Now I know this picture is not the best but trust me when I say it looks DELICIOUS!  This recipe was called "Speedy Shrimp and Sausage Paella" and guess what was written above the recipe ----
"This rendition of the classic Spanish dish achieves delicious, complex flavors with minimal effort."  Minimal Effort!  That is a recipe for me!
Turns out the recipe was super easy and tasted great.  I did not have turmeric on hand and I think that would have made a big difference in flavor.  I left out the artichoke hearts because my family doesn't care for them.  But overall the dish was great and I would recommend it!
Here is what my dish looked like ---

What has been your latest adventure in cooking?

Adventures in Cooking

Look what I made last night!!!!  Herb Chicken with Honey Butter!  And yes, it mostly looked just like the picture.  It was a quick dinner too.  Here is the run down of yesterday at our house.
I picked Alex up from school at 3:30pm and headed straight across town to her Ballet Class, which was just starting yesterday!  We were at ballet until 5:30pm and then had to wiggle through traffice all the way back across town to the house.  By the time we got home, it was 5:55.  So I grabbed the chicken out of the refrigerator and got busy.  My husband helped clean up the kitchen and we had everything done by 6:50pm!  Tell me that isn't quick!  The only problem with the meal was the green beans I served with the chicken.  I didn't salt them enough.  My husband will tell you that I don't usually salt things enough.  I am scared that I will over salt things and that is far worse!  You can always add salt but you can never take it away!
Here is the recipe for those that want to try it out -- or Click HERE.

• 4 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

151025

Ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 
  HONEY BUTTER:
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

• Place egg in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in butter for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Meanwhile, combine butter and honey. Serve with chicken. Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking for 2: Herb Chicken with Honey Butter for Two

Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half with 2 tablespoons honey butter equals 488 calories, 25 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 173 mg cholesterol, 676 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 37 g protein.

The Dreaded Laundry

Believe it or not, laundry is not something that I detest around here.  I don't mind putting it in the washer or moving from the washer to the dryer.  Yet the worse part is when the dryer is done and I, then, have to fold the laundry.  Mostly it is pure laziness but I really wish someone would invent something that would fold the laundry and place on hangers for me.
I can usually keep up with the laundry around here.  Being a family of 3 is an advantage.  I am a little neurotic at times (no comments here please)  and one of my many quirks is that I hate having to change clothes more than once a day.  So usually when I get dressed in the mornings I stay in the same thing until bedtime.  I am not one to dress in sweats, work around the house, then change clothes to go out in public.  When I get dressed in the mornings, I get dressed for the entire day.  So I keep laundry down to the minimum on my part.  Alex is very similar.  As a girl that loves clothes, she is not one to keep changing clothes during the day.  So her laundry is minimal as well.  My husband, on the other hand, gets dressed for work in the mornings, comes home and changes into lounge wear, then at bedtime changes again.
I have actually done pretty well with laundry over the years.  I have messed up a few white shirts or khaki shorts here and there.  My biggest obstacle with laundry seems to be getting out stains.  My mom is the queen of stain removal, and after fighting a tough stain for a day, I have been known to send it to her to get the stain out.  She somehow knows exactly what to do to get it out.  About a month ago, I washed a load of darks with a stray pair of khaki shorts in the mix with my blue and black bathing suit.  Lance's khaki shorts had nice blue haphazard stripes and my yellow top did as well.  Mostly, though, laundry is my most successful aspect at being a domestic wife.  If nothing else, my family could starve to death in a dirty house but we would have clean clothes!
What is the worst thing you have done with laundry?  Have you messed up a load of laundry before?  What is your laundry story?

Unclogging the Drain

• So we have been battling clogged up drains around my house for a few days now.  It seems when we get one unclogged, another becomes clogged.  So instead of running out and buying Drano every other day, I found this online.  You may need it one day soon too!
• (ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT -- Also drops of white vinegar in your pet's water will keep away fleas and ticks!)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup vinegar

Directions:

1. 1
   Pour baking soda into drain.
2. 2
   Follow with vinegar.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-drain-cleaner-and-declogger-16470#ixzz1UkBlQ5nf

QUESTION FOR TODAY

So I have gotten some great feedback so far and I love hearing from each of you!  Your comments have prompted a question.  So leave your answers in the comments below ---
What do you think is your BIGGEST WEAKNESS as a domestic wife?  Cooking?  Cleaning?  Laundry?  Other?
I can't wait to read your responses!

Yes, I own an Iron

So my first post referred to my lack of ironing, but to squash the rumor -- Yes, I do own an iron.  A big thanks to my parents who gave me an iron and ironing board upon entering college.  Yes, that was in 1995!  Both are still in working order.  Mainly because I don't use either one but maybe once or twice a year!
My philosophy is this -- if the dryer can't help you, neither can I.  When Lance and I first got married, I was unemployed and did try to do the duty of ironing his work shirts.  Needless to say, I wasn't very good at it.  Lance would complain that I must have done it in a rush because it wasn't very "crisp" as he calls it.  Most likely he was right.  I hated ironing.  I always felt like I would iron the front side, then begin ironing the second side all while messing up the front side again.  It was like a never-ending cycle!
For a while after that, Lance would send his shirts to the dry cleaners.  It was just better for the both of us!  Over time, as many of you know my husband well, the issue of money and how much he was paying the dry cleaners nagged him.  So for a couple of years before we moved to our current home, Lance would iron his shirts once a week at night after working all day.  Now while I know most of you are thinking how terrible for him to have to work all day and then spend an hour ironing at least 5 or 6 shirts, he is the one that decided to take on that task.  He was of the agreement that I do not do a good enough job at ironing so I did not protest his new decision to save money.
After moving to our current home, Lance has decided that now that he has a 30 minute commute and little desire to do ironing himself anymore, he will gladly pay the money for the dry cleaners again.  I say thank goodness!  To those of you who tirelessly iron your wardrobe and that of your family, kuddos to you!  I truly admire each of you but do not wish that torture upon myself!  So yes, my sheets are never ironed, nor are my shirts or pants.  So there you go.  Another secret uncovered!

New Kitchen Rules

After years of having a few horrible meals in my kitchen, I found a great new addition to my kitchen wall.

I have served burnt rice, overdone chicken, crunch brown rice, and rubbery fish just to name a few.  We have never called for take out after such an awful meal.  We just ate what we could and laughed the rest of the way through the meal.  Lance has always been great at encouraging me even in my failures.  He has even tried to teach Alex.  So much so that one day I told her that Daddy liked this meal I was going to make.  She responded, "Mama, do you know that sometimes Daddy tells you he likes things you make but really doesn't?  Sometimes he just tells you he likes it because you cooked it and it's the nice thing to do."   Wow.  Thanks!
So the new kitchen rules wall decor is thanks to Hobby Lobby and is now my new mantra!
Do you ever have trouble in the kitchen?  Would you consider yourself a not-so-good cook?  Please share!!!

Make Up the Bed or Not Make Up the Bed

To my Mother's horror, I am posting a picture of my bed on any typical day at the Hill House.  Yes, my mother would strongly encourage my brother and I to make up our beds each day growing up.  Yet as I got older I was able to slip by here and there and get away with not making it up.  I hated making up the bed.  Now I don't mind it as much as I just don't take the time to do it.

So now that I have shared my little secret, let me tell you my dilemma in my head over this.  Do I make up the bed or not make up the bed?  As the one who typically jumps out of bed, gets myself a shower and dressed and then turns around to get my daughter dressed, I do not always have time in the mornings to go back and make up the bed.  Another reason in my head is I am just going to get right back in it in about 12 to 14 hours so why bother?  For some strange reason, when visitors or our parents come for a visit, the beds are typically made up.  Why?  I have no idea.  Maybe because I am guilty with them in the house if I don't.  Maybe it is because I want to put on the appearance that I have everything together in my house, which those close to me already know otherwise.  So why?
I know that I cannot be alone in this bed dilemma.  Do you think most people make up their beds each day?  Why do you think is the biggest reason people do OR do not make up their beds each day?

Green Beans

So to get things off right, let me tell you about yesterday.  I was at home most of the day so I decided to not wait closer to dinner to start cooking the green beans I had purchased at Kroger on sale earlier this week.  I decided to go ahead and put them on cooking while I was working around the house and then they would be ready for dinner that night.
All was going well for the first 20 minutes or so.  I had checked on the beans two or three times and had turned them down.  I walked away to work in my office getting ready for a meeting the following night.  About 30 minutes later.....not really sure as I lost track of time......I casually walked into the kitchen to grab something and heard a sizzling sound.  I turned around to the stove and THE BEANS!  I jumped over there and just as I suspected......burnt beans.
So after a few minutes of downing myself for even attempting to do something ahead of time, I allowed the beans to cool and disposed of the evidence before my husband came home.  Smart, I know!  Now I had a new problem.  What was I going to cook to replace the beans?  I decided to wait until dinner to decide!  Turns out we had a great Steak dinner with Sweet Potatoes!  Yum!
So is it really all's well that ends well?

Here We Go....

As anyone in my family can tell you, I am not a true Southern wife.  I hate cooking and to be honest, am not very good at it.  I detest cleaning and put it off until I can't stand it any longer.  I do not iron.  If the dryer can't help you, neither can I.  These are just some examples of why I would say I am not a very domestic wife.
After almost 10 years of marriage and laughing at myself along the way, I have decided to let you in on the daily "struggles" I have in the kitchen or the house in general.  Along the way I will also try to give you tips and pointers others have given me along the way.  Some worked and some did not.  We will go on this journey of laughter together!  I promise that if nothing else, this blog will do one of two things ---
1.  Make you feel better about yourself as a wife and domestic engineer of your own home
2.  Make you feel like you are not alone as a not-so-domestic wife!

So from a journey for us as a family that started on June 22, 2002, prepare yourselves for some crazy stories, tear-jerker stories, and of course just plain "life" stories!  While my "adventures" will probably occur daily, I may not post daily.  But keep checking a few times a week to find out what really goes on around here!