I'm Still Here

Image from: http://uobmarketing.blogspot.com/2013/10/its-been-while.html

Hello out there world! It has been a while since I posted. That happens sometimes, though. Life just gets all busy and I get pulled in a million different directions. My family and I have also been going through some "stuff", for lack of a better word. It pains me that I can not share it with you. That is the fine line I choose to walk as a mom blogger, though. Some bloggers share everything. I choose to keep certain things close and sacred for the sake of my family and respect for their privacy. So, all I can say on that topic for now is that I am struggling mentally and emotionally...but will be OK...eventually.

Any-who...what's new around here? Great question.

Summer is fast coming to an end and school days are right around the corner. I will have a senior, a sophomore, a kindergartner and two three year olds this time around. Unreal. It blows my mind because I still don't feel old enough to have two kids in high school...but I do. We are starting to talk college plans with my oldest while my daughter begs every day to know how many more days until her first day of school ever. Best of both worlds.

I am looking forward to this new school year very much. Before the twins were born I was that mom that volunteered for anything and everything at school for my oldest boys. Even when my daughter DJ came along, I still managed to take on some big tasks for the school. Once the twins were born I had to step back and focus on the home front. Now that they are almost three, I can finally start volunteering again. Room mom, class parties, mystery readers, book fairs and more. It will be nice to get that piece of my life back that I have missed so much. I love being involved and sharing that passion with the children, getting them excited and involved in their school. And with the twins on DJ's proverbial school heels, we have MANY more years of this ahead of us. Yay!

The twins are almost three and have been coined by my second oldest son to be the "Deuce of Hazards". Love it...the name, not the hazards, lol. These two crazy toddler boys get into more mischief and situations than my previous three children do/did combined. Two brains are truly better than one and they prove this to me almost daily. Just for a short example, we have been in our new house about fourteen months now and my twins are on their third doorknob for their bedroom already. What!? Yeah...just a tiny glimpse into my world where the twins are concerned. You never know what you are going to find when you go into their room. Just the other afternoon I went in to get them up after their nap and found them both just chilln' naked in Z's bed, not a care in the world. Happy and free. When I asked them where their diapers went, Z told me they were gone. Well, they weren't "gone" but were shoved into a crack in their race car beds. At least they didn't poop on the floor. Ha! Someday I will get around to telling you all more about their shenanigans. Promise.

My new business is starting out pretty slow, which is totally fine and to be expected. I am in no hurry since my twins won't even be headed to school for another three years. Also, with some of that family "stuff" I mentioned earlier, I have decided to take a couple of weeks off of trying to get it up and running so that I can stay focused on us and not cause myself to have another year like 2014. 2014 and I were not great friends and I will leave it at that. I truly believe that being a personal chef is the right choice of career for me and my family but I will continue to get it going at my own pace, on my own terms. That's what makes it so great, being my own boss. You can get the whole scoop on my business website at www.flavorfare.com!

My GoFundMe charity just celebrated it's first birthday! If you haven't heard about my mission yet, please check it out. Basically, once a month my volunteers and I cook a weeks worth of meals for a local family in need who are struggling with an ill child/family member. With the donations we receive we are able to purchase the groceries needed to accomplish this task. I would love your support or even just a share to spread the word about Food With Love! Thank you.

There are so many things on my plate that I want to share with you but I will save it for a later date. Once the kids get back into the whole school routine and the "stuff" is finally behind me, I look forward to doing so. I have room makeovers coming up, some DIY home decor projects, a few parties to host and so much more. So, please, stay tuned and check back. I appreciate your years of support and am excited for many many more.

 If you would like to keep up with my recipes and kitchen product reviews, you can find those on my sub-blog Ginny Says So.

And I haven't had anyone take me up on this yet but I would LOVE to give it a go! I have an advice blog called Ask Ginny. Check it out and ask me questions. Anything at all. Cooking, parenting, marriage, career and much more. I am at the ready! Hit me with your best shot.

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Bulk Breakfasts for Your Back-to-School Kids

School is back in session, full swing. We, as parents, are crazy busy and anything that makes the mornings run smoothly is a win-win situation. I would like to share with you something I tried out last year that went very well. Today I decided to do it again.

Now, in my home I will admit that most mornings we do cold cereal and milk. You know, the good ones, the sugary ones, the ones in the bright colored boxes and bags. My kids love them. I know I aspire to be a super mom so please don't judge. Ha! I cook for my kids all of the time. Healthy balanced meals and all that jazz. I can be quite strict about it actually. But for breakfast, most of the time, I let them have a little fun. Sometimes they want a little something more, though. With five kids all getting up and eating at different times throughout the morning, dragging my tired butt outta bed to make a big fat breakfast for the whole fam damily just isn't in the cards for me. So, here we are.

A couple hours tops and you can make home cooked breakfast foods that are super fast and very easy. You can serve your little ones within minutes or the bigger kids can get it for themselves. Who doesn't want that?!

Today I decided to make French Toast and Egg-A-Muffins. I will probably get to a couple batches of banana pancakes later today also. I did not invent these recipes, obviously, but I did name the egg one for myself because I have no idea which website my dear hubby got the original recipe from in the first place. He found it back when he was on a P90X kick a couple of years ago and I thought these were down right genius.

For the French Toast you will need eggs, bread, a splash of milk, a dash of salt and some cinnamon. You will need approximately one egg for every two slices of bread. Today I used a dozen eggs and was able to make twenty five slices of French Toast.

Beat together all of the ingredients, except for the slices of bread, in a shallow container. Dip each slice of bread, coating both sides of the slice with the egg mixture and place on a greased or non-stick pan (I prefer to use my electric skillet for these). Heat until cooked through flipping them each once.

Allow the slices to cool completely and place them in a freezer safe zip lock baggie or airtight container of your choice.

The kids can take out a couple slices in the mornings and put them right into the toaster. So easy. My kids like syrup on theirs. But, when my kids were little I didn't allow them to have syrup yet so I would spread a thin layer of applesauce or any of their fruit jarred baby foods. They all loved it.

I used white bread today because that is what I happened to have in the cabinet. If you are looking for a slightly healthier option, use wheat bread instead. If you want it to be an extra special savory treat, use cinnamon raisin bread. It is so tasty. I pick up a loaf whenever they are on sale at the bakery of my local grocery store.

And now the Egg-A-Muffins! Yummy! You have your protein and possibly dairy and vegetable groups covered with this one. I find it easiest to do at least a dozen at a time. For this you will need a dozen large eggs, a splash of milk, a little salt and pepper and then any meats, veggies and/or cheeses of your choosing. Today I used diced ham, onion and shredded mozzarella.

Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add the diced meat and vegetables if you are using any. Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, scoop and pour the egg mixture into a greased muffin pan (do not use paper liners). Be sure to scoop some of the meats and vegetables into each one as they can sometimes sink to the bottom of the bowl.

Sprinkle one or two tablespoons of shredded cheese onto the top of each one. I highly recommend placing your muffin pan onto a cookie sheet just in case any egg batter dribbles over the edges. I really hate cleaning out my oven. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. The tops will be nice and round and golden delicious.

When they are done, allow them to cool completely and then place them into a freezer safe zip lock baggie, same as the French Toast.

When you are ready to enjoy one (or two or ten), just microwave one for 45 - 90 seconds, depending on if they have been thawed out or are still frozen. Again, so easy!

What I especially love about this recipe is that the filling choices and combinations are endless. Sausage, crumbled bacon, ham, peppers, onions, all the different kinds of cheese. Have fun with this one and make what you like.

So, now I am off to do the same with banana pancakes. My kids can pop them right into the toaster too. I hope you found this helpful and that your kids enjoy some hearty home cooked breakfast foods every once in a while! Love all around!

Back To School Tech Sweepstakes!

Hey all! I am very excited to be part of my first joint giveaway with many of my fellow Mom Bloggers. The nice thing about these joint giveaways is that the prizes can be much bigger and better, just like this one that I am going to share with you.

Who's kid wouldn't freak out if you won them an HP 14" Chromebook PC? Which parent out there wouldn't love a $500 Visa Gift Card to help out with all of the back to school expenses that are, sadly, right around the corner? Or how about this amazing backpack and supplies prize pack? Just keep on reading and enter for your own chance to win one of these fabulous prize packs!

Welcome to the Back To School Tech Sweepstakes!

At Mom Powered Media, we believe in higher education and want to help our network readers get there. To help you do just that, we are giving one lucky reader a $500 Visa Gift Card and HP 14″ Chromebook PC. There will also be 20 second place winners to take home Back To School Prize Packages. So what are you waiting for? Let's get BTS ready, tech-style! Special thank you to our supporting co-host bloggers: Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews, The Jenny Evolution, Memoirs of a Clueless Woman, My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life, My Daylights, Barbara's Beat, Saving You Dinero, Shaping Up To Be A Mom, Robyn's View, Coupons and Freebies Mom, A Hen's Nest, Budget Savvy Diva, Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy, Your Sassy Self and Nest Full of New. Open your sleek, next-generation HP Pavilion 14-Q020NR 14" Chromebook PC to get online, fast. You can access your favorite websites and Google Chrome apps on the 14-inch diagonal HD display in seconds. HP 14″ Chromebook PC features:

• Intel Celeron 2955U Dual-Core processor 1.40GHz
• 2GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory
• 16GB solid state drive
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
• Intel HD GMA Graphics
• Webcam
• SD memory card reader
• 1 x USB 2.0 port, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x HDMI port, 1 x Acer converter port
• 3-cell lithium polymer battery for up to 8.5 hours run time
• 2.76 lbs, 0.8" x 11.3" x 8"
• Genuine Google Chrome OS Software

One grand prize winner will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card and HP 14″ Chromebook PC. Twenty additional winners will also receive a Back To School Prize Package.

Giveaway ends August 15th at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. Excludes Quebec. Only one entrant per household, per address. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Enter using the giveaway form below. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this sweepstakes. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com if you have any additional questions or comments.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Reality

Image from: https://www.mint.com/blog/consumer-iq/top-back-to-school-shopping-mistakes-0813/

Goodbye Summer

Another Summer's gone away,

Upon the wind as yesterday.

Good intentions come and gone.

Memories forever fond.

Living lives,

Chasing dreams.

It never ends,

Or so it seems.

The bustling house

Now quiet and still.

Find something to do,

I must, I will.

Virginia Louden 9/3/2013

Hello reality. Party's over kids. It's back to routines and schedules, bedtimes and checklists. Screens and devices all suddenly kept in check to make room for all of the homework and extracurricular activities that are sure to fill your days. Expectations are high and rightfully so. I have faith in you both, my eldest sons. You are smart and important and capable people. Maybe you will roll your eyes and think this is cliche...but you two can truly do anything. I can say this, not only because I am your mother and slightly biased, but because I really know you. I've been paying attention. I've witnessed nearly everyday of your growth from newborn precious little infant cuddled in my virgin mommy arms to outstanding human being, ready to take on the world with each new day, with very little help from me.

I know you both hem and haw when it's time to go back to school, bummed out that Summer's over and real work is about to begin. But I also know that you toss and turn in your beds, anxious and excited to get back to it. You can tell me that you wish school wasn't starting again and again, over and over, but I see the not so well hidden smiles as you stare at the clock in the morning, counting down the minutes until it is time to rush out the front door, off to school, to see your friends, back packs full of fresh new supplies just itching to get used up, and to go out into the world to live your lives, away from me. I know you.

And is it hard for me? Yes and no. It's hard because I love you so much and I miss holding you in my arms, smelling your freshly washed infant hair. I miss kissing your every boo boo and cutting up your food. I miss your chubby little toddler arms wrapped around my neck as though I was a life preserver and you needed me so. I miss your innocence and your baby doe eyes. I miss you.

More importantly, it is not too hard. I love watching you turn into amazing young men before my eyes. I like dreaming of the future with you. I love watching you play ball and trombone. I love big kid hugs when your arms can reach all the way around me and you really mean it. I love looking at your shoes and being blown away by the fact that they are too big for me to slip on and take out the trash. I love that twinkle in your eye when you are texting a girl and don't think I am paying attention. I love helping you find your way in this world and being a part of your journey. I love you.

With all of that said...I am looking forward to another promising year. I am proud of you both. I hope today is wonderful. Good luck boys. I'll be staring at the clock, too.


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