that's what she said

MAMA

she said it

I heard it

Aunt Mindy can testify

Mama

so how bout this new look for the mama of the house? 

I was in slight denial

 about needing help to see el blogos I was reading,

but I kept finding myself making quirky faces like this....

so... in a quest to NOT scare my kiddos
with creepy computer faces

I bought these stunning beauties at Target for only $7.99 

What a bargain.  I hope. 

here's the really scary mommy face

note to self:  never (again) make that face and blog it

 Mornings and Me--we don't mix well

have I ever mentioned that before?!

so basically most all mornings consist of cereal for my kids

if they're lucky I'll heat them up some water for gourmet instant oatmeal

but our SNOW DAY called for some fancy...

And nothing screams fancy
like preparations that begin the night before

Pull-Apart Breakfast Rolls

Here's your grocery list just in time for Saturday morning's breakfast:

Rhodes (frozen) rolls, chopped pecans

1 small pkg pudding mix

butter, brown sugar, cinnamon

Grease a b-b-bundt cake pan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding reference, anyone?)

Add chopped pecans, if desired (I sprinkle on half the pan)

Place 20 frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls in pan

Sprinkle on rolls: 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 small pkg butterscotch pudding mix

Melt 1 stick butter and 1/2 c brown sugar and pour on top

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit OVERNIGHT

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes in the morn 

Notes:  do not be alarmed by how much the rolls grow while you sleep

the recipe calls for 18 rolls--whatever.  you can do 20.

I've been known to double the topping and pour some more on after baking

oh, yeah......

Have a super weekend, All! 

Go Pack Go! 

You'll want to stop on back to this here blog

sometime this celebratory weekend 

to find a pic of Justin & Laurie circa 1998. 

When I locate it, consider it posted.

Mercy.

baby on board

Ever vacuum with a fussy baby on your hip?
Yeah.....you rock.
It's no easy task, people.
Can I (please) get some Mom Points for carrying around my poor (teething) baby
ALL. AFTERNOON.?!
Love her. LOVE. HER.
But it adds a whole new dimension to easy tasks like stirring the soup in the crock.
If you can't tell...the vertical space between Char's hand and the pot is like 2.5 inches, k?
You've been there. You know. That soup's lucky it got stirred.
(a-mazing soup, by the way........tune in next tuesday for the deets)
Ahhh, baby. I'll take you anywhere.

But do you see this?!

Not the pic of the cute couple on the wall (awwwww......)

No-- the piles (and piles) of unfolded laundry on the bed.

Which can't really be done with this (cute and sweet and cute) baby on my hip.

Hey,wait.....what is that extra lump in the mix?!

Peek-a-boo!

Nice try, Buddy.

Nope. She's not amused. But nice try.

Hey now

I'll just pay the bills sitting on the couch, then. On my lap.

That's almost (not really) as easy as at the table.

But I can sit next to the (precious) fussy baby this way....and that just might work, right?!

Yeah.....that didn't last long.

But the camera was amusing for a (brief) moment in time.

And so was this. Remember this?! I'm going to start referring to it as the

"FussyBaby YouTube Phenomenon."

So yesterday afternoon went....not quite as planned.

I got (almost) nothing done.

But I did have a super snuggly (slightly fussy) baby to hold.

All the snuggles I wanted. And more.

Well, when you recap it that way....why did my heart sing the "Hallelujah Chorus" when Justin came walking through the door from work?!

I'm pretty sure Charity was just as happy to see this special guy who makes both of us smile.

Awwwwwww.....

Here's to a super Thursday

(fussy babies unfussed)

to all stopping by my little space on this world wide web today.

If you haven't entered GIVEAWAY WEDNESDAY you've still got a chance!

Click HERE to check it out....

TT Chicken Parmigiana

Hey Blogger Buddies,
Happy Tutorial Tuesday!
Let's celebrate and Rock the Crock, shall we? (crockpot, that is.....)
Trust me-- this is EASY, QUICK, and uses SIMPLE ingredients

You know you're going to want to Rock the Crock when you see this tut:

Chicken Parmigiana

Beat 1 egg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in bowl
Pour 1 cup breadcrumbs in another bowl
Take chicken breasts and dip first in egg and then in breadcrumbs

Transfer to pan sprayed with cooking spray and saute on either side over medium heat.
(read notes below, I think this step is totally unneccessary...)
When both sides are light brown, place in the crock
Pour a jar of spaghetti sauce on top
Set your crock on low for 4-6 hours
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese before serving

Fix it and Forget it p180

adapted by Laurie J

IMPORTANT NOTES:

I have made this before and not sauteed the chicken--I could not tell a difference.

All you really need to do is dip the chicken in butter, breadcrumbs, and place in crock.

The original recipe says cook on low for 6-8 hours but my crock rocked it quicker--(4-6 hrs)

When you put this over noodles, it becomes a wonderful meal.

When you serve this with salad, it becomes a magical meal.

My kids were not paid to eat it without complaints and they did anyway.

Whoa, right?!

Rock the Crock, Blogger B's. You won't regret it!

My lunch

A moment to myself during kiddos naptime

In an attempt to be real...

3 pics of the kitchen that surrounded my ambience:

(yes, some Christmas decor remains. Don't be judging!)

Here's to being real.

Have a super Tuesday, All!
+2 = 12 down, 488 to go