15 Minutes to Spare

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff that life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Good 'ol Ben also said: Time is money. To me, time is golden, priceless and fleeting. The most valuable moments are spent with my family but I still have a household to maintain and every evening I find myself wondering where the time went. Some days my Wrinkle in Time (i.e. a fold in the fabric of The Daily Routine) renders me incapable of completing something as simple, yet deceptively elusive, as the task of unloading the dishwasher. Such Wrinkle often occurs after a late breakfast...


"Breakfast time! Crap. Late again"
[Fast Forward] 
Ok. it's 10 am. "Naptime!"
[Fast Forward] 
The kids are awake. "Time for lunch."

[Fast Forward] 

Papa is home..."Enzo, say hello to your Papa (whew-it's about time)."
[Fast Forward] 
Is it 5 o'clock already? Holy COW. I have to figure out what to make for dinner. "Is that clothes still in the dryer?!"

I've compiled a list of things I can do in 15 minutes or less (when I can find the time):

Spot-clean the bathroom
Sweep the kitchen floor
Vacuum a room
Load/unload the dishwasher
Take out the trash
Make the beds
Pick up toys and put them away (several times)
Water plants
Discard junk mail
Sort laundry
Create a shopping list
Clip coupons
Purge the fridge of old food
Prep dinner
Set the table
Clear the table
Make a phone call
Meditate/take a "power" nap-whatever that means
Thumb through a magazine
Read a book
Water the lawn
Groom a pet
Bathe a kid
Play hide-and-seek
Sew a button onto a shirt
Upload photos from a camera/phone
File a bit of paperwork
Check and return e-mail messages
Clean out my purse
Take a shower
Write and send a thank-you note
Blog

Keepin' it "real": If I had 8 consecutive, uninterrupted hours of spare time (kid-free), I probably wouldn't do any of the above, except "blog"...and maybe take a nap. When spending time with the my husband and kids, I do my best to make sure we all enjoy every minute of it. After all, they are only young once and time flies.

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler 


Photo courtesy of paper-money.blogspot.com

Harvest Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 small potato, finely cubed
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tbsp. butter
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups chicken broth*
1 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tsp fresh)
1/2 tsp thyme
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
Chives for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a 1-quart sauce pan over medium heat, saute the onion, potato and sugar in the butter until onion is transparent and slightly caramelized (about 8 minutes). Add the pumpkin puree, chicken broth*, parsley, thyme and bacon. Stir to combine well, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm or serve immediately. Before serving, season with salt and pepper, to taste and garnish with a tablespoon or more of the heavy cream spooned onto each individual serving. Garnish with chives (optional).

*More or less broth can be used to adjust the thickness of the soup. The soup can be pureed in a blender or food processor before garnishing for a smoother texture.

Comfy Cozy

Ahhhhh, yes. My favorite time of year is finally here. Autumn has arrived, chock-full of holidays and activities that are near and dear to my heart. My personal favorite is Fall Wardrobe Day. I rummage around the closets looking for where I stashed the dozen or so sweaters I own. They're nothing special, really. Most were acquired either at a discount retailer or thrift store (I am one who needn't worry about potential moth infestations). Out come the hats, scarves, footsie pajamas and jackets for the little ones and warm blankies are stowed in the car. Oh, and yes--I actually do keep gloves in my glove compartment. Isn't that what it's for?

And then there's the food. Comfort foods like meat loaf and mashed potatoes are a favorite at my house. Soups and stews are relatively easy one-pot meals that can be prepared with little fat and lots of vegetables. Aside from all the usual Autumn fare, there's a myriad of recipes that call for pumpkin puree that I'm just dying to experiment with. I gotta get those veggies down their little hatches any way I can! Cooler weather calls for hot cocoa with marshmallows, herbal tea, vanilla lattes, and warm milk spiked with cinnamon and a teeny bit of sugar (if you've never had it, you really ought to give it a try).

Fall is a great season to encourage kids to use their creativity with food decor. They can help frost spooky ghost cookies, construct a haunted gingerbread house, or decorate sugar cookies with candy corn before they are baked. Sure, it's likely to create a huge mess, but it's very entertaining for little ones. Mmmmmm...Don't for get the Candy Apples. One can argue that these candy-coated delights are actually kind of healthy, right? Every year, in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, my mom creates a centerpiece using a whole pineapple decorated to resemble a turkey. She fashions a turkey head cut from red felt stuffed with cotton which she then attaches with pins to the fruit. It may sound unusual but it's really awfully cute! Why a pineapple you ask? That's a very good question...

Here is a great recipe just passed on to me by a friend. I have yet to cook it myself, as I just acquired this week and would need to borrow a larger crock pot but ingredients don't lie--it's chock-full of yummy stuff. I can't wait to try it! It is as follows:

Dawn's Potato Soup
In a large crock pot set to "low" add the following, combining well:
6 potatoes, cubed
2 leeks, sliced
2 onions, chopped/sliced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups of water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 tbsp parsley (fresh or dried)
2 tbsp butter

Cook for four hours on the lowest setting. One hour before serving add one can of evaporated milk
and garnish with chives.
Optional garnishes: bacon bits or minced garlic, chopped ham, whatever is on hand.

Gobble, gobble, gobble...

Do You Rememer That Thing Known As "Sleep"?

sleep n. A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. - Answers.com

I faintly recall a time in my life when I could sleep for 12 hour stretches, without so much as a drink of water or a bathroom break. Sometimes I wonder: Did that really happen or did I just dream that I once slept for 12 hours?  It is true, though that at the ripe, old age of 16 I felt the need to stay in bed long after the rooster crowed, was plucked and baked in a pie. Wow. That seems like such a long time ago. I'll let you in on a little secret: As I type it is now 9:40 pm and I really should be in bed. Not a creature is stirring, not even the husband. The kids are asleep by 8(ish) and the baby can snooze for about seven hours at a time. If I were smart I would, too but, given a bit of spare time, I can accomplish a lot. The idea that doing dishes, laundry, checking e-mails or blogging could be accomplished kid-free is all too tempting.

Crap. It's 9:49 already. Soon it will be 10 o'clock and 1.5 hours past my "bedtime". Don't get me wrong-I love to sleep but motherhood changes everything. Day-to-day, minute-by-minute my priorities shift according to what is best, not only for the children, but for the household as a whole. Many times I have griped to my husband (a.k.a.The Innocent Bystander), "You don't understand. I would go and take a nap if this house weren't a total disaster area!! If I don't reorganize the Ziploc container drawer, who will?" Just let it go, he tells me. That is sound advice but easier said than done. Every evening I do as much as I can before bedtime to prepare for the day ahead. The diaper bags are stocked, bottles made, sippy cups filled, coffee maker set, clothing chosen and laid out, the cat's bowl filled. Did I forget anything? Oh--I can shower and wash my hair tonight to save time in the morning and my toenails have been neglected for way too long... Forget it. No time for that now. I feel too tired and overwhelmed at the moment.
It's 10:30 and I wonder where the time went. The muscles that control my eyelids are failing me. Time to shut the P.C. down and finish my story some other time. I must sleep now. Until tomorrow...

Okay! I'M BACK, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready for another day. Seven hours of sleep can do wonders for my spirit. Just like the definition for sleep, I spent quality time resting during which I'm relatively certain my eyes were closed, my body movement decreased (when I wasn't tossing and turning), and I showed little response to external stimuli. The latter I know because my husband tended to our toddler when he woke up fussing and I miraculously slept right through it all. I have been falsely accused of routinely feigning sleep so that he will get up instead of me, which I adamantly deny. Just because I did that once, doesn't mean I do it all the time. So today, with new-found energy, enthusiasm and (hopeless) optimism I create my daily "To-Do" list. Included in the top five after "laundry" and before "vacuuming" I write: TAKE A NAP in all caps and underline it. Twice.
  
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.  ~Leo J. Burke

I'M IMPRESSED...Products That "Wow'd" Me

The Magic Eraser:
I am not one to recommend nor endorse something I don't like so when I say that I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, I really mean it! After the first use, my thought was, "Where have you been all my life?"  I appreciate any cleaning products that make my life easier, are easy on the environment (as well as the people in it) and perform well. My bathroom cleaning routine used to consist of spraying the tub, toilet, sink and counter with a caustic cleanser and letting it sit for a few minutes before tackling the commode first. By the time I got to the tub, I would hope that the cleanser has loosened some of the soap scum so I could step into the tub wearing a Hazmat suit and scrub it off. Not fun. This is a back-breaking job especially considering that I have those stupid shower doors that slide open instead of a shower curtain. I have no idea what those funky Mr. Clean sponges are made of, but they are out-of-this-world effective. A chore that would normally take me 30-45 minutes was complete in only 10! Wow.

Oxy Clean:
I was reluctant to try this product because I doubted it's effectiveness but Billy Mays, may he rest in peace, was right to get all fired up over this one! It works great for all sorts of stains. I was even able to clean my fruit-juice stained cutting board with it. It works wonders on kids clothing and yellowed burp cloths. I've used it for numerous diaper "explosions" with great success.

Penny Pincher Tip: I went with the store-brand versions of both products mentioned and not only was I very pleased with the results but I saved a considerable amount of moola.

Try It...You Might Like it!

Kid: I don't like cauliflower
Me: You know my dinner rule. You don't have to like it, but you have to try it.
Kid: [groans]
Me: Just eat it
Kid: But I hate cauliflower!
Me: How could you know this if you've never actually put the cauliflower in your mouth and chewed it?
Kid: But I have tried it before. Remember?
Me: Wha--? When?
Kid: ...'member that one time at Grandma's house?
Me: No...and since I don't "member" you have to eat it anyway.
Kid: It's not my fault if you forgot!
Me: Ok. New rule: If I can't recall that you've tried it before, you have to eat it again. Would you like some ketchup with that?

My daughter, bless her heart, is an adult now but we both have many fond memories of our battles at the dinner table. Did I mention that I won this one?

Photo courtesy of About.com

Thinking Out of the Bento Box

A Happy Mom = A Happy Family. 
A Hungry Mom + Busy Day - Food = Miserable Mom...and well you can see where this is going. There's nothing that fouls my mood up faster that being hungry and/or unable to obtain nourishment--quickly and I need something that's actually good for me. Daily, often routine tasks seems so much more difficult to accomplish when I'm starving to death. Did you ever notice that people are unbelievably annoying just before you eat (a late) lunch? Well, I discovered a very cute solution.

Having an affinity for all things Asian, I recently splurged and bought a lovely, lacquered bento box online. Love, love, LOVE IT! A bento box is a Japanese lunch box that is compartmentalized and designed to store a variety of foods in one handy-dandy adorable container. Bento boxes are traditionally packed with rice, vegetables and some type of meat or fish but I don't want to limit myself to the standard Asian fare (although it's my favorite). I like taking leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day, so it fits the bill. These boxes are great idea for kids, too. If school-age children help pack their own with good food choices that an adult provides they are more likely to actually eat the stuff and preschoolers can be suckers for a "gimmick". Case in point: My toddler won't touch his egg foo young unless I feed it to him with my chopsticks...interesting.

I'm due back in the office soon, as my maternity leave will be coming to an end (sigh...) and I want to do my best to eat healthy when away from home. I plan to pack (besides leftovers) fresh, raw veggies, fruit, nuts, hummus, cheese, crackers and whatever I will need to get through a 10-hour work day. I'm a busy mom who doesn't need to put any extra strain on her system by eating take-out every day, which can be tempting when you have a whole hour for lunch, lots of restaurants to choose from and boy, do I like take-out! With a belly full of orange chicken or "super nachos" I can achieve nirvana and I am often at my most spiritual while slurping down an extra-large Coke with lots of ice on the way back to my desk. Unfortunately, these kinds of food come back, bite me on the butt and stay there...on my butt.

You've got your work cut out for you, my adorable new bento box. It's time for me to get creative with my lunch so I don't get hungry, bored and run to the nearest taco shop. I'm gonna pack that little sucker so full...