Time To Make The Doughnuts

OK, So I'm really not making doughnuts but today is what I call "cook til I'm crazy & pulling out my hair preparing for the week til I fall over in a heap & cry day" But that title is too long.... Anyway, this is my first day back in the saddle, I've been off this cooking ahead of time thing for months because of my Bear's mystery tummy issues. Well now that she is well I can get back to cooking like I'm used to. I plan to get up early & get movin but there are a few differences now as opposed to a few months back. For example, the girls have their school work & Little Miss Monkey is getting started on learning to read. Fun.... Then we have the wee piggers. She is on & off with morning naps. I had taken them out of her schedule so she'd sleep better at night for me & she does. But lately she's been acting as though she NEEDS those naps so I'm giving them to her. Needless to say as all you Supermamas know my days can be quite erratic. Now we're used to having school with a little one wanting attention but for me to be cooking/baking/ freezing during school time with Piggie wrapping herself around my leg? Now, that's a challenge. I'll just see what happens & let ya know. So here's whats cookin' Slow Cooker Yogurt
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Double Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Rice Pudding
Jello
Cut, Cook, & Brown Beef for Tacos
Mix & Season Beef for Slow Cooker Meatloaf (replacing BBQ sauce for ketchup)
Brown & Season turkey for Tator Tot Casserole
Make 2 bags of World's Easiest Make-Ahead Marinated Chicken
Frozen Banana Bites
Frijoles De La Olla
Set up Veggie Tray
Now I'm not saying ALL of this will get done, these are just my goals. As of right now I have long grain rice & I need short for the pudding. I NEED to make mayo for the muffins (moistness) but dunno if I'll have time. And...I'm not real sure if I have hamburger for the meatloaf....hmmmm??? Anyway, you get my point, I'm not gonna make myself extra special crazy. I'm just gonna do my best. One thing I absolutely positively GUARANTEE is the cookies will get baked!!

The Blessed Supermom

Easy On Mama =)

Well yesterday was a pretty easy day for this overworked overstressed Mama. I really needed to just chill after all the recent nuttiness. I did get this weeks grocery shopping done with The Monkey & even that was easy on me cuz ALDI was closed for Memorial Day. Although I paid a little more than usual it was worth it, I still kept the bill under 85 bux & for a family of 6, I think that's pretty good =)
We had a good long day visiting with the in laws & as you can see the girlies had 2 tons of fun.

Today I have to catch up on my weeks cooking. I have really grown to like getting everything done I possibly can in one day. Yesterday I did bake a few loaves of bread in the bread machine but aside that not much was done. However, this week is gonna be super easy on me because I'm headed to the ICHE homeschool convention & all the vittles I would normally prepare won't be needed. YAY!!
Tonight, I'm frying up some chicken (can't premake that one)
And tomorrow is a baked ham. That will leave enough leftovers for Big Daddy to make some sammiches for himself & the girlies. And he opted for hot dogs for himself Friday evening, can I just say...WHOO-HOO!!
OK, so what does need to be made?

I'm gonna crank out some Mashed Taters
Fruit Salad
Chocolate Pudding Pie
Kool Aid Pie w/ sweetened condensed milk instead of the evaporated & sugar (TRY THIS!!!!)
Brownies
and maybe Amish Sugar Cookies

The downfall is I have lots of laundry that piled up over the crazy days & that has to get done before convention. Today will be 3-4 loads which means running up & down a gerjillion stairs.

I may look like this by the end of the day.

The Blessed Supermom

Cinnamon Buns!!

OK, I've made Cinnamon Buns before & they were good...at least I thought they were good. Until I tasted these.

There are no words to describe the wonderful goodness that happens when you bite into this sugary delight.
Honestly, if God made Cinnamon Buns this would be it. I think it's quite possible angels are singing about how good these are. OK, don't get all ruffled...I know they don't sing about Cinnamon Buns....but really these are sooooooo good.
Be forewarned, they are quite sweet & I couldn't personally handle more than one.
Another warning, you're husband will adore you & may very well call up his mother & brag. Lastly, your kids will likely bounce haphazardly off the walls for several hours. That being said....make these rolls!!!! They are stupid good* & even better the next day!!

*Stupid Good~Food that tastes so good you can't help but act stupid because your brain has ceased to function due to the sheer joy of the delectable goodie your eating

Freebie!!!

Hey!! All my cookin' Supermama's!!
Over at Money Saving Mom (BTW, awesome supermom) I found a link for a free...yes FREE download of a Betty Crocker Cookbook.
I just snagged it, check it out~it has some really yummy lookin' recipes.

Another Giveaway =)

Sooooo, here's another great giveaway
Who wouldn't want to win some awesome goodies from Hickory Farms? I think I could hide in my room & eat a whole basket full!
Oh well, that's probably not a good idea =)
Check out the giveaway & good luck!!

Cookie Bars & Munchkins

Me & the girlies stayed in on this blustery day & made Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
YUMMY!!
Cow took this pic, that's why she's not in it =(

Now she's trying to steal all the cookie bars!!

I had fun & love my munchkins, my big munchkin too =)

Survival

I survived.....I think.
I think I survived Day 1 of my diet, the reason I say "I think" is because there are still a few hours left in the day & there is fresh bread just waiting for me to slather it with butter & devour it before anyone knows.
Honestly, this is a lot harder than I remember, has the first day always been this difficult?? I'm hungrier than ever, I feel like I could violently break in the windows of a bakery & eat EVERYTHING. I don't understand my tummy.
Usually I don't eat much of anything all day, I know I know...that's bad. But it's the truth, I don't eat, maybe a little bit here & there but no real food. Sometimes, I realize I haven't eaten when I'm suddenly sick.
Soooo, I thought I would feel great this morning when I got up & ate breakfast and at first I did but after 2 hours I was hungry! And I had "a well balanced meal" what gives?? I realized throughout the day that I was hungry every 2-3 hours. I remember someone telling me once your supposed to eat every few hours but I have no idea why.
The big thing I noticed was that I did good all day, it was difficult but I did it until.....
I was sad.
I'm having struggles with my parenting, I have a lot of insecurity right now. My girls aren't being the children I'd like them to be. I love them but I suppose I'm taking there behavior very personal.
All day I felt like a less than good mama because they weren't doing as told & I lost my temper more than once. Then The Hubby told me he has to work overtime tomorrow & I won't be able to visit a friend I very much want to see. Well, after my day & that bit of news I just wanted to eat everything. I didn't care about my efforts of the day, I didn't care about my commitment to myself & others.
I just wanted the hurt to stop & food was the good & reliable friend waiting to console me. I knew I needed to pray, I knew I needed to confess to God my idolatry.
But, I couldn't, because then the shame comes. It's a vicious roller coaster, but it's one I refuse to stay on any longer. I can't live this way, it's not good physically nor emotionally.

O Lord, My God, Forgive me. I need you so desperately for I am weak, I am unable & unsure. Lord steady my feet & light my path on this unknown journey. I am timid & afraid, Goliath jeers & laughs at me & I see that I am incapable. But I call on the Mighty God of Israel, I call on The Most High God to enable me through His power. I praise you Abba Father for you are good & merciful. Thank you Lord. In your matchless name, Amen

My Precious

Well, I posted that I'll be starting my weight loss journey this up coming Monday & for the most part, I'm excited. I have some good ideas to implement & wonderful women who are just as excited as I am to shed some unwanted pounds.
However, I'm intimidated too. I mean come on, when I met The Hubby I was about 60 lbs less than what I weigh now! That's A LOT of pounds. And it took 11 years to put it on & I really don't wanna have to wait 11 more years to feel/look good again.
Anyway, this week is my "last hoorah" of eating some good yummies I will need to cut back on. And yes, I said CUT BACK not CUT OUT. I don't do well when I restrict myself to the extreme, if I do that I end up like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters pounding through the streets in search of food. Not a pretty sight.
I mean I'm not going way overboard & eating every cookie & brownie in sight, but I have a few things I wanna work outta my system.
Breyer's Strawberry Ice Cream & Oreo's for example.
I told The Hubby a few weeks back that I had to have some of my Breyer's before I started my diet & then it slipped my mind because it's been too cold for ice cream. Well, this past Monday I started getting goofy for my Breyer's & finally yesterday I told The Hubby I had to hurry up & finish dinner so I could run out to the grocery store. He's all like OK baby, no big deal...I said "no, you don't understand...I NEED TO GO & NOTHING IS GOING TO STOP ME"
He kinda grunted & was all like...again~no biggie. But I wanted him to understand the magnitude of the situation, it was my ice cream & if I had to go to the store he had to take care of everything at home.
And NOTHING was stopping me from going to the store, NOTHING was coming between me & my ice cream. I spoke fervently & quickly that I only had a few days left & that I was gonna buy hot fudge & whipped topping too & that I just had to have it.
He sat across the table & whispered...."My Precious"

Yea, I guess I deserved that cuz I was kinda acting like a lunatic. But I can't say I learned from it because I went ahead & bought my ice cream & ate gobs of it. Then today was a really stressful day & ya know what I kept thinking about??
OREOS.
Every time I got worked up I would think "Man, I want some OREOS " now I didn't act on it, mostly because I didn't wanna share with the kids.
Yea, I'm bad.
But, it really struck me that I was looking to food to calm me. WHOA!! That's a pretty big deal ya know. It was a line drive smack in the middle of the forehead that I'm getting my peace somewhere other than God. That's a real dishonor to Him.
He clearly states in His word~


"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. Exodus 20:4-5

I need to point out that I see I'm worshiping this food by looking it to it for joy, peace, & all sorts of stuff. It's just plain wrong & hurts the heart of God. It can't possibly please Him that when I'm stressed out dealing with my Internet provider that instead of running to Him I run to the refrigerator. How messed up is that??
Honestly, that's not truly trusting Him~that's looking to "my precious" for my security. I can't do that anymore. It's wrong.
So, I suppose this upcoming Monday I'll be doing more than attempting to shed unwanted pounds, I'll begin dealing with feelings I've shoved down over the years with food. I'll be throwing "my precious" into the fires of Mt. Doom & hope to say goodbye forever. (The Hubby really knows his LOTR)