Today

I'm posting from my phone while in bed next to a scared 9 year old. We just watched the HP & the Half Blood Prince which is pretty intense. Luckily, she's finally asleep.

I took a nap on the back porch earlier while the two littles made their own version of a school carnival. It involved the classic dunk tank (wading pool) where you throw a ball (clothespins) at a target (kid butt) and the person (7 year old) falls (jumps off a picnic table) into the tank of water (wading pool).

Kassidy made brownies today from one of the homemade mixes. Also, she's decided to play flute in band next year! 

I freaking love these kiddos!

Frugal Friday

I'm inspired today by Life as Mom (who wrote my favorite freezer cookbook) to do a Frugal Friday post.  Her blog today is about maintaining your stamina when the frugal living gets tough.  She asks readers:

• Do you find it hard to stick to your financial goals?
• If so, what do you do to get back in line?
• If not, what’s your secret to staying on track?

I'm not finding it too hard to stick with my own personal financial goals.  I have a goal of saving a certain amount of money that I've made through my Etsy business and I'm about to meet my goal!  I'm predicting I will have met my goal by the end of next week!  Running this business has helped me in unexpected ways, including eliminating the resentment I used to feel about not earning any of my own money.  Having my own savings account outside of our joint account is a wonderful thing and because I'm the only person who can access it, I control it 100%.  My secret to staying on track?  I don't have a secret.  I've worked so hard to make this money and I'm too scared to spend it.  That's not to say I haven't been tempted but so far, so good.

Random List

• I love, LOVE the ability to put my Etsy shop on vacation.  When orders get too overwhelming (a good problem, I know) or when life kicks me in the butt, I put the shop on vacation.  This is why I don't have my own web site and also why I'm o.k. with paying Etsy fees.  I wouldn't have this ability most anywhere else on the web.  People have the option to receive a notification when my shop re-opens.  I realize it costs me some sales but the shop doesn't need to grow any bigger.  Putting it on vacation once a month helps keep things small and keep me sane.
• Enough shop talk.  I've caught a cold for the third time in a month.  This makes me sad.  When I don't have a cold, I have allergies.  Good times.
• I made 8 of those salads-in-a-jar and used quart jars.  It is too much salad.  We will be eating salad all week and that's o.k. but I'm approaching salad burnout.  The salads are delicious and contain:
• a mix of either romaine, kale, and/or arugula
• feta or gorgonzola
• radishes, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes marinating the dressing at the bottom
• dressing of either red wine or white wine vinaigrette
• toasted almonds or toasted pecans
• blueberries 
• I've nearly reached an important financial milestone for myself, thank you HelloAuntFlow shop.  
• Every day when the kids get home, I sit on the couch with them and watch Martha Speaks.  I freaking love this show.  And I usually fall asleep.  Abby knows this and will put a stuffed animal under my head while I'm still awake because she knows it will put me to sleep thus buying her some computer time.  Stinker. 
• We're getting back into our after-dinner family walk routine.  
• The tomatoes are coming along quite nicely and we even have some blossoms now!
• The watermelons have all sprouted:  Ali Baba and Golden Midget varieties from Baker Creek.
• The burgundy okra just sprouted today!  Eagle Pass okra should be sprouting soon.
• I'm going to build a trellis for the first time - a narrow folding ladder style.  If it goes well, I'll build three more.
• Kassidy got straight A's on her report card.  I'm so proud of her!  She says this instantly qualifies her for Pre AP/Pre IB classes next year.  We've been discussing the district's IB program and she seems interested.  I'm not sure what the difference is between Gifted & Talented, Pre AP, Pre IB, Honors, or whatever else they call it.  I need to talk to her counselor at school.
• She also gets to take two music classes next year- choir and band.  Too cool!
• Abby and Jasmine also got very, very good grades.  Abby earned her classroom's Star Student award for this term!  This was a big deal to her because she finally got perfect attendance for the first time ever in a term.
• Less than one month until school is out!  We are all super excited!

I feel the need to add this disclaimer.  I'm not hell-bent on my kids getting good grades or awards or perfect attendance.  They have earned these things on their own.  I understand grades are not an accurate measure of intelligence.  But being as they're in public school, these little victories help them feel more motivated and help set them apart from the crowd.  I'm no Tiger Mom.  But if it's making them happy, let's indulge.  I know they are super smart even without the report cards declaring it.

Sunday Dinners

Every Sunday, I do my best to cook an amazing family dinner, complete with something yummy to drink as well as dessert.  I decided to start doing this a few months ago after realizing that I needed one day each week where a fantastic, not-boring, dinner was guaranteed.  I cook dinner 5 or 6 nights each week but they're nothing to brag about.  My goal is to make Sunday dinner brag-worthy.

The recipes generally are based on something I've been curious to try.  I thought once I would try making homemade fried chicken.  It turned out terrible.  Too browned on the outside and undercooked on the inside.  As undercooked chicken is treated like nuclear waste, it got dumped.  But the side dishes were good.

A favorite is Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice. I cannot say enough good things about this meal.  It's a copycat of some sort of popular Manhattan street food.  Serve it with the suggested basic iceberg salad and pita bread just like you'd get at a little Greek restaurant.  I omit the sugar in the white sauce.  The kids devour this.  Don't be fooled by claims that this is an easy weeknight dish:  it's not.  It takes some time but it is well worth it and the leftovers are even better for lunch the next day.  I'll probably make this again real soon.

I want to learn how to make a pot roast like Sophia's with the potatoes and carrots.  I also need to relearn how to roast a chicken without getting squeamish. 

Dessert is usually brownies, a small cake, or if I'm pressed for time, flourless peanut butter cookies that I make in the food processor.  Now that strawberries are in season, I'll have to make some shortcake soon.

When my children have all grown and moved on, my hope is that Sunday dinner nostalgia will bring them back home often to eat and visit. 

Do you have any weekly or monthly meal traditions?  Please share!