Friday, September 25, 2009

Cheesy Pizza Pasta

Come and see it at www.mycrazykitchen.blogspot.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

More new recipes

I have another new recipe to share. It is on my recipe blog at
www.mycrazykitchen.blogspot.com
This is where I post new recipes and old recipes that are "keepers". Enjoy your visit!

Monday, September 21, 2009

New Recipes!

My sister Mandy has been doing a fun thing on her blog. Every week she tries a new recipe and then writes about it. I am going to join her in the hopes that we can keep each other motivated! Here is her blog address http://blahblahblahblog.typepad.com/. I have actually tried many new recipes but I always forget to take pictures! Here are the last couple and the pictures that I managed to take. Enjoy!



Orange Marinated Pork Tenderloin (Allrecipes #58941)

1 c Orange Juice

1/3 c Soy sauce

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

3 tsp minced garlic

Pork tenderloin



Make the marinade by whisking together all of the ingrediants. Pour over tenderloin and marinate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Place on baking sheet and season with salt and peper. Roast for about 20 minutes until internal temp is 160 degrees.

Strain the reserved marinade and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan. Use as a sauce for the meat.



This recipe could not have been easier. I made the marinade on satuday night and then put it in a ziploc bag with the meat. (I had to cut the tenderloin in half so it would fit) It stayed in the fridge until sunday evening and then we cooked it on the grill. It was super tender and had a nice flavor. My kids all took leftovers to school the next day. Great option for a nice looking main dish with very little fuss.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Here we go again

It's that time of year again. Summer vacation is officially over; back to regular bedtimes, and a little bit of peace and quiet the day. While I'm as ready for this as the next mom, I'm not sure if I am ready for all of the other activities that inevitably come along with the school year. There's piano lessons for Baylie and Lexie, which continued through the summer but now move to the evenings, there's violin lessons, which will replace piano lessons for Kelsie, there's soccer for Hallie, which involves a practice night and a game night, there's Activity days for Lexie and Kelsie and then there's cross country, play practice, young womens, and a very part time job for Baylie. On top of all of this I need to fit in math and LA for everyone, reading time, practice time, dinner as a family and a reasonable bedtime. I limit my kids to 1 activity at a time but with 5 kids it is still crazy! I feel like we barely have time to get through homework and practices and then it's time for bed. I would love for Lexie and Kelsie to also have a physical activity and Hallie to have a music or dance activity but there is no way we could fit it in. I waver between feeling good that we sit down together almost every night for dinner and feeling guilty that I don't let my kids take advantage of all the activities that are available. I know that I would have a hard time being a good mom if I were constantly running around every night, I know that it is important to choose between good things, and I know it is important for my kids to spend time in our home and with each other. So why do I feel like a bad mom whenever I hear about so and so who is a classical pianist, accomplished dancer and straight A student? (this is merely an example and is not meant to implicate a real person) I know people who seem to pull these things off and it doesn't appear to exact a toll on their family, why can't I do it?

And there you have it, the ugly truth of the matter. Unfortunately, I guess it all boils down to the usual "what's the matter with me". Not that that is a usual refrain for me. I try really hard to accept myself and not compare myself to others. I guess I am just sensitive about having my parenting abilities judged based on the skills of my child. We all want what is best for our kids, I just wish it were more obvious what the best things for each child were. So, for now I guess I just need to trust that I am doing the best that I can and try not to second guess myself too much. In the meantime, if anyone see's any glaring insufficiencies in my children, break it to me gently.