Memorial Day

I admit it - I am a total sucker for American Family holidays. Fourth of July, Memorial Day - anything that promotes wearing and waving red, white, and blue, and salutes our armed forces. I crave cookouts - a little gift from my Dad and all the summers we spent grilling out in the garage, throwing block parties, listening to old music. I grew up on grilled food, and I love the smell of a grill in the summer. I want my children to associate that same smell with good times - it's a way for them to relate to the Grandpa they never got to know. Don't even get me started on baseball (Go Braves!)

I started thinking about this a couple of days ago and, as I wandered through my home I began to take note of the myriad little touches of Americana. I realized that, as crazy as I am about all things Irish, I am even more proud of my rural American roots. Yes, I frequently cringe over them, but deep inside there is a part of me that celebrates it too. Yes, my inner country girl dances to country music, gets goosebumps listening to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA", and cheers the Sweet Home Alabama portion of the Stone Mountain Laser Show. (Can't you hear my inner red-neck screaming yee-haw? Thank you Paulding County...) =P

Here are a few touches of Americana that I ran across wandering around my home:

I love anything with the American flag on it

Josh picked this one - that's my boy, channeling his Grandpa Bill!

I find myself inwardly yearning toward those "old-fashioned" accomplishments of cooking, canning, baking, and sewing. I want to learn all of the arts that went into home-making - although I still battle against cleaning and laundry! =)

I'm not sure why or how, but chickens are a big thing in my kitchen

Signs in my yard

Part of my "months of the year" throw that I adore

My American shelf in the entertainment center. 

The Eagle and the shells are from my Dad's casket and funeral salute.

The flag that draped my Dad's coffin. 

Living with small boys, we are surrounded by superheroes. Batman, Superman, Spiderman - you name it, we've seen it, own it, or make it up. I try to take every opportunity to teach my boys about real heroes  - police, firefighters, EMTs, National Guard, and soldiers of every branch of military. When we see someone in uniform, I remind my children that these are the true heroes worthy of respect and admiration. I explain that these are the people who lay their lives on the line to keep us safe, to help us when we are hurt, afraid, or lost. I love it when I see it sinking in - Ian never fails to point out a police officer or fire truck, and he frequently wants to go and say thank you, or at least wave as we pass. I want to make the effort to instill in my boys respect, admiration, and appreciation for the heroes of this world. 

Many people look at Memorial Day as an excuse to party, have a bar-be-que, head to the lake. I say why not? These are the freedoms that soldiers fought and died for, and even a family picnic is a celebration of the sacrifice, as long as we take the time to remember the reason for the holiday! I decided this year to concentrate more on planning and celebrating these holidays with my family in the future. My hope is that, through those efforts, my sons will not only grow up with wonderful memories, but learn to honor these times as adults, and continue the traditions with their own children. Isn't that what we fight for - the freedom to raise our children in peace, and to teach them the things we believe in the most?

Though I never lost a loved one to combat, I have lost beloved family members who were servicemen, and I honor them in my heart. I miss my Dad, more each summer, and I see him in the way Ian walks, in certain things he says, and in his eyes. I respect and adore my Uncle Mack, a Vietnam Veteran who to this day is dealing with the things that he experienced. 

I am proud of my country, my family, and our armed forces. I grieve for everyone who has lost a soldier, and respectfully and prayerfully offer thanks and blessings. Happy Memorial Day, y'all.

Indulging my inner wanna-be chef

I will state right off the bat that these pictures are not good, my camera had no batteries so I took them all on my cell phone. That said....


Sunday morning, my eager, over-achiever self set out to make "Sunday Supper" for the family. I started at 9am. Yes, peeps, that's right: 9 AM. On the menu: Roasted Corn on the Cob, Biscuits with Honey Butter, Homemade Mashed Potatoes, and the pièce de ré·sis·tance - Homemade Fried Chicken.

Let us begin with:

Potatoes in the collander

As I was only making a half batch, I opted for 7 potatoes, rather than the 5 lbs the recipe called for. Washed and peeled, we have this:

Then chopped, and into the water they go:

20 minutes later, after draining the water and adding gads of butter, some milk (I was out of half and half) and some cream cheese:

Hungry yet? =) I added some Lawry's salt, regular salt, and pepper, and spread them in a baking dish. Topped it off with more butter and Lawry's, and baked for 20 to 30 min, and voila:

Yes, that IS a puddle of butter you spy on top. Yummy.

Next up: the corn. 

I opted to roast them in foil packets, rubbed with butter, salt and pepper. I've used herb butter before, but my  guys are purists - lots of butter and salt and they are happy. I roasted them at 350 degrees for about 40 min - the recipe says 450 for 8 to 10, but I had more cooking to do, so I chose the slower option. Worked out great though.

Now, the hardest part. Fried Chicken sounds easy, and yummy. What it is, is messy. (Fun, but messy.)

I started with one cut up whole chicken, soaked in buttermilk overnight. I tried Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's recipe, and so far, like the others I've tried, it was a winner. Check out her cookbook for the exact recipe.

Breaded and ready for the fryer:

I've never used a candy/oil thermometer before, or fried anything to this extent. The hardest part was keeping the oil in the pan, and even close to the right temperature. It all worked out though, as you can see:

I finished baking the pieces in the oven, 350 degrees. It took about 15 min for the smaller pieces, but close to half an hour for the 2 breasts.

Then I whipped up some biscuits (from a can, sorry - at this point it was pushing 3+ hours of cooking) and some honey butter, and we finally got to eat. My hubby absolutely demolished his piece of chicken. I'd say that equals SUCCESS!

Now that I've tackled the biggest and most complicated dish I'd chosen, I'm ready to move on to other things. Steak with whiskey cream sauce, fried onion straws, cheese grits, and sangria anyone? Oh yeah, don't forget the olive bread!

Life is a Mother (or, busy, busy, busy...)

A couple of days ago, I had the chance to catch up with an old friend via phone. I hesitate to mention that it was via cell phone, while flying down I-75 trying desperately to get to work without being too late - but there you have it. We were attempting to coordinate our schedules and find a time to get together. Keep in mind, now, this friend only lives about 6 miles away - and yet, I have not seen her in over a year, and have only spoken to her a couple of times. When she jokingly said, "Ok, I think the schedule is clear in oh, 15 years or so..." it hit me: life as a mother translates into life is a mother.

With 2 small boys, a husband, and a job, my life is so busy I can't keep my head straight for more than 5 minutes. For example; in the next month I have soccer practices, soccer games, Awana awards, a children's musical, role playing, Cub scouts, church, work, a birthday party to plan AND execute (Ian, do you HAVE to turn 7? can't you stay 6 for a couple more years??), and a trip to Minnesota. Add into that mix her 2 kids, her husband, work, and all of our activities combined creates a calendar full of things to do, places to be, projects to handle....little time to rest, relax, kick back. (Luckily, we did manage to find one empty space to book a get together.)

I have been feeling ambitious (and guilty, I have hardly cooked for my family in months), so this weekend I am attempting homemade fried chicken, roasted corn, a new recipe for mashed potatoes, rolls, onion straws, and some form of dessert. Lord, save me - or my family, I'm not sure which. If I get ambitious enough, I might take pictures and/or post something on here about how it turns out. Maybe.

The downside to this schedule, and my lifestyle? Life comes along and kicks me in the shins every once in awhile. Take today - after the mad rush to get Ian's projects and snacks done last night I ended up sick to my stomach. Today, I lay on the sofa and slept most of the day - snuggles with Munchie were awesome, but other times I shoved food at him, thrust video games into his hands, and left the tv on a marathon of cartoons - I just couldn't move! Every inch of my body felt like it weighed a ton (hey, no snide comments here please!=)) I know exercise and caffeine were what I needed, but I couldn't get up long enough to get them. My Mom, in all her wisdom, informed me that I am exhausted. Well gee, isn't that wunderbar? Hopefully the day of mostly rest will handle that. Um, hello, universe? Take a memo: I don't have TIME to be TIRED!

This summer, in between Scouts, Choi Kwan Do, and work, I really want to make time for some fun things. I'd love to schedule a trip to Chattanooga with my boys, hit up Stone Mountain's laser show, and attend at least one baseball game. However, I absolutely must leave time for swimming, bike riding, cooking, and popsicles. Especially popsicles.

I am way behind on blogging, and boring to boot - but here comes summer, so there's hope yet!!

Changing My Mind....or at least, my Mindset

It seems like the country has jumped on the simplicity bandwagon. All of the commercials, the sitcoms, the cooking and self help shows shout the same messages. Save money! Live Better! Simplify! Grow your own food! Reduce, reuse, recycle! I love this way of thinking, and I agree with the idea. The problem is, underneath all of these grand ideals is the message "Buy our stuff to help you simplify! Spend more money to save it!" 

My best memories are the simplest ones. Popsicles, grilling out, running through the sprinkler, listening to music in the summer. Curling up with a bag of gummy bears and a book on my bed on the weekend, or when it was cold. Daydreaming out the window in the evening. Chatting on the phone with a good friend. Eating dinner every night with my family. These were the things worth doing, the things I look back on and appreciate.

Flowers from my Boys for Mother's Day

The busier life becomes, more hectic and fast paced, the less joy there is in small, simple things. I know, as an adult, that there are places to go, things to handle, schedules to keep. It's not possible to simply sit and enjoy, and let others handle everything. Still, I want to squeeze as much joy into my life as possible. It hit me, driving down the road, in the middle of a Mom-zilla episode (read: yelling at my kids for acting up) that I need to stop and breathe. Smell the roses. Drink in  the sunshine. Enjoy the little problems of child-rearing and running a household. If I spend all of my time looking forward to the day they sleep in, don't need help every five minutes, I fail to appreciate the time I have with them now. Today is the precious time. Right now is the "good old days" that I will someday look back on. There are no easy answers. Too many of us have the mindset "If I can just..." If I can just get through school...if I can just get through the summer...if I can just get the kids back into school....if only....." So much time is wasted looking forward to next week, next year, and all the while, precious todays are slipping by. 

Some of those precious moments 

I am realizing, as time passes, that there is no "quick fix" to the problems facing us. Our economy is in such serious straights that it will take years to recover. These tight times aren't temporary - they are a new way of life. This new trend of focusing on the family, making the most of the little moments, is where we should have been all along. As tempting as it is, I don't need to buy my kids the newest gadget, or every toy they just HAVE to have. They don't need my money - they need my love, support, security, and smiles. Laughter, hugs, playtime with bubbles, and safe, sweet rest are more valuable to them, and will teach them more about important things, than anything money can buy. 

The most important things in life

My daily reminders

So, I am changing my mindset. I will no longer look forward with an attitude of if just, if only, when...Instead, I will say to myself today, right now, tonight...and make the choice to change my mindset. Making the most of every day, no matter how simple or complicated, is the best choice I can make. I will still plan for the future, and think of the steps I can take toward improvement, but no longer will I think just get through today, this week, this year, and things will change.... The change is now. Inside, where it counts the most. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be a better wife, better mother, better friend, because of it.