Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Best Mom Tip #108: Make pork chops for the whole family

I don't usually list recipes, largely because I am a dismal cook. But I make some decent pork chops so I thought I'd share. This is really easy and can be made with just about anything you have.

Ingredients:
2T butter
4-5 boneless pork chops
1/2 sweet onion (like Vidalia)
2 cups chopped fruit (pears, peaches, apples, blueberries, grapes or a combo)
1 cup fruit juice (or wine if you're not feeding small children)
salt and pepper

Use a pretty big pan and melt the butter on high heat. While it is melting, chop the onion and throw it in the pan. While the onion caramelizes (gets sweet and yummy) chop up the fruit and put it in the pan. Salt and pepper one side of the chops and put them seasoned-side down in the pan. Just move the onions and fruit over to one side to make room. Salt and pepper the naked side of the chops and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook another 5 minutes. Add your juice and bring the heat down to medium-high. Let it finish cooking for about 10 more minutes or however long it takes you to set the table. The juice will cook down into a kind of sauce with the onions and fruit. My favorite combination is pears with white grape juice, but I've used just about anything I found in the fridge. It is easy, takes one pan, and gives you 5-10 minute increments to make side dishes. And it's completely done within 25 minutes.

If I can make this taste good there is no way on earth you can't. We had this last night for dinner and I'm still happy about the leftovers.


(check the diet page for another entry)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Best Mom Tip #107: Do some yard work

Our yard has sucked out loud for the last decade or so. We've only owned the house for 3 years, but it had to have sucked before we moved in. So over the last few weeks we have had trees removed, the yard re-graded, and sod laid. This weekend was for spreading mulch, watering the new sod, and cutting back some offensive branches.

My kids absolutely loved it. My son went through three pairs of pants and at one point ate dirt. The baby kicked in his seat and watched the leaves move. My daughter daintily shoveled wood chips while wearing her yard work accessories.

The sun was out, it was about 75 degrees, and the yard looks really nice. I love October in Atlanta. And I loved watching my little ones get really messy, feel useful, and wear themselves out all at the same time. Maybe we'll start on the side yards next weekend...

(p.s. there's an update on the diet page)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Best Mom Tip #106: Get back into your skinny jeans

So I gained 55 pounds with my latest pregnancy. That is more than my children weighed at birth combined. And multiplied by two. Anyway, I can't fix that now, but I do plan on losing each and every one of those unfortunate pounds.

I always like hearing about other people's lives so I thought I'd add another page to my blog that is dedicated to my progress. It is certainly not a how-to page because I don't think any diet in the world involves eating Little Debbie snack cakes and I am not willing to give them up.

You'll notice a tab now with Home and Best Mom's Diet on it. If you care to see how my diet is going just click on the diet one.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Best Mom Tip #105: Realize you are probably NOT the worst mom today

Today I used my meanest voice when talking to my 5-year-old while she was in the middle of a fit about an irrational problem. This event lasted for about 45 minutes, during which time I even attempted to lay guilt on her by telling her that she was being a terrible example to her brothers. I was also sarcastic. Now, when there are no longer 3 small people vying for my attention, I am really embarrassed about my behavior.

My 2-year-old is currently sleeping with his Cars sippy cup because he woke up about an hour after he went to bed and asked for milk. Then he refused to let go of the cup and kept hugging it to him like a snuggly. Nothing like the comfort of a cold plastic container to make mom feel like she's done her job.

I am weaning my not-quite-4-month-old because there are some medicines that I want to resume taking that I cannot use while nursing. I feel all sorts of guilt about that and the fact that he now has smelly diapers and spits up makes me feel worse.

I feel mostly like today saw me short on patience, long on frustration, and without much of a sense of the kind of calm, loving mom I want to be. I can only hope that somewhere out there someone else did a worse job of mothering and that my kids will wind up competing with that woman's weirdos for jobs one day.