Leftovers:::Lisa

Perhaps it is radical for many of us in this advanced day and age, but to the Williams Clan...it is normal.

To be honest we actually eat leftovers several times a week, and only once in awhile do the younger ones complain because, hey, peanut butter is better. Sorry, my darling little ones...we are skipping the p.b. for a bit. Rat poop, no thank you.
So tonight we had...leftovers. I have to say that all of us did not eat the same thing. Brandon, Taylor, and I had the leftover chili that my wonderful husband made. He made it Saturday evening as I was in bed with a sinus headache. Oh yes, I will admit that I thought my head was going to explode...not a pretty sight. All I have to say is that on Sunday when we woke up I was able to go to Mass. My head was no longer throbbing as it was the night before. Yes, the chili was spicy, I was sweating like a pig while I was eating it, but it was delicious. I will have to get the recipe from him, but right now he is asleep.

The rest of the children had left over chicken breasts and red rice...aka Spanish Rice.

Boring, perhaps, but it hit the spot!

So, I am posting to give leftovers a shout out! They are good, and hey you can change them up a bit if you would like something different. Like the left over chicken could have been made into chicken tacos, by cutting them up, adding some olive oil, and throwing them into tortillas! Look at it as recycling...it is being green!

Confessions and Reaffirmation:::Monique

This week was our 15th wedding anniversary.  We ended up going to Casper that day and since our huge tax return was on its way in just a couple of days we splurged.  Actually, I was too lazy to pack a lunch getting ready for my meeting but, hey, it was a good excuse!  So, there is the confession. Now, for the reaffirmation.  Nobody enjoyed our lunch out except for me!  We spent almost a week's worth of groceries for nothing.  DH was not happy with his and the kids barely picked at their meals.  Shaylan did eat her seafood chimichanga but it was an expensive little booger.  So, we have resolved ourselves to taking our lunches with us to Casper.  We also had money left over before DH got paid this week which is a miracle itself.  I think it is because we haven't eaten out at all this year until Wednesday.  We went about 42 days without going  out to eat!  Woo Hoo!  I bet we can refrain from eating out again until we go on vacation next month.  So how is everyone else doing?  

I Survived!:::Jenn

Picture the Splitting Headache Mama who has pushed through and been productive in spite of it all. This is the same character who knows she had dance class at 4PM which would make 5:30 dinner a challenge--the heroic soul who planned early in the day to pull out a frozen meal (chicken, broccoli, and pasta casserole) that would mean a balanced meal in one dish--one that would cook while she shuttled das kinders to artistic venues. Now picture the same Splitting Headache Mama rushing back into her lair of domesticity (kitchen) to ensure the five extra cooking minutes have not rendered the meal unfit for a family. Are you with me? Can you feel the energy? Now feel her complete confusion, transformed into utter dejection as the opening of her high tech culinary creator (stove) released no heat. Can you see the salvation dinner sitting there in it's cold, frozen defiance, laughing at the unsuccessful attempt to turn it into something usable. If you are still with me on this one, still feeling Splitting Headache Mama's pain (literal or figurative, either one will work), you will understand the amazing strength and perseverance she showed when she took her dejected creativity and went back to the drawing board. She forced herself to open the vault of creativity (refrigerator) and make another attempt. She fought off the Take-Out Monster who attempted to force her to the phone, and endured the "oh they don't really need dinner" doubts that Bad Mommy tried to send her way. Out of the vault came pieces of salvation (leftovers) to be nuked into acceptable (if eclectic) versions of sustenance for a questioning family. Hunger overcame the "we're having what with that?" doubters, and dinner was one again saved. (Enter dun ta da dunnnnn music.)

Sorry no pictures this time, some meals do not warrant being remembered forever!