Abby
Momma, Crafter, Chocoholic
A Feathered Nest
What is your "Go-To Meal" when you have forgotten to plan dinner?
haha! Good one! Um, that's pretty much EVERY DAY here at my house. Dinner time is the worst for me - it's more of a matter of "what can I feed my family with as little exertion as possible??" I always have supplies on hand for certain things and one of those things are my 'gourmet grilled sandwiches'. Sounds fancy, but in my fridge there's always deli meat, good cheese, store-bought pesto spread, good bread, and sandwich fixin's. Always. So here's what you do:
*Butter two pieces of bread on one side (French bread works best); grill on your flat iron skillet or whatever skillet you have until it's golden but not hard and will turn your mouth to meatloaf.
*Let the bread cool a little; open up to un-grilled sides, spread a little mayo and pesto on both pieces; layer your sandwich fixin's - meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, thin cucumber, avocado slices, whatever you like.
*You'll feel like you're in a fancy sandwich shop with this little number! The secret to making it look like you've slaved all night is to arrange it really cute on a plate with a side of sliced fruit or something. Your family will have NO idea how really lazy you are!!! (just kidding...but seriously...)
Where have you always wanted to travel to?
Oh, hands-down, EUROPE. I want to see everything over there, particularly the Sweedish villages, Italian countrysides, small French villages, World War II landmarks, the art museums, the ancient streets, the Mediterranean coastal areas of France & Italy, etc. I could go on and on. Um...so pretty much EVERYTHING across the Atlantic.
What is your number one time saving tip?
Keep stuff on hand all of the time. Random things that you cook with like the pesto spread I mentioned above, good bread, cream cheese, tortillas, frozen chicken, chocolate chips, etc. It's amazing how much time you can save by just having random supplies. Example: yesterday morning I had enough sense to know how tired I would be (I'm 100 months pregnant) and I had the sense to put some frozen chicken in the crock pot with a pack of Italian dressing, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a block of cream cheese (all blended together first). Dinner was done by the time everybody was ready to eat and all I had to do was cook up some rice and throw together a quick salad. I saved myself SO much time and effort and patted myself on the back really good for it!
What do you to to treat yourself?
I keep a stash of Dove milk chocolate with caramel in my cupboard! I also don't over-commit myself, which is a treat, because I'm not stressed out all of the time. I'm grateful that I have learned that I can't do everything, I shouldn't TRY to do everything, and that if something is going to interfere with my family then I'll back out. This keeps me sane and I don't feel worn out so much.
Also, I make sure I have time for my hobbies. Some people tell me that they don't know how I have time for all of it, but my answer is that if you don't MAKE the time for it, you'll never do it. For me to be happy, I have to create and have hobbies, so it's not a question for me on whether I'll do them or not - I make the time and it keeps me happy!
What piece of advice would you give to a fellow mother?
haha! I don't know if any good mother should ever listen to me!!! I would have to say, though, that my advice would be to keep things SIMPLE - you don't have to be the PTO president or Bunko Queen; and keep a JOURNAL! Enjoy life and the little things - and WRITE THEM DOWN. This is one thing I've practiced since I've been married and I can't tell you how joyful it is to read about having my first baby, moving across the country, etc. I haven't been very diligent lately, but once a month or so, I'll write about the kids, what they're doing, qualities that I love about them, what we're doing as a family, etc. What a treasure for them to have when I'm an old lady and they're changing MY diapers! You don't have to have an elaborate scrapbook, just hop on the computer, create a "journal" file, and type away. Add to it every chance you can get. It really helps you as a mother keep things in perspective and evaluate how you're doing.
Do you clean your own house?
OY...yes. My husband offered once to get some outside help but I was so offended that he's never brought it up again!!! I do wish I had someone to come do my floors and bathrooms once a week, but that will have to wait until we can afford that luxury!
What was your first job?
OH, this is a good question - my first job was FASCINATING! My aunt and uncle ran a funeral parlor in our small town and I worked for them! I took care of office work and helped with viewings and funerals. Being around the deceased doesn't faze me - I'm perfectly comfortable vacuuming the funeral chapel with a dead body lying in a coffin! My friends could never understand that!
What one item in your kitchen could not live without?
My Cutco knives. They ROCK. You've GOT to have good knives in the kitchen or else cooking can be rough! (and my Dove chocolates - can't live without them, either.)
If you only had one day left to craft, what would you make?
WHAT?! Oh goodness - I have no idea!!! I'm a sucker for baby stuff right now like cute blankets and dresses, but I'm in LOVE with photography so I'd probably go out and take pictures all day if it were the last thing I could ever 'create', so to speak. Taking pictures and turning them into art is the most soothing, gratifying thing to me right now.
