Pregnancy, fish hooks and veggie chili

Sigh- yes, I sigh a lot!
This weekend was the epitome of hell for me
It started well and ended alright but the in-between was well far from a pleasant experience.
Let’s start with saturday…I went to work and it went well! Yay! Until 5 o clock rolled around…Corey starts texting me frantically call me asap, emergency…I call thinking someone fell or something- nope of course it’s more complicated than that (I carpool to work so I only drive halfway)- Brett has a fish hook imbedded in his foot! Fuck me- so I take Beckys car drive to her house grab the truck drive home leave the other two with the neighbors mom- go to the ER have them extract the hook and wait to see if there is a reaction from the tetanus shot…3 hours later we are home! I’m sure the trip will only be about a grand :sigh:…I think my weekend can’t get worse than this…than it does, I head to work Sunday get to work…and a patron of the store asks me…when I’m due! I’m not I just broke into the 130’s and I’m not pregnant I’m losing 😥 sigh so I get off work I go massage Amy…drive pick up the fam in Estes realize I forgot to give Amy her key back drive back to her house drop off the key get home finally…it’s over! Bed!!! Now it’s monday and I have found a fish hook hidden in my boys room and quit my job because I’m honestly next time it will be much worse
So this weekend I have spent a total of $91 in gas, been asked if I’m pregnant and spent 3 hours in the ER…the weeks not off to a much better start oy vey!

The other night we made a yummy veggie chili Our rendition of her recipe! and Rosemary chicken!

Chili
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney bean
1 package chili sauce mix
1 can roasted tomatoes
1/2 onion diced
1 carrot
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 tbs evoo

Cut/slice/dice veggies and sauté in evoo
Put every thing in a pot and simmer for 30 ish minutes
Eat!

Rosemary Chicken
6 chicken cutlets (or less)
Drizzle of evoo
Sprinkling of Rosemary

Preheat oven to 350
Drizzle evoo on to cutlets sprinkle Rosemary rub in and bake for 20 minutes (or until cooked through!)

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So, what does a 1099a mean?!

I finally grew some balls!
I started my taxes…and then I got to the 1099a and I googled, searched and maybe cried just a little.
Then I got the bright idea to call the IRS…I proceeded to sit on hold for like 2 hours and then the IRS lady walked me through it!! It was actually happy
It reports we foreclosed, we filled out a schedule D (not hard!) and I learned we owe…3,000 on our first mortgage so if we can get our second to drop it we are good and will pay back the 3k!!! And we don’t have to pay taxes 🙂
So all and all I totally didn’t need balls for that!

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It’s been a long weekend

In a good way! Well mostly…Corey and I got into a fight which sucked but ended well 😉
Actually that something I wanted to write about :eww: Corey and I had lost some of that flame, ya know what I’m talking about right? That feeling, butterflies, kissing and hugging and desire for eachother. We, by all means, have had a rough road and we jumped into all this with two feet. For those of you who don’t know Cj and I met when I was 18 and he was 22, it was a fling (I was engaged) and then feelings started I broke it off with the other guy and we decided at some point a baby would be fun – Jayden was born 2 weeks after I turned 19, we got married 6 weeks before I turned 20, Brett was born 3 weeks before I turned 21 and Emmy was born on my 23rd birthday. Whirlwind – yes, romance – not so much. We have made plenty of mistakes and fallen really well into our roles of mom and dad but neglected lovers. Okay well that’s all leading to…
We made out of hours last night! It was amazing and sensual and touching and feeling! Truly stunning, I’m still feeling butterflies! I wouldn’t call it romance but fun and intimate and giggly- everything out marriage has been missing for so long!! We needed it 🙂 and when we texted this morning it reminded me of how exciting it was the time we talked after our first night together (we made out til 5 am) and I was that excited albeit more rested since we hit the pillows around midnight this time around.
On a less sexy note we went to my mother in laws place yesterday and it was soo fun! It snowed and it was gorgeous (posting pics during nap time) and we got to go for a walk sans kids 🙂 we also made amazing and easy vegetarian lasagna
And of course I’m posting the recipe
Veg lasagna
No boil noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Spinach
Zucchini
Cottage cheese (or ricotta)
Mozzarella
Provolone

Light layer sauce
No bake noodle layer
Sauce
Cheese (all mixed up first)
Spinach
Zucchini
Repeat with sauce on top
Bake for 1:20 minutes at 375
Set on counter for 30 minutes
Enjoy!!!

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And such is life….

Ah once again I find myself apologies to y’all for my lack of posting…so I am sorry. I was working all weekend and Emmer is having some wicked strange symptoms so off to the doctor we go this afternoon….which I will ofcourse be updating everyone with the outcome this evening I hope it is my just being a nuerotic mama…she has a rare form of the flu 🙂 yay!
Well today I really want to go over our budget with everyone, where it is versus where I would like to see it at I feel like since this is a blog about going from foreclosure to frugal that we should discuss this at least a little bit 🙂 Let me start with I absolutely SUCK with a budget and as such I cut up my cards (debit) last night and trashed them! This is a huge step for me. We will be getting a prepaid debit and loading only enough for gas on it and then automatic payment from the online banking for all the bills and cash for the groceries, I am seriously hoping this will curb the spending. Because quite frankly I blow at the plastic money, I always have! Now give me a thousand dollars cash and I will have 700 at the end of the month LOL…
So here it is (and yes I know its bad)
Ideal Cash Flow Plan
4150 Monthly Income
Charitable Donations 400
Savings 280
Housing 1575
Utilities 400
Food 380
Transportation 600
Debts 400
Medical 115

Reality for this month
4150 Income
Charitable Donations 0
Savings 225
Rent 1575
Utilities 423
Food 700
Transportation 791
Debts 0
Medical 0
Misc 400
Total 4114 35 roll over to groceries for march
Thats PATHETIC!

its the exact same amount of money just distributed in a very ineffective manner 😦
Our goal for March is to pay insurance in full, pay bills (obviously) and rock the savings since we will be getting 500 off rent for three months…end/beg of each month I will be doing this to see how we do 🙂 and let you follow along! Please make your own budget and show me I would love to see what everyone else does 🙂

Now for a YUMMY thrifty treat!
Home Made Falafel
stolen from Epicurious
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755#ixzz1FJCwVYXg

The Finding Frugal Side of It and How Raw this Wound Really Is

So I was listening to pandora the other morning while getting ready, I heard this song Real and I was all that’s so touching until he sang a line Real is a little dream house with a big ole foreclosed sign…then I cried and I realized how real-ly raw this wound still is. I mean taxes are sucky and all but hearing that and thinking back to buying our house, wanting to grow old in it with my husband, bringing my babies home to that house (and having one in the loving room), watching my babies grow in it and seeing myself grow up in it…it was sad, hard and a relief to leave. But it’s still a raw wound

Now for the finding frugal side of things…I think I missed it 😦 I have spent soo much on groceries and I don’t know I almost feel like it’s not any cheaper to make it all myself! Healthier sure, but we will see on the first when we break it all down! It just is hard to see the whole picture from the bottom of the mountain (or is it a mole hill?)
On a lighter note anyone up for…

French Onion Soup!
Altered from allrecipes.com!
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
2 cans vegetarian broth
1 French baguette
8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
Directions
Melt butter or margarine in a 4 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine, and beef broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cut four 1 inch thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast the bread slices at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) just until browned, about 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining bread to serve with the soup.
Ladle soup into four 12 ounce, oven-safe bowls. Place 1 slice toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 732 | Total Fat: 29.4g | Cholesterol: 89mg

This is an extremely filling soup I served it with Paninis and blueberry muffins with Brie centers topped with apricot glaze…I only did 1/4 cup servings to save on calories, leaving the entire meal at 500 calories (not cheap 😉 but it did provide me with left over lunch for a week

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Marriage and (Grand)Babie

My sons have recently become obsessed with our wedding photos and how daddy was so ‘hamsum’ and how mommy ‘looks like a princess, what happened?’ :they are too young to be asking what happened! Hell I’m too young!!: Well, let me preface this with Jayden my kindergartner thinks ‘getting married’ is the same as sex (or how you get a baby, thanks grandma!). After studying our wedding pics Jayden approaches me with an expression of horror and disgust and asks ‘why did you and dad get married in Church!?’ My response without thinking was ‘because that is where you get married’. A little confused he leaves with an okay…only to return with the question ‘Is that where me and Edie are gonna get married? In a church?’ :Edie is iNgRiDs daughter from Jays previous kindie class: I responded with him I don’t know and texted Ingrid! He then asks if they can name their kids Simba and Mufasa, Edie decided on Limba and Gimba (a boy and a girl) or Bella and Simba (they settled on Bella and Simba). So to recap if you got lost Jayden is planning on getting married to Edie in a church :Jayden is planning on getting a baby in Edies tummy in a Church: Jayden thinks he and his brother and sister were made in a church Jayden and Edie are naming their kids Simba and Bella… I’m old and no longer look like a princess and am also apparently a complete Jezebel!! By the way iNgRiD I am soo excited for our playdate on the 17th, please for both our sakes talk to Edie about protection, bwahahaha or just how to punch my son! Speaking of playdates this is what we will be bringing next week! Pita Pizza Ingredient list Pitas 1 each yellow, red, green pepper slices 2 tablespoons diced asparagus 1/4 red onion sliced 1/4 winter squash diced 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons butter 1 packet alfredo sauce 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons evoo Toppings of choice Sauté all the veggies in balsamic vinegar and a touch of evoo And a wee bit of garlic Take 1/4 of this and put it into a blender or food processor (I used a blender) with the milk and butter, liquify Put the liquid concoction into a small sauce pan with the Alfredo sauce packet Heat and then cool Lightly spread evoo on your pitas to aide in the baking Spread your sauce on the pitas Add topping of choice I did the rest if the veggies, mozzarella and a touch of Brie but Gouda would be tdf also!Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and broil on high for 2 minutes We put ours in the toaster oven for 10 minutes on toast and they turned out perfect!Cut, serve and EAT

Randomness and Alfredo sauce

So, I worked Saturday with my awesome friend Becky and she mentioned this here blog and how she reads it! Yay! Someone actually reads it hahaha well she also mentioned how there is totally an undertone in my voice…no really! Cus ya know I only sorta write it, the rest of the time it’s my other personality Cruela Da Mommy 😉 and how I skip from one subject to another in a – oh that reminds me – way and how this is just like in real life…I feel like she was hinting at something, I just can’t figure it out yet! Hehe
Speaking of such randomness 😉 why the fuck did I buy a truck if I can’t drive in snow with the thing? Seriously, CJ didn’t have to be in work until noon so I went to run errands; there is snow on the ground from the few hours it snowed on Saturday. So, I go to the post office and seriously fish tailed like fifteen ways to Sunday. I’m stuck and this is more than obvious, so I back up and try again still sliding, and again, and again until I finally have enough cents to throw the truck in 4 wheel drive. You would think this 15 minute snow/stuck/fish tail thing would be in some huge snow drift right? No, it was in 4 inches of snow and I was in a dodge ram 1500…fahhhck…
Now for a drastic subject change…per request of another wonderful coworker and friend (we need drown our sorrows in booze girl!) Leeza asked for my recipe for Alfredo sauce! Well here all you Internet foodies have it!

Alfredo Sauce the EZ way (haha)
8 oz of fat free cream cheese
6 oz of fresh grated parm
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
*please note that this sauce is in no way healthy…even remotely*
I also added two cups cooked shrimp which kinda but not really makes it healthy 😉

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan (I used a large skillet) and cook on medium heat while whisking!
Make noodles of choice
Consume!
This makes sooo much sauce so don’t just dump it on your noodles ladle it gently!

-Samantha