Crock Pot Thursday: Chinese Pork Shoulder

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Crock Pot Chinese Pork Shoulder

I really enjoyed this Chinese Pork Shoulder, and not only because I’m steering clear of carbs right now. The flavor of the meat and the sauce was great, and it went well served over noodles (or broccoli for me). I think it would be delicious with stir-fried vegetables, or over rice, and my husband and kids enjoyed it a few nights later in buns with barbeque sauce. Because who doesn’t like Chinese for a few nights and then barbecued pork sandwiches?  Nobody, that’s who. This recipe, originally from Food Network calls for Chinese five spice powder, and I almost rewrote … Continue reading →

10 Tips For Maximizing Grandparent Time

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10 Tips for Maximizing the Candy Train of a Grandparents Visit

  My in-laws are in town. When people hear this, I am immediately asked, “Is that a good thing?” It is. You already know how much I love my mother-in-law, and I’m not just saying that because she’ll read this. Both she and my father-in-law enjoy spending time with the kids, are happy to help tackle the house projects we’ve ignored for years, and are always up for fun adventures when they’re here. If I love when my in-laws are visiting, my kids are ecstatic. Life looks different in the glow of Grandma and Grandpa, and it’s not just the … Continue reading →

Easy Deviled Eggs (Or Egg Boats Around Here)

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Egg Boats1

 Deviled eggs are a fan favorite at our house. When my oldest child was two, I was making a gigantic batch of them for my husband’s work picnic, and between shoving finished eggs in his face, he coined the term “egg boats.” I obviously thought it was the cutest thing ever uttered in the history of the world, and from that moment on, deviled eggs became egg boats. I’m lobbying pretty hard for the name to be changed officially. Egg boats are delicious, and they are quite simple to make. Honestly, I’m not sure why we only bust them out … Continue reading →

Dog Park or Kid Park?

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Dog park or kid park?

Recently, a friend asked me if I ever took our eight-year-old dog, Edgar, to the dog park. “I used to,” I told her. “The dog park isn’t a great place for little kids, so we don’t really go anymore.” This statement is true; dog parks are full of exuberant pooches, and small children can be knocked over easily by wayward tails or dogs chasing balls. Not all dogs are comfortable with kids and their loud voices, abrupt movements, and they way they all smell faintly of cheese. I’d rather throw the ball to my black lab mix in the comfort … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

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Crock Pot Chicken Broccoli Alfredo from @FunnyIsFamily

Listen, sometimes you just want to dump some chicken in a pot and throw some sauce on top of it. That’s great, and those meals are usually ones the kids and grown-ups will both enjoy, but the problem is, those dishes are often not very visually appealing. Not this Crock Pot Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, though. It’s pretty and it’s really a perfect meal for those who don’t have time to “make” dinner in the morning. Between throwing together lunches, reminding kids to grab their library books, and feeding the dog, mornings can be wild. This meal can be prepared in … Continue reading →

The Cracks On My Face

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The Cracks On My Face

“I don’t like my skates,” my four-year-old mentioned quietly, as we sat on the bleachers outside of our local ice skating rink. It was our family’s first time ice skating together, my husband and my previous trips around a rink more than twenty years behind us. Since my children have some of my genetic material, they didn’t take to the sport right away, but my son’s bravery and tenacity kicked in, and he was faring better than his sister. He was falling more than she was, but that’s the price of letting go of the wall. We had already taken a … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Black Bean and Spinach Chicken

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Black Bean and Spinach Chicken from @FunnyIsFamily

Things I love: black beans, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, and cream cheese. And looky here! This Crock Pot Black Bean and Spinach Chicken has all of those things. It has other good stuff, too, and is pretty much a “dump everything into the Crock Pot and go” recipes, so it was kind of love at first sight when we discovered it at Crock-Pot Ladies. It was easy, it was tasty, and everyone ate it. I think it could have used more spice, maybe a little cumin or red pepper, or even Rotel instead of the diced tomatoes. Feel free to get … Continue reading →

Suburban Haiku: A Review and Giveaway

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Suburban Haiku: a Review and Giveaway!

My favorite kind of humor is the brand that effortlessly points out the silly absurdities of everyday life. I love it even more if those observations are poking fun at things that I personally do, even though I know they are a little bit nutty. Relatable comedy, done well, makes me giddy, makes me think, and makes me laugh until I’m doubled over, hyperventilating and freaking out the dog. Peyton Price, poet and author of the popular new release, Suburban Haiku: Poetic Dispatches from Behind the Picket Fence, is a master at this kind of writing. She crafts everyday observations into … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Thursday: Vegetable Curry

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Vegetable Curry from @funnyisfamily

Last week my husband was out of town, and it was my turn to choose our Crock Pot Thursday recipe. If you look at our recipe index, you’ll see that we are pretty heavy on the meat dishes, but that’s mostly because of the men in our families, and since mine was gone, I chose a vegetarian dish! My choice would have really irritated some of the fellas in our group, but their women saved the day by sneaking some leftover turkey into the dish, making the meal immediately respectable. If you also have meat loyalists in your family, this dish … Continue reading →

I Prayed for my Husband Before We Met

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I Prayed for my Husband Before We Met from @funnyisfamily

When I was a zitty, hormonal 14-year-old, I began praying for my future husband. Someone, either my mother or a church youth leader, gave me this idea, and I thought that was about the most romantic idea I’d ever heard. I tried unsuccessfully to imagine him, his face always becoming Luke Perry or Donnie Wahlberg, which even in my hopeful teenage mind seemed unlikely. Eventually, I was able to settle on the idea of him, and in a feat of strength, was able to resist throwing in a prayer that “Hey God, if someone has to marry these celebrity heartthrobs, … Continue reading →

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