Living My Life Like It's Golden: 2009

Oh did I mention that I am a flake...ok, well yah I am.

I did say that I would write daily... well that has not gone so well has it. I am just a lazy writer and a flake. Not to mention, my life just is not that interesting. Rae has been sick this semester so much so that she has missed about 6 days of school. This worries me because she is taking a pretty heavy load. 5 core and two electives plus track and Basketball. I am not sure how she does it but she always manages to impress me.

My eldest is away at college. I am so proud of her. She seems to be growing into a lady that I respect and want to be friends with. I know that is not going to happen anytime soon because we still slip into the old mother (I tell you my opinion) daughter (she takes it as criticism and then pouts) roles. But I am sure that that too shall pass. I am waiting for her to fall in love. She has not had a boyfriend that she has spoken of yet. And seems super protective. I keep telling her she has to kiss a few frogs. But she says she is just waiting for the prince to show up. I don't always believe that she is telling me the honest truth.. but Rae slips sometimes and I glean that maybe she is up to more than she says.

I am still off of the TV. in fact it does not call to me anymore. Oh man I have to tell you something very funny. The other day (about a month ago(ok so I have not written in awhile) ) I was flipping through the free channels ie all of the infomercials, I still get the sales channels i.e. QVC and the stupid Jewelry channel, do people really by Semi precious jewelry from the TV? bizarre??? ok so anyway, I was flipping as I said and low and behold I get Bravo and Style channels. My husband thinks I have something going with the cable guy because I get to watch some of my shows (I love top Chef .) While he is still without football. God is good, isn't he. :) hee hee hee hee.

Ok enough for now it is 1 am and I have to get up in the morning.

peace out.

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Still here, still no tv.

Well it is hard to break old habits.. and I am certainly proof of that! I have become sidetracked as I said in the beginning that I so often am. I have not made all of my food.. but I have made a good majority of it. But I do have the occasional In and Out Burger (I can't resist they are too good) And I have eaten a few things that are in boxes or packages, for example I just ate the canned biscuits that my husband bought this weekend when I was at Brunch with friends, So I made them this morning, And when I told him I made biscuits for him you know what he had the nerve to say "I don't eat that stuff" Really! Then why did you buy the damn things in the first place! Whatever,, I ate them ..........ALL ... they are soo yummie and horrible for you.

I am working on a few sewing projects one being a wool coat for my daughter. She is soooo particular about things so I have to work extra carefully. The seam ripper is getting much use this time round. If I remember I will post a picture when I am done.

We are still not watching TV... Really the only person that is suffering is My hubbie. He is missing all the Football games. but when I ask if he wants it back he says no... We are really seeing the results with our 14 year old.. she is far more focused on her education and is finding other ways to occupy her time. So the experiment continues.

I had left my personal trainer for about 2 months. I am now back. I really need the push to get into the gym. I hate getting there, but once I am there I love how I feel.. why can't I remember this when I am at home? I am hoping that after a year with her my body will need excersize and I will just go automatically..(who am I kidding?)

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District 9 and The Time travelers wife.

Friday, was such a lazy day and not a great day to discuss my business because I really did not accomplish much on that front. It did not help that I had awful cramps and just generally felt like a lump of dough. Not much happened with my goals. Other than I still have not watched TV and eaten anything from a can box jar or junk.

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Paper Heart

Thought I would just write about the movie I saw today called Paper Heart. I had to take Rae because she was going stir crazy without the tv. So she called a friend and I called a friend and we headed to Hollywood.... It happened to be the only theater that it was playing at. Only took an hour to get there which is pretty good coming from my neck of the woods. The movie was so sweet and unexpected. About a girl who vows to never fall in love and makes a documentary about love. In the process she meets a boy and she eventually fall in love. They were both so shy and geeky (80's term) It was really cute.

Otherwise no real drama at home. we ate left over Mousakka and both Rae and I agree that it is not worth the effort. I have to say I am pretty proud of myself still no tv and I resisted the urge to eat out even though we were in LA and could have found some pretty decent spots to go.

Ohhhh I almost forgot, I also made crepes from some leftover crepe batter I had from Tuesday. And made some chocolate sauce to go on top.. yum! I failed to mention earlier that I am trying pretty hard (well not too hard) to loose weight. I have been with a personal trainer for about 6 months and so far I have dropped inches but no weight. Today on the way home my BFF who is a fat free fanatic.. you know the type, always orders the dressing on the side, takes forever to order because she has to know how much fat is in EVERYTHING, rarely eats deserts and eats little to no red meat. oh and exercises like a freak. Anyway she decided to slip in that I should see a nutritionist because I was not loosing any weight. (thanks a lot) She suggested I might have a thyroid problem. The car got kinda silent after that.... But really I do not need to see a nutritionist. And though it would be nice to have something to blame my fat ass on, I just need to eat less. But I like food too much. and not spinach. unless of course it is sauteed with mushrooms and garlic in butter. (see my problem)

Still no tv. But I did manage to watch Tyler Perry's "The Family That Prays" what a cute movie. that will be on my love it list.

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Day 2... What the F>>>>

Ok, so yesterday I dropped the No TV bomb on the family. My youngest daughter was hyperventilating after I told her and by the end of the night she needed resuscitation. She aroused herself momentarily to tell me what a horrible mother I was and that this was only another one of my schemes. What can I say, she is 14 and has been on tv overload for too long. So she has every right to be upset.

My husband is another matter. He was not upset at all. He just informed me that he would go somewhere and watch the games when they came on. Cool with me.

I have a feeling this is going to be hardest on me. Is there a group like TV watchers anonymous or a schick institute or something I could join to stop the TV habit. I don't know what will happen when project runway comes on or heroes or Top Chef. Fortunately, I only stopped the Dish service I did not send the boxes back. We'll see how this works out.. but I am determined to quit.

Now for dinner. OMG. Did this damn dish require every F__N dish I own. You should see my kitchen what a mess. I had to start by making a red sauce which is a preparation in itself and requires 2 hours to simmer.. I should have known that this was going to be bad when I read that first instruction and I should have stopped there and made tacos or some crap like that. (Note to self.. if cooking from that damn cookbook by JC do not wait until 5pm to start dinner.) After the chopping and frying and baking of eggplants and then again with the onions, mushrooms and lamb.. and after I got almost to the end I see an ingredient called brown sauce and the instructions say that you will find the brown sauce on page 65 so I go look at the recipie for the brown sauce.. it requires several ingredients I do not own plus another two hours of cooking...but this time it is 8 pm. Fu__ the Brown sauce... I will use the red sauce instead..who the fu__ is going to know the difference anyway. I am sorry about all of the F bombs.. but just thinking about this this morning is making me angry and frustrated all over again. Anyway we did not eat until 9pm. The Mousakka was ok.. not worth 4 hours! but ok. I must have done something wrong though because it was supposed to come out in the shape of the mold (I used one of my Nana's) but instead when I flipped it our it came out in a puddle.

At any rate, I told the family they were having leftover the next night for dinner.. And I told myself, from now on I'd plan better. Tomorrow I will write about my other goall....THE BUSINESS IDEA!

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The Begining

Hi,

This is so awkward, writing to yourself, or to the vast unknown. I have had this blog site for over a year and this is the first entry. I know, I move pretty fast! Yesterday, I went to see Julie and Julia. I have been a fan of Julia Child since I found my late Grandmothers cookbook in my mothers house and swiped it. I now have two copies, my Nana's original which is tattered and well used. And a newer (still old though) copy I found at the Goodwill. I also found the second volume and now I own that. At any length, I thought this would be a great time to start something for myself..

That girl Julie is my twin I swear, except I am about 6 feet tall , African American, I have two kids, I am just over 40 and I live in California. But other than that you'd swear we were born in the same house. (smile) For example, I too am swimming in a somewhat less than I am capable of existence. I have a wonderful husband who, indulges me to the point of creating a spoiled wife (so I am told, by my mother, sister, girlfriends and anyone else who believes they have a right to have an opinion) I have started and ended so many "projects" that I am now an almost expert at just about anything you can name. I don't seem able to finish any of them.. but I have very lofty ambitions (for awhile at least). And I love to cook (and eat).

Now on to the point of this blog.... No I am not going to go thru the entire JC book the art of French cooking. But I am thinking that this is a way to keep myself honest about the things I want to accomplish in my life. My fear is that this will go the way of the rest of the "projects" I have started... forgotten before I get to day 30. But I promise myself to do my best to blog daily.

My goals: 1. To prepare all(let me say this again for may own edification) and I mean ALL of our food. No more packaged anything. except of course the staples. ie. butter, flour, canned tomatoes etc.

2. No more TV. I watch way too much TV. Possibly 4 hours a night. And this really is taking a way from our quality of life. So today, I called the cable company and had the cable shut off. Yep I said it no more Cable.. Here is the scary thing, I kind of did this without telling my hubbie or the girls (well one is away at college so she won't mind). So tonight over Mousakka I will break the news. Maybe I will make some fab dessert to help ease the pain.

3. I start my business. Ok this is the scary thing. I have been a closet entrpreneur since I was in college. But now it is time to come out of the closet.. I have a great idea.. and I think my family.. especially the very supportive hubbie is tired of hearing me talk without taking any action. I will elaborate more in later posts.

For now I need to get to my mousakka. so that dinner is on the table before anyone tries to turn on the tv... Wish me luck!

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