cinnamon rolls in a waffle iron! who knew!!

So, I've been seriously sick for the last few days...no voice, no appetite, chills, fever, coughing and all the fun that goes away with it.  I've been self-medicating with Zicam, OJ and over the counter meds.  My head has not been all that clear and I am still not well...on the upswing maybe...but still far from 100%.

With all that going on, do you know what my first coherent thought was this morning?  I bet I can make cinnamon rolls in my waffle iron.  Really.  My first thought of the day.  I have no idea where it came from...maybe it was birthed from a pinterest pin about making cookies in a waffle iron but in my nyquil induced cloud, THIS is what my brain does to me.

So during a "good" moment today, I managed to drag myself to the grocery store and get the shopping done and I was sure to throw some good ol' pillsbury cinnamon rolls in my cart.

 I got home and spent some time on the couch to recover. 
And then I went for it.

I would spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and arrange your rolls close to the center. 
You DO NOT want them squishing out of the edge.

You need to hold your waffle iron down if it doesn't have a latch...I only had to wait the same amount of time that I do when I use the iron to make waffles.  Really.  I was shocked that it worked so quickly. 

 Just a couple minutes later...and we had cinnamon roll waffles! 
They were wonderful...and had nicely textured edges...I think I like them better this way!

They were a hit and GONE within moments.  This will be a new thing for us!

Did you know this was possible?  Try it, you'll like it. :)

gandanke-a well timed review

I love journals.  More than they love me really.  This blog here is my longest running journal to date.  Something about it just begs me to pour it all out...maybe it's the audience or the documenting the good in my life to one day share with my boys.  Whatever it is, I've learned that the substance the that journal is MADE from has a huge impact on how long I will invest my time into it.  When Katie asked if I would review one of her handmade journals, I jumped at the chance, given my choice of journal I chose the one pictured above, only in yellow.  It seemed to gel well with what was going on in my life.

The best part is that all the pages are different and inviting.  Each page had different prompts to inspire your writing along with different papers and textures all throughout.  It's an easy journal to pour yourself into.  I am finding it to make a good memento for this stage of my life.  It's smaller and easily fits into my bag to take along anywhere.  I really love it. 

Making it even more endearing, they are handmade with what is obviously, loving attention to detail.  Each page calls to you to use it for its special purpose and record keeping.  It's been fun and a joy to use one, much better than anything you will find in a store.  So many places to jot a note or tuck a treasure into...you will LOVE one. :) 

And sweet Katie is offering a little discount to my readers. Go visit Gandanke and enter code "FUNKY10" to get a discount on your very own Gandanke journal!

You can also check out the Gandanke facebook page to stay in the loop for facebook only sales!

ask the internets.

You know one of my favorite things about having this blog?  It's the ability to get the perspective of 1,000's of different people in one swoop! 

You are a vast resource of information and I am calling on you once again.  Will you help?

So, Doug is seriously considering going back to school to get his Masters degree in business.  We've only gotten as far as filling out the fafsa and began looking at places where he could get an ONLINE degree.  Online is key. 

So my question, OUR question is this, what do you think of a place like University of Phoenix versus someplace more traditional like Penn State or Liberty University?  U of P is accredited.  It's flexible and seems very conducive to our lives, which is important. 

He is not aiming to work as a professor or really even in the educational field but more likely industry.

Do you have a degree from Phoenix?  What is your experience?  There seems to be a great divide between those who have gone there and loved it and those who completely discount it. 

I would love to hear your input!  Thanks in advance and please be nice! :)

on being an eternal optimist.

In all honesty, it's been years since I could say with confidence that I am an optimist.

For years and years I have been unpacking all the hurt, pain and disappointments from the first 20 or years of my life.  There is a point in life that one gets to where you have to make a choice.  Either you get up swinging, determined to push through, or you lay down in the dust and let weeds take you over.

I strongly believe that where there is a will, there is a way and nothing can stop a determined woman.  This I KNOW to be true.  

I can remember a distinct moment in my life, where the darkness was so dark, years ago now.  That my only choice was to jump full forward into nothing.  Not delicately inch, testing the strength of the ground below me, but to immediately run full force and do a long jump into darkness, where I wasn't even certain there was ground to catch me.  My only other option was to sink into the depths of the mud and muck that I knew wouldn't kill me physically, but would squelch everything about me.  The kind of muck that leaves you empty, a true skeleton in your own skin, where every light and opportunity has long been snuffed out. 

For years after the leap, solid darkness surrounded me and over time tiny flickers of light would pop up.  Over time, with work, God and prayers the light took over and became the majority but teetered a while on the half empty half full.  Scripture to me became like a chain I used to pull myself through.  One step forward and two steps back was the norm.  I longed for hope and joy.  I longed for the optimism that I once felt despite the circumstances I was in.  Optimism can exist in the dreariest of places, it's what keeps you holding on and holding out for the good.  It died that day of the jump or at least was severely stunned for years, but I knew that life with it, with no action behind it would be the worst kind of fate. 

As I have worked, and the light has taken full hold once again a phenomena has occurred...optimism has sprung anew in my life.  Like a droopy plant that just needs a good drink, so has optimism finally been quenched in my soul to the point it can spread.  

A speck of a dream flourishes in me with every avenue explored in depth, with wonder at every turn and joy in every crevice.

I've learned that optimism isn't as involuntary as I once thought it to be...it's not something you either are or aren't, it's a choice of perspective.   Even if it's not in your nature, you can nurture it into existence. 

What do you think?  What do you consider yourself and why?

*gasp*

My name is Crystal and I am about to make a confession that will rock 95% of the mommy blog worlds out there.  At least that is what I calculate from the number of related posts written on the matter.  I am fairly used to being the odd girl out but it's never without it's own backlash or pity for my children.

The confession?  Sometimes, my kids will come to me, all fresh faced and doe eyed and ask "Mom, will you play with me?"...and in return, I sometimes say "No honey, right now mommy has work to do". 

*gasp*.

I know, I know, right?  How dare I?  It goes against what oh so many bloggers are pining right now.  There is always an ebb and flow of posts that follow the theme of "put off all other responsibilities and play with your kids right now and always or else you are a terrible mother".  And before I get too far, if you are reading this, more likely than not, I am not talking about a post you have written so please take no offense.

I've just had my reader saturated with post after post that goes something like this...
...my kids will be grown before I know it so I must take every opportunity to play with them and put everything else off...no household duties, no laundry, no job, no responsibility is as important as playing with my child at every moment his whim suggests it.  If nothing gets done day after day but legos and coloring books then that is what is best.     

I completely disagree.  And will even go as far as saying that a children need to be told no from time to time.  They need you to say "Go play.".  They need to see adults in their life taking care of their responsibilities and putting fun after work. 

Am I saying that you shouldn't play with your kids?  No way, we DO play every day.  We frequent playgrounds and family dates to do fun things as often as the weather and time allows. There is a time and a place for all things.  I personally think that putting off all that needs to be done in life and spending it playing sends a bad message to our children.

There's a saying in our house that goes "Do what you have to, so you can do what you want to".  And we teach that to our children.  Would I love a life with no responsibilities where playing whatever came to mind could be pursued?  Well, I'm sure I could get used to it.  But the reality is, my "job" is to run this house, to make dinner and laundry and get people where they need to go.  And then there is my business.  If I spent day after day playing and not taking care of what needed to be done, I'm sure my husband would have something to say about that. 

I think this idea of stopping what you are doing every time you child wants to play sets them up for a life of entitlement and expectations on others to entertain them in every moment.  Never saying no and setting the example that responsibilities can be put off until whenever doesn't do much to teach them how to be dependable people, no matter their age.  We've been this way with our kids since day one.      
Do I think that I am setting them up to feel unloved or unwanted or unimportant? No, I think quite the opposite.  I am showing them that there are different times in our day for different things, sometimes we play more and sometimes we work more.  That is life.     

More often than not, it seems like a nice excuse for why things don't get done.  I've actually had people say, to my face no less, "Well, it's great that you get so many things done in a day, but I like to play with my kids'.  Real nice.

There seems to be a concurrent theme that moves along with these kinds of posts and it goes something like "I'm a much better mom than that mom who has a cleaner house and caught up laundry because I spent the day playing and being fun instead". 

To that I say: Mary and Proverbs 31. 

Mary, mother of Jesus, was a mom with all the normal mom and wife responsibilities.  Do you think she played all day with the Savior of the world?  I seriously doubt that she put off all household duties, that would have been much more numerous than those of our day, until Jesus was out of the house or do you think she said sometimes "Not now Jesus, I have to make dinner".  Good enough for Jesus = good enough for my kids.   

And where in Proverbs 31, Gods amazing example of a Godly woman for us, does it say "And she played until the cows came home and milked themselves because she was too busy doing puzzles and painting with her kids." 

I think a balanced flow to the day is what is required...you can't be all work and no play or all play and no work.  Sometimes you HAVE to say no.  Sometimes you can say yes.  At the end of the day, you will be responsible for the children you have raised and how they interact with the world around them.  As will I.
 
My name is Crystal and sometimes I say no to my children.

I'm sure I've missed a point or two I meant to make so if I need to I'll post a follow up.    

Sunday dinner--DElicious Roast beef Sandwiches!

I made these for dinner a few nights ago and did not expect them to turn out at ALL as amazing as they were...hence the not so great photos.  I was literally half-way through my dinner when I stopped and told Doug "I have to take a photo of these...they are SO good"...to which he said "Yup, write this down, we need to make these again".  SO GOOD!  And easy!

Now, I've said before, that I use Emeals.  This recipe is based on a recipe from them, with my own twist.  Emeals is super, if you don't use it you should try it.  I generally take what they make, make it healthier if I can, and add my own touch to it.  It saves me TONS of time and aggravation when it comes to meal planning and their shopping lists are the BEST.  If there are meals we don't like in a week, I skip them and make breakfast for dinner or something else easy.  Using Emeals also saves us a ton of money on groceries...combined with my new hobby (couponing) we save A LOT of money.  Try it with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to add and change the recipes a bit! 

Ok non-solicited commercial over...

Make these Amazing roast beef sandwiches like this (Serves 2-3 Adults):

You need:
2-3 english muffins (I used whole wheat)
1/2lb of thinly sliced roast beef (I bought mine from the deli)

Sacuce:
4oz cream cheese
1tbl butter
garlic salt to taste (or sub in 1ts horseradish).
very thinly sliced onion
provolone or mozzarella cheese

Open up your english muffins and lay them face up on a baking sheet.

In a sauce pan melt together cream cheese, butter, salt and cook with onion on low until onion is tender.  When the onion is almost done put your roast beef in the microwave just long enough to get it hot, I think I did mine for about 45 seconds.  Divide and pile the roast beef onto the english muffins.  Pour some of the cream cheese mixture onto each sandwich, top with cheese and toast in the oven or toaster oven until cheese is melty and starts to brown.

May not sound amazing but totally is. 
These will be in our family recipe box for years to come! Let me know if you try them! :)

And in reference to my post calling out all lurkers...THANK YOU!  It's been so good to hear from some of you!  And I want you to know something...YOUR comments DO matter, each and every comment makes me happy!  A full inbox is a happy inbox!  You DO have something to add and I very much like to hear from you all! :) 

Now...who else will come out of the shadows to say hello! :)

xo