musings of Mother Hood

The best green beans you'll ever eat

Almost ten years ago my friend Autumn invited me to a Taste of Home Cooking School event. I went for purely social reasons, of course, as I lived by myself and had neither the inclination nor the motivation to cook anything beyond microwave popcorn or Hamburger Helper.

I kept the cookbook from that night and - for reasons I can't remember - I took it home with me that year at Thanksgiving. Maybe I figured it could be my contribution to the family meal -- a new cookbook (and its recipe for green beans!) in exchange for staying as far away from actual cooking as possible.

Either way, it worked. The green beans were cooked and enjoyed. And everyone involved agreed they were something I was certainly able to handle on my own.  So while my cooking skills have improved dramatically since then, I still make these green beans every chance I get. 

After tweaking it slightly from the version you might find out there on the internet, I've now given the recipe to countless people over the years -- twice just this week! So I thought I'd post it today for all the folks out there still piecing together a Thanksgiving menu. YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE THESE.

Click here to download/print the recipe.

(I just made a batch of these YESTERDAY for a dinner at church, but didn't think to take any pictures for you. But really, they look a lot like the above picture I stole politely borrowed from Google images.)

Enjoy.

What I've done instead of blog this week

Maybe I'll squeeze out some blogging by the end of the week. We're on summer hours around here.

Distraction Attempt

We DID celebrate Mother's Day around here. And my whole family was in town. And I have MANY photos and stories of our weekend to share.

Tomorrow.

Tonight, I am going to bed.

But not before I post a little consolation prize for you.

"Buddy, stand beside it so people don't think we got this picture off the internet."

Clearly, I EARNED that "#1 Mom" mug I got for Mother's Day.

Get Out of Jail Free

Scene in doctor's office waiting room yesterday --

SARAH is mindlessly flipping through a magazine and minding her own business. The magazine happens to have a photo of the recent royal wedding on the cover. Of course it does.

STRANGER is sitting a few feet away, wrangling a boy SARAH assumes to be STRANGER'S GRANDSON. He's approximately eight years old.

STRANGER: That was such a beautiful wedding, huh? I taped it.

SARAH, distracted and amused by the antiquated terminology, looks up to see who STRANGER is addressing. She realizes STRANGER is looking at her and pointing to the magazine. Before SARAH can respond STRANGER'S GRANDSON cuts in.

STRANGER'S GRANDSON: Grandma, you only tape COPS.

(awkward pause)

SARAH, miraculously stifling laughter, opts to show mercy on STRANGER and quietly go back to her magazine, pretending as if the exchange never happened.

You're welcome, Stranger.

Some Days

I've been quiet this week. Well, the blog has been quiet this week. And not for lack of things going on around here, believe you me -- it's been a wild few weeks. But I think I've been on overload and not able to get anything filtered through my fingers and onto the keyboard in any kind of acceptable fashion.

So.

Click below to enjoy this beautiful, sunny Friday with me.

Some Days You Gotta Dance

And we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming on Monday.

 

Some people wear many hats.

I have bags.

Project Purge

I am equal opportunity when it comes to clutter. I have it all. Six foot pile of outgrown baby clothes - begging to be sorted. Bathroom cabinet stuffed with every hair product I've ever bought, tried, hated, but convinced myself I would someday need again. Plastic cups from every college function Jeff or I have attended in the last 20 some odd years - NLU, ULM, UA.  Bottles, pumps, playmats and burp cloths for a baby that's been, well, not really a baby anymore for about two years.

And there it is. My big excuse. I have a two year old. Feel sorry for me! Give me a break! Don't write in my dust!

I thought about posting before-and-after photos of some of these projects, but I might incriminate otherwise innocent people and I'd probably have to put up some sort of ADVISORY! AVERT YOUR EYES! warning. And who wants that? Just use your imagination. I'm sure you'll get close.

I'm home this week. Munchkin is at school. And I'm making all kinds of progress.

It's the morning of Day 3 of my little cleaning staycation. I AM GETTING THINGS DONE. I might be startling the garbage man in the process and reminding him to set his DVR for Hoarders, but I AM GETTING THINGS DONE.

 

The Reluctant Circus Monkey

If you're viewing this post via email or a reader, please click on through to enjoy the video.

No offense, Matt Lauer.

Here's the thing. I love The Today Show. LOVE. My day doesn't really start until I have a little Matt, Meredith, Al and Ann. The show is truly a staple for me, but I find myself increasingly irritated by its schizophrenia.

Honestly, I mean where else can I start my day with Ann Curry's updates on the latest global crisis alongside a recap of Charlie Sheen's weekend? Lately, they've given about 10% of total airtime to preparations for a wedding within a royal family OF ANOTHER COUNTRY and just this week I was able to catch up with "The Hiccup Girl", who has managed to parlay her hiccup fame into a recent murder accusation. 

But hey - these are the REASONS I watch Today. This is what I call news. Seriously. I love that my election coverage was sprinkled with Jon & Kate nonsense. I love that I could count on Peter Alexander to supply my daily Bronx Zoo Cobra update.

But I'm afraid they may have gone too far. They've killed a sacred cow and I cannot keep quiet.

In what I can only assume is an attempt to appear hip and trendy and connected, Today has started featuring a popular YouTube video - almost weekly. When possible, they even have the person or family responsible for the video on the show for an interview.

You've probably seen these videos posted on Facebook or you've received them in an email with the subject line "This video is so cute! You HAVE to watch it!" -- the baby laughing at ripping paper, the couple with the cool wedding processional, the baby "scared" of nose blowing, the twins "talking" to each other --

They ARE cute. They ARE worth watching. But they don't belong on Today.

Maybe. Just maybe. Someone should create a TV show specifically for these types of funny videos. You know, the ones made by amateur moms and dads and families. No professionals. No fancy equipment. Just a video camera and a candid moment. Maybe this TV show could collect ALL these funny videos and showcase them in a way that people would really enjoy and appreciate.

Ahh yes. Been around for 2o years now. (Actually, I just looked it up -- America's Funniest Home Videos has been on since November of 1989! It's in its 21st season!) And though I personally think Bob Saget was the heart and soul of the show and the original theme song still brings tears to my eyes -- the show remains a classic. Home videos + corny commentating = 21 seasons of pure gold.

So, Today Show. I hope this is a phase. I hope it's just a short-lived, minor little identity crisis. It's not "news" that someone shot a funny home video. It didn't require any investigative journalism to find this stuff. Look! I have a whole YouTube channel full of them! Naturally, I think MY home videos are adorable and undoubtedly worthy of being featured on a morning news and talk show -- but if it's all the same to you, I think I'd rather have the 10 grand.

Play, or play not. There is no work.

We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing. -- Anonymous