Colorado Crockers

On our menu each week I try to include at least one meatless meal. This both helps us stay in budget and pushes us out of our chicken/beef/pork/pasta rut . Here is my current favorite. It whips up in about 15 minutes and is healthy, filling and yummy. Araepas Mix one cup of hot water with one cup of MeSaCa (find in the Hispanic part of your store, it is in a white bag)salt and mix. Let set until cool enough to handle. Shape into patties about the size and thickness of your palm. Fry up in oil, flipping when lightly browned. Cool slightly, slice length wise and stuff with cheese. Huveo's Rancheros Open and rinse a can of black beans, mix with half a cup of your favorite salsa and dump into a skillet. Heat until bubbling. Make a 4 "wells" in the beans and crack eggs into them. Salt and pepper the eggs and cover the skillet. Cook until eggs are as done as you like them (we are an over-easy family) Serve the above with a green salad. If your feeding more than 2 you will ...

- Magnetic "paper" doll set for Elie: I found a 9 x 13 metal cake pan with lid, paper doll pattern and now just need to buy the magnetic printer paper and cut them out. - 3 sock monkeys: I have the socks and stuffing now I just need the time - 4 hoodie towels : Towels are sitting in my ever-growing "to be sewn" pile - 2 Swaddling blankets for the babe: Annabelle will only sleep well swaddled or held. She is currently much to big for "normal" size swaddling blankets and I can't hold her all the time. I have the fabric and now am dreaming of owning a serger . - 3 baby gifts: I have a LOT of fun ideas but haven't decided for sure what I will make, all the babies are BOYS so there goes all the fun, frilly stuff. I want a craft room. Matt wants me to have a craft room so I will stop leaving my sewing machine on the table. I also want a nanny so I can do all the crafts I have in mind. Oh yeah, and someone who has decided to finance my life, where can yo...

Currently on my floor: empty wipes container, one white sock, old play cell phone, cup lid, nursing pad (clean), paper, something sticky, 3 books, 2 pair of shoes... and that is just what I can see from my chair at the table. I say this to prove a point that doesn't really need to be proven to anyone who has ever walked through my front door; I am a terrible house keeper. I have books on my shelves titled "How Not to be a Messy" and "Easy Organization" and yes, I have read them. They didn't seem to help. I have made improvement over the past 10 years, you should have seen our first apartment, and that was WITHOUT kids. My current revelation is this; I should spend more time on my strengths and less time on my weaknesses. This might seem counter intuitive . After all, i have the most progress to make on the areas I am weakest in. After 10 years of trying and not much headway made, I decided there is a better way. There are only so many hours in a day, thing...

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" After a morning conversation was interrupted by each of our children repeatedly, I looked at Matt and said "This isn't working for me". I wasn't just referring to our conversation, I was referring to the way we were doing life. Knowing the importance of keeping communication honest and open, and frankly, not being good at beating around the bush, I sat down and rattled off a list of grievances . I was sick of the single mom gig, I wanted more time and more attention and I was inches away from losing my mind. My solution was Matt finds a new job. Now. I didn't get my way but we did come up with a plan. We added Matt to the gym membership. We can now go to the gym, drop off the offspring and work out together. I'm not talking treadmill here, or the elliptical (which, sadly enough, I am much too uncoordinated to do) but fun exercise followed by time in the hot tub or...

Addilyn has been cracking me up lately, I really enjoy the age of 2, most of the time. Her current favorite song goes something like this: " ABCD e-i-e-i-o". She has some new elmo undies (thanks Sarah!) and today she told me "toot on Elmo, he sad, cry, need buba binky ", and then she giggled. She loves to help in the kitchen and snuggle with her sister. If Annabelle crys she is the first to see if she can fix it. She is a monkey, climbing up everything. It is not unusual to find her in the crib with the baby. This is one middle child who will never have to worry about being over looked.

God is in the interruptions. We make plans and God shows His hand in our lives by throwing our plans out the window and giving us opportunities to do something else. Tonight was that something else. We only own one car and it is not by accident. If we have 2 cars, we have 2 payments and more insurance. It isn't only because we are cheap (thrifty?) but we just don't NEED 2 cars. This is where Bobrock comes in handy. He is the nice Afghany man who drives Matt to the airport when he travels (which is alot ). Over the past year or so, Matt and Bobrock have formed a relationship of sorts. This week he invited our family over for dinner at his house. We accepted even though is would have been so nice to spend the evening sitting on our butts, which was the plan. I was a little nervous. We were going to the house of almost perfect strangers from a different culture. Would I say something offensive? Would my children behave ( Addilyn did pee on the floor of a restaurant last week)?...

No, it isn't a misspelling (although I can't blame you for thinking it might be since your are reading my blog). Thanks to the Kari Godmother, Matt, Annabelle and I had a very nice time in Vail over the weekend. While our goal was not educational, I did learn a few things. 1. I don't have enough money or pretense to really enjoy Vail the way many do. 2. Make sure your cell phone actually works in Vail or come up with a plan ahead of time. Saturday night was frustrating as Matt and I chased each other all over Vail trying to meet up because the stupid cell phones were not working well. 3. Any place that provides fluffy white robes and slippers should be stayed in for more than one night. 4. It is easy to eat well on someone else's dime It was a very enjoyable mini-trip. The drive up and back was very "Colorado" with lots of snow on the roads and a beautiful view. The hotel was very nice. We had an amazing dinner with some of Matt's co-workers. My favor...

Some days I don't want to be the grown up. Thursday was one of those days. So we ate bluberry coffee cake for breakfast. We painted our feet to make a special valentine. We made fudge for papa. Over all, we just hung out. It was nice, not productive, but nice.

It is time for another round of "Name that Crocker !" Here are pictures of the ladies at 3 months. The first to post a correct answer gets a handmade hat or hoodie towel. Good luck!

"Your so big, Addie, you trained the potty!" Eliana age 4 to Addilyn age 2 Eliana lost interest in potty training Addilyn when she refused to perform on command. Addilyn was thrilled to find yet another way to annoy her sister. I ignored the whole thing. I am not a fan of potty training and certainly didn't want to bother with it while I am feeling stretched thin anyway. I figured I would fight that battle this summer, when it was warm enough to be naked. The other morning Addilyn didn't want to wear a diaper. She is two and gets random opinions about stupid things, I don't fight it. I told her that was fine but she couldn't make a mess on the floor. She agreed. Several times that morning I would see her come up stair, muttering under her breath. She would go into the bathroom, put the potty seat on the potty, pull over the step stool, pee, wipe and flush. She didn't make a mess on the floor...ever. I was in denial about it for about a week. Addilyn was s...

I am sneaky and proud. My girls are over all good eaters , but I am not above sneaking in extra good stuff if I can get away with it. Last night was a perfect example. It was cold and wet and Matt had left for the week to New York and the girls requested "silly waffles". I agreed. To the girls, "silly waffles" are nothing more than waffles we eat for dinner instead of breakfast, therefore making them silly. But I am a sneaky mama. When I make waffles, I always sneak in a little extra nutrition . Sometimes it is in the form of baby food carrots or pumpkin, last night it was bananas. I also add a couple of tablespoons of ground flax and an extra egg for more protein . Not wanting to get everyone hyped up on maple syrup (which we happen to be out of anyway) right before bed, I told the girls we would be having them with peanut butter and jelly. Natural peanut butter and whole fruit jelly are guilt free. I served them with a side of fruit. The girls ate a ton, which the...

Annabelle is 12 weeks old today. Wow. I like that she is getting bigger since I am not a huge fan the newborn stage, but since she is most likely my last baby (God willing) it is a little bitter sweet. Baby Belle is growing well, she nurses fine with lots of wet diapers and is much happier if I avoid all dairy. She smiles and "talks" when she is awake, loves to lay on a blanket with toys and has started to roll. Baths calm her down and wiping drool off her chin makes her smile. Almost giggles. At night she will often go for 4-5 hours between feedings and has even done a 7 hour stretch. During the day she wants to eat every 2-3 hours. She looks like her sisters, chicken legs and all. According to the March of Dimes, by the end of their third month, most babies: Raise head and chest when lying on stomach (head yes, chest not quite) Support upper body with arms when lying on stomach (starting to do this) Stretch legs out and kick when lying on stomach or back (yup) Push down ...

Fashion is one of those funny things, kinda like good parenting. What some consider awesome , others not so much. Most agree on the truly horrendous (such as Britney Spears, in both fashion and parenting), but there is really a lot of gray area to consider. Everyone does it differently. After some reflection here is what I have learned: 1. Just because it is "in style" doesn't mean I should wear it. Case in point: skinny jeans. I have a friend who rocks the skinny jeans WHILE PREGNANT and looks fabulous. I look a bit like an overstuffed sausage. I have too much butt and too little...well nothing is too little and there in lies the issue. No skinny jeans for me. Also the "underwear as outerwear" thing is not exactly conducive to my lifestyle. Little lacy numbers are not made for people who actually put there breasts to good use. 2. Don't betray yourself, it wont look good on you. Just because it is "in style" and you can pull it off doesn't me...

So off I went to my favorite store, Goodwill. Yes, i know it seems like an oxymoron to shop for in style clothing at a resale store, but hey, this chica is on a budget! I had about $50 or so to spend. In hindsight (which they say is 20/20) I should have gone on half off day (which is this Saturday, if anyone cares) but I digress. After about an hour of shopping and trying some stuff on, I ended up with the following: pair of pinstriped gray capri length pants short jean skirt knee length jean skirt red empire waist shirt mens vest ballet flats (new, with tags) leather jacket (from Wilsons , for $8!) belt scarf silk blouse funky blue t-shirt I also had $75 in Gap giftcards from my wonderful husband. I went and put those to good use on the clearance rack and came up with this: brown pair of cords pink sweater pink waffle knit top white button down with ruffles white and red striped shirt with ruffles thin gold belt I brought all this home and once again scoured my closet. I found a ...

I have part 3 almost done, but then I did a bit more shopping tonight, so I have a couple of pictures to take. Will update tomorrow. Until then, for the thrift ones... Looking for something fun to do, a creative date night? Check out http://www.denver.org/events/free-events 2010 SCFD Free Days Monday, January 11 Sunday, February 21 Monday, March 1 Sunday, April 18 – Earth Day Sunday, August 8 Monday, August 30 Monday, September 13 Sunday, September 19 Sunday, October 3 Monday, October 18 Sunday, November 14 Monday, December 6 Denver Art Museum : The Denver Art Museum designates the first Saturday of every month as a free day in 2010. January 2, 2010 February 6, 2010 March 6, 2010 April 3, 2010 May 1, 2010 June 5, 2010 July 3, 2010 August 7, 2010 September 4, 2010 October 2, 2010 November 6, 2010 December 4, 2010 The Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield designates the first Friday of every month as a free day, except for Friday, July 4, 2010. The Botanic Gardens in Denver and at Chatfi...

Off to the closet (and, if I am being totally honest, the bedroom floor) to see what I already own that might be considered in style. Boots: I have these in black flats and brown heals. I also am the proud owner and wearer of FUGGS (fake uggs , so dubbed by my friend Kari) which Matt tells me are unsexy . Unsexy as they may be, the are soft and keep my feet warm. They are also huge and easy to find both of, which is a plus. Funky tights: I have black tights which are decidedly " unfunky ". I do have a pair of black and gray stripped tights which straddle the line between "funky" and "practical". Might need to buy some that are a bit more fun...or at least more colorful. Tunics: I don't have one. I have a couple of longer fitting shirts that are, you guessed it, cotton knit. Solid color. I toss out several sweaters that are just to short on me. I toss out some unflattering turtlenecks. I dig these out of the pile and decide to do something more fun w...