Insert New Blog Title Here

Insert New Blog Title Here

A new look, and now searching for a new title for my blog. It was suggested, very cleverly, by Left Coast Mom that I move from "A Mom on a Mission" to "Mom's Mission Accomplished." I love it except for two things...I hate to be pre-mature on considering my motherly role as over. Darren is still 16 and Payton, although he is 18, still needs some parenting. The other is that I wish I could just say "Mission Accomplished" but again, Left Coast Mom pointed out that I would then attract of the right-wing Bush loving folks that probably would be very disappointed (and dare I say angry) when the got here and discovered what a lefty I truly am.

And so here I am...in search of a new title. Very fitting in so many ways as I find myself about to turn 42 and with so many questions about who I really am and what I really want and so many changes in my life. If I look back just 18 short months, I can honestly say that I live in a VERY different world than I did then.

I'm thinking about a title that incorporates the concept "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Which is why I chose this new design. I wish it were a woman on the beach, but this is good enough for now.

So any thoughts that anyone has would be much appreciated. I think that a new purpose for this blog would inspire me to write more (because I certainly couldn't be writing any LESS!). I've been doing this since 2004 and it would be a shame to stop now.

Food for the soul

I've spent the last several days up in Gig Harbor, WA with my husband's family. The occasion is a sad one; my father-in-law passed away a couple of weeks ago. So many people came to Gig Harbor for his memorial service and we have had a brilliant time together sharing memories and making new ones.

We have done a lot of eating and I'd like to share the recipes that I especially liked, both cooked by one of my favorite people, Sharron M. This food did, indeed, feed my soul while my heart was breaking.

Chili Blanco
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4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
6 cups broth
2 cans white beans, drained
2 onions, chopped
7 oz green chilis, diced
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
Garlic to taste
2-3 t cumin
1 t cayenne pepper
2 t oregano

In a large pot, add chicken, beans and broth. In sauté pan, sauté onions and garlic until translucent, then add to pot and add chilis and spices. Heat ans simmer for about 30 minutes, then add cheese and sour cream and continue to simmer on low heat.

Garnish with more cheese, a dollop (isn't that a great word) of sour cream and green onions.

Spicy 3 Cheese Cornbread Egg Bake
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1 8x8 pan of cornbread
1 small loaf of homemade bakery white bread, crusts removed
1 (4-7 oz) can mild green chili peppers
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
1 ripe tomato
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese mix
7 - 9 eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
Cooking spray

Bake the cornbread in an 8x8 pan. Set aside to cool.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray or wipe with butter. Cut the white bread without the crust into crouton size cubes and place them in the 9 x 13 inch pan. Drain green chili peppers and spread over the bread. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese over green chili peppers. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and place over the cheddar cheese. Cut cooled cornbread into chunks and sprinkle over cheese. Dice the tomato and sprinkle over the cornbread. Spread the 1 1/2 cups of mixed cheese over the bread. Beat the eggs with milk, half & half, and dry mustard. Pour over the egg mixture over the entire pan as evenly as possible. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, covered with tinfoil, for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes. After you take the egg bake from the ove, let it rest 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

For my Sweet Thing

Watch the details in this video...the words....on signs, house numbers, phone numbers etc. Kinda cool!

What I've Learned

Maya Angelou is one of my very favorite writers. She and Robert Frost are my two favorite poets, for sure. I have seen Dr. Angelou in person twice and she knocked my socks off both times. She has lived life to the fullest and she has learned a lot along the way. Here are some of her observations with my thoughts sprinkled in here and there:

What I've learned....

By Maya  Angelou

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."  

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."  

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." 
(I don't know this first hand, but I have witnessed it.)

"I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'." 

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." 
(this I know for sure)

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."  (love the baseball metaphor...and yes, there are things and people that I have thrown back in my life)

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." 
(it never fails...listen to your heart. I have had to learn to listen to mine and it is always right)

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."
(Those who know me well know that I tend to deal with my own pain very silently and this is very intentional)

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone." 

"People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back " 
(It is also amazing how powerful a simple, unexpected smile from a stranger is)

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."  

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Everything Old is New Again

I'm in such a scrambled state of being right now. I don't even want to go into all of the things that are on my mind and my shoulders at this time....but just know that I'm doing fine. I've been better, I've been worse. A year ago I suffered a loss that is just now catching up with me and I've retreated inward. I'll get through it and come out on the other side a stronger, wiser, hipper, and more energetic being.

I have been making an effort to try new things, large and small. One of the new people that I have gotten to know (virtually, through the "internets") is the author of "A Mother's Walk." It seems that although our lives are somewhat different, we are very much alike in many ways. She recently did a meme that I thought I would participate in (although I won't pass it along because I'm just doing it for fun).

It is called Honest Scrap. I'll just be telling you 10 things about myself that you may not have known (this might be difficult to pull of since my Mom and Husband and other family members that know me so well read this...and they know soooo much about me). Here goes:

1. When I was a teenager, I desperately wanted to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot
2. When I was a young child in Chicago, I actually stuck my tongue to a metal fence post just like in the movie "A Christmas Story"
3. I was once excused from Chemistry class and questioned by the FBI because the poor kid I was dating received death threats because he was dating me (he was black, I am white)
4. I prefer Jiff creamy peanut butter to any other brand/type
5. I hate being in the car without music playing
6. Nothing irritates me more than when someone leaves their shopping cart in a place that obstructs the flow of traffic
7. I very rarely get a "good" night's sleep
8. I once had a dream about being in an airport when a nuclear bomb exploded and it was so vivid and terrifying, that I think I actually know what it would feel like
9. I could live VERY easily without TV
10. I used to play the violin, but wish that I could play the drums

Let's get it started!

Although it is the 4th day of January, it feels to me like the year really begins tomorrow. I've been on vacation since Christmas Eve and tomorrow I go back to work. The holidays are officially over, however the Christmas decorations still need to be put in the attic. They currently sit in storage bins in the living room, waiting for someone to shimmy up into the attic and put them to rest for another year.

Meanwhile, there is homemade chili cooking on the stove, cornbread in the oven and the hot tub is being re-filled in the hopes that tomorrow we can relax with hot, bubbly water all around us. Payton doesn't start school until Tuesday for some reason and Darren goes back tomorrow however, he is doing a photography class for the next 4 weeks so it isn't real classwork.

Dan is planning a mini-high school reunion type of thing at Britannia Arms in Cupertino on Feb 7th. Just a few folks who connected on Facebook and are just doing a locals thing. He's never been to any of his class reunions, so this could be fun!

As I look forward into 2009 there is a bunch going on. In the next month we will have 3 house guests. First, Dan's Mom is coming in from Hawaii for his birthday, then his sister from Washington will come down for the weekend and shortly thereafter, my Mom will come down for a couple of days from Grass Valley.

In March, Dan and I will both make trips to Scottsdale AZ, although not at the same time. I will be going on business and Dan for his annual trip to spring training with the guys. In May, Dan and I hope to take a trip to Vegas to see Dave Matthews at the MGM grand with some friends. We'll find out if we got tickets in a couple of weeks. Then, at the very end of May, Payton will be graduating from high school and then in June he'll go on a trip to Hawaii with 35 other recent grads for 8 days and nights on Waikiki Beach. Life's a bitch.

We are trying to plan a family trip to Hawaii also, but are hoping to piggy back it on to Payton's trip so that we don't have to pay for 2 flights for Payton. There will also be a few trips to Washington, at least for Dan to spend time with his Dad and the rest of the family.

So there is the first 1/2 of the year. Oh, and then there is work.

Happy 2009!

I won't apologize for being so absent. I just was. That's all.

I will be re-naming my blog soon. It's time.

Back to meal planning and blogging about life in general.

I will post more later tonight. Updates on how my new relationship with my Dad is going, about my father-in-law's cancer, about Payton getting ready to graduate and what he'll do next, about Darren doing so much better with school and his love of music.

Lots going on. Can't wait to catch up!

Weekend in San Diego

I'm taking a break this weekend (loooong weekend, 4 days) to spend some time with a high school buddy of mine in sunny San Diego. We have been best friends since our Freshman year at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino. Between the two of us we now have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl, ranging in ages from 10 to 17 and have been married a combined 33 years. It's amazing how different we are now, but yet we are still very much the same in many ways.

We will spend most of our time together having lattes and going out for meals and shopping...all the while talk, talk, talk. These are the times that I hold on to when I am feeling disconnected and swamped by day to day life. I have always dreamed about living next door to this friend. We would do well with that. Not everyone would. We are enough alike to make it easy and yet are different enough that it would be exciting and interesting without getting boring.

The sun is shinning; it is in the 70's. We may hit the beach, even. The reality is that none of that matters. We could just be locked in a borring room together for days and wouldn't know the dif.

Swiss Corn Bake Recipe

It is coming up on the time of year when our family makes a wonderful dish called Swiss Corn Bake. This is a side dish...comfort food at its finest. We typically have it as part of our Thanksgiving feast, but it also goes great with a ham, meatloaf or roasted chicken. I have never made this for friends without being asked for the recipe. So before anyone asks...here it is!

1 (16 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (5 1/2 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 c. soft bread crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter

Combine drained corn, milk, 3/4 cup cheese, eggs, onion and dash of pepper. Turn in 10 x 6 x 2 inch baking dish or 1 quart casserole. Toss bread crumbs, melted butter and remaining cheese. Sprinkle over corn mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

NO on Prop 8 - It's this simple

Monday Funny

santa_funny.png
Originally uploaded by mrapplegate

A little holiday funny for your Monday morning. Priceless....

Getting busy for our troops

Here is what I will be busy doing (among other things) between now and December 1st:






I am going to make as many cards as I can and collect them for others as well (co-workers, family members etc). This is the first time that I have done anything like this and it is already making me feel GREAT! If you are down in the dumps, take a few minutes to send a card to our troops...it will lift your spirits for sure.

Non-campaign speeches

Thanks to my husband for the links, these are must watch videos! A nice break during the campaign...They are both very funny (IMHO).

via videosift.com

Hey, Sarah Palin

This is the best YouTube video I have seen in a long time. Thanks to my sister in law in the great state of Washington for sending this to me.

The Great Schlep

This is hysterical and hopefully inspirational to young Jews all over America.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

More baseball for us

Tonight I'm at Santa Clara University watching Payton play fall ball. It is a beautiful night, about 65degrees at game time (7:00pm). When all is said and done, there is nowhere else I'd rather be.

What's Cooking 10/5 - 10/9

I decided to put the "g" back on the "Cookin'" part of title of this and future posts about what we are making for dinner because I'm so tired of hearing Palin leave the "g" off of so many words.

Sunday - Ham, onion and corn quiche
Monday - Enchilada casserole
Tuesday - Not sure
Wednesday - Thai peanut crusted chicken
Thursday - Cheese tortellini

What's up this week?

Monday - Dan=soccer practice (he is coaching a team of 6 year old girls, just for fun)
Tuesday - Payton=baseball game in Santa Clara, Kris=appointment with an acupuncturist, Dan=Pony baseball board meeting
Wednesday - Nothing (yet)
Thursday - Dan=Darts (he throws darts on a team with a co-worker/friend of mine)

Typical.

For tonight, we are watching the Boston/LA game (tied up right now), flipping over to Anderson Cooper occasionally (YUM), and I'm hopeful that we can watch last night's TiVo'd episode of Mad Men (Don't you just LOVE that show?)

Same old Same old

I have had a hard time blogging lately because every time I sit down to write, the only thing I can think to write about is that I'm still waiting for my Dad to contact me again.

So why bore you with the same stuff..."I'm trying to be patient, I'm anxious, I want this to move forward, but I'm trying to be patient" Boring.

Believe it or not there ARE other important things going on in my life. My father-in-law is battling lung cancer and having a heck of a time with it. He is doing all of the right things, but it is taking its toll mentally and physically. It is hard for those around him too. We are a few states away, so it is much easier for us to have a big picture view of it, but the family who is living with it day to day is fighting hard and they need strength too.

We had to put our dog, Smokey, to sleep a few weeks ago. I couldn't even begin to blog about it then, but I will soon. He deserves my reflection and time to tell the world what a wonderful friend he was.

I should be telling you about the meals I have planned for this week because we actually have quite a nice line-up going thanks to my oldest son who finally decided to participate in the thinking process for planning the meals. I'll do that tonight over a glass of wine...

My Mom is doing yet another epic thing in her life. But that's a post in itself too...

So, really, I have much to say and just needed a time and place to do some brainstorming...more to come.

Maybe I should write a fictional blog post about what it might be like to meet my Dad for the first time.

Just for kicks.

Reason #753

Today, Mr. Mom on a Mission and I have been married for 18 years!

We have been together exclusively for 22 years (as of Christmas of 2008)!

Happy Anniversary, to us. And here is reason #753 of why I love him so much. Both of us have been really crazy at work, his work taking up a lot of time in the evenings...and this morning I get this email from him:

"We have a 6:30 reservation at Town.  I will take care of dinner for the kids."

Thank you so much hunny! I can't wait to sit down and have a relaxing, civilized, delicious dinner with the man that I would marry over and over again every day.

Good-bye Pop Pop

Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, Fast Eddy....Paul, Pop pop....

The only movie star I have ever met and spent time with....he was more than a movie star...he was a kind, genuine, big hearted man's man who loved Coors Light and sitting in his rocking chair on the porch of his cabin. He loved racing cars and spending time with his grandkids. He made this world a better place to live for so many, especially those who spent time at the Hole In the Wall Gang Camp, which is where I met him.

Paul, I'll never forget the time I was honored enough to have shared with you and your beautiful family. You touched my heart and will be missed. We will take good care of Mark and Kelly and the kids. They loved you so deeply. We are lucky to have so many ways to remember you. Peace.