Feeding You Friday!

In the mood for something so NOT healthy for you? Something filling and tasty?





Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis for supplying me with one of my fav go to recipes for company. Not to mention that my boys love it! T-man refers to it as bacon sketti!

Cinnamon-Pancetta Carbonara

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 slices pancetta, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
6 large egg yolks
1lb box fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives





Directions
Saute the bacon and pancetta in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the bacon and pancetta and saute until the bacon is crisp and golden, about 2 minutes longer. Cool. Whisk in the cream, cheese, and yolks to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Drain. Add the fettuccine to the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Enjoy!!

The. Worst. Birthday. Ever!

I'm happy to around another year. I'm a year older, the hubby is a year older, and the boys are a year older. Life is pretty darn good. All you can ask for is to be happy and healthy. Ahhh healthy. What are the chances I would get food poisoning the night before my happy 31st? Pretty darn good since that is exactly what happened!

Little N's birthday is the day before mine. We celebrated with a party at school (Yes, mom took her first official "paid time off" day at work to spend the day with lil N) after school we went to see "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" (Great movie btw) after the movie we decided to get a bite to eat. My friend works at a nearby restaurant (that is known for their salad bar) so we decided to stop by there for dinner.

Chips and salsa for an appetizer, check.
Burgers for the kids, check.
Salmonella for me, double check.

What a lovely way to spend the night before your birthday. Sleeping on the bathroom floor and being called to nature every 15 min. So my "paid time off" on Monday turned into using a sick day on Tuesday. And my birthday? Spent running to the bathroom every 15-30 min. all day while feeling guilty that I 1. Took the day off of work. 2. Spent the day in bed while there was a ton of things that needed to be done around the house. 3. Didn't spend any quality time with the kids.

All of this while fielding calls from my wonder friends and (some) of my family to wish me a happy birthday.

So this goes down in the worst birthday hall of fame. I declare a redo!

Stop the Madness!

Someone has a birthday coming up!

As I say that I realize that I am not only speaking of my son N who's birthday is Monday, but I am also speaking of myself who's birthday is the following day. Ahhh the beauty of aging!

And I've come to realize that nothing has made me feel older than watching the MTV VMA's on Sunday night.

Who are these children that are making records nowadays? (I must be old, I just referenced records)Who are these kiddies that are presenting awards? I DIDN'T KNOW HALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE STAGE! And I don't even want to talk about the music, if that's what you call it. Other than Green Day, I didn't even know what was going on. Sorry Beyonce, but "Put a Ring On It?", I'm pretty sure he did.

So not only am I feeling a little down about the impending birthday, I got to watch something that made me feel waaaay older than my soon to be 31 years!

Thanks MTV, not only do you pollute lives with shows like "The Hills" and "My Super Sweet 16" now you have made me feel ancient!

Remembering Love Ones Lost

Today is a day of remembrance. To the many that gave their lives to ensure the safety of others...to the innocent who were lost to an unnecessary attack.

This is a poem that someone gave my siblings and I when our mom passed away some 8 years ago... To this day I still can't read it without crying, but there is something to be said about its beauty.

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me

Author believed to be David Romano

When tomorrow starts without me,

And I'm not there to see,

If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me,
I wish so much you wouldn't cry

The way you did today,

While thinking of the many things,

We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me,

As much as I love you, and each time that you think of me,

I know you'll miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me,

Please try to understand,

That an angel came and called my name,

And took me by the hand, and said my place was ready,

In heaven far above,

And that I'd have to leave behind

All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,

A tear fell from my eye

For all my life,

I'd always thought,

I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,

So much left yet to do,

It seemed almost impossible,

That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays

The good ones and the bad,

I thought of all the love we shared, and all the fun we had
If I could re-live yesterday

Just even for a while,

I'd say good-bye and kiss you

And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,

That this could never be,

For emptiness and memories, would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things,

I might miss come tomorrow,

I thought of you, and when I did,

My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates,

I felt so much at home

When God looked down and smiled at me,

From His great golden throne.
He said, "This is eternity,

And all I've promised you."

Today your life on earth is past,

But here life starts anew
I promise no tomorrow,

But today will always last,

And since each day's the same way

There's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,

So trusting and so true.

Though there were times

You did some things

You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven

And now at last you're free.

So won't you come and take my hand

And share my life with me?
So when tomorrow starts without me,

Don't think we're far apart,

For every time you think of me,

I'm right here, in your heart.

Feeding You Friday!

I figure that since I am Greek, I should post a Greek inspired dish. This is definitely one of my family favorites! And like my friend Beth stated: "Anything w/ bacon is like heaven in your mouth."

Enjoy!

Feta Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Breasts

8 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 slices feta cheese
4 slices bacon, fried and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together and use as a marinade for the chicken. Marinade for at least 30 min.

Take chicken out of marinade. Pound each chicken breast out until thin. Top each chicken breast with 1 slice feta cheese and 1 slice bacon. Fold over and secure open sides with toothpicks. Place in 9x13 baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes.

A cucumber and tomato salad tossed in olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper goes great with this dish.

The People Of Walmart?!?

It came to my attention that there is a new website that was created by a couple of college friends and room-mates called peopleofwalmart.com.



Yes, People Of Walmart dot com....So of course, I had to check it out! WOW, I mean WOW...Some of these people are laugh out loud, fashion disasters! I urge you all (and I mean all 6 of you) To take a look at this page ASAP. What better way to feel a little better about yourself! hehe



Which had me come up with the idea of "Doula's Fashion Don'ts"

• Never, Ever is it okay for men to wear flip flops or sandals.(Mandals if you will) Eww just the thought of looking at those gross, hairy feet make me want to vomit! (I will give you the benefit of the doubt if you are at the beach or near a pool)
• And No, that doesn't mean throw on a pair of socks and all is well.
• It is not okay for a grown man to carry a back pack. The only exception to this rule is if you actually have school books in said bag.
• Ladies, please dress for your size. I'm a bigger girl, I totally understand that it might make you feel good to squeeze into those jeans that you used to wear clubbing back in the day. But looking like a 10lb sausage stuffed into a 5lb casing just isn't flattering.
• But please know that it doesn't mean it's okay to start buying "mom jeans"
• Mullets...Need I say more? But don't forget the elusive Femme-mullet. And the rarely seen baby mullet!
• Men, it is great that you work out, building muscles like that takes a lot of time and discipline. BUT, wearing a shirt (usually Affliction or Ed Hardy) that is 6 sizes too small just makes you look like a giant Douche!
• And for those boys that are still wearing that 90's favorite "Baggy Pants" so big they are falling around your ankles..."Hey! Tupac is Dead, Pull Up Your Pants!"

Please feel free to add your own little pet peeves about the fabulous fashions you've seen out and about!

I am far from a fashion guru, but there are some things that are just inexcusable!

Feeding You Friday!

Since it feels like a rainy, fall day here in Michigan, I've decided to stick with the football game themed appetizers. Here is a family fav:

Bacon Carbonara Pizza

2-Thin Pizza Crusts (I like the Mama Maria brand)

1-Container refrigerated Alfredo sauce (or make your own, but who has the time for that?)

1lb-Cooked, crispy, chopped bacon

3Tbs-Chopped red onion

2Tbs-Grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

Pre-heat oven according to the pizza crust package instructions. Spread Alfredo sauce over the crusts, top with Parmesan cheese, bacon, and onion. Bake for 8-10 min, or until crust is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly.

Top with chopped parsley and let cool for at least 5 min before slicing and enjoying!

"Daaadd, There's a Spider In My Room!"

Oh I remember the old days when the hubby and I could just sleep through the night without the chance of any interruption. Oh glorious sleep, how I do miss you!

Dear husband started back to school this week, which altered his work schedule a bit. He now has to be at the office at 4:30am, and him being a dude that needs nothing but a moment to get ready in the morning, he wakes up about 3:50am.

We're sleeping soundly, the cool breeze wafting into the room, all is well until we hear "Daaad, There's a spider in my room!" I look at the clock and it is 3:15am, Ugh! The hubby is mad because our dear little one NP has just ruined his last hour of sleep.

So the search for the spider starts. I'm not one to enjoy the company of the 8 legged ones so I stayed put in bed. Poor hubby couldn't find this darn spider for the life of him. He advised little NP that the spider is gone and to go back to bed. This is then followed with "I have to go potty" and "I want a drink of water." Little NP gets his water, uses the bathroom and gets tucked back into bed. Dear hubby climbs back into bed to enjoy his last few min before that dreaded alarm goes off and just when he's ready to drift off, we hear it again. "Daaadd, the spider is back!" At this point the hubby is getting angry, and I'm trying to decide whether or not I should climb out of bed to tend to this. But it's warm in bed, I don't like spiders, and hubby has to get up for work in a min anyway. So why should we both suffer?

Another search of the room, shaking of blankets and another potty break and the spider has still not been found! Hubby is frustrated and orders the child back to bed. Now hubby is angry that it is now time to get ready for work and "My last hour of sleep has been ruined!" While hubby is getting dressed for the day, we hear it again! "Daadd, there's a spider in my room!"

I have officially had enough! I get out of bed and go to dear NP's room. "What's wrong honey?" I ask. "There is a spider in here, please find it." By the glow of the night light I see a little white spider on the wall just hanging out. I grab a tissue, squash it, and show little NP that mommy got the wicked spider that has kept us awake for the last hour or so.

I tuck little man back into bed, get myself a drink of water and go back to bed. I don't dare look hubby in the eye because I know he's FUMING that I was able to find the spider on my first trip to the room, and if he was able to do the same, he would have been able to sneak in another 45 min of sleep! Ohhh poor hubby.

Well now NP doesn't have a good excuse to stay awake, so of course he needs to use the bathroom again and then I tuck him back into bed. Just as I get comfortable and ready to fall into my slumber until my dreaded alarm goes off, NP is back in my room with yet another request.

"Momma, I'm really hungry. Can I have a snack?"

Unbelievable! "NP, You get your butt back to bed right now, you can wait until morning!"

And that was my night...and if you read Please Make it Stop! from yesterday, you just know that this was the perfect ending to my fan-freaking-tastic day yesterday!

Please Make it Stop!

What a week! Yes, I am fully aware that it is only Wednesday. This is what happens when you get cocky about your life...

Last week I was in high heaven. I kept telling people how much I love my new job, how lucky I am to have my family around with whom I can rely on to babysit when I go to work, and how easy the transition has been from being a stay at home mom to working full time again.

Boy did I jinx myself! This week at work has been complete madness, I have had a non-stop headache from listening to so many complaints and problems, not to mention being forced to stare at a computer screen all day. Oh and the ease of working full time is officially coming to an end. The dear hubby goes back to school today which means that now neither of us will be spending much time with the kiddies. Which overall is not that horrible, like I stated before, we have wonderful family members who keep the kiddies while we are at work and school. But it still hurts my heart to know that I am missing out on those great cuddly moments we used to share on rainy days like today.

Speaking of rainy days, this morning was horrendous! While driving to work through the mist (tell me why when it rains, people drive like there is 4 inches of snow on the road) my windshield wiper decides to become uncalibrated (uncalibrated? Is that a word?) which means that the left windshield wiper is flying right off of my windshield and stays there. Definitely not good when you're driving 65mph down 275 in the rain during rush hour!

So there I am driving to work with my left arm out the window stopping the windshield from flying off to the next county...rain water is dripping down my arm and soaking my sleeve (I'm wearing a white shirt BTW...go ahead laugh it up, it is a great visual)

Needless to say, once I got to work I was ready to kill someone (did I mention that I didn't have my coffee this morning?) So here I am, cringing every time the phone rings. It's really hard to be gracious on the phone when you're having a bad morning.

Lesson learned, don't get too cocky. God has his way of humbling you!

Feeding You Friday!

I've decided that Fridays will be the day that I post some of the glorious recipes that I love to make! And since all I've been hearing about lately are the Steelers and the (dare I say it?) possibility of Superbowl #7! Football season must be upon us! This dish always goes over well with the football fans! (And a pregnant sister-in-law, she knows who she is!)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1-Store bought Rotisserie Chicken (pulled apart and shredded by hand works best)

2-8oz Pkgs Cream Cheese (softened)

1C-Marzetti's Ultimate Bleu Cheese Dressing

3/4C-Franks Red Hot

2-Cloves of Garlic Minced

3/4C-Monterrey Jack Cheese (buy a block and shred yourself. There is something contained in pre-shredded that tends to make the dip extremely oily.)

I serve this with Triscuits, Pita Chips, and of course Celery Sticks.

I have made this dish 2 ways...I recommend the crock pot way because it will stay warm, but it just doesn't look as pretty as the layered way...But really, I don't think many football fans care about presentation.

CROCK POT-Heat cream cheese in the crock pot and stir until creamy. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Serve warm and will keep for quite some time.

LAYERED-Mix Chicken, bleu chz dressing, garlic, and Franks in a bowl. Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a 13X9 baking dish. Layer the chicken mixture over the cream cheese and top with shredded Mont. Jack cheese. Bake at 425 until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

ENJOY!!!!

The World of Service

Let's face it, there is no way that I can blog and not mention the world of service. Being in the service industry for my whole adult life, I have learned a few things. Reading them, it might seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed at the types of different people I have, and do come across on a daily basis.

The life of a restaurant server is not a glamorous one. Not only do you get the pleasure of wearing a restaurant mandated uniform (and let's face it, when you close Saturday night and have to open Sunday morning, that thing ain't getting washed!) You get the pleasure of dealing with all kinds of people, most of whom could use a class or two taught by Miss Manners herself.

• Please-A simple, one syllable word. Easy to say, quick to say. But as a server you rarely hear it.

• Eye Contact-Simply said, "When someone speaks to you it's common courtesy to make eye contact" If you start your request with a "please" and end it with a "thank you" that is the ultimate added bonus. Keeping your head shoved into the menu while you demand your lemonade is just plain rude. (Don't even get me started on the people who ask for water with lemon then proceed to make homemade lemonade at the table with the sugar packets)

• Tipping-Tip according to service, I am a firm believer in this. But please remember that the standard for good service is 20%. If the service is baaaadd, don't leave a penny! But, if the service is excellent, feel free to throw and extra fiver down with that tip. Honestly that $5 will not make or break you, but you'd be amazed on how that little extra could make a server's night.

• Kids-OK, I'm a mom. We go out to dinner with the kids quite often. I do have a few rules for the kids when it comes to dining out. They must order for themselves, this starts by "May I please have..." They will NOT take all of the sugars out of the caddy to play with. They will not make a mess of the table. Now, I understand that if you have a barely 1 year old it is nearly impossible to avoid making a mess at dinner. You are offering all kinds messy snacks like cheerios, teething biscuits, crackers...whatever it takes to keep the little one happy so you can enjoy at least one meal that week. But keep in mind that the server is the one who has to clean after your little bundle of sweetness. So please remember that when you fill out the tip line on the charge slip.

And my ultimate rule of eating out. This is geared towards families that like to spend their time in those restaurants that are full of TVs and all around noisiness. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is worse that witnessing a family where the Mom spends her whole time on her phone, the Dad is watching his sport(s) of choice on the various TVs located throughout the place. Young Johnny is playing on his brand new hand held video game system and little Sally is on her bedazzled, pink cell phone texting all of her friends about how boring family dinner is. ARG! This drives me nuts! Spend some quality time together! I have an idea...ask your son how his day was. Use this time to see who Sally's new BFF is. Anything but completely ignoring each other. (For the record we have a "No video games, cell phones, or TV during dinner rule")

So a little time has past since my server days. I could go on for days with the do's and don't of eating out. But I'm past that. Now I am currently working full time in a professional, office environment..."Doing what you may ask?" Customer Service. What can I say? I actually like helping people. And let me tell you, dealing with one person at a time on the phone is a hell of a lot easier than helping 20-30 guests sitting in your section at a restaurant. Dealing with the ins and out of this business can get a little grueling I have a whole other set of "Things Not to do When You Call Customer Service" But we'll save that for another day...

Selective Memory

Upon having children I have come to realize that a certain Papou does not seem to remember the trials and tribulations of raising little ones. Let me tell you a little about my childhood...

My parents were both born in Greece, my mother moved here at 13 and over time had become pretty "Americanized" throughout her adulthood. My father on the other hand (Papou to the boys) didn't move here until he was in his 30s and still has the thick Greek accent and loves to cook and feed, feed, feed anyone who walks through the door. Growing up with a Greek family is exactly what has been portrayed on television (and the movies per "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") We were taught that nothing is better than being Greek and quickly learned how to be loud, fast-talking, eating machines, who are always right!



Now mind you, I have a younger brother and an older sister (there are 3 more but I didn't technically grow up with them) And the 3 of us used to fight...A LOT. D was known for the ultimate punishment, which was a straight side fist shot right to the middle of your back. G was the big baby that would just scream "MOOOOOM" or "DAAAAAAD".



Now this is how I remember things happening. Dad would come into the room and yell at us to keep quiet. As soon as he would leave we would start fighting again. The yelling and fighting would go on for some time until eventually Dad had had enough and would come in the room with "The Belt". We feared "The Belt", but not enough for it to make us stop fighting (this was typically G and I at this point) Then Dad would proceed to teach us a lesson with feared belt, enough said!



Now that I am mother of two small boys, I am not going to lie and say that I have never been tempted with such punishment. But I can honestly say that I have never used the dreaded belt. But I am known for a stern warning and a time-out when necessary....and you know there are plenty of times when raising my voice to get my point across is necessary. As well as taking beloved games and toys away.



So now that my dad is "Papou" he has seemed to forgotten the punishment brought upon us as children. Whenever I even come near to raising my voice to the boys, he chimes in with "Asame" (Greek for "stop, leave em alone") and tells me that I shouldn't yell at the boys! Obviously, this induces extreme laughter on my part. I ask my dad "What about all of the yelling and belt whipping that was put upon me as a child?" His response to that is "I don't know what you're talking about!" I never yelled, or hit you with the belt." I don't even bother arguing (if you had a Greek dad you would know why there is no point in wasting your breath)

So I have come to understand that the older you get the more you can claim to not remember. I know my dad remembers the punishments that we brought upon ourselves as children. Shoot, he talks about the punishment brought upon him as a child and that was over 60 years ago!

Dad is a Papou now and can't bear to see his grandchildren being punished for ANYTHING! He can't even say no to them for crying out loud. But I guess that is the benefit of being a grandparent, you get all of the fun times without having to dish out any negative energy. Not only that, but you can stop your children from punishing their own! I look forward to one day when I can spoil kids rotten, pretend like I don't remember anything from when they were younger and get away with all kinds of untruths!

Why not? Everyone else is doing it!

My introduction to the world of blogging. Exciting I know. Like my friends and family don't hear me talk enough, now I have to penetrate their lives with the randomness that runs through my head whenever I have down time at work. This has to be better than reading celebrity news or trying to find out when the next trailer of the "Twilight Saga" is going to come out, right? So I figure "lets give it a try" and see if it grows on me.

Please don't pay attention to my grammar. HAHA Typically, when I type my thoughts I tend to type exactly how I speak...without any pauses...which usually means no commas and a LOT of run-on sentences. But if you know me, this is nothing but expected! I'll do my best to get my thoughts out there and I hope at the very least you get a giggle or maybe even an out right laugh out of some of my stories!

Being the mother of two small boys, I've become accustomed to being the only girl in the household. But now that the boys are getting older, I'm not so sure I'm OK with it. T.C. comes home smelling to the high heavens after his grueling 2 hour football practice. (My baby? Smelling like a gross, sweaty man? This just ain't right!) N.P. already playing frat-boy quality pranks on his older brother, (A story for another time, possibly over a cocktail) and my dear, dear hubby thinking that properly cleaning the house consists of putting everything into a pile and shoving it off to the side. But it's definitely the thought that counts, and after coming home from a long day at work, dealing with people's problems, it's nice not to have to look at a scattered mess. If it's sitting quietly in the corner, it doesn't bother me nearly as much.

Does this make me the Queen of my domain? May I milk this only girl thing? Does this mean that I have the perfect excuse to go run out with Dea to go get a mani-pedi? Or possibly the Wednesday evening cheap beer that we oh so love?

I'm obviously subjected to a life of smelly boys, gross pranks, video games, sports and all around rough housing. All this before they are even teenagers? At least hormone rattled teenage girls aren't in the mix yet...Sheesh, I can't even think about that!