Sigh. How can one be a blogger, yet not keep up their own blog? When your brain lacks the strength of a spry 20-something year old - you all of a sudden can only do one job at a time.

Moms are known to multitask 24 hours a day. Yes, even when sleeping, we somehow manage to listen for the pitter - patter of little feet making their way to take over the bed. I can write an article, make AJ a snack, and find Dora on the TV all at once. Really, I can. But can I physically sit down to write in my personal blog? No.

Why? My brain just doesn't seem to ......

What was I talking about???

See what I mean?

Anyways - you get the idea. I once again have to make a point to commit to writing in this blog on a more regular basis. I have become a blogger who writes for everyone - but herself. Not fair.

Let's begin with an update on what's really happening around here and what keeps me so busy:

• I am doing a lot of writing for the WhatToExpect.com blog - Word Of Mom
• I have been taken on as a content writer by a few local web, social media and SEO specialists.
• I just mailed off wedding invitations this morning! That was actually a lot of work to put together.
• I have a toddler. 'Nough said. 
• D figured out how to get American Netflix on the Xbox. Very distracting. 

It's been a struggle to find a good balance with my work and family life. It is really a team effort. But I think it is beginning to fall into place, and I will have this blog back up and running in no time!

I love a pot of homemade soup. I have no real clue how to make it, but I still give it the old college try now and then. I usually end up with a soup worthy of a hospital cafeteria as opposed to Tim Horton's, but it's edible none the less. 

After today, I will be sticking to Campbell's. 

I had some beef cubes leftover from a fabulous fondue party that D "arranged" for my birthday a couple weeks ago. I use "arranged" loosely because he may have invited my partner- in -wine and her hubby over, but I did all the work. That's a post for another day.

Anyways, the plan was to make a stew, or soup type dish with these leftover beef cubes. D found an Un-domestic Goddess proof recipe for a beef vegetable soup which I made yesterday. Smelled yummy, looked yummy, and probably tasted yummy. But I wouldn't know.

I made it late in the day with the idea of having it for lunch the rest of the week. D is not really a soup guy, so it was all for me and AJ. By the time it appeared to be ready, I unplugged the crock pot with full intentions of transferring the contents to a smaller pot to then put into the fridge - after I put AJ to bed. I wanted it to cool down a little bit first. We unfortunately had one of those bad "I don't wanna go to bed" nights that ended up in me carrying AJ back up to bed about 6 times. When she finally decided to stay in bed - I was ready for mine.

So yeah, I woke up this morning to find my soup still in the crock pot sitting on the counter - cold.

I plain old forgot about it.

Here is proof that it existed:

It's no secret that I am not a great cook. I certainly do not deny that. But tonight, I pretty much set in stone that I suck at cooking!

It has been said that even the worst of cooks can at least make things like toast, cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches and Kraft Dinner. Those are staples in life and who doesn't ...... wait a minute ..... did I say grilled cheese sandwiches???

It was either me or the frying pan, but wow. I had a complete grilled cheese fail tonight.

I am so ashamed.



And for the record, I did use butter and cooking spray!

I want to introduce you to Hannah Hart. She is someone I can totally relate to as I feel she is a version of myself.


Watch this: My Drunk Kitchen

That is ME! Come on, you can't deny that's me!

D bought me a subscription to Food Network magazine as I still struggle with cooking, but also love watching that channel.  I have the idea of beginning a recipe collection and hope to share some of my discoveries as I go along.  My first installment is: Spiced Fried Chickpeas.

AJ and I LOVE chickpeas as they are, but who can argue when a well known food magazine gives you the go ahead to deep fry them??? Not me!

The process is really simple:

1. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas; pat dry 
2. Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees 
3. Fry chickpeas in batches for until a light golden brown and crispy; about 4 minutes 
4. Drain on paper towel then toss in spices 

The recipe I have calls for salt, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika, but being the un-domestic Goddess that I am, I only have salt. Although, they really don't need them, I did sprinkle on some sea salt as they were drying. YUM! 

http://chasingthecyclonebook.blogspot.com/2012/10/suggestion.html
In order to help other parents protect targeted children Mr. Senese has created the 'Chasing Parents' educational documentary film series that is shared here.

With 125,000 American and 20,000 Canadian children anticipated to be internationally abducted over the next decade, parents must realize that they are only 3 degrees of seperation from having this impact their life.




                   Part I - International Parental Child Abduction Overview by Peter Thomas Senese

         
       Part II - Warning Signs Of International Parental Child Abduction  by Peter Thomas Senese

             
             Part III - International Parental Child Abduction In Progress by Peter Thomas Senese

     
                               Part IV - Reunification and International Parental Child Abduction
                                                                  by Peter Thomas Senese


                  Part V - International Parental Child Abduction Overview by Peter Thomas Senese


              Part VI - New Laws, Policy Modification & Reforms Needed To Protect Children From  
                                International Parental Child Abduction by Peter Thomas Senese



                                           Part VII - The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and
               International Parental Child Abduction and Human Trafficking by Peter Thomas Senese

Being a huge advocate for reading and writing makes this giveaway feel really special. If you have always wanted to feel like a published writer or photographer, this contest is for YOU!

Blurb.ca is as really neat platform for creating amazing books. Put together a photo book of your child's first year or your wedding day, compile family recipes and make a cookbook to pass down, write the story of your life, or turn your blog into a real book! The possibilities are endless.

Want to give it a try? I am giving you the opportunity to win $75 towards publishing your first book!

All you have to do is this:

Look to the right, and enter the contest through the Rafflecopter app. It will tell you what to do.


Thanks for coming by and joining me in the fun! I really look forward to hearing all your ideas.

I thought of a really cool job today! Home Inventory Coordinator. This is not something I wish to do, but I encourage others out there to give it a shot.

The basic job description is this:

Someone who comes into a home and takes an inventory of food, and health and beauty products. For instance: The Home Inventory Coordinator (HIC) will conduct a weekly inventory on the contents of the home owner's fridge and pantry. Health and Beauty products, usually located under a bathroom sink, or in a linen closet will get an inventory taken on a monthly basis. Reports will be printed, therefore, making trips to the grocery, or drugstore more affordable for the home owner. A regular inventory can help eliminate any wasted food that has been duplicated, and also lessens the "OMG, no one told me we needed butter!" issue. 

 In a previous post I mentioned how I happened upon like, three unopened containers of sour cream in our fridge, as well as stuff that just shouldn't have been in there. Well today, I made a roast chicken for dinner and, being the good housewife I am, I also decided to make some nice gravy to go with it. As I searched the spice cupboard for packages of Turkey Gravy mix, which I discovered two of, but also found seven packages of Brown Gravy Mix. SEVEN. When I told D about what I found he said that when he made a trip to the store the other day, he passed it in the isle and grabbed a package. Ya know, just in case. As he was putting it away, the other six packages came tumbling out. We now realize we have enough.



To make matters even crazier, I happily surprised D today with six bars of Irish Spring soap that were on sale. We all know D loves a good sale! And that is why we already had 10 bars under our bathroom sink.



Either we need to hire a HIC, or we need a therapist.

PS - I claim bringing brown gravy to our next family dinner!

My wine buddy, Lana, told me about One Ingredient Ice Cream made from bananas. I wasn't sure if it was the wine talking, so I did some research and she was in fact right. There is such a thing as turning bananas into ice cream!

AJ and I go through a lot of bananas. I use them for my morning smoothie and she often has them as a bedtime snack. But once in a while, more often than not, we end up with a few who are tired of sitting on the kitchen counter and decide to go bad. They probably think, "I bet we will get baked into a nice warm banana bread!" Not so much.

But now that I am aware of this banana ice cream, I will be putting them to good use.

Or maybe not.

The idea is to cut up some bananas, freeze them, then puree them into an ice creamy texture. You can add cocoa powder, peanut butter, strawberry jam, honey, or other ingredients to create some neat flavors. How can one go wrong, right? Just remember who wrote this post.

The only reason this failed for me was because I don't have the proper equipment. I tried to use my smoothie mixer, then a hand mixer. They DO NOT work. The bananas are too hard. I did manage to get a little bit to taste and just from that, I can tell you this stuff is kick ass! It has a definite ice creamy texture, and there wasn't a harsh banana flavor. Certainly not like eating baby food.



Give this recipe a try, and tell me what you think! What extra flavors did you add?

I am thinking I should plant a cucumber garden next year, just for AJ. She loves her cucumber! If I happen to have enough in the house, I bet she would eat one whole English cuke a day. Could be worse things, right?

Here she is in action:

I was certain I would not have to deal with the terrible twos, as AJ has always been such a calm, sweet, well behaved child. I am not saying she is not well behaved now because I have seen how some kids can act, but she is starting to have her moments. I realize this is to be expected and shall pass, so thank Goddess for that! But I can't deny that when the Terrible Two Monster surfaces, I want to run and hide in the closet.

Or the nearest local pub.

When this demonic monster takes over my child she will scream, lay on the floor and scream, hit the couch and scream or look me right in the eye and scream. It usually lasts a few minutes then all of a sudden like a light being turned off, she stops and hugs me. It often amazes D and I how quickly she will correct herself.

But I tell you, her and I can go at it like I know we will when she is 15. I see the future and it is scary. I am tasting my own medicine and it is bitter. You were right, Mom.

Since it is pretty well just AJ and I all day, we get to spend time doing fun things. But, on days where I have deadlines for work, she may watch Tangled twice in a row. Maybe three times. Possibly four. Yes, I know ..... MOTY!

Done judging me? Ok, let's move on.

So on days where I see the tail of the Terrible Two Monster starting to emerge, I stop it with distractions. Yesterday it was a Ring Pop, today it was finger painting, and tomorrow it will probably be letting her watch Dora on my phone. Whatever it takes.



I get my work done, so I am happy. She gets to feel special, so she is happy. Which then makes D happy. One happy little family!

The way to look at the terrible twos is as if AJ has PMS everyday. I know how it feels, and I also know how chocolate and wine make it all better. So what if her chocolate and wine is candy and Disney movies? Who cares?

My blog posts have been a bit few and far between these days, as I am sure you have noticed. It is not for lack of trying or material I can tell you that. When you head out on a camping trip and realize 45 minutes down the road that you have no blankets or pillows, you lead a life worth writing about.

Here's the deal, folks - I am busy!

When we made the move to Calgary last summer, I lost the job that I had, for obvious reasons. I didn't have much time to find something else, plus childcare, so I combined the two and opened up a dayhome. It worked for the first year, and is now starting to leave me with no energy, and even worse, no writing energy. By the time all the kids are gone home, I still have my own family to take care of. After dinner, cleaning up, bath time and putting AJ to bed, I am left with little time before I, myself, am off to dreamland. Honestly? The only thing I end up wanting to do is watch TV or troll facebook.

I have been plugging away at creating a home based business for a while, and believe I even mentioned it here before. There have been little jobs here and there which make me feel like I am still in the game, and now, the game is just beginning.

So far, this is what I have been working on:

• CanadianMusicians.com - Social Media Manager, Contest Director and Ad Sales 
• Suntset Homes - Blog Writer
• Grumans Catering and Delicatessen - Promotions
• WhatToExpect.com - Word of Mom Blogger 
• Planning a wedding - Bride 
• Dayhome - Childcare worker and pulling out my hair 

On the horizon:

• Impact Society - Social Media Manager
• ConsultWebs - Blogger 
• "How To Become a WAHM" Kindle Series - Co-writer 

I have a meeting with a gentleman who runs a social media consulting business, this week as well. I apply for little writing jobs all the time, so I really feel I will have a full time home based business super soon.

So, with all this said ..... once I get my footing and have it all in place, I plan to make up a solid schedule where I will fit in time for personal blogging. I mean come on, if I am here telling companies to make an effort to blog about what they do .... should I not follow my own advice?

I have been seeing ads on TV for these new fridges that have the hidden inside door for your fruits and veggies, and I think it's really neat. At first, I was like "Hey! Let's get one!" Then I pointed out to myself that I have a hard enough time noticing past date food in the fridge, as is.

There was a point a few weeks ago when we had three containers of sour cream in the fridge. All full and unopened. Then on Sunday, D pulled out two clamshells of moldy strawberries. And onetime, we had three bags of frozen corn in the freezer. One full and two half empty. Or half full, however you look at it.

D is not a big fan of leftovers, which seems weird but when you know all the rest of his little food quirks it actually seems normal, and because of this I often discover neat little fridge treasures. Let's just say that when I do find them ...... the food plus it's storage container end up in the garbage.

Sorry, Mother Earth.

I have since began storing leftovers in glass bowls to force me to notice better, and to encourage me to clean out the container. And I don't cook as much food. Or I make D eat it all at dinner. Anything to not have leftovers in my fridge!

Oh well, at least when AJ gets to a point when she needs to do a science project for school, we will have many specimens for her to chose from.

I am a lover of carbs. I eat a lot of veggies, but nothing feels better than a heavy carbohydrate. One of my faves is a good old potato. Baked, mashed, fried, french fried or even chippy. Potatoes are awesome.

D, however, is not a fan. He will eat fries, as it is so easy to forget they are even made of potatoes, plus they are so good. Because of this, we never have potatoes in the house, which is just fine with me. I know they are the enemy.

We have been doing a lot of BBQing the past month and that includes veggies. The BBQ just seems to add a certain flavor to a veggie that a steamer or pot can't. Yesterday as I was shopping for our veggie of the night, I picked up a small bag of baby yellow potatoes. I had this wonderful idea of making myself a potato and mushroom kabob. Easy enough.

Not for me!

My first mistake was having the idea to do this, period. My second mistake was putting a food that cooks quickly on the same skewer as a food that takes much longer to cook. My third mistake was not pre-cooking the potatoes before throwing them on the BBQ. My fourth mistake was changing the plan and trying to fry them on the stove over high heat to make the process faster.

At least that is what Elmo told us yesterday while I was shedding tears of happiness.

D and I took AJ to see Sesame Street Live at the Southern Alberta Jubilee yesterday, and it was so awesome to see her so incredibly happy. I really thought her head was going to explode when Bert and Ernie came on stage. But then all of a sudden here came the rest of the Sesame Street inhabitants and WOW! She squealed as if she was waiting to meet Brian Austin Green.

Oh wait, that was me at 13.

Anyways, she squealed while I cried. It was insanely neat to see her so happy and in awe of what she was witnessing. At the time, I assumed I was crying cause I enjoyed seeing her so happy, but on the drive home it occurred to me that I too grew up watching Sesame Street. I mean, I had a Bert and Ernie birthday cake when I was a child! So, as she was sitting there watching these "monsters" and  characters that she adores so much, I was doing the exact same thing.

I am determined for much of this June 1st, 2013 wedding to be DIY. It may end up as a "You do it for me" wedding, but either way crafts are certain to be involved!

My first project is centerpieces. Mason jars, or any kind of jar really is the main focus here. I have been Pinteresting, and Pinteresting, and Pinteresting ideas for the last few months and was coming up with cool ideas, but nothing that really felt like it suited me. I was torn between so many ideas, that I was getting very indecisive .

Then one day, as I was peering into my unused scrapbook supply, I came across some ribbons that were all miss-matched, yet matched perfectly together. Sort of like the current trend of ties and dress shirts. Nothing NEEDS to exactly match. Except for my fiance and I, we are like peas and carrots.

Or oil and vinegar depending on the day. Or time of the month.

Sorry, back to my riveting craft work.

I decided to keep the centerpieces simple but add a little spunk to them. With ribbons in one hand and a new glue gun NOT stuck to the other, I began creating my own mason jar candle holders.

Without giving away too much, here is what I have so far.

Once upon a time, D and I were making a BBQ kabob dinner and we were garlic toast-less. I had some Naan bread in the freezer and it made me think of the BBQ'd pita bread my Mom used to make. I painted on some melted garlic butter and D slapped it on the grill.

It turned out heavenly. Crisp and full of awesome garlic flavor. It has now become one of our favourite side dishes.

Whenever I watch Food Network's "Chopped" I tend to get creative in the kitchen. Seeing the chefs on there add this and that to create wonderfully balanced dishes inspires me to pretend I can do the same. Because of that, I managed to once make a Fruit Punch Juice Box Vinaigrette and my own version of a Honey BBQ sauce. Simple, yet complex. For an Un-domestic Goddess, anyways.

Last night I decided to add some parmesan cheese to our grilled Naan bread, and the outcome was CRAZY! Tasted just like Crazy Bread from Little Caesar's Pizza. Yum.



Paired along with these kick ass steaks we discovered from Walmart, D and I feel like Grill King and Queen.

And we ate, happily ever after.

I am officially creeped out by a plant. I think there is a possibility that the plant Gods have decided to take their revenge on a plant killer known as, Me.

AJ received a magic bean plant for her birthday from my brother and his family. It is actually the coolest little thing, or so I thought until today. This magic bean plant comes in a pop can type container and is easy to take care of.

For most people at least.

This is a photo of the plant from a couple weeks ago:

Awesome, right?

Now, this is the plant as it is today:

Even awesome-r, no?

It is absolutely wonderful to see AJ's magic plant grow so nicely.

Here is where the creepiness comes in:

AJ is having a snooze on the couch beside me and there are so many things I could do right now. Read a book, watch a soap opera, bake muffins or (gasp) have a nap too! Endless possibilities.

So what am I doing? Yes, I am writing a blog post, but I also just finished watching Imagination Movers. I actually got myself a bowl of veggie straws and settled in to watch a kids' show. One may wonder why on Earth I would do such a thing, right?

• Scott  - a teacher of 10 years who also holds an undergraduate in Religious Studies created the original thought for the show. 
• Dave - was part of the design team for the New Orleans Saint's practice facilities and he lost his house in Hurricane Katrina.
• Rich - a past journalist also lost his house during Katrina and is the father of five kids. 
• Smitty -  a former firefighter who was part of search and rescue efforts in the Katrina aftermath. 

I am putting myself on the pre-wedding Sweepa workout.

I pulled out the old Sweepa broom that D and I purchased last year at the Stamped, and totally forgot what a workout it gives. Not only is it superior in picking up all the little grains of sand that now cling to our laminate floors, but it gives the arms a run for their money.

Because you have to work a little harder than you might when using a regular bristol broom to sweep, you find yourself toning and shaping your biceps. For real. I feel like I just spent hundreds of dollars on a personal trainer and hours at the gym.

I have now begun thinking about all the housework duties that I do each day and how they can help with my "I must look good in a wedding dress" diet. If I put a little more effort into my actions, combined with the Body Vi Shakes, and daily walks, I should reach my goal in no time!

Ok, AJ! Go out and play in the sandbox for a while, and don't worry about bringing sand in the house anymore. Mommy wants to workout without having to go to the gym with all those skinny *beeps*.

Today begins the 365 day countdown to my wedding. No, I am not marrying myself. D and I have agreed that this is MY wedding, as he has been there done that. He has confirmed that he will show up and I can worry about the details.

Although, he did say he wanted to wear an orange tux a la Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber.


Funny enough, I have agreed to it. As long as it is not such a Creamsicle orange and matched the darker orange of the wedding colors. As much I love the idea of a traditional wedding, I also want to add splashes of uniqueness and just have some FUN!

So ...... here we go!

In reference to my last post, no I have not lost my un-domestic-ness. I had a complete un-domestic Goddess moment today.

I was making my famous fried chicken for dinner, which was going to be accompanied by green beans, carrots and rice. I bought myself a really great steamer/rice cooker when AJ was starting on solids, and with it I was able to make her homemade baby food, as well as easily cook rice. I have used it many times for rice and it actually comes out nicely.

Until tonight.

I began by measuring out 2.5 cups of long grain white rice and then added 5 cups of water. I usually don't add that much water as I prefer a sticker rice, but alas, I was zombied out and not paying attention. I ended up with mushy wet rice. Not cool in my books.

(I also opened the lid a number of times to check it and have since read that doing such a thing can most definitely aid in making your rice mushy.)

So, what was my first thought? I'll just add more rice to soak up some of the water! I only had a bag of brown rice left, so I not so gracefully poured some of that in. What was I thinking??? Would this actually work? Probably not.

I started up the old Google machine and did a little research. It was nice to see others with the same issue as me, although not one solution mentioned adding more rice. Yikes. I took a little scoop from the cooker and yeah ... Ramsey would have my ass for this.

I put the rice in file 13 and decided to start over with just the brown rice. I was feeling lucky that D was running late and I had time to give this another shot.

How did it turn out you ask? Not sure. I will let you know tomorrow, as we were done eating by the time it was cooked.

I am concerned that I am beginning to lose my un-domestic-ness. For most, this would be a good thing, but I like that aspect about me. I feel it makes me unique and just .... me.

And it forces me to realize that I am a grown-up.

I have been spending a better part of the last 34 years trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow-up, and here I am! All grown up with a family, a house and a career path that changes often, but yet is following a trail.

I started to question my un-domestic Goddess status last week when D made the comment that I am getting good at cooking. I made a kick ass pizza and the next day made an awesome beef and noodle thingy.

Then it really hit me today when I was gardening, for the first time in my life, and .... wait for it .....

I really enjoyed myself!

Can you believe it? Me, Leah, likes to garden!

I still wear latex gloves plus yellow rubber gloves and cry when I clean the toilet, I still make the oven smoke when I cook, and I still let my bookshelf get dusty, but maybe I am more of a domestic Goddess than I give myself credit for. Maybe my talents are shifting a bit.

I am still a Goddess either way.

Me. I have the whitest legs in the world. I can't deny it, as I can't hide it and believe me I have tried.

I was lucky enough (not really) to inherit lily white english skin from my Dad's side of the family. Because of this, I can have some trouble with good old Mr. Sun. In the big picture of things, it is not so bad, as I tend to shy away from tanning and basking in the Sun's rays and I like to think my skin is happier due to that. But when you temporarily blind people with the whiteness of your legs, you often wish they would just tan already!

I could sit out in the direct sun with tanning oil on my legs and they would only get a heat rash and burn. Actually, I can't recall my legs ever changing color when the rest of me had burnt to a crisp on occasion.

Oh wait, I do remember one time that I managed to achieve tanned legs. Mom and I got spray tans before a trip to Vegas about eight ish years ago. Wow .... were we ever tanned!

After leaving the tanning salon in Beaumont we stopped by Auntie Tracey's house to show off our bronzed skinned. The kids were scared of us. Seriously, ask them. We looked like Natives form the Australian Outback, and both of us having bright green eyes did not help. I think we even scared ourselves!

We showered to get the excess colour off and felt pretty good about the tans we achieved. We were ready for vacation! Off we went to Las Vegas with beautiful sprayed on tans.

We weren't the only ones who ended up brown though.  Our clothes joined us. The tan was rubbing off onto our clothes and adding little accents of brown. Not only that, but you have no idea how freaky it is to shower and see coloured water running down the drain. And that was days after being sprayed. Worst idea we had in a long time.

I have tried different tanning creams, but for some reason they just don't work well or I end up with the dreaded streaks. I gave up and waved the white flag to not having tanned legs.

Yes, pun intended.

A couple weeks ago, D came across a website that sends you free samples of products. FREE! Being the thrifty guy that he is, he signed up and a week later an awesome package full of FREE samples appeared in our mailbox. We got a toothbrush, toothpaste, a granola bar, little tabs of dishwasher soap, a razor, sample sized shampoo and conditioner and Jergen's Natural Glow lotion.

Now that I had to try.

I am on my second day of using it and I actually see a difference! It is not meant to darken your skin right away, but has a more gradual effect, which works for me. I just wish it smelled better.

But it appears that this girl shall have tanned legs for the first time in years! I can already tell that this will be the best summer ever!

B asked me to make cupcakes for her birthday party. I double, then triple checked that she was certain, and in fact she was.

I was out of oil, so I substituted it with sour cream. Quite proud of myself on that one.

With a little help from my friend, Stella, I made some pretty kick ass cupcakes! No smoke, no fires and they all came out of the pan! Gotta love baking cups :)