I just joined Live Below the Line.  My end goal is to not only bring awareness to this type of hunger but to bring a true reality to how people live in everyday life.  Most people don't know how it really is to live on such little money.  For the most part I do.  When first starting out on my own, making very little money and raising 4 kids. Most people though I was crazy and thought I had financial help.  I didn't and made everything work to the best that I could.  This is going to be even harder than that.  I now have a family of 7.  I'm not going to ask my family to do this with me but it will be a good example of how hard it's going to be and see others eating well and thriving and me myself working for the next meal..

Find the time

     Finding the time for ones self is not as easy and someone may think.  You have 20billion activities to do and that doesn't even include your real life chores and responsibilities.  5:30am wake up oldest son to only have to and get him up 20 minutes later. 7am wake up three more children and getting them fed, their chores done before getting them off to school.  Getting husband up fed and a little quiet time before getting him off to work.  This doesn't even include out baby that is up almost every hour from about midnight.  Poor baby is teething.  Being home isn't always fun. In fact it isn't, other than having my little one with me.  You have no time between; cleaning, washing clothes, dishes, nursing a teething baby, finding extra dirty clothes by smelling your way through the house.  If i have the time to do anything it's searching lists for potential jobs and looking for daycare for my son.  In which i may add my internal dislike regarding the cost vs. pay rate for jobs.  It amazes me how anyone can work with children on their own or without help.  A mom must work to pay for childcare alone.  I wonder how they eat at all.  Thank goodness for coupons i guess.  In reality, when all is said and done I love coupons, saving money and finding time to not only spend time with my boys but to find and spend time with my love too.  If somewhere in there I find a little time for myself that's cool.  But mostly my time is spent cooking and cooking with my kids.  The most fun is doing something with them that they would have never thought they would see you do.  Like go down a slide.  :)

Knitting Tradtions

Last night one of my little guys started hounding about knitting. I just learned and have been telling him that i need to learn first. I suggested before that he needs to finish croxheting his scarf first. Well i didn't know it but the little fuy finished it a few days ago :/ he picked it up waaaay to fast. I'm jealous. I didn't even get to spend 5min with him on his new scarf that he's now knitting and he had it down. I hope he finds it as relaxing as I do.
On the cooking side of things. It turns out that I have a neighbor that works for a food distributor. We got to chatting and she handed over some sample loot. SCORE!! It was nice to hear her say that she smells all the awesome food that I cook. That was so nice. Last night my fiance made Turkey chile verde over rice. The nihht before my some went to his Ggpas to learn how to make a turkey. Which was awesome.!! This morning i ended up making flour tortillas for our turkey verde enchiladas. Yummy if I do say so.

On to the next project. Getting myself and my newborn better from our colds. :( Keep cooking ladies or Get Your kids in the kitchen.

I must be nesting?...Wait!...What!?

Well, this morning started out with last night. I didn't make it to bed and down for the count until 2:30. I was up bright eye and bushy tailed at 5:30. Woke up my son for our Saturday right in the freezing air. Went grocery shopping and back home before anyone was out of bed. House was cleaned and I was pulling out my first batch of oatmeal cookies. How come things never taste as food as your moms cooking or you grandmothers cooking. My biys still enjoyed them. As always as they came out of the oven. And yes, I got war wounds. I burned myself :(.
Well, for now the day is half way through. Two of my cookies eaters are up from their nap. Two are cown for their nap and my oldest is at Ggpas house learning how to cook a turkey. I love cooking and am soooo happy that My fiance encourages me everyday. Love that man.
O, and I'm not pregnant. For some reason I got a lot done this morning.

Mixing the fibers

     I would have never thought that I was missing something with all the my life has found.  For Christmas my fiance registered me for a knitting class.  I guess he got tired of hearing me everytime we went ing the shop for yarn. I don't know how to knit.  I should learn one day.  Well I did.!!  The class was given by the new owner of Knit this Pearl that, in Pleasanton.  She was so patient and kind.  She told us a bit of her knitting story.  Some day.  That's all I got to say.  I knitted my first scarf and lost it once I got home.  Talk about heart breaking.  Ian(my fiance) rode out in the rain looking for it.  He's such Knight.. Well, it turned out that I did such a great job on it that one of my cats wanted it.  I'm just glad they didn't eat it..
     On to the next project...........

Pancakes and protests

     Well today I got woken up with my three younger boys arguing about who did what first.  I still don't know and really they have been at each other the past few days.  Its to the point that they are just not making things fun for them selves.So what did I do.  Its probably something people wouldn't do in their situations but I needed to save some sanity.  I had them read while I made them Chocolate and Spiced pancakes.  Is that bad.?  Well I don't know and don't really care.  They all loved them and it seemed to smooth things over for them enough to play with each other again and that's all i really care about.
     I remember when I was growing up I loved my brother.  We did everything together and went everywhere with one another...  I guess I can still hope that they will one day be able to be really comfortable with their selves that they can participate in everyday life and include each other.

In case you are wondering about my pancakes well here it is.  I'm a Hobo of cooks.  I make do with what ever I have and make it work.

Chocolate oatmeal pancakes
     hand fulls of oatmeal
     flour
     cocoa powder
     sugar
     water
Mix it all together until it's barely thick and still watery

Pumpkin oatmeal pancakes
made the same way but instead of cocoa powder i add Instant pudding mix.  Just the powder.  No eggs or mild.

Have fun while you cook

New start

Everyday can be a new start for anyone.  I just picked today to get over everything and make some time for myself.

     Everyone know that when summer comes along children are home for the most part.  I've have been going crazy with doctor appointments left and right.  Even with the help of my phone i tend to forget an appointment here and there.  I do remember when the alarm goes off though.  :)  I love have my boys home but with being 5 months 3weeks pregnant and hungry all the time its hard to make a good choice of what to make to eat to satisfy everyone.  Its a good thing that as long as they get to help cooking here and there they are at least happy to try it..  on todays lunch menu is Pho.  I had to cheat a bit on the seasonings but its all me "Pho"  All me as a throw together.  Of course those are the meals that they ave about but i tend to not write down the recipes and do it by memory..