hello May

Sorry April, it's nothing personal, but I'm sort of glad you're gone for the year. I know I can't realistically blame it on you, but I pretty much spent your entire existence this year in a funk. I was busier than ever, and yet felt less accomplished than ever. Like I said, I know it's not your fault, but nonetheless, I'm glad your successor has finally arrived so I can get a fresh start. Again.

So May, here's what I need from you--help me stay focused. Focus, focus, focus. On one or two projects per day...not ten or twelve. Thank you.

*****
I have deemed May 1st a success. The focus: cooking.

First up was a new batch of laundry detergent. :)

And then I tried a new soup recipe. (Which allowed me to put another check on my 50x50 list. I made a double batch so that Rich could take it for lunch much of the week and I could freeze a big container of it for Rich's Mom. She is going to be having hip replacement surgery in two weeks. As much as I wish I could go stay with her to help her out afterward, I just can't. It's a 6-hour drive to her place and I obviously can't leave the kiddos. But I figured one little thing I could do to make her life a wee bit easier was cook up and freeze a bunch of meals for her so she wouldn't have to worry so much about cooking in those weeks after her surgery. Rich is going to head down the weekend before her surgery to help her get some things done, and he can deliver the food then.

Anyway, 3 Bean Soup:

Super-duper easy. And Rich absolutely loved it!

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps olive or canola oil
1 16-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16-oz can vegetarian refried beans
1 14.5-oz can vegetable broth
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 16-oz jar salsa
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

Saute the onion, garlic, and green pepper in the oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

See, told you it was easy. :) Rich had the soup for lunch, and the kids and I finished up some leftovers in the fridge.

Next up was a huge batch of spaghetti sauce. A big container for Rich's mom. Plus enough for Rich's dinner last night, and some night in the future. (It was meat sauce so the kiddos and I couldn't eat it.)

Then a double batch of pancakes...for our dinner with enough left over to freeze for future breakfasts.

Finally, chocolate chunk cookies for this weeks lunches, after school snacks, etc.

(Okay, so maybe that doesn't sound like a lot, but of course, there's still all the everyday stuff--laundry, kid stuff, etc.--that has to be done daily, so I have to say that all-in-all I'm happy with the day's accomplishments. And today's focus shall be "pictures.")