Recipes for Today's Working Woman

Hey Everyone!

Been working on my recipes blog. Take a look at some of the latest entries at:

http://todaysworkingwomanrecipes.blogspot.com/

I hope you all love what I sharing as much as I love what I am eating! Remember these recipes are for couples or singles because I am out to prove that you can make great meals for two or less for very little money!

Buon Appetito!

From Signature

A Sunday Drive

I remember when I was younger, I would get in the car with Mom and Dad on Sundays and go for a drive. Typically we would go and look a one of Dad's jobs and then drive around the countryside with no particular destination. Sometimes I would bring a book to read, but most of the time, I would sit in the backseat and hope I wouldn't get car sick.

My husband and I went for a Sunday drive. We really needed it too. This is Memorial Day weekend...three days off! Well, the first day of our lovely three day weekend was rained out. It was cold, wet and windy. Blah...

Our destination today was Petaluma, CA. We were in search of bread, cheese and cows. After a quick stop for gas, we noodled our way to downtown Petaluma to find Della Fattoria, our first find of the day. It is a small establishment and very crowded on this Sunday mid-morning. In search of bread, we made our way to the back and found a small selection of fresh made and very crusty looking breads. Selecting a baguette and a loaf, we paid and left. It was just too crowded for our taste.

We walked around the area for a bit and found another establishment called Petaluma Pies. Inside we found really tiny pies for way too much money and left.

After a quick pitstop, we headed to our car, and drove off through the historical area of Petaluma, looking at all the beautiful Victorian homes. Some were so fantastic,while others were in need of repair. One actually was being restored. After driving around a bit, we found the Petaluma Creamery and cheese.

My husband loves cheese curds and that is exactly what we came for. As for me...well, I found something I was looking for but never expected to find it at the Creamery...Snapple Pink Lemonade!!! Picked up two bottles, five pounds of curds, some Old World Portuguese Cheese and some organic butter. Spent quite alot of money but well worth it.

Afterwards, we headed out again to see if we could find Spring Hill Cheese's farm. Found it...but wasn't sure if it was open so kept on going to the coast. We weren't that far by this point anyway. A few minutes later we were in Tomales and after a quick side trip to Nick's Cove & Cottages (and a moment or two of car sickness...a word of warning...this part of Hwy 1 is really curvy), we were back on track to Bodega Bay and my favorite fish 'n' chips place. It was really crowded, but well worth it.

A hundred miles later and we were home with our treasures and a great memory of a Sunday Drive.

With love this Memorial Day Weekend,

From Signature

Frustrations

When life takes hold of you and you are feeling frustrated, then it's time to step back and take a look at the problem from a different angle.

So what is it really? Is your subconscious trying to tell you something? Or is it God trying to tell you something? Listen...listen intently because you'll hear the answer.

Life is frustrating. Don't let it get you down, don't get complacent, and above all, don't obsess over it. The answers are there.

From Signature

Implosion

What is wrong? Life just feels like it is spinning out of control and ready to implode. Bad things happen, usually in triplicate. ENOUGH!

So do you feel like this?

You're not alone.

What do you do...hunker down and rely on your family, near and far. They love you no matter what else.

Dad, thank you for listening and for caring and for loving me. Ma, thank you for being there no matter what. I'm sorry you're in such pain, but know we'll get thru all of this. Feels like everything is spinning out of control doesn't it? But parents love their children unconditionally. They will do anything to help us, whether we ask for help or not. Love you both so much.

Mother Dusterhoft, you have always been on my mind. I hope you are not suffering anymore. Rest in peace.

My prayer is that the family of three will band together and strengthen the ties that have unraveled a bit. Your spouses love you all so much.


"That which does not kill us will make us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche

From Signature

All In A Day's Work

When you're a working woman, life can be a little rough. There is always something to do whether it be home, family or work. Constant pressure surrounds us and it's no wonder we feel like running away from it all.

Let's see if this sounds like a typical day for you:

I get up, take a shower and get dressed. Check my email and facebook accounts. If there's time, I look at a few other sites that I have been following. Then I grab my lunch from the refrigerator (if I remember to prepare it the night before) and then rush to the car and off to work I go.

Then it's fight the traffic, park the car and walk the 4-5 blocks to just get to my office (I hate this part!) and then I'm there at work for what seems like forever.

Spend the next nine hours taking care of other people's needs and wants, then it's off to the parking structure and race home again.

Once home, I have to figure out what's for dinner, prepare it or go get it and then it's time for checking email and facebook again, plus do whatever else I need to do that evening, all before 8:30pm.

Then it's time to get ready for bed so we can start this dog 'n' pony show all over again.

Are you exhausted yet? It's like this five days a week. The weekends are only slightly different.

"When do I get a little me time?", you ask.

Don't know, but maybe you should light a candle and hope for a little relief...

From Signature

Is It Summer Yet?

It's Saturday and I so want Summer to be here. But today, it's cold and the sky is a grey overcast with the hint of a storm on the way. It's May 14th...where is the sun and the warm weather?

I feel like bundling up in some nice comfy warm clothes or at least cover up with a big, fluffy down comforter and taking a nap.

I desperately need to:

• get into my garden and clean it up



• houseclean my room and get rid of some stuff



• post some things to my blog



• write a few articles

but the truth is...I don't feel like it because it feels like winter, again.

It's going to rain tonight.

Really...

...rain

...REALLY!!!

I give up...

...but just for today.

Maybe there's hope of Summer for tomorrow...

Update...It's still cold. In fact, it is suppose to be cold and rainy thru Tuesday. Oh well...maybe next weekend...

From Signature

Mother's Day 2011

Today is Mother's Day, 2011. My mom is over 2,000 miles away. The last eight months have been a difficult time for me. My mom suffered a heart attach for which she has since made a miraculous recover. (She's sustained no permanent damaged to her heart.) However, in recent weeks, she has been experiencing some excrutiating back pain and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis.

With this lastest development, I have to stop and re-examine my own life and wonder if my moving away was the right thing to do. I have missed out on years of her life, as well as the rest of my family's lives. I have not been there physically for her, but I have been there for her in spirit as well as by phone.

As children we grow up in the safety and comfort of our family. We have dreams and desires. When we grow up, we want to spread our wings and discover the world around us. We take what our parents have taught us and hope it will be a strong foundation for our own life.

Let it be know that the hardest job in the world is that of a parent, and most of all, being a mom is, by far, the hardest job of all. I appreciate everything that my mom has ever done for me and for our family. Here's why:

My mom worked in the office of our family's business (the office was in our home), she raised two children, kept an amazingly clean house and had dinner on the table every weeknight at 5pm like clockwork.

She never went to bed with a dirty dish in the sink. She washed the sheets every week, mopped the floors, vacuumed and dusted, picked me up from school when I stayed after for Spanish Club and went to my sports games during grade school even though I wasn't any good.

Mom took care of our both our dogs (we had two dachshunds), did the weekly grocery shopping, washed, dryed and ironed all of our clothes, picked up after us, took us to the doctor when we were sick, and did all the packing for our yearly trips to Florida.

She took me shopping for all my school clothes, bought my first guitar and paid for my lessons. She stayed up and waited for me to come home when I was late. She let me hide out in my room on my days off from school when my brother had to get up and go to school. She let me stay home by myself when I didn't want to go out with her and dad.

She let me go away to school, bought my wedding dress and helped me plan my wedding, all the while knowing that I was going to move away. She has supported me in almost everything that I do, even though I know that she secretly wishes that I never moved away.

So on this day, Mother's Day, I want to send my mom loving wishes, even though we are far apart. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about you.

From Signature