Simple Butter Drop Biscuits

****I don't know about you, but I myself absolutely love buttery crumbly biscuits with my sausage pepper gravy and this recipe is the best for it.***

You will need: 

• 1/2 cup butter (I like to use cold and shred it in with cheese grater) 
• 2 cups AP Flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4cup + 2 tbs milk (can use any kind, I've even used Almond milk) 
• 1 egg (beaten)

Steps to yumminess:

• Preheat oven to 450*F
• Grease cast iron, small baking sheet with parchment or round cake pan. (if using for biscuits with sausage gravy I recommend bacon grease it is awesome!) 
• Combine dry ingredients, shred or cut in butter until looks like a coarse meal, if you work fast you can do it with a fork first and then fully incorporate with your fingers (please wash and dry first rinse in cold to cool hands) 
• SLOWLY add milk while stirring. 
• Form into a round (lumps lol) and put close together in the pan, I like to make a kind of flower shape for it. ((See picture above))

Brush tops with beaten egg and bake for 12 minutes or until browned and baked through. 

**Tip* You may want to keep milk handy to moisten dough a little more if it seems dry, this will help them crumble a little less if you want to use them to have sandwiches or if you enjoy them like I do with a little honey or fresh fruit jam* 

This is also a great recipe to let kids make, just measure out the ingredients if they are under 7 and let them mix as the recipe states. If older than 7 supervise them measuring themselves to give them the practice. 

English Muffin Bread

To make this AWESOME toasting bread you will need:

• 1 tbs Honey 
• 1/4 tsp. Baking powder
• 5 1/2 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt (if using table salt use 1 1/4 tsp) 
• 2 tbs yeast
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup water (warmed) 

{Butter and cornmeal to grease and coat loaf pans)


Steps:

• Mix yeast, honey, and water and set aside. (don't let sit too long) 
• 
  
• Stir salt, baking powder, and flour together.
• 
  
• Add milk and 1 cup of the flour mixture to yeast mix, blend well and continue to add flour mixture until you have a soft sticky dough. 
• 
  
• Spoon into two loaf pans and set someplace warm and moist until doubled in size, (30-45 minutes) 
• Preheat oven to 425*F, sprinkle tops of loaves with cornmeal and bake 15-20 minutes. The loaves will be browned and sound hollow when tapped. 

Let cool COMPLETELY before slicing and toasting! Enjoy !!!!

*************************************

This bread is a family favorite and we tend to go through it quite quickly, my suggestion is to double the recipe or make an afternoon of this with the kids because it freezes really well if you wrap it twice in plastic then in aluminum foil. 

Being Scared of the World, While being a MOM!

Hi, if you are reading this that must mean the boredom and need to stay busy has gotten to you and you have stumbled across my wonderous blog. If that is the case then...WELCOME!!! If you are a follower or a fan thanks for sticking around during this crazy time in the world!

If any of you are like me then you are also a parent at home with kids that would normally be in school during the day so things may be a little out of whack for you! Well, guess what...

THAT IS OKAY!

The world is super crazy and scary right now and not having it all together is the kind of thing we all have in common right now. There are so many people who are trying their hardest to be teachers, improvisational cooks, keep the house in order and make sure that everyone is keeping up on their hygiene. It is hard, especially with so much fear and uncertainty in our futures. We need to stop pushing our selves to keep the same schedules and to-do lists and embrace the looser side of the days.

Are you someone who likes to make lists and cross off everything as you do it? Instead of making a new list each day, make one big list broken into three parts.

In this section, you want to write down the big things to get done before the month is over. This could be writing up your meal plan and shopping list for the following month, cleaning out a closet, reorganizing a room in your home, etc. These are items you can be a little lax on and leaves time for ...

In this section, you'll put things like laundry, changing bed sheets, cleaning out the refrigerator, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. These are things that you want to keep up on a little bit more for hygiene reasons and of course so you can keep up with what you may have stored behind that jar of jam or gallon of milk at the bottom of your fridge! (I know I myself am not a fan of finding that leftover pot roast or chicken soup several weeks later when it has developed it's own islands of mold and bacteria residents lol)

This is the section that will change the most and if you use a whiteboard like I do that makes it much easier to change when you need to. Right now I have small boards for the kids to put their personal to-do lists on and one large one in the kitchen we use for the menu of the day and most other notes. Here you can put things like, work on schoolwork, dishes, prep meals, bake something, and if you want to do smaller lists for the kids and designate a set time for the lists to be checked off, then you can put things like, make beds, get dressed, brush teeth, set table, pick up toys, read two books, etc. Make them quick chores and tasks so that there is still time to be together and reassure them that together you can get through this time.


I am still working on my board for the next month as this one is pretty much over. I will post that picture with my blog post on Tuesday to bring us into April. Tune in then to see how I played it out and use some of your own creativity and I would love to see yours!

Now comes my biggest TIP/SECRET/IDEA THAT WORKS FOR ME:

Take one day and do NOT make a list for that day. Take that day off, spend it with the kids doing fun stuff they choose to do, let them pick dinner that day, make a fun snack, stay in pj's and cuddle watching movies on Disney+, Hulu, Netflix or any other streaming service you might have.

**side note, I will be making a post about some fun shows and movies I discovered when I ran out of things on the DVR to watch** Should be fun! 

But anyway, take a day to just have fun and try to enjoy the togetherness you can get with your family that life usually doesn't give us a moment for like we would like. It is ok to be afraid of what's to come and what has already happened. It is ok to feel overwhelmed and like you cannot seem to stay on track. DO NOT be hard on yourself. (trust me I know from first-hand experience this does NOT help anything lol) be kind to yourselves and others. We need kindness more than anything right now in the world. I hope this helps you a little bit or at least gives you something new to try to keep some of the sanity at this time.

See you again soon! Keep reading and we will keep living! <3 

Self Care Through Journaling

While clicking through the internet not too long ago I came across a post that gave me 25 different journal prompts for Self Care. This inspired me to rethink the way I write since I have been suffering from some writer's block and not really been in the mood to continue on with the pieces I was previously working on.

So today I am going to share the first prompt, what I wrote and how it made me feel about myself after writing it.

Prompt 1: What are 10 things you are good at?

For me, it was a little tough coming up with TEN things that I am good at so I figured this was a good time to really sit and think about the things that I do that I am proud of and feel like I am good at no matter how small it was. After taking a night to stew on the question I made a list and decided to just write about that particular list.

The first thing that I am good at is taking care of my children! Making sure they are happy, healthy and safe is what I am really the best at in my own mind at least. (I like to think that they would agree)
Two, I am good at coordinating outfits for people. I can put together outfits from anyone's closet and they are always pretty good (having three kids with different styles helps).

Three, I am good at taking pictures. I love to take them all the time because why not remember as many moments as possible when I am older. I love taking pictures of pretty much anything but there is always a reason for it. I figure if I get old and start to forget these pictures will be a way to remind myself of the times I want to remember.
Fourth, I am good at organizing and color-coding. I like to put things in order, there is a sense of satisfaction at seeing things all lined up and neatly put in place!
Fifth, I am good at sparking up conversations with random people. I do have a lot of anxiety, HOWEVER, if I find something that sparks a compliment or that makes me smile I tend to speak up about it. I just can't help myself sometimes and that is okay, I think everyone should be able to say when something makes them happy with no shame.
Sixth, I am a good cook. I love trying new recipes, buying new spices, and trying to convince the kids to explore new things in the kitchen as well. I have found ways to sneak in the "good for you " stuff into their favorite dishes so I know they are getting what they need out of every meal!
Seventh, I am good at crafting. I am good at finding ways to use just about anything for making art. Upcycling things and getting supplies from places like (dollartree.com) and (walmart.com) I can make just about anything I want for gifts, household use or even just fun holiday decorating.

Eighth, I am good at multitasking, even right now I am doing about four different things while writing this particular post. I have a great ability to do many things at one time with the most ease.  I probably do it more than I should but it comes in handy when you have more than one child, a really great significant other and a household to keep in order.
Ninth, I am good at listening to others, I love to listen to those I love, friends, family, when anyone really talks about things they love. I also like to hear their sorrows and be a shoulder if they need me to be.

So now we are at the final thing of the ten, this one I feel is the most important, its the one thing that should really be on every single one of your lists should you choose to make one about what YOU are good at...this final thing is...I AM GOOD AT BEING ME! There is really nothing more important than that. No one else could be the fun, quirky, purple-haired, rainbow glasses-wearing, weirdo that I myself have become from the years of life I have lived!

Honestly writing this piece about myself was very therapeutic. It helped me to spend a lot of time thinking about the positives that make up who I am. This is quite the opposite of how I spend most of my days ( I am working improving on this in many ways this year). This self-care journaling is just a small part of what I hope is improving my life and its quality.

If you would like more information about these prompts, send me a comment and I can tell you more. I plan to do prompt writing again in a future post as well. Stay tuned and keep reading.

Mid-Month Reboot

So it seems like the weather can really mess enough stuff up to throw someone like me off track for all the things I was into. Snow days with the kids home and canceled things that I was going to do because trying to do them in the yucky weather was NOT going to be easy.  I did use those days to catch up on the housework and to make a big dent in the things I wanted to get going on this year though.

One of the newest additions to my routine is TEA! I have found some awesome ones and I love them. If you are a lover of tea you have to try Yogi brand teas. Head on over to https://yogiproducts.com/ and check out their story and all the available flavors. Maybe even you will find the perfect one for what you need! A fun bonus is that each tea bag comes with a little touch of inspiration to get you through the day!

Since I am also trying to find things that my body and system can tolerate better I have also switched to Lactose-Free kinds of milk. I have been trying different ones to see which is my favorite, so far the one that is the best tasting is Fairlife Fat-Free Ultrafiltered Milk ( https://fairlife.com ) which has been wonderful at making sure those uncomfortable side effects I have from drinking milk are a thing of the past!

Another thing of the past, the fight between vegetables and the kids. I have found several new recipes and fun ways to get the kids to choose at least one vegetable they love and still try ones they may not be as happy about eating. I still have to give a little incentive to get them to try more than one bite/piece of whatever offensive vegetable is on their plates but I think "baby steps" are a good place to start!

Now as the month is looming closer to the end I am closer to being on track. This week I have been able to keep up with certain things like laundry, grocery shopping, taking my vitamins, and even slipping in some workouts here and there to keep on track with my weight loss goals!

I would have to say the first month of this year while being a little bit bumpy, is definitely off to a good start and I cannot wait to see how my next goals pan out!

Thanks for listening and reading! More to come soon!

Short Term Goals toward Big Changes

So here I am at the end of my weekend on Sunday afternoon, the TV playing the Seahawks vs. Eagles, me at my desk while my favorite guy yells and cheers on his team in hopes of them winning this game and making it that much closer to the big one. It's the beginning of the first week back to our normally scheduled life. We will be back to school for the kiddos, back to work for my love, and back to maintaining the household for me! Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to it and I am super happy to implement some new changes into my daily tasks. Today is actually the third day of doing some new things in my life, I have started planning out when during the week I would like to do certain things, such as meditation, drinking more water, and writing this blogpost!

So tomorrow starts a new week, a new adventure and several new chances for small steps to big things! Since I have so much to be excited about doing I plan to enjoy my night, finish watching a movie with my love and head to bed to get some good rest! I hope you all enjoy or have enjoyed your weekend and have a super week ahead! 

Goodnight and keep reading! 💚

A New Year but not a New Me

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, welcome to 2020 and thanks for reading along. 

I know most of the time when the year starts the internet and real-world are covered in "Resolutions" that we all start promising we are going to stick to. However, you will not find those here. I have decided that this year I am just going to continue doing what I started to do in 2019. There is no reason for me to say "New Year, New Me" I don't want a new me, I kinda like me the way I am, I am loved for me why change that. 

Now don't get me wrong I do not mean that I don't think there are things about myself that could use some tweaking, I would love to go down a pants size (or 4) so I have already started eating better, exercising more, and making all-around healthier choices for myself and my family.

That was something we started before the holiday season tempted our sweet cravings, so I plan to continue that. I also plan to work on my mental health. I have done research, planning and implementing of things into my life that helps with that already (otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it through the holidays quite as easily).  

Something I found that helps with my particular issues 
*(if you would like to know more about mine leave a comment) is staying organized and having my home as in order as possible. ORGANIZING is KEY for me! I have working on finding thrift shop finds and free items from friends and neighbors as often as I can because it makes it WAY easier to organize when you have a place for EVERYTHING!  (There will be a post about some of my finds and what I used them for coming up later this month) Just implementing a few changes here and there in our life has made a huge difference in how my mental health impacts my day to day routine. 

Another change I made last year was trying new things. That extended to making new friends, going to new places, eating new foods, and doing things I would have once hesitated to try. This year will be filled with more of that. I will continue to put myself out there and say yes to opportunities that are presented to me with less fear and more ambition! I will do things I have always wanted to, and I will finally cross off a few more things from my bucket list. 

That also ties into me keeping track of my days and making memories with my family. More photos, more crafting, more reading, more time together because it is so very precious right now in the world we live in. The kids have been growing so much and it so hard sometimes to realize just how independent they are all becoming. I suppose I nurture that by finding ways for them to make decisions in our home, holding them accountable for their actions and chores, and making sure they always know how they feel matters. I want them to grow up knowing they are loved. That is really my only goal in life! I want those I love to be happy and know how much they are loved. That extends to my friends, my family (near and far) and even strangers because with the way the world is we need as much love out there as is possible. 

So now you know what my plan is for this year, I would love to hear what your plan is. If you don't have a plan and that works for you then that is okay too. For me, a plan works best and I wish you all the best! 

Coming up this year here @Making it Work Together, we will visit bucket lists, crafting, organizing, mental health, and what works in my house for our family's particular needs! If there is something you would love to see, please feel free to leave a comment! 

Happy Living! - MomentofMom 

Self Care and other Adult Decisions

After a much-needed break to get my world around me in order, I am now back and ready to rock life to its fullest. Its been a rough last year. We've since moved to a new bigger and nicer apartment, my guy is doing well and working from home which is pretty great! Now we live closer to my kiddos so that makes my mental health certainly feel much better than it used to. I am becoming more organized and keeping up on things so that they don't end up overwhelming and even harder to maintain. Over this past year, I have made goals that haven't panned out the way I had hoped but I have re-set my goals since and re-adjusted my strategies so that I can feel more successful and on track each day. Which is way better for my mental health since I thrive on schedules and organized days. It is one of the reasons I have To Do apps on my phone and make a plethora of lists throughout the weeks for all kinds of things. 

I have also started making smarter adult decisions about my own care as well as my family's. I have learned the hard way that if I do not take care of my own needs and listen to what my body and mind are trying to tell me, I WILL fall apart and have a hard time getting back on track with myself. To do this I have incorporated small silly things that keep me happy and able to cope more easily. 

To refuel my body and recenter I meditate, do some yoga, or take a nice hot bath. The hot bath is definitely something that helps my body, mind, and spirit because I can read, relax and even breathe in and feel all at peace. 

 Things that make me smile also help me cope, which is great because some of the things are simple and easy. I love to chew on ice, it helps my anxiety and it is something that helps me through my frustrations. I love to play games with the kids, it keeps my mind busy so my racing thoughts and depression don't have time to take over. I like to clean when I have the energy. It helps me stay organized and being organized helps my OCD, my possible autism, as well as all the other things my mind has going on. 


(As I progress more on this blog I plan to give you some insight into my mental health and maybe you will find somethings I say helps you with yours or someone else you may know.) 

Now as August came in full swing and the school year loomed close I became the super Mom I have always wanted to be. I set up a "back-to-school" order to be placed, I labeled the calendar with upcoming things to remember and made sure to communicate any things that may concern the children with my ex-husband. The kids and I came up with new house rules that I plan to put up somewhere we ALL can see and follow them. We have devised a new "chore-chart" that the kids have been blasting through and totally earning their "stars and hearts" to trade in for 10-mins each of game or screen time, or save up for prizes along the way. (15 of them and they can get a trip out for Froyo or shakes!).

In September the kids and I had some last day of summer vacation fun. We visited the waterfront near our house and had a picnic at the park before playing at the playground and exploring the shoreline for fun finds. After that, we stopped at the library and stocked up on books to do our daily reading.  Bags heavy with new books and movies we headed home and the kids helped me cook dinner. It was great.

Mid-month my daughter and I got to attend an Andy Grammer Concert to celebrate her 12th birthday! It was totally awesome! (and a SUPER big thank you to my wonderful guy who was the one that made it possible for us to go!) That month also brought paying for school pictures, the first dreaded "Fundraisers" and of course the almost weekly Scholastic flyers with tons of books my kids beg me to purchase. Always fun to try to sneak those flyers into the trash and post a link on social media hoping someone will order from my kid (even though some of the items I aSWEAR are overpriced versions of things I could find elsewhere!)

Now here we are nearing the end of October, Halloween just days away and the days starting darker and chillier. It's that time of year that has the air (and store shelves) filled with the scent of pumpkin spice and apple cider. The same two flavors can also be found in so many things on the shelves in the store as well, it is quite overwhelming and very amusing to see the things that they will flavor or scent like that! 
My youngest is now in a six-week karate class and my daughter has been bitten by the "sing ALL THE TIME" bug. The summer spoiled me and made me forget how busy a school year with children involved in various extra activities can be. One particular day had me stressing so much that the entire night before I was up making sure there wasn't anything I was going to forget. It had to also be a Monday of course which we all know has that funny way of causing us to dread it just upon its arrival. That particular Monday found me rushing to give my youngest a bath because his hair was being a particular pain in the "you know what", making sure he also had breakfast and that his sister got off on time with all she needed for the day. Then once he was off to school I had to run some errands at a few places before coming home and squeezing in some lunch and spot cleaning here and there because my weird brain keeps losing focus and worrying about making it to everything on time. Then before I know it school is over and it is on to bring the youngest to Karate for his update on his progress, then his actual class, then bring him back home before heading to his older sister's concert at school which happens to run so late that by the time we get home, it is dark, cold and I am very very hungry. I have to say though I was glad that my guy and I were able to make it to the show because my daughter was stoked we were there since her father decided he didn't want to go. Its a damn shame for her too because it bums her out that he is so uninvolved. I am glad that I try so hard to put them ahead of myself because the smiles and "thank you"s and "I love you"s make it all worth it! Now Halloween is just a few days away and it should be a fun week. Today starts their week of half days and conferences with their teachers. I was able to meal plan and made sure Thursday (Halloween) is a simple Pizza-Salad-Berry Cobbler** night. Tonight since it is just me and Mr. Wonderful tonight for dinner we are having roasted turkey thighs, garlic rice, and green beans! It should be a nice meal to end out a busy day of errand running, baking banana bread, and attending Karate class. I hope you enjoyed catching up with us and seeing what this new chapter has brought. Hope to hear from you all soon with ideas of topics you would love me to cover or anything you would love to read about! 
**If you ever would like a recipe for something mentioned in any of my posts just comment and I will send it your way!**

Time Flies, When You're Having FUN!

A full year in fact and I apologize for our absence. If you stuck around and are now seeing us again YAY! 

It is time for us to get back in the groove of things. We are starting back up during the preparations for school starting and the ending of the first two months of living in our new apartment! The past year has had some big changes for us. We moved, my guy now works from home so I see him way more, I now have a better custody arrangement and have gotten a lot more organized in many ways in my life! 

Now it is time for the summer fun to end and that wonderful time of year when the kids do all that great learning is upon us. It is time to send them back to school. (Or homeschool if that is what you do) Some students are already back in the habit and attending classes but I still have a couple weeks of fun with them before mine head back on the 4th of September. This school year I have one going into first grade, one into seventh, and one into tenth. That means all kinds of scheduling and making sure that all paperwork and school supplies are ready to go and that we get back on our school schedule with sleep and waking up. We have also been refreshing our memories with what we learned last year so that there isn't brain mush during the first week of school. 

Now coming up in the weeks ahead I will be giving tips, links, and recommendations for the things that help our life run smooth. Also since the holiday months will be upon us shortly I will be sharing some fun family favorite recipes and traditions that we love! 

We hope you will continue following along and maybe find something that helps you "Make it Work" in your own life! 

Summer is Here

Yep, you heard that right moms and dads out there, Summer is HERE! Which of course means....no school!




I am lucky that I can be home with them while they are out. I am lucky there are with me for a good portion of the summer as they are with Dad most of the year because of school.









HOWEVER, surviving the summer with kids wanting attention the ENTIRE day can run even the most even keeled mother ragged.









My children especially could stump a Pinterest mom with the need for entertainment and attention. Again lucky for me I AM a Pinterest mom and have a plethora of ideas the are spaced out over the summer to help us stay sane in the hot weather. Last week we had our first day out together since school let out and it went about as smoothly as I could have hoped it would.

First we had a smooth morning with a shower and yummy breakfasts for the kiddos. Then we hopped the local bus down to our town's library where I signed the kids up for their own library cards, we did a puppet show and then took out some books and movies to enjoy at home. Spencer spent some time talking and laughing with the fish in the aquarium. Out side they posed with and as statues (it was totally cute).






On the way back we had a little bit of money so we stopped at DQ and got some cheese curds and blizzards before making the short walk home. It was a blast and the kids had so much fun.







I love how much they love books and having them thank me for the "awesome snack" was pretty damn great.

In the weeks coming up we have a few more library trips, a fireworks show on the 4th, probably another BBQ or two and several small activities for the days when the weather doesn't want to cooperate with our plans, such as rock painting, puppet show making, forts, and family games to play.

All in all I think summer will go well and I will miss them when they have to go to theirs Dad's again.

Zee's art page 

Spencer's picture of me and a turtle!

 I even have a blast just making art with them. It makes me smile when Spencer draws our family and when Kenzee comes up with ideas that she does all on her own with no guidance. It really shows how creative she is.





This is going to be a great summer with lots of fun memories. I cannot wait for the next day of fun planned.
I am sure you will all be waiting ever so patiently for my next update on how we are making it all work in today's chaotic world and keeping ourselves happy. Until tomorrow! Ciao!

Learning about Others

This past weekend we attended the Seattle Pride Parade! It was the kids first time really being a part of something that important. It went really well too, I expected a lot of questions and confusion. Turns out KIDS ARE NOT JUDGMENTAL like some ADULTS I know! 











They had a lot of fun celebrating LOVE, PEACE, and UNDERSTANDING! They learned that people are ALL very different but no one is better than anyone else, just different. They learned that LOVE is what is important! They enjoyed the colors, the music and the fun people they got to see marching in the parade. 

It was very fun for me to see them clapping and enjoying it when I expected them to have questions but they seemed to have no problems just accepting the way people were. I think we could all use to take a page out of their book. We should just accept the differences and learn to love everyone the way we want to be loved. 

 We spent the rest of the afternoon with friends having a BBQ and just having fun. It was really just a GREAT day! 


 I can't wait to take them again and maybe next time make sure we are all decked out to show our support for LOVE in all its forms! 

I am a woman who has a family that FULLY SUPPORTS LOVE and PEACE! We believe that you should love whom you love and never for a minute feel like you have to defend your choice! We LOVE YOU! 

From my little family to yours!