Happy New Year!

So, today is New Year's Day and I had totally forgotten about the traditional New Year's Day meal...until yesterday!  Luckily, canned black-eyed peas saved the day.

I think the cast iron Dutch oven helped give the black-eyed peas an authentic flavor that successfully covered the canned taste!

I made a quick creamed spinach - my Culinary Arts teacher would be horrified - but I didn't steam the spinach!  Instead I just tossed it in the cream sauce and baked the whole thing...it turned out great!

Overall, it was a wonderful way to start the new year...I'm excited to start off 2013 with a bang and see what wonderful things we have to look forward to....

The Count...and other thoughts on Sesame Street

While surfing my various news outlets this afternoon, I found this story about the passing of the voice of the Count:

http://bit.ly/SylNeq

I was saddened to read this.  Even though Jerry Nelson retired in 2004 (and the Count has continued on Sesame Street) it's struck me as sad to know that the man who created such a fun, slightly spooky and even a little educational character passed away.

My daughter is a huge fan of Sesame Street.  Her love started with Elmo.  She would cry for Elmo's World and could sing the song before she was even really able to express many other thoughts or emotions.  Luckily, we have many episodes of Sesame Street available on Netflix and every episode had lots of Elmo time.  But, I always looked forward to seeing Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Grover and most importantly the Count.  He was this great combination of being a little scary and a little funny.  I loved him.  I loved his spooky organ that puffed out numbers.  I loved his scary bats that would swoop out of castle windows.  What kind of a mind thinks up a vampire with bats and a castle for a kids show?

My daughter, much more than her older brothers, loves Sesame Street.  The boys were into Cars and farm animals....Sesame Street, not so much.  My daughter, on the other hand, watches the show with rapt attention.  And as many other parents (well, I hope there are others out there and I'm not alone in this craziness) we gave into her love of Sesame Street with some sort of belief that it was educational.  She has Elmo clothes, Sesame Street toys, book upon book starring everyone from Big Bird to Oscar.  I'm not sure how educational her Cookie Monster toy mp3 player is, but it's fun.

Tonight while reading my daughter her "Sleep Tight" book starring everyone from Sesame Street including the Count I will pause on the Count counting sheep and tell her a little about Jerry Nelson....and then I will do my best imitation of the Count and silently thank Jerry Nelson for creating such a memorable and enduring character.

There are really only 24 hours in a day.  It doesn't matter how much I try to squeeze out 25 or even 26 hours, there are really only 24.  It's hard when you have three kids, a job, a spouse, a house....and that's all the stuff before you even get to anything that sounds like it might be fun!

Anyway, I'm starting this blog to start keeping track of the different things I try and what works and what doesn't while I try to squeeze just one more hour out of the day.  I'm always trying to get more organized, find one gadget or app that can help me or shave just a little time off my chores.  It's never easy, but I figured if I'm trying to do this there have to be more people out there doing the same things and maybe between my blog posts for trying things and other people's suggestions, I can come up with a few things that work!

--M