too excited to stay on task

Does anyone else remember when your teacher(s) used the phrase "stay on task?" Then and especially now, it makes me giggle a little bit.

A new and wonderful friend and I have decided to start a Mommy Community in the great Chattanooga area. It is something that I wanted to do before but wasn't really sure how I could do it alone and who I would network with. Anyway, we brainstormed yesterday and accomplished a lot: we have a name, we have ideas for playdates and ladies' nights, we created a website and are working on the content, we ordered business cards, and we got new e-mail addresses specifically for the forums, etc. I'm proud of us for making time in our busy schedules to do something that we both really want to do. I think this will be an excellent way to gain lasting friendships for all the mommies and the kiddos.

Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering why I started my post about staying on task.... Trying to come up with website content and design is far more entertaining and exciting than studying for my midterm. Alas, my midterm is nearly half of my final grade and it's happening Saturday whether I study or not. So I have to get back to studying and PUT DOWN THE LAPTOP! :D

I'll do an unveiling post soon with our group info and website. Right now it just isn't ready for public eyes... it's naked!

<>< Cass

menu: october 18th-24th

Quick explanation: We had a horrible stomach bug around here last week, which meant that I did very little cooking or very little of anything for that matter. So, though I posted a couple of these for last week, since I had the ingredients and they were unused, I edited this week's original menu to incorporate some of the greats that we missed last week. :)

Monday: Cassie's Famous Crockpot Chili
Tuesday: Breakfast Bake
Wednesday: Enchilada Casserole
Thursday: Crockpot Sausage & Potatoes
Friday: Dinner Out
Saturday: Oven Baked Ham
Sunday: Crockpot Chicken Tetrazini

menu: october 11th-17th

Monday: Beef Lo Mein
Tuesday: Crockpot Seafood Paella
Wednesday: Meal in One
Thursday: Crockpot Sausage & Potatoes
Friday: Dinner Out
Saturday: Eggplant Parmesan 
Sunday: Cassie's Famous Crockpot Chili

Crockpot Seafood Paella

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

2 cups water

1 white onion, finely diced

1 can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 lb. mild fish fillets, cut into cubes

1/2 lb. scallops

1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled

8oz pkg frozen peas

Garnish: 1 lemon

-Combine rice, water, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings in slow cooker and mix thoroughly.

-Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. 

-Add fish, scallops, shrimp, and peas; cover and cook additional hour.

-Serve with lemon wedges. 

short week, here's the menu anyway :)

Monday: Crockpot BBQ Ribs (because I needed something simple today!)
Tuesday: Mushroom Dijon Pork Chops w/Mashed Potatoes & Early Peas
Wednesday: Crockpot Burgundy Meatloaf w/Carrots & Salads
Thursday: Italian Gumbo
Friday-Sunday: Out of Town for Wedding

I really intend to post a recipe or two this week but I make no promises. My child's erratic naps and my desire to actually maintain my As for the semester keep me away from my blog. Please don't hate me or judge me because I can't remember ANY of my recipes without looking them up. :)

the one where i let it all hang out

This will not be brand new information to anyone that knows me even slightly, but since many of you do not, I'm letting it all hang out right now. I am an angry person. And I have daddy issues. And besides him being a source of my anger, I am even more angry with him for winning this war. I constantly carry around these war stories and play them in my head. But here's the thing, actually two things: I cannot control him or how he treats me or how he takes care of himself and really, in the grand scheme of things, he isn't nearly as awful as he could have been. I mean look at me, he did something right! I am his only child, and by God, I am a success! Yes, I probably arrived in this place because I was determined not to be him but he also wanted me to be nothing like him. So, here are my newest revelations: I've decided never to forget, because that is truly impossible, and I've decided to accept him, set boundaries, and move on with my life. Of course, this means that now I have to deal with my unintentional mean streak and my own personal anger issues, but one thing at a time! Go me for finally seeing these things a little more clearly. I understand how this would seem so simple and obvious to so many people, but it was hard for me to arrive here. And I don't care that it took me this long, I'm just happy that I've gotten here.

Much love and many blessing,
Cassie