Eating grapes while being fanned by a french god yup that about sums it up......A Response for Amy Glass

Well, kinda....

Im eating grapes out of the kids snack because i forgot to eat breakfast or lunch and its already time to pick up the older kids from school and the fan is more like being swatted at by a 3 month old, all while donning my oh so figure flattering yoga pants and stained tshirt just trying to cover up the extra 10 lbs I still have on from baby boy!!!

OH THE LIFE OF A SAHM!!!!

BUT, I do it all for them and me....We may be ridiculed for being JUST a SAHM or JUST a Wife....But I tell you what. Id love to see some of the people who pass judgment on what we do, do it for just a week!!! No pee breaks or coffee breaks, ( without a little one attached to you) no time to think or make phone calls (without screaming or fighting in the back ground).

Some say I took the easy way out by having kids and choosing to stay home until school age with them, HA! I dare you to try it for a week and tell me I took the easy way out!!!!

I ADORE my children and husband more than any one mother or wife should on some days. I am their biggest cheerleader. However they are KIDS and a MAN!!! They drive me Bat Shit Insane most days. Couple that with maintaining a clean house with clean clothes and dinner on the table when they come screaming through the door.....OH yeah I live a life of bliss (Sarcasm alert) !!!!

HOWEVER, I LOVE IT!!!!! And while some women sit on their high horse and ridicule what I do, Ill continue chasing 2 crazy fighting girls around while DS is attached to the boob almost constantly with my hair piled high on my head in a new "I have 3 kids and your lucky I brushed my teeth" Chic hair-do and Ill continue to flick off the A**holes who thinks she is better than me because she wears a suit to work ( that cost more than her weekly salary) and continues to drown in her credit card debt from having to keep up with the latest fashions because " SHE is in corporate America making a difference" ( Scoff) SPEWWWWWW!!!!!

Ill continue shaping the minds of 3 lil people who will one day be the best parents and contributing individuals this world has ever seen..... So with that and 2 middle fingers in the air enjoy your lack luster, corporate America do-bitch job in your uncomfortable 5 inch stilettos going home every night to your facebook page of friends and no boyfriend!!! Men dont want a bitch they want a mother for their children and to build a life with her NOT her job!!!!

And yes this is in response to the cranky bitch Amy Glass that spewed the most non-educated piece of blog shit I have ever come across on the internet...  http://thoughtcatalog.com/amy-glass/2014/01/i-look-down-on-young-women-with-husbands-and-kids-and-im-not-sorry/

Amy, I am a 33 yr old well educated woman, formerly of the transportation industry, one of the few women in the industry, turned housewife and Stay at home mom .......POUND SAND Chick!!!! and enjoy my grammatical errors that should prove your point more!!! <3

Sincerely,
Opal :D

A Naturally Twisted birth story.....Opal's Birth Story

At 32 years old, after 11 years with my husband and after having a 7 and 9 year old, we were done having babies by our 10 year anniversary.

 Never in a million years did we think we’d be doing it again this year. 

My first delivery was a cake walk at 39 weeks and 3 days I labored at home for 12 hours and got to the hospital only to push for 13 minutes and pop out a gorgeous 6lb 14oz perfect baby girl. My second experience just 2 short years later would later become part of the reason I would decide not to have anymore children. At 39 weeks I was medically induced with Pitocin and an epidural Pitocin started at 7:30 am and epidural at 10 am by 1:30 pm, I was fully dialated and effaced yet she was still high, I pushed for 2 hours after they turned off the epidural to only deliver her head and find out she had shoulder dystocia, My midwife performed an episiotomy and whisked my pepsi can blue baby girl away to the neonatology team that had been called in. She was 7lbs 11 0zs and as blue as a pepsi can but some how managed 9, 10 apgar scores. I wouldn’t hold my daughter for an hour after that. It was so traumatic on both my husband and myself we vowed to never be put in that position again. 

Well then 7 yrs later we found out we were expecting once again, and this time it was FINALLY a boy. We decided to stay with our amazing midwife, Robyn and under the care of our OB/Gyn. But, this time we were going to take a different approach and be in command of our pregnancy and our delivery. At 10 weeks pregnant just like my previous pregnancies I had a cervical cerclage placed due to a short and incompetent cervix. Well once again plans changed at 19 weeks I was diagnosed with Hydronephrosis of the right kidney and at 24 weeks had a nephrostomy tube place through my back into my right kidney to drain the fluid to a bag, after 3 different procedures to replace the tube and a picc line in my arm to treat a growing infection of said kidney, I was in hell in the form of kidney issues and had almost forgotton about my impending birth. We decided to Hire our amazing Doula Chrystin Pflum of Serene Birth Services (https://www.facebook.com/SereneBirthServices?ref=br_tf) after we had 2 meetings with her to talk about our hopes and wishes of this birth being a healing experience after our last birth. At 35 weeks I started contracting uncontrollably despite Procardia or nephedipene to stop them so the cerclage had to be removed a week ahead of schedule, my midwife removed the cerclage and immediately I was at 2 cms dialated. Where I would sit until 37 weeks when I was 3cms and 60% effaced, I continued to contract uncontrollably. The day I turned 38 weeks I went in to labor and delivery for a labor check due to severe contractions and was found to be at 4cms but still 60% and was sent home once again. Well needless to say I was at my wits end with the contracting. It turns out my cervix had a large band of scar tissue and was having a hard time changing with the contractions so it was decided that I would be induced a week later on the 39^th week due to the kidney issues as well as the contracting and scar tissue. I was not happy with this due to not wanting any medical intervention but knew it was what had to be done, so I reserved myself to the fact that Pitocin and possibly an epidural were in my near future. So that evening I gave up! Literally said Im not pregnant, Its not happening on its own Im unpacking the bags that’s it Im done……….

Welllllll 6 am the alarm went off to get the older kids ready for school and the hubby out the door for work, and like it was scheduled, I rolled over to turn the alarm off and heard and felt a “pop” in my belly, as I sat up I thought I couldn’t control my bladder as I felt a gush I ran to the bathroom to make sure I made it in time…..as I stood over the toilet I realized and yelled aloud to my husband “MY WATER BROKE!!!” He was clearly still asleep and started to get out of the bed and made coffee for both of us. I wandered to the table to have coffee with him and call my Midwife. She returned my call promptly and asked me to go straight to labor and delivery as the baby was still high and there was a risk of cord prolapse. So we woke the girls and dressed them comfortably and we left for the hospital, with a towel between my legs I waddled to the elevator and up to the 5^th floor of Mease Countryside hospital. We got to the admitting desk as a huge gush soaked me and the towel. Instead of triage they admitted me straight to room 5104 

 and got my vitals and baby’s and we were off and running. 

The contractions started coming hard and fast and I was pretty uncomfortable but was still adamant to stick to my birth plan of no intervention by epidural or Pitocin. So my Doula Chrystin, had me get up and out of the bed and use the pilates ball as well as gravity to help move my baby down my birth canal.

 About 10:30, I asked for a bolust of staydol to help take the edge off of the pain of contractions, by this time I was 5 cms and 60% effaced. HALLELUJAH!!!!! I had broken the scar tissue on my own without medical intervention.  About 20 minutes later I was really uncomfortable and my nurse Cheri checked me to find I was at 6cms and 90% effaced. They called my midwife, Robyn to make her appearance and a baby nurse was put on call as I was flying to transitional labor fast. Robyn came in just in time for me to be checked again at 8cms and 100% effaced I was offered my epidural or another shot of staydol as this would be my last chance for the epidural. I remember everyone getting quiet in the room as they waited for my response. I thought long and hard for a moment. My doula, Chrystin and my husband both encouraged me and said that I was doing great without the pain meds and they supported my decision either way.  I said  “No epidural by the time I get it, It will be time to push, I can do this on my own, I will take the staydol please.”  I was given the staydol which kept me in the bed for another 30 minutes due to the hospital policy of the drug, But after that I was really uncomfortable and asked Robyn to allow me to get in the shower to allow gravity and my body to take over for transitional labor. She allowed me to do so and my husband joined me to support my body and mind through the transition. 

The hospital team left us to labor alone together only coming in to make periodical checks. By this point the contractions and the intensity of my baby trying to move down my birth canal had me in a trance like state. I retreated back to the bed where it was already broken down and ready for the impending arrival of our first son. Robyn checked me and I was fully dialated and effaced my cervix just had a small lip left to get past. A few minutes later the urge to push came over me like wildfire. It was 12:30 pm and I had gotten all this way in 6 hours on my own accord with my AMAZING birth team beside me every step of the way. My Husband, My sisters all standing by my side, Lindsey my best friend of 19 years, Meghan my best friend of 13 yrs, My sister in law Jessie and My mother in law Karen. My Doula Chrystin, My Midwife Robyn, My Nurse Cheri, a team of nursing students as well as a baby nurse team!  The delivery room was packed but by this time I had no clue.

It was time to push this baby boy down and out. He was still high in the birth canal so I had a lot of work to do to bring him to light. So we started, we pushed on my back for a while, we tried to push on my side which I didn’t like at all and was intensely too painful. Then someone recommended a tug of war sheet with a nursing student. I was slowly losing my energy and breathe so the tug of war allowed me to pull myself up while pushing the baby down. About 1 pm I had lost all energy, I would push 3 times and then fall back into the bed and try to sleep between contractions.

 Finally Robyn recommended my husband, Chris get in the bed behind me and feed me his energy and help push for me. It worked beautifully, I had his energy and spirit and raw emotion tangled in mine as we pushed our son to light. At 1:17 pm we welcomed our first born son and our third child, Memphis Cayde Renaud was 7lbs 9ozs and 20 inches long with apgar scores of 8, 9 and he was absolutely perfect!!! 

While Memphis was still attached to the umbilical cord I asked someone to please get my daughters quickly so that they could meet their baby brother first before anyone else. In they came wide eyed in amazement and they both were nervous. Aysia my oldest daughter at 9 years old could only stare with tears and amazement in her eyes that he was finally here. Addyson my middle child at 7 yrs old was very nervous but excited that she was now a big sister. They loved their baby brother immediately and that love showed in their eyes and faces. Aysia’s eyes filled with tears as she said to me “Mommy these are tears of joy I am so happy you and Bubba made it and he is finally here I will be the best big sister I can be” The tears flowed and I responded how blessed I was to be her mother and what amazing little girls her and her sister were!

I laid back in the bed with my son on my chest and my husband and daughters flanking us and just reflected on what had just happened.

I did it, I delivered my son into the world the way God intended, NATURALLY!!!!  I may have screamed and yelled and scared some nursing students half to death as well as used many expletives. However, I DID IT!!!!!!!

This natural child birth would have never been possible without the support of my team so with that, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for keeping me focused and encouraged to have the healing birth experience I so desperately wanted and needed. It couldn’t have gone more according to God’s plan!!!!

I highly recommend hiring a Doula but more so I highly recommend Chrystin Pflum of Serene Birth services.
 https://www.facebook.com/SereneBirthServices

All Pictures used are courtesy of Chrystin Pflum of Serene Birth Services please visit the link above to visit her page. 

Out with the old...In with the new!

Here at 2NTM's it has been quite the ride! Sorry it is has been so quiet in our corner of cyberspace, we have had a pretty crazy summer but are ready to get back out there and mingle. My husband I have talked about moving for a few years now but never found just what we were looking for. In June we found the perfect house and moved within a few short weeks, just in time for our oldest to start school. In September we welcomed our 4th child into this crazy world and have been trying to get everything settled in before I begin my last semester of my degree. 

Miss Opal and her family are also running in about 500 different directions these days as well. Her and her husband are full time students and they are getting ready to welcome their 3rd child in November. {WOOHOO!!}. Opal has had some set backs, but she is one tough cookie!! 

Now that I have fully explained my negligence....here is today's topic: {~EASY DINNER RECIPES~} Right before (about 2 days before) we were set to go to the hospital I decided that I needed to prep some dinners for my MIL and FIL so they didn't have to cook while watching our other three and so we didn't have to cook when we got back from the hospital. So, off to Kroger I ran and I stocked up on everything I needed to make 8 different recipes. They are large meals so they have produced two meals each, for the most part. 

I am hopelessly addicted to Pinterest, so this is where I started my search. It was exhausting! There were tons of links that took me to everything BUT what I was looking for, tons of dead links and then when I finally found some recipes they seemed to be gourmet meals that would cost me a ton to make. I was on a budget and needed some family friendly recipes. And then, I found it! The perfect link! ~>http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html 
The Six Sisters do all the work for you by giving you recipes with detailed instructions, suggestions on what to serve with them and the ability to print the recipe and a SHOPPING LIST! {<~That was my favorite part!}. All I had to was print and head to Kroger! All of these dinners are amazing and super easy to prep. We had everything labeled and in the freezer within an hour. I hope you enjoy this link as much as I have. Until we meet again.... 

Much love, 
Susan 

The best kept confessions of a Stay at home mom....the stuff we hide from everyone ( a new weekly series)

Yup! You read that correctly and I am sure I will have plenty of my SAHM friends upset that I let our secrets out, But Im sure a few of you will be happy I said it and you can sit back and laugh behind your computer screens without anyone knowing you secretly do some if not all of these things too!!!

My first confession: Well its quite simple really my youngest daughter had her first tooth pulled this week so was on a diet of soft foods, you know the sort of things, mashed potatoes, pudding, jello, etc. So being the best mom in the world that I am ( scoff) I decided to make her lemon pudding in little dishes.

Well of course who has 6 of the same sized dishes when you have kids, so naturally 2 were bigger than the other 4. When the pudding had set and it was time to dig in, Naturally the kids wanted the two larger dishes. SOOOOOO Of course, I told them there was entirely too much sugar in them and they needed to be split to smaller dishes. So they were allowed to have the smaller dishes.

 ( Needless to say at 17 weeks pregnant and a killer sweet tooth, the large lemon puddings may have disappeared over night)

When asked the next day where they went I of course said " Oh hunny Im sorry they went bad over night"

While yes this is not one of our bigger secrets, it just goes to show you that we are not above telling little white lies in order to have peace and quiet with our lemon pudding!!!! I hope you all enjoy our new weekly series as Susan and I embark on something new and fun!!!

If you have any confessions ( but dont want turn yourself in) feel free to email us your confessions with full anonymity we will gladly post them as if they were our own :) 2NaturallyTwistedMoms@gmail.com

Have a great day Moms ( and Dads)!!!!

~Opal

Cravings, Heart rates, needles and thread? Who comes up with this stuff?

So DH and I have our NT scan on monday and as most parents do at this stage in a pregnancy, we are both really anxious about possibly finding out what species of baby we are having. I could have sworn with both of my DD's that they were both boys and MAN ( or should I say Wo-Man) was I wrong!!!! From cravings to heart rates to the way I carried and so on EVERYTHING screamed boys.....not to mention out of 14 grandchildren on DH's side of the fam 13 were boys.

My grandmother used to use the old Italian wives tail of the needle and thread suspended over the belly ( I cant for the life of me remember which direction meant boy or girl) But it was always right.

So I write to you all today to find out what is the craziest, wackiest, funniest or realest gender predictor you have ever had? Leave them as a comment!!!!

Have a great day Momma's ( and Daddy's)

~Opal

It must be in the water........

Ok After 6 years of swearing up and down that my Hubby and I were finally content with 2 little girls and NO MORE babies, I mean come on, 4 years of no diapers?! Who would go back to that right? Well Apparently we were dumb blessed enough to do it all over again :)

That's right folks 2 Naturally Twisted Moms are both pregnant at the same time :) Susan is due Sept 10th with a little boy which will grow their crowd to 4 bundles of joy!!! And I am due Nov 27th with an unknown species gender :) Taking our little crowd to 3 bouncing babes!

With 2 little girls ages 8 and 6, we are hoping to have a male species joining us in late November, however we will be quite content with a healthy happy baby :) 10 fingers and 10 toes are plenty for us.

So with that being announced, we will ( through morning sickness and bouts of sleep deprivation and cravings) I will be starting a mom-to-be diary and question and answer weekly.  So stock up on the questions :)

Also please leave a comment on this post with things you would like to see from the dynamic (pregnant) duo that is 2 Naturally Twisted Moms....Recipes, healthy alternatives, gardening, pregnancy, breastfeeding etc if it pertains to kids, moms and families, we will do our best to give it to you :)

Hope you all have a fantastic day, Ill be on the couch eating pickles and Ice cream :)

~Opal

Mmmmm.....

So, as I sit here being productive sidetracked (as usual), I can't help but to think about all the delicious-ness that was our dinner last night.

*Disclaimer: we try to eat healthy with every meal and snack, but sometimes you just can't fight the urge to have a grilled cheese sandwich......with bacon.......dipped in a beer batter......and deep fried! LOL*

We have been watching the show Bar Rescue and on an episode they served a deep fried grilled cheese sandwich with bacon. It looked delicious, but was soon forgotten about. Last night as we were thinking up ideas for dinner the episode replayed....and we couldn't fight the craving any longer. J and I were off to King Soopers and before too long, we had a heart attack on a plate!

Here is a picture of our wonderful sandwich with the recipe for those who want to give it a shot. =D
*Original website: http://www.chefbrianduffy.com/#!deep-fried-grilled-cheese/c1ldt
(The recipe was too long to post here, so follow the link and enjoy)

Our attempt at the recipe. =D

Let us know how it works out for you! 

Enjoy! ~Susan

Today is THE day...

For candy, flowers, romance and all things that sparkle! I hope that everyone is having a GREAT day and doing something special! I know that Opal and the family are having a nice weekend get away. We have a great 4 day weekend ahead, but I haven't planned anything yet. (TALK ABOUT PROCRASTINATION! LOL). J had her party today and I had Mops with the younger two...it's kind of a boring old "normal" day so far. Thanks to Pinterest J made her gifts this year and she was really pleased with the way that they turned out.

Don't forget to head over to our Facebook page...we are nearing the 100 mark and are planning a super awesome giveaway! But, you can only get in on it by "liking" our page and being a fan! =D

~Susan

Impatiently waiting.....

..For February 1st! Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it can't get here soon enough! I mean, don't get me wrong I love Christmas too but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Valentine's Day! Why? Well, I'm glad you asked! Reason 1: I get to spoil the hubby and kiddos every day in Feb all the way up until the big day. Reason 2: I think it's the only day out of the year that I get flowers. (Most years). Nothing beats a vase full of flowers on the kitchen table!

What are your favorite Valentine's Day traditions?

We (a little more I and a little less we), like to do a count down. I wrap 14 gifts and the kids and hubby get one a day. I know its not very creative, but I think it adds some fun to the holiday!

Love,
Susan

Attempt one FAILED...Moving on...

The flu came rushing through our house and now that everyone has had their turn at being sick it's time to get back to a normal schedule! (Thank goodness!) I missed out on half of the month and half of my goal for organizing the house, so now I am really getting down to business! So here are a few posts all wrapped into one:

1. The first thing that I did was went through the house and cleaned it. I washed walls, baseboards, light fixtures, blinds, did all of the laundry, EVERYTHING! I felt that if I was going to tear apart the house and put it all back together, it should probably be clean to begin with.

2. My next step was to get rid of things that we don't use or want anymore. Last month, right before Christmas, my wonderful Husband purged all of the broken items. (So luckily I didn't have to do much of that). I boxed up everything that we had too many of or just plain didn't use and I am planning on having a garage sale once the weather is bearable here. (If you price as you go, a garage sale is cake later. Might as well do it now instead of having to go through it all again right?). This one was hard because I tend to find things and think I will use it, but I forced myself to get rid of it if I didn't use it in the last year.

3. The next task (that I am still working on) is to go through everything that we have stored. We plan to move at least one more time in our lives and I have moved these storage items from house to house, only to put it back into storage. So, what's the point in keeping it? A lot of what I have kept are baby clothes and while I am not ready to part with all of it, I realized that I can part with A LOT of it and still have PLENTY for our 7 month old and #4 (we just found out that we are expecting again...YAY! =D).

This is as far as I have gotten so far, and I will try to update more regularly as well. The BEST place to find organizing tips is Pinterest! (oh so addicting)! This is what sparked the cleaning and organizing and I definitely plan to use some of the ideas from there. Thanks for putting up with my lack of posting...more to come. I PROMISE! =D

Love,
Susan

Happy New Year.....2013, Here we come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I am ready to pack up 2012 and run full speed ahead into 2013! Everyone always has high hopes when they make their New Year's Resolutions (me included), but rarely stick to them....So, my first resolution is to stick to all of my resolutions! Every year I resolve to do something that I have put off, to be something that I think I should be (or to not be something that I shouldn't be), to do this, do that and I always fail! I sat down and reflected on why I always fail and I came to the conclusion that it is because they are empty resolutions. They don't mean enough to me to follow through with, so this year I am making those that resolutions that mean something to me and to my family. So here goes:

1. To be a better wife, mom, daughter and friend. 
         ^--To be quite honest, if this is the ONLY resolution that I stick to this year I will be more than happy.
2. To be more efficient. 
       ^--#1 and #2 are really tied together. In order for me to be a better mom and wife, I need to step up my efficiency and organization.
3. To loose the baby weight.
   ^--Yes, I know, cliche! But, its an honest goal. I know that I will feel better all around and it doesn't hurt to want to look good for the hubs. =D

To kick off my resolutions, and the real reason for this post, I will start by organizing my house day by day, room by room. I will post before and after pictures and day by day progress for those who want to follow along and do the same with their homes! So stay tuned for Susan's version of "30 Days to an Organized (AND FUNCTIONAL) Home!"

                I hope everyone has a safe holiday and a fun night!!


(Photo Credit:  http://marian16rox.tumblr.com/post/9437391488 )

--Susan

Hello! Anyone out there??

I'm sure that everyone is thinking the same about our blog and I am really sorry that it has been so long since the last update! Life has been speeding ahead and I was scared that if I let go with one hand, I might just fall off the ride! LOL. I decided that since I had about 5 seconds today, that I would devote that time to the blog. (And it's my way of avoiding laundry, mowing the lawn and anything that would be boring and responsible =D). Moving on....to fall....holy cow!! It's October already?!? Fall has fallen upon us here in Colorado and we are expecting snow within the next week or two....*sigh*. This makes a lot of people in Colorado happy (like my husband, who doesn't like to work in the extreme heat), but it makes others sad (like me, who doesn't like to get out of bed when it is freezing out! I don't like to be cold either). On the up side, it is the season for pumpkin....EVERYTHING! This week we started off our baking with some delicious pumpkin bread...mm mm....and today I decided to shake it up with some of the best pumpkin muffins ever! My house smells delicious and the oven keeps me warm =D. In light of Halloween being just 8 days away, I have decided to post a Recipe-A-Day...all pumpkin related of course! Stay tuned for delicious recipes, you won't want to miss this! 

Love always, 

Susan

How to avoid a cooking burnout!

Hello all! I hope that everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather we are having! (And I hope that FL isn't floating yet)!
Over the summer I have had the luxury of taking a cooking break...some days. I just haven't felt like cooking and I needed some inspiration to get back in the game. Do you ever feel like everything you make is boring and just don't have the motivation to cook? That's where I was at! While the break was nice, it was getting costly and my kids weren't eating as healthy as they could. And let's just face it, nothing beats a home cooked meal! Here are some tips that I have learned to avoid burning out:

*Take a break every once in awhile! See if the hubby will cook, or designate so many days a month to eating out.

*Have a "left over buffet" night! Take out all the delicious goodies from the fridge and let everyone choose what they want to eat. This is also a great way to avoid having food spoil in the fridge (if it even lasts that long in your house, I know that it goes pretty quickly here).

*Bust out your crock pot! I LOVE my crock pot....It's the best of both worlds! Throw in all of your ingredients and let the crock pot do all the work for you. An easy way to have a delicious home cooked meal after a long day!

*Have a few previously cooked freezer meals on hand. This is a good way to think ahead for those nights that you just don't want to cook at all! Just warm them up in the oven and serve...whew, that was easy!

*Add variety! I have one cookbook that is my all time favorite, but I feel like we have made everything in the book over and over again! While it's okay to have favorites, don't be afraid to try something new. Who knows, it might become a favorite!

*Add a BBQ night in there when it's nice out! I love the grill almost as much as my crock pot! My kitchen isn't a thousand degrees and the kids love hanging out with me while I grill.

*Let the kids help! My kiddos love to help in the kitchen and sometimes it's nice to have an extra hand or two! So, after we look over our weekly menu we get everything we need out and get to work! They feel pretty important when they can sit down and say "I helped make this!". 

I hope that these little tips help you to avoid the burnout and get back in the kitchen. I will be posting some of our favorite family recipes soon...SO STAY TUNED for some yummyness!!

Easiest Pulled Pork that will make you smack........your lips!!!! YUMMMMYYYY

Okay so I know this one isnt all on the "healthy" side but it sure is yummy and easy!!!!! Its PERFECT for a backyard BBQ in the heat we are having this summer!!! You dont have to stand over the grill!!!!

Here's what you will need:

A Large Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
1 ~ 5LB Pork Butt
1 ~ 2 Liter of Root beer
Your favorite BBQ Sauce
Cole Slaw
Hamburger Buns

Here's how easy it is:

Place pork Butt in Crock Pot with 2 liter of root beer set on low cook for 6-7 hours
Remover half of the cooking liquid and discard. Leave half in the crock pot, Add BBQ Sauce, Shred pork using two forks return pork to crock pot continue cooking 1 hour on high.

SERVE!!!! Add cole slaw on top of pork on the bun for a yummy treat, Or simply serve the cole slaw as a side!!!! 

Happy Cooking!!!

~ Opal
The FL half of 2NTM

Garlic and Thyme Seared/Smashed Potatoes, Pork chops and Kale OH MY!!!!

It was a typical wednesday evening in the rainy region of west central florida, And I was in the mood to create something different for dinner, but didnt want to go out in the rain to the store. So I rummaged around in the fridge and this is what I came up with!!! You will be thanking me for this recipe later I promise!!!

Shopping list:

6-8 Yukon gold potatoes
6-8 large cloves of garlic
6-8 TBSP EVOO ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3-5 Fresh thyme Sprigs
2 large Pork chops ( butterflied)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
3 large handfulls fresh Kale
Fresh (wet) Mozarella
1 cup water
1/4 red onion thinly sliced

1. Wash an pat dry Pork chops, Place on a paper towel season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika  to taste let rest. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and cut Potatoes in wedges and steam for about 15 minutes or until tender

3. While Potatoes are steaming, in a shallow saute pan add 2 tbsp EVOO,  2 cloves garlic ( minced), 1 cup water, onion and kale saute uncovered until little or not water is left in the pan, remove and drain kale mixture. return pan to stove and turn to low

4. Lay 2 slices fresh mozarella and a handful of Kale mixture on one side of Pork chop and fold the other side over and secure with toothpicks

5.  Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes depending on thickness

6. Add remainder of Olive oil and Garlic to sautee pan. Drain potatoes and add to saute pan, Sprinkle with fresh thyme and turn to medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until garlic is lightly browned. remove from heat transfer to a large bowl and with the back of a fork mash potatoe wedges until slightly creamed.

7. Plate, Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

8. Thank me later!!!! :D

~Opal

Summer Fun with School year discipline!!!!

Its that time again!!!! The kids are throwing their books in their room and reaching for the remote and video games!!!! NOT in this house!!! ( Well not if Mom gets her way that is) Ive developed a few things through summers past that have helped keep the kids in the swing of things for the approaching school year while they have their summer fun AND It Helps keep me in the Sane rather than Shiny Pink Straight jacket category!!! The first summer I was a SAHM was, ummm how do i put this......Challenging to say the least. DH came home from work to find me drooling in a corner rocking back and forth chanting "MOMMY SAID NO" loudly....On more than one occasion LOL J/K!!!!! Although I felt like this most days!!! So I made a pact with my sanity that I would be more organized over the summers from there forward..... So Here is what I do during the summers!!!!

CHARTS!!!!! Lots and Lots of Poster Board and Sharpies lol!!!

My kids work on a Reward system really well. So, We make charts so they can see how GOOD or BAD they are doing!!!!

Chores
1st chart we do is our Chore Chart, At ages 5 and 7 its time that these little ladies learn to be responsible when it comes to their space and belongings. All of their "chores" are age appropriate I believe and teach them about responsibility and cleanliness.

Little A's (5 yrs old) chart includes making sure her dirty clothes make it in her hamper when she takes them off, that her toys and her play area are clean when she is done with them and that all common areas are clear of her toys, books etc when she is done. Her chart also includes feeding and watering and letting her puppy out ( Shae)

Big A's  (7 yrs old) chart includes much of the same of Little A's however it varies just a tad. She must make sure the table is  cleared of dishes at the end of each meal and they make it to the sink as well as making sure that when the dirty clothes hampers reach full she helps her sister take her hamper to the laundry room as well as hers and ask mommy to help them sort their laundry.

Rewards
Our reward charts are the fun ones :) With 2 little girls, both school agers now, I decided to use a different approach this year that helps them with math skills and responsility. Fake money :)

We are using a Catalog system, In the catalog we have alot of small low priced items as well as a few large High priced items. The smaller lower priced items will be used as weekly goals and the higher priced items will be used as a summer goal. I have decided to give each child a bank with $10 (fake dollars) in it. They will have a small "check register" to keep. At the end of each day we will assess the days beavhior and decided who must give back a $1 and who gets a $1 on fridays they get to pick a thing ( or activity) from the catalog for the next week and pay for it with their $. Then at the ed of the summer they can pool their $ and choose a high priced item for the end of the summer EXSTRAVAGANZA!!!!

 So Far so Good!!!!

Summer TIme Lunch Fun!

The countdown in the Amen house has begun! We only have 4 short days of school left before we are on our own to play the summer away! Most of the country is sharing our excitement, that soon our little monsters…*ahem*….I mean our little angels will be home soon for 3 whole months! As I was thinking about all of the fun activities we would be packing our calendar with, it hit me all at once! LUNCH! I usually make breakfast and send the oldest off to school with her lunch money or lunch packed in hand and then it’s just me, Aj and the bun that’s cooking in the oven. So, lunches are pretty easy around here and he is so picky that I usually only make a few different things throughout the week anyways, and I try to eat left overs as much as possible. The older one however, is a totally different story. She enjoys variety, so I made a dash to Google and found some amazing lunch ideas! I also learned that if you have to serve the same thing a couple of days in a row that making it LOOK different makes a huge difference! Some of the things that I found have an amazing level of creativity, I was very impressed. I have included all of the links to the pictures that I have found so if you want to explore further (and to give credit where credit is due =D).

Some easy ideas to use to spice up the daily lunch routine are things like: “Ants on a Log” (peanut butter on celery topped with raisins), “Pigs in a blanket” (little Smokey’s wrapped in a crescent roll), pizza rolls (these are a favorite of everyone in our house. When I make these, I have to make enough to feed an army!), Fruit layered on a stick is also a fun one that kids seem to enjoy. Not only are these a great way to spice things up, but with some fresh fruit or veggies, yogurt (Greek yogurt is GREAT for dipping fresh fruit like apples in and making Parfaits with), and a drink these are great “on the go” lunches as well! Just pack it all up and you are on your way to the pool in no time! Here are some other great lunch ideas, which I also love because they are all a fun spin on the regular old plain-Jane sandwich! http://blog.hwtm.com/2009/08/whats-for-lunch-funky-cuteness/ <<<This blog has a TON of cute sandwich ideas!

My goal for this summer is to make something different every day for an entire week (7 whole days)! I think that the site above and the ideas that I already have up my sleeve will make it a lot easier than I thought it would. Maybe I will even take another step and strive for 14 days of variety. I hope that this helps and please feel free to share any ideas that you have found for fun meals, or if there is something that you would like to see featured here. Happy picnicking! =D

Susan

Get the most out of your produce...Tips to make them last longer!!!

If you are anything like me you stock up weekly on your produce! I get the majority of my produce from Tampa Bay Organics ( www.tampabayorganics.com ) Its a fantastic home delivery service in the Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties (Florida) Every Friday I receive an email with what to expect in my box on Tuesday of the following week ( We receive the large box, seeing how I am borderline vegetarian). I can then log in and substitute or add to my order. Each week there is an assortment of Fruits and veggies (of the normal varities, ie : apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, celery, etc.) But usually ever week its something you would never expect ie: Dandelion greens, Kabocha squash, Kiwiberries etc. It has allowed the Double A's aka Picky and pickier to try new things because they are so excited to be apart of the washing and putting away of all the produce! We then can hunt up a fun recipe for our new items and go from there which in turn they want to try it because they helped!!!

I always have a plethera of fresh herbs and "salad" items. These items tend to go bad quickly so I have complied some of my "tricks of the trade" for making your produce last the longest and some to help you be able to enjoy them sooner by escalating the ripening!!! Enjoy!!!

LETTUCE

1st off is lettuce whether it be romaine, Boston Bibb, or red leaf this tip works for them all. When you receive your lettuce be sure to seperate and wash and spin dry each leaf. Then by simply wrapping the leaves in a Dish towel and placing it in your crisper drawer it should last a good 7-10 days.

MUSHROOMS

Always store your mushrooms in a paper bag, Do not clean your mushrooms until just before using them. When cleaning take a damp dish towel and gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Do not submerge them in water as mushrooms will absorb the water.

HERBS

Parsley
Fresh cut your parsley and Place it in a short rocks glass with water in the refrigerator. Just as you would fresh flowers on the dining room table.
Cilantro , Basil, Rosemary, etc.
Place your fresh cut herbs each in a freezer or paper bag with a paper towel and expel all excess air. The paper towel will absorb any moisture, therefore keeping your herbs fresher longer.

Sometimes, when we pick our produce at the market, it has not ripened to perfection yet so I have a few tricks to ripen your produce to perfection at home. These are sure fire tips to getting the best out of our yummy jewels.

Avacados
Avacados are very easy to ripen if they are too hard when you purchase simply place them in a brown paper bag and put in a warm spot, On top of the refrigerator works the best, for a day or so and you will have delicous perfectly ripened avacados in just a few hours. The gases from the avacado and the brown paper bag cause a reaction to ripen the fruit faster.


DO YOU HAVE TIPS AND TRICKS?! Email them to us @ 2NaturallyTwistedMoms@gmail.com
Or if you have any suggestions or these tips didnt work for your produce!!!

Have a great day!!!!

~Opal
The Florida half of 2NTM

Making Money From Home!

Making money from home…YES! it is possible to make money from home without spending a lot! (But please do your homework before jumping into a contract or sending anyone money, there are unfortunately A LOT of scams out there! =( ). I have heard several people over the last few weeks talking about money (or the lack thereof) and wondering how they could bring in an income without having to go to work and worry about day care (which is outrageous). Here are a few different ideas and sources that I have compiled, but don’t stop with just what’s here. Make this a starting point because there are literally THOUSANDS of ideas and options out there!!

1.       Direct Marketing (Don’t let these two words scare you!) I know that direct marketing has been given a bad name by companies who have done the pyramid scheme, but they are not all like that I promise! (This is where doing homework comes in handy. Be sure that you are not signing up for a company who is not ethical and a “fly by night” type of company). There are tons of different options out there, so be sure to pick something that you truly enjoy and can stand beside. The biggest part of direct marketing is believing in the product you are selling, otherwise you probably won’t make much (people can see when you are selling something that you are skeptical about). I am an independent consultant of Arbonne International and I absolutely LOVE it! If you want more info please feel free to contact me, I would love to help others get started and make some extra money! Opal is an Independent Consultant of Pampered Chef and this is right up her alley! She is an amazing cook, so having a job that she can cook for others and show them all the cool kitchen stuff out there is awesome. I am sure that she would love to help others get started with it too, so definitely don’t hesitate to contact her!! (Okay shameless promotions are done now LOL).

2.      Surveys and Product testing. YES! YOU CAN MAKE MONEY DOING THIS!! There are a lot of companies out there that will pay you to take surveys about products that you have tried, everyday things that make life easier (or sometimes harder), and even products that they send to you to test. (And you usually get to keep the item, so it’s a double bonus!)

3.      Offer a service! Are you fantastic at organizing and cleaning? Have a lot of time after the hubby gets home from work or on the weekends? Have days to yourself while the kids are at school? Offer a service to someone else and make some extra cash! Offer house cleaning services, errand services, grocery shopping services, etc. to those who may not have the time to do this for themselves. (Please, please, please be very careful not to put yourself in a situation that could be dangerous or illegal! Make sure that whatever you are doing that you exercises caution and common sense. Don’t forget to make sure that you are also compliant with tax laws. I don’t want to misguide anyone here =D).

4.      A second job? If you are looking for a second job that will work around your current schedule and will give you pretty quick money, why not look at the service industry? Waitressing is a great way to earn some money on the side and be able to work part time. You usually make pretty nice tips as well, so that could help bridge the gap in-between paydays.

5.      Make something and sell it! Not everyone is great at making everything. There are people out there who absolutely suck at sewing (like me!) and in turn, they avoid doing it all costs! You have an advantage if you are at all creative, you can make stuff at your own leisure and sell it on sites like EBay and Etsy. Signing up for an Etsy account is pretty easy and painless. They ask for your information and you get to pick your store name and can sell just about anything you can think of. (Just be sure to review their policies before you list something that might be questionable. You don’t want them to ban you because of an honest mistake!) J and I started our own Etsy store and I LOVE it. We can craft together and I list it. When something sells we package it up together and mail it right out. Each listing is only 20 cents (so you are out only pennies if it doesn’t sell) and the listing is valid for 4 months! That’s amazing!

6.      Ad space. Do you drive a lot? Why not sell ad space on your car? Companies will actually pay you to drive! This would be ideal if you have a long commute, are always driving the carpool or are just out and about a lot. Be sure to read and understand all of the information set forth by the company before signing any contracts though. Make sure that if there is a minimum mileage or any extra requirements of you that it is understood.

7.      Start a daycare or babysitting service! Are you home all day and love kids? Offer to watch someone else’s kids while they go to work. (Disclaimer once again! LOL Make sure that you are following all applicable state and local laws regarding daycare services. Some states make you go through a certification process to watch a certain amount of kids.) This might be a great way to make some extra money from home though, while also giving your kids a play buddy! The going rate for daycare is pretty high, so it could be very lucrative. Just make sure that you absolutely love kids and are capable of taking care of the kiddos, quality child care is of the upmost importance!

I hope that at least one or two of these ideas helps out, and like I said don’t limit yourself with this list. Use it as a starting point; there are TONS of options out there! =D

Susan

Cleaning..the simple and "green" way!

Before I started researching ways to clean my house in an Eco friendly manner, I thought for sure that this was going to be quite the chore. I never really entertained the idea of "going green" when it came to housework. I thought that not only would it be harder and more time consuming (which I couldn't stand the thought of giving up even more of my precious play time with the kids!) but I also thought "you can't possibly have a clean house without chemicals!". I mean, how do you know that it is clean without knowing that all of those toxic chemicals have stripped every last contaminant off of that surface? Well, needless to say I was in for quite the surprise. I headed to the grocery store and picked up a few times that I would need to clean my house and not use a single chemical (I started to think how all of these chemicals could affect my family and I didn't like the thought that the chemicals could be hurting instead of helping). I found a few recipes on Pinterest and quickly went to work. I started with my dishwasher, it was in desperate need of help. I read online that you could clean your dishwasher with a simple packet of lemonade (yeah right!). So with only 15 cents and an hour of wash time to loose (since I had to clean the dishwasher already, if it didn't work I wasn't really worried). Jasmine watched as I dumped it in and laughed that this was how I was going to clean it, but then she thought it could work. After the cycle finished we popped open the door together and were shocked, it actually worked! My dishwasher was spotless! Needless to say, this started a chain affect and we became believers, so the next stop was the washing machine. The method I used was a little more time consuming but it was more waiting then anything. We filled the washer up with the hottest water it would allow and poured in two cups of white vinegar and let it set for an hour. After it had soaked we let it finish the cycle and filled it up again, this time adding two cups of Borax (an all natural bleach alternative that I couldn't survive a day without). We let it set for another hour and then put it through the normal cycle. It made most of my washer sparkly white, but there were still a few spots that I thought I would have to scrub, so I went and got my sponge and to my surprise (again lol) they wiped right out! I think that the results certainly speak for themselves. Since our day of experimenting we have happily traded in our chemical filled wipes and bottles for 4 simple cleaning supplies (aside from my laundry soap) that clean anything and everything. We have a box of Borax, s spray bottle of vinegar, a box of baking soda and home made dish detergent. Not only am I limiting the amount of chemicals we are being exposed to daily, we are saving a lot of money and it has actually made my cleaning routine easier. All of my green products clean better then any chemical I used to use and I uncluttered under my sink, finally! Here is a list of DIY cleaning supplies and the site that I found it on (always give credit where credit is due). I hope this helps to save others money, time and a few nose hairs. =D

To clean your washing machine: 

Fill with hot water and add 2 cups of vinegar. Let it set for one hour and then run it through the rest of the cycle. Fill it with hot water again and add 2 cups of bleach. *I use Borax because it is a natural bleach alternative, but you can use regular bleach if you would rather* Let it set for one hour and then run it through the rest of the cycle. If there is still build up in the washer, it usually wipes out pretty easily with a sponge. Here is the site that I found it on, she has some other great tips on there too! (Like how to clan your bath tub with a baking soda paste, and it actually works). http://www.somewhatsimple.com/how-to-clean-your-washing-machine/

To clean your dishwasher: 

Make sure that your washer is empty and put a packet of Lemonade Kool-aid *the generic works just the same, but this is the only flavor that will work* in the soap dispenser cup and run the cycle as usual. When it is all done it will be nice and sparkly clean and anything that is left on the bottom easily wipes out.

Homemade dishwasher detergent recipe: 

1 Cup "Washing Soda" *Such as Arm and Hammer* or Baking Soda
1 Cup Borax (It does everything! LOL)
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup citric acid (available at brewing places or Amazon.com. Or as an alternative you can use the same amount of Fruit Fresh or two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon and ONLY unsweetened!)
3 Drops and ONLY 3 DROPS of liquid dish soap (any more than that will cause the dishwasher to overflow).  *Add to each load, not to the mixture above*
Then splash 1/2 Cup of Vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and start the cycle. This will help the dishes to shine. 
Use 1-2 tablespoons of the above mix with each load in your soap tray.
This will save a ton of money and works great!
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-revised.html
Tips for cleaning with vinegar: 
http://www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7

I hope that this helps (sorry if it is kind of long and overwhelming LOL). Enjoy!
~Susan