Mom's Heart Friday: Mommyhood Discontentment?

I've been a Mom for over 15  years now;  I became a mom when I was 20.  I'm now 36, I have 5 children ranging in age from 2 to 15, and I homeschool. As I sit at home, taking care of kids, wiping booty's, helping kids with school work, and making meals, I watch posts on Facebook drift by from family members and other friends.  I see posts and pictures of romantic getaways, exotic vacations, always clean houses, romantic dinners, time to grab coffee with the girls, or a quick pedicure with a friend.  Sometimes, I find myself with the tiniest twinges of jealousy.

I recently posted what I originally thought was a really funny video to our Facebook page.  Check it out!

What I found so funny was how much it followed real parenthood!  Being a parent isn't so glamorous.  I pick up toys off the living room floor at least 50 times a day.  I vacuum crumbs of the same floor and furniture at least 5 times a day, fingerprints cover everything.  I change multiple diapers everyday while fighting a 2 year old on potty training.  I give spelling and vocabulary words times 3 kids, teach the fine art of writing, history, science and math.... well let's just say this mom has had a refresher in everything Math and it wasn't my favorite subject when I was in school.  

I day dream of a life where I can follow my own dreams, get my hair done when I want, and go shopping for the FUN of it. I would love to have a perfect home.  Everything neat, and in it's place.  Everything organized and uncluttered.   To not have piles of laundry if I miss a single day, to be able to light some candles and turn on gentle relaxing music and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, or to be able to go for a romantic weekend without major planning or  having to pack tons of stuff  and a ton of kids to go with us.

But then I stop and think... what are my family-less friends missing?  Hugs that come out of the blue, little faces that  think the world revolves around you.  Little chubby arms that they throw around your neck and repeatedly tell you that they love you.  Tiny butterfly kisses on the cheek, or eskimo kisses, cause boys think  rubbing noses are so much cooler that his sisters butterfly kisses.  And little bodies who sneak into your bed in the middle of the night, cause sleeping with you is so much more comfortable than sleeping in their own bed.  Teenagers girls who still think you are their best friend, and pre-teen sons who still think it's cool to be seen with mom when shopping.  They miss someone jumping at the chance to go grocery shopping with you, just to grab the extra opportunity to have one on one with you.  They miss great family games nights, where you don't need to invite friends over for a good time. They miss the love that has multiplied over the years, to a depth you never thought possible.  They miss the idea of having your kids move away for college or starting their own adult life, is an idea that breaks your heart; cause their childhood is really going by way to quickly.

I will have plenty of time for a perfect home, uncluttered, unfingerprinted, where everything is in it's perfect place.  I will have plenty of evenings to enjoy candle lit ambiances, slow romantic music and glasses of wine.  I will even have plenty of time to enjoy coffee with the girls and quick pedicures with a friend.  But I will only have my kids home for a short time.  And truthfully, I don't want to miss a single second of it, even if  sometimes, find myself with the tiniest twinges of jealousy.  I love my family and I love my life.

The Water From Well Part 3

I am IN LOVE!  For the first time, since getting our well installed, we have drinkable water!!!  I forgot how delicious, cold and refreshing, good, clean water could taste! So here is what we installed under our kitchen sink, and did I mention I am IN LOVE?

 If you missed our earlier posts on our well water situation, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Photo Credit: www.whirlpool.com

My sweet girl, M2, cleaned out our messy under cabinet.  We got it clean, and wiped out, so Hubby could get to work.  

He began by pulling out all the pieces and

 installing the new drain pipe the filtration unit uses as an overflow. 

He then mounted the filtration housing to the inside cabinet wall, installed the faucet and finally connected all the tubes to their proper connections, with the addition of 3 ml of house hold bleach to the final line leading to the pressure tank. 

The whole installation was really very simple.  We completed the two hour pressure test, and found no leaks.  HURRAY! 

  We then disinfected and purged the whole system by letting it run for 24 hours just as described in the installation directions.  I must admit, this was the hardest part of the whole process.  I REALLY wanted to try out this ultra filtered water!

 Once the disinfection and purging was complete, we couldn't wait to try it out, and....

IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY! 

 It tastes like bottled water, but BETTER!

The filters on this unit will need to be replaced  every six months, but the battery timer in the faucet will let us know when it's time!  With filters running about $84, it is still much cheaper than bottled water for my family of 7.

You can check out the Whirlpool Reverse Osmosis Under Sink Water Filtration System at Lowe's HERE!

Need to catch up?  Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this complete DIY water filtration process!

Ready for Part 4?  Check out the difference a Water Softener makes!!!

This review was my own personal and honest opinion.  This product was purchased with my own money and I received no compensation by the makers of this product.

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Easy Chicken & Dumplings

It's that time of year again when kids are back in school and the temperatures begin to drop.  Since cooler temps are right around the corner, I thought now would be a great time to introduce a new, hearty chicken dish.  What could be heartier that a big plate of Chicken & Dumplings? 

This version doesn't require much prep time, nor the typical bowl it is usually served in.  

We begin by searing our chicken in a large pan.  

I've chosen chicken thighs here since they are a little cheaper to purchase by the bag in the frozen meats section of the grocery story, but any cut or cuts will work. 

Once your chicken is cooked mostly through, add a family size bag of frozen mixed vegetables.

Then add your Chicken Broth, and bring to a simmer.

Add in your seasonings now, this will give you vegetables and meat tons of flavor.

 To cut that cost, I use frozen homemade Chicken Broth.

If I happen to be out of my Homemade Chicken Broth, choose to use Chicken Base mixed with water (purchased at Sam's Club), because canned or boxed chicken broth can be expensive.

 Gently drop your dumplings in by the spoonful.

Cover your pan with a tight fitting lid.

This will allow your dumplings to steam and cook completely through.

Uncover and test your dumplings by gently pricking the center of a dumpling with a fork.  

If the fork comes out clean, they are done.

You will notice that as the dumplings cooked they absorbed most if not all of the broth,

leaving them full of the wonderful flavor.

Busy Mom in the Kitchen's Easy Chicken & Dumplings

Easy Chicken & Dumplings

by Busy Mom in the Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

6031359

Ingredients (Serves 8)

For Main Chicken Dish

• 8 chicken pieces (thighs pictures)
• 1 large bag, frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

For Dumplings

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

Heat large skillet over Medium to Medium High heat.

Spray skillet with cooking oil, to help prevent sticking.

Gently brown thawed chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides and cooked 3/4 of the way through.

Add Mixed vegetables over the cooking chicken pieces.

Add Chicken broth and spices to pan, and bring to a simmer.

In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening thoroughly, until mixture looks like meal. Stir in milk until just mixed.

Drop by 1 - 2 Tablespoon fulls into the simmering pan.

Reduce heat to Medium Low and cover. Allow to simmer until dumplings have cooked through. To test, insert a fork into the sent of a dumpling. When it pulls out clean they are cooked. Approximately 15 minutes.

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Treatment Options for LICE!

Photo source

With school starting back up, I thought it would be a great time to remind us how to treat the dreaded head lice.  I know, my scalp is itching too.  Ugh!  Even the thought of it, gives me goosebumps.  So I'd like to send you over to Holistic Homemaking and let her explain the ins, the outs, and all the nastiness that comes along with treating head lice.  She even had NATURAL CURES!  Check out Holistic Homemaking!!!

Mom's Heart Friday: Family Dinners

Here we are again, another Friday, and another opportunity to share what's on my heart.  

This week, I want to talk a little bit about sitting down at the dinner table and spending quality time with our families.  This is such an important part of our family dynamics today, but it wasn't always. 

Photo Credit: Source

 I remember a time when it was difficult to pull ourselves away from other things that drew our attention during the dinner hour, like a favorite TV show, or the computer.  We sometimes forget all the positive and good that comes from eating together as a family. 

Photo Credit: Source

Eating together gives the family a chance to communicate.  With the constant buzz of the television, MP3 players, cell phones and computers, then adding to that hectic schedules and family members running in different directions, it's no wonder we sometimes look at each other without realizing we haven't really connected or had a chance to build up our relationship with each other.  We sometimes don't even realize what we're missing.  

Eating together really gives us a chance to slow down and talk.  But communication doesn't  always come that easy.  That's why I suggest playing games during dinner.  It helps the family relax, laugh and helps open those important lines of communication with the family.

I could throw a bunch of statistics at you, like how children feel happier, their grades are better or even how toddlers have better language skills when their families eat dinner together.  But really, most important is getting reconnected with our family at the end of the day.  No matter how large or small your family is, it's yours.  And your family meals are worth every effort we put into them.

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The Water From Well Part 2

This is the continuing saga of our water from well.  If you missed part 1, check it out HERE!

First, we decided to forgo the laboratory testing, at the tune of over $230, it really wasn't in the budget.  Also those really expensive plumbers, yep, not in the budget either.  So I suppose this will be our first DIY post!  Because we live so far north, and everything takes FOREVER and a day to ship up here, I will continue to share the next few steps in new posts.  The greatest benefit of this will be really seeing how much the water changes between each appliance we add to the system.

After some major reviews of different water systems, and since we are on such a tight budget, we decided to go with the Whirlpool Water Filter from Lowe's.  

REVIEW: Whirlpool Whole House Water Filtration System Model#: WHELJ

But first, because of our freezing Alaskan ground, we needed to build a pedestal for all our new equipment to sit on. 

 I need to give a shout out to my hubby's friend Jay, for all his help in the project.  His handy wood working knowledge made the pedestal project go super smoothly and quickly!  I thought I would throw in a picture of my  adorable hubby and Jay putting it together.

Here's the pedestal complete with the water filtration system.  Because we had to order our water softener, it will be here some time in September, they created the pedestal with cubbies to store the extra bags of salt under.  Jay even offered to put doors on it for me!

 Here are the guys, hard at work, plumbing it into the house...

And the moment you have all been waiting for...

Pictured are two glasses of water, the one of the left drawn right before the filtration system was hooked up, while the one on the right was drawn right after and is completely filtered by this system.  

I let them both sit on the counter over night, and this is the result.

The glass on the left has turned orange, some floating organic material and sediment on the bottom of the glass.

The filtered glass on the right is still clear and it has removed all trace of organic material and sediment!

For the smell test, the filtered water lost any odor we had (metal smell) and the taste, well, before it had a dead fish taste. LOL  But I suppose that's what happens when you go through TWO layers of permafrost when drilling the well.  Although it did not remove all of the metal taste, it is such a HUGE improvement, we can now drink the water!  By the way, it beats anything the Brita Pitcher was able to filter, by far.  

When heated up, the water still turns color, but only a lighter yellow-orange, instead of the dark deep orange we had.  

I will clean bathrooms tomorrow and update how long it takes for the build up in the bowl to start accumulating.

I am completely happy and satisfied with this Whirlpool water filter from Lowe's. (You can check it out HERE!)  For about $326, it has been a fantastic purchase, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to a little help with their water.  

We also have an under the sink reverse osmosis filter to install to the kitchen sink.  Stay tuned and I will let you know how much it effects the quality of our water!

I am also looking forward to having the water softener installed, which will help not only soften the water, but help remove the remain oxidized iron, which is resulting in the rust we see. I look forward to no more rust stains!

Interested in your own DIY Water Filtration System?  Check out the whole line up from Whirlpool HERE!

 Keep checking back to see how things progress!

Part 1, Part 3 & Part 4

This review was my own personal and honest opinion.  This product was purchased with my own money and I received no compensation by the makers of this product.

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Easy & Lightly Breaded Fried Chicken

My family LOVES Fried Chicken, but eating out, is just not in the budget.  So, here's how I go about making my Lightly Breaded Fried Chicken.

First I dip them in a mixture of milk and egg, beaten together.

Next, I roll them in a mixture of corn flakes, parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, & pepper.

In a large pan, pour 1/4 inch of oil and heat over medium heat.

Turning to brown all sides.

Here I served it with a fresh green salad, and homemade mashed potatoes.

Lightly Breaded Fried Chicken

by Busy Mom in the Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

6031020

Ingredients (serves 6)

• One package of Chicken Legs or Pieces.
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups corn flakes (crushed)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• canola oil

Instructions

In a large pan, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat.

Beat 2 eggs in a small bowl and add milk.

Crush corn flakes and mix in parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Dip thawed chicken legs or pieces in to egg and milk mixture and then roll into the corn flake mixture.

Carefully lay breaded chicken pieces in hot oil. Turn pieces gently with tongs, to brown all sides. Continue cooking until fully cooked.

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GIVEAWAY: Presario Laptop!!!!!

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The Water From Well Part 1

We recently had a new well installed on our property.  Although living in North Pole, Alaska has it's benefits, I am afraid we have found the one draw back.... the water is horrible!  But no looking back.  Now we need to find a way to fix the water.  Take a look.

To top it off, the water tastes like metal.  But on the bright side, we don't have any rotten egg smell!  :)

Pretty bad, don't you agree?  Needless to say, nobody in our home will drink it, and I can't bring myself to cook with it either.  Yes, rice and pasta do come out with an orange tint, and the bubbles of boiling water have an orange film.  Which brings me to our current dilemma.  We are now on a hunt to find a solution to our water, but every company claims to be the best.  How do we find the right solution?

We will begin by having our water tested by an independent laboratory to find out our levels.  Updates will be posted soon!

Do you have well water?  Have you had to find solutions to water problems in your home?  Tell us about them.  I'd love to know how you conquered The Water from Well.  Sorry couldn't resist the name.  ;)

UPDATE: The Water From Well,  Part 2,  Part 3 & Part 4.

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GIVEAWAY: Soylicious Soy Bean Wax Candles

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Hurry Up Enchiladas

I LOVE homemade enchiladas, but find that sometimes I'm in a rush or just feeling too lazy to roll them.  Although it really doesn't take very long to do, I've actually found myself avoiding this dish.  So, I've now started making them stacked, casserole style, which taste the same, still look delicious, and I'm in and out of the kitchen in no time!

Doesn't it look delicious?  

Here's my recipe.  

Enchilada Casserole

by Busy Mom in the Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

6030660

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cans black beans drained
• 1 pound medium cheddar cheese
• 2 cans mild enchilada sauce
• 8-10 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1/2 onion chopped or 3 Tablespoon dried minced onions
• 4 garlic cloves pressed or 1 Tablespoon dried granulated garlic
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 350 Degrees F.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, light spray with cooking oil. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan. This will help keep your casserole from sticking.

In a large frying pan fry up your ground beef with your onion, garlic, salt, and pepper, When done, add your cans of black beans. Pour one whole can of enchilada sauce into your meat and bean mixture and bring back up to a simmering temperature.

Grate your cheese.

Start covering the bottom of your pan with your tortillas. I lay two tortillas side by side, and break up a third to cover the remaining wholes along the edges.

Now we layer 1/2 of the meat and bean mixture, 1/3 of the cheese, and another layer of tortillas. We then lay our second 1/2 of the meat and bean mixture, 1/3 of the cheese and our last layer of tortillas. To finish off we spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the final layer of tortillas and cover with cheese.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and heated through.

Note: you may use more cheese if you wish.

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