MamaManagement

Where have I been? That is an excellent question. I have been MIA...on vacation, dealing with a sick family, struggling with another birthday, being in a late-winter funk...all of the above. So I dropped the ball, as it were. But I am once again renewing my commitment to writing and this lovely little blog and will be focusing on things that take-up a great deal of my time, attention and love these days (besides my kids): food, books and workouts. For a little while, that's what you're going to find here. Then, I have about 20 half-written posts on other topics, including some super fun craftiness, that I will attend to...but first, yummy food. So I just recently made this tasty, little side-dish-wonder, and, seriously, could not get enough of it. My husband and I ate the entire bunch of asparagus at dinner, it was so good. I highly recommend going for "the perfect bite" as often as you can with this one: a piece of asparagus, a cranberry, a pine nut or two and a li...

I made this chicken last weekend when we had family in visiting...this drives my husband nuts when I try out new recipes when we have guests...just because one little time dinner turned out awful! (Seriously, it was barely edible. Oops!) I say, this is the occasional price we pay for wonderful food exploration! And this Honey Mustard Pretzel-Crusted Chicken is a fantastic example of just that! It. Was. Delish.  So here you have it...tasty AND company-worthy! (My 4 year old loved it too...I mean, who doesn't love pretzels and honey mustard!) Honey Mustard Pretzel-Crusted Chicken   (from cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com) 4 c. hard sourdough pretzels, coarsely crushed 1/2 c. olive oil 1/2 c. Dijon mustard 1/3 c. honey 1/4 c. water 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or other mild vinegar...I used white wine because it's what I had on hand) coarse salt and black pepper 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set wire rack (like oven-safe co...

The Resolutions Tree I thought it might be nice if I got this post in before we're too far away from the New Year's beginning...it might lose some impact come September. While I personally think you can reevaluate things and set new goals anytime (like, say, March 1st!), the new year tends to be a natural time for this in our culture, so, come January, I said, let's do it! I'm not sure that I love the term "resolutions." I think it carries a lot of baggage. A lot of "I'm going to lose fifty pounds-go to the gym everyday-and never eat another piece of chocolate again-only to be broken within days of being uttered" baggage. What I'm thinking about is more of a thoughtful consideration of your life over the last year...what's working well, what your thankful for, and what you'd like to change or add to or subtract from your life. This is something I do every year. As a matter of fact, one of my 2012 resolutions was to start this...

One of the pieces of art I look at while sitting at my kitchen table 1. In the morning, after breakfast, when we don't have anywhere to be right away...the kids play so well together...I get stuff done, and it's a joy to watch them together. 2. In the morning, when my daughter is at school, and my son and I get a little one-on-one time. He. Is. Precious. 3. In the afternoon, when I'm putting my son down for his nap...once he settles down and snuggles in with me...I just love to feel his warmth and weight on my chest. I savor these moments. I know they won't last forever. 4. In the afternoon, when my son is napping, and my daughter and I get a little one-on-one time to hang out or read together or do a craft. She is always sweetness and light when we are alone. 5. In the afternoon, when my son is napping, and my daughter is playing quietly, and I have a few moments to myself...I make myself a cup of decaf coffee and settle in at the table to do "some st...

Pasta is an easy, family-friendly, go-to dinner option and something I often incorporate into my weekly menus. So I am always looking for ways to mix it up in the pasta department and Gwyneth Paltrow's Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti fits the bill perfectly! I checked out her cookbook from the library a few months ago and tried a few recipes. I enjoyed the cookbook overall, but particularly loved this recipe because it's both good and easy (my favorite kind these days, as cooking with kids underfoot isn't always easy!). The flavor profile is super kid-friendly (both of my kids loved it) without being chicken-nugget-esque "kid food" and the recipe really couldn't be simpler. The lemon flavor is light and fresh, so even though you're eating pasta, it doesn't feel heavy. I serve this up with a nice salad and a little bread. So, here you go... Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow 3/4 box of spaghetti (I use ...

So, about three months ago I actually finished reading my (now 16 year old) niece's Top Ten Favorite Books (so far)...I know, it's pretty sad that I'm just now posting about it. But really, does it matter much when I share the book reviews, as long as I share them? Well, that's what I'm telling myself. So, just to refresh your memory, here's Katie's Top Ten List, as I shared it last year: 1. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale 2. The Host by Stephanie Meyer 3. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins 3.5 The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 4. Divergent by Veronica Roth 5. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (awesome!!!) 6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 7. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 8. The Maze Runner by James Dashner 9. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale 10. Matched and Crossed both by Allie Condie If you want to read what I thought of the first batch of the books I read, you can read my last post on it here:  http://mamamanagement.blogspot.ca/2012...

So, it is ridiculously cold outside right now. Like single-digits-to-teens cold, plus a windchill. And it's snowing. Which is kind of a slap in the face for my daughter, because it's actually too cold to go out and play in the snow. She can just watch longingly from the window as it falls to the ground. And it's been like this all week. So I have a couple of stir-crazy kids who need a little physical activity. A while back I remember seeing something on Pinterest about "masking tape games." I'm not even sure if I looked at the actual link, or if I just saw a picture on the pin and that was enough to plant the seed in my brain, but when I was a Target earlier in the week I picked up a fresh roll of masking tape and then got to work on some games. As you can see, I wasn't going for perfection here. Kids usually don't care so much about how straight your lines are or how neatly you tear the tape...they just want to get jumping. So here we go! Port...