The Beans are Taking A Bath

Saving money just makes me giddy!

Yesterday, my girl and I got cooking in the kitchen again. I got out the crockpot to a chant of 'We are making a recipe, a recipe. We making a recipe!'' Nora thinks butter goes in everything so out came a stick of butter from the fridge. To her disappointment the recipe was for black beans in the crockpot.

Complete bummer for her.

Then, I poured the 8 cups of water over the 1 lb of black beans to let them soak. ''Mommy, what you doing to the beans!'' Explaining they needed to be washed, I came up with the parallel thought that ''Beans are taking a bath.''

The recipe took on new life as Nora shrieked about how silly the beans were for taking a bath in my pot. (Let them soak overnight)

Next morning, I chopped up a whole clump of cilantro and threw it in the crockpot with a tsp. of salt, 2 T. of garlic powder and an additional 3 c. of water.

A fabulous, low cooked 6 hrs later, the crockpot had created the equivalent of 9-10 cans of black beans! All for the astounding cost of around $0.25/can!

A Reverberation....

I realized the blog is remiss of a happy post as of late. I apologize, my mind and emotions have been distracted by other things. It is amazing the time that passes by when you are busy and content with life. Although, sometimes there's a reverberation in the air that breaths more happiness into your day.....laughter.

In a moment, the car ride to Art camp transforms into fits of giggles. Nora has stated she is going to Art preschool not camp. You camp outside in a tent with the stars. Who am I to tell her she is wrong, I will blame the complexity of the English language.

The art of speaking is such a gift, especially when it comes from your children. Trent is trying to tame his tongue into syllables....slowly finding 'boo!' He is the spirit of happiness as he chants 'Boo!' at his sister to tell her to play with him. And the cackling ensues from both of them.

There is a flow of jovial banter that fills the house between all of us. My heart feeds on this, sucks life from it.

Good Things Come...

If you wait long enough.

The last several months have been filled with such highs and lows. I've learned to face them one at a time, as best as I can. The journey has brought me to a different place.

The start of a new business, as scary as it is exciting.

A peace in my life that I can not describe.

Dropping old worries and just moving on to tomorrow.

The courage to go on new adventures with the kids by myself.

Turning from the crowd and not caring if they look as I walk away.

Embracing my roll as mom, a badge of honor instead of duty.

A closer relationship with my family.

Knowing exactly who I am, not living in someone else's image of me.

Here I am. I waited. I was patient.

Good things are only to come.