Taking Care of Our Girls – Beauty of a Woman #BOAW2018

Well, here we are again. It’s time for my annual blog post, thanks to August McLaughlin’s beautiful self and her 7th Annual Beauty of a Woman Blogfest!

(I really do plan to blog more, seriously. I even have a few posts ready to go!! I am hoping this post is my version of a jumper cable. But anyway…)

By definition, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or platform, or something else.

Now in my third year of participation, I thought I would continue on one of my previous year’s posts and talk about the importance of a woman’s breasts.

Men have always appreciated a woman’s breasts. Not to belittle a man, but they love to ogle a woman’s boobs and do from early on. My boys are one and three years old and they adore my chest, of course they fed off of them for almost a year and a half each. Additionally, an industry thrived for decades because men love to stare at and fantasize about a woman’s breasts. There is nothing wrong with any of this.

Boobs are beautiful.

But have we as women appreciated our breasts as much as the men? Probably not. We’re our worst critics. I bet as a whole, we complain a lot about the pair we have… much like our hair, our thighs, and any other body part we deem imperfect. Notice I said ‘we deem’…

But guess what? Our breasts are AMAZING!

Small, large, super-sized, droopy, perky, it doesn’t matter.

All boobs rock!

That is why it’s important for us to take care of our sisters.

Now 41, it’s time for my first mammogram. I should have had this done at 40, but I was breastfeeding. And before we decide 100% as to whether or not we are finished adding to our family, my OB/GYN is sending me in.

I have my breasts manually checked annually at my female exams. And now it’s time for my mammogram. Not because I have ever been given reason to worry but because of my age. Afterall, this imagery test is just another standard preventative test.

But I’m not going to lie–I am nervous. Like I said, I haven’t ever received any news from my doctor to lead me to worry. Nor do I knowingly have a family history. However, I have known multiple women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. It attacks 20 somethings; it attacks 60 somethings; it even attacks men! If you have boobs, and everyONE does, you are at risk.

So it’s my time to get checked. It’s my responsibility. My health is not only important to me, but an absolute must for my boys. The way I look at this, I have no other choice.

My Babies Feet. Loves of My Life. For them, I would do anything. (Copyright Tiffany A. White)

Naked from the waist up, covered only by a medical gown, and free of all lotions, powders and deodorants, I walked into the imagery room. The butterflies fluttered ferociously in my belly.  Just like in labor and delivery, I repeatedly reminded myself to breathe. Deep breaths. Deeeeeep breaths.

Is it painful?  Having given birth vaginally twice, I say no. Is it uncomfortable? Yes, but not for my breasts. Most uncomfortable was definitely my armpits.   The technician pulls and repositions the girls in ways you didn’t realize was possible, but I do believe breastfeeding desensitized me.  Even with the awkwardness, it only lasts a few minutes.  And if you are lucky like me, the nurse’s friendliness makes those few minutes fly by.

And then you’re done. Of course then the waiting time begins, probably the most stressful of all.  I was told to not be surprised if I get a call back to come back in for further testing.  This is supposedly normal for first time mammogrammers because they have nothing to compare your images to.  If all is normal, expect an email, but probably the call.  Either way, longest 3-4 business days ever.  Am I right?

So what is beauty to me?  Or better yet, what makes a woman beautiful?

WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL.  ALL WOMEN!

Period.

But making the decision to take care of ourselves, our bodies, our breasts and striving to do all we can to remain healthy and fix anything that needs fixing, makes us women even more beautiful.

There are other things that make us beautiful–our pride, our strength, and our resolve!

Take pride in our beings, inside and out. Be proud of who we are. Have the strength to be all we can, including taking all measures to ensure our health. Find the strength to do what’s necessary to regain that health.  And have the resolve to be our #1. If we love us, nothing else matters.

And boobs.

My ‘I Got This!” Face. And yes; I’m wearing PINK for Boobies! (Copyright Tiffany A. White)

It’s time for me to now go brew another cup of my Heaven, my lifeline, my momma juice as I call it–COFFEE–and play dinosaurs and blocks.  Oh, the life of a boy mom!

Thanks again to August for hosting such an awesome event and for inviting me to participate.  As wonderful and as beautiful as us women are, we do need the reminder now and again.

Be sure to stop by Beauty of a Woman #BOAW2018 to join in the fun.

Until next time…

*****

Update — “No evidence of breast cancer or other significant abnormality!”  Such beautiful words.  I do have dense breast tissue, but was told that’s nothing to worry about–it’s only a talking point for my next visit with my OB/GYN.  YAY!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

*****

This post is part of The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest VII!  To read more entries, and potentially win a fun prize, visit the fest page on August McLaughlin’s site between today and 11pm PST March 9th.

 

Strength and Beauty – Beauty of a Woman #BOAW17

Hello?

Is anyone out there?

It has been a looooong time since I have written anything, blog included.

One year, actually.

Why?

I had another baby!!

My two little hearts… (copyright Tiffany A. White)

That’s right—I now have two boys under the age of three.  Crazy, right?  I am blessed to get to stay home with them; but needless to say, they keep me insanely busy.  As a matter of fact, I’m sitting here typing these words as they simultaneously nap—a VERY rare occurrence in my house.  Never did I think I would be a stay-at-home mom.  And never did I think it would be as difficult as it is to get two babies to sleep at the same time, especially at night.

On any average night, I am usually up a minimum of three times between midnight and 8AM.  It’s safe to say my sleep suffers greatly when at least two of those stints lead to an hour’s worth of breastfeeding.  But hey—I can catch up on TV while nursing, a pastime that I don’t get all that much time to enjoy anymore.

I am tired.  But what mom isn’t?  Heck, what woman isn’t?  We ladies usually take on enough to keep us busy 25 hours a day.

Wait.  What?  There’s only 24 hours in a day?

This brings me to the point of today’s post.  The reason I am forfeiting my naptime—some of the only minutes a day that I have to myself.

When August McLaughlin approached me about joining her 6^th Annual Beauty of a Woman Blogfest, I knew I wanted to participate.  I realized I would probably struggle to find the time to write anything, but I wanted to AND I knew it would feel great to do something besides being a wife, mother, and housekeeper.  Although, I do love my new job.  I do.  Motherhood is probably the most difficult job I have had to date, but also the most rewarding.  However, blogging again, even if just this one post for the next year, would feel wonderful, especially writing about such an important topic—women’s beauty.

So, thank you, August.  Thank you for pulling me back in.

Now, enough rambling…here goes:

By definition, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or platform, or something else.

So what is beauty to me?  Or better yet, what makes a woman beautiful?

WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL.  ALL WOMEN!

Period.

But today, I’m going to focus on just one of the many reasons why women are beautiful: our strength and ability to persevere.

When we run into one of life’s detours?  We drive right through it.  Women have the ability to push through any of life’s obstacles.

For example—my exhaustion.

I am beyond exhausted.

I can’t even put into words how tired I am— eye-crossing, head-dropping, deliriously tired.

And apparently whiney, but I have the right, in my opinion.

Regardless, I push through, get as much done as I possibly can without collapsing, and attempt to make each and every day as special as I can for my boys (hubby included). It’s not easy, and I’m not perfect, but it’s my best. And trust me, not being perfect is REALLY hard for me.

But seriously, and no offense to the opposite sex—I love my husband… he works hard so I can stay home; he loves me and spoils me and the boys more than he should (but don’t tell him that!); he also picks up where he can around the house to help me—but women run circles around men.  Perhaps this is all due to our ability to multitask?  Sure.  But I like to think it’s because we are the real HERcules.

In Greek Mythology, Hercules was a male, son of Zeus; but in today’s society, women are definitely HERculean.

We are strong. Physically strong.  Emotionally strong.  Mentally strong.  And this strength makes us beautiful—inside and out.

There is nothing we can’t achieve or accomplish.  I learned this firsthand during pregnancy and childbirth.  Our bodies do amazing things.  I have seen my husband stub his toe—he couldn’t birth a baby.

I love you, honey.  🙂

Not all women choose to be mothers, and that’s okay.  We are all still equally strong.  We may not feel confident in our beauty every day.  We may not believe in our beauty every day.  True; but we are.

So own it, ladies.  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Now, I am not sure this post makes sense or that I haven’t repeated myself over and over.  Chances are I’m rambling and I’m jumping all over the place.  But I hope I’ve at least conveyed one simple message.

WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL.

It’s time for me to now go brew another cup of my Heaven, my lifeline, my momma juice as I call it—COFFEE!

Thanks again to August for hosting such an awesome event and for inviting me to participate.  As wonderful and as beautiful as us women are, we do need the reminder now and again.

Be sure to stop by August’s Blogfest page to join in the #BOAW17 fun.

Until next time…

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

 

 

The True Beauty of… Breasts – Beauty of Woman #BOAW16

Wow. May 2016. Where has the time gone? It has been almost a year since my last blog post. Okay; it has been a year. I guess life gets in the way sometimes—a lot of the time.

Motherhood has really changed my life—for the better—but changed, nonetheless. Everything has taken a backseat, especially my writing (and household chores). My Little Dude is a month from his second birthday and…shhhh…we’re expecting our second. That’s my first public admission of this pregnancy.

Despite my social media life, I am a very private person. But between the preparation for our new addition AND August’s 5th annual Beauty of a Woman Blogfest, I knew I had something to say.

I know – people who know me say this is nothing out of the ordinary.

But seriously. Time to blog.

My perspective on a woman’s beauty has changed. Maybe not so much changed, but grown by leaps and bounds.

By definition, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or platform, or something else.

I’ve always seen the beauty, both internally and externally of a woman. However, having undergone the many changes I have the past two and a half years, I now have a deeper appreciation… a deeper understanding… and a deeper love—for myself, other women, and the female body. More specifically, boobs, or the scientific terminology, breasts.

Men have always appreciated a woman’s breasts. But have we as women appreciated our breasts as much as the men? Probably not. We’re our worst critics. I bet as a whole, we complain a lot about the pair we have… much like our hair, our thighs, and any other body part we deem imperfect. Notice I said we deem…

But guess what? Our breasts are AMAZING!

Small, large, super-sized, droopy, perky, it doesn’t matter.

All boobs rock!

I certainly didn’t appreciate my “girls” until experiencing breastfeeding firsthand. Our breasts aren’t just an aesthetic body part to improve our physical appearance; although they don’t hurt it either. Our breasts serve a purpose—to feed our young. Having not been breastfed (well, I wouldn’t remember anyway, would I?) or being around breastfeeding prior to having my son, I didn’t really grasp just how amazing breasts actually were. I guess I was kind of like a man—I saw a “good pair” and thought WOW.

Not anymore. I truly get it now.

From the moment our body completes the mind-boggling and precious process we know as childbirth, our breasts produce the food necessary for our offspring. As our babies grow and change, our milk supply grows and changes with them, giving them the exact, THE EXACT nutrition our child needs. No two nursings are alike—breastfeeding is constantly evolving to our baby’s needs.

Amazing, right? I need a new word for amazing…

It doesn’t stop there.

Our breasts produce the antibodies our kiddos need to fight off ailments. Without getting too scientific, their saliva enters the breast through one of the many milk ducts and our body recognizes when something is “off.” The female body then produces exactly what the baby needs to help fight whatever it is that is wrong. All through the boob.

Amazing, right? There I go again with that word… but it is. Truly.

Now, breastfeeding isn’t for all mothers and that’s okay. My mother didn’t breastfeed me and I personally think I turned out fine and I love her to death.

However, I knew I wanted to try for my Little Dude and I wanted to go for as long as I could. When I first hit the six month mark, I was thrilled, but I wasn’t ready to stop. Next we accomplished twelve months, which was fantastic… but my husband and I made the decision to keep going. When it’s all said and done, my son and I made it to eighteen months before calling it quits.

And guess what? We had ZERO non-well visits to his pediatrician in that time. No ear infections, no nothing. If he happened to get a runny nose, I nursed more and his tiny little common cold never progressed.

Simply amazing. Forget it—I’m not looking for another word any longer. Amazing says it all.

For whatever reason, some people are offended by women breastfeeding in public. Why it’s okay for a woman to show cleavage and be sexy, yet it’s not for her to feed her little one the best nutrients he or she can possibly receive is beyond me.

But society freaks. While I’m for it (I’m a BIG breastfeeding advocate), let’s all be mindful of others.  On both sides. Always.

And remember…

The true beauty of breasts… it’s AMAZING!

My Little Dude and Me
(copyright Tiffany A. White)

PS.  Stop by August’s Blogfest page to participate in the #BOAW16 fun!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

 

The Perfect March Madness Dish – Crock Pot Meatballs

March Madness marks one of my favorite times of year.  No; it’s not football.  But it’s college hoops at its finest!  It never matters which two teams are facing off against each other… it could be a Cinderella (a team that was lucky to receive an invitation to The Big Dance as it’s called) versus one of the top ranked teams expected to win it all… the games are fantastic.  Rarely is there a blowout; often times there’s a buzzer beater; and there’s almost always a handful of upsets, making the first weekend of the tournament a truly exciting time for any sports enthusiast.

So, what goes great with March Madness?

Meatballs!!

First, what’s needed:

1 – bag of frozen Swedish meatballs (we used a 2lb bag of Great Value meatballs)
2 – 12 oz bottles of chili sauce
1 – large jar of grape jelly

Now let’s cook:

Dump in the crock pot.  Yep!  Dump all three ingredients and stir until the meatballs are completely covered.

Cook on high for two hours or low for four.

This is some serious yum here, folks.  I know the combination of ingredients sounds funky, but we didn’t have one single meatball left last time we made this.

Enjoy!

What do you think?  Is this recipe worth a try?  Have any other easy meatball recipes to share?  I’d love to hear from you!

Original recipe found on this site:

http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2011/12/crockpot-meatballs/

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

Finding Beauty – Beauty of Woman #BOAW15

It has been a loooooong time since I have written anything, including content for my blog. *dusts off cobwebs*

As many of you know, my writing has taken a back seat to my new and VERY important job—motherhood. Say HELLO to my little dude—well, to his feet, now almost nine months old.

Toes!!

And while I do miss writing, I can’t dedicate much time to my craft. I’ve had tons of ideas (thank goodness for notebooks), but have been looking for the perfect opportunity (and time) to stick my toes back into the shallow end and put pen to paper. Yes; I still handwrite everything prior to tapping the keyboard with my fingertips… I’m old school like that.

When I read August was launching the 4^th annual Beauty of a Woman Blogfest, I knew the time had finally arrived.

Why now?

Because I have something to say. I know – people who know me say this is nothing out of the ordinary.

But seriously.

My perspective on a woman’s beauty has changed. Maybe not so much changed, but grown by leaps and bounds. I’ve always seen the beauty, both internally and externally of a woman. However, having undergone the many changes I have the past sixteen months, I now have a deeper appreciation… a deeper understanding… and a deeper love—for myself and other women.

By definition, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or platform, or something else.

So what is beauty to me? Or better yet, what makes a woman beautiful? Well, there’s the obvious that most everyone associates to the word beauty—aesthetics. And yes; aesthetically, all women are beautiful—all shapes and sizes. Women are also beautiful by the kindness they extend to others and as reflected by the confidence they emit. There’s also strength, perseverance, and humility…

Here’s the truth—WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL. ALL WOMEN!

The minute we think otherwise, we have a problem.

Sure, I’ve thought of myself as beautiful at times in my life. Lord knows I have the confidence necessary to hold my head up high. But only recently have I truly felt beautiful, and it’s not because of my physical appearance. AT ALL.

Matter of fact, I’m the largest I’ve ever been in my life (yeah; pregnancy weight DOES NOT just come off, not even when breastfeeding) with arguably the worst complexion I have ever had (thank you adult-onset rosacea, courtesy of… you guessed it… my pregnancy).

I am beautiful because of my strength and perseverance. I have been blessed; but like all others, I have faced a few curve balls while standing at the home plate of life. When I could have given up and felt sorry for myself, I instead took a deep breath and kept motorin’, searching for the positives.

Everything we encounter, especially the detours, makes us stronger. Our ability to push through makes us beautiful.

My epiphany came with pregnancy, the birth of my son, and these early stages of motherhood—none of which was a piece of cake—not for me. I watched my body change (pregnant women do not always glow); I experienced health scares (during my forty weeks, hours before my son graced us with his presence, and postpartum); I pushed, literally, through a two and a half day labor… over fifty hours of a pressure and pain I still to this day can’t describe to others; and I have struggled with things since, thanks to my constant state of exhaustion.

But you know what? I am beautiful. I’m beautiful despite my size 12 clothes being tight (I can’t believe I just “said” my size out loud). I’m beautiful despite the permanent black circles under my eyes. I’m beautiful despite my face looking like I stayed out in the sun too long with big ole sunshades covering my eyes… a red raccoon if you will.

Now, not all women are mothers and that’s okay. Heck, I didn’t even know I wanted to be a mother until my 36^th year on this earth. Motherhood is not for everyone and does not define us as women. All women are just as strong and beautiful due to the unique situations in their lives, regardless of their desire to be or not to be a mother. However, in my instance, motherhood is what opened my eyes to what makes me beautiful… to what makes my mother beautiful… my grandmother, aunts, cousins, friends… etc.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this…

Women make it their job to persevere. Through our drive and our strength, we find a way. We may not feel confident or believe ourselves to be beautiful every day, BUT WE ARE.

What’s the saying?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

We simply must believe it ourselves.

Let’s stop restricting beauty to the size zero models strutting down the catwalks. Instead, let’s focus on finding the strength both internally and externally to claim our own beauty. Embrace our confidence. Demand respect. And don’t knock others.

Oh, yes… and smile.

You’re beautiful.

Beautiful artwork courtesy of the VERY beautiful Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson

PS.  Stop by August’s Blogfest page to participate in #BOAW15 fun!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

 

Football Foods – Crock Pot Buffalo Wings

Football is here!!

This means it’s not only time to watch our favorite teams kick off, but also time for those special foods that we make specifically for football games.

But first… baby feet in football shoes!

Now onto the food…

Buffalo Wings!!

I’ve posted this recipe before, but it’s worth the share again.  Especially since my guy and I love these wings so much we’ve made them the past two weekends for Texas Tech football!

I first found this recipe via AllRecipes.com for the Super Bowl, and luckily my wings were a much bigger hit than the game itself this year…

My guy and I aren’t big on frying foods.  We’ll eat ‘em when we go out on occasion, but we tend to stay away from making fried foods in our house.  Which is why this recipe was very intriguing to us both.  It’s not fried AND it uses the crock pot!  I do love my crock pot…

First, what’s needed:

1 – 4 lb bag of frozen chicken wings, thawed
2 – 12 oz bottles of wing sauce (we used Frank’s Red Hot)
1 cup of melted butter
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 teaspoons of onion powder
2 teaspoons of garlic powder

Now let’s cook:

In a saucepan, combine one of the 12-oz bottles of wing sauce, ½ cup of melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Heat sauce over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes.

Place chicken wings in the crock pot and pour the sauce mixture over them.

Cook on high for two hours.

Reduce heat to low and cook for another two hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a large baking sheet.  We sprayed with Olive Oil Cooking Spray.

Spread the wings onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven until the wings are crisp and brown (for about thirty minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the other ½ cup of butter with the other 12-oz bottle of wing sauce in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened (about twenty minutes).

Brush sauce onto wings before serving.

Also serve with ranch and/or blue cheese.

This is some serious yum here, folks.  The meat just falls off the bone.

And before anyone says, “But I like crispy wings…”  These slow-cooked and baked wings are crispy!!  We don’t always have to fry for the crisp.  Just sayin’.

Enjoy!

What do you think?  Is this recipe worth a try?  Have any other easy wing recipes to share?  I’d love to hear from you!

Original recipe found on this site:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/awesome-slow-cooker-buffalo-wings/

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

Freezer Meals – Mediterranean Pork

Freezer Meal Time!

I’ve mentioned in my last few posts that these adorable monkey feet and adjusting to parenthood have made it very difficult for me to stand in the kitchen and prepare a nice and healthy meal each night.

I mean, c’mon…

Obviously, I’d much rather enjoy every moment I can with my little guy (and take pictures of his feet!). Enter the freezer meal…

Today – Mediterranean Pork.

What’s a freezer meal?

A meal that is prepped and frozen prior to cooking all day in the crock pot. Pretty simple, right?

Well, without a doubt, they are lifesavers! But are they any good? Round one (pot roast) proved successful! So let’s move on to the next one…

First, the supplies:

Large Freezer Bags (gallon)
Marker (permanent wouldn’t hurt)
Vacuum Seal (not necessary, but definitely an added bonus. We LOVE ours and use it all the time)

Next, the ingredients:

6-8 Pork chops
1 Sweet potato (although we used two the first time and three large sweet potatoes the second time)
½ Cup of olive oil
2 Cups of chicken Stock (we used three to four, unmeasured because of the extra sweet potatoes to ensure we had enough liquid)
4 Cloves of garlic, chopped (we always tend to use extra here too because we love the stuff)
2 Tablespoons of paprika
2 Tablespoons of chicken seasoning (we used Montreal Chicken)
2 Tablespoons of dried oregano
2 Tablespoons of dried basil (we used fresh basil because we grow it out back)

Before we begin:

Write the name of the dish and all of the ingredients on the freezer bag/s in permanent marker. Include the cooking instructions. Don’t assume you will remember later on. We may *think* we’ll remember later, but probably not.

Prep Instructions:

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Chop or slice the garlic cloves.

Mix the sweet potatoes, garlic, olive oil and all the seasonings together in a large bowl.

And finally, bag the food. If necessary, use two separate freezer bags… one for the sweet potato mixture and one for the pork.   I didn’t add the chicken stock until I was ready to cook.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw the pork and sweet potatoes overnight in the fridge. The next day, dump everything in the crock pot (I love crock pot dishes!!). Pour in the chicken stock. I like to add a little of the stock before I put the food in and then pour the rest over the top, but people say I’m weird.

Cook on low for eight hours.

But is it any good?

Delicious! We’ve already made this dish twice. And I have a feeling we’ll have it again soon…

Enjoy!

What do you think?  Is this recipe worth a try?  I’d love to hear from you!

Original Pinterest recipe found on this site:

http://kleinsis.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/its-nearly-time-lets-pepare/

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

Freezer Meals – Pot Roast

Adjusting to parenthood is not easy.  But it’s wonderful. Really. I’m totally in love. How could one not be? Just look at these feet… toe curls!

However, if I thought time moved fast before the baby was born, I was sadly mistaken.  The past six weeks have FLOWN by (yet have been the longest six weeks of my life). Every time I turn around, the day is gone and I’ve accomplished nothing besides feeding and entertaining the baby… with the occasional completion of a load of laundry. Heck, I’m lucky if I take a shower. Correction—my guy is lucky if I take a shower. Hahahaha.

But seriously…

If we didn’t have pre-prepared foods right now, my guy and I might starve half the time. After all, feeding the baby comes first… right?

So in order to ensure we had meals in the house that didn’t require a lot of time out of my day, I found some freezer meals via Pinterest to check out. That, and our fabulous friends and family have kept us well fed… (thanks, everyone!!).

But for the sake of today’s post (and a few future posts), I’m focusing on the frozen meals.

Today – pot roast.

What’s a freezer meal?

A meal that is prepped and frozen prior to cooking all day in the crock pot. Pretty simple, right?

Well, without a doubt, they are lifesavers! Since the baby, I barely have enough time to brush my teeth on some days, let alone stand in the kitchen and cut vegetables for a nice and healthy dinner. So after seeing some freezer meals on Pinterest, I thought it surely wouldn’t hurt to give them a try—and my guy agreed.

First, the supplies:

Large Freezer Bags (gallon)
Marker (permanent wouldn’t hurt)
Vacuum Seal (not necessary, but definitely an added bonus. We LOVE ours and use it all the time)

Next, the ingredients:

1 Eye of Round Roast
1 Packet of Dry Pot Roast Seasoning
1 Bag of Mini Carrots (I LIVED on these things during my pregnancy…)
4-5 (Russet) Potatoes, Peeled and Chopped
1 Onion, Quartered/Chopped in Chunks

Before we begin:

Write the name of the dish and all of the ingredients on the freezer bag/s in permanent marker. Include the cooking instructions. Don’t assume you will remember later on. We may *think* we’ll remember later, but probably not.

Prep Instructions:

Wash and dry the carrots. Peel and chop the potatoes. Cut the onion.

And finally, bag the food. If necessary, use two separate freezer bags… one for the veggies and one for the roast.  I sprinkled the dry roast seasoning all over the veggies, but you can also add later when you are ready to cook.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw the roast and veggies overnight in the fridge. The next day, dump the roast and veggies in the crock pot (I love crock pot dishes!!). Fill the crock pot about ½ way with water. If you didn’t already sprinkle the dry roast seasoning over the veggies before freezing, do so now.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours.

But is it any good?

We thought so! Only next time, we’re adding chunks of chopped celery. We both agreed that would make the dinner taste even better!

Enjoy!

What do you think?  Is this recipe worth a try?  I’d love to hear from you!

Original Pinterest recipe found on this site:

Frozen Crock Pot Meals! Save Money and Save Time!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Motive

Adjusting to life as a new mom is not easy, although wonderful.  However, regardless of the joy, I still have the need to get back to some sort of normalcy.  Therefore, I have decided it’s time to throw out another new blog post.  Well, kind of a new post… today’s post is a rerun from last summer with updated information.  So if you are still wondering whether or not ABC’s Motive is worth a watch, this post is for you!

Television is full of crime dramas and police procedurals today, but most of these shows focus on the investigation and capture of the suspects rather than the motive behind the act.  Some TV programs might answer the “why” in a brief one or two lines of dialogue after they’ve interrogated the suspect for a few minutes, but they don’t really spend a lot of time on the motive.

ABC’s crime drama, Motive, changes all of that.

The series, now in its second season, follows Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman, Judging Amy and The Killing) and her partner (Louis Ferreira, SGU Stargate Universe) as they work homicide cases.

Detectives Flynn and Vega

Wait a minute… that sounds just like every other police procedural on TV today.  Right?

Wrong.  Motive identifies the killer and victim at the beginning of each episode before we even see the crime scene.  Now that’s unique… and I absolutely love the format!

For the most part, Motive is like all the other police procedurals out there… the detectives inherit a case and work the scene from the ground up, looking primarily for the “who” and the “why.”  But with ABC’s drama (actually, Motive is a Canadian TV series that has been picked up by ABC the past two summers…), viewers get to see the “who” and “why” before anything else.  The show flashes back throughout the entire hour, telling us the stories of both the killer and the victim, and very little about the detectives and their personal lives.

That’s right.  Motive is more about the crimes than it is the stars of the show.  Having missed the pilot last year, I wasn’t even aware that Flynn was a single mother until about the fourth episode.  And even then, the series barely touched on that relationship… but there was enough to give the no-nonsense detective a heart (I’m not saying she’s callous, it’s just that she’s not on the job to make friends).

Detective Flynn is a closer…

Anyway…

Motive kind of reminds me of a combination of Cold Case (because of the series of flashbacks) and the short-lived series The Whole Truth, where viewers experienced the crime through both the prosecutor’s and the defense attorney’s point of view and they had to decide which one was the truth… fun show, but it didn’t last long.

And by the way, the crime drama also stars: Lauren Holly (NCIS) as Betty Rogers, the medical examiner; Brendan Penny (Stargate: Atlantis) as rookie detective Brian Lucas; and Warren Christie (Alphas) as the new boss, Sergeant Mark Cross.

Dr. Rogers is a small role for Lauren Holly, but it’s nice to see her back on TV.

So what’s the verdict?  Motive is different enough from the other police procedurals on TV.  I’ll give it at least that.  But do I like it more than all the others?  Not really.  But kinda.

That’s right; I’m torn. I do really like how the series focuses more on the crime (and the killer and victim) than the cops themselves.  And I am REALLY glad ABC picked up the second season. However, watching police procedurals is like standing on the chip aisle at the local grocery.  There are so many different brands and flavors to choose from, each bag with its own unique twist, that we only have time to grab a few here and there each time or our grocery basket would be nothing but chips. For that, Motive earns the JFTV rating.

Luckily for this one, it airs during the summer and doesn’t have a whole lot of competition. But the more I watch, the more I think it could hold its own with other police procedurals during the regular fall to spring television schedule. And I already find myself hoping for a third season…

Bottom line? Motive is my favorite summer crime drama (on the basic network TV channels).

Do you watch Motive? I’d love to hear from you!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.

 

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Mistresses

I’ve been quiet here lately,  but for good reason (if you ask me)…. I had a baby!

My Little Guy’s Monkey Feet

I am trying to slowly get back into the swing of things, despite all of these new and very important tasks filling my days and nights, and have decided it’s time to throw out a new blog post.  Well, kind of a new post… today’s post is a rerun from last summer with updated information.  So if you are still wondering about ABC’s Mistresses, this post is for you!

Based on the popular British television series of the same name, Mistresses is a sexy drama following the lives of four girlfriends as they discover who they really are via their friendships, relationships, and sex.

Sound familiar?  I’m thinking of one of my favorites here… Sex and the City.

The series stars: Alyssa Milano (Charmed) as Savannah “Savi” Davis, who is learning to cope with loss and starting over in both her personal and professional life; Jes Macallan as Josslyn Carver, Savi’s single and carefree younger sister, who has recently launched a brand new career; Rochelle Aytes (Detroit 1-8-7 and The Forgotten) as April Malloy, a single mother, who owns her own boutique shop; and Junjin Kim (Lost) as Karen Kim, a formerly successful therapist, whose practice fell apart following an affair with one of her patients… and his son.

All four women are beautiful; they’re all successful; and they’ve all got issues.  Serious issues.

The series began last year with hot and steamy sex… for network TV.  Viewers watched Savi and her husband “role playing” during their attempts to make a baby.  We also first met Joss while she was having a little “afternoon delight” with her then boss.  And let’s not forget about the flashback sex scenes between Karen and her patient.  In season one, April was the only one not sweating between the sheets—but things certainly do change in season two.

Savi trying to be zen…

There for a while, it appeared prime time soap operas were a thing of the past.  Mistresses, however, definitely brings the drama and the sexy back to television…

First, let’s meet the girls.

When Savi and her husband (Harry) learned of their fertility issues last season, he pushed her away as he blamed and punished himself for having abnormal sperm.  This catapulted Savi into the arms of her coworker (Dominick) and they had one night of hot, steamy sex.  And guess what?  She discovered she was pregnant…she didn’t know who the father was… she came clean to Harry, ruining their marriage… and the season ended just as her car was smashed by another in a highway accident. Sadly, Savi lost her baby and her husband. But she also found a light at the end of the tunnel—Dom. Who cares if he’s now her boss?

Meanwhile, as if sleeping with her dying (now dead) patient wasn’t a big enough issue for Karen, the patient’s family couldn’t seem to stop themselves from leaning on her.  His wife didn’t appear to have a clue about the affair (at first), but his son knew there was another woman and he wanted answers… from Karen. One thing led to another… she slept with the son… the wife tried to kill her… her partner reported her to the board and she lost her license to practice… a total downward spiral. Now she’s back, working at the Emergency Room and with one patient in a brand new solo-practice. Karen’s life seems to be back on track. But is it?

Then there’s April… poor April.  Last season, she had a hard time letting go of her dead husband, so much so that she believed that a few prank calls she had received were actually his ghost telling her to not move on.  But it turns out those calls weren’t from her husband, they were from her husband’s mistress and their illegitimate son.  As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, the woman wanted money… after all, her son was entitled to some of the inheritance April’s daughter received from the insurance company—right? Next, April’s supposedly dead ex showed up on her front doorstep. That’s right; he faked his own death. It took her a while, but she finally kicked them both to the curb, somehow managing to keep all of this from her adolescent daughter. Now, April is on the rebound…

And last but not least, we have Joss… we discovered early on that she had climbed her way to the top of her realty company by sleeping with her boss.  But he left and her new boss wasn’t falling for any of her tricks (at first).  Work didn’t seem to be what she was best at, but she surprisingly got her act together. Now, Joss has left realty for a career in event planning. And somehow, she has found herself as the voice of reason when it comes to her sister, ex-brother-in-law/business partner, and her friends. I’m just waiting for the old Joss to return…

April, Joss, and Karen

Now, let’s talk about the title for a minute.

According to Webster, a mistress is a woman who is the head of a household, country, or state… or a woman with whom a man is having a prolonged affair with.

Let’s focus on the latter.

Not only do I watch a lot of television programs, but I also enjoy a good talk show here and there.  Especially when the guests are stars I like.  Alyssa Milano stated in at least two TV interviews that I watched that the girls, her character included, are not all mistresses.  Not by the definition we are most familiar with anyway.  She included the show is in no way glorifying mistresses or situations that tend to break up marriages and relationships… (even if it does seem to us, the TV audience, that each woman is connected to a traditional mistress in one way or another—it’s true; I know people who stopped watching the program for this very reason very early on in season one).

Ms. Milano also stated in an interview that while this program is based on the BBC series, the writers took an entire season of the British version and wrapped up the storyline in one episode… I’m assuming that was the pilot… and that this series is all its own.

I went into Mistresses not expecting to like it.  For one, I’m a big Sex and the City fan and initially felt this series was trying to cash in on Carrie’s and the girls’ success.  But because I’m an Alyssa Milano fan (I watched Who’s the Boss? as a little girl and LOVED Charmed more than words can say), I knew I’d give it a shot.

And after season one, it turned into my new summer guilty pleasure… I was thrilled when ABC gave the show a renewal.

Mistresses earns the JFTV rating.  It’s definitely not good for us, but I couldn’t stop at just one episode. Heck, I couldn’t stop at just one season. And despite having difficulty finding a lot of time to watch (and pay attention to) my television series right now with the new addition to our family, I am all caught up on this one.

Do you watch Mistresses? I’d love to hear from you!

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery Football Sweetheart series available on Kindle and Nook.  She is available for contact via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or via email at tiffany {at} tiffanyawhite {dot} com.