Well, here we go……

Hello world! Let me begin by introducing myself. I am a mother of three awesome kiddos. I run and somehow manage a household of 13!!!! This includes three kids (13,8,5), an army husband, my pops, and furbabies. We love furbabies. Anywho, I have no idea what I am doing trying to create a web blog, but damn it I am trying. I wanted a place where I could speak honestly and brutally about parenting, cooking in the real world, military life, autistic parenting, trying to keep a sense of sanity, and of course the most important part…….. wine. Lots and lots of wine talk!!!

Life can be really great. However, alot of times, it just really sucks. It is a pain adulting. Especially at dinner time when you are waiting for mom to cook dinner and you suddenly realize…….. wait a damn minute, IM MOM!!!!! Really bites the big one having so many people depend on you. As much as I love my family, everyday is full of obstacles and stressful times. With all the stress, you have to have a hobby. Something you can do that is all your own and by having it you are less likely to go crazy and end up on a murder documentary.

One of my favorite little hobbies is cooking. I have an awesome app called the Dinner Spinner or All recipes app. It has so many different recipes and real people can add their own. Each recipe has ratings and comments on the bottom on how people changed or altered each. Real people and real recipes and sometimes even real failures. Not the super fancy kinda recipes you know? The fancy ones where you google how to make spaghetti or chicken soup (simple right?) and all the ingredients say organic or somehow everything has kale in it. God I hate kale. Seriously kale???? No point to it.

Now I apologize ahead of time if you are a health nut. I get that, people want to be healthy and some even want to live a long life. I, on the other hand, do not haha. I could not imagine being 98 and seeing my family of like a billion grandbabies and great grandbabies all existing because I got laid. I feel at that age I would just be miserable. I think I could croak at 60 and be very satisfied with my life. I could do quite a bit and have many happy days by 60. I also believe that if i have to make the choice between living a long life or eating ice cream……… Ben and Jerry’s would definitely win. Life is about enjoying yourself. Now granted health issues come about from gluttony but I feels as though I have found a happy medium where I eat what I enjoy, but I am not gonna die from it.

My family would also make it very difficult to only eat healthy food. My children thankfully were blessed with their father’s metabolism. He could eat a baker’s dozen of Dunkin donuts and somehow LOSE weight where as if I did the same, I would instantly grow a third buttcheek! My children are so skinny, to the unknown eye it may look like I starve them, when in actuality I am constantly feeding them. If my children did not get their starch at dinner or their carbs at every meal they would waste away to nothing. Even whole milk! Yes I am one of those mothers who give their families whole milk from cows! And unlike most families, my children are not picky eaters. Each one of my kiddos do have a food they do not like and for the most part I honor those wishes when I cook. However, I may be channeling my inner “mommy dearest” with this, they have to clear their plates at dinner. I give them small portions and encourage to always try new food at least once or they will not try anything as an adult. My husband and I are very much in sync with this philosophy as well.

Living and moving from army base to army base, you constantly meet new people. You see or hear them talk about their dinners or what their kids eat. How they do not force their children to eat anything they do not want to or how they let their children dictate what is being made for dinner. I can understand some families make this work or they are happy, but their children end up just acting like brats. I am sympathetic to the families who need this kind of lifestyle as well. As a mother to two children on the spectrum, my children were not always so well adjusted. That was a long battle for many years, but they eventually grew to accept new experiences in food. It is not healthy to let a child dictate what a parent will do, but it is great to involve them in the process. My children each have a favorite meal and we rotate what we cook some nights based on those favorites. There is always some give and take though. “Yes sweetie I made salisbury steak, but you have to eat broccoli with it!” This is all just my opinion though. I am no professional.

I would love to share my “real mom” recipes. Even my quick dinners or “cleaning out the fridge” meals. We all have those kind of recipes! Now I will say again, I am new to the blogging world so I would love feedback, tips, your recipes, and thoughts on everyday life. No two mothers were made the same so I hope this blog gives both moms and dads an opportunity to be heard and collaborate with others around the world. There is not much in this world that I am skilled at, but I know three things for sure I succeed at. 1. I make kickass pot roast. 2. I keep tiny humans alive. 3. I can put a smile on my husband’s face (wink wink). Happy hump day yall!