(adapted from Epicurious.com)

The other day we had a MAJOR cleaning day at the house. Our early spring cleaning/pre-baby deep clean where you do everything you normally wouldn't... Like the blinds! 
Anyway, I worked up quite the appetite, and (as usual) that day I had not eaten enough. 

I was CRAVING swedish meatballs! But, not the microwave lean cuisine kind that you can get at your local grocery for 2/$5.00. I wanted the kind like Ikea serves. If you have ever been there & eaten before or after you've shopped, you know that they are the epitome of meatball excellence, but have a much different flavor or texture than an italian meatball. I wanted all of that! With gravy and egg noodles and the comfort that comes from a full belly. Mmm... So, the recipe below is one I found on Epicurious and just adapted to fit my kitchen and style of cooking. My hubby, who had never before tasted swedish meatballs, and our son LOVED it and wished there was more when it was done. Worth the time and effort-- trust me!





 
Hubby is sick. One of the puppies is sick. I'm not feeling well, and a six year old boy is on Christmas break. This is one of those days that you just curl up on the couch with your favorite pint of ice cream and pray you make it through. But, I promised my hubby that I would make chicken noodle soup this weekend. Although, I'm not sure if it was because he loves it, or because he didn't think I could & advised me to just buy it from Costco.


Giving Costco due credit, they have FANTASTIC rotisserie chicken noodle soup. One container usually only lasts about two days in our house; we eat it for every meal. For me, someone who always associated chicken noodle soup with throwing up and your mom forcing liquids down your throat, even coming near the idea of making and/or eating it seems like a big feat. But, now that everyone is kind of 'on the outs' over here, I decided to make today a lazy day and do what I could. The recipe below is adapted from two different ones I couldn't decide between so I mixed, matched, and substituted. {You could also freeze this without the noodles and add them when reheated.}

 
Okay, let's just admit it... There are times when you feel like you are superwoman and can do everything at once without help from anyone. At least that's how you feel if you're like me... 

I hate asking for help and hubby gets on my case all the time because I end up feeling overworked, over-stressed, and overly tired. So, MOM, if you end up like that at the end of many more days than you'd like, what do you do about it?

Well, with 3 dogs, a step-son, a child on the way, a husband to take care of, working from home, & being a full-time volunteer it's already hard enough to meal plan for each week and make sure everything else is taken care of, not to mention "alone time" for a workout..etc.
So, at times like this it's a little extra important to be self-sufficient and give yourself a helping hand; if you have any left to spare.