Crystal's Potato Soup

Yesterday, Crystal told me she wanted to make Potato Soup. I've never made it before, and she didn't have a recipe. She saw there were lots of vegetables in the refrigerator and she didn't want them to go to waste. So, I pulled myself out of the funk I'm in (that's another post) and we got to work in the kitchen. She ended up cutting a red hot pepper and 6 potatoes. While that simmered, she cooked bacon in the oven. When the bacon was done, she added it, including the grease, into the pot. I also added garlic salt and another seasoning. We also added a can of tomatoes with chiles and garlic. She didn't know, but I also added a little bit of milk and some Parmesan cheese.

Let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS!!!! It was so good that only 3 of us ate it. I'll admit, I had 2 bowls! I asked her to make more, but she still hasn't done it yet.

(I took a picture right before I got my 2nd helping!)

I'm so proud of my girl. She learned how to cook a little later than the boys did, but for being 10 years old, she's still quite amazing. Her specialty seems to be creating dishes I haven't ever thought about cooking. I'll have to start posting more of her dishes. I usually don't get to taste them, because she seems to only make enough for herself. 

A Brighter Day

It's not easy having to share small space with so many people. The other night I was feeling overwhelmed, so I called one of my favorite cousins who is very "earthly" like I am. She told me to walk barefoot outside and connect to the earth. She told me to talk to my ancestors and ask for guidance. She told me to let the Universe know what I need. Those are all things I know to do, but somehow in the midst of my turmoil, I never even considered those things.

Since that conversation, I have been cooking delicious food like I used to. I've always loved cooking, but rarely do it when I'm not happy. I've been looking into ways to make money from "home" and also planning to have a garage sale this weekend.

I did have a mini breakdown as I was driving RJ to the next state over to hand him over to a coach for a basketball tournament today. He's my toughest kid to deal with. On one hand, he's so entertaining to have around, but on the other hand, our personalities clash frequently. I truly was upset with him. He was driving and I was sitting next to him fuming. Trying to keep myself from unleashing the fury I felt because I feel he's so selfish. He's 18, yes, but I had had enough. He broke the ice and unleashed an avalanche. I cried. I just don't know how to get to him. But his smile. I love him so much. I feel for him and I never want to hurt him.

Looking For New Adventures

I'm not quite sure why I don't keep up with this blog. Maybe it's because after living 2 years in a beautiful 2400 sq ft home in sunny Sugar Land, Texas, we've basically been homeless. Not "on the street" homeless thanks to loving family and friends, but still without our own home. For the last year, we've lived in Ohio, back to Texas, and currently in Kentucky. Needless to say, I have to come up with a better plan and I think I have.

As a single mother who has really dropped the ball by allowing her family to become without a permanent residence, something I once read came back to mind that could possibly be a viable solution. HOUSE SITTING. I remember reading a post in a Facebook group for single mothers that homeschool where there was a discussion about being able to Worldschool (homeschooling while traveling the world). Many moms were discussing how they wish they could, but their money was limited. This one mother shared that she is able to travel the world with her young son because they house sit. She named the different countries that they have been to. I remember thinking how cool that was, but at that time, I was renting that beautiful house in Sugar Land.

But, now that we've had plenty of practice of abiding by other people's rules, I think we might as well get some traveling in. There are some pretty neat houses that we can visit.  I started researching and found quite a bit of helpful information from this website. (http://www.angloitalianfollowus.com/house-sitting-site-best). I decided to try MindMyHouse.com because it has the lowest member fee of $20 per year. There weren't as many opportunities as I saw on some of the other sites, but I had to start somewhere. I'll let you know how it goes!