A Balancing Act

As some of you may or may not know, my "real-life" job is being a consultant for software start up in Austin.  Recently, the owner of the company presented me with an amazing opportunity - the VP of Marketing role.  I am not going to lie and act all modest... Hell no.  I think an actual squeal of glee came out of me.  I would be the first woman on the leadership team.  I would be a key player in the growth and strategy of the company. I was so excited, ready to jump in, create this amazing team, and spew out some kick ass marketing.  My head was spinning with ideas. It was my dream job that I knew I could rock.... but with one big, fat catch.  It requires a 60 - 70 hour work week.  Mother F*^$!

And with that statement my squeal of glee quickly turned into a deflated groan.  I knew immediately that my answer would be no.  The thought of someone else raising my little girl, missing dinners and bedtimes, only seeing her asleep.  She is only little once and I'll be damned if I am gonna miss it. And then add missing my husband, family, friends to that. I just could not bear it.

So I told them no.

And now the job that I currently hold is in question as the project that I am on is winding down.

And while I know that my decision to say no is the right decision, I am still sad and angry at the situation.  I want what I want.  I want to have it all... the family, the career, time for friends and myself.  And maybe I am naive.  Maybe that is just not possible - Ambition plus a family that you actually get to enjoy.  No one should need to work 70 hours a week.  That is crazy talk. 

So I am feeling a bit defeated and rejected today.  I am feeling that this is still a man's world.  I feel stupid that I can't seem to figure this whole motherhood and career thing out.

Any words of wisdom from the mamas out there?

Image via Mary Ruffle

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Pinterest

I have a new love... a new addiction that is gobbling up more time that it should.  But I am allowing it this Monday as I have a wicked cold and am loving the distraction from my sore throat.

Let me introduce you to Pinterest!

How do I explain what this site is?  Let's see... You know when you tear out magazine spreads of a kitchen that has the exact paint color you have been wanting.  Or when you bookmark a recipe that you found online.  Well it is kind of like that, but without all the random magazine pages stuffed into drawers and such that you never have any hope of finding again.

pinterest – noun:  an online pin board — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by your friends. 

It is pretty sweet.  But I will warn you, it is slightly addictive. 

Request an invite to join Pinterest here.

And you can check out my boards here.

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Tips for dealing with your CSA

Don't get me wrong, I love participating in a CSA (community supported agriculture) program.  But sometimes it can be overwhelming.  What the heck do you do with all these vegetables while keeping the meals interesting?  Where do you store all of it?  How do you keep things from going bad before you use them?

Here are some of things that I have learned along the way that have helped us enjoy our CSA as much as we can:

• Go through all of your produce right away. Our CSA box comes to us on Tuesdays.  So Tuesday evening is all about washing, prepping, and storing.  It is so much easier to do it all at once and then you have grab-n-go veggies all during the week. Dealing with everything all at once also means that you only clean up once.  And who doesn't like that!?
• Have a place for everything.  Within each season, the same characters usually show up over and over again in our bag.  So we have a container that is always used to store leafy greens.  And tomatoes always have a special spot on the window sill to bathe in the sun.  Beets have claimed their own corner in the crisper.  This is nice because it limits the amount of time spent on finding containers and places to put everything.
• Freeze what you know you can't use.  If I know that we are heading out of town or that we are just not in the mood for the 86 round of spinach, then I immediately put those items in the freezer.  That way there is no waste and I am building our stock-pile of go-to items that I can pull out whenever I need them.
• Stockpile recipes.  Do beets intimidate you?  Not sure what to do with a kohlrabi?  Well, I have conquered this by discovering delicious recipes on the web and through friends.  I house all these recipes on my blog or on Tastebook.  That way I can go to just one (or two) places to find some kale inspiration, when I am at a loss on how to prepare it in a new and interesting way.
• Plan your meals.  I am a huge proponent of meal planning for multiple reasons.  But one of the biggest reasons is the elimination of food waste.  Your less likely to forget about those green onions tucked away in the crisper if you have a plan to use them in enchiladas on Thursday.
• Be generous.  If you hate radishes and know that you will never eat them, then pass them along to someone who does love them.  You won't feel guilty about them wilting in your fridge and you get good karma points for sharing with others.  Win - Win.
• Compost.  Inevitably some food will be wasted.  It just happens.  But it is much easier to swallow if you compost.  I'd like to think that the old veggie is still feeding someone... the earth.

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CSA - Week 2

We are hitting our rhythm with our CSA.  This week we got swiss chard, pea tendrils, green onions, tomatoes, a beet and some strawberries.  Yum!  And don't forget, this is actually only half of our week's box.  The other half is being devoured just down the road.  Not too shabby, huh?

The pea tendrils are something new for me.  I never thought about eating baby pea vines.  Apparently they are so tender that you can just drop them in a salad or serve them as a bed of greens under fish.  I am excited to try them.

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Dalton Ghetti

Check out this amazing artist.  I am fascinated by his attention to detail and creativity.

Images by Dalton Ghetti via Odd Stuff Magazine

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A year and a half

Look who is a year and a half today!  How in the heck did that happen so fast?

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For the love of brussel sprouts!

I love me some brussel sprouts!  I did not always love them, but I recently learned a trick to make them delicious.  And the process could not be more simple.

After they have been cleaned, I cut them in half and sautee them in olive oil and sea salt.  And when I am feeling extra sassy, I add a pat of butter and/or bacon.  Bacon makes everything better.  Anyways, no matter what i add, the trick is to let them cook long enough so that a gorgeous brown carmelizing goodness occurs on the insides.  Letting them cook that long brings out this amazing nutty flavor that otherwise would not be there.

All this talk is now making me hungry.

Images via Kiss My Spatula

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Farmhouse Delivery

David and I have recently decided to join a CSA, also known as Community Supported Agriculture.  The one that we picked is called Farmhouse Delivery. Basically you are signing up for shares on a farm (or in this case several local farms).  So you get an assortment of whatever is growing.

It is a lot of produce for us, so we are splitting it with one of my friends in the neighborhood.  This is working out perfectly.  I am not a huge fan of kale.  So Michelle took the kale while I took the spinach.  A whole cabbage is a bit much.  But half a cabbage, that works.

Here is what we got last Tuesday:

• Oranges
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Spinach
• Green onions
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Beets

The other thing that I like about Farmhouse Delivery, other than the fact that you get an assortment of stuff and they deliver, is that they also offer recipes (with photos) on their blog.  I will definitely be looking at their blog quite a bit when I am needing vegetable inspiration.

I was unsure if I wanted to do the whole CSA thing again.  I had these dreams of having this robust garden overflowing with everything from tomatoes to zucchini to peas.  But then reality hit.  We have tons of trees in our backyard.  To find a spot that offers as much sun as a garden demands is tricky.  Plus, gardening takes a lot of time, especially in the beginning.  We will still have our garden this year, but it will be a small one, focusing on vegetables that we eat all the time - Tomatoes, jalapenos, basil, rosemary, chives, oregano, lettuce, chard, spinach, and bell peppers.  And the CSA will help us fill in the blanks.

So we shall see how this CSA whirl goes.  I will keep you posted as to what we get and what the heck I do with it.

Photos by Jody Horton via Farmhouse Delivery

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Meal Planning Monday

• Monday: Pork chops and cabbage salad
• Tuesday: Basil and lemon chicken, brussel sprouts
• Wednesday: Steak, caprese salad
• Thursday: Spanokopita and salad
• Friday: Sloppy joes, tator tots (sometimes Fridays are perfect days to eat like an 8-year old)

Image via Food Paradise

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What I am loving...

Gypsy Kings

homemade guacamole

My friend, Jess, gave Little B a set of these plate as a gift.  Aren't they so cute!?  We have Tree Hugger, Cutie Pie, and Love Bug.  They make me smile.

Lazy Sunday mornings bring the indulgence of French Press coffee.  Coffee tastes so much better when made this way.

 As I was rummaging through my cookbook collection, I came across this book.  I read it about 10 years ago.  Anyways, I found myself completely engrossed in the pages while sitting on the kitchen floor, completely distracted from my original task.  The recipes, the descriptions... all of it takes me back to our trip in Italy.  I want to go back so badly.  For Little B, I want her to learn to babble in Italian, slurp fettucini, and experience gelato dripping off her chin.  Basically I want her to be an Italian baby... even if it is temporary experience.  For me, I want to rent a villa for a month, visit countless wineries, and just soak in the smells and tastes of the region.  Sure I may come back 100 lbs fatter... but that is a risk I am willing to endure.

What are you loving this week?

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Little bits

 Little bits of every day life.

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Happy St. Patricks Day!

Yeah!  It is St. Patrick's Day.  

Did you know that Colleen means "girl" in Irish Gaelic?  There's a little trivia for you today.

 In this house, we will be celebrating by wearing our finest green and talking with a thick Irish brogue whenever possible.

Whatever you do today... Here's to hoping you enjoy the luck of the Irish, along with plenty of green beer.

Cheers!

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To all my fellow Hunger Games readers...

It has been confirmed that Hunter Parrish will play Peeta in the Hunger Games movie.  You may recognize him as the actor that plays Silas in Weeds.

I am not quite sure what I think about this.  He does not fit my image of what Peeta would look like. 

What do yall think?  And better yet, who do you think should play Katniss?

Image via E Online

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Who's ready for St. Patricks Day?

Don't forget to wear green tomorrow.  Otherwise your arse may get a good pinchin'!  Don't say that I did not warn you.

Photos from I am Baker

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Tom's Shoes has wedges!?!

I realize that I am probably the last person on the planet to learn all about Tom's Shoes, but so be it.  I just saw the first pair of Tom's wedges on some super cute lady this weekend.  I did not know that Toms made wedges!

Maybe I should explain myself a little better.  Okay... here goes.  So I am short - 5 foot and 1/2 an inch.  Yes, that 1/2 of an inch does count.  Anyways, so I never paid much attention to Tom's Shoes because I thought they were all flats.  I like my shoes to give me a little (or a lot) of ooomph.  I need all the ooomph (aka height) that I can get.

Now that I see that Toms has wedges... well, now this so-called Tom guy has my undivided attention.  I am listening.  So I want to hear from you.  Who has a pair of Tom's Shoes?  Who likes them?   Who doesn't?  And why?

I need to know.  Do I jump on the Toms Shoe bandwagon or not?

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Meal Planning Monday

• Monday: Penne pasta with almond sauce (this was bumped from last week)
• Tuesday: BLTs
• Wednesday: Tandoori chicken
• Thursday: Chicken quesadillas
• Friday: Jalapeno butter salmon

You may have noticed that I don't have any vegetables listed.  But no worries, I have not forgotten them.  It is just that we are getting our first delivery from the new CSA on Tuesday and I have no idea what we will get.  I am so excited.  So consider the veggies to be determined. 

Image via Ravishing Recipes

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SXSW, spring, and the first margarita of the season

This has been a busy, busy weekend in Austin. 

SXSW has officially kicked off.  The streets are crowded, parties are abundant, celebrities are in town, and you just have this feeling like big things are happening.  Energy is in the air and the vibe is contagious. 

Of course, Austin, taking its host responsibilities very seriously, has rolled out the red carpet for all our visitors in the form of spring.  Yep, spring is in full gear with sunshine, blooming trees and highs in the 70s.  Everybody is outside soaking up this weather. Yesterday, I drove around town with the windows down singing Tom Petty's Free Falling to the top of my lungs.  Awesome!

And don't forget... custom dictates that to properly celebrate the arrival of spring, one must drink a margarita (or two).  So that is exactly what David and I did.  Date night consisted of enjoying chips and salsa, margaritas, Mexican beers, and fajitas while watching the sun go down on a balcony overlooking Texas Hill Country.

This weekend sums up why I live in Austin.  This is why I put up with the scorching heat of August. Because spring in Austin is legendary.

Photos via SXSW, unknown

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From my bookshelf: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If you don't know what the Hunger Games series is all about, you need to get off this blog right now, go to your nearest book store or library, and pick up the 1st book today.  You will most likely read it in one day, and then you can come back over here and we can talk all about it.  Hurry up... I'll wait.

If you do know what I am talking about, then beware... Spoiler Alert... I am about to talk about the 2nd book in the series called Catching Fire.

Holy smack!  The first book, Hunger Games, is awesome.  So I was a little nervous about the second book, Catching Fire.  I did not want to be let down.  And I definitely wasn't.

The big question out there is Team Gale or Team Peeta?  Which team are you on? I go back and forth about who I think Katniss belongs with.  Gale is more similar to her, and probably way hotter (at least in my mind he his).  But Peeta understands her and accepts her as is.  Plus he has such a calming effect on her.

But who can focus on guys when there is survival to think about?  The stuff that this author comes up with is really amazing and creative.  And while the world is definitely made up, it definitely has some parallels to our current world.  Fascinating!

Okay, so let's open this discussion up.  I am dying to know what you think of Catching Fire.

Image by Sophistimom

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Favorite Quotes

"Be the kind of woman that when your feet 

hit the floor in the morning, the devil says 

'Oh crap, she's up!'"

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Marriage is a road trip

I have been thinking a lot about marriage these past few days.  What makes one marriage work and another not?  If the answer were simple, we would all be blissfully happy married folk.  But alas, it is not.  So I continue to ponder.

In my limited view of marriage, I see marriage as a long road trip.  Some of it is spent navigating.  Some of it is boring as you pass the same scenery for miles.  Some of it is scary as you go through roads that you have seen before.  And every once in a while, you have to get your hands dirty changing a flat tire. But sometimes... it is awesome.  Those precious moments of windows-rolled-down, hair-going-wild, radio-blaring-your-favorite-song good.  Those are the moments that we all strive for in marriage.  They don't happen all the time.  But when they do, it is legendary.

I believe it is naive to think that the entire road trip will be good songs and good weather.  But when the occasional storm or flat tire does pop up, what does a couple do to get through it?  I am sure every couple handles it in a different way than the next.  But I wonder if there are fundamental truths... tools that help in those situations.

I know that for me, when the marriage waters get rough, I try to think back to when I first met David and remember the things that first drew me to him.  I remember thinking that he seemed like a bad boy with his tattoos and quiet ways.  I thought he was so HOT with his dark eyes and salt-n-pepper hair.  I kind of laugh to myself about all of this.  But I think it is good for me to remember the guy that I fell in love with back in 2000 and remind myself that that version of him still exists in the man, father, husband, and best friend that stands before me today.

Now I am not saying that this is the only tool on my marriage shelf, but it is good one that I constantly go back to.  So it has me wondering, what other tools are out there?  What do other couples do to keep their marriage road trip on course?

Tell me - what tried and true tools do you use to keep your marriage strong?

Image by Rodney Smith

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Meal Planning Monday

This week is all about getting back to the comfort of a routine. And in my house, having a battle strategy when it comes to our meals makes me feel more relaxed and happy, knowing that we will be fueling our bodies with healthy food that tastes delicious.

So here's the plan...

• Monday: Rosemary garlic pork loin, risotto,  and sauteed brussel sprouts
• Tuesday: Cajun catfish, spicy sweet potato fries, salad
• Wednesday: Chicken penne pasta with almond sauce
• Thursday: Grilled pizzas
• Friday: leftovers

Image via Flickr

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Defunkifying

This past week put me in quite a funk.  It felt like bad news was pouring from the skies on both a personal and worldly level.

And to make matters worse, it felt like there was no escaping it.  I would turn on the TV in hopes of escaping my life for a bit and hear about Libya, the aftermath of devastating earthquakes, or the stupid, stupid antics of Charlie Sheen.  I swear if I ran into that Charlie Sheen I would flick him the forehead, drop his ass in the middle of Detroit, and let him get the crap beat out of him as he complains about his so called problems.  Let's see if he is still "Winning" after that.  But I digress.

Back to the funk.  So I am in this funk and nothing is making me feel better.  Little B is teething and is not her usual happy-go-lucky self.  She is breaking my heart, pushing me away and only wanting Daddy. TV is boring. I can't seem to find a good book to lose myself in.  Cooking seems like more of a chore than something I enjoy. Even blogging, which I usual really like, has lost its appeal. 

So all week, I let myself brew in my funk.  Let it soak into my pores.  Because sometimes you just have to recognize when something is bad enough that you can't put a sunshiney spin on it.  You have to admit that watching Anne of Green Gables for the 372nd time won't fix whatever is bothering you this time. So that is exactly what I did.  I admitted it and I chose to OWN my funk.

But now, it is time to de-funkify.  I am not one to stay down for too long.  I have brewed enough in my funk that I am ready to throw it off my shoulders, dust myself off, and go search for my smile. 

So here's how I am gonna do it...

• Girls' Night is tonight.  I am going to get all gussied up and hang with my girls who never fail to make me laugh.  I'm talking the full gussy treatment - eyeliner, dangly earrings, red patent leather heels.  Oh yeh!  And of course, you know I will be getting ready with some awesome girly-going-out music playing in the background.

• Tomorrow I am gonna dig in some dirt.  Nothing like being a hot, sweaty mess while planting fragile seedlings to get a girl back to basics.

• Meal Planning Mondays are back on.  I always feel better when there is good food in my belly and stress-free plan to get it there.

• Words with Friends.  My friend Jessica has recently introduced me to this new addiction.  I am kicking ass.  Finally my AP English courses are paying off.  Makes me feel like overachiever and that feels good right about now.  Anyone want to play? ckduarte... come and find me. 

• The annual Girls Camping Trip is in the works.  It has been on hiatus for a couple years due to boys, babies, jobs, and whatever else life has thrown our way.  If my love of smores, wine-in-a-box, and campfire girl talk can't make smile, then I am doomed.

• And last, but not least - I am making a pie. I am talking real crust, dripping with calories, awesome pie.  I have earned it.

And as I type this, my smile is already returning.  Little B has decided that she is on speaking terms with me again and is dancing her butt off.  She looks hilarious and laughs everytime that I look at her.

I am off to go dance with her.

Smile returning!  Winning!

Image by Nelson Simonea

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Healthy, heaping dose of silly

Little B has invented the most ridiculous new game.  She likes it when we throw her stuffed animals at her. 

But before you call CPS on us, let me remind you that she LOVES this game and is constantly bringing us stuffed animals to throw at her.  And when we do finally throw them, she laughs hysterically every time.  Don't worry, we only throw animals that are soft with no hard objects to them.

Who knows where she comes up with this stuff.  The weirdest things make this girl laugh.  She is very creative that way. But I will take a crazy, laughing baby over a crying one any day.  Silly is good these days.  I am craving a healthy, heaping dose of silly.  And this girl delivers like no one else can.

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Your tribe

Wow... How is it already Wednesday?  Sorry for the lack of posts.  This week has been crazy with a capital C.  We enjoyed a whirlwind trip in Dallas over the weekend, but then came home to some sad news.

My grandmother passed away on Monday.  Not totally unexpected, but still a bit of a surprise.  Then, I heard some bad news about a work friend of mine that lost their 17 day old baby girl.  Ugh!  And then a very close friend of mine is going to through marriage troubles that just hurts my heart since I love both her and husband so much.  And to top it all off, Little B had crazy high fever that had me afraid that we would be making a trip to the emergency room.

Just so you don't worry, the fever broke and Little B is fine now.

My close friend is in Austin today to be with her "tribe" as she navigates bumpy marriage waters.  She and I have been doing a lot of talking over the last few days ability love, the fragility of life, and friendship. I love how she describes her tribe as the people that you show up unannounced on their doorstep and they invite you in with no questions asked.  They feed you when needed.  Clothe you when needed.  And take care of your baby when needed.  No questions asked.  They let you cry it out when needed.  Listen when needed.  And pour an extra glass of wine when needed.  No questions asked.

I love this idea of tribe.  Everyone should have a tribe.  That close group of friends that accept you as your are.  They don't mind when you have a blubbering, swollen, mascara-mess of a face.  They know you well enough to call "bullshit" on you when needed.  They know the best and worst version of you.  And they know just the thing to say to make you laugh so hard that a little toot sneaks out and then you all laugh even harder (true story).

To all the people out there that are having a rough week (and it seems like there quite a few), call your tribe... They'll know what to do.  And for those of you that having a good week, tell me your tribe's secrets.  What do you do when one of your tribe is hurting and needs you?

Image via Mary Ruffle

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