Hey all,
I am sad. I had a situation arise this week that has really got me to thinking. It is crazy how this society works. People strive to be thin, sexy, attractive. Except we are the most unhealthy people in the world. So, obviously, I have become a convert to the world of being healthy and striving to live a long, fulfilled life. In that equation includes a lot of good, whole foods, exercise, raising an amazing kid who will impact lives for the greater good and being a positive influence on others.
I have been in need of an opportunity to get out of the house... to do something that could make me feel good. To be a part of something positive. I thought I had found it. I felt really called and prompted by the Lord to follow my gut instinct. And unfortunately, it has left me, in the end, feeling confused and sad and left me, in some ways, doubting myself. So I had a chat with my wonderful Kimmie and she helped me (I love you Kim!). Because I am thin, confident and have a strong personality type, I have found recently, that I am being judged. Not for who I am and the core of my soul... the things I aspire towards in this life. No. No. I am judged because I have an edgy haircut (thank you Ashley) and because I all of a sudden have been blessed to make better decisions for my body... and that is starting to be reflected in the way I look. I am thin and I feel good. This puts a smile on my face and happiness in my heart. It is beneficial to all of my friends, my husband, my son, my family.... to feel this way is amazing. And it shines through. I walk with my head held higher. I am more confident in myself and who I am and how I want to be perceived.
Somewhere along the way, people got resentful towards me. Not all people, but a few in particular. Some know me well, some are new acquaintances and some are strangers on the street. Those women who glare and think I am trying to steal their boyfriends.
So, to set the record straight... here it is... who Abby wants to be.
I want to be someone you can call on the worst day of your life. That person whose shoulder you can cry on. That person who has been through so much and who can relate to your heartache. Someone to listen, truly listen. And not to try to tell you how to fix it. Just to listen so a little piece of your heart can be mended.
I want to raise the most amazing child into a man who is successful in his life. He will be confident and brilliant and sweet and kind. He will one day make a difference in this world. I can see it in his sweet mannerisms and kind heart already.
I want to be an amazing wife to my wonderful husband. We have been through some really rocky times and I am sure there are more to come... but when I am asked the million dollar question - do you think you will still be married in 5 years? How about in 20? Or 50? I can confidently, without wavering, say yes. Because he is an integral part of who I am and who I want to be with forever. I believe that we will wait for each other outside the gates... and one day Hayden and I will walk through the gate, hand in hand. We will see Steve again, my Grandpa and we will meet our maker... and our sweet baby who we never got a chance to hold. And because Merritt is a part of us, he'll be there too. And our family will be complete. And that will be the best day ever.
I want to make a difference in this world. I don't know how but I know without a doubt that this is my calling. I am supposed to uplift people. Maybe it is through my blogs. Maybe it is through my relationships or maybe it is through my karaoke... I might never know but I know that I have been blessed with the gift of compassion through all of the things I have been through and seen in life.
So there it is people. I am confident and happy and successful in life and I want you to be too. Truly, I want to see my friends and family walk with their heads held high... walk confidently into the future. So for those who want to judge based on outward things, I am sad for you. You are missing so much by not looking into the heart and soul of other people.
Love and peace and vegan cookies for all.
Abby
And a PS for Joshy - the sweat pants in public thing is sorta a joke. I don't judge folks for wearing sweat pants in public, I am just completely baffled by it. Why wear sweat pants when there are so many amazing clothes out there? Clothes that are flattering and make you feel good. I don't get it. I just don't.
The Song List...
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Best Puttanesca Sauce
Hayden's Grammie was up from California a few months ago. Grammie is hilarious. We looked at 3 karat diamond rings together and talked about how much we deserved them. We are on the same level. Then we headed across the street, toddler and husbands in tow, for a fabulous pasta dinner. This was the day. The day I was introduced to puttanesca sauce. And my life has not been the same since. I did a little spin off and created a recipe that would work for my little family. We have this or some variation of it once every couple of weeks and that night is a family dinner favorite. So here it is. One of my most favorite recipes...
Abby's Puttanesca Pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 medium yellow onion
2 cans diced tomatoes
3/4 cans of tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
However much red pepper flakes you can handle
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves - maybe 4 or 5
Enough cooked whole wheat pasta to feed your family. Mine requires 8 oz for dinner.
Start with a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drop in 2 cloves of chopped garlic and one whole diced yellow onion (obviously I would encourage you to use all organic products, but that is another blog altogether, so we won't go there now). Stir these together and allow the onion to get all yummy and soft. Watch during this part of the process. You want the onion and garlic to sweeten up and get nice and soft, but not to burn. Hence cooking over medium heat. I know you are impatient, but seriously, don't burn it. It will suck. This will take about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, start your water to boil for that whole wheat pasta you will be dropping in. Cook pasta according to directions. While doing so, add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 3/4 can of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of diced kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 diced green bell pepper (or whatever color bell pepper you may have). Salt and pepper to your liking... we like lots. Mix in about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Add in however many shakes of crushed red pepper flakes you can handle. If I am making a batch just for me, it would be quite a bit more than if I am making for my family... but you will have to experiment with what works for you. Let this simmer for at least 15 minutes so all the flavors can marry. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, ladle in about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the salted pasta water to your sauce. This makes it all starchy and adds a little more liquid, which helps. Drain your pasta. Serve in a pretty bowl, pasta on bottom with enough sauce to coat. Save the extra sauce in the fridge or freezer to re-use later. This will allow for about 2 dinner size servings of sauce. We like to have leftovers for lunch in our house, so that works perfectly for us! This recipe is also perfect to add in your favorite veggies or other spices. Almost anything tastes good when you have red pepper flakes, onion and garlic in one recipe! And by the way, if you are freezing the leftovers, let them cool before transferring to the freezer. You can store in the freezer for a few months but this sauce won't last that long in there.
Oh, and I can't believe I forgot... chop up some fresh basil leaves to garnish the top and save some extra for your plate. You're the cook, you deserve a little extra! Serve with a green salad and garlic bread and you will be hero of the household. If you are serving to a little growing toddler or you just want some extra nutrition, you can also sprinkle the top with a bit of nutrional yeast to add in some extra bang for your buck. Enjoy!
Abby's Puttanesca Pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 medium yellow onion
2 cans diced tomatoes
3/4 cans of tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
However much red pepper flakes you can handle
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves - maybe 4 or 5
Enough cooked whole wheat pasta to feed your family. Mine requires 8 oz for dinner.
Start with a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drop in 2 cloves of chopped garlic and one whole diced yellow onion (obviously I would encourage you to use all organic products, but that is another blog altogether, so we won't go there now). Stir these together and allow the onion to get all yummy and soft. Watch during this part of the process. You want the onion and garlic to sweeten up and get nice and soft, but not to burn. Hence cooking over medium heat. I know you are impatient, but seriously, don't burn it. It will suck. This will take about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, start your water to boil for that whole wheat pasta you will be dropping in. Cook pasta according to directions. While doing so, add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 3/4 can of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of diced kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 diced green bell pepper (or whatever color bell pepper you may have). Salt and pepper to your liking... we like lots. Mix in about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Add in however many shakes of crushed red pepper flakes you can handle. If I am making a batch just for me, it would be quite a bit more than if I am making for my family... but you will have to experiment with what works for you. Let this simmer for at least 15 minutes so all the flavors can marry. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, ladle in about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the salted pasta water to your sauce. This makes it all starchy and adds a little more liquid, which helps. Drain your pasta. Serve in a pretty bowl, pasta on bottom with enough sauce to coat. Save the extra sauce in the fridge or freezer to re-use later. This will allow for about 2 dinner size servings of sauce. We like to have leftovers for lunch in our house, so that works perfectly for us! This recipe is also perfect to add in your favorite veggies or other spices. Almost anything tastes good when you have red pepper flakes, onion and garlic in one recipe! And by the way, if you are freezing the leftovers, let them cool before transferring to the freezer. You can store in the freezer for a few months but this sauce won't last that long in there.
Oh, and I can't believe I forgot... chop up some fresh basil leaves to garnish the top and save some extra for your plate. You're the cook, you deserve a little extra! Serve with a green salad and garlic bread and you will be hero of the household. If you are serving to a little growing toddler or you just want some extra nutrition, you can also sprinkle the top with a bit of nutrional yeast to add in some extra bang for your buck. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Welcome, oh welcome to my little show...
For those of you who are my friend on myspace, you know I love to blog. I blog about my life, my hopes, my dreams, my fears... and most recently, my transformation to the world of becoming and being a Vegan Rock Star. But there are so many more folks who want a view into my little world who refuse to sign up for myspace, thus limiting their ability to know what's really going on in my little head. So here it is... this is for those of you who love the Abbinator and need the opportunity to trespass into my life a little bit. This blog is for you!
Now, for those of you who may not know me so well, I'll fill you in a bit. I am a 25 year old wife and the mother to one awesome 2-year old. I love to spend time outside pretending that I am still a bright-eyed kid, I love to cook and read and to try new things. My husband, Hayden, and I have been married for over 5 years. Yes, you read correctly. I got married at 19. It was the right decision for us, but man alive, I wouldn't necessarily recommend getting married that young. From the moment I met Hayden, I literally knew I would marry him. Scary, considering I was only 16 years old. I obviously did not let him in on this little secret until much later on in our relationship. We love God and love our little family of 3. Our son, Merritt, just turned 2 and is the center of our universe. He is an only child and will continue to be. You will, most assured, learn more about my reasons for only having one child... that is, if you tune in for more updates on our lives. I quit my job about a year ago. I was a casino marketing manager. It was not the right field for me to be in...I started to go crazy. I was having weird dreams about work, losing touch with my friends, family and my faith. So I took a step back, we re-evaluated and Hayden went back to work. He had been a stay-at-home Dad up to that point. It has been an interesting year... starting our own business, trying to figure out our new roles in our family and in the mean time, trying to cultivate a wonderful little human being. Through it all, our love for each other has grown and we are still going strong. Of course there are bumps in the road of life; we are humans. But I am happy to share our bumps in the road, our little and big heartaches... in the hopes that maybe our story can inspire others; give hope... or at least keep you laughing at the fallies of everyday life as a stay-at-home mother. And as you can see, I am a karaoke rock star. I have fans, a following, if you will. I am most famous for my re-creation of "My Humps" and most recently, my version of "Como La Flor". So stay tuned for whatever it is that's to come in this thing called the life of Abby.
Cheers!
Now, for those of you who may not know me so well, I'll fill you in a bit. I am a 25 year old wife and the mother to one awesome 2-year old. I love to spend time outside pretending that I am still a bright-eyed kid, I love to cook and read and to try new things. My husband, Hayden, and I have been married for over 5 years. Yes, you read correctly. I got married at 19. It was the right decision for us, but man alive, I wouldn't necessarily recommend getting married that young. From the moment I met Hayden, I literally knew I would marry him. Scary, considering I was only 16 years old. I obviously did not let him in on this little secret until much later on in our relationship. We love God and love our little family of 3. Our son, Merritt, just turned 2 and is the center of our universe. He is an only child and will continue to be. You will, most assured, learn more about my reasons for only having one child... that is, if you tune in for more updates on our lives. I quit my job about a year ago. I was a casino marketing manager. It was not the right field for me to be in...I started to go crazy. I was having weird dreams about work, losing touch with my friends, family and my faith. So I took a step back, we re-evaluated and Hayden went back to work. He had been a stay-at-home Dad up to that point. It has been an interesting year... starting our own business, trying to figure out our new roles in our family and in the mean time, trying to cultivate a wonderful little human being. Through it all, our love for each other has grown and we are still going strong. Of course there are bumps in the road of life; we are humans. But I am happy to share our bumps in the road, our little and big heartaches... in the hopes that maybe our story can inspire others; give hope... or at least keep you laughing at the fallies of everyday life as a stay-at-home mother. And as you can see, I am a karaoke rock star. I have fans, a following, if you will. I am most famous for my re-creation of "My Humps" and most recently, my version of "Como La Flor". So stay tuned for whatever it is that's to come in this thing called the life of Abby.
Cheers!
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