Slobs Anonymous: The personal recovery mission of a slob in denial.

I have a confession. My house is CLEAN probably 75% of the time or less. (You see, I’m unable to confess to a larger percentage yet, because it is embarrassing, and because I truly am still in denial.) Its not like I have allowed my house to get this way out of laziness. I would like to say that I actually try very hard to clean up my home every day. But things get in the way all the time, and all my progress landslides back to ‘messy’ once again.

In the beginning, I was very tidy. As a teenager, once I finally had my own bedroom, it was always the cleanest in the house. Organizing and re-organizing was a fun hobby of mine. My goal was always to find the most efficient way to maximize a space ,no matter the size. Years later, I have been married 5 years and we have 3 children. I still have the same goal and find enjoyment in tidying and organizing, but it has changed. It was so much easier to take care of only one person and one bedroom as opposed to 5 people and a whole house!

So here is my goal: As long as it takes for me to succeed, I will make a focus on reclaiming and beautifying my home. You’ll get to see my humiliations and my successes as I do. Maybe by making myself accountable to so many more people than just myself and my sweet family, I will feel a bigger push to succeed. (“Hi, I’m Heather, and I’m a slob…”)

Feel free to comment with any tips or positive reinforcement at any time. I’m going to need it.

Goals, Week 1:

1- Define my strengths and weaknesses. This shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m a pro when it comes to pointing out my own flaws and weaknesses. The hard part will be learning to change and not beat myself down all the time.

2- Define my most productive windows throughout the day. I have trouble with that one still. My youngest is still less than a year old, and depends on me a lot. I have no doubt, everything will revolve around all my family’s needs.

3- Develop a rewards program for myself. Yes, its true, bribery does work. I LOVE having some sort of incentive to work toward. (“But shouldn’t your personal triumphs be their own reward?” Blah! Well yes, of course they are, but I like rewards. “Show me the money!”)

4- Identify, Isolate, and Attack! My biggest problem is that I always try to take on too much at once. If I discipline myself to focus on one task at a time until it is completed, I might actually make real progress.

Wish me luck!

Heather

Etsy Find

For the goddess in all of us...

Spring Halter Apron by MisFitStuff.etsy.com

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.212305045.jpg

Etsy is probably the most wonderful website on the net right now if you're interested in making, sharing, and selling beautiful quality goods and works of art. I've never seen a halter apron before and I am in love.

"Sexy halter apron for the domestic goddess! Even if we don't love to cook or clean... we can make ourselves look and feel great while we do it!"

Spinach and Goat Cheese Nun's Puffs

I found the plain version of Nuns Puffs in one of my go-to recipe books while searching for something quick and tasty, yet wouldn't require very many ingredients, and it quickly became a family favorite. Being the perfect canvas for any flavor experiments, I came up with a healthy version that is still a crowd pleaser for even the pickiest little eaters. Spinach and goat cheese make this comfort food recipe not only healthy (well, healthier), but absolutely heavenly!

Servings: Makes 18 puffs

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cups butter
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup flour
5 eggs
10 ounces spinach
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces chive and onion goat cheese
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Directions:

Generously grease eighteen 2-1/2inch muffin cups, including the sides and along the top of each cup; set aside.
In a deep sauce pan sweat the spinach over medium heat with salt, pepper, and garlic. Once the spinach is wilted, add goat cheese and mustard, gently stirring until cheese is melted. Put spinach mixture into a food processor to finely chop it and set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt butter, milk; add spinach mixture. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir mixture until it forms a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute with a wooden spoon after each addition or until fully incorporated. Divide the dough evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling cups about two-thirds full.

Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Remove from pan. Serve immediately.