Yes is August 17th and yes I am just now posting about 4th of July. 
I like to think I have it all together and that I can do everything, but who am I kidding, I'm barely keeping my head above water this summer.  I have great ideas and a good plan, but sometimes executing all that is going on in my ADHD brain is just a little too much for the most energetic of people.

This summer has been fun, fun, fun so as summer winds down and I have a little more time to myself you will get to see more of what we have been up to.  :o) 

Those of you close to me knows that the Independence Day, AKA  The 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday. 
I've even told our kids that I when they are all grown and have families of their own they don't have to worry about this Momma getting her feelings hurt if they want to go to the in-laws (or stay home) for Christmas as long as I get them for the 4th of July I will be one happy camper!  (You should see what is going on in my head for 4th of July when our kids are grown & I have slew of grandkids! )

So here are a few pictures from the 4th of July Party I threw together for our 'extended' family here in South Korea.  :o)  Enjoy!

Here I am with my 5 FAVORITE people on the face of this earth!

It's not a party without a live band....

...or hamburgers and hotdogs!

My rebel getting tattooed.

With my favorite girl.

How flippin' cute is he?!?

It's not 4th of July on the ROK till you get a little rain.

PS...who is that guy?!?

I wasn't sure I was going to share this but in the end I decided to publish it, if nothing else to help hold myself accountable.  So here goes, my new years goals for 2013.  Wish me luck.

Every year since I was 23 I have made New Year's Goals. 
Not resolutions. 
Goals.

Resolutions sound so formal.  I don't really care for formal in this instance.  
When I hear the word "resolution" I actually think 'failure' because so many people make New Year's resolutions and they 'fail'.  I've heard it my entire life: 
How are you doing on your resolution?  Not good.
Did you do it, did you complete your New Year's resolution...No. 
How is that resolution coming along....Well, the first week was good.
And then there is always the first 2 weeks of the New Year at the gym.  For the regulars we can't get into our normal class because it is full or there are no treadmills.  The gym is SO busy for the first 2 weeks of the year, but by the end of January it is back to the 'normal' gym rats. 

Over and OVER I hear how people fail at resolutions.  Why make them?  Why put yourself through that?  Why not make goals instead?  Is it really that easy - just changing the wording?  Well, that AND making it a goal that you REALLY want to work on and ones that you are committed to.  

Have I made goals and failed? Of course I have (I still haven't run that 10K!), but they don't feel so bad (most of the time) because I TRIED and maybe I fell short for one reason or another.  Or maybe I didn't try at all (that's when I feel bad...like the 10K..).  A few years back I made a goal to play ONE board game a week with my family.  I failed MISERABLY - and how simple does that sound?  It's just one board game a week.

However I have succeeded more times than not -the goal I am the most proud of I made when I was 23.  I used to be a NEGATIVE NELLY.  I talked about people all the time.  From what they wore to how they disciplined their kids to how they wore their make up, to how large or how small they were.  I felt everyone/everything was out to get me.  I was totally insecure about myself and I made myself feel better by putting down other people. 
But I was taking note, the people I admired the most never talked poorly about others, they didn't complain much and they didn't talk about people behind their backs. So that New Year's back in 91 I decided it was a time for a change.  I decided my goal would be to STOP talking about people.  To stop saying negative things out loud.  And I did.  Was it hard? Of course.  Did I slip up? Way too many times.  Did those things still go through my head?  Of course they did, but the first step was to stop saying them out loud.  Over the years and the more goals I have made those negative thought rarely surface (of course I still have them from time to time - we all have bad days and I am human after all!) But now I have more positive thoughts and I point those out to people instead of the negative.... I tell people all the time that I like their shoes, their tops or how well behaved their children are.  Positivity breeds positivity!  It's true! 
Today I don't stay things about people that I would not say to their face. (99% of the time anyway...unfortunatly I occasionally slip up.)
But that has come after years of practice.
"They"  (I'm not sure who they are) say it takes 30 days to create a new habit so I am hoping that by the end of January I have a few new habits created!

Typically I have one big goal that I like to accomplish each year.  This year I have been struggling with a few things.  The number one thing being time management.  I put too many eggs in one basket and then I start dropping eggs. Things start not getting done or they get done half ass.  I don't like half ass and I'm tired of living that way.  So, the number one thing I am working on this year is "Time Management". 

Here goes my list for 2013
Typically I don't share my goals...I keep them to myself, I can't stand to fail or disappoint people (maybe I should work on that!)....
SO, here goes.....

1.  In the mornings, I can only look at FB or write blog post until 6AM.  From 6AM-7:30ish NO COMPUTER - NO EXCEPTIONS. 

**I am a morning person, I get my best work done in the morning.  Morning time has always been just for me.  But lately (Since moving to Korea) I have been getting sucked into this 'me morning time'.  I don't want it to end - I want to extend it until I am done with what I am working on.  Which means I end up running around like a crazy woman in the mornings trying to get everyone out the door with lunches packed & coffee in hand all while trying to respond to FB messages, emails or write that one thing on the blog post that sounds so good in my head and if I don't write it down right now I will forget....  No more.  Nope, now I have a timer that goes off at 6AM.  If I'm not done, too bad.  I shut the computer down and can't get back on till AFTER the kids gone and the kitchen is clean.  (Silly, I know, but this is what I have to do to myself!  Creating a new habit is what it's all about....)

I've got to tell you, this is one I have stuck by (all 13 days of 2013 - OK, really only 9 days if you count the weekends ) and it is working like a charm.  (Despite the fact that I still have urges to get back on the computer when I hear my phone ding alerting me that I have message waiting for me!  Must turn off email & text dinger in the mornings!!)

2. Get really organized. 

I feel like I am pretty organized, but if you ask Hubby I'm guessing he would say no, as he makes little comments here and there.  BUT I absolutely have room  for improvement.  Especially for after school.....signing papers, helping with homework, getting snack on the table, working on dinner....

3. Make sure Hubby and kids know that they are my 1st priority in life.

I have been volunteering too much in the past which takes up a ton of my time.  I love volunteering because I am a nurturer and I love to help,  but there comes a time when one realizes their family is missing out on some of that nurturing so one needs to refocus on the things that are most important - family.  I have cut back on volunteering since the move to Korea, but as soon as my current positions are up I am saying NO to volunteering for the remainder of the year with the exception of field trips and doing things DIRECTLY with my children.  (Wish me luck - I am going to need it.)

4. Let things and people go that bring me down and don't help me achieve the best me I can be. 

I don't have many people in my life that bring me down.  I select my friends wisely (for the most part).  I try to stay away from the negative nellies and don't get sucked into their drama.  (That doesn't mean that if a friend is having a bad day I won't be there for them because I will.  And I'll bring the wine.) If you are a chronic complainer on FB and you are my friend, guess what, I probably don't see your comments on a daily basis, I have your feeds hidden. It's not because I don't love you, but I just don't have time for all that negativity. Ever heard the saying negativity breeds negativity?  It is so true, but it is also true for the opposite - positivity breeds positivity. I'm not saying my life is all peaches and cream, but I choose to be happy and sometimes those choices mean letting go.....

5. Stay fit and healthy.  This year I totally want ROCKin' arms. (Like my friend Jenna) 

6. Be positive and cheerful, especially to children and Hubby. 
The people I love the most are the people that see my 'worst' side.  I need to work on this.

7. Learn Lightroom and how to REALLY use my super cool camera. 

8.  Start young girls club. (for my daughter & her friends - I know this sounds like volunteering, but it really isn't, it is connecting with my daughter in a positive way)

9.  Work on photo books.

10.  I have a couple of more, but they are more personal and I'm not going to share them with you.  :o)

What are your goals for 2013?

Traditions. 
Funny thing, I don't even remember how we started this tradition or how long we have been doing it. 

The thing with traditions:
As you all know we are a military family. 
We move on average every two years. 
Things rarely stay the same for us.
New house.
New friends.
New schools.
New jobs.
New playgrounds.
New  pets.
New restaurants.
New grocery stores.
And that just scratches the surface.

This, my friends, is one of reasons behind my madness. 
So many things in our lives change so often that I need and want stability for our kids, my husband and myself.  
Even with all the change in our lives there are so many things that stay the same and there are many areas where I can help create that stability: 
The 'guts' of our house - even when we can't take all of our worldly things with us we take as many things as possible to help create that "we are home" feeling.
Our true friends. We may make new friends everywhere we go, but we also keep in contact with those we have met over the years.  Thank goodness for Skype, Facebook and Kakao!  :o)
And traditions. Traditions are a huge part of that stability.  Even though I may not remember when, where or why we created a tradition, it is something that doesn't change in this crazy life we live.

                                                                             New Year's Eve Fondue!
As we were sitting around the fondue pot this New Years eve the kids mentioned how every year we invite someone to join us for fondue.  We reminisced about Austin....Austin was Boy 1's BFF in elementary school/Junior high and how he spent a couple of years around our fondue pot ringing in the new year with us.  Girl's friend Lauren, who now lives in Spain is now bugging her mom about start this tradition in their own home.  Connor, Boy 1's BFF from the past 2 years in Texas hung out doing fondue with us last year.  This year was Boy 1's girlfriend.  How awesome is that? 
Tradition.

Reminder:  Cheese coming out of the fondue pot is HOT. 
Don't burn your mouth.

One of the cool things about living in Seoul is that on NYE morning you can run to the fish market to pick up fresh shrimp for fondue.  The uncool thing is that I have to remove the heads. 

Fill fondue pot about 1/2 full of peanut oil.  Heat on high until peanut oil reaches a temperature 350 - 375.  To cook food stab with fondue fork and put in oil.  Cooking time depends on what you are cooking.  Shrimp takes the least amount of time depending on the size of the shrimp.  This is where you will need to experiment.  Chicken & pork need to be cooked all the way through - steak can be cooked rare - well done depending on your preference. 

You can dip shrimp and chicken in Tempura if you so choose.
Feel free to marinate your meats or leave them as is before cooking.
I marinate our steak in Soy Sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning.
I add salt and pepper to the chicken. 

                              This is actually my FAVORITE thing to eat during the entire fondue experience:

Stuffed mushrooms:
What you will need for stuffed mushrooms:
Large mushroom caps
1 brick of cream cheese
1/4 cup of chives
Tempura Batter.

Mix cream cheese and chives together in a bowl.
Fill mushroom cap with mixture.  Stick fondue fork through the cap in the meaty part of the mushroom.
Dip in tempura, covering ALL AREAS.  Make sure everything is covered in tempura batter or your oil will pop!
Put in oil and cook until golden brown.

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture.

Something new we tried this year was stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon.  That's right, I said bacon.  Mmmmm.

Stuffed Jalapenos:
Large jalapenos
bacon
cream cheese and chive mixture (use the same as the mushrooms)
shrimp
tempura batter

Cut the top off the jalapeno
Slice one side of the jalapeno, keeping it attached
Deseed
Put some of the cream cheese/chive mixture on once side of the jalapeno
Put a shrimp on the other size
Squeeze the jalapeno back together and wrap with a piece of bacon
Stab with fondue fork & dip in tempura batter, again making sure to cover EVERY AREA!!  Put in fondue pot and cook until a deep golden brown. 

Hello beautiful.

A few important thing you need to know about the meat course.
- Have separate plates for uncooked and cooked meats.
- NEVER let the uncooked meat touch your cooked meat plate.
-Do NOT touch uncooked meat with your hands.
- Do NOT eat off fondue fork.  You are sure to burn yourself.
- Place cooked meat on your 'cooked meat plate' and eat with a fork.


                                                                             Fondue Rule:
The only rule in fondue is that if you lose something in the fondue pan during ANY course you must kiss someone of the opposite sex at the table. 

Dessert Fondue.
The last course.
Can you guess what Boy 1 said before this course?

Melt both types of fondue in fondue pot on low heat stir until smooth.

Things for dipping:
Strawberries
Bananas
Pound Cake
Cheese Cake
Blueberries
Raspberries
Marshmallows
Pretzels
Really anything that taste good dipped in chocolate.

Vote on which flavor you like better.
In this house we are 3 for dark, 4 for white.

Fondue starts in our house anytime after noon on New Years Eve.
In between courses we play games, watch movies and just hang out.
5 minutes before the new year we open the sparkling cider!
This year we had sparkling grape and cherry.
As a reminder to myself: Don't ever buy cherry again.

Ringing in the New Year!
Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!

While I am on the topic of Mom & pies, I should go ahead an post her "PeCAN" pie.  This is another pie that SCREAMS the holidays for me.  Now, I don't love pecan pie as much as Chocolate Meringue but it is way up there ranking as  my 2nd favorite holiday pie.  This is Momma's EXACT recipe and it is SO easy you will want to run straight to your kitchen and bake one!  

3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup of pecans
1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 375.
Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl.
Stir in sugar, syrup, melted butter and pecans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until you can gently shake the pie and the pie will not move.  (Your pie needs to be firm in the middle!)

Let the cool for 30 minutes.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Side note:
My mom used to make this recipe stretch into two pies. 
Pecans were expensive and she had LOTS of mouths to feed. 
I prefer it a bit thicker so I only make one pie out of it.

                                                       As many of you know my mom has Alzheimer's.
                                                                  (Just FYI, Alzheimer's SUCKS!)
Before Alzheimer's took my sweet Momma from us (she is still alive, but anyone that has lived through Alzheimer's will know what I mean when I say Alzheimer's took my Momma - and sure we still get glimpses of her but it is not the same) she was an amazing cook.  She was a back home, country girl cook and with 10 kids in tow (that's right, that was NOT a typo - I have 9 siblings!) and she could make a meal stretch.  I swear one cup of beans would feed our entire family for a week.  (Oh goodness, I see this post going in a different direction - back on track =  Chocolate Meringue Pie - that is what we are talking about.)  Growing up I LOVED the holidays. We may not have had much in the way of worldly possessions and I may not have loved that meatloaf Momma always cooked, (give me her fried chicken ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!) but when it came to Thanksgiving and Christmas my favorite thing ever was Momma's homemade Chocolate Meringue Pie!   She always made the pies a day or two ahead of time and she would 'hide' them on the washer and dryer.  I would go look at them and ask her if I could PLEASE have a slice, she always said "No, those are for Thanksgiving - you need to wait."  It was TORTURE.

As the years went on and I grew into an adult and moved further and further away from my home and started missing more holidays at home I tried recreating the chocolate pie for my own family.  I remember the first time I tried to make Momma's pie, I was living in Colorado Springs - I called Momma on the phone and she walked me through making the pie, a pinch of this, a pinch of that, and let it bubble, if is not sweet enough just add more sugar, pour in a little more milk....that pie turned out so awful I had to throw it out.  Mom had a talent, I was fearful I did not.   I didn't try to make Momma's chocolate pie for many years to come.  I knew the next time I went home Momma would make one for me.  The years passed, mom made pies for me and I didn't bother learning.  Then one year it was clear to me that I needed to learn, Momma's memory was slipping and she had stopped cooking.  She couldn't remember how to make the pie.  She couldn't even remember what was in the pie.   My sister and I pulled our resources and I started experimenting.  It took a couple of years but I finally did it.  I have recreated Momma's Chocolate Meringue Pie.  Now I cook a little like Momma used, a little of this, a little of that..... but I tried very hard to put everything into measurements for my children so that they to can make "Momma's Chocolate Meringue Pie" for their families some day.

Momma's Chocolate Meringue Pie:

3/4 cup of sugar (a little more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
1/3 cup of flour
sprinkle of salt
2 1/2 cups of milk heated (Momma would say "Scald the milk in a pan on the stove")
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TBL melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pie shell baked (Momma always bought the frozen pie crust that were already in the tin pie pan - I haven't seen those in a LONG time!)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In cereal type bowl whisk egg yolks (save the whites!)

Put sugar, flour, salt and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat, gradually whisk in hot milk.  Once all milk is mixed in continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken.  When mixture thickens add about 1/2 a cup of the cocoa mixture into the egg yolks (in case of curdling you have not lost your entire cocoa mixture!)  and mix.  Once the eggs and cocoa have been mixed well add the egg mixture into the saucepan and continue to whisk until the cocoa mixture start to make big bubbles - continue cooking for about 30 seconds while bubbling.  Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and add the melted butter, chocolate and vanilla - mix well.  Pour into pie shell.

Meringue topping:
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites on HIGH until they start to thicken and form peaks when you pull the beaters out of the mixture.  Once it starts to thicken gradually add the sugar and vanilla (still on high).  The meringue is ready when you can make firm peaks with the egg whites. 

Add meringue to the top of the chocolate pie, spreading out with a spatula. 

Once the meringue is spread evenly and all of the chocolate pie is covered make peaks. 

The best way I have found (this is the way Momma used to do it too - and I tried many different ways - proving that moms do know best!) is to use a regular ol' kitchen teaspoon.  Using the backside of the spoon gently smack it down on the meringue and pull it up quickly with (only using your wrist) and you will create delicate little peaks (pictured below and above).

I start making the peaks by working my way around the edge and then moving to the center.

When peaks are perfected put this bad boy in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes (give or take a few depending on your oven) or until your peaks a soft brown.

This is the hard part:

Cool the pie at room temperature for NO LESS THAN AN HOUR.  4 hours is better. The chocolate filling needs to set. 
If you CAN'T wait that long go ahead and dig in, it won't be set, but it will still be super YUMMY!

This one wasn't set all the way, but I couldn't wait.

This one was almost fully set:
Either way, it is good.
Just eat it.

This post was about so much more than pie so I am going to continue on with another little story about Chocolate Meringue Pie.

I just like my mom made the pies a day in advance for Thanksgiving.
Just like me, Boy 2 can't resist a good Chocolate Meringue Pie. 
Boy 2 just like me wanted some the night before Thanksgiving.  But just like my mom did when I was little, I told Boy 2 -"No, those are for Thanksgiving - you need to wait." 
Boy 2 couldn't resist and I found this:

Now, I hate to admit this part: 
I yelled at him.
"Why on earth would you do that?  You KNOW these pies are for Thanksgiving!  I can't believe you would do that!"
He ran off crying.
He hid in the bathroom.
I started thinking.
And feeling bad.
It's just a pie.
I hated having to wait for pie at Thanksgiving & Christmas.
After all we are teaching our kids to be thankful for what they have. 
Boy 2 is thankful for pie and he loves his "Momma's homemade Chocolate Meringue Pie". 
I thought to myself "What is the big deal?  Why did I freak out over something so little?"
At that moment I went back into the kitchen (took a picture of the pie with my phone), and then cut a big ol' piece of pie, the piece he stuck his finger in and put it on a plate and went and knocked on the bathroom door.
Through the door I said "I'm sorry I yelled at you, please come out, it's not a big deal, it is just pie and we have 6 of them in the kitchen."
He ignored me.
After a few minutes of pleading with him and telling him over and over how sorry I was, he FINALLY came out of the bathroom.
I hugged him and gave him the piece of pie.
The grin on his face was priceless.

And now a new tradition was born into our home.
I told Boy 2 that I was glad he stuck his finger in the pie because now every year the night before Thanksgiving I want him to find the pie he wants and to stick his finger in it.
When I find the pie he stuck his finger in that will be our Thanksgiving Eve pie.