Friend is giving-a-way

My friend, Noah Bear is doing a giveaway on her blog. Check it out! http://noahsarkcreations.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-to-celebrate.html Thy are really pretty necklaces! Sorry I have been a very very bad blogger. I feel like I shouldnt even be blogging on this blog anymore because I am no longer a chef in training and my husband is no longer a chef. I am a mother, student, and wife. I am going for photography now. I feel like I can really learn a lot and I will get a lot out of life and the career I will have.

Identity Crisis

Well, seems the Chef might not be a chef much longer. (Now chef, don't get mad.) It could be his own doing and it could be the work of "the man". Either way....he might not be working in the restaurant industry. Sad. So, now, I might be having an identity crisis. Will I still be the wife of a chef? I still believe he is considered a chef even if he isn't working the job part of being a chef. He worked hard to earn that title and now he may not use it anymore. I mean, once a judge is a judge even after they retire, they are still thought of as a judge, right? Who knows. This crazy thing we call life...its well, CRAZY! I know I am no longer a chef-in-training. I am simply someone who loves food. I don't enjoy baking anymore. I have changed my major and will be actively looking for a new job soon. I love my chef and I believe he will still be a chef even if he doesn't have a job in a restaurant. He is burned out, he needs a break. He needs to spend a normal valentine's day with his wife. Not that I am sure what that entails considering I haven't really celebrated valentine's day in many years, at least not the normal way. Will I still be able to offer my wisdom to other chef's wives?? I don't know the answer to that. I hope so. I have learned a lot by his job. I have met a few internet friends because of his job. I hope my opinion and my experiences still count. Anywho, I should really get to bed! The kiddo seems to like to get up early!

Opinionated Eater: Five Guys Burger and Fries

Yes, so what? I eat out often. This is actually a new restaurant the chef, kid, and I tried today. The chef and I usually hit up Smashburger, but we needed to try something new. I knew this place had opened up and I hadn't heard much about it. So, off for lunch we went.

Five guys is just a burger joint. They have veggie sandwiches, not what I was looking for. So, I had a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. All a la carte. Lame. I kinda am starting to hate places like that. When I ordered, I asked for everything, they have grilled mushrooms and onions too. Awesome! The burger, left something missing....juicyness. The fries now...they were amazing. The kid, she didn't like the fries. they were potatoes that are cut and they still had the skins when they were cut. She wasn't sure what it was and didn't like them. We also tried the cajun fries, meh. They were too covered in the seasoning.

Now, if we could marry two places....yes, that would be awesome. Take smashburger's burger and smashsauce, and their egg bun. And put the toppings of Five Guy's on there. YUM! And take Five Guy's fries and (according to the chef) put the seasonings of Smashfries on them, and they would be good. (Please note: I am not fond of Smashfries, they have rosemary which is something I do not like. And YES I have tried them)

Opinionated Eater: Cantina Laredo

So, there is a restaurant, Cantina Laredo, that I tried in Branson, MO back in July. The only thing I really liked was the guacamole. It was amazing. Nothing else really was all that great. So, we recently had a location open up here in Omaha, and I wanted the guacamole. So, last night, we decided that we would give it a try again. BIG MISTAKE. The guacamole is made tableside. The first time, it was amazing, this time....there was too much lime. Since my husband IS a chef, he was able to tell me how to change it to make it more palatable. However, everything else was leaving a LOT to de desired. The taco was good, just not as good as it could've been. My enchiladas, were terrible. They were lacking a key ingredient essential to every meal: FLAVOR. I am glad that we tried it again. I know now that I came and I saw, and I won't be trying to conquer anything to do with it. Even our service (both times) was terrible. What made it worse this time, the server is a former server from my husband's restaurant and KNEW him....thats all.

Looking up

Things have been going good for us around here. We have been having my daughter EVERY weekend for the last 4 weeks. We already have plans to have her this weekend, next weekend and probably the weekend after that. It doesn't seem to be changing. I am happy. This past weekend, she was here starting on Thursday because she didn't have school on Friday. Chef had to work (of course!) and I had to work on Friday night. Luckily for me, my friend had the day off and was able to watch my daughter for me. Next weekend (not this coming weekend), my daughter will be coming again on Thursday. My mom is taking her to see the Grinch at the Orpheum. My mom messaged me on facebook and when she did, she made it sound like she wished I was able to go with her and my daughter. When she met my chef, he invited her and her husband to dinner at his restaurant. When my mom and her husband came to pick my daughter up at my house on Sunday, she said maybe her and my daughter will go to his restaurant to have dinner before the show. In her message today, she invited me to come along with to dinner. I wanted to so badly ask her if I could join but I didn't want to step on any toes, even though its my husband's restaurant. I have a lot of mending of fences to do with my mom and I need to let her do it at her own pace. I am ok with that. I am slowly learning patience. I had tears in my eyes just thinking about dinner with my mom. I haven't had dinner with her with it being just me and her and 1-2 other people in so long. I remember being pregnant and meeting her, my brother and grandpa for lunch. Otherwise it was for my daughter's 2nd birthday, there were 5 people there though. This is a major step for both of us.

Speaking of my mom and her husband....they got married a little over a year ago (August 28th, 2009). I wasn't invited to the wedding, I heard about it from another family member. I had been told a few years ago that if I ever showed up at my mom's house, her husband would greet me with a shotgun/rifle. My chef met her husband Sunday. It wasn't good. My husband behaved himself, he went outside to greet my mom, it was her first time at my new apartment. She hasn't been to a home I have lived at in almost 5 years. My chef stuck his hand out to my step dad and introduced himself. My step dad gruffly said his name. That was all. When they all came inside the house, I was in my daughter's room grabbing a few things. I came into the living room and said "Hi." Nobody acknowledged me. Then, I specificially said "Hi, R" since I had just spoken to my mom on the phone....my step dad almost blatantly ignored me. It hurts my feelings. I shouldn't let it, but I can't believe that he could be so rude to me, and then my daughter in my home. I will be nice, but I think it might be wasted on him. Oh well, his loss.

Thankful Thursdays

I think I am going to start a Thankful Thursdays thing. I have a lot to be thankful for and I tend to forget it. So, even though I have posted quite a bit today, I will still post this:

Although...the stupid blogger program won't let me upload right now....stupid thing...


Anyways...here is the list!

1. My daughter sleeping in her room here at my house
2. My husband, home right now.
3. My blackberry, so that I can call my daughter when she isn't here.
4. My job, because I have a way to make some money.
5. My health (for the most part....last weekend I had food poisoning and I have back problems) but I am otherwise healthy and not in a hospital.
6. Netflix, so that I can have something to watch that isn't otherwise on TV.
7. The ability to learn.
8. Music, it fuels my soul and keeps me dancing/singing.
9. Forgiveness, without it, my daughter would not be here.
AND #10! My sobriety, without it, none of the rest would be here

The kid....

Now, if you were unaware, my daughter lives with my mom. This has been an arrangement for awhile and I did what was best for my daughter at the time. I just started being able to see her again. Its been great. She has her own room with a bed, dresser, nightstand, and tv. She doesn't have a lot of toys here but it seems like she is moving in little by little. Its kinda cute. She is 7 years old and is in 2nd grade. She says some of the funniest things.

For example, the other day I was asking her how school was. She replies: "Mom, its just like adult school, only for little kids."

Today, we were driving home. The conversation went like this:
Bear (the kid): "Mom, am I half monkey?"

Me: "No, you are half mom and half dad"

Bear: (giggling) "Does that mean I will get one of these" (gesturing to a spot just below her lips and her chin)

Me: (laughing) "No, only boys get those"

Bear: "Why?"

Me: "To make them look masculine"

Bear: "What's that?"

Me: "Manly"

Bear: "Oh! Like dad?"

Yes, like dad kiddo.

I have others, but thats enough for today....ohh and she said "Its like the breath of my pizza" What?! What does that mean?