My Ma

Not sure how to even start this post, other than to say that my sweet, precious Ma passed away Saturday March 13th.  To say that I'm sad and devastated would be horribly understated.  I'm in shock, numb, anxious and everything in between. I've cried and screamed, wept and thought that my heart would surely physically break in two.

But what I really want to write about is Ma and everything that she was.  I'm fearful that I'll be unable to adequately describe how absolutely amazing she was.  She was the most wonderful, sweetest, funniest, random and amazing soul that I've ever known.  The majority of my childhood memories are wrapped up in her.  She shaped me, inspired me and most of all loved me in the way that only a "Ma" can.   She was strong and opinionated, creative and crazy, funny and loyal- everything good in this world, Ma was.  She was thoughtful and forgiving, one of those people that if you are so lucky to have known- your life is forever blessed and you are a better person for having known her.  She was nothing short of all things good in life.......absolutely beautiful inside and out. 

I know that she is with PaPa and rejoicing with Jesus, and for that I am ever so grateful and relieved that she is at peace. None the less, I'm human, I loved her heart and soul and truly cant imagine my life without her. 

I love you Ma, your beautiful red hair, your painted fingernails, your hats, your smile, your zaniness, your spirit, your spunk- everything that was you, I loved.  Thank you for being my Ma- my wonderful, absolutely amazing Ma.

Fab Food- Kabobs

I'm constantly looking for new recipes and ideas to feed my family.  We work really hard to provide our girls with healthy choices.  I must admit however, that I do get stuck in a rut and tend to cook the same things over and over.  I've decided to post recipes and meal ideas in hopes that maybe you will in turn share your meal ideas with me and let me know what healthy options your family enjoys. Please bare with me on the pictures, it's an experiment.  So here's the first "Fab Food" post- Kabobs.

The great things about Kabobs is that they are very flexible, if your a vegetarian or vegan simply leave out the meat and add more veggies.  I like to use squash, mushrooms, peppers, onions and meat and it all varies depending on my mood.  For these I used mushrooms, onions, bell peppers (red, yellow and orange) and chicken.

First, clean and chop all vegetables and any meat selections into medium size pieces.  Keep in mind that they need to be large enough to stick the skewer through and not fall off.

It was extremely cold outside so I decided to use my Cuisinart Griddler (indoors) instead of using my grill outside.  If you don't have one, you should consider it- great for grilling, doubles as a griddle and a panini press.  I used Lawrys Pefect Blend Poultry Seasoning Blend mixed with some Canola oil as a marinade. If you have sodium concerns, high blood pressure etc, you could use a lower sodium option.  There are a lot of options out there that taste great.  I alternated the veggies and meat on metal skewers, placed them on the griddle and then coated everything with a basting brush.  Be sure to leave 4 or 5 inches near the handle (end that will hang off of the grill or griddle) of the skewer, otherwise it makes it difficult to turn, pick up etc.

I had a lot of veggies left over so I put two pats of butter (real) in a skillet and sauteed the mushrooms first then added the rest of the vegetables.   By the way, butter is not your enemy, just don't eat the whole stick or tub- tempting I know.

It didn't take long for the kabobs to cook, maybe 20 minutes.  I served the kabobs with rice and it was absolutely delicious and relatively guilt free.  Kenny and the girls loved it, even Ms. Chloe.