7QT: Chirping, Shopping, Breaking

Linking up with Kelly on this rainy Friday in April.  

Hey, if April showers bring May flowers...what do May flowers bring?

Pilgrims.

Just a little New England joke for your enjoyment.

1)

Let me get my complaining right out of the way.  My teeth hurt!  The whole left bottom of my mouth is in pain, and I don't know why.  It kind of feels to me like I need a root canal, I've had one before and it's that same radiating nerve pain.  But I went to the dentist yesterday, and they did three Xrays and poked and prodded and can't find anything wrong.  I'm in enough pain that I can't function or sleep without ibuprofen, and so I'm taking it around the clock.  What to do??

2)

Someone (I think it was you, Madeline?) asked me to review the Chirp wheels I got for Christmas:

They are chiropractic wheels that help you massage, stretch and align your back.  When I first started using it, the middle of my back was very sensitive, and it hurt to use it.  But the more I used it (just a few minutes a day), the less it hurts and I love rolling out on it - ahhhhhh.  I especially love using it on my lower back to help my hip alignment, which always gives me trouble (darn seven pregnancies).  I actually haven't been to the chiropractor for an adjustment since I've been using it, so that's a money saver for sure.  My older kids use it too after a workout or while we pray at night.  So yes, I would definitely recommend the Chirp wheel.

Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup: An Easy and Delicious Recipe on Repeat {Keto, Gluten Free, Whole30, Low Carb}

 I've mentioned before that I cook a big pot of soup every Sunday for Phil and I to take for lunches during the week.  It makes for healthy, inexpensive, grab-and-go lunches which fit our busy lifestyle. I make our soups in my Cuisinart dutch oven and then pack them in these Pyrex glass bowls with lids.  Since the first time I made this Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup, we have had it on repeat over here.  It's healthy, delicious, light, and I look forward to lunch!  I thought I'd share the recipe with you all because you deserve an easy, veggie-filled, high-protein, yummy lunch too.

Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup

(makes about 10-12 servings)

Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

4 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 onions, diced

1 TBSP minced garlic

40 ounce bag frozen cauliflower rice

4 cans chicken, rinsed

4 cups chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

6 cups water (or enough to fill pot 7/8 way full)

salt/pepper to taste (depending on how salty your broth is)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in pot, add diced celery, carrots, and onions, and saute until soft.  Add garlic and saute for a minute more.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil then let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Told ya it was easy :)

Enjoy! 

7QT: Two Recipes, Two Shots, and Two Yetis

1)

Happy Easter!  

I still have to edit and post all of our photos from that day, but here is our family photo AMBB: After Mass, Before Baskets.  That is the secret to getting them to smile nice for the photo...giving them the baskets after :)

2)

Eamon started working at Market Basket this past weekend!  He is now the third Martin to work there, a bit of a family legacy.  My 14 year old will happily bag your groceries with a smile, while his 16 and 18 year old brothers will check you out.  In a grocery way, not a creepy way ;)

Number Six Turns Seven

My sweet toothless Declan turned seven on Good Friday.  He was totally fine with postponing his birthday party one day so we could celebrate properly on Holy Saturday.  The menu for the day was quite eclectic for a newly minted seven-year old who loves to eat (but where does he put it??):

Breakfast was donuts, of course.

Brunch was crepes with strawberries and nutella and whipped cream and Irish bangers.

Dinner was a taco bar with beef and chicken, hard and soft shells, and plenty of chips and toppings.

Weekly Wrapup

 Long time, no post.  Life's been busy, and after a year of not having too many commitments, even the few activities we are involved in feels like a lot.  The pandemic made me weak.  But I'm working out my taxi driving, logistics planning, calendar keeping muscles and I'll get stronger soon.  Right?

The end of March means financial aid season at work, which is my least favorite season of all.  In order, my seasonal preferences go: Christmas, Fall, Ice Cream, Spring, Winter, Summer, Financial Aid.  So work has kept me busy and cranky and on top of that, I had to go to the dentist twice last week *shudders from post traumatic dental visit* to put a crown on top of my dental implant.  Long 2 hour story short, the crown was not created correctly by the lab, and no amount of resizing worked.  I had to get another impression done (gag, literally) and am now waiting for a new crown.  Hopefully, that one goes in quicker and smoother and I will be the Queen that I was always meant to be ;)

My amazing mother turned 83 last week, and loved hugging her grandkids since she is now fully vaccinated.  I gave her the best caramels from Cape Cod as a gift and listened with delight as she told us in detail everything she ate for the day.  There was ice cream and fried seafood involved, the apple doesn't fall far from the restaurant tree.  The lady loves to enjoy life!

7QT: St. Joseph, St. Patrick, and Gaelic and Garlic Kids

 Happy happy St. Joseph's Day!!  A great feast day in the year of St. Joseph means you better celebrate and eat all the Lenten things you gave up and it's a Meat Friday.  Woohoo!

1)

Do you know that I looooove St. Joseph so much, but I had five boys and named nobody Joseph for either first or middle names?  Mea culpa.  By the time our sixth boy was born, we knew we had to use Joseph and hence our little bundle of joy: Brendan Joseph.

He had to stay home yesterday because he was a close contact in preschool (he tested negative) and he was very excited to help me juice an apple to drink.  "I won't tell the other kids because I don't want to be bragging".