I'm a fan

Today I'm a fan of:

1.  This post.  If you're a mom-read it. If you're about to be a mom-read it. If you have or had a mom-read it.  I often tell my sister "I don't remember mom yelling at us as much as I feel I have to yell at Eli" and I use the word "yell" but usually it's more like redirecting, reminding and disciplining.  I know I was as much of a pip to my mom as Eli can be and she had her methods and words she chose to help me grow up.  But I agree with so much in this post.  When I went off to college I started to realize how cool my mom was.  She was fun and a friend. I still needed her help, her advice, her support and so much more.  But now we could go places and I wasn't embaressed I was proud and glad.  Now that I'm a mom I typically spend 5 minutes a day thinking about how sorry I am for giving my mom a hard time at different stages of my life.    It's sickening to say but I don't think I even realized that my mom was a person outside of being a mom.  She was never Barb to me. When I was 3, 8, 12, 15-life was all about me.  I learned my manners and was taught how to be polite, a friend and a student.  But I doubt I ever walked in the kitchen and said to my mom "What would you like to do today? Do you want me to do my homework and then empty the dishwasher for you so you can read your book? Do you want to go for a bikeride?  I could fold the towels for you".  Instead I'm pretty sure that my thought process revolved around when could she wash my jeans, would she have dinner ready when I was hungry, could she drop me off at this friends house.  It makes me so sad now but I can't go back and change it. I can only say sorry, thank you, what do you want to do today? And it gives me hope that my kids who now seem to view me only as a mom and never, ever as Raina (Who might want to sit in the quiet for a half hour and read a book) will turn out well, with manners, respect, creative ideas and love for me. 

2.  This Recipe: Indonesian Peanut Butter Chicken  (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp gluten free soy sauce
1/2 tsp seasame oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
16-18 frozen chicken drumettes  (I USED CHICKEN BREAST!)
seasame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 limes, cut in wedges

Melt peanut butter on high in 4 qt slow cooker.  Add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, cayenne and ginger. Stir to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Garnish with red pepper flakes and seasame seeds.  Serve over rice with lime wedges.

-This is easy and yummy and I've made it twice.
-I didn't use chicken drumettes-I used white chicken meat.
-Vegetarians could make this and would taste good with tofu
-I didn't have the lime or seasame seeds and it was still awesome.

3.  2 of my favorite artists.