Keepin’ Busy

Thank goodness Mal doesn’t start school until next week. It’s been wonderful having him around for support during this tough time, but he’s also kept me pretty busy.

We made pizza dough from scratch this morning!

To make the dough, we used a recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, which I got for my birthday this year. Thanks, Erin and Mike!

The recipes makes six smaller doughs, which are great for Make-Your-Own-Pizza-Night.

Mal and I left the dough to chill in the refrigerator, and then we headed to the dog park with Murphy.

What a beautiful day!

Almost as soon as we arrived at the dog park, Murphy met a puggle and ran around like a freak playing chase with him for a good 25 minutes or so. Eventually, Murphy ran out of steam and plopped down on the grass to rest.

I know he was tired, but he was being soooo dramatic.

Oh my gosh, Mom. I am soooooo exhausted. Playing chase is such hard work.

Mal and I were cracking up at him.

Murphy was totally fine. What a drama queen.

Nice neck roll, Murph.

Lunch

After the park, it was time for lunch: romaine salad with tomatoes, broccoli, yellow and orange bell pepper, avocado, crumbled feta, and some Annie’s Goddess dressing.

Delicious. Colorful. Satisfying.

After lunch, I ate a big handful of Peanut M&M’s to satisfy my sweet tooth. Mal bought me a big bag on Tuesday afternoon, and they’re nearly gone. Peanut M&M’s have no chance around me!

Real Simple Cookbook Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of Real Simple Dinner Tonight: Done!. Here are your winners:

1. Krissie J: The hardest part of getting organized for the week for me is planning out meals. I normally go day by day, but I think sitting down on Sunday and actively planning out all the meals for the week ahead would greatly help! Need to get on that.
2. Kristen: My biggest challenge is staying on top of all the mundane – the trips to the bank, the pharmacy, dry cleaners, etc. It’s easy to make room for the more significant tasks but harder to carve out time to do all the tedious things that pile up.
3. Nina: My biggest organizational challenge is figuring out meals for the week. My fiancee doesn’t really like vegetables, but we’re trying to be healthy ”¦ it’s always a challenge to find something delicious and boy-approved.
4. backcountrybelle: I think most of us are in the same boat; we are all busy with our lives, kids, husbands, jobs and all of the random things that pop up interrupting our schedules. i stay organized by writing down daily notes, using the Note-Pad in my phone, and my husband keeps important dates on our family Google calendar.
5. Brigid: Going through all the school paperwork fort kids is a huge challenge for me. What to keep and throw away, as well as projects that aren’t due tomorrow but on some random day 3 1/2 weeks from now.

Congrats, winners! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize.