Eclair Icebox Cake

Stock photo from Kraft... whenever we make it we're too busy chowing down to take a picture!

If you ask the kids what dessert I should bring to potlucks and summer bbq's they'll always give the same answer... the "graham cracker pudding dessert!!!"  aka the Eclair Icebox cake.  I found the recipe on Pinterest years ago and it's always a hit.  I've tweaked it a bit from the original recipe on the Kraft site.  Simple, delicious and make-ahead!  Make it.  You won't be disappointed.

Can't We All Just Get Along

Oh so relaxed and calm.  No MOMster in sight.

In January, the hubby and I went away on our first real vacation without kids for our 10-year anniversary.  We went to a fabulous resort in Zihuatanejo, Mexico and had seven days of nothing but relaxation time.  My husband actually said, "You're like a different person.  I haven't heard you yell once this week!"  And oh my gosh, he was right.  So so right.

Celebrate The Little Things

Ugh.  I had hope that after this election, the ugliness of these campaigns would end.  Turns out it was just the beginning.

I waited until after school to take my girls with me to vote.  I wanted them to remember this historical day, that they were there when their mommy cast a vote for the first female president.  But it was not to be.

Growing Up American

Their ancestors came to America on the Mayflower. And also via Philippine Airlines. 100% American.

Have you all seen the open letter by NYT editor Michael Luo about a racist exchange he experienced with his family over the weekend? A woman in a rush on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, screamed "Go back to China" to him and his family because they were in her way, as they lingered outside of their church.  In front of his children.  Didn't even have the balls to say it directly to their face.  Yelled it at them as she made her way down the block.  Dude was born here.

Reading his story, I could see myself in his place.  And it made me mad.  How is this real life?  I mean, I guess with Donald Trump as the official Republican nominee I can't be too surprised that bigots, racists and misogynists are feeling free to come out of their hiding places and voice their hatred in public.  I mean, a Presidential candidate is doing it, why can't they?

Cancer Affects Us All

When I was 15, I lost my first aunt to breast cancer.  She was diagnosed on October 2, 1992 and fought so hard.  She received a stem cell transplant back in the days when it was a relatively new treatment option and eventually went into remission.  But it came back with a vengeance and spread to her spinal column and brain and after this second battle with cancer, she passed away exactly two years to the date of her original diagnosis on October 2, 1994.

Only Love

I've been struggling to write lately.  So many horrible things going on in this world, this crazy election and the hate just spewing and spreading through social media.

How did it become ok to hide behind usernames and handles to spread hate against an entire race, an entire religion, many good people that down at the core are just like us?  It's freaking depressing.  And I've had enough.  It's one thing for unknown trolls to post awful hate, but to see people I know and love "like" some of these things made me realize enough is enough.  Remember my post about gun control?  Well, same thing applies here.  Silence does nothing.  Changes nothing.  So I stopped being silent.