Super Mom Survey: Aisling

The summer before I was a sophomore in high school, my family moved into a new ward. Aisling was my first friend in that ward. We both met our husbands in high school, who happened to be cousins, so Aisling is not only my friend, but my cousin, too! Aisling is a great cook, and is so good about planning her meals ahead of time. And they're yummy, interesting meals, too! So, I surveyed her about FOOD. yum!

Enjoy her! She's great!!

First, some general questions:

1.) Tell a little about your family.

I met my husband, Brett, in Seminary senior year at Mountain View. I think I fell in love with him on our first date. I wrote him his entire mission, and counted down the days until he got home. We are now happily married with two beautiful sons. Aedan is almost 2 and is a little terror, lol. But we still love him. He loves to get into EVERYTHING, make messes, and be goofy. He's also very sweet with hugs and kisses. Eli is almost 4 months old. He's mellow and precious. He loves to smile and loves being held. I can't imagine my life without my three wonderful boys.

2.) Do you have a blog you'd like me to share?

http://thesilvaadventures.blogspot.com/

I'm not quite a blogaholic, but I do post things often. Mostly for my mother-in-law who lives in Brazil. I want to keep her a part of everything that's going on.

3.) What are your hobbies and when do you find time for them?

Hmm...hobbies. It seems like I had a lot more, before we had kids. haha. No...I try to get involved with hobbies because I think it's REALLY important for my sanity. It's "me" time to be creative.

I've recently gotten into photography. I was an art major at ASU, so I also love drawing, painting, sculpting, and woodworking. I love to sew. I have houseplants (2 bamboo and a bonsai plant) that I love taking care of. Cooking is a wonderful creative outlet as well. I love looking for new recipes, trying them out, or making up my own. I LOVE food. :) Also, if I could make more time, I would read more. Being creative, and surrounding myself with beautiful things helps me to experience the joy in life.

4.) Here's the famous question: what do you do to get yourself out of the frumpy-zone?

It's really easy to get into that "frumpy funk". You may look into the mirror sometimes and see someone wearing sweats and an old shirt, with hair pulled back in a ponytail and needing to lose the baby weight. Being a mom is hard! Hygiene and personal appearance can't always be top priority any more. BUT, there are things I do to get myself out of that frumpy feel. I'll either do Yoga, or spend time outside going on a walk. I'll take a nice hot shower, and do my hair and makeup. I don't wear makeup everyday (And, no, I don't always shower every day either), but sometimes when I make an effort to look good, it makes me feel better about myself. I try to do things for ME, so I can feel like a real person who has a life instead of just the cook & clean. The most important things about getting out of the frumpy-zone is attitude. I made myself a new goal that I would listen/read/watch something inspirational every day. Whether it be a good talk, or a podcast from some of the awesome media the church offers. It helps me to step back a little bit and reflect on what's really important. Also, first thing I try to do before getting out of bed is to read from the scriptures and say a little prayer. When I pray for a good day and a good attitude, everything is always better. The Lord has entrusted me with two of his wonderful children. He wants me to do a good job at being their mother. When I consider that, I am able to recognize all the ways he blesses me in this calling.

Now for the food questions:

5.) How far in advance do you plan your meals?

I like to organize my menu weekly. I'll spend the weekend and Monday looking through recipes and planning out something for every day. I'll look in the fridge and pantry to see what I have to work with--that's a big factor into menus. I always try to use what I have first before going out and buying everything new.

6.) How often do you repeat a meal?

There are some family favorites we want to have about every other week. Generally, though, I try to have something totally different week to week.

7.) How often do you try a new recipe?

Every week! It's part of my menu planning. When I'm online, I often look for new recipes to try, and I'll bookmark the page. The recipes may come from blogs of food sites, but I'll always try something that has high ratings. Looking for new recipes is so fun! It gets my mind racing with possibilities. I think it's good to try a new recipe often. Some are successes and some are not, but it definitely helps you grow as a cook.

8.) How often do you typically go grocery shopping?

I TRY to do all my shopping once a week. We only have one car, so it's really hard to just go whenever I want. Having two young kids makes it hard to go shopping whenever I want, as well. So, this forces me to be organized. I'll make my grocery list when I'm planning my meals for the week. Then, I'll typically do all the shopping on Monday. I budget myself $75 for each week. I'll go over my budget when things are on sale so I can stock up. Even though it's tough to shop for everything all at once. It's such a nice feeling throughout the week when I can know exactly what we're having every day, and that we already have it in the fridge/pantry ready to go.

9.) Where do the recipes/ideas for your meals come from? Online? Family recipes? Do you make them up?

All three. I love looking for new recipes online. A lot of my recipes come from family too. (I often take family recipes and add my own little twist to them). Also, I consider myself a creative enough cook that I can make things up too. I've cooked enough to know which tastes compliment each other. Sometimes, being a creative cook is also part of saving money. When the budget is tight, I'll look in my pantry, see what I have and try to make something good.

10.) Do you feed your kids the same things you and your husband eat, or do they have different meals?

Well, Eli is nursing, so...that's a no for him, but Aedan will eat the same thing we do. He never really ate baby food. I would just give him what we were having (either minced up, or smashed). Now, he can eat what we eat as well, as long as its in bite-sized pieces. I think it keeps him from being picky, and it's healthy for him too.

11.) What kinds of sides do you serve with your meals?

Each meal I prepare, I always try to have meat, grains/starches, and fresh veggies/fruits. I LOVE green beans--like fresh ones. That's a big one I cook up a lot. I also love salads/pasta salads. With any veggie, it's easy. You cook them up, and you can drizzle them with some garlic butter, herbs and sauteed onions, or you can throw in a package of Ranch dressing mix with some olive oil. Simple and tasty and healthy.

12.) Do you prefer cooking or baking? (meal-type foods, or desserts?)

Definitely cooking. I've gotten better at baking, but I certainly am not the best. Cooking is a lot more intuitive for me, and that's why I love it. Baking, you have to be so exact and time it right. I admire all those wonderful bakers out there, but for me, I like the freedom of cooking a lot better.

13.) What's your/your family's favorite recipe right now?

Brazilian rice & beans! My in-laws live in Brazil. The food down there is delicious. I've worked really hard to perfect my rice and beans. It's a perfect meal. Sometimes serve it with some fried tilapia, and salad, sometimes it's just a meal in itself. It's delicious and the leftovers last all week long. (I'll try to post the recipe to my blog. I have other recipes that I've cooked recently that you can check out on my blog by clicking here. I add a couple new ones every week).

14.) Is there anything else about cooking/preparing meals for a family that you'd like to share?

Have fun with cooking! It can be a really relaxing and enjoyable time. It's one of the activities where you can see instant results for your efforts. If you don't consider yourself a good cook, don't get down. You'll only get better by trying more and more recipes again and again. (Sometimes I'll try a new recipe, and it won't turn out exactly the way I thought it would, but if I try it again, it's always better). My rule with a new recipe is: try it exactly the way it is for the first time. Second time around, change things up a bit. Add some of your favorite spices, and customize it to your preferences. Recipes are guidelines, and can generally be improved.

15.) Is there anything you'd like to share on any other subject?

Being a mother is amazing. It's a great responsibility, and it stretches you to your limits. Your attitude makes all the difference. If you're in a bad mood, the day is going to be rough. But, if you can look at your children and see how wonderful and beautiful they are, and if you can count all that you have been blessed with, it's a lot easier to laugh at the things that would otherwise give you a heart attack. Aedan loves to help me "cook", because he sees me preparing food all the time. One time when I left the room, I came back a couple minutes later, and he had dumped my sugar on the floor. He was stirring it around trying to "cook". It's moments like that where your reaction can make a big difference. Sure, it may be a mess now, but in a couple years (or even a couple months) you'll think back and laugh at experiences like that. I try to take pictures, and enjoy every moment.

Some thoughts I shared with Elizabeth, when she was asking people what makes a Supermom: "Stay joyful! Not just happy, but JOYFUL. You'll be more grateful, patient, and loving towards your children, husband and yourself. You'll get over the dishes not being done all the time, and you won't get down on yourself about all the things you're not. It will give you more energy to get everything done, because it's not a burden to do them. A happy heart can be surprisingly organized and productive. So, find/do things that bring you joy! (For me, playing the piano, sewing projects, coloring with Aedan, scripture reading/reflection, listening to different podcasts on the mormon channel [radio.lds.org]) Once you've met your "me time"/joy quota, everything else becomes joyful and enjoyable to you...even if it's cleaning up crusty food from lunch time two days ago or doing any other less than glamorous mom job. I think joy is what makes someone a super mom."