Well Isn't That Pinteresting?

As with most of the ever-changing social/online inspirational world, I have a bit of an ambivalent relationship with Pinterest. I often hear people comment on how they get completely lost in Pinterest, spending hours upon hours just pinning away.

My problem is that I take it a step further. For some reason, in my {somewhat crazed} world {where I am a delusional combination of a 1950s housewife, 1970s Stepford wife, 1980s power career woman and present day crafty, blogging, baking Super Mom}, I can't simply just pin great ideas. I have to implement them. This might have something to do with the aforementioned strange psychotic issue of proving to myself that I am capable of it ALL. And so I tend to pin with a bit of caution, planning to actually reference each pin in the near future to create, craft or cook.

{Were you getting a little uncomfortable with my therapy session above? I was :)}.

On a good week, like the one we are in, my innate desire to "complete pinned projects" is beneficial to the entire family. Case in point - our meals for this week are all recent pins. Tonight, a Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake as originally posted online by TastyKitchen.

As you can tell from the remnants, the dish delivered. Simple to create, all the main food groups in one casserole and enjoyed by all of my discerning diners. A few things to note should you decide to pin it and make it...

• I used Uncle Ben's Boil-in-a-Bag Brown Rice. Not my typical MO. In fact, I had to turn my eyes away from the plastic bags boiling in water as I was nearly convinced I could see the BPA leaching to our meal. However, Tuesdays are typically a late day home {afternoon ballet followed by early evening run}, and with us out of town this past weekend, I wasn't as prepared for the week as I like to be. So, BPA-leached rice for us it was. And, I hate to admit it, but jeez, this stuff is pretty good. Rice is sort of a running joke in our house - I can't ever get it right. I'm a pretty good cook friends, and yet, for some reason, rice is the death of me. Fortunately, I do have a pretty handy rice cooker for days when I have a bit more time. For tonight - Uncle Ben's BPA Brown Rice it was.
• I didn't use lowfat cheese. That is just gross. 
• The recipe actually makes a larger casserole size, but I often split casseroles and freeze half to avoid throwing food away and to stock the freezer with ready-to-heat meals. The above picture is post-dinner, so we have plenty for leftovers on Thursday night.
• I used a mild salsa in my dish, since I have a pint-sized palette to serve. However, a salsa with a bit more kick, and maybe a pepper jack cheese, would really take this casserole up a notch.

 On the menu for tomorrow night...

Screen snapshot is kind of hard to see - Slow Cooker Cheesesteaks, thanks to the pinning prowess of my friend Linley :).

While the recipe pins tend to be well-received in the household, projects are not always a hit with the hubby. He likes to ask me "why I'm tinkering" instead of relaxing and also gently remind me that I'm not as crafty as I think I am when purchasing endless supplies for projects :). 

Pinterest Project Addiction set in back in December, with several holiday projects about putting me over the edge. Conversations went something like this on a few different occasions:

Friend and Half-Marathon Training Partner, Shannon: Want to go run?

Me: No, I can't.

Shannon: Why not?

Me: I need to finish this d@#$ tree skirt.

Said tree skirt turned out pretty cute in the end. I might even add some ruffles to it next year, as long as the two Needle Nanas {that would be my mom and Shannon's mom} are willing to lend their expertise and {much faster} skill again. Pinned version was a hot-glue project, but that would have been too easy, right? Over-achiever here HAD to have it sewn. If I were to ever want to sell a similar tree skirt... going price - $600, at least. It was not easy. Never again. {And yes, I do appreciate all those ruffle dresses Nana creates with a whole new perspective.}

Me at a sewing machine - not a frequent site to behold. However, I do pom pom.

Especially once I find the correct pom pom maker that doesn't take 10 minutes per pom. This little wreath adorned peanut's bedroom door.

Snowman Rice Krispie Treat snacks for school turned out okay. They were among the more stressful of projects and I later learned that Tax Man allowed them to topple when he delivered LE to our neighbor's for morning car pool to preschool. Fortunately, said neighbor is a great friend and I do believe she straightened the little Frostys up before taking them to school.

Another Pin-ject... Candy Cane Playdoh for classmates. Easy and cute.

Teachers also received pinned love for holiday gifts...

 

A copy of The Happy Everything Cookbook by Coton Colors, mason quart jars full of the delicious Tomato Soup from the cookbook and the Beer Bread ingredients {also from the cookbook}.

Many of Elfie's antics through the holidays were pin-spired {somebody stop the pinterest-isms!}

Enjoying a snack of peppermint candies from the pin-spired candy display {I did eventually add a picture to that frame, by the way}.

Getting all clean in her marshmallow bubble bath.

Are you still there? Clearly I had a lot pinned up inside about Pinterest {sorry... I couldn't resist}. I also managed to squeeze in some neglected photos from December once again. Pretty sneaky, I am.

Bringing it full circle to that 1950s housewife and back to present day... This was a recent scene in our home.

She has her laundry setup right alongside mine... washer, laundry basket, ironing board and all. Samantha's clothes were as clean and crisp as Tax Man's shirts by day's end! By the way, he is a little scared I'm grooming her into the next generation of a neurotic, cleaning housewife. Especially since that washing machine topped her list for Christmas gifts.

And yet, he doesn't complain a bit about his clean, pressed clothes as he dresses each morning.

Isn't that just Pinteresting...