Use What You’ve Got!
The secret to happiness is making due with what you’ve got. In the words of Tim Gunn, “Make it Work!”
Case in point:
1. I’ve got a cold.
As you may recall, the Peas had a cold about a week and a half ago, which I fought off…until last night. Daddy came home yesterday, and upon seeing me in my hat, planted an amazingly passionate kiss on me. He must have a thing for greasy haired individuals in hats, which suddenly explains the Judah Friedlander poster above our bed.
I temporarily forgot that he was sick, and kissed back, until I remembered and said, “Are you still sick?,” to which he replied, “Doh. I’m daht sick,” as he sucked the dripping snot from his nose back into his head. Great.
Don’t worry, it’s not the Swine Flu, unless you’re planning on holding a Swine Flu telethon with the funds to be directed towards a VitaMix. Then I’ve definitely got the Swine Flu.
2. I’ve got an empty tahini jar.
I’d seen Heather eat tahini in a sweet instead of savory context, so I thought it would work for fruit cereal in a jar.
- strawberries
- Honeycrisp apple, chopped
- stevia
- cinnamon
- granola
I wasn’t digging it. Stupid tahini. Stick to hummus and salad dressings and leave my breakfast alone.
3. I’ve got crazy hair.
And you are going to hear all about it, so get comfy.
After all the comments yesterday about how my bad hair day was not that bad, I felt an explanation was needed. I wash my hair maybe three times a week, because the labor involved is worse then peeling toenail polish off of your old pedicure because your out of remover. I hope I’m not the only one that has done this.
This next picture should prove to you how much I love you. Here is my hair this morning, after washing but pre-styling.
40 minutes, 3 flat iron burns and 1/2 a bottle of styling cream later.
I have had YEARS of practice taming the beast.
The best hair story I have has to be when Pea Daddy and I went to Orlando. I can probably stop right there. But I won’t.
We’d been dating for a year and a half and this was our first major trip together, to celebrate taking the Bar. My two major concerns were: a) how I was going to poo on the trip in front of this man I loved;and b) whether or not he was going to run for the hills when he saw the amount of time I invested on doing my hair. It was long then, so it involved blow drying, hot rollers, three suitcases of product and magical elves (aka Ken Paves).
The first morning we were there, I got up two hours before Pea Daddy so I could walk to the nearest Texaco to crap, and then hole up in the bathroom to do my hair magic.
Needless to say, we were outside in the Orlando air for about five minutes and POOF!
Remember the Friends where they go to the Bahamas and Monica has humidity issues?
I’d have killed for hair like that.
And obviously it runs in the family.
She’s going to hate me when she’s 13. And inheriting my hair might even be one of the reasons why.
4. I have slightly delusional children.
Pajama parties at 2 in the afternoon?
If you can’t bet ‘em, join ‘em. And then beat ‘em.
Gigi took her bedtime role playing a little too far, with a little “bed wetting.”
Which is yet another example of using what I’ve got.
5. 
6. A lack of ingredients for soup.
I wanted to make Mellow Lentil Sniffle Soup from ED&BV, but didn’t have everything to make it. So I improvised.
Red Lentil Kabocha Curry Soup
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 1/2 c. kabocha squash (or any winter squash), cubed
- 1 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. nutmeg
- 2 t. curry powder
- 1 t. garam masala
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- stevia to taste
- 1 c. light coconut milk
- 1 c. red lentils
- 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
- 3-4 c. vegetable broth
- 2 T. tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
I sauteed the celery and squash with the spices for a few minutes over medium high heat.
I then added the broth, lentils, coconut milk, cilantro and tomato paste and brought it to a slow boil.
I lowered the heat, covered it and simmered for 20 minutes, until the lentils were cooked thoroughly and the soup had thickened.
7. A sad excuse for a blender.
I transferred the soup in small batches to my Magic Bullet Delusional Spitwad and blended until the soup was as smooth as it was going to get. I added stevia and salt and pepper to taste.
This soup was amazing! My house smelled surprisingly nice, not at all like rotten broccoli, pee soaked couch cushions or singed, overstyled burnt hair.
I had a cup with a great big salad.
- spinach
- cabbage (that is now so skeevy it has to be registered and alert my neighbors of its’ whereabouts)
- carrots
- pickles
- broccoli
- tahini dressing
- almonds
8. A delicious nightcap waiting for me.
Cheers!
Awww hope you feel better soon! It looks like you had a fun day, even if you were feeling a bit under the weather.
That soup looks like just the thing for a sniffly evening at home. Seriously, I can just imagine how warm and comforting that must be….maybe there is a pot of soup in my immediate future!
I actually think your fuzz hair looks amazingly cool. So there.
And Gigi’s hair is gorgeous. By the time she’s 13 curls will totally be in.
I can SO relate to your hair issues.
The worst my hair made me do to it was use an acutal clothes iron on it when I went to a wedding out of town and discovered that I had forgotten my flat iron… Hair looked perfect for the night, then it was drizzling the next mornign and all the straightness was gone again…
My sister has the swine flu, so I will gladly take all the telethon donations for a VitaMix..in her honor….
Hehe…love the story about you and Papa Pea on your first trip together. I can relate to that! And of course nowadays, Matt is lucky if I put on mascara for a date
And they say marriage kills romance.
I think you’re wrong and that one day little GiGi will be thanking you for those gorgeous curls!
LOL I would never think your hair looks like that before styling! You do a fab job!! Hope you feel better.
Oh nooooooooooo! You sick ! how terrrrrrrrrrrible! I am so sorry!!!
I loved hearing about your beauty regimen. You are so beautiful……..and I totally have the SAME nervous issues about going on a trip with MY new boy. Ahhh! It’s scaryyyyyyy.
Kisses. I mean hugs.
KEN PAVES. I die.
Get 100% well soon, my dear!
i hope you feel better!! being sick is miserable :[
ahah your girls are too cute to have a pj party in the afternoon!
delicious salad!
lol Love the hair story! My hair is similar. Dont you hate when the hair dresser does your hair and just blow dries it and it looks nice?! How come I have to singe my hair with a chi to make it look half as good?! I’ve learned to embrace the curls in the summer with an arsenal or product and a diffuser. It took me years to figure out how to make it look decent.
Pooping in front of the man you love is so stressful. If you poop, it’s gross, but if you hold it in you get back pain and side cramps. Or is that just me….?
Ah, hope you feel better Mama! Your hair transformation is amazing. I wish I had the patience to do that, I’ve got out of control hair that usually stays in a ponytail. What kind of flat iron and products do you use?
Yum, soup
Hi Sarah! I use Pantene Straight and Smooth shampoo and conditioner (they work better than any salon brand by far), I sometimes use an Aveda straightening balm, if my hair seems extra unruly, I use my Chi flat iron and then I finish it off with Tresseme styling spray (it is 100% water free…this is KEY!). Hope that helps!
Aw, Sarah! Feel Better Soon! I’ve been sick for the past two weeks. It’s awful!
Right when I saw the first picture of your hair, pre-styling…I thought of monica and then I scrolled down and there was the picture! Love that show.
Great minds think alike…I was planning on making that soup in the next couple days!
Feel better sweets! SOrry to hear that you’ve caught a little bug….maybe LuLu accidently passed it along?
Rest up and take care hun!
PS- Haha I love that you can share your hair woes with the rest of us! My hair loves to go wild this time of year. It’s such a task to try and maintain the beast of frizz that the cold weather brings.
Love!!! X0X0
Now you know how I feel about living in Central Florida. Me and humidity? NOT FRIENDS. My hair isn’t as unruly as Gigi’s, but it’s slightly curly and my flat iron and I are currently taking a break. Want to share your product secrets? Why does every comment I leave really deserve an email instead?
Pea Daddy sounds enough like P-Diddy aka the father formerly known as Pea Daddy. I’m stickin’ to that.
And I am making that soup ASAP.
I shared my “straight styling secrets” with Sarah in the comments section, but as for when I want to wear it curly and for Gigi’s hair, I use the same Pantene shampoo, but I use Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner and Garnier Curl Creme. They are the best products I have found, and believe me…I’ve tried EVERYTHING.
Yay! I can finally comment now
Can you do your hair curly like Gracie’s? I’m sure that’s such a pain to straighten all the time! But you always look great either way! Hope you feel better soon 
Ugh.my hubby is sick now, too. I’ve threatened him fairly severely to stay the hell away from me, but he gives me sad puppy face and I fall for it every time. jerk.
But guess what? I made your spiced chickpeas yesterday and they are amazing! They are even more amazing AFTER they’ve cooled off and don’t pop into a scalding puddle on your tongue. Obv. Lesson learned
Feel better Mama!!
I think you need to get yourself an immersion blender as an easier sub for a Vita for now… works pretty well
Maybe you could wear your hair like Gigi does? My hair is only wavy so I can’t speak to what it’s like to have curly hair and maybe it’s a huge pain, but I would LOVE to have Gigi’s hair. I think it’s gorgeous! Of course, the straight looks cute too.
lol at the tag dumb jokes :p
My hair is sooo straight, it’s like spaghetti. It is pretty low maintenance (ie, I don’t really style it, it just does its own thing) but sometimes I wish it had some waves at least! We’re never completely happy with what we’ve got.
Hmm, your salads always look so good. I think I’m repeating myself.
my hair was just like yours until i started getting it japanese straightened . . . now i am not sure i could ever go back. while it is $$ ($700 the first time, then $350 or so every 4 months for touchups of the roots), it takes hair-doing time from hours to just 2 minutes with a blowdryer (if that).
i think it would work really well with your hair texture and style -let me know if you have any questions!
Ohhh, feel better, Mama Pea! That soup looks just like what the doctor ordered. Hope it helped!
Man, that is some dedication to hair styling. If it were naturally straight, do you think you’d spend a lot of time trying to get it curly?!?
Love the picture of Gigi. (Gigi Pea or Gigi Pee??)
LOL My hair is just a stringy greasy mess. I just pony tail it so much easier. I have to wash it daily though! Poor Gigi she has good hair now though!
Feel better hope the soup worked miracles.
Oh my gosh your back
Now my blogroll can be complete again! Ive missed all your huge jass salads. Finding your blog again just made my day. Enjoy your weekend and feel better.
I could never get away with washing my hair three times per week. It has to be an everyday job otherwise it looks greasy. So annoying!
Get well soon!
Ohhh the tahini controversies… Whenever I think about how nutty my hair is, I take comfort in knowings yours is wayyyyy more high maintenance! KIDDING
I’m making the ED&BV white bean soup today…
The second you mentioned Orlando I pictured Monica’s hair.
I hope you feel better. I have the flu thanks to Hunni so I feel your pain. He’s playing nursemaid now since that was my job the last few days for him. Now if only I had his super healing abilities.
I feeeel your pain. Crazy hair runs in my family. When my mom was a little girl her mom couldn’t get a brush through her hair it was so thick/curly/tangly/crazy… so she just didn’t brush it! I inherited the same lovely mess and HATED it.
But after years of flat ironing it is no longer the thick mess it once was. It’s rather flat now.
I kinda miss it….
Tell Gigi to appreciate hers! They are beautiful!
Can I just say that the first trip I take with a significant other is going to include the same concerns you had. Like, you were speaking right to me. Well, actually, I don’t care about my hurr, but the shadoob thing is really worrisome. But I guess I don’t need to worry now that I got no mans.
I love the picture of you and Gigi. Look at the joy in your faces! Adorable.
That soup sounds fantastic! I think I’ll skip the whole blender mess. Scares me.
I hope you’re feeling better today! xoxo
i love you a little bit more for the unstyled hair picture.
ok, a lot bit more.
I just literally DIED. Crapping in front of the man you love, the age old problem. Seriously though, this may have been the funniest thing I have ever read.
Nyquil = Best shot out there!
You know who has the best crazy-humidity hair? Kathy Griffin.
I could really go for some of that soup!
Hope you feel better ASAP:)
This should come as no surprise but I have naturally curly hair that I blow dry and flat iron oh… about 3 days a week, for about the last 10 years.
Feel better mama – just looking at the soup makes me feel like a million bucks!
honestly that friends ep is one of my faves bc i can TOTALLY relate. haha. im glad im in good (afro) company…i was equally nervous the first time kyle and i started dating, and id wake up, go to the bathroom, straighten my hair part way to make it still seem bed-head-y. oh man, those were the days
pooping modesty is long gone now!
Oh girl welcome to my life! I live in Orlando (funny enough that you used our humidity stricken town as an example) and know your story all too well. If it weren’t for the Chi and copious amounts of hair product I would walk around looking like Carrot Top year round (which is how my husband so lovingly refers to my adolescent pictures).
He has been trained very well and now allows a good 45 minutes before we go anywhere for me to tame the beast and paint my face
Your posts seem to get better and better every single day. You never fail to make me laugh (how many times can I say that in my comments?)
I read over your responses to the questions about your hair and I’m going to try those products you mentioned. I’ve never had any luck with Pantene (it always seems to dry my hair) but maybe I’ll give it another shot. Do you notice that your hair gets really damaged from constantly straightening it? Your bangs actually look really good in your “before” picture. I generally blow dry mine out before using my Chi. I’ve actually been thinking about growing my hair long and wearing it curly again, but I think I’ve been straightening it for so long that it won’t curl for the life of me. If I don’t straighten it, try to let it go curly and let it air dry I end up with a big bird’s nest on my head!
That episode of Friends is one of my favorites!!
Bummer about the tahini breakfast. Good to know for future ref–PS that’s my favorite brand:)
To be honest, improvisation is the way I cook most of the time. With the exception of Cashew Ginger Tofu, I tweak a lot of Dreena’s recipes according to my sometimes deficient pantry offerings.
I’ve got some crazy hair as well, and all thanks to my dad! He has brown, curly hair, and I have brown, frizzy/wavy/curly/straight/doesn’t-know-what-it-is half the time hair! I did hate the hair situation a bit in my pre-teen years, but I got over it and learned about “hair relaxation” later in high school….which has saved my life…
Straightening takes 20 minutes now. Straightening use to take over two hours and did NOT last more than two minutes. Ha!
Ok so I love the candid hair shot. Proves you really are human and not one of those totally lucky bee-otches who end up with Perfect Hair no matter what…thick,sleek, luscious, straight outta the shower. You accomplish the thick, sleek, and luscious part…with hella lotta work. BTDT. Now I just rock the slightly wavy, slighty mess yogi hair. However, yours is just so enviably sleek!
Our first date…my husband basically told me he couldnt date me in Chicago (where we were living) so he asked me if I would come on a date with him. I said, well, ok. I thought he was taking me maybe to The Suburbs. No, we freakin go to the Airport. Where we board a plane to Atlanta for 4 days. OUR FIRST DATE. I had known him for a year, he’d been coming around my work but I was a little shocked needless to say we ended up in a diff city on our date. And so I didnt have time to worry bout the other things that you did. Or I would have too!
Great post, as usual
I don’t know, maybe it is just me but I think your hair looks awesome all crazy and wild! : )
I can totally relate to the hair issues! I have the same hair. I’ve frightened my guy a time or two when he’s walked in on me in the bathroom when I’m at the stage of styling my hair in between the “blowdry stage” and the “flatiron stage.” It’s pretty scary
Anyway…hope you feel better soon!!
Oh. My. Goodness. Just when I think you can’t get any better, you do!!!
You and your hair are gorgeous, and I love your recipes today! Yum for soup.
Hope you’re having a nice weekend!!!
I love this post. Love it! Your poofy hair looks just like mine. Poofy hair unite!
That soup looks so good, and your improvisation is so creative.
Get better soon!
I loved reading about your first trip together… I think we all can relate… And to think how far we’ve come… Maybe a bit too far (I’m speaking of myself here).
I’m so sorry you’re sick! Bad Daddy, BAD! Although… Ari refuses to kiss me when he feels a cold sore coming on, and maybe I’m just gross, but I’d rather take the kiss and slather on Abreva later! Too much information?
Your hair. Looks like mine right now… couldn’t bring hairspray on the airplane, and I’m paying for it!
I read KathEats and found your blog when she posted the link with your roasted chickpeas. Love it! Can’t wait for more veggie ideas
I’m sorry i have yet to comment now; my internet at work is so slow i can never load your page!!!
but um, can i come live with you? i want that soup. and you need to help me tame my hair too. fuzzzzz ball.
Thanks for the advice! I am currently recovering from a full tummy of yummy spaghetti squash topped with muri-glens organic mushroom sauce, tomatoes, tofu and a ton of random leftover veggies that needed to be eaten (definitely using what i got!)…delish! and the squash came out perfectly
Hope you feel better soon!
Oh my gosh Sarah, laughing so hard at this post. I remember that first trip together crap. I think I went to a Walgreens. Hehe. Those days are long behind us now!
I’ll be honest, I was curious as to what your hair looked like pre-flat iron. Wow. I get the hat now.
Sorry you didn’t like the cereal in the tahini jar. I think I would have loved it. Speaking of tahini, finally made your beloved dressing. Delicious – especially after it thickened up in the fridge. Thanks for the link to the recipe!
Oh I really hope you feel better soon, Mama! But I have to say, you look gorgeous frizzy and sans-frizz. That pic of Monica cracked me up.
I have a friend who used to spent 4 hours styling her hair every morning. She had to get up around 4am to even get to school on time. Suffice to say, she’s stopped doing that — it’s down to 2 hours!
girl you can get a keratin treatment and your hair will be smooth an shiny and frizz free for like three months!!
I love that no chicken broth!
Feel better. Damn that handsome husband for sweeping you off your feet and infesting you with germs!!!
I have also done this and only need to do it once a year – I have short hair like yours and it costs me AU$450 per year (Bioionic straightening) it rocks! After battling with my hair for 20 odd years I now simply need to blowdry and not use my straightener.
Just found your blog through my random Google reader! Love it!
So funny you brought up that Friends episode because I’ve also been thinking of Monica when she had that cold but was trying to seduce Chandler. Sooo funny. I sounded like that a couple of weeks ago (and was in NO mood to be seducing, frankly), but am finally better.
Your family is adorable! Take care!
I use SweetLeaf Sweetener stevia. What brand do you use?