Yay! It's June!! Boo! It's Monday!! Yay! Salad!!

So - we apologized for posting daily in April, but not *getting around* enough.

We now apologize for posting occasionally in May and not *getting around * enough - but you guys noticed we were doing better, right??!!

One thing we know as being mothers and teachers is - teach by example. So we've been super busy writing and hope our actions teach you that it can be done, no matter how little time you have.



Sorry, couldn't pull that one off with a straight face.

We tried - and in lots of areas of our lives, we succeeded. We took our kids to soccer and baseball. We went to school every day and taught a lot and assessed a lot and progress noted/report carded a lot. We planted gardens and mowed lawns and fed dogs and even managed to clean houses.

We reconnected with lots of you again!!



high fives all around!

What, you thought we'd get here and post all about our thousands of words written and fabulous book contracts?? Well, we'll save that for another day. *whistles* *hopes they realize "another day" means "whenever it's true"* *goes back to reading and mothering and looking up google images*

THE TRUTH: We are making progress on our WIPs. Our goal was to finish by now, but that proved too much for us. BUT we tried and we did a lot of important stuff and we're just glad that summer vacation is here for erica and close for christy and hope that our schedules this month include more writing than we were allowed in May. (remember, our kids are almost out of school, too!). BUT - YES, we did WRITE. And EDIT. And thought about you all!

Anyhow - hope you're up for a Mealtime Madness Monday post! We've spotted some lettuce growing and we know that some of you southerners have peas and onions and other crops just ripe for eating!! Writing can wreck havoc on your eating and exercise, so it's extra-important to eat well and hydrate when you're busy.

One thing my family loves (this is erica, btw) is 7-layer salad. It takes practice to get it right and it isn't the same for everyone. The response to it when you get it right? Yum, yum, yum!! If you can pick fresh veggies, all the better. If not (like us, so far), try out farmer's markets or tuck this recipe away for later!

Cut up and layer in order, then let sit for at least 2 hours before serving (overnight is better). You can serve it in a pretty clear dish - or, if you're really going for authentic, stir/shake it together and let it sit another couple of hours to really blend flavors! (I know it looks like more than 7 layers, but added up, it's okay. Plus, cheating is highly encouraged in this recipe! Take your time to figure out what you like for the dressing - some like it sweeter than others and some like dill or another herb added in).

Seven Layer Salad:

• 4 cups torn lettuce (green leafy or romaine is really yummy and nutritious)
• 1 cup peas (frozen or fresh) (if you can't find any, use mushrooms or broccoli)
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin or diced (diced is easier to serve)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• dressing - 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing) mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice and a dash of sugar
• Cooked, drained, crumbled bacon (about 6 slices)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 2 green onions, diced

Enjoy - and let us know what your hopes are for the summer!