AM~Erica's Word of the Year...Maybe

So anyway...

I've seen a "thing" going around. I'm not talking the flu bug THIS time, but something else semi-viral nonetheless.

A word.

Seriously! Do you have one? Did you pick one? Do you even know about it?

I saw a couple of friends pick their "word" for 2015. It seems to be a motivational focus to carry them thru the year. Instead of an absolute resolution (check out my lack-of-resolution HERE), they have picked a focus. It has me intrigued.

There seem to be words like "Encouragement" or "Positivity."

Now I wasn't really gonna jump on this particular bandwagon, but there's a word that kept jumping out at me in the last few weeks. I'm not sure why...but it makes me think I should adopt it for this year, at least:

WEIRDO

I know, I know...it tends to be used with a seriously negative connotation. But here's the deal: it's definition is not as bad as it seems. At least, not to me.

     1. (n) a strange or unusual person

     B. (n) a person who is extraordinarily strange or eccentric

     III. (adj) strange, weird


All of those definitions pretty much describe me. For those that know me, wouldn't you agree?

I like being a weirdo! It keeps things fun & interesting! Keeps people on their toes, as well as keeps me on my toes as it fuels creativity.

And? I believe using my weirdo superpowers for good allows me to keep motivating & encouraging others around me. It's quite all-encompassing.
It can be bright.
It can be loud.
It can be delicious. (HERE)
It can be in a tutu. (HERE)
It can be Seussical. (HERE)
It can be piratey. (HERE)
It can be completely celebratory!
It is totally creative!

You know I LOVE TO CELEBRATE ALMOST ALL THE THINGS. This is no secret.

I take it all to the hilt. From how I dress, to how I eat, to the events of the day...all the things. And I hope it gets others motivated to dip their toes into the celebratory waters. Maybe you'll even come swim with me!

I run in tutus. For the most part, tutus are for race day...and I will try to get a cosTUTUme together that matches the race theme. It's how I roll.

Even being over-the-top (I already know this about myself), I still look for authenticity. I just let it happen.

I know people think I'm so weird. You know what? I don't really care. I'm just gonna be me. And I want to focus on being the truest me possible...all while always searching within me to know what else I can possibly surprise myself about myself with.
Yeah...I just said that.

I'm always learning about what I take part in. We are always supposed to keep learning! And while you learn, you may find you will grow a passion for certain countries, celebrations, cultures, etc. Learn about each other & the world around you! It shows we care for each other, all while breaking down walls...like hate.

I'm perfectly comfortable in my weirdo skin! Seriously!

So...I guess what I'm saying is...
My word for (at least) this year is: WEIRDO.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Can Eat Some Interesting Stuff

So anyway...

Even though I'm STILL TRYING TO GET WELL, there's these things living in the house that think that I still need to act like a mom. *sigh* It's a good thing I love my kids...or they'd be on their own trying to find their way around the house & out the door early in the mornings. Yeah...I don't think they'd be able to do it just yet.

But, I have tried to make sure they stay healthy or get them back on the path of GETTING & STAYING WELL. They may not like it, but I do it! Cuz I'm still The Mom!

While doing Super Mom duties, Lil Guy has decided that he wants to start taking lunch to school again. He hasn't done this for quite some time, so of course he would pick a time I'm feeling all crummy to pick this back up...but it's fine...IT'S FINE!

As I was finding out what he wanted in his lunch, he told me he wanted a sandwich with ham & turkey with some [turkey] pepperoni, cheese, mayo, BBQ sauce, ketchup & lettuce. That's a good sandwich choice! So I started making it. We have shredded lettuce that I've used, so I tossed some on the sandwich when a piece dropped off the bread onto the counter. I picked it up & ate it..cuz...yum...then it triggered a memory:

*DOO-Doo-doo, DOO-Doo-doo, DOO-Doo-doo...* 

(Imagine Wayne's World style flashback)

Back in high school, I had some weird habits. But what teenager doesn't have weird habits? Amm-i-rite?

I do enjoy breakfast. I could eat breakfast at any point of the day. But there's something that was in my teenaged brain...you know the one with the frontal lobes shut off...that made me start digging for a different breakfast. For quite some time, I ate a sandwich for breakfast. Not a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit or English muffin with sausage & egg. Nope, not for me. Instead...I did this:

I toasted 2 slices of bread, put on some mayo, cheese & lettuce. That's it. Nothing extravagant or anything, but it was what it was. A total BLT, but minus the B...and, well, the T.

Imagine my sandwich looking something like this...but for real.

Just popping that little piece of shredded lettuce in my mouth this morning while making a sandwich with the bread, cheese & mayo involved, too, totally threw my brain back to the early 90's. Weird how we do that.

But it doesn't stop there. It was my high school brain & teenage problem solving (scary sounding...I realize this) that led me to one of my very favorite snackage that I still enjoy to this day. It's one of those things that you might need to tilt your head & squint to figure out...but don't knock it til you try it!

Are you ready to find out?

Brace yourselves...

It's odd & delicious...

I do love me some carrots and caramel! Seriously! I'm not kidding! I keep baby carrots on hand with some caramel sauce cups. Portion controlled deliciousness!

You might want to know where that comes from, right? I didn't just create it in my teenaged brain...remember? I said there was "problem solving" involved...

My mom taught 1st grade for close to a million years. OK, not that long...but a really long time. I know she taught several of you, too. So those of you who were ever in her class, or had another 1st grade teacher at her school, probably did a Johnny Appleseed lesson. It usually culminated with carmel apples.

I looked forward to that section ending, cuz I knew the lazy cooker would be coming home with leftover melted caramel & maybe some leftover apple slices, too. YUM-MY!

However, this one year...the lazy cooker made it back home...with only reminisces of caramel caked to the sides & bottom. *sigh* Little heathens ate it all...or some of the adults couldn't help themselves either. Barbarians, I tell ya! And there was not a single apple slice left either. I. Was. Not. Happy.

However...I did notice that my mom brought home some carrot sticks. You know...little, mini scraping rods...perfect for scraping caramel traces off the sides of a lazy cooker...

So...I picked up a carrot, reached into the inside of the lazy cooker & began to scrape off the melted caramel onto my newfound tool. After several delicious takes of it...I decided to try something...scrape the caramel & BITE it off the carrot.

You know what? It was SO good!!! So...I finished the carrot sticks AND cleaned the melted caramel from the lazy cooker. AND? I found me a new snack.

Go ahead...go try it! Seriously!

Once you do...let me know what you think. Then, you can thank me for giving you the head's up.

Just FYI...my kiddos love it now, too.

I'm sure I have other weird things I eat. Teen Boy makes a thing of finding the weirdest soda suicides ever...and strangely brags about it. Pretty sure Teen Girl has weird things too...we just never see them.

For a while, Lil Guy was putting mayo on his brats & hot dogs.

I know other family members who have weird food stuffs, too.
(I really don't want to discuss the potato chips with scrambled eggs & mayo thing.)

Keep in mind...there were no pregnancy cravings involved in ANY of these.

So...anyone else? What's some of your food likings that would make people question what you eat? Go ahead! Share with the class in the comment section, here on the blog. How did it begin? We could start a whole new culinary revolution!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica