End of January

Whew! If January is indicative of how 2010 is going to go for us, I am looking forward to the next 11 months. Despite the hiccups of a little sickness in the house (10 days of Rotavirus - once was enough!), this was a good month for us.

This little guy is keeping us busy. He's always on the go, and loves coloring, running, playing with his trucks & Legos, watching Cars, and snacking.

Anytime he can, he will grab my phone and start "playing" Monopoly.

We don't usually allow "Porky Pigging", but he wouldn't take off his boots. Can't say I blame him.

Big Sis lost TWO teeth! She's had several wigglers, but when Big Daddy saw the new ones pushing through on the bottom he decided it was time to pull out the hemostats and finish them off. She was very brave, and the Tooth Fairy rewarded her with $5 tucked into her new Tooth Fairy pillow!

Tooth Fairy pillow accented with vintage buttons. It matches the quilt I am making for her birthday.

And finally, Big Sis went rock climbing! We happened to be at REI on a weekend day, and she immediately insisted on trying the rock wall. She waited patiently for over an hour, and was able to observe several other climbers before her turn arrived.

Getting roped into her harness.

Listening to instructions.

Finding footholds & handholds. I think she has a bit of a natural talent for rock climbing.

Monkeying up. About 3/4 of the way up she froze for a minute, but she shook it off & touched the bell up top.

Reaching for the bell.

Rappelling back down.

She liked it enough to ask to go back and do it again.

We're so proud of our girl!

Fab Friday: January 29

And so with the advent of another year, I once again begin the tedious pursuit of better health & wellness. While I have been reluctantly consistent with my physical exertions, my dietary intake continues to torment me (particularly after 6:30pm).

But lo! What is this tiny treasure I have unearthed in the freezer section of the local grocer? Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle Bars? With just 100 calories per bar?

Glory Be & Sakes Alive! My cocoa cravings can now be soothed with the sweet nothings of such delicious bars. Now if I could just motivate my midsection into re-discovering its long lost musculature......

Chimichurri/ Aji/ Mojo Sauce

One of my simple, go-to meals of late is Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. Serve the sauce on the side, or if you're brave, drizzled over slices of the steak. Usually we have extra steak & sauce, so a few days later we use both to make quesadillas. As with many recipes, I think the sauce gets better overnight. It can be very strong/ spicy, will thicken in the fridge, and is really, really yummy.

Chimichurri Sauce

*based on a recipe from Bon Appetit/ epicurious.com

• 2/3 - 3/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3-4 Green onions, white part & some of the green
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded & with ribs removed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A few dashes of pepper

**Use the above as a starting point. I don't usually measure the olive oil or vinegar - I just drizzle it in until it looks right to me. I've also made it with white onion instead of green & find it is VERY strong.

Puree all ingredients in food processor until combined.

Happy New Year!

(photo from iStock Photo)

Yes, yes, I know it's the 4th already. I'm not much of a "Happy New Year" kinda gal and yet here we are.

I have high hopes for 2-0-1-0. '09 was an awful year for us, but we've already been over that.

I've decided that I am not writing resolutions this year, but have 5 goals for myself. Seems like a doable number.

I've spent much time reflecting on the close of the old and the beginning of the new. The year ended well for us. Good food, happy family, fun games, restful sleep, healthy bodies. I am hoping that this quiet end is a portent of what we can expect for the next 12 months.

I noticed that I wrote 30 less posts in 2009, and the drop occurred after our move. You make the connection. Blogging is not included in this year's goals, and I don't want to taint things by making sweeping statements like "I will post every day!". We both know it's not going to happen. I WILL try to make my writing more meaningful, and share more of what I love.

Know what I love today?

6pm.com. They are the clearance site for Zappos. And come on, discounts + shoes + shopping from the comfort of your own couch? Yes, please.

Let me be clear. I have no shortage of shoes. And when Big Daddy sees this he will not be happy. But come on, a girl needs shoes!

Specifically, I have had boots on the brain. Tall, short, black, brown, purple, leather, vinyl, rubber, sexy, snuggly, winter-iffic, BOOTS. I am a girl with {ahem} healthy legs, so boot shopping is often challenging. At best. I have had no luck lately, especially since I have been desperately seeking the ultimate trifecta of fit, color, and price. Yes, I do have some boots that I love, but Jack Frost is a treacherous beast and sometimes the Uggs are just not a match for the wintery mess of slush, ice, and salt. And while the Sorel's are toasty and rugged, they are not fit for the gentle company of restauranteurs and church-goers.

But the New Year seems to be bringing me luck, as I DID find these beauties:

(photo from Zappos.com)

Keen Kaley

I've wanted some boots that were a cross between the comfort of my beloved Uggs, and the ruggedness of my Sorels. With a durable sole, a cozy faux-sheepskin lining, and a below-calf height, these are sure to be my go-to boots for Kindergarten drop off.

(photo from Zappos.com)

Franco Sarto Canopy

And these. These! About 10 years ago, I bought a pair of similar Franco boots, and they carried me through the evolution of many, many looks. There was actually a time in my life when I wore nothing but skirts. But that's a tale for another day.

I believe they will pair nicely with skirts, jeans, and everything in between. My favorite part is the stretchy, pull-on styling. No more worries about healthy calves battling with unwilling zippers.

Although my cheap side balked at paying shipping, I have to say that I ordered these on a Saturday & they were delivered MONDAY. Seriously, now THAT is service!

Christmas Recap

I am a homebody.

There, I've admitted it!

I feel so light, so unburdened.

OK, maybe not.

The Holidays are a time I always look forward to, but often with mixed feelings. While I love my extended family and miss them, I've come to terms with the fact that my love for them does not override my distaste for travelling during the Holidays. Especially after last year's travel nightmare, it may be a handful more years until I entertain the notion of boarding a plane to travel thousands of miles through winter weather anytime from December 1-January 12.

As such, we had a lovely Christmas this year! Although I took on too much (crafting), and happily decided to not finish everything I started, I felt 97% prepared for Christmas to come.

We had a slow start (Big Sis must be the only kid on earth who sleeps in on Christmas morning!), but really enjoyed taking our time opening presents. We ate yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast, stayed in our PJ's ALL day, and whiled away the afternoon playing with our new gifts, snacking, and eating an early dinner (our usual prime rib roast - YUM!). We capped off the night by watching A Christmas Story. It was a perfect Christmas Day.

Big Daddy and Big J enjoying a story in his new chair.

Racing with his new dragster - a well-chosen gift from Big Sis.

LEGOS! Big Daddy was so excited to share the joy of Legos with his boy.

A favorite gift (although she seemed to love everything this year -WHEW!)

Hope you had a lovely Christmas.

Sending Happy New Year Wishes to you wherever you are.

2010 has GOT to be better!

Holiday Cooking

Upon reflection, I think I was a little ambitious with this year's Holiday cooking.

First, I made caramels.

Never done it before.

First batch was good. A little pale, but soft & chewy - exactly how I like them.

I used my largest saucepan & came dangerously close to sugar coating my stove, so the next batches were cooked in a 5.5 quart pot.

Big Mistake.

My 2nd batch was hard & chewy, like Sugar Daddies.

My 3rd batch was nearly done, then burnt.

My 4th batch (a 1/2 batch cooked in the small saucepan) burnt so badly that I had to open all the doors & windows & light a Yankee Candle. My candy thermometer also feel victim to the muck, shattering when I tried to pry it out of the acrid mess still clinging to the bottom of the pan.

Yep, 5 hours later, it's still soaking in my sink.

On a happier note, I made marshmallows!!

I used this recipe from Bon Appetit.

Blooming the gelatin.

What's that?

You smell hooves?

Me too.

There's a reason the comments mentioned GOOD QUALITY VANILLA.

Read the recipe comments. Those people know what they're talking about.

(I used Costco vanilla. When I make these again, I will either need to make peppermint marshmallows with a kicky red swirl, or invest in better vanilla).

(TO BE CLEAR - I love Costco vanilla & this is my go-to for baking. But take a whiff of that bloomin' gelatin, and you'll want to pick up some Tahitian Bourbon Vanilla, too!)

Hot Mess.

Hotter Mess.

Marshmallow fluff.

Pour it in the pan & let it sit all night.

Messy, but not as bad as I thought.

Lots of powdered sugar & a serrated knife helped to make them cut-able.

I tried cutting shapes with a cookie cutter, but that was a little much for this year. Maybe in 2010.

They taste yummy - not at all like hooves.

I'm saving some for hot chocolate on Christmas, but I also set a few aside & partially dipped them in dark chocolate.
Say it with me: Mmmmmm.......

.

Then I made peppermint patties with the world's easiest recipe from The Kitchn. I LOVE The Kitchn.

Dipped in dark chocolate and ready to be consumed at our Christmas Eve gathering. They are really yummy, and are a near match in texture and taste to the commercial version. I was fortunate to find a candy supply store just down the street, and they had good quality chocolate at a low, low price. No tempering required.

Tomorrow I am supposed to make jam cookies, cherry cheesecake bites and artichoke dip (all for Christmas Eve).

(Yep, my New Year's goals are totally going to include some much needed gym time!)

Happy Eating!

"Gingerbread" House

Growing up, we did not have many traditions surrounding the holidays.

There was never a specific day to trim the tree, or a night to go caroling.

We didn't have a special ornament to hang or nativity to set out.

There were no candies or cookies that we made without fail.

When I envisioned myself as a mother, I pictured changing all of that. And while I realize that reality sometimes gets in the way of that vision of perfection, I am - slowly.

The tree is trimmed with care (and with the breakable ornaments carefully hung out of the reach of almost-2-year-old hands).

We're not big on caroling, but I do love to listen to Christmas music almost every day and night.

We have many special ornaments (including many from my childhood), and look forward to growing our collection.

I do love to cook, and enjoy trying new cookie and candy recipes, always refining what we like & when to make them. This year's experiments include caramels, peppermint patties, marshmallows, and maybe even cake balls.

One thing I've always wanted to cross off my Holiday Mom List was making a gingerbread house. I know better than to dive in full-force, so I started off small with a graham cracker version and dollar store candy.

We used a 6-pack holder as a base, with cardboard for sub-roofing.

(shout out to the neighbors for providing the foundation of our gingerbread house)

Work in progress.

Cutting graham crackers is much easier with a serrated knife.

And patience. That helps, too.

The finished product.

Next year I will: make more royal icing, buy more candies (including gumdrops and Nilla wafers), and not bother creating red icing. I will also spread the process over a few days. It seems best to assemble the house one night & decorate it the next.

I feel like I've completed a rite of passage as a mother.