... And Other Adventures

The beauty after the storm

2012-01-27T10:11:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday! Whew... We made it to the weekend.

This week was crazy. Wild, shake-the-house thunderstorms that kept us up all night and a job layoff scare had us feeling a little beat up. Nothing like a potential life shakeup or a scary storm to remind a person of all the great things in life. All is well now and we are refocused on our abundance of simple joys.

So on that note, here are a few things I am loving this Friday morning...

:: David survived a major layoff at his company. And not only that, he has been moved to a different department with much better hours. All of this translates to more quality time together as a family. HOORAY!!!

:: This weekend we are back in Austin to hang out with family and friends. Does not get any better than that!

:: I know that y'all are probably sick of me going on and on about how much I love Downton Abbey. But I really, really do. Good storyline, interesting characters, amazing clothes and scenery. I think I was meant to live back in that time period where pale skin was truly appreciated and envied. Seriously... if you have not checked out this show, you are missing out. It is the kind of show that you will want to watch the entire season in one day. I get so excited every Sunday knowing that it is coming on that evening.

:: I went to my first Fort Worth book club last week and it was awesome! We talked about the Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. I had already read it, but did not mind at all talking about it with these fine ladies. It is a small thing like a book club that makes me feel like I am making this new city my own in the way of new friends and things to look forward to.

:: Browning butter. I am on a bit of a brown butter kick these days. I am trying it in everything from my Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispy Treats to risotto to roasted brussel sprouts. Who knew that such a simple technique could make such a big difference. If you have never used browned butter before, I would highly recommend it. I think I will do a post on how to do it next week.

:: My gluten-free and dairy-free challenge is going super well. I thought that it would be really hard. But surprisingly, with the exception of day 3 and 4, it has not been too bad. And the results have been promising. No more stomach upset and my pants fit better. Woohoo! So we shall see how it progresses over the next few weeks.

:: I have some very promising meetings scheduled for next week. Too early to share details, but I am nervous and excited all at the same time. Fingers crossed!

:: Today is beautiful and sunshine is streaming in through the windows. I had all these plans to cross things off the to-do list. But instead, I think Little B and I will be playing hooky in order to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather.

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you have a magnificent weekend.

From my kitchen: maple almond butter

2012-01-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

I am always amazed when I go to the store and check out all the food labels. It seems like they all say "may contain traces of tree nuts and peanuts." The grocery store can be a war zone for people with food allergies. Anything from cereal to frozen fish to granola bars to ice cream to the bread they make in the bakery. It drives me crazy.

It is difficult to determine if it is just legalize slapped on everything no matter what it is to protect companies from lawsuits or if there really are minute amount of allergens in absolutely everything packaged on the store shelves.

No matter what it is, it sucks. What is an allergic girl to do!?

For me, peanuts are the arch nemesis. One trace of those stinkin' bad boys can send me straight to the ER... or worse. So I take those stupid food labels very seriously. No room for error.

And while I could look at that situation as horrible and unfair, I don't. Instead, I get even.

Over the years, I have taught myself to make all of my favorite foods at home where peanuts can never touch them. And the beauty of it... I can usually make them taste better than ANYTHING I can buy at the store. I love that! It makes me feel so empowered and confident. And a little part of me wants to say "nah-nah-na-boo-boo" to all those food makers.

One of my favorite recipes to fall in this category of greatness is my Maple Almond Butter. I find that many almond butters can be too dry, sucking all the moisture out of my mouth, and too bland. But I have found a few tricks to change all that. Roasting the nuts, maple syrup, and sea salt are the key components to transforming this once boring almond butter.

Maple Almond Butter

1.5 cups of raw almonds
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1- 2 pinches of sea salt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil

In a bowl, drizzle maple syrup over the almonds and toss so that all the nuts are evenly coated. Then spread the almonds on a rimmed cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Roast them at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, tossing at least once during that time.

When the nuts are fully roasted, remove the pan from the oven and let cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

Pour the nuts into the food processor and pulse to begin breaking them up. Add a drizzle of your oil and run the processor. Every minute or so, remove the lid and scrape down the sides. Repeat this process until your nuts have broken down into butter. You may not need all the oil, it just depends on the moisture content of the almonds. I find that this entire process can take just a few minutes or 10-15 minutes. It just depends on the almonds.

Store your homemade almond butter in the fridge for up to a week (though mine never lasts that long).

Thunder clouds rolling in...

2012-01-24T17:25:00.003-06:00

As I type this, thunder clouds are rolling in, swapping out our busy sunshine days for a bit of blustery, stay at home under the covers sort of day.

I am liking this weather shift. It is in tune with my mood. Mellow, introspective, and content with the simple things in life. At this moment those include a good book, a mug of tea and my girl snuggled up against me watching Super Why.

Later we will enjoy a lazy dinner at home, a glass of wine, and a quick catch up on the latest episode of House Hunters International and Alcatraz.

We have been busy these past few weeks... good busy. But it is nice to have a little mid-week time-out before the next round of fun busy starts up this weekend.

Little Moments: feeding the ducks

2012-01-23T20:16:00.001-06:00

Meal Panning Monday

2012-01-23T11:34:00.001-06:00

This past weekend I decided to make an 19 lb. turkey!

No real occasion except that we were celebrating a rare weekend with David at home with us. Love those kind of weekends. So you will note a menu full of dinners to use up all that leftover turkey.

Monday: Turkey Pad Thai (using gluten free pumpkin ginger rice noodles)
Tuesday: Steak with crispy roasted cauliflower
Wednesday: Turkey soup full of corn, garlic, onions, and greens (perfect for a rainy weeknight)
Thursday: Turkey enchiladas
Friday: Dinner with my parents

Even with all these dishes, I have so much turkey leftover. But I love that. I just diced up the leftover meat and put it in the freezer.

And to be even more efficient with that huge turkey, today I will make homemade turkey stock. It is so healthy for you, could be not easier and is so much better than anything you can buy in the store. Hmm, maybe I will post a recipe about it later this week.

So what are you cooking this week? Leave me a comment and let me know.

I drank too much kombucha last night

2012-01-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

Little known fact....

I used to work at a yoga studio a while back doing all of their marketing efforts. It was very interesting and awesome experience that I am happy to count in my life adventures.

To say that I met some unique people would be quite an understatement. I did not even know people like that existed before I started working there. So many were incredibly fascinating in a very authentic and enlightening sort of way. I learned a lot from them and thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. Other people were, well... how do I say... interesting in a different way.

I think this video just about sums it up. If you have ever done yoga, thought about doing yoga, or even if you have just experienced the granola side of Austin's culture, this video will crack your ass up.

Enjoy!

A gluten-free science experiment

2012-01-19T10:21:00.002-06:00

A couple days ago, I sent out a quick tweet...

Toying with the idea of cutting out all gluten for a while. It's a little overwhelming.
Anyone out there with tips on how to get started?

I was SHOCKED by the response that I got. Apparently this is a very hot topic with a lot of people.

I received so many tips, ideas, and practical advice. So much more than I expected. But what fascinated me most were the reasons each person had for making the choice to go gluten or grain free. Some were doing it for fertility reasons. Others because horrible migraines. And some due to tummy issues, like me. But what is most interesting is that their paths to their decision were not straight forward at all.

For me, I have been toying with the idea of giving up gluten for about a year now. Tummy troubles and lack of energy have been plaguing me ever since Little B was born. It seems like once I popped out a kiddo, my body came with completely different operating instructions. And someone forgot to give me the manual.

Ice cream would have me clutching my stomach for days. I would be exhausted after a full night of sleep. Weird headaches. I was kind of down all the time. I was just OFF. There is no better to explain it than that. At first I thought it just went with the territory of raising a rambunctious child. But while all my other mama friends seemed to bounce back mentally and physically, I did not. I thought maybe my iron levels were low. I was checked out by my doctor and they found nothing. Then I hypothesized that maybe dairy and I could no longer friends. So I cut all dairy. I made sure that I ate really healthy. I got enough sleep. I took my vitamins. I worked out. But nothing seemed to be helping.

Then this past fall, all my symptoms became a lot more intense. I am sure the stress of the move did not help anything. But it has been getting to the point where I dread eating because I know my stomach will hurt afterwards. I hate feeling this way.

So enough is enough. I don't know for sure that gluten is causing any of my discomfort, but I do know that I need to do something. And after talking with many, many people, gluten could be a likely culprit.

So on that note, the gluten-free science experiment begins this week. I am very hopefully as my tummy is already not as feisty as it has been. I am committed to this for a minimum of a month, but would like to do it for 3 months. We will see how it goes.

I am very inspired by some of the friends that have already reached out to me. You can just tell in their voice and in their words that they feel so good and that gluten-free was a great life-changing decision for them.

I would love to hear from any of you out there that are already gluten free or are even just considering it. To know your stories and any helpful suggestions that you have for a newbie would be like gluten-free gold.

So leave me a comment or shoot me email offline. I seriously would LOVE to hear from you.

From my kitchen: Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Stew

2012-01-17T08:04:00.000-06:00

I think that stew gets a pretty bad rap most of the time.

Stew is like the homely girl standing in the corner at the school dance wearing five different shades of brown. She looks boring and most people just gloss right over her and never give her a second thought. Why pay attention to something that appears to be so blah and uninteresting?

Well, I will tell why. Because once you get to know her, you learn that she is interesting and full of warmth and flavor. In fact, she is so awesome that you can't believe that you have not been friends this whole time... And yes, I am still talking about the stew.

Stew is the underdog of the culinary world. It sure isn't the prettiest dish with its various shades of brown. But once you eat great stew, you are constantly rooting for it and singing its praises from the rooftops. Let's scream it all together now... Stew is robust and melt in your mouth delicious!!!

For those of you who have had great stew, you know what I am talking about. For those of you who have not, I am about to rock your world!

Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Stew

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion

2 carrots

1- 2 parsnips

4 cloves garlic

3-4 cups water
1 package of dried lentils
4 cups diced ham (diced)
1 ham bone (this is the best secret ingredient!)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

1 bunch greens (this could be spinach, kale, chard, whatever you have on hand)

Directions:

To start out, pull out your trusty slow cooker.

Drizzle your olive oil over the bottom of the slow cooker pot. Then, roughly chop your onion, garlic, carrots, and parsnips. Throw those into the pot.

Rinse and drain your lentils, removing any rocks or weird looking lentils. Add your lentils to the pot.

Add the ham and the ham bone to the pot as well. NOTE: If you do not have a ham bone, use chicken or beef broth instead of water. The ham bone provides a LOT of flavor and you will need to make up for it.

Pour your 3-4 cups of water to the pot. If you want it more like stew, use less water. If you like to have it more soup like, use more water. Sometimes, I replace a cup or two of water with dark beer. But I live wild that way! No matter what though, you want to make sure that you have enough liquid to fully cover the lentils. But it is okay if the ham bone sticks out a bit.

Cover the slow cooker pot with a lid and set it to cook at least 4 hours. But if you can try to set it up to cook for as long as you can. I usually let mine cook in the slow cooker for about 6 hours. FYI... your house is going to smell so good.

When those 4-6 hours are up, take your washed greens, tear them up a bit and throw them into the pot. When you mix it all together, the heat of the stew will automatically wilt the greens and give such a great pop of color amongst all the brown.

Then just serve it up in a bowl with a slice of crusty bread and a glass of red wine and enjoy. It is velvety and rich. And it seems like something that should be really bad for you, but it isn't. It is full of fiber and it is relatively low fat.

FYI... This stew freezes really well. I usually package the leftovers into individual servings so that they are really easy to just pull out of the freezer, pop them into the microwave and eat within a matter of minutes. So much better than those freezer meals you find at the store.

Weekending

2012-01-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

Little Moments: strong willed

2012-01-14T15:22:00.002-06:00

House Hunters International Junkie

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

Is anyone else out there crazy addicted to House Hunters International?!!

I know that I am late to the game on this one, just getting cable and all. But bear with me because I freakin' love this show. What is not to love?

Amazing foreign cities - check.

Interesting people with gobs of money - check.

Seeing how other people live - check.

This show is like crack to me. As soon as my little one is shuffled off to bed, you can bet that you will find me hunting for the remote to turn this show on.

I think I may be turning into a cable TV junkie. We might have to plan an intervention. But let's wait til summer to do that. I need to catch up on a few more shows first.

But back to HHI... David and I have this dream of living in a foreign country at some point in our lives. Spain or Argentina would be top choices. With the whole Spanish-speaking thing and really great wine and food, we would be silly to not include those countries.

I have never been to either country. David has spent quite a bit of time in Argentina on business way back when. And based on what he has told me, I think I could love it.

And Spain.... <sigh>. That country is calling my name. Did you ever see that PBS show with Gwenyth Paltrow and Mario Batali? That just made me want to go to Spain even more.

What I don't get about these people on HHI is how they can afford to do this. Or even what jobs allow them to do this. Basically, these people have learned something with their lives that I have not yet figured out. And I want to be let in on the secret.

I love when they show up in their new country with a million dollars and the realtor guy says that their budget may be too small. A million dollar budget is too small!! That is crazy talk.

Yeah, I am going to have to research our appearance on HHI a little more (and come up with a few million dollars in the meantime too) before we can make that dream happen.

But until then, to all you other House Hunter International junkies, let's be friends. Tell me where you would live if you could live anywhere.

Giveaway winner!

2012-01-11T13:44:00.001-06:00

Hooray for Katie! The literary gods were on your side today. You will soon be able to add While I'm Still Myself to your home library. Check your inbox for an email from me.

If you didn’t win, never fear…more giveaways coming up in the future.

Little moments: guarding the piggybank

2012-01-11T07:57:00.000-06:00

On my mind this Tuesday morning...

2012-01-10T09:59:00.000-06:00

via

Coffee is my salvation this morning.
Between the baby waking up, the thunderstorm, and the dog afraid of the thunderstorm, very little sleep was had in this house last night.
Last week I met up with a friend from high school that I had not seen in over 16 years.
So fun!
But kind of freaked out that I am over 16 years removed from high school.
How in the hell did that happen?
Loving the AMC show, Hell on Wheels.
Not so sure about AMC's show, The Walking Dead, that was recommended by my friend, Chrissy-Lynn.
Zombie guts. Gag.
There is a strong possibility that Chrissy-Lynn may end up on my shit list for that recommendation.
The person who bought our Austin house sent us a picture of how she redecorated Little B's room.
I am sure she meant well.
But lady, that was not cool.
I did not authorize that khaki paint.
How dare you repaint my baby's adorable room with my authorization.
Get outta my house!
Except it is not my house anymore.
Sigh.
I really want to get some wellies for Little B.
Her chubby, short legs would look so cute in wellies.
Plus she would LOVE the mandatory splashing that comes with wellies.
Coffee in five, four, three, two...

Your turn.

Today I am loving...

2012-01-09T14:58:00.000-06:00

:: This little Firecracker has decided to start calling us Colleen and David instead of Mommy and Daddy. While we are struggling in trying to figure out how to halt this new trend, it is funny to have her walk up and say "Colleen, need change the diaper". (And no, I did not miss a word. That is exactly how she says it.)

:: The sunsets in Fort Worth really are spectacular. Every evening we get an amazing show that was just a little bit different than the evening before. It is truly beautiful.

:: We finally got some family photos up on the wall. NOW, it is starting to feel more like home.

:: Downton Abbey Season 2 is in full swing!!! Last night I hosted a Downton Abbey premiere party. We celebrated by eating Parmesan truffle risotto, drinking lots of wine, and speaking only in British accents for the whole evening. Well, actually the British accents only lasted about 5 minutes, but we still had fun.

:: An amazing day with my friends, Adrienne and Dave and their 3 girls. Adrienne, Dave, and I have known each other since we were 16. They are high school sweethearts that have stood the test of time. How sweet is that! I love that we now live closer together and get to visit so much more than before.

:: My new, big, red pot. A lovely Christmas gift from my parents. For its maiden voyage, I cooked up a wicked beef and barley stew. Amazing!!!

:: I love that I can check out e-books from the library and get them instantly on my Kindle. While the Kindle does not replace the feel of a good, heavy book, it is pretty fun and convenient.

:: A happy surprise. My long time friend, Michele, and I had not spoken in almost 6 months due to crazy lives. But after an impromtu phone call, I learned that she just moved back to Dallas from New York. And with me in Fort Worth, that made for a wonderful, happy surprise for the both of us.

:: I have a new book club in the works with my sister-in-law and her friend. I will bring the book suggestions, they will bring the friends. I am so excited! A monthly night of wine and good books and a fantastic way to meet new friends.

What are you loving today?

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-09T08:17:00.000-06:00

I am feeling good about this week. With my Dowton Abbey premiere party last night and few fun things planned for later in the week, I am starting to feel like I am getting my groove back. And that groove is making its way into the kitchen.

I am feeling inspired again. A newly built kitchen island thanks to my amazing husband (and Ikea) will make the process so much easier than it was before. New recipes to try out. Different seasonings to test. Yep it is going to be a good week in the kitchen.

Monday: BBQ chicken and coleslaw
Tuesday: Parmesan truffle risotto and sauteed spinach
Wednesday: Homemade pizza
Thursday: Dinner out with the girls (which means leftovers for David and Little B)
Friday: Hamburger sliders with sweet potato fries

What are you cooking this week?

From my library: While I'm Still Myself (and a giveaway!)

2012-01-06T08:45:00.000-06:00

While I'm Still Myself by Jeremy Mark Lane
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Normally, I am not the biggest fan of short story collections. Usually, I find that the story is too short to allow for me to make a real connection with the main character.

So when the author, Jeremy Mark Lane, contacted me to do a review of his book of short stories, I was a little hesitant. I felt that I would be predisposed to not like it. But boy did he prove me wrong. The man knows how to tell a good story. In fact, with his haunting writing style, he would be fantastic campfire storyteller!

While I'm Still Myself includes 7 different stories:

That Winter
The Guest
The Reflection, Only Hers
The Pebblestone Five
Shape
Souls in the Wind
Round Bale

The Reflection, Only Hers is my favorite. It is haunting and yet you are still hopeful as you are reading it. I found myself thinking about the story and its main character long after I finished it. I was rooting for her and wanted to know what happened next in her life.

There is one thing that I do not like about the book - I do not feel that the synopsis/back cover does justice to the contents inside. As I mentioned, Mr. Lane's writing style is haunting, rich, and a little bit dark. It is not fluffy and does not deal with light subjects. I like that about his writing and feel that the synopsis does not accurately portray his style.

Through out all of these stories, I found myself wondering more about the author and what inspired each story. So I asked him...

When you sit down to write a story, do you know how the story ends before you start or does it figure itself out as you write?
I typically start with a character and a situation, and the detailsplay themselves out. I can survive this way with short stories, but inmy next project, which will likely be a novel, I will have to do a far better job of mapping things out.

How did inspiration come to you to write each of these stories? For instance, I would love to know what your inspiration was for The Reflection, Only Hers.

It all springs out of my own experiences and memories. I believe thatto be the case for any writer - I can't imagine writing creatively without tapping into my own life. The challenge then is wrapping it ina fictional context and shaping it into something that a readerenjoys. The Reflection, Only Hers was born from the idea of someone livingwith the fear of a family illness. I won't say too much, but like allof the others, it came from watching and listening to people veryclose to me.

What other writers do you enjoy reading?

A couple of Texas writers that I love: John Graves and Larry McMurtry.Graves' style is like no one else, and McMurtry's ability to craft a big, sweeping novel is incredible.I also love Tolstoy and Capote. Tolkien as well. I am a sucker for the epic, which is strange given my preference for writing short fiction.

Have you always known that you wanted to be an author?
I wish I could say that I always knew. The truth is, I didn't sit downto write a single thing until about two years ago (at my wife's insistence). After I finished the first story, it was clear that I hadfound something that I should have been doing all along.

As a special treat to my readers, I will be giving away 1 copy of While I'm Still Myself. Here's how the giveaway will work:

Catch Jeremy Mark Lane here: Shop, Twitter, Blog

Giveaway ends Tuesday, January 10th 7:00pm US Central

One entry per person

One winner chosen at random

To enter, leave a comment telling me what book you are currently reading.

Good luck!

Giveaway is closed.

Katie from It's in the Details is the winner!

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-04T10:27:00.001-06:00

Yes, it is January 4th and I am just now getting to making my resolutions. I hope my tardiness is not a theme for 2012. But better late than never, right!

:: Operation Happy has officially launched. If I had to think of one word that I want for my 2012 theme it would be happy. 2011 was rough and it is time for some good ol' fashion happiness around here. So with that theme in mind, I am bringing the happiness back in the form of planned weekends with friends, good books, more date nights, and breaking out the good wine on a weeknight just for the hell of it.

:: Get my ass back in the gym. I think about 98% of the population has this same resolution. It makes sense after the gluttony of the holidays. So yesterday, I officially ended my 2 month long hiatus from working out and joined the local YMCA. And I have to admit my 45 minute run yesterday felt pretty awesome.

:: Learn how to make polenta and Irish soda bread. I never attempted either of these before. I think they will be fun to add to the repertoire.

:: Find me some kick ass babysitters! I don't even need to explain that one to all you mamas out there.

:: Jump into online investing. I have a 401K and such, but I have never bought and sold individual stocks on my own. I want to learn a bit more about how it works and see if I can make some extra mad money on the side.

:: Get our budget back in order. With the selling of our house in Austin and moving to Fort Worth, everything in our budget has changed. So it is time to get refocused, making sure that we are spending and saving our money wisely.

2012, I have a good feeling about you. Happy New Year everyone!

From my library: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2012-01-03T09:07:00.000-06:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It is the first book that I read on my NEW Kindle! A wonderful Christmas present from David. So far I am loving it.

Anyways, back to the book. This is one that you should definitely add to your list of books to read in 2012. It is haunting, suspenseful and just really fun storytelling. So entertaining that I read it within two days. I did not want the book to end.

Jacob is very close with his grandfather. They share a close bond and an amazing friendship. Growing up, Jacob's grandfather would share these unbelievable stories from his own childhood during the World War II. These stories would center around a home for peculiar children in Wales. Jacob's grandfather would show him old photographs of a girl who could levitate, a boy with bees in his stomach, and another girl that could lift a boulder with one hand. His grandfather described a place that is magical and mysterious - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

As Jacob grows older, he soon believes, like the rest of his family, that his grandfather's tales are just that... tales. Nothing more than made up stories meant to entertain a child.

A few days before turning sixteen, Jacob witnesses the death of his grandfather outside his house. Claiming to be killed by a monster, the grandfather asks Jacob to find, “the bird, on the other side of the grave”. Encouraged by his psychiatrist, Jacob takes on a journey to the island that houses this made up home for Miss Peregrine's peculiar children. Hoping to find something of his grandfather’s past that will calm his nightmares, Jacob finds so much more.

There is a teaser that there may be a sequel. I can only hope.

Little Moments: tea party

2011-12-30T08:30:00.000-06:00

Books I've read in 2011

2011-12-29T09:06:00.000-06:00

During this week, I've been brewing on my annual assessment of what I have accomplished this past year and what is in the works for the coming up year. My week of introspection, so to speak.

I think on everything from the books I read, career aspirations, things to improve on, funniest moments, friends I want to see more of. Some of it I might share here. Some I will keep to myself. But no matter what, this is good week for mental reflection. Kind of like hitting the pause button on the chaos of life in order to take inventory.

So to kick off inventory week, I will start with something easy to think back on... the books I read cover to cover in 2012.

Away

The Girl in the Green Raincoat

A Discovery of Witches

The Help

Isaac's Storm

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Dead Reckoning

Unbroken

The Thirteenth Tale

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Barefoot

City of Bones

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The Angel's Game

The Gargoyle

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Mary, Mary

Cutting for Stone

In The Woods

I love looking at this list. It makes me feel like the overachiever girl that read all of the teacher's suggested reading books over the summer plus a few more. I know, I am obnoxious that way. But it just feels good to my Type-A ways.

Books that I am reading right now include:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

While I am still Myself

Bossypants

The Imperfectionists

So who knows, maybe I will have few more to add before the end of the week.

How to Eat a Pomegranate

2011-12-28T15:57:00.000-06:00

Before yesterday, I have never had a pomegranate. Can you believe that? I mean, sure, I have had pomegranate juice... but that does not really count in my book.

So on a whim at the grocery store, I bought a pomegranate and I am going to learn how to prepare and eat a pomegranate.

Here goes nothing!

How to Eat a Pomegranate

1. Take a moment and admire this mystical ruby fruit. (okay, you don't really NEED to do that, but it seems much cooler if you do)

2. Slice into quarters

3. Place in a bowl of water, seed side down.

4. Working UNDER the water, pop the seeds out into the bowl. (This prevents you from shooting someone's eye out.) Continue to work until all the seeds are out (they will sink to the bottom). Remove the peel and pulp (the white part) from the bowl.

5. Strain. Pick out any remaining pulp.

6. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Note to all, it is probably best to wear an apron and possible eye goggles. Prepping pomegranate is dangerous business. Not for the weak.

Hmmm, the pomegranate seeds are good... kind of like teeny-tiny crunchy grapes. And they are really pretty.
I mixed them with my granola this morning. I like the crunch and pop of color that it gives it. I bet they would be good on a salad too.

Tell me, how do you eat a pomegranate?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's here!!

I have so much to smile about this Christmas.

Spending this Christmas in the Texas Hill Country with my parents and one brother's family.
A new nephew (from another brother) will arrive into this world any minute now (Come on, Baby Carson!)
Little B is running wild with her cousins.
Soon our tummies will be full from a Christmas Eve feast.
Kid-decorated cookies will be set out.
The driveway will get the most lovely dusting of red glitter reindeer food.
Babies in footed jammies will be tucked into bed while the parents stay up helping Santa assemble presents.

....and most of all....

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

-Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas to you!!!

Little Moments: first gingerbread house

2011-12-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

Little Moments: snuggling with the mama

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

My night at the Nutcracker

2011-12-21T15:35:00.001-06:00

This past weekend, my friend, Jessica, gave me one of the best gifts that I have ever received. EVER.

Right around Thanksgiving, we were swapping notes on our dreams and wishes for future Christmases. I had a few things on my wish list.

I told her about how the minute I knew that I was having a little girl, I began dreaming of an annual Christmas tradition of taking her to see the Nutcracker. That it would be our yearly mommy-and-daughter date and we would invite all of our other girlfriends to come with us. How fun it would be to get dressed up and go out to a fancy dinner and then pretend we are very short ballerinas for the whole evening.

When Jessica asked me what I wanted this year for Christmas, I jokingly answered, "Sleep. Beautiful uninterrupted, wake up on my own sleep." Anyone who has children knows what a magical gift sleep is. But after having kids, sleep is like a unicorn... pretty to think about, but impossible to have.

Well, much to my pleasant surprise Jessica heard all of my random thoughts and became my own fairy godmother that evening as she brewed up a plan that would encompass all of those wishes.

Last Saturday, we cashed in on that plan and had the most spectacular evening I have had in a very long time.

First up, she picked me up at my house and I kissed the hubby and kiddo goodbye. Fancy Girls Night, here we come!

We checked ourselves into the Marriott downtown. Swanky!

Within minutes of arriving, Jess already had a champagne cocktail in my hand. Well, that is one way to get this party started!

Then we got all fancied up with fancy clothes, and fancy makeup, and fancy hair. It was so much fun... kind of like two girls getting ready for prom. Hell, I even had my fancy red patent leather "hot-damn" shoes on. The heels on them are crazy high and dangerous, but I must admit, I look smokin' hot in them. Both Jess and I looked smokin' hot.

Seriously, isn't she gorgeous?! She is single! Let me know if you know any super cute, nice guys in the DFW area that would be worthy of a goddess like her.

Now it was time to make our way to the eating portion of the evening. I was in charge of this part and I think I did well. We walked a few short blocks to this amazing Italian restaurant called Ferre. I knew that I had picked a good place when the first thing on the menu is black truffle risotto. Don't mind if I do!

In fact, I had two kinds of risotto - Black truffle risotto and blue cheese risotto. Both were fantastic. Can you tell that I like risotto? Our meals were fantastic. The wine was really great. Even the dessert delivered. Tiramisu = heaven on a spoon.

That is my "I can't believe we just ate all that" face.

After gorging on so much food that left us surprisingly light on our feet, we headed across the street to Bass Concert Hall to see the Nutcracker.

I, of course, did not take this photo. That would be so rude to take one during a performance.

The Nutcracker was everything we hoped it would be. We walked away wanting to enroll in ballet class and feeling very much in the Christmas spirit. As we walked out of Bass Concert Hall, we thought, "The night is young!"

We strolled around downtown Fort Worth admiring the cute shops, Christmas lights, a cute patrol cop, and the never-ending group of pub-crawling Santas and their harem of naughty reindeer and snow girls.

Yes, the night was still young. But 30 minutes in, our feet were killing us (red hot damn heels are not meant for walking much) and too many yawns were being unsuccessfully stifled. It was time to go to bed.

I am sure many of y'all are thinking that I am pretty lame right about this point. Please don't judge. Because I was soooo looking forward to the finale of the evening. Sleep. Gorgeous, uninterrupted sleep. I slept until 9:45 the next morning. Booyah, baby! I don't remember the last time I did that. I felt like a new woman!

Everyone needs a fairy godmother like my friend, Jessica. She is one in a million that way. And I feel so lucky that she chose me to be her Cinderella last weekend. And who knows, maybe Girls Night Out at the Nutcracker will become a yearly tradition sooner than I thought.

Questions for a Bookworm

2011-12-20T09:04:00.000-06:00

If you could ask a favourite author just one question, what would it be?

To pretty much any author... how/where do you find your inspiration? And do you know the ending to the story when you first sit down to write it or does it figure itself out along the way?

If an author gave you the chance to rewrite or to change the fate of a book character, who would you chose?

Louis May Alcott, seriously... let's give sweet Beth another chance at life.

Did your parents read stories to you when you were little? If yes are there any special ones you remember the most?

My parents spend a great deal of time reading to me and I think it’s why I love books so much now. Some of my early favorites included Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie. But as I got into my tween years, my mom would give me books such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Clan of the Cave Bears, and Pillars of the Earth. Nothing was off limits. Those books have definitely shaped who I grew up to be.

What do you like more the smell of old antiquarian books or the smell of new fresh ones you just bought?

Old books for sure. The smell of old book shops and libraries are my favorite places to be. The smell of those places is right up there with the smell of home. In fact, if there were a candle called "Old Book Shop", I would buy it.

You get the opportunity to choose between two secret talents: either to be able to make things come to life through reading them or the gift to read yourself into a book. Which one would you like to have?

Oh goodness. This talent would definitely make me choose my books more carefully. The Hunger Games would be a very dangerous book. I would choose the ability to read myself into a book.

Do you have a favourite children’s book or a favourite fairy tale?

The Secret Garden

Someone would talk to your friends and ask them to compare you to a book character. With who do you think would they compare you?

Hmmm. I would love to hear the answers to this question. It would be very enlightening. Anne of Green Gables or Jo March come to mind.

Tell me the name of a writer who you would like to have as a friend.

Yeh, I like to have lots of friends, a whole posse of them - Elizabeth Kostova, L.M. Montgomery, William Faulkner, Isabel Allende, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Patricia Cornwell

You can hide in a written down world for only one night into which world do you escape?

Oooh, I love this question. Very Midnight in Paris. Gatsby's party would be pretty awesome. Or maybe an evening in Barcelona in Shadow of the Wind.

You have to flee to an unknown place and all you can take with you are three books of all the ones you own. Which three ones do you put into your bag?

This is looking choosing my favorite children. Very hard! Harry Potter because since the moment I read it, I knew that I wanted to someday read it to my children, who had not even been born yet. Anne of Green Gables because she reminds me that it it okay to be a spirited and feisty lady who sometimes says the wrong thing. Exodus by Leon Uris because it shows both the best and worst of human nature while weaving hope all the way through the story.

These questions were adapted from Madamedaydream. If you are a bookworm too, feel free to share the bookish love, can't wait to read your answers.

Much Love

xxx

The beginning of a friendship

2011-12-19T10:56:00.001-06:00

I think we are finally starting to hit our groove with this whole moving to Fort Worth thing.

I have this mental list of which city is winning at the moment... Austin or Fort Worth. Austin's tally sheet is crazy long with notch marks. Each mark representing a close friend, a yummy restaurant, the Town Lake trail, a lone pine tree decorated for Christmas along the side of the 360 Highway... the list goes on and on.

But Fort Worth is not to be underestimated. While FTW may not have been my first choice and is definitely overshadowed by her very popular cousin, Austin - she is slowly winning me over. She is subtle that way. She doesn't shove her greatness in your face right away. Nope, she is the shy type that lets you discover really great things about her every time you meet.

I learned a few little details about Fort Worth this past week...

:: Fort Worth's downtown is a very cool place to walk around. Old buildings. Red brick streets. A mix of new and old shops. And right now they have a huge Christmas tree in the middle of Sundance Square. It is a downtown that people actually go to hang out in addition to work.

:: Fighter jets fly over the west side of Fort Worth at least 5 times a day. Carswell Field Air Base is just a few miles from our house. Every time Little B sees a fighter jet, you would think that she just won the jackpot. " Airplane! Airplane!" In her eyes, a fighter jet means that it is going to be a great day. I think that is an excellent, if not slightly different, viewpoint. One that I think I will adopt.

:: There are some super cool old neighborhoods with huge tree lined streets and old houses screaming with character. Big front porches that are just begging for a porch swing and a glass of iced tea. I love old houses and older neighborhoods. They make me smile. And Fort Worth has a lot of them. The revitalization of many of them is in works. It will be fun to see them come back to their glory days.

:: The people here are really nice and personable. I can not tell you how many people have made a point to welcome us to their city. They know how to enjoy the finer things yet also appreciate the simple things in life. Very down to earth and no one takes life too seriously. A good mix of business suits, flip-flops, and cowboy boots.

Who knows. By this time next year, maybe FTW will be adopted into the inner circle of my favorite places. I think we are going to be fast friends.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-19T09:46:00.000-06:00

It's the week before Christmas! Woohoo!

Goodness, where has the month gone?

I am sure y'all are feeling the same as me this week - happy and busy and with lots of things to cross off to the to-do list before the big fat man in red comes to visit this next weekend.

This is a week that I want to spend focused on my family and our traditions, not hiding away in the kitchen. So I need quick, easy, and hearty meals that I do not have to fuss over too much.

Monday: Shredded pork, sauteed mushrooms, and pan roasted brussel sprouts
Tuesday: Chicken enchiladas
Wednesday: Panko crusted cod served with steamed broccoli
Thursday: Rosemary garlic pork chops, sweet potato fries, and baked beans
Friday: Dinner out with friends! We have been planning this dinner to Barley Swine for so long. Very excited!

What's on your menu this week?

Officially Christmastized

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Our house has officially been Christmastized.

Christmas is tricky this year. Here we are in a rental house that does not feel like our own. And the transition from home ownership back to renting has been challenging. Normally if there is something we don't like about the house we are living in, we change it. But that is not in the playing rules when it comes to a rental.

So we are adjusting, slowly but surely.

But Christmas... oh Christmas. This holiday offers us a chance to make this house feel more like a home.

A Christmas tree in the corner with the same red tree blanket that I had growing up.

Familiar wreaths hanging on the doors.

And Christmas tunes playing in the background. The ones that you find yourself humming to long after you have turned off the music.

Christmas cookies have been hidden away from a husband who can smell out sweets in the house the minute he pulls into the driveway.

Even the fridge got some bling!

And a crazy child bouncing off the walls with excitement, hopped up on sugar and wonder at all the sparkly lights everywhere. How I love that crazy, crazy girl. Her two favorite places these days - Mommy and Daddy's bed and laying down under the Christmas tree looking up at all the lights.

Yep, our house has officially been Christmastized. And every evening that we spend here together, snuggled on the couch with only the light of the Christmas tree and fireplace to see by, we are making a home out of this house.

Best pep-talker wins a date with Ryan Gosling

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-06:00

Okay, friends. I need your help. I am in need of some serious workout inspiration.

Let's catch up.

In the summer and early fall, I had been doing some running and the Chalean Extreme DVDs. I was starting to get some pretty serious guns. But with the move, working out was pushed to the back burner as I focused on selling our house and moving us to Fort Worth. That was a workout in itself.

Since then, my left knee has been bugging me. Add in some unusually cold and rainy mornings, holiday festivities (aka. mild hangovers also known as collisions with a wine bottle), and flat out laziness and that pretty much sums up where I am at.

I am doing my best to get back into the swing of things. But remember that cute toddler that I claim as my own? Yeh, she has other ideas... like running off with my weights while I take a sip of water. That will teach me to hydrate during a workout!

So now I just have this whole drawer of running paraphernalia and workout DVDs that mock me loudly. I try to work out during nap time in the afternoon. But let's face it, if I don't work out first thing in the morning, there is a 70/30 chance that it is not going to happen.

I am thinking about joining the Y here. They seem to have a pretty good child care set up and I think Little B will LOVE some time with some other kids her own age. They have a few classes - Zumba, Cardio Bootcamp, Spinning - that look interesting.

But outside of that, I am lacking some serious motivation. So here is where you come in with your crazy ass cheerleader pep talk. Here is what I want to know...

What keeps you motivated?
Any new workouts/DVDs/classes that you are loving?
What is your workout routine?
To all you moms out there, how do you fit in working out with your kiddos running around?

Seriously. Help a sister out. Best pep-talker wins a date with Ryan Gosling without his shirt on!

No, actually that last part is a lie. I have no control over who Ryan Gosling dates or even when he takes his shirt off for that matter. But wouldn't that be some FINE motivation right there. That would definitely get me working out no matter what the weather is. So if anyone knows him, feel free to let me know that as well.

I cut my own bangs and lived to tell about it

2011-12-14T16:06:00.000-06:00

Now that I am in Fort Worth, I am sans hairdresser. Aghh, the horrors!

I know. I know.

I had to break up with my lovely friend/hairdresser, Liza, right before we left Austin. It was horrible. But we all know that long distance relationships rarely work out.

While I am not quite ready for jumping back on the horse when its comes to finding your new hairdresser/BFF, I know that I need to do something in order to tie me over. My bangs are in desperate need of attention.

Let's be honest, I look like sheepdog. Or worse yet, like that guy that keeps doing that whole head nod/I'm cool thing when really I am just trying to see what's in front of me so that I do not trip.

So I did it. If Liza isn't already hating me for moving 4 hours away, she's gonna hate me now. I did what she asked me to NEVER EVER do.

I CUT MY OWN BANGS.

There I said it. I admitted it. And you know what? I think they turned out okay.

Normally I would post a picture of my new kick-ass bangs, but I am not really fit for public consumption at the moment. I have icing in my hair. Gingerbread house making is dangerous that way.

So I will do you one better. Here is my holiday gift to you. How to cut your own bangs.

On my mind this Tuesday morning...

2011-12-13T11:40:00.002-06:00

via

The temperature outside is just right. I see a post-nap park trip in our future.
Need to finish my stack of Christmas cards today.
Watched Crazy Stupid Love the other day.
Who knew that Ryan Gosling is that smokin' hot?
Quite the eye candy in that movie. Goodness!
My phone battery is on its last leg and won't hold a charge. Rats!
Today I'm feeling a little introverted. A lazy day with my girl sounds perfect.
I wonder if Little B's hair is long enough yet to french braid.
Who am I kidding? She would never sit still long enough for that.
Little B is soaking up everything like a sponge these days.
I need to remind David to only speak to her in Spanish.
I don't want to miss the window of her open mind. I am determined to have a bilingual kid.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is playing on the TV right now for about bi-jillionth time.
That's okay by me though. I love that show so much! I never get sick of it.
Holy smack! I am so sore. My workout yesterday kicked my butt.
This must be what old feels like.
Maybe I will make Almond Snowball Cookies today. They are the ultimate Christmas cookie. It just does not feel like Christmas until I make them.
Maybe while I make them, I will watch White Christmas.
That may be my favorite Christmas movie.
So excited about Girls Night this Saturday!
We are going get all dressed up, go out to a fancy dinner, attend a Nutcracker ballet performance and then sleep late in comfy hotel beds.
All while the boy stays home with the kiddo.
My idea of heaven!

Your turn.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-12T13:06:00.001-06:00

Monday: Sausage, baked beans, sweet potato apple gratin
Tuesday: Roasted rosemary chicken with roasted winter vegetables
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Gnocchi
Friday: Slow cooker pork tacos

Do you have your own version of Meal Planning Mondays? If so, I would love to read about it. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

The spirit of the season

2011-12-08T14:14:00.001-06:00

Walking through Central Market today, Little B was the kid screaming, "Mama, see Santa!", at the top of her lungs each time we walked by a big Christmas display inside the store. She was in love with all of the fun, very reachable and fragile decorations that were everywhere and she could not wait to tell everyone about it. She was loud... very loud.

As I repeatedly rescued items from my toddler's surprisingly strong fingers and said "No touch, please" over and over again, I was fully preparing myself for the annoyed looks, frustrated sighs of discontentment and judgey attitudes about my toddler's extremely loud and grabby excitement over the holidays. But much to my wonderful surprise, I did not get any of that. Instead, I got really nice people interacting with my child with such holiday spirit.

One old man talked to my little one about how Santa was going to come to his house this year because his granddaughter was going to be visiting for Christmas.

The bakery guy offered her a very special Christmas cookie with extra sprinkles (Thank you bakery guy because we were dangerously close to a lunch time meltdown!).

One lady gave my little girl tips on how make a good gingerbread house.

Another lady instructed Little B to not forget to leave out food for Santa's reindeer because reindeer get hungry too and they are doing most of the work anyways by pulling that heavy sleigh. Let's just say that this lady had some very strong opinions about reindeer.

Everyone was incredibly sweet and patient. I got so many "She is so beautiful", "Isn't this age magical?" and "Merry Christmas".

Anyways, the whole outing proved to be a very wonderful reminder of what the season is all about... being nice to one another and slowing down the hustle and bustle in order to see the holidays through a child's eyes. I mean that is after all what we are all striving for each year when we try to recreate the magic of the season as we remember it growing up. Whether it is the mystery of Santa or making the mashed potatoes just like your mom did or the excitement of Christmas morning, it is fun to tap into that inner child.

So thank you fellow Central Market patrons. You helped me focus on the spirit of the season.

And yes, we may have walked away with way too many ingredients for the making of a gingerbread house. The sugar high is going to be epic and magical all at the same time.

diy: Recycled Candles

2011-12-07T08:33:00.000-06:00

I have these beloved candles made from Yankee Candle Company. Pumpkin Pie Candle - nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, yummmmm. And Vanilla Cookie Candle - makes the house smell delicious, like I have been baking all day. And if you are not careful, both of them will make you crazy hungry.

Anyways, I think you get the point. These candles smell really good. And they better, because those babies are crazy expensive. That Yankee Candle company isn't messing around.

Well, both of these candles (and a few others) lived too short of a life. The wicks had burnt out long before all the wax did. Don't you just hate it when that happens? So with me not quite ready to say goodbye yet, I decided to give them a second life and recycle the wax. Gotta get my money's worth after all.

After doing a little research (aka pinterest), I came up with my plan.

Tools needed:

Pot (needs to be wider and taller than the candle wax)
Water
A sad, half-burned candle that you want to recycle
A new wick (can be bought at any craft store)
A new container to hold your recycled candle

First off you want to fill your pot with enough water so that it comes up higher than the wax line of the candle. Put it on the stove at medium-high heat - enough that the water simmers but does not boil. Within a matter of minutes the candle will begin to melt.

While the wax is melting, it is time to prep the container that will hold your new, recycled candle. I like to use small mason jars or glass votives, but I have seen people used old tea cups, seashells, even bottle caps. Use your imagination.

Once you have selected the new container, make sure that it is super clean. Then just drop in the new wick so that it sits in the center. My wicks have a silver circular bottom to them so that they stand up on their own. If yours do not have that, then you can pin them up on to a stick that overhangs across the top of the container. I sometimes just use a popsicle stick and a clothes pin. It does not have to be fancy. Just use what you have.

When the original candle is completely melted, take the jar out of the water (I like using tongs to do this) and carefully place it down. Using two hands and some sort of oven mitt, carefully pick up the jar and pour the wax into the new container. Be sure not to pour it right on top of the wick. Aim for pouring around the wick.

Once the candle is filled up to the level that you want it, double check the position of the wick and make any needed adjustments. Then let it sit on the counter in a safe spot until completely cool. This will allow the wax to firm back up.

You can also pop the container into the fridge so that it will cool faster. i just didn't do that because my fridge is packed and is in need of a seriously cleaning out. Anyways, no matter what you do, don't put it in the freezer. That will crack the glass. Speaking from personal experience on this people... Don't do it!

There you have it... Recycled Candles. So simple that I am kind of mad that I did not think of it myself. But that is why Pinterest is so great. It reminds you of the ideas that you have not yet had time to think about.

From my kitchen: White bean and spinach hummus

2011-12-06T09:10:00.000-06:00

Ever since moving to Fort Worth a few weeks ago, I have been on the biggest hummus kick. I just can't seem to get enough of it. Maybe I am just craving clean, simple food after going a little overboard at Thanksgiving.

And while the grocery store versions are pretty good and are great convenience food, they are also pricey and sometimes have preservatives. So we make a lot of hummus at home. It is super simple and quick.

The added bonus... I love that Little B not only knows what hummus is, but she often requests it for her afternoon snack.

As with pretty much everything I make, I rarely make hummus the same way twice and try to use whatever I have on hand. But one of my favorite variations involves Great Northern beans and spinach. So good!

White Bean and Spinach Hummus

1 can of Great Northern beans

1 fistful of baby spinach

1-2 cloves of garlic

1/2 c - 1c of olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1-2 pinches of kosher salt

1 pinch of pepper

First I drain and rinse the beans. Very important for canned beans. Then, I throw everything into the food processor and let it whirl until everything is pureed and silky. This usually takes a minute or two. If you find that the beans are too dry, then add more olive oil. If the flavor is bland, add a bit more salt. If you like a bit of heat, add some red pepper flakes. Hummus making is not an exact science by any means. So play with it and see how you like it best.

Voila! Delicious snack/lunch in a matter of minutes. Yes, please!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-05T13:26:00.001-06:00

It is freezing outside! They are saying that we might even get a wintery mix of sleet, snow, and rain. I am excited about. Usually it is quite balmy around Christmas time. So it feels nice to have weather that matches the season.

Hearty and warm is the key to this week's meal plan. And every meal uses ingredients that I already have in my freezer or pantry. I don't want to go out in this crazy weather for some random ingredient.

Monday: Chili
Tuesday: Roasted pork chops and garlic, rainbow chard mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Coconut crusted cod and toasted everything sweet potatoes
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Tamales

So what are y'all cooking this week? I would love to know. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

Hibernation weather

2011-12-03T09:13:00.001-06:00

It is cold and drizzly today. Perfect hibernation weather.

Delicious smells are floating out of the kitchen as I already have the slow cooker humming away on dinner... a hearty beef and barley stew. Good stick to the ribs food.

We are still in our pajamas and that is perfectly okay with me. Because weather like this demands fuzzy slippers, cuddling on the couch under a warm blanket, and being lazy all day.

When Little B takes her nap today, there will be no cleaning house or getting things checked off the to do list. Nope. Instead you will find me curled up in a chair with my nose in a book.

I love days like this!

What are y'all up to today? Well, whatever you do, I hope you have an amazing weekend. And if you have time to play around on the "internets", here are few things that are catching my interest these days.

Diane Keaton's new book. I have a girl crush on Diane Keaton. I want to be her when I grow up.

Downton Abbey premieres on January 8th! I am so excited!

I really want to read this book soon.

Thinking about making these cranberry scones.

After not having cable for many years, we have recently signed up and I am discovering all that we have missed. I am loving Jamie Oliver's show, Jamie at Home. So freakin' good. Though I am kind of mad that I discovered this after my garden is gone.

From my library: The Girl in the Green Raincoat

2011-12-01T08:43:00.000-06:00

The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Girl in the Green Raincoat is a quick, easy read with a modern day Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window sort of feel to it. Our protagonist is Baltimore private investigator, Tess Monaghan, who is on doctor-ordered bed rest during the final weeks of her pregnancy. As someone with a normally active life and overactive mind, Tess's interest is piqued by a woman dressed in a green raincoat walking her dog wearing a matching dog coat. A few day's later, a bored-out-of-her-mind Tess is concerned when she sees that same dog running frantically through the park without its owner.

A mystery is born. And with that, Tess's energies are spent trying to solve the puzzle of the missing woman all from her window overlooking the park. With the help of her friend, Whitney, Tess launches an investigation that leads to the questionable deaths of 3 other women.

I had never heard of Tess Monaghan before reading this book. But apparently there is a whole series of Tess Monaghan novels out there.

This is the type of book that is perfect when you are wanting something simple and quick. I read it while we were in the process of moving and it was perfect for that. Not too intense, easy to put down when needed, but also easy to pick back up. So if you are looking for a quick, easy weekend read, this is a good one for that.

From my kitchen: Butternut squash soup with bacon and sage

2011-11-30T10:50:00.001-06:00

Butternut squash soup is one of those dishes that I never make the same way twice. Butternut squash is so versatile and is the type of vegetable that just makes friends with everyone. I love that I can throw in different combinations of fruit/veggies and herbs and get a completely different delicious soup each time.

But when I settled in to make this soup last night, I knew that I wanted it very clean... well, except for the bacon of course. So no dairy, cheese, or anything like that. Just simple clean vegetables, chicken broth, herbs and spices.

And wow, did it deliver! Even my husband, who is not a big soup fan, asked for seconds. The secret to getting your man to eat anything... add bacon!

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Sage

1 large butternut squash (or 2 small ones) peeled, deseeded, and diced

1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and diced

4 thick slices of bacon cut into small peices

4 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
1/2 tsp of fresh shredded ginger

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1-2 dashes of nutmeg
1-2 dashes of cinnamon

In a large stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is crisp, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Using the same stockpot that holds the bacon grease, add the diced squash to the pot. Let the squash sit for about 5 minutes or until browned. Resist the urge to stir too much. You want the squash to soak up all that bacon juice and get a little brown around the edges.

Add in the apple, sage, ginger, salt, and pepper. Let it all cook for approximately 5 minutes. It is normal for the bottom of the pot to brown. That is okay.

Then pour in the chicken broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Those brown bits hold so much amazing flavor. Add in the nutmeg and cinnamon. Turn up the heat and bring the whole thing to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat so the soup is at a simmer and cook until the butternut squash and apples are soft. You should be able to pierce them easily with a fork.

Remove from the heat and let cool just a little bit. Then add about half of your bacon and puree. This is where I love my immersion blender! Then taste and add salt, spices, etc as needed according to what you like.

To serve, I usually garnish the soup with a bit of sage and bacon on top. Last night we ate this with ciabatta bread on the side. I like to dip the bread into the soup. So good!

I love this dish. It is relatively healthy, great as a main dish or a side, and it is fun to change up all the time. Play around with it and see how you like it best.

Thanksgiving weekending

2011-11-28T10:37:00.001-06:00

After stuffing ourselves with way too much food, we said goodbye to family and friends and spent the rest of the weekend focusing on our immediate family of three. It was nice. Kind of liking hitting a pause button on everything else going on around us.

We decorated our house, lit fires in the fireplace, and spent lazy days in our pajamas. It was exactly what we all needed. Some quality time together.

:: Playing outside before the cold front hits

:: Our gorgeous sunset view from our front porch

:: On the way to get the Christmas tree. The wind outside was crazy and blustery with the cold front rolling in. Perfect for getting into the holiday spirit.

:: Someone is very excited about picking out her Christmas tree.

Meal Planning Mondays

2011-11-28T09:31:00.001-06:00

After a long hiatus, Meal Planning Mondays are making a comeback!

Now that we are a bit more settled into the house and I know where approximately 76% of my cooking utensils are located, I am ready to sink back into old habits of planning our meals and eating tried and true dishes that are so comforting in their familiarity and deliciousness.

It is the cooking of these dishes that grounds me and allows me to make a home no matter where that home is located. I am really looking forward to getting back into the kitchen. So get ready for some new recipe posts!

Monday: Potato crusted cod with roasted root vegetables in a balsamic maple glaze
Tuesday: Butternut squash soup topped with bacon and sage
Wednesday: Chicken pad thai
Thursday: Tamales (homemade by my mother in law - so good!)
Friday: Dinner out at David's work Christmas party

Hunting for Christmas trees

2011-11-26T14:14:00.001-06:00

What I am thankful for...

2011-11-22T13:30:00.001-06:00

Right now, life is mass chaos. With the recent move, a new job, a new city, a different house with a stupid alarm that keeps going off, cold viruses, interviews, unpacking, power going out, etc, etc, it is difficult for me to shift my focus from all that is negative right now to things that I am thankful for. But it is for that reason exactly that I feel that a perspective shift is more important than ever, even if it is harder.

Couple that with the fact that Thanksgiving is only days away it feels right to kick off with a "what I am thankful for" post. Lemons making lemonade, baby!

:: Thanksgiving Day Parades. I am sentimental sucker for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Thanksgiving just doesn't feel right without watching it in the morning while you are sipping on coffee and eating cinnamon rolls in your pajamas. It is my Norman Rockwell moment of the year and automatic reset button on the "so life has you down" gauge.

:: Coconut milk. After my pregnancy, my body decided to become lactose intolerant all of a sudden. It is very weird. But coconut milk has become my best buddy. Cereal.. okay. Chai latte... sure. Hot chocolate... no problem. Ice cream... still perfecting the recipe on that one. But seriously, coconut milk has been a godsend.

:: That my little girl still takes 2-3 hour naps every day. Thank you, sweet girl!

:: Chili's. Last night the power went out just as I was making dinner. The aftermath was pretty ugly. Power out in a house that I am not familiar with. It is completely dark outside. I hear Little B scream from her bedroom. I trip over the dog trying to get to her and run into a wall and am now sporting a bruise just under my left eyebrow. Of course, I had no idea where the flashlights or candles are packed. And after the Monday morning that I had yesterday, it would have been so easy to just shout "screw it!" at the top of my lungs and give up on the day. But I decided that instead of crying I would give this Monday one last shot at a comeback. I piled my family into the car and drove to the nearest restaurant with working electricity. Thank you Chili's for having electricity and for calming my toddler with french fries.

:: Friends and Family Thanksgiving. With the recent move, the holidays are a bit crazy for us this year. But because of that, Thanksgiving festivities are being spread out over a week. I love this. I get to see everyone I love over the next few days instead of having to choose who I do and do not see on one highly intense day. And Little B gets to spend time with so many uncles, aunts, grandparents, and close friends. Such a blessing!

Oh Sh*$%! Oh my goodness!

2011-11-18T09:15:00.000-06:00

I think that we can all agree that packing and moving do not bring out people's best qualities. And my family is no exception. More curse words, mutterings under the breathe, eye rollings, and a few distinct hand gestures have come out this past week than all of last year.

And never wanting to be left out, my precious, innocent 2 year old has officially said her first curse word.

Oh Sh*%$!

It all started with my husband. David dropped a bunch of nails and screws on the floor and instinctively said "Oh Sh*%$!" with Little B standing right next to him. Little B quickly replied with a very Southern version of "Oh Sh*%$! This is mess!" And if you are questioning what I mean by a Southern version, take that word and it extend it into 2 extra syllables and you will get the idea. Imagine that a baby Paula Deen just said it.

Upon hearing that, both David and my heads immediately popped up. And after a minute of a silent parental argument with our eyes, we knew the damage had been done. Little B knew that she struck gold with those words and was not willing to let it go. And from that point on "Oh Sh*%$" was worked into as many conversations as possible.

Me: "B, eat your carrots."

Little B: "Oh Sh*%$!"

David (watching a football game): "Touchdown!"

Little B: "Oh Sh*%$!"

Me: "B, let's pick up your Cheerios."

Little B: "Oh Sh*%$! This is mess."

Yeh, David and I are definitely going to win Parents of the Year!

Well, in an attempt to stop this new favorite phrase, we have been focusing on different phrases that are fun say and better tolerated among polite company. A few of our favorites include:

"Oh my goodness!" (again, use your best Southern drawl)

"Oh rats!"

"Good grief" (borrowed from Charlie Brown)

"Amen!" (this is one that my mom is pushing pretty hard)

Well, in the true spirit of her individuality, Little B has chosen "Oh Sh*$%! Oh my goodness!" (with a Southern drawl) as her new favorite. And to make it even worse, I can't stop laughing every time she says it. It is so funny.

Yep, definitely not winning any parenting awards this year.

Greetings from Fort Worth!

2011-11-17T12:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry for my disappearance from blog. This past week, we closed on our house in Austin, packed up everything we own, and moved to Fort Worth.

Then quickly follow that up with bronchitis, double ear infections, losing my voice, lack of internet, boxes piled up all around us... well, you get the picture. Things were a little chaotic around here.

But I am back now! Today, I sit down to write this blog post from our new home in Fort Worth.

Slowly but surely we are getting settled into our new lives in a new town. Pretty exciting, right?

More blogging to come soon. Just wanted to drop a line to let everyone know that we made it to Fort Worth safely and in one piece.

What I am thankful for...

2011-11-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

In honor of Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am changing my "What I am loving.." to "What I am thankful for...". Same premise as before. Just changing up the nomenclature in honor of the season.

:: I find it so fascinating that once you start focusing on finding things that you are thankful for, so many things that make you smile every day pop into view. I love that.

:: My husband is officially employed!!! He started his new job yesterday and so far so good.

:: The Tudors. I watched this show a few years ago and then kind of forgot about it when Little B was born. Definitely not an appropriate show when littles are around. But I have picked it back up recently and it keeps me company while I pack up boxes in the evening. That King Henry... he was a crazy one for sure.

:: Daylight Savings. That extra hour of sleep needs no explanation.

:: Our soon-to-be house in Fort Worth has 3 bathrooms. That is a fantastic upgrade from our 1 current bathroom. And let me tell you, with potty training about to start, I can not even explain how excited I am about these extra bathrooms.

:: A thunderstorm is brewing and heading our way. With such a parched summer, I feel that I will never tire of seeing storm clouds roll in. I have always loved thunderstorms and probably always will.

:: Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness juice. Our diet is a bit dodgy these days as we are clearing out all the food in the house and not buying anything new. I have no desire to pack up a whole fridge of stuff and move it Fort Worth. So on some days, this juice is only chance a vegetable has to get into my system. Hooray to convenience food.

:: And last, but not least a going away dinner tomorrow with many of my Austin friends. They sure do know how to make a girl feel loved! So to all you locals, feel free swing by Waterloo Ice House (360 & 2222) around 5 tomorrow. We will be the loud table in the back with the kids running wild and causing lots of ruckus.

A natural born storyteller

2011-11-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

As I am clearing out cabinets and packing up boxes, I have my little helper keeping me company.

With each new box packed to the rim, I get to listen to the most interesting narrative of book after book.

I have no idea what she is saying most of the time. But that is okay because she narrates with passion and emotion and knows just how to emphasize the most dramatic and suspenseful parts of the story.

As I work my way to each room, grabbing this and that, she follows around, holding her book and continuing to read.

My favorite part is when she holds the book outright and pans the room so that we all can see the pictures as she reads. She is very thoughtful that way. The pictures are the best part after all.

A few days of slow

2011-11-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

Apparently, we all partied a little too hard in our Halloween celebrations in that now 2 of the 3 of us are sick. Little B came down with croup (very scary the first time!) and David was hit with a cold.

So while busy-ness and craziness surround us in the form of packing boxes and putting applications on rental houses in Fort Worth sight-unseen (yowsa!), we have been taking a few days of slow. Putting a pause on things in order to lay around on the couch in our PJs drinking coffee and watching cartoons.

Notice the shoes on the wrong foot. She is fiercely independent when it comes to her shoes.

I actually kind of relish these days. My little one is usually so busy and independent. But on days that she is not feeling well, she wants her mama. All day long, I hear, "Mama hold. Mama hold". Music to my ears. I could use a little "Mama hold" too.

So we cuddle and play and make each other laugh.

I wipe noses, make stew, and kiss foreheads... because everyone deserves to be babied a little when they don't feel well. That is, after all, one of the gifts of motherhood. Once you become a mother, your kiss can heal all boo-boos.

Yep, I am going to enjoy that magical power as long as possible.

How we do Halloween

2011-11-01T16:15:00.001-05:00

For Halloween this year, we kept things simple. A few friends came over for a potluck meal of meatballs and pasta. And then once we were all carb-loaded, we headed out for some good ol' fashion trick or treating.

Our little red riding hood, ballerina, and goldfish were so cute as they learned the ropes as to how this whole Halloween trick-or-treating thing works. Cautiously navigating their way up to the front porch, timidly knocking on the front door, and wondering what these things were being dropped into their buckets. Don't worry... by the end of the night, they had learned the magic of candy. The sugar high was epic.

At each house I kept reminding Little B to say "trick-or-treat". The concept alluded her. But at one of the final houses, she finally said it after they dropped the candy in her bucket.

"Trick or Treat. Thank you. You're welcome."

I love my girl... always polite... even if the delivery is a bit off.

But the best part of the whole night was when we took 3 tired girls and their mamas back to the house to hang out, take our shoes off, drink wine and hand out candy to the "older crowd". I think our girls loved handing out candy more than trick or treating. They yelled "Happy Halloween" so proudly as they opened the door and then fought to see who got to put the candy in each bag.

I am really going to miss Halloween in this neighborhood. They know how to do it right. But in a way, it is the perfect send off. A great memory to file away in the bank of stories that starts with "Hey, remember that really awesome Halloween..."

Happy Blustery Friday

2011-10-28T14:05:00.001-05:00

Hello folks! Happy Friday to everyone.

It is 62 degrees outside right now and for that I am crazy happy.

I am celebrating the blustery wind outside with pumpkin bread in the oven and warm apple cider in my mug. I am in heaven.

I am crazy in love with fall. To me it represents fresh starts, clean slates, and all that jazz. Which is good considering the moving boxes stacked all around me.

Our Austin adventure ends and our Fort Worth begins in exactly two weeks. Holy smack! I am excited and nervous.

But I am not going to think about that right now. Instead I am going to savor the chill in the air, sip on my cider, and go run around outside with Little B without breaking a sweat.

From my bookshelf: The Red Tent

2011-10-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I actually read this book a while ago. But as I was looking through my list of read books, I realized that The Red Tent was missing. That just did not seem right given how much I love this book.

The Red Tent was actually one of the first books that I read with my book club way back in 2004. Before then, I would always pick it up at the bookstore, intrigued by its cover, only to put it back up on the shelf. I feared being fooled by a fancy cover.

Well, once it was chosen for book club, of course, I had to read it. And wow, I am so glad that I did. I will tell you that this book led to one of the best book club conversations that I have ever had. Of course, we had great wine and a diverse mix of wonderful women, but the book for sure played a role as well.

The Red Tent tells the story of Dinah, a woman briefly mentioned in the Old Testament. She is the only daughter of Jacob, born of his first wife, Leah. Dinah tells a story of the traditions and troubles of ancient womanhood in biblical times... the world of the red tent, a space reserved solely for women and the mysteries of the menses, childbirth, love, marriage, aging, life, and death.

She begins with the story of her mothers - Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah - the four wives of Jacob. She then follows with her story, heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

I LOVED this book. This story stuck with me long after I finished reading it. Love, loss, betrayal, the importance of family and the bonds we choose to keep or sever provide so many different discussion points. If your book club has not read this, I would strongly encourage it. Or if you are looking for a good gift for a book-lovin' woman in your life, this would be a good one.

Our quest for a Fort Worth house

2011-10-26T13:05:00.000-05:00

We are back from a long weekend in Fort Worth.

We went up on Saturday in order to find a place to live. Let me just say that our search was quite the adventure. We got a great tour of many Fort Worth neighborhoods and saw some "interesting" houses.

With one house, we set off the security alarm with no way of turning it off.

Another house either still had tenants that were moving out or someone was squatting there. Not quite sure. But it was obvious that either way, they were not expecting company. The underwear all over the floor and bong in the middle of the living room gave that away.

We saw houses that looked like caves, others that had legendary wall paper, and others that had the original mustard colored oven from 1971.

Yes, it was quite an adventure. We put in an application on one with an amazing kitchen and is in a very quiet neighborhood with old trees. Fingers crossed that we get it.

1st Thing on the To-Do List

2011-10-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! Our house is sold! Well, kind of. We close Nov. 14. But anyways... Woohoo!

With that out of the way and David's job opportunity in Fort Worth, we are officially moving.

Whew! My head is swirling with all the stuff that has to get done over the next few weeks...

Go find moving boxes, tape, bubble wrap, etc.
Start packing (ugh!)
Cancel utilities
Eat all the food in the fridge
Start saying my "so long for now" to my beloved Austin friends
Find a new place to live in Fort Worth
Find a new Mother's Day out program in Fort Worth
Make new friends in Fort Worth
Discover Fort Worth's best pie shop

The list could go on and on. I am overwhelmed by it. So I think I will start with that last bullet - Discover Fort Worth's best pie shop. This place is for sure going on the list. They are famous for their Chocolate Pie.

Bon Appetit rated The Paris Coffee Shop as one of the nation's Top 10 Best Places for Pie.

The way I see it is that it would be rude for me to not drop by and say hello. Don't you agree? Have any of y'all been there?

Well, I feel much better now that one thing has been crossed off the list.

From my bookshelf: Isaac's Storm

2011-10-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Isaac's Storm is one of those books that reads documentary style. Based on historical facts, public record, and interviews, Erik Larson inserts an additional commentary layer that transforms all of this factual information into a story with character depth, suspense, and more.

Isaac's Storm weaves together 3 main "story lines":

The life of Isaac Cline. He was a medical student, scientist, Sunday school teacher, family man, and respected man of society. But he was also a proud man that did not understand the limits of his knowledge, especially when it comes to weather.
The history of American weather forecasting and the politics that go with it. Science, gut feelings, and human ego were all involved when developing a forecast.
The tragic hurricane that it Galveston in September of 1900. Upwards of 8,000 people were killed.

While I have never been particularly interested in the weather and science of forecasting before, I found it fascinating in this book. This book gave me a new appreciation for all that we know about the weather... and all that we do not.

It also made me never want to live in a coastal town. Hurricanes are definitely scary and unpredictable, but the politics that go into what is and is not communicated to the public is even scarier.

And the storyline surrounding the actual hurricane and its devastation is haunting. Larson is gifted in telling us enough about the historical characters that you feel like you know them and therefore feel their losses.

This was a very easy read. Educational and suspenseful, I read it cover to cover within a couple days. I really, really liked it. I felt like I got a great story and learned something in the process. I would definitely recommend it to others... but maybe not during hurricane season.

Growing up a little too fast

2011-10-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

She is growing up a little too fast for me. Gone is my baby. She has been replaced by this "big girl" that is fiercely independent and wakes up each day with an agenda that she wants to accomplish.

Today the agenda includes a walk with her "big-girl" backpack. She loves her backpack. She is adamant that she has to go "bye-bye. walk".

She is packed and ready to go. Her backpack is filled with all the essentials - her toy phone, a book, some crayons, her Elmo, and her Tonka truck.

Not quite sure where she is going, but the backyard seems like a good enough starting place for her journey.

She gave me a hug and a kiss goodbye and went off to her destination. I told her to be back by lunch time.

What I am loving...

2011-10-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

:: This crazy girl. She is a bit of a wild woman these days. But she makes me laugh like no one else. As I type this, she is supposed to be napping. But instead she is sitting in her crib, putting her cat in time-out and scolding him for not listening. I wonder where she got that from.

:: Our house went under contract for full asking price within 4 days of being on the market. WOOHOO! Keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well during the inspection period.

:: Just picked the last poblanos of the season. I love their smoky smell.

:: Cool front is coming in tonight and will put the highs in the 70s. I have been waiting for this all summer!

:: Now that I know we are moving, I am doing my best to not buy anymore food and use up everything that is already in the pantry, fridge, and freezer. As silly as it seems, I feel quite accomplished as new shelf space is cleared out.

Woohoo!

2011-10-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

We have multiple offers on the house!!! And for full asking price. Can I get a a "Hooray!"?

This is what we are doing in our house right now.

Fall Weekending

2011-10-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, fall came to visit Austin for the first time all year. And with it, it brought many friends in the form of much-needed rain, impromtu family and friend gatherings, and house showings.

Anyone that is not from here would probably think that we were all a bit off our rockers because of how excited we were to see rain. You would have thought that we got snow. Everyone was outside just staring at it with huge smiles on their faces. Women walked proudly with frizzy hair and puddle stained shoes.

Our house officially went on the market on Friday. You would have thought the rain would deter any home buyers but that was not the case.

After I primped and poufed my house on Saturday morning in order for it to look its best, we headed down to my parents' house. 2 of my 3 brothers ended up there too due to a rained out camping trip. Then even more family unexpectedly dropped by. As Little B played with her cousins, the adults had a great time drinking wine, eating steaks, and watching the dark rain clouds roll by. It is funny that something as simple as rain clouds can get adults so worked up. And of course, the A&M game was on TV. My lone Texas Tech brother was outnumbered by Aggies. Whoop!

Sunday brought more house showings. So we spent the day with my friend, Pansy, and her little girl. And with the temperature in the lows 70s, it was down right chilly. Nothing better to celebrate the chill in the air than open windows and the best chicken fried chicken and fried okra in town. I love me some Hoover's Cooking!

Seriously, if you are ever in Austin and need some good southern soul food, Hoover's is your place. They don't mess around. Just be sure to wear your stretchy pants.

And while the babies slept, Pansy and I kicked back for a Pioneer Woman cooking show marathon.

That may have been the best weekend I have had all year.

The next chapter

2011-10-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy ridiculous. I feel like a snow globe that has been strongly shaken up. Little B, David and I are the figurines firmly planted on the bottom of the snow globe while everything else in our lives is represented by the snow flakes that are chaotically fluttering around and landing every which way.

You know what they say.... Just when you start getting comfortable in your life, life throws you a curve ball. And in our case, it has been a lot of curve balls all at once. Or my new saying... just when you paint your house and love the color, it is time to sell it. Doesn't it always just seem to go that way?!

Right after the miscarriage happened back in August, my husband and I decided that it was time to close down his company, Duarte Construction. A shaky economy, lack of good health insurance, and insane working hours drove us to this decision. The glory of running our company was just not worth the headaches that go along with it. At least not for right now in this economy and where we are in our lives.

With that decision came a job search for both of us. So much of our energies over the last few weeks have been focused on pounding the pavement, making phone calls, and going to interviews. David has been looking at opportunities in the IT and Landman industries. I have been working the marketing/project management/business consultant angles.

And after some really promising interviews, it looks like there is a strong chance that we will have to pack up and leave our beloved Austin for the promise of a new city. It looks like our new city will either be Fort Worth or Houston.

I wish I could say that I am really excited about all of this. I wish that I was one of those people that would look at this situation like another adventure to file away in my life folder of awesome experiences. But if I am really honest with myself, I feel like a little girl at my first day of school that does not want to let go of my mom's hand. I am scared, anxious, and really hope that everybody will like me.

Now I love me some adventure when it comes to trying new food, visiting far away places, meeting interesting people. But in other areas - like the friends I see everyday, the place I go to sleep at night, the kitchen that I cook our meals in, the path that I run in the mornings - I like those to be constant and never changing. They serve as my calm center when the world outside is going bonkers... because we all know that it is.

I probably sound so dramatic right about now. I know that I will make new friends and we will find a house and neighborhood that I will love just as much as my current one. But the unknown right now is killing me. It is daunting in that we will be starting from scratch in building our support network and putting down roots. Much like a garden, those good things take a while.

Plus when you add the logistics of selling a house (with a toddler running around!), packing everything up, finding a new place, landing a new job, finding a new pediatrician and school for Little B, etc, etc... I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.

Our house goes on the market tomorrow. It is very bittersweet. I really like our house. But I hope it sells fast. Much like pulling off a bandaid, you just gotta take a deep breath, scream "Holy S*%#!" and give a solid yank like you mean it.

I really hope we love the next chapter/city/house/neighborhood even more. And I hope will meet even more amazing people to pull into the fold of our great group of friends. I know I will be super excited once a few decisions have been made. Until then lots of deep breathing and Nutella.

So I want to hear from y'all - Any words of wisdom on the adventures of moving and starting over again?

Stream of Conscious

2011-09-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am struggling with some serious writers block. Ugh. Hate it when that happens. So get ready for some crazy stream of conscious.

Ready. Set. Go.

Life is still crazy over here and lacking in routine of any sort... which is driving me batty.

A job search is underway as this consulting/freelance gig is just not cutting it any more when it comes to paying the bills. That is one reason why my blog posts have been so sporadic. So now my free time has shifted from blogging to job searching. Trust me when I say that blogging is way more fun.

We finally painted over the red wall. It looks awesome. In fact, I love the color that we chose so much that I also painted over all that beige too that is in the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Woohoo! Wanna know what we chose???!!!

Let me introduce you to Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.

I am already calmer just looking at it. It really opens up the room and makes everything look so much lighter. And our dark furniture really pops.

As soon as my camera stops being on the fritz and starts behaving, I will share pictures of the room. I LOVE how it looks.

Little B has been practicing her baby-mind control techniques this week. She crawls up in my lap like she is wanting to cuddle, presses a chubby hand on each side of my face, slightly lowers her head, arches her eye brows, and in the sweetest voice you ever did hear, she says, "Thomas? Abbies?" (translation - Thomas the Train and Abby's Flying Fairy School on Sesame Street). Then she giggles the cutest little giggle and gives me a kiss.... I must say that she is getting pretty good.

For whatever reason, I am running low on blog post ideas... anything you want to know or wish that I would talk about?

Meal Planning Monday

2011-09-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

via

Monday: Orange chicken and broccoli
Tuesday: Slow cooker pork tacos
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and roasted red pepper soup
Thursday: Sesame, pork, and udon noodle stir fry (using the leftover pork from Tuesday)
Friday: Spinach spanokopita (from the freezer) and baked sweet potatoes

She's two.

2011-09-23T08:55:00.000-05:00

My little girl is 2 today.

She is sweet, independent, kind, shy, feisty, and has a giggle that is addictive and highly contagious. At first she is reserved and silently takes it all in. Like she is making her mind up about you. But once she has made up her mind, she makes up for lost time and plays/loves/chatters/kisses/hugs intensely. She loves to dance and sing and build forts. I love that while she may be one of the smallest kids on the playground, she can hold her ground with a look that will stop a pushy kid in his tracks. When she climbs up on her chair in the kitchen, grabs a spatula, and quietly says "Help mama cook?" while arching her eyebrows up for emphasis, it is impossible to resist.

She is my girl and I am in awe of her. She makes me feel proud, important, humble, in love and lucky to be her mama.

Today, we will celebrate my girl by doing all the things she loves to do. Making homemade cupcakes together. Licking the batter off the spatula. Eating way too much icing. A good hearty bubble-making session in the back yard with two of her little friends. Bubble wands for everyone! And in the evening we will wrap it all up with a fierce dance party in the living room and lots of snuggles on the couch with both her daddy and mama.

The weather has decided to smile upon my sweet girl by delivering a "cool" front that will bring the temps down into the 80s. Woohoo!

Yes, today will be perfect. A celebration of the day that my girl came into this world. A celebration of the day that gave my life such purpose and joy. Today will be a great day, indeed.

Little B, you are so loved. Happy birthday, my sweet girl.

Little B's Halloween costume

2011-09-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

Important business is happening this week. We are determining what our perfect 2011 Halloween costumes will be.

If given the choice, I much prefer homemade Halloween costumes to the store-bought kind. I think it is because of the experience that comes with patching together a costume with scraps of this and that.

When I was little, my brothers and I would often come up with 4 or 5 ideas before we settled on the final one. Our planning would often begin in August to come up with the perfect Halloween character. It is like a scavenger hunt of make believe. A burnt cork to make a beard. An old box wrapped in foil to become a robot. And a pillowcase becomes a magic ghost outfit. There is a magic in the air when you brainstorm your yearly costume. I can not wait until Little B is old enough to understand it and be excited with me.

Last year, Little B was a little witch. She was barely walking and was so stinkin' cute!

Here are some ideas that I have brewing for Little B's costume. I would love to know what you think.

So tell me... what are you dressing your little ones up as for Halloween?!

From my bookshelf: In The Woods

2011-09-16T08:48:00.002-05:00

In The Woods by Tana French
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In Knocknaree, Ireland in 1984, young Adam Ryan and two of his friends disappeared into the woods near their home. Ryan was later found standing in the woods, his shoes filled with blood, in a near-catatonic state. He has no memory of what happened in the woods or where his friends ended up, and he’s done everything he can to forget the experience, move on with his life, and prevent people from finding out that he was the boy who came back.

Now, twenty years later, Adam Ryan has become Rob Ryan, and he’s a homicide detective. When a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in a clearing where Knocknaree’s woods used to be, Rob and his partner (and very close friend) Cassie Maddox are called to investigate, and Rob, wondering if this murder is somehow connected to the long-ago disappearance of his friends, is simultaneously excited and terrified.

Tana French's debut novel, In The Woods, is creepy and page turning like any good psychological thriller should. Often it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I read through two story lines all centering around Adam Ryan.

While this book does not go on my favorites list, it was entertaining. It would be a perfect read for a cold, stormy evening. And I would most definitely read another book by this author.

What I am loving...

2011-09-15T09:57:00.001-05:00

:: Florence + The Machine seems to be my theme music these days. The whole album is wicked good, plus it just fits my mood. Cosmic Love is currently my favorite song. I could just listen to it over and over again.

:: A full wine fridge. Some close friends in the neighborhood moved to Portland this week. And while I am selfishly grieving over my friends' departure, I am so excited for them and their next adventure. And to take the sting away, they cleaned out their pantry and left us with some crazy awesome parting gifts - fancy cheese, enough food to fill up my freezer and enough wine to fill up my wine fridge. I have NEVER before had a full wine fridge AND a full freezer. It is quite a feeling!

:: Finding surprise presents in the mail. There is really nothing like the feeling you get when you sift through your mail and find a wonderful card or package amongst the bills and store fliers. It means that someone loves you a lot.

:: The return of Fall TV. I am so sick of reality TV. I hate it and that is all that seems to be on TV this summer. I want shows that make me laugh, at not at anyone's expense. The season premiere's of Glee and Modern Family will be big events in this house. So excited!

So tell me, what is making you smile this week?

Being comfortable in the uncomfortable

2011-09-13T10:28:00.001-05:00

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?"
~ Rumi

Right now our life is in an area of transition. Doors closing, new ones opening. It can leave one feeling anxious, nervous, and uncertain. Or positive, hopeful and excited about new opportunities. It all depends on how you look at it.

If you are like me, it is most likely all of the above.

One of things that I most proud of with both David and myself is that we are not afraid to take risk. Sometimes those risks pay off and sometimes they don't. And with all risk, there is uncomfortable uncertainty.

8 years ago, David and I quit our corporate IT jobs with our high salaries, packed up all of our stuff, and moved to Austin where we did not know one single person. We wanted a better life for ourselves in a city that we both loved working in jobs that we were excited about. Some people thought we were crazy as it was right when the IT bust was happening and Austin had been hit hard. To their credit, we probably were a little crazy. But we tried to be smart about it and had 6 months of living expenses stashed away and we were young enough to believe that all it took to make it was some hard work. My motto was that if your really want happiness, then you must be willing to fight for it.

Our risk finally paid off and we both found jobs in new industries within 6 months of living in Austin and we began the life that we had always wanted. But the journey to get there was hard and often very discouraging. I am not a person that likes uncertainty. I would rather know bad news for sure than to not know anything at all. Because at least when I know something is for sure, I can start planning a battle strategy to work though it. That is just how my brain works.

Being comfortable in the uncomfortable is something that I was introduced to during that 6 month stretch of uncertainty back in 2003. And with all good life learnings, it was not something that came easily. I learned that hard work is indeed a critical component in achieving one's goals. But luck is another big one too. As well as pure stubborness so that you don't give up too easy. I have the hard work and the stubborness down pat... the luck, not so much. She is a fickle friend that is often hard to get a hold of.

Another time of uncertainty was back in early 2009. Within 1 week, David lost his job, started a new company, my agency announced lay-offs, and I found out that I was pregnant with Little B. Talk about a crazy week and I could not even have a glass of wine at the end of it to take the edge off. The rest of that year was intense to say the least. But we kept our heads above water and were elated when we delivered a healthy baby girl in late September. We were comfortable in the uncomfortable.

And now here we are again. There are talks of switching jobs, selling our house, moving to a different city, making new friends. But nothing is for sure... yet. So we sit with our uncertainty trying to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.

While I would never claim to be handling our uncertainty well, I am striving to be all zen about it while we wait for the dust to settle. Is a new adventure right around the corner? I don't know. It could be fun. But until then, I am focusing on the certain things that I do have, the fun things of today. My little girl, my family, my awesome friends, the promise of cooler temperatures, and the chicken that is currently roasting in the oven.

Living in the moment, baby!

So tell me... what have been your best moments of being comfortable in the uncomfortable? I really would love to hear them. They will give me the strength to stay on the positive, hopeful, and excited side of the mental divide.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-09-12T09:08:00.009-05:00

Even though the highs are still supposed to be in the triple digits this week, I can feel the transition into fall beginning. The mornings are a bit cooler. The sun is setting a little earlier.

Almost like the countdown to Christmas, the slow hand off between summer and fall is highly anticipated. Just knowing that crisp morning walks, pumpkin spice lattes and cute boots are right around the corner, puts an extra skip in my step. It is like fall is whispering to us, "Hang in there just a little bit longer. I am on my way."

Like an old friend coming into town, I am excited to welcome them.

With that subtle transition, I notice that I am starting to trade out my standard summer fare of tomatoes, salads, and grilled dishes for warm, cozy meals that stick to the bones. So while it may still be summer outside my door, it is fall in my kitchen and I could not be happier.

Monday: Panko crusted pollock with garlic green beans, tomatoes and garlic bread
Tuesday: Roasted chicken with roasted butternut squash, onions, brown butter, and sage
Wednesday: Black beans and rice
Thursday: Slow cooker ham and beans (I am using dried Great Northern beans)
Friday: Verde enchiladas

From my kitchen: A Rice Krispy Treat Adventure

2011-09-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

After a crazy week like this, I think quite a few of us, me included, could use some comfort food. But the challenge lies in that it is still too hot to turn on the oven and any outdoor cooking is completely out of the question. So what to make?

Well, my sweet tooth gave me a quick response... rice krispy treats.

Marshmallows, butter, rice krispies, limited time at the stove. Simple enough, right?

Oh no! Not if you are me. I got some wild hair in me that I was going to make "healthy" rice krispy treats. Obviously I had inhaled way too much smoky Austin air. I was clearly not thinking straight. But I was determined. And with that my healthy rice krispy treat adventure began.

Substitute almond butter for marshmallows - check.
Use honey to make it sweet - check.
Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top to make it look cool - check.

Well, I assembled all the ingredients together, pushed them into a pan, plopped it in the fridge and very patiently waited the suggested 30-45 minutes needed for the treats to firm up. And with much anticipation, I pulled out a treat for me and a treat for Little B and a treat for David.

David really liked it.

Little B quickly inhaled it and asked for more.

And, me? Well, I HATED it! It tasted too much like peanut butter, my arch nemesis of the food kingdom.

Great! {insert sarcastic tone here} Now I have this full container of healthy rice krispy treats that I hated. What was I going to do with all of them? Why was I so hell-bent on make this dessert healthy? And how the heck was I going to satisfy my sweet-tooth craving now without turning on the oven?! Oh, the drama!

On to Plan B.

As I looked around my messy kitchen, I realized that I still had enough rice krispies to make another batch. And I had butter. Now I just needed to find the marshmellows. After digging around in the pantry, I discovered a bag of 4th of July themed, blue and red star marshmallows. Perfect!

Now, you would have thought that I had learned my lesson about jacking with time tested recipes that even a 5 year old could make... But no, that apparently is just not how I work. But this time, the results proved to be extraordinary.

Taking a cue from a recipe I had seen on Smitten Kitchen, I browned the butter first and introduced kosher salt into the mix. Pure brilliance. The browned butter and the salt take rice krispy treats to a whole other level.

Let me be clear, these rice krispy treats are not to be wasted on a child whose palette is not yet sophisticated enough to recognize the greatness of the ingredients involved. I love my little girl, but she better stick to those "healthy" rice krispy treats if she knows what's good for her.

My only downfall with my rice krispy treat concoction was the 4th of July themed marshmallows. Do you know what you get when you melt a red marshmallow with a blue marshmallow? You get grey. It was not very pretty. But I think it kind of worked in my favor. Because my rice krispy treats looked a bit off with their grey palour, my husband and Little B had little interest in trying them..... Which meant more for me!!!! Maybe that is why my shorts are little snug today.

Anyways, if you are looking for a way to bring your rice krispy treats up a notch, I would highly recommend this recipe listed below.

Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispy Treats

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows (preferably without color)
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into pan sprayed with oil. After everything is in the pan, I use a silicon spatula to press everything down and into the corners.

Stick the pan in the fridge to let everything get cool, cut into squares and get ready to have your life changed.

We are not taking this lying down...

2011-09-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

The whole state of Texas seems to be on fire. It is heart breaking.

Not only have Texans been dealing with a rough economy, a record heat wave with 80 days over 100 degrees and a drought that is killing our livestock, crops, and general way of life, now we are also fighting out of control wildfires that are not giving up easily. Our rivers and lakes are crazy low, if not completely dried up. Our firefighters are spread so thin because of the number of fires spread all over the state. And there is no forecast of rain any time soon.

And the fires that I am talking about are not out in the middle of nowhere. They are in the middle of cities, gobbling up homes, businesses, and cars and threatening lives. Austin, alone, has 8 really, really bad fires. It is so sad. It looks like a war zone. Across Texas, there have been 179 fires in the past 7 days. And they are saying that the collective burned area is equal to the size of Connecticut.

These fires are like a punch in the stomach to group of people that have already been pretty beaten up this year. It is just mean. And what is really scary is that there is no rain in the forecast, therefore new fires continue to pop up every day and will continue to until we get some rain.

But don't let that make you think that we are taking this lying down.

I know Texans often get a bad rap for being boastful and little too proud of where they come from. But it is times like this that I am extra proud to say that I am Texan. We may not be the prettiest or the most sophisticated, but we make up for it in other ways. We are hard working, scrappy individuals that will give the shirt off our back to help a stranger and do it all with a smile on our face. We refuse to act like victims. Now I am in no way saying that other states do not have individuals like this. But as a collective whole, Texas is state to be reckoned to with.

I am so proud of us right now! The ways that people are coming together is inspiring... whether it is taking strangers into their homes to enjoy a shower and clean bed, rescuing pets, providing trailers to evacuate horses, donating money, food, and supplies or even just offering some sweet tea to a parched firefighter. It is awesome. It makes me believe again in the good in people at a time in my life when I was starting to doubt it.

These fires better watch out... because we are coming to get you. And we are bringing friends from all over to help us.

A huge thank you to California, Arizona, and any other states that are sending us your firefighters. We promise to treat them really well, feed them good food, and call them "Honey" and "Sugar" the whole time they are here.

So if you have ever come down to Texas and enjoyed our awesome Mexican food, BBQ, sweet tea, and Southern hospitality, we are humbly asking for your help. Here are a few ways that you can:

Pray for rain! I strongly believe in the collective power of prayer, happy thoughts, and good ju-ju. We need all we can get.
The Central TX Red Cross is accepting monetary donations and volunteers
Local animal shelters are in desperate need of supplies in order to house pets affected by these fires - towels, dog food, cat food, water
Show some blog love to a fellow Austin blogger that has lost her family home
Austin Disaster Relief Network is accepting donations of all kinds.
Catholic Charities of Texas is accepting donations on Tuesday, September 6.
There are drop off points all over the state of TX - the news websites are providing full lists - KXAN, KVUE, etc

Specific supplies that are needed include:

Toiletries: Toothpaste, underwear, deodorant, body wash, bar soap, shampoo, disposable razors, toilet paper
Medical supplies: Nebulizer, ibuprofen, bandages, Neosporin, Children's Tylenol
Food: Bottled water, Gatorade, non-perishable items
Baby Stuff: baby food, formula, diapers, baby shampoo, wipes, toys
Other stuff: towels, sleeping bags, pillows, trash bags, work gloves, flashlights, batteries, pet food

If you are on Twitter, look for these hash tags - #centraltxfire and #centraltxfires, #TXBlogFireRelief.

Now it is your turn, link to your own post below and/or leave a comment with some relief information.

And thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. These are MY people, my city, my state that this is happening to. So anything that you do to help is liking helping me directly. And for that, there are no words to show how grateful I am.

Meal Planning Monday & Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope yall are enjoying your 3 day weekend.

We have been very busy around here. Lots of life changing stuff happening. Can't give too many details right now but hopefully soon. Until then, I ask you for happy good luck thoughts.

Because this week is so crazy, I need easy, quick food all week long. Can't be too fancy, the leftovers need to be delicious, and I need to be sure that the all-of-a-sudden-picky toddler will eat it. So here's what I am planning:

Monday: Grilling out with friends
Tuesday: Tacos with beans
Wednesday: Hamburgers, grilled corn and tomato salad
Thursday: Mole chicken (homemade almond mole from my mother in law - yum!)
Friday: Grilled pizzas

Do you have your own version of Meal Planning Mondays? If so, I would love to read about it. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

A simple weekend

2011-09-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

Life is crazy these days.

The simple things are what makes it all worth it.

Lounging poolside with friends.

Hamburgers right off the grill.

Long phone conversations with good friends.

A new book that has sucked me in with the very first page.

Cooking with my girl.

The beginning of football season.

Etsy orders being shipped out.

Yep, this weekend we are keeping things simple. Focusing on getting back into routine and sweet-talking fall into coming a little bit earlier.

What are yall up to this weekend?

How do you measure true friendship?

2011-08-31T15:30:00.001-05:00

For me, there is a categorical system... You have your acquaintance friends, your going-out-on-the-town-friends, your work friends and so forth.

But the top, top tier of friendship are those friends that you show up on their doorstep when all hell is breaking loose and they willingly let you in. Not only that, but they also feed you, let you sleep in their bed, take care of your sniffling baby, know when to refill your wine glass, listen to you as you cry about your troubles, help recharge your batteries and make you laugh so much that your face hurts. You walk away feeling whole again. Yes, that is indeed the top tier of friendship.

And David and I are crazy lucky because we have hit the jackpot over and over again when it comes to top tier friendship. We have a long list of friends to turn to when those "oh crap" moments happen in life. That top tier friendship theory was tested this past week when we went to see our friends, Amanda and BJ.

There is really no other way to say it except to say that the last few weeks have been exceptionally hard on a lot of different fronts. And last week was especially crappy. I lost a pregnancy. This little being that we loved so much but would never have a chance to meet. Our one big fat silver lining that kept us smiling through our troubles slipped away from us and we were devastated. Truth be told, we still are.

With heavy hearts and tired bodies, we boarded a plane for Mobile, Alabama to go see our friends. The trip had been planned for a while. And with this recent news, we had thoughts about cancelling it. But after much discussion, we knew that we needed this trip more than ever. If for no other reason than to just escape from reality for a while.

And escape we did!

On Saturday, Amanda and I had the most blissful couple of hours all by ourselves on the beach while the dads and kids were napping. It was awesome. While sitting there, I told her my theory that the ocean washes all your troubles away and that I was in desperate need of a good scrubbing. Well, the ocean had a field day with me this trip.

But I also think that the good conversation, yummy food, and bit too much wine helped a lot too.

Thank you so much Amanda and BJ. Yall are truly a blessing and I feel lucky to know you.

We're back!

2011-08-30T12:47:00.000-05:00

As I type this half-emptied suitcases, toys, coffee cups, books, and loads of laundry are piled up all around my house and are starting to gang up together to create a massive jungle gym reminiscent of the TV show Wipeout.

Can't talk too long for fear that one of those laundry piles might take Little B hostage. And as much as she would not mind, wearing dirty, sandy bathing suit bottoms on your head is frowned upon in this house.

But I will say that we had the most amazing time. Our vacation brought us home happy, exhausted, and with a few more freckles. More details later this week.

Live life like you mean it

2011-08-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Taking a little break... but not for too long. Just for a few days. To catch my breath. Put my feet in some sand. Drink some wine. Catch up with old friends. Snuggle with babies. This break will be good for my soul. I am going to go live life like I mean it.

via

We will catch up soon enough... in a few days. Until then, have fun and live life like you mean it.

From my bookshelf: Unbroken

2011-08-24T09:58:00.002-05:00

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A few weeks back, I read the book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand (author of Seabiscuit). This was a book club pick and everyone was super excited that it was chosen. Who knew that our little group could be so excited about a biography!

Unbroken is the biography of Louis Zamperini. Zamp is best known as a runner who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as the youngest US athlete to make the team. But what makes his life even more extraordinary is what he went on to do when WWII broke out... joining the military, a plane crash, 47 days lost at sea, battles with sharks, enduring the abuse as a Japanese prisoner of war, and listed as dead by the US military. All of that, kind of makes the running look easy.

His insane, harrowing story of survival is incredible. I will admit, that the details of torture when Zamp was in the prisoner of war camps were difficult to read. Even though I knew that Zamp survives, I could not put this book down for I needed to know HOW he survived.

I am so impressed with this man and I wonder what made him so special that he was able to persevere when so many others could not. Was it his positivity, courage, intelligence, mischievous ways, pure spite?

This book is a keeper. The story of human survival is amazing. I learned so much more about the Japanese and their history and culture. And like all good books these days, rumor has it that Universal Studios has bought the rights to make a movie. So hurry up and read the book before the movie comes out.

Letting go and jumping in

2011-08-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

Today I took Little B to her first day at school. Well, actually it is more of mother's day out. But she calls it school. And it feels like a milestone.

My little baby is growing up. Today she is learning her numbers and yet it seems like tomorrow she will be learning how to drive.

Her first day of school was harder for me than it was for her. She skipped with happiness, with her new Elmo backpack on and her hand in mine, as we opened the door to greet her teacher, Mrs. Tanya. And with one last look over her shoulder at me and a quick "bye mama", she was off to do all the wonderous things that one does in school. Little Miss Independent... just like her mama.

This week has been tough for me with a lot of rawness to it. And the theme of it is all about letting go. Letting go of a dream that just isn't going to happen (at least not right now). Letting go of your little one's hand as she goes to school. Saying goodbye to someone that you are not quite ready to. Letting go of expectations of what you want your life to be in order to appreciate the life that you currently have.

Slowly but surely, I will get there. I will let go.

Eventually I will put away the worries and stress and feelings of vulnerability to focus on the reality of today. Because today is beautiful. My beautiful girl with her confident smile as she goes in to meet her new friends. My amazing friends and family that just get me and know what I need before I even do. My husband who holds my hand through all my crazy life adventures.

Any person that lives life like they mean it will stumble. And when that happens it is hard not to look at this world and be overcome by the fragility of it all. But part of living life like you mean it is that after you have a little breather on the side lines to lick your wounds, you get back up and jump back in. That is just what you do.

Maybe that is why I am so proud of my girl today. No standing on the side lines for her. No way. She just jumped right in.

Here's to jumping right in.

Weekending

2011-08-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

Ice Cream!

Goodies for the Etsy shop

"Elmo Backpack" is the mandatory accessory that must accompany us everywhere

From my kitchen: Homemade Taco Seasoning

2011-08-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

Last night, I had such a craving for tacos in a bad, bad way. So bad, that if I did not eat them for dinner that night, I would most likely be spending the rest of the night thinking about it instead of sleeping.

I had all the major ingredients on hand... ground turkey meat, taco shells, tomatoes, salsa, cheese. But I was missing one crucial piece - taco seasoning. Doh!

No worries, I would just mix up the spices on my own. The result was good. All the spices I used were stuff that I already had in the pantry and I feel good knowing that were no unwanted extras (MSG, sodium, etc) that you often find in the store bought stuff. And really, it takes less that 3 minutes to blend everything together.

No need to buy packets ever again! Woohoo!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp paprika

3 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and you are done!

City Mouse... Country Mouse...

2011-08-17T11:21:00.001-05:00

... which one am I?

I get so confused. Like my mind is in this stagnant no-man's land of indecision.

Growing up I lived in a typical suburb right outside of Dallas. Houses side by side with green, manicured lawns that you ran across at Halloween going door to door. 5 different grocery stores all within 5 minutes from your doorstep. So many restaurants so close... you just had to choose your craving. My high school was huge. I graduated with 1200 other teenage souls.

I could not wait to get out and leave that suburb in the dust. I went to Texas A&M for college. I think part of me imagined that it would be the country life that I had always wanted to experience. And while College Station may be a small town, A&M is huge sprawling campus with over 43,000 students. So while my wide open spaces were a bit closer and there were definitely a lot more horses hanging around, A&M might as well have been a city in itself.

Fast forward since then, I have lived in Dallas, Houston, and now Austin... all within the city limits. Dallas I did not like so much... too much concrete jungle, not enough green. In Houston we lived inside the loop just outside of downtown. It was surprisingly very green, but also very humid. And we had to drive at least an hour to find wide open space. Now Austin I love. Well, at least I used to.

When David and I moved to Austin in 2003, we were in heaven. Austin's vibe is less big city and more small town with a lot of people. The slogan is "Keep Austin Weird". And that translates into supporting local shops, restaurants, farms, etc. So you used to not see very many chains here. It was nice. And then you add the gorgeous lakes, hills, and green, it just makes it that much better. Wide open spaces are easy to find. Town Lake is right in the middle of the city. Pace Bend Park, one of our favorite camping spots, is less than 30 minutes away. It is awesome.

But Austin is changing. The downtown that used to be so quirky and fun is starting to look more like Dallas and Houston with its condos and high rise buildings. Big companies are buying out the little ones. And with this drought, nothing is green right now. The Austin American Statesman (the local paper) had an article saying that with the changing weather pattern and the influx of people moving to Austin, the water supply can not handle the changes. And therefore, Austin will become more of an arid climate and landscape. Not good.

So while I love that I can get farm vegetables delivered to my house, that the library is right around the corner and that Target is less than 5 minutes away when we have an emergency diaper shortage, I am back to my life long dilemma.

I like the idea of living somewhere smaller. Having lots of space with plenty of sun to grow my dream vegetable garden. Letting Little B run wild in the yard without worrying about fast cars or weird people walking down the street. I like the idea of being able to go to a festival/football game/fair/Saturday date night and not have to deal with 1 million out-of-towners that have descended upon the city. And most of all, I want Little B to know all the people in her school. No introducing yourself to the person next to you at graduation.

But would I miss the convenience? Would I get lonely? What if the library sucks? I am sure there are drawbacks that I don't know about.

So I am back at my question... City mouse? ... Country mouse?

Fort building at its finest

2011-08-16T19:26:00.000-05:00

Little B had a friend over the other day. And since playing outside is not option right now, we did the next best thing.

From my kitchen: Cinnamon Salt Brownies

2011-08-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

My dad's birthday is today. And while I could get him a book, or a shirt, or crazy flux-capacitor type thing for his computers, I know the real way to his heart is with food. Really, I should be more specific... let's be honest here. The way to my dad's heart is with dessert. Oooey-gooey, lick-your-fingers-good dessert. So knowing that, Little B and I will be making Cinnamon Salt Brownies just for him.

These are so good. The first time I made them, my husband and I ate all of them in one evening. Don't get all judgey on me! Because if you make them, that may soon be you sitting on the couch with a fork in hand while you scrape every last brownie bit out of the pan.

But I promise you, these brownies are worth every extra lap that you have to run in order to eat them. So in honor of my dad's birthday today, I give you Cinnamon Salt Brownies.

Cinnamon Salt Brownies

adapted from smitten kitchen

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and place in the microwave, cooking in 30 second increments as not to over cook. Stir after each 30 seconds. Cook until butter is melted, and ingredients are well combined--it looks fairly gritty at this point, but it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added. If you don't have a microwave, a double boiler will work just the same.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes.

Dig in with a fork.....or if you are patient, let cool completely on a rack and then lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Happy birthday dad!!!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-08-15T13:10:00.001-05:00

Monday: Dinner with my girl, Pansy!
Tuesday: Slow cooker round steak with wheat berry salad
Wednesday: Cajun chicken salad
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Spaghetti

82 degrees

2011-08-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

This week was a brutal one. It was one of those weeks when everything that could go wrong did go wrong - expensive car issues, scary doctor visit (everything turned out ok), crazy work stuff, ridiculous electric bills, temper tantrums, cooking failures, etc. Stress levels were at an all time high. Both David and I had hit our limit of BS on Wednesday... that makes for a very long week.

My typical MO during times like this is to lace up the running shoes and run until I had either mentally worked myself back to happiness and/or a solution to our woes or I was too worn out running to care about whatever problems were previously bothering me. If you follow this blog at all, you know how frustrated I am with this intense, record-breaking heat wave and drought that we are having in Texas. It is seriously affecting my coping mechanism of running. It is just too dang hot. The ERs are full of people dealing with heat stroke and I don't want to be one of them. So for now, running is out of the question.

As this week dealt us blow after blow, I whispered a prayer with each one. I wasn't specific about my request, I just asked for something positive, big or small to come our way. Something that I could shift my focus to when all hell was breaking loose on other fronts.

Well, I got a little bit of that request delivered today.

When I woke up, the sky was overcast... teasing of rain, but I know better than to get my hopes up. But it did block out the relentless sun pounding down. And with that it was a cool 82 degrees at 8:00 this morning. Ha! Actually it was more like a sticky, humid 82 degrees... but still 82 degrees is nothing to balk at these days.

So while David and Little B headed off to swim lessons, I pulled my running shoes out from the depths of my closet and put them on. Armed with nothing but my ipod, I hit the pavement. At first my muscles were in a state of shock wondering what the heck I was doing to them. But after a block, the rhythm of my feet hitting the pavement was good. That old familiar sound I had not heard in a while was music to my ears.

Now I only ran 30 minutes and I was drenched in sweat when I got back to the house. But I didn't care. It was a good run if for no other reason than to show me that I still got it.

I didn't solve all of our problems on this morning's run, but I did get a preview of better times to come. And that gives me hope. Fall is right around the corner. The season of silver linings. To me fall is all about crisp morning runs, pumpkins on the porch, cute boots, vanilla candles, sipping coffee on the patio, roasted root vegetables, and playing outside all day long.

Now I would not be against God sending a few more positive things my way, but I am sure am thankful for my run this morning.

This is how you get your kids to eat their vegetables

2011-08-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

You try to take a picture of the vegetables.

She helped me pick them this morning from the garden and therefore fully believes that they solely belong to her. I understand. I get territorial around tomatoes too.

diy: Best Ever Bubble Potion

2011-08-11T08:29:00.002-05:00

It all started with a jar.

I was recently at a thrift store and came across the most amazing glass jar that had a spicket/dispenser at the bottom. It was one of those old school containers that have thick glass and look like something that you would fill with iced tea and put on table next to a porch swing (sigh, someday I will have a fabulous porch swing). Anyways, this beauty of jar was pleading with me to take it home. And for $1, I did just that.

But what to put in it? Iced tea... maybe, but then it would just sit in the fridge. Little B's art supplies... no. And then the idea came to me. Something that would make my little one dance her happy dance every time she saw it... Bubble Potion!

So I whipped up a batch of Bubble Potion and put it in the jar. I think it looks nice (though that is just a temporary label until I think of something better) and no more messy bubble residue all over everything.

This Bubble Potion beats anything you will find in the stores. And you most likely already have all of the ingredients. I swear it makes the BEST BUBBLES EVER! And yes, that statement has been confirmed by my almost-2-year-old Bubble Expert.

Bubble Potion

1-1/2 quarts of water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup liquid dish soap

Mix the water and corn syrup first until well blended. Then slowly stir in the soap. This concoction will last several weeks in an airtight container.

And as a side note, this is my favorite gift to take to little kids' birthday parties. Just put some bubble potion in a cute jar and put it with one of those bubble wands that you find in Target dollar bin. It is inexpensive and a sure-fire winner. I have yet to meet a kid that does not like bubbles.

Happy bubble-making!

From my kitchen: Cajun Chicken Salad

2011-08-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to not turn on the oven during this heat wave, we have been purchasing a lot of rotisserie chickens. But there are only so many chicken sandwiches a girl can eat. This is where Cajun Chicken Salad comes in.

It is so easy to make. You can eat it on bread, on lettuce, on a cracker or directly off the spoon. I don't judge. It is that good!

Cajun Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 red onion, diced

1 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 cups mayo

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard

1-2 splashes of apple cider vinegar

1 cup chopped cilantro

3 tbsp smoked paprika

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Pile all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix. Rotisserie chickens can vary so much with their own seasoning. So make sure you taste it as you go along and increase/decrease the spices according to what you like. You like it a little spicier, then add more red pepper flakes. Hate cilantro, then replace with basil.

I love the flexibility of this dish. I love the amazing color - The paprika gives it that amazing, delicious orange while the onion and cilantro provide a pop of purple and green.

I often eat it for lunch because it is quick to just grab out of the fridge. But you could also serve this as an appetizer or main course.

I promise you. If you make this dish, it will not last long.

CSA

2011-08-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

Scenes from the weekend

2011-08-09T14:42:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary to my parents

2011-08-09T13:05:00.002-05:00

36 years together. That is awesome!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-08-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

My goal is to not turn on the oven at all this week. With temps forecasted to hit 108, 110, and 112, "Oven" has become a dirty four letter word. So that translates to lots of grillin' this week.

Monday: Rosemary pork chops and grilled peaches
Tuesday: Beet, basil, and goat cheese pizza - a twist on this pizza
Wednesday: Turkey sliders and sweet potato fries
Thursday: Grilled trout with goat cheese stuffed poblanos
Friday: Wheat berry salad mixed with feta, swiss chard, tomatoes, and summer squash

Do you have your own version of Meal Planning Mondays? If so, I would love to read about it. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

Happy Friday

2011-08-05T13:29:00.002-05:00

This is going to be a quick post as Little B has just learned how to open doors... all of them... including the front door. So there will be an emergency trip to Target to purchase child-proof door knob covers. And then I am off to hang with my girls later this evening.

So in order to kick this weekend off right, I leave you with this cute YouTube video.

David's brother has a bulldog named Amos that looks a lot like this one. Little B calls him "Pig" - which I find hilarious. Anyways, Oscar, if you are reading, what do you think about getting a trampoline for the backyard? I think Amos (aka Pig) would love it!

Hummus is the new peanut butter

2011-08-05T13:16:00.001-05:00

According to Women's Health magazine, "hummus is the new peanut butter."

Ummm... Yeah! I have only been saying that my whole life. I am such a trend setter on this one.

What I am loving...

2011-08-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I am struggling with this post today.

I am having a hard time focusing on things that bring me joy. Instead my mind is constantly frustrated with this no-end-in-sight heat wave and drought, the talk of rolling "brown-outs" (aka planned blackouts) to deal with the overload on the electricity grid, Little B's ongoing sleep strike and early appearance of the terrible twos, my crickety, sore shoulders from sleeping in a bed that is not mine and a few other private family things.

All in all, I am cranky.

But I think that when life gets like this, it is even more important to focus on the positive, even though it may be harder to find. So here goes nothing!

I am loving...

:: Rotisserie chicken from the store - the perfect convenience food to feed the entire family without turning on the oven. Amen!

:: The latest Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood book, Dead Reckoning. Nothing like trashy vampire fiction set in hot Louisiana to make this girl smile.

:: It is good to be home. We were in New Braunfels at my parents house for a full week. And while it was wonderful spending most of our time in a pool that has the most breathtaking view of the Texas Hill Country, I am very happy to be home, sleeping in my own bed and getting back to a routine of sorts.

:: Book club is tonight. We are talking about the book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Wine, good company, intelligent adult conversation - yes, please!

:: My gang of girls is coming in town tomorrow to celebrate 2 birthdays. We are all so tired we will probably just end up on someone's couch drinking wine... and that sounds like heaven. This group of girls can cheer me up like nothing else. This photo is missing a few faces from the gang. I will have to work on remedying that this weekend.

:: My sweet husband who gets me. He knows, often before I do, when I have reached my limit and is always there to step in and take over so that I can catch my breath.

I am all about sharing in each others happiness. I think happiness can be contagious. So spread the happiness virus and tell me what is making you happy this week.

Happy Birthday to Mark!

2011-08-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother, Mark's, birthday!

Mark is the one on the left with the crazy sunburn. The one on the right is Steven, the youngest. I have no idea why he is flashing a gang sign. Probably to be funny.

Anyways... happy birthday Mark! Hope it is a good one!

Today...

2011-08-02T11:43:00.003-05:00

Today...

I shipped out my very first international Etsy order! To Hong Kong! And the order was for 2 hair clips! I feel so worldly. It is kind of like the feeling you get when your passport is stamped. Thank you to everyone who has hit up my shop the past few days!

Little B and I got all ready to go to the pool - sunscreen was applied, swim diapers put on, cold water and snacks packed - only to get there and find out that it was closed. Groan! And almost 2 year old does not understand the term "pool maintenance". She was pissed. And so was I. It is supposed to be 105 today. There is nothing else to do but be in the pool. So I did what any other mother would do in the situation, I told her that we were going to go to a better pool. Then I took her home, put her in the big bathtub with fancy jets, turned on the bubbles, gave her her pool toys and told her that we were going swimming. She was happy and I did not have to endure a toddler meltdown. Whew! Close call.

We are still eating (and loving) our homemade yogurt. I have figured out that a gallon's worth of milk will last us about 3-4 weeks. I can make yogurt once a month. So easy! Some of our favorite ways to eat it:

Mixed with a spoonful (or 2) of homemade jam (strawberry vanilla is the current favorite)
Topped with granola and berries
In smoothies
With peaches and a drizzle of honey

via

And while we are still on the subject of food. I am craving ooey-gooey chocolate. Specifically, I am craving this chocolate in the form of cupcakes. Now, I am not a huge cake fan. Icing, yes. Cake, no. But if you make the cupcake really ooey-gooey and then pile on delicious icing... well, that is a cake that I can believe in. I think it all comes down to the icing/cake ratio. I might just have to break down this afternoon and make some. I am sure that my husband would not mind in the slightest if he walked in to a plate of cupcakes on the table.

While I type this, Little B is running around with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She is so busy looking at her pseudo-cape billow out behind her that she keeps running into things. This makes me realize 2 things:

I think my girl is ready for her first real cape... such a rite of passage. Maybe I will make one for her. Something with awesome, obnoxious colors, but no pink and good billowing capacity.
A proper cape running space must be set up. While a few cuts and bruises make most super heroes look more distinguished. I would prefer my little girl to keep a non-distinguished look about her

So what are you up to this Tuesday?

Friday Randomness

2011-07-29T14:13:00.001-05:00

Crazy week! But filled with good things.

Went to Ft. Worth to hug on a baby. Little B was smitten with her new cousin, Isabel. She fussed all over her the entire time we were there. It was cute... until she realized that Baby Isabel was not coming home with us. That made for a very long 3 hour drive back home. Whew... I think I still have a nervous tick from that drive.

Breakfast date with my friend, Pansy, to celebrate her birthday. Sitting in PJs, homemade cinnamon rolls, coffee, kids running wild = perfect. It is a top tier friend that you can sit around with crazy-ass bed head and still feel all sassy-like while your toddler picks her nose and you don't even care. Pansy, you are one in a million.

A few days chilling in New Braunfels with the parents. David is building a beautiful custom house for one of his clients down here. So it makes his commute pretty nice compared to that drive from Austin.

I have finally figured out 2 eggplant recipes that I actually like - Fried eggplant and baba ganoush. These recipe discoveries are good considering how much I really hated eggplant and that we currently have a lot of it. Fried eggplant... do I really need to explain that? It is fried. Fried = Delicious. The baba ganoush recipe came from this cookbook - The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl . I love the Pioneer Woman so much. And by love I mean that I want to move next door to her and be that neighbor that drops in from time to time to have great conversation and eat amazing food. Any woman that can convert me from an official eggplant hater to an eggplant ~~lover~~ liker should get some sort of trophy or something. The recipe for the cinnamon rolls also came from her. Yes, I have a serious girl crush. You should check out her cookbook. You'll be crushing too.

Started this workout routine the other day... ChaLEAN EXTREME Workout DVD Program: Burn Fat, Boost Your Metabolism & Get Lean Yeh, it is pretty much kicking my butt... or more specifically my arms and pecs. I can barely open the fridge. It hurts so bad but in such an oh so good way. And the best part is that it is efficient. I think the longest workout is 45 minutes. I can do that during naptime! Perfect.

Speaking of working out... I miss running. It is just too dang hot. And I don't do treadmills. I feel like a mouse on one of those mouse cage/running things. I am ready for this summer to be done. I am ready for jeans weather and afternoon playground trips and drinking hot coffee on the back porch without breaking a sweat.

Whew.. I can't end on that note. That is just too depressing. What else? Something fun?... Oh yes! My girls are coming in town in a week. I live for these kinds of weekends. There are 6 of us that have been friends since I started this book club back in 2005 or so. Well, actually I have known all of them for longer than that. But they all became friends when I pulled together this book club. I love it when we get together. We are all so different, but that is what makes us work. We celebrate our quirks and admire each other for our differences. That weekend is going to be awesome. Just what I need.

Happy Weekend!!!

What did you love about this week??

Hit me with a hurricane

2011-07-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

For those of yall that aren't from around here (Texas), let me fill you in on a little problem we are having down here. And by little, I mean HUGE.

For at least the past 3 years, Texas has been in a wicked, wicked drought. It is worse than anything I have experienced in my lifetime. Wells are going dry. Crops are dying. Everything is brown. Everyone is on extreme water rations. Summers are unbearable. Triple digit heat used to be only in August. Now it goes from May to September. Morale is pretty low as it is affecting everyone.

It is crazy to me that my little girl has never experienced a full blown Texas-style thunderstorm in her life... and she will be 2 in September. And let me tell you, there are very few things to do comfortably with a toddler when it gets this hot. We are all experiencing some severe cabin fever.

In Austin, all of the lake boat ramps, except one, are closed due to lack of water. And this is a city that loves its lakes.

The weatherman likes to joke that it would take 3-4 hurricanes sitting directly on top of Texas and camping out for a week to bring us back up to normal water levels.

And now as an answer to many collective prayers, we may just get our wish in the form of Tropical Storm Don. We are hoping that Don likes Texas so much that he will tell all of his friends and they will want to come for a visit too. Here's hoping!

So in an effort to lure Don to Texas, everyone make a lot of outdoor plans this weekend. Isn't that how this stuff usually works anyways? Weather always comes when you don't want it to. And if anyone knows about good rain dances, let's do some of those too just for good measure.

I promise you that if rain starts falling from the sky, there will be a lot of deliriously happy people outside dancing in it... and I will for sure be one of them.

So everyone... repeat after me, "HIT ME WITH A HURRICANE!"