happy friday

Source: printpattern.blogspot.com via Gioconda on Pinterest

have a great weekend!

sweets:: cookies

this weekend i made two batches of cookies for a friend's get together.  i had most of the ingredients on hand so these were easy to pull together at the last minute.

oatmeal toffee cookies
i knew i wanted something that was "healthier" and i am a sucker for anything toffee.  found this recipe on the cooking light website.  they were thin, and crispy with just the right amount of sweetness.  i should have made 2 batches, they went so fast.

ultimate chocolate chip cookies
then i went with a traditional chocolate chip cookie that came out so good.  i cooked them just past done to give them a crisper texture.  i like crispy over chewy and underdone.  basic recipe but who doesn't love a great chocolate chip cookie.

speaking of sweets, saturday we celebrated a friend's birthday at a local italian restaurant.  after dinner we went to henry's hat on ventura for dessert, a strawberry and basil gimlet and a friendly game of yahtzee.

we ordered the s'mores.  everyone got to put together their own little treat and roast marshmallows right at the table.  we are definitely coming back to try the warm chocolate and nutella bread pudding!  can't wait.

have a sweet day!

quiet moment

sometimes this is the only quiet i will know in the day.
before the chaos.
the business of life.
the needs that must be met.
the stillness of this moment will energize me for hours.
i can breathe
and think
and plan.
it is never wasted.
and it is always good.
it is brief.
it doesn't carry burdens.
or judgments.
or things gone wrong.
it is bright.
hopeful.
and filled with possibility.
and then it's over.
that quiet little moment.

weekly menu:: week 6

still in a bit of a food coma today.  a good food coma.

making this week:

monday: rustic chicken minestrone

tuesday: almond crusted chicken fingers,  couscous, brussel sprouts

wednesday: pasta with italian chicken sausage

thursday: bbq salmon, sweet potato, apple slaw

friday: pizza? maybe something different

saturday: school gala

sunday: eat out

baking this week:

i made cookies last week.  this week i am thinking something healthy.  haven't had a chance to look for a recipe yet.  i'll share once i find something.  and the recipe for the cookies i made too.  

  

happy list:: 04

it's time for another one.

the happy list

1. our new "mantle"

we don't have a fireplace but we did put up a shelf over the tv to decorate.  this month it's all about valentine's day.  items from target $ bin and ralph's supermarket.  it's just missing a big bouquet of flowers in the middle...

2. jordan's first free throw

ever.  had to get a picture of that.  i thought about keeping you guessing if the ball went in the basket but i figured the grandparents would want to know. it didn't.  but it was close.

3. perfectly imperfect

i'm getting the hang of it.  making lots of mistakes.  i took it all apart once already.  now i'm just going with it trying to even out my knitting with each row.  love this yarn and my bamboo needles.  i'm already making plans to try an infinity scarf.  maybe something like this.

4. fantasy football plaque

my plate came in just in time for the game on sunday.  do you mind if i bring it to the superbowl party?

5. fossil camera wallet
what?! yes, please and thank you!

have a great weekend. 

currents:: 2/2/12

time: 7:47am
place: home
eating: nothing.
drinking: coffee with caramel macchiato creamer.
feeling: relaxed. the first day in a long time that i haven't taken the kids to school.
reading: catching fire.  not at this second, but at this time. want to finish it so bad.
thinking: i should leave soon to get to zumba on time.
creating: a scarf that will be perfectly imperfect.
hoping: to meet my friend for lunch today.
needing: to get a dress for the gala next week.
wishing: i could spend the day working on my project life album.

are we ready for six more weeks of winter?  with a forecast of 74 degrees today and tomorrow, we are.

happy groundhogs day!

on goals in 2012

HAPPINESS

is when what you think,

what you say,

and what you do

are in HARMONY.

-Ghandi

so it's been a bit of a mess around here lately.  working on so many things at the same time while still trying to maintain a somewhat decent household, having clothes for the kids to wear to school every morning (notice how i didn't say clean clothes), and providing something for us to eat everyday.  it's a juggling act for sure.

but the mission project was delivered, and he is so proud of it.  the meetings are getting a little easier.  the gala is just 2 weeks away.  and baseball hasn't gone full time yet.  we are surviving.

i wanted to share a little bit about goals for this year.

i decided last year that although setting goals at the beginning of the month was a great challenge and i looked forward to it, it did make me feel a bit foolish at the end of the month.  maybe a bit defeated.  it's hard to set new goals when you don't feel like you've accomplished the goals you set in the past.  does that make sense?

i didn't beat myself up for not accomplishing them, and i did do a lot last year, but i didn't find setting the goals as fulfilling as i thought i  would.

i don't want to focus on the things that i didn't do.  instead i want to focus on the things that i did do.

so this year i simply asked myself this question...
at the end of the year what do i want to have accomplished that will make me happy?

here's what i came up with:
1. that i read more.  i'm a slow reader and that's ok.  i just don't want to make it an occasional thing i do.  i want to read more often, more regularly.  i'm working on the hunger game series right now and i'm addicted. so reading is easy.  putting the book down is more of a problem.

2. that i put things in order.  ugh.  this is a hard one.  clean closets, drawers, purging unwanted and unneeded items, going clutterless, maybe not free, but less.  we've been working on it.  part of the task is not just getting rid of stuff but maintaining it that way.

3. that i challenged myself physically.  i've been consistently going to the gym since september and i feel great.  as a result i've lost some weight and feel strong.  but i've been doing the same program.  zumba, yoga, cycling, running.  i love it all and i don't want to lose any of that but i do want to change it up.  i started going to a new cycling instructor that i love.  that change was enough to make it exciting and challenging.  i committed myself to training for a half marathon in may.  i may regret putting this out there so publicly, no backing out right?  but it's something i've always wanted to do and even if i only do it once in my life i'm crossing it off my todo list this year.  it will be in may in santa ynez.  nervous and excited to take this new challenge on.

4. that i explored other creative avenues.  photography and paper arts are my passion.  but i want to sew something, paint something, build something.  one of the things i have always wanted to do is learn how to knit.  so last week i bought a skein of yarn and two needles and i sat with the ipad to look up videos on you tube and i taught myself to knit.  basic garter stitch and i'm working on a scarf so nothing fancy.  it's turning out kind of wonky, but i love it.  everything about it.  watching the scarf grow, learning from stitch to stitch and row to row.  no thoughts of knitting a sweater, but you never know.

5. that i dealt with stuff right away.  not letting things fester.  not letting things go past their due date.  being on top of projects and appointments and time sensitive material.  i'm not looking forward to this but i really want to change in this area.  i find that it lifts a huge weight off my shoulders. done and move on.

6. that my blog grew.  not so much in readers or members, although that would be nice.  i'm ready to grow this into something more meaningful, more creative, more valuable, more emotional.  this blog has always been a personal project for me.  an exercise in writing and photography.  i want my blog to reflect the growth that we as a family have had and that i personally have had. if i add a few more subscribers because of that, well that would make me happy too.

i expect my list to change.  i know i will add things. and that is exciting.  it's a work in progress.

happy february.