Favorite Jeans

I'm like your favorite pair of jeans. You wear the hell out of them. But at some point, with all of the fading and holes, you literally can't wear them anymore. They're still your favorite pair of jeans. But you need wearable jeans. You need new jeans. But you can't bear to part with the old pair of jeans. So, although you can no longer wear them- you feel like you want to keep them, you need to keep them. You have so many memories wearing these jeans. So you put them in a box. But I don't want to sit in a box.

Written in 2012

A. and I dated for 11 months before we were married. Less than a month after that we found out I was pregnant. I had no idea what I was in for. What we were in for. I pretty much took the pregnancy test on a whim. I just felt different, but then again, I was just weeks into my marriage with a guy I didn't really know, but was sure I really loved. We were young, naive, and knew we had things to work out but thought it could be done together. Who knew a babe was going to speed up the whole process.
Jackie says to me 'you are the cutest mom ever' and it melts my heart. Just like Cash's baby hands reaching for me melts my heart. And Miss G requesting a 'kiss on the cheek' kiss melts my heart. Who would have thought.

Hurried Life

So it has been about two years since I've written anything on this blog. I want to keep up with it more as a log of daily life. Hmm, maybe blog is a derivative of log.... Anyway, it's weird how the day to day frenzied life can sometimes feel so heavy and hard, but then looking back it all went by so fast. I know it's so cliche, but it's so true.

Jackie is now eight. He is my old soul and my golden child. He's always felt like an equal to me, even as a babe. He loves hockey and football and is actually getting very good at both. The hockey season has just started again and he is sooo much fun to watch. I had no idea how fulfilling it would feel to see him do so well on the ice. Like I have anything to do with his skills. I will get some ice photos on the blog soon.

Miss G is the same sass as always. She has a unique style that is every bit her own. At her last school conferences the teacher told me how everyday they look forward to see what she will be wearing that day. I thought that was so cute. I used to try to regulate what she wore a little bit, but after what her teacher had said I am trying to let her be her own tiny, offbeat, individual self a little more. She is so sweet too. She even hugs the bus driver when she gets on the bus. Who does that?! Little Miss G.

And my Cash baby. He is still that. My baby. He will be four next month but is somehow the boss of us all. He is so smart. He asked me today what 'socialize' means. How does he pick up on a word like that? I am trying to give him full honest answers for every little question to fill his brilliant growing brain. And he is so funny. He can have all five of us rolling with laughter at the dinner table.

And of course, as I sit here typing at work, all I can think of is that I work too much. That I don't get enough of them. That I don't appreciate them enough when I do feel like I get enough of them. I yell too much. I don't listen enough. I love them beyond measure, but do they know this? They will get extra kisses when I get home tonight. Too hurried is this darling life of ours.

"I'm sooo excited to go up to the cabin tonight, because the cabin has brinoculars!" -Miss G

Autumn Pear Crisp

It's so chilly, rainy, and icy today. Little whirlwinds of light snow sweeping the ground. I must bake.

Mmmm.... pear crisp. Like apple crisp, but with pears. I had five pears that needed to be eaten or used up. They were such nice looking gems that could not be thrown away. I found an apple crisp recipe online, and changed it to my liking (and ingredient availability). Oh so easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy.

Autumn Pear Crisp

5 pears, peeled and cut up
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teas. cinnamon
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon (again)
1/2 cup butter, softened

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease (pie-sized) pan.

2) Put pears pieces into pan. Pour maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon over pears. Toss mixture.

3) In another bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbled. Crumble over top of pear mixture.

4) Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping is nicely golden browned. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Or just eat it from the pan like I did. Enjoy in front of a window, watching leaves or snow fall.

Serves 6

Sarum Missal

God be in my head,
And in my understanding;
God be in my eyes,
And in my looking;
God be in my mouth,
And in my speaking;
God be in my heart,
And in my thinking;
God be at my end,
And at my departing.
~Sarum Missal

Roasted Broccoli Bliss

I'm not exaggerating. This is one of the best (and easiest) snacks I have ever consumed. I'm not a fan of cooking either, ask everyone I know.

INGREDIENTS:
Head of Broccoli, cut up into bit-sized pieces
Olive Oil (just enough to coat broccoli)
Sea Salt (or any salt if you don't want to be fancy like me)
Black Pepper
Diced Garlic (more or less)
Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and thoroughly dry broccoli. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Lay flat in a baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and turn broccoli over, so it browns evenly. This part will be hard because it smells so good, but put back in the over for 15 more minutes. Take out of oven and toss with a bit of parmesan cheese. Eat. Say "mmm!" outloud.

TIPS:
The more you brown or caramelize the broccoli, the better it tastes
After baking, lay on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil
This same recipe works with cauliflower as well, just bake at a lower temp (375) and for a bit longer, since it is a more dense veggie

"Happy Golden Birthday"

A day late and a dollar short. Really, this could describe my life for the past five years. Andy turned 30 yesterday. On January 30. A golden birthday. Of course, all was recognized, homemade cards were given. But I worked. And we have three little pairs of feet running the house. We are planning on celebrating with his family on Saturday but it still seems he was a little cheated. Sooo to Andy- Happy Birthday Week! And thanks for our two lovely offspring (and one tiny clone of yourself).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
THE MAN OF MY DREAMS
THE GREAT LOVE OF MY LIFE
THE FUNNIEST PERSON I KNOW
-Love you the most

Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip!

A little bit of warm creamy heaven on a cold winter's day....

1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
2 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 1/2 teas minced garlic
1 can artichokes, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup mayo
2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in bowl and spread in a greased baking dish. Bake until top is bubbly and golden brown. Eat with toasted baguette, pita chips, or tortilla chips.

*This recipe makes a good amount for a gathering. Or else, it also tastes just as great reheated!

When Life Gives You Broken Candy Canes..... (Original Post: 12-8-11)

It's that time of year again! For overindulging and sugar highs. Grandma bought the kids three (3!) boxes of candy canes, of which about 1/2 were broken. Of course, I took this as a sign that I must use these in baking, since they were useless for hanging on the tree. I searched high and low and eventually found this wonderful recipe on pinterest, from a site called Your Homebased Mom, modified just a titch. I took Miss G and Jackie along for the ride while our Cash baby slumbered away. All around verdict: we will be making these again.

Candy Cane Cookies:

1 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
6 or 7 drops red food coloring
3 tsp. baking powder
3 1/2 cups flour
semi-sweet choc. chips
crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet (candy canes will stick otherwise).

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, and food coloring. Stir in baking powder and flour. Hand stir in desired amount of chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. Roll dough into balls, flatten and press into remaining crushed candy canes. Bake 9 minutes. Enjoy with fresh coffee. Or milk for the littles.

Sylvia: A Movie About Sylvia Plath

I did the hibitual paper on Syliva Plath back in high school. She has a lot to say but, her poetry is incredibly depressing. Though I quite enjoyed the movie, tears and all.

My Recommendation: See it







“Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.” ~ Sylvia Plath

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Relax. Be Patient. Pray. Look around. Life is so good. Let 'em make a mess. You can't make this stuff up.