I'm counting down the weeks until I don't have this baby inside me any longer. It's going by SO slow, yet...so fast. 11 weeks and counting. I think we're a little in denial that we're having a third one. At least I am anyways. There's no name picked out. There's no crib set up. There's no clothes ready for little babies to wear. There's no 30 meals packed away in the freezer for after she comes. I know I should get going on these things, but I don't seem to have the motivation to do it. The one good thing is that I've been treasuring these last few months (you know, after I stopped puking and all that) more with this baby then with the other two because this very well might be it and I won't have to be pregnant ever again. I can't say I'm going to miss a lot of the things that go along with pregnancy, but there are a few things--the kicking and the moving around--that remind me of what a miracle having a baby is.
J. had oral surgery on Friday. He had a tooth growing in the roof of his mouth, upside down that was putting pressure on his front teeth and causing them to misalign. The surgery only lasted about 20 minutes, but they had to put him out for it. It was really funny to watch him come out of it. He was a really good trooper though and didn't cry at all. Yesterday, when he woke up, his upper lip was really swollen. He looked a little like a Simpson's character. Wade took a picture to show him later on. It was kind of funny, but we tried not to laugh at him. He said he wasn't in any pain, so that's good. Good thing we had it done on Friday because he wouldn't have been able to go to school looking like that. We told him he could eat all the ice cream he wanted and he thought that was the greatest thing ever, but so far he hasn't wanted much.
Saturday, I'm "running" (read: waddling) my last 5k before baby comes. I've done this race every year since it started and I wasn't going to let no baby bump keep me from it this year. I'll be pushing my niece's wheelchair so her parents can run it. Last year, I raced my brother and lost by 15 seconds. I attribute it to the fact that his legs are twice as long as mine (or so it seems) because two months later, I beat him in our next race by over 2 minutes.
A. is such a girly girl, I can only pray that her sister will be less so. Wade took her to Princesses on Ice a few weeks ago. She still talks about it. He's a good dad because I said "uh-huh. No way" when he called about getting tickets. He says he was the only one there by himself with his daughter. She dressed up as Brave because that's her favorite princess (it's the red hair) and she looked adorable. One of these days, I'll upload all these pictures. I can't believe how big she's getting. She's playing video games and talking up a storm. She turns me into a princess at least once a day. Sometimes I'm a mermaid princess and can't use my feet. Luckily, she has a magic necklace that allows me to have my feet back. Who's kid is this?
We finally got our Christmas lights taken down...Thursday. In our defense, it's been a really cold winter and the roof has been covered with snow until about 3 weeks ago...but still. March 14? I finally dragged the ladder out myself and started on them. I had five separate people question whether I should be doing that in my condition, but no one came to offer assistance. I only used the ladder to climb two rungs and then I just tugged them down after that. Wade was in charge of the ones on the pitch lines on the roof.
There hasn't been much else going on. There are some big things happening in the next few months though. Arches, J's baptism, birthdays, babies. It should get pretty good here in a few weeks.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Our Newest Machine
Wade's work has some ridiculous perks. I mean, aside from 50 hour work weeks and meetings that stretch into eternity.
No...actual perks. Like 2 weeks paternity leave (I know! Apparently, this is pretty standard quo in places not named Utah), and 100% covered insurance (again, I know! This is SUCH a blessing after how much we shelled out for our miscarriage in 2011. I realize how ridiculous it is, in today's economy, to have a health plan that will cover everything. 100%. No co-pays. No deductibles. A modest premium deducted from the paycheck.) and lastly, a ridiculous reimbursement on health and exercise.
Sidenote: hey, let's count how many times I can write ridiculous in one post!
Wade's company will reimburse-to a certain dollar amount--the employee for exercise equipment and race entry fees and gym memberships and we were stupid and didn't take advantage of it last year. So this year, we cashed in and got a new treadmill.
I have gone on the record before about my hatred for the treadmill. It's a terrible torture machine. No matter how hard I try, I can never get above 45 minutes on it. I know people who have run double digit mileage on a treadmill. I just can't. I've tried everything to get my head out of the game enough to just run, but it's too hard.
But there are times when a treadmill comes in handy. Like all of winter for Wade, who doesn't run in the cold nor the snow, or when you oversleep and you still want to get in a workout for the day without the hassle of finding babysitters or waiting until nighttime when you're tired and less likely to do it.
The one we've been using for 7 years was okay. We got it off the classifieds and it's fit the bill. But, Wade has an unnaturally long gait and the deck was a little short so he always looked like he was going to fly off. Also, it wasn't the best one made for running, so it's had it's issues.
However, this new one is a feat of engineering. It has a touchscreen that connects to the Wifi and lets you read the news and play around on Facebook and whatever else you want. It can go to a ridiculous incline-15% and also down to a -3%. There's a wireless heart rate monitor. The best part though is that you can map out any route you want on Google Maps and download it to the machine and then it will show you a street view of where it's at (in sunlight with no snow on the ground!) and then the machine will actually change incline to match the route.
People, this is HUGE! I can now download my race courses into the treadmill and run the course beforehand without actually driving there.
This newest machine will join the basement brigade of a punching bag, bike trainer, captain's chair (pull ups and abdominal work) and a full weight bench, making our own little gym. All I need is one of those endless pools and I'd be set.
Oh, and maybe some motivation to actually try out the new treadmill. Seems like I can't seem to talk myself into doing anything other then stare at it in wonderment. Wade used it and he said it was really cool, and I watched for about 5 minutes. That still counts, right?
No...actual perks. Like 2 weeks paternity leave (I know! Apparently, this is pretty standard quo in places not named Utah), and 100% covered insurance (again, I know! This is SUCH a blessing after how much we shelled out for our miscarriage in 2011. I realize how ridiculous it is, in today's economy, to have a health plan that will cover everything. 100%. No co-pays. No deductibles. A modest premium deducted from the paycheck.) and lastly, a ridiculous reimbursement on health and exercise.
Sidenote: hey, let's count how many times I can write ridiculous in one post!
Wade's company will reimburse-to a certain dollar amount--the employee for exercise equipment and race entry fees and gym memberships and we were stupid and didn't take advantage of it last year. So this year, we cashed in and got a new treadmill.
I have gone on the record before about my hatred for the treadmill. It's a terrible torture machine. No matter how hard I try, I can never get above 45 minutes on it. I know people who have run double digit mileage on a treadmill. I just can't. I've tried everything to get my head out of the game enough to just run, but it's too hard.
But there are times when a treadmill comes in handy. Like all of winter for Wade, who doesn't run in the cold nor the snow, or when you oversleep and you still want to get in a workout for the day without the hassle of finding babysitters or waiting until nighttime when you're tired and less likely to do it.
The one we've been using for 7 years was okay. We got it off the classifieds and it's fit the bill. But, Wade has an unnaturally long gait and the deck was a little short so he always looked like he was going to fly off. Also, it wasn't the best one made for running, so it's had it's issues.
However, this new one is a feat of engineering. It has a touchscreen that connects to the Wifi and lets you read the news and play around on Facebook and whatever else you want. It can go to a ridiculous incline-15% and also down to a -3%. There's a wireless heart rate monitor. The best part though is that you can map out any route you want on Google Maps and download it to the machine and then it will show you a street view of where it's at (in sunlight with no snow on the ground!) and then the machine will actually change incline to match the route.
People, this is HUGE! I can now download my race courses into the treadmill and run the course beforehand without actually driving there.
This newest machine will join the basement brigade of a punching bag, bike trainer, captain's chair (pull ups and abdominal work) and a full weight bench, making our own little gym. All I need is one of those endless pools and I'd be set.
Oh, and maybe some motivation to actually try out the new treadmill. Seems like I can't seem to talk myself into doing anything other then stare at it in wonderment. Wade used it and he said it was really cool, and I watched for about 5 minutes. That still counts, right?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Lemon Chicken
Lemon Chicken
Source: foodnetwork.com
1 1/2 pounds chicken cut into chunks
1/4 C all purpose flour
Coarse salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 T white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 C chicken broth or stock
8 ounces (1 C) prepared lemon curd--according to the comment section on the website this made it too sweet, so I cut it down to 1/2 C
1/4 C hot water
1 lemon, zested
2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped (omitted)
Lemon Curd
5 egg yolks
1 C sugar
4 lemons zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chille
Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
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1. Coat the chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up and drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the scallions or chives and zest, and toss chicken well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce.
This turned out to be really good. I served it on top of rice and it tasted just right. Not too sweet. Overall, the recipe took about an hour to make, so not as super quick as I thought, but a lot of it was the preparation of the lemon curd. Lemon curd can be bought at the store, but I wanted to be all Betty Crocker-like and make it myself. Definitely a keeper.
Source: foodnetwork.com
1 1/2 pounds chicken cut into chunks
1/4 C all purpose flour
Coarse salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 T white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 C chicken broth or stock
8 ounces (1 C) prepared lemon curd--according to the comment section on the website this made it too sweet, so I cut it down to 1/2 C
1/4 C hot water
1 lemon, zested
2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped (omitted)
Lemon Curd
5 egg yolks
1 C sugar
4 lemons zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chille
Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Coat the chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up and drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the scallions or chives and zest, and toss chicken well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce.
This turned out to be really good. I served it on top of rice and it tasted just right. Not too sweet. Overall, the recipe took about an hour to make, so not as super quick as I thought, but a lot of it was the preparation of the lemon curd. Lemon curd can be bought at the store, but I wanted to be all Betty Crocker-like and make it myself. Definitely a keeper.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Happy Valentines Day
I am the rare person who loves Valentine's Day. I know lots of people hate it simply because it' a consumer's holiday. I get that. I get that there's really no need for a day in which you show love to someone you should be showing love to all year long.
But I still love it. Aside from an excuse to eat more candy, Valentine's Day has morphed into Wade's Holiday. He LOVES this holiday. Every year he tries to outdo last year's present. And the presents are outrageous. No one gets presents like these for this dinky of a holiday. I'm not sure that I could pinpoint a Valentine's present in the last 5 years that has been something I "needed" but when I opened it, it was something you were going to have to pry from my cold dead hands if you wanted it back.
Which makes me love it more. It's just some arbitrary day in February in which I get a really cool present and he inevitably gets a not so cool present because he got a kick-butt one for Christmas.
And because I'm a lame gift giver.
This year, though, we ran into a snafu. I knew from my stealth observation skills that my Valentine's present was already hidden inside the house, but I also love the look that Wade gets when I open a present that is a complete surprise, so I didn't take advantage of the long days I'm alone in the house to go looking for the present. I was perfectly content in waiting until Valentine's to get it.
In addition to my cunning observation skills, I am also quite talented in procrastination and so it wasn't until yesterday that I started looking for Wade's gift. I found a few shirts and a sweater because we had recently cleaned out our closet and realized that he looks slightly homeless with his current wardrobe and so I picked them up as a good Valentine's present. Also, we were in desperate need of pillows for our bed, so I picked up two of those. It would look funny if we didn't have matching pillows, right?
Then I picked out a little something for the kids and hightailed it home before A. got back from preschool. I had about 10 seconds before the girl became permanently attached to my side like she does every day (Oiy! I need to write a post about that!) so I threw all the presents in the back of a closet in the basement that we never, ever use, figuring that the chances of Wade opening the closet in the next 16 hours was slim.
Then I went about my day. A friend came over and we were working on a project. I was looking for a cord in one of the storage closets, but never came across it, and we went back to working on the project. No harm done.
Wade came home from work and went downstairs while I finished making dinner. A few minutes went by and he sheepishly came into the kitchen.
"I found my Valentine presents."
"What?" I stood agape. What were the chances he would open the seldom used closet THAT DAY?
"I went to check on your present and saw that you had been in the storage area and I thought maybe you had found it, so I was moving it to a new hiding place, and there were my presents."
So, then, what are the chances that in a 3000 square foot house with 5 bedrooms and a host of closets that you would both hide your Valentine presents in the EXACT SAME SPOT?
We ended up just finishing out Valentines a day early. And he didn't disappoint again. Chalk up another Valentine's Day win for Wade.
And a rehaul of Wade's work wardrobe disguised as a gift for me.
(I mean if you don't count the treadmill we just bought as Wade's gift. Which I totally do. But this testament to the wonders of machines will have it's own blog post as soon as it arrives and we try it out. Because this thing is AWESOME! And may sway my vote from anti-treadmill-except-for-in-the-case-of-nuclear-war to pro-treadmill-because-sometimes-it'd-be-nice-not-to-have-to-run-in-negative-degrees.)
He is getting a baby too. But I'm holding out for his birthday and our anniversary to give him that. I wonder if I can keep that a little more secret than this holiday's presents. :)
(The super-grammar Nazi in me would go and see if it's Valentine's Day or Valentine Day or Valentines Day and change all occurrences in this post, but I'm almost 6 months pregnant, I bowled a 170 today, and my kids are practically sitting on my lap begging for attention, so I think I have all three well represented here and have the bases covered.)
But I still love it. Aside from an excuse to eat more candy, Valentine's Day has morphed into Wade's Holiday. He LOVES this holiday. Every year he tries to outdo last year's present. And the presents are outrageous. No one gets presents like these for this dinky of a holiday. I'm not sure that I could pinpoint a Valentine's present in the last 5 years that has been something I "needed" but when I opened it, it was something you were going to have to pry from my cold dead hands if you wanted it back.
Which makes me love it more. It's just some arbitrary day in February in which I get a really cool present and he inevitably gets a not so cool present because he got a kick-butt one for Christmas.
And because I'm a lame gift giver.
This year, though, we ran into a snafu. I knew from my stealth observation skills that my Valentine's present was already hidden inside the house, but I also love the look that Wade gets when I open a present that is a complete surprise, so I didn't take advantage of the long days I'm alone in the house to go looking for the present. I was perfectly content in waiting until Valentine's to get it.
In addition to my cunning observation skills, I am also quite talented in procrastination and so it wasn't until yesterday that I started looking for Wade's gift. I found a few shirts and a sweater because we had recently cleaned out our closet and realized that he looks slightly homeless with his current wardrobe and so I picked them up as a good Valentine's present. Also, we were in desperate need of pillows for our bed, so I picked up two of those. It would look funny if we didn't have matching pillows, right?
Then I picked out a little something for the kids and hightailed it home before A. got back from preschool. I had about 10 seconds before the girl became permanently attached to my side like she does every day (Oiy! I need to write a post about that!) so I threw all the presents in the back of a closet in the basement that we never, ever use, figuring that the chances of Wade opening the closet in the next 16 hours was slim.
Then I went about my day. A friend came over and we were working on a project. I was looking for a cord in one of the storage closets, but never came across it, and we went back to working on the project. No harm done.
Wade came home from work and went downstairs while I finished making dinner. A few minutes went by and he sheepishly came into the kitchen.
"I found my Valentine presents."
"What?" I stood agape. What were the chances he would open the seldom used closet THAT DAY?
"I went to check on your present and saw that you had been in the storage area and I thought maybe you had found it, so I was moving it to a new hiding place, and there were my presents."
So, then, what are the chances that in a 3000 square foot house with 5 bedrooms and a host of closets that you would both hide your Valentine presents in the EXACT SAME SPOT?
We ended up just finishing out Valentines a day early. And he didn't disappoint again. Chalk up another Valentine's Day win for Wade.
And a rehaul of Wade's work wardrobe disguised as a gift for me.
(I mean if you don't count the treadmill we just bought as Wade's gift. Which I totally do. But this testament to the wonders of machines will have it's own blog post as soon as it arrives and we try it out. Because this thing is AWESOME! And may sway my vote from anti-treadmill-except-for-in-the-case-of-nuclear-war to pro-treadmill-because-sometimes-it'd-be-nice-not-to-have-to-run-in-negative-degrees.)
He is getting a baby too. But I'm holding out for his birthday and our anniversary to give him that. I wonder if I can keep that a little more secret than this holiday's presents. :)
(The super-grammar Nazi in me would go and see if it's Valentine's Day or Valentine Day or Valentines Day and change all occurrences in this post, but I'm almost 6 months pregnant, I bowled a 170 today, and my kids are practically sitting on my lap begging for attention, so I think I have all three well represented here and have the bases covered.)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
New Years Resolution Update
It's now February and so far I've been doing really good on my resolutions. The biggest one this year is getting organized. I bought my organizing book and really set out to conquer this. The first thing the book had me do was actually sit down and try to assess why I'm so disorganized. There were some journal entries that helped me see where I was getting derailed. Then it laid out a plan of attack. With some of my own common sense, I have a good system going.
One of the biggest hindrances in getting organized is that, in my head, it was something that should happen after everything else was done. After the dishes were done and the house was clean. And by the time I got around to doing it, I was too tired to make much of a dent.
This month, I've been concentrating on keeping the surface of the house clean. This means that for 31 days, I didn't go to bed until the house was picked up. It's only surface cleaned--don't open any closets or look too closely at anything--but the clutter is picked up. The dishes are in the dishwasher or waiting to go in in the morning. Laundry is kept up, more or less. Shoes are put away. This has helped in keeping my anxiety at bay. I don't lay in bed and look at the clutter around me and get depressed at how I can't keep on top.
After I felt like I had a good handle on that, I started in on the first room in my book--the kitchen. If you've been in my kitchen in the last, at least, four years, you know that this area was in desperate need of reorganizing. The pantry has been out of control for a few years now. So, I went and bought storage containers and cleaned it out. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it is to open the doors and see exactly what I have on hand.
Then I had a minor breakdown with the Tupperware cupboard and now there is no more Tupperware cupboard. I threw it all way except for a few of the really, really good pieces. It was such a relief when I took the bag(s) out to the recycling can.
Today, I cleaned out the refrigerator, the freezer and the rest of the cupboards. I got rid of the old pans that are flaking off and some of the appliances that I never, ever use. The hardest part of cleaning out the kitchen was throwing so much away. I just had to let it go though.
The room to organize for February is my bedroom. This shouldn't be so bad since I did do a total makeover in June. But you'd be surprised. I'm really excited to clean out my closet and to finally hang curtains and pictures and complete the makeover.
The biggest thing I've taken from this is HOW MUCH TIME IS SPENT CLEANING! I keep thinking that eventually it will only take just a few minutes a day, but it's not coming to fruition yet. In the past, this would drive me nuts. But, I'm trying to get past that and just doing it because tomorrow, there'd be twice as much. But still!!! I listen to podcasts and they keep me entertained. And, now, when I take a few hours and do something I want to do, I don't feel guilty because the house is a mess or the laundry isn't done.
As for my other resolutions, I have been doing more writing, but only here. I haven't missed a week yet on What's For Dinner Wednesday, so that's a plus. I don't really have any desire to write anything else right now--there's a lot going on that I would rather focus on. I haven't really read anything so great that I want to highlight it here, but maybe that will change here soon.
I've also just been doing my thing and not letting others dictate my time. That's been kind of nice. I've been teaching myself how to build a website from the ground up--even if there are many programs out there that will do it for you. I'm focusing a lot on my swimming in hopes that I can bounce back after childbirth into my annual sprint tri in August. Just doing my thing and being happy about what gets done--and what doesn't.
Hope everyone else is still plodding on with their resolutions.
One of the biggest hindrances in getting organized is that, in my head, it was something that should happen after everything else was done. After the dishes were done and the house was clean. And by the time I got around to doing it, I was too tired to make much of a dent.
This month, I've been concentrating on keeping the surface of the house clean. This means that for 31 days, I didn't go to bed until the house was picked up. It's only surface cleaned--don't open any closets or look too closely at anything--but the clutter is picked up. The dishes are in the dishwasher or waiting to go in in the morning. Laundry is kept up, more or less. Shoes are put away. This has helped in keeping my anxiety at bay. I don't lay in bed and look at the clutter around me and get depressed at how I can't keep on top.
After I felt like I had a good handle on that, I started in on the first room in my book--the kitchen. If you've been in my kitchen in the last, at least, four years, you know that this area was in desperate need of reorganizing. The pantry has been out of control for a few years now. So, I went and bought storage containers and cleaned it out. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it is to open the doors and see exactly what I have on hand.
Then I had a minor breakdown with the Tupperware cupboard and now there is no more Tupperware cupboard. I threw it all way except for a few of the really, really good pieces. It was such a relief when I took the bag(s) out to the recycling can.
Today, I cleaned out the refrigerator, the freezer and the rest of the cupboards. I got rid of the old pans that are flaking off and some of the appliances that I never, ever use. The hardest part of cleaning out the kitchen was throwing so much away. I just had to let it go though.
The room to organize for February is my bedroom. This shouldn't be so bad since I did do a total makeover in June. But you'd be surprised. I'm really excited to clean out my closet and to finally hang curtains and pictures and complete the makeover.
The biggest thing I've taken from this is HOW MUCH TIME IS SPENT CLEANING! I keep thinking that eventually it will only take just a few minutes a day, but it's not coming to fruition yet. In the past, this would drive me nuts. But, I'm trying to get past that and just doing it because tomorrow, there'd be twice as much. But still!!! I listen to podcasts and they keep me entertained. And, now, when I take a few hours and do something I want to do, I don't feel guilty because the house is a mess or the laundry isn't done.
As for my other resolutions, I have been doing more writing, but only here. I haven't missed a week yet on What's For Dinner Wednesday, so that's a plus. I don't really have any desire to write anything else right now--there's a lot going on that I would rather focus on. I haven't really read anything so great that I want to highlight it here, but maybe that will change here soon.
I've also just been doing my thing and not letting others dictate my time. That's been kind of nice. I've been teaching myself how to build a website from the ground up--even if there are many programs out there that will do it for you. I'm focusing a lot on my swimming in hopes that I can bounce back after childbirth into my annual sprint tri in August. Just doing my thing and being happy about what gets done--and what doesn't.
Hope everyone else is still plodding on with their resolutions.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Apple Gouda Melts
Apple Gouda Melts
Source: Taste of Home magazine February/March 2013
Time stated: 15 minutes
Actual: 30ish
6 slices seeded whole grain bread
4 T butter
6 oz mozzarella cheese
1 large apple
6 oz smoked Gouda cheese
1. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Broil until toasted.
2. Turn bread over and spread other side with butter. Layer with mozzarella cheese, thin slices of apple and Gouda cheese. Broil until cheese melts.
Nutrition: 1 serving = 1 slice 332 cal, 22 g Fat, 18 g CHO, 15 g Pro
This was very simple and tasted great. Just some suggestions though: homemade bread would have been AWESOME for this. The bread slices needed to be a little thicker. I'm not sure what apple I used, but I would have gone for a more bitter one than what I had. Also, it was a little mushy, so a firmer apple would have been even better. And instead of putting the whole slice of Gouda cheese on, I would have broken it up and spread it around some instead of just in the middle since it didn't really "run" when it melted. Otherwise, it was a great twist on a melted cheese sandwich.
Source: Taste of Home magazine February/March 2013
Time stated: 15 minutes
Actual: 30ish
6 slices seeded whole grain bread
4 T butter
6 oz mozzarella cheese
1 large apple
6 oz smoked Gouda cheese
1. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Broil until toasted.
2. Turn bread over and spread other side with butter. Layer with mozzarella cheese, thin slices of apple and Gouda cheese. Broil until cheese melts.
Nutrition: 1 serving = 1 slice 332 cal, 22 g Fat, 18 g CHO, 15 g Pro
This was very simple and tasted great. Just some suggestions though: homemade bread would have been AWESOME for this. The bread slices needed to be a little thicker. I'm not sure what apple I used, but I would have gone for a more bitter one than what I had. Also, it was a little mushy, so a firmer apple would have been even better. And instead of putting the whole slice of Gouda cheese on, I would have broken it up and spread it around some instead of just in the middle since it didn't really "run" when it melted. Otherwise, it was a great twist on a melted cheese sandwich.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Taco Melts
Taco Melts
Source: allrecipes.com
Time: 30 minutes max
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 C salsa
1 container Grands Biscuits
shredded cheddar cheese
1. Cook the ground beef and add the taco seasoning packet. Put in the salsa and heat up.
2. Press the biscuits into 6 inch circles. Put in 1/3 C meat mixture, a tablespoon of cheddar cheese and fold the biscuit over and seal.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 - 14 minutes until golden brown.
This was a ridiculously easy meal to put together. The 1/3 C meat mixture was too much for my "6 inch biscuits", so either I didn't measure the biscuits correctly, or 1/3 C is really too much. But, the meal was reminiscent of a meal my mom use to make. I really liked it. Wade says he did too. The kids, not so much. But that's nothing new.
Source: allrecipes.com
Time: 30 minutes max
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 C salsa
1 container Grands Biscuits
shredded cheddar cheese
1. Cook the ground beef and add the taco seasoning packet. Put in the salsa and heat up.
2. Press the biscuits into 6 inch circles. Put in 1/3 C meat mixture, a tablespoon of cheddar cheese and fold the biscuit over and seal.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 - 14 minutes until golden brown.
This was a ridiculously easy meal to put together. The 1/3 C meat mixture was too much for my "6 inch biscuits", so either I didn't measure the biscuits correctly, or 1/3 C is really too much. But, the meal was reminiscent of a meal my mom use to make. I really liked it. Wade says he did too. The kids, not so much. But that's nothing new.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Success!
Saturday was our first "club" race down in sunny St. George. The weather here in Northern Utah has been terrible for about the last three weeks. It's been cold and smoggy and all-around blah. St. George was promising at least warmer weather and clear skies. I would take it, if only for a few hours.
Two cousins drove from Boise and met me at my house Friday morning. (I know! That is dedication!) and another cousin drove down from Idaho Falls and met her sister (who lives in my neighborhood) on Thursday. Then we picked up two people and we all stuffed ourselves into my vehicle. It was a tight squeeze, but it was still fun.
We drove to St. George and had a grand time along the way. There was a lot of talking and laughing. Once we got there, we picked up our packets and then checked into our hotel. We had about 20 minutes before we were due to dinner at Olive Garden. I was lucky enough to secure reservations for 30 people at 8:30 pm at the restaurant. At first, I thought it was going to be too late, but it turned out to be the perfect time. We had 22 people running the race, plus some family members who had tagged along.
Dinner was good. Bed was even better. Before long it was time to get up and ready. It's the first race that I can remember that I wasn't really excited to run. I was telling the friend I was sharing a hotel room with that if I hadn't put the whole thing together, I'd suggest we just go shopping instead. I've been feeling pretty tired the last couple of weeks and if the race was even a week later, I probably wouldn't have tried to run the half marathon. But alas, I was committed. The race started at 9, which is pretty late for a race start, but definitely worked to our advantage. There was some big-time stress the morning of the race--too much to really go into right now--but by the time I got to the starting line, I was happy to be there.
The race itself went really smoothly. Of the 17 gals running the half marathon 8 of them were doing their first half marathons. I ran the race with a new friend found through the running club and an old friend, R., who swore she'd never become a runner. We had a lot of fun and met some fun ladies on the course. Mile 10 reared it's ugly head like it does every race, but we just kept plugging along. Overall, I felt really good. My legs were sore and the baby kept kicking me after mile 9, like she was saying "Um...mom...what are you doing???" But the best part was the weather--perfect temperatures and blue skies.
The real moment in the race, though, was when we turned the corner to the finish line and I saw the look on R.'s face as she closed in on the end of the race. It was pure awesome! It felt like the first time I crossed a finish line of a race and I knew exactly how she felt.
We crossed a little after 2:37. Not too shabby considering I am 21 weeks pregnant. The year I did the same race a week after a cruise, I stumbled across at 2:50. So I'm happy with our result.
We hung around the finish line for a little bit and then a few of us went back out on the course in search of our last runner. This runner is a true inspiraton to all. This was her first race--EVER. No 5k. No 10k. Her first race was a half marathon. She was afraid she wouldn't make it before they closed the course at 3:30 hours. She's not fast by any means, but she had desire and heart and that carried her all 13.1 miles. We found her about .75 miles from the finish line. We then ran with her to the finish line and cheered her in. She made it by 14 minutes and you would have thought she won the whole thing. The look on her face was priceless. By far, one of the best race memories I have from any race. I wouldn't trade that moment for a few extra hours of sleep at any cost!
My car load went to grab lunch and then we headed all the way back home. It was a whirlwind trip, but well worth it. Everyone seems really excited about October's race--the Haunted Half Marathon--and I even recruited a new club member down in St. George. Overall, it was deemed a success and I had so much fun!
Two cousins drove from Boise and met me at my house Friday morning. (I know! That is dedication!) and another cousin drove down from Idaho Falls and met her sister (who lives in my neighborhood) on Thursday. Then we picked up two people and we all stuffed ourselves into my vehicle. It was a tight squeeze, but it was still fun.
We drove to St. George and had a grand time along the way. There was a lot of talking and laughing. Once we got there, we picked up our packets and then checked into our hotel. We had about 20 minutes before we were due to dinner at Olive Garden. I was lucky enough to secure reservations for 30 people at 8:30 pm at the restaurant. At first, I thought it was going to be too late, but it turned out to be the perfect time. We had 22 people running the race, plus some family members who had tagged along.
Dinner was good. Bed was even better. Before long it was time to get up and ready. It's the first race that I can remember that I wasn't really excited to run. I was telling the friend I was sharing a hotel room with that if I hadn't put the whole thing together, I'd suggest we just go shopping instead. I've been feeling pretty tired the last couple of weeks and if the race was even a week later, I probably wouldn't have tried to run the half marathon. But alas, I was committed. The race started at 9, which is pretty late for a race start, but definitely worked to our advantage. There was some big-time stress the morning of the race--too much to really go into right now--but by the time I got to the starting line, I was happy to be there.
The race itself went really smoothly. Of the 17 gals running the half marathon 8 of them were doing their first half marathons. I ran the race with a new friend found through the running club and an old friend, R., who swore she'd never become a runner. We had a lot of fun and met some fun ladies on the course. Mile 10 reared it's ugly head like it does every race, but we just kept plugging along. Overall, I felt really good. My legs were sore and the baby kept kicking me after mile 9, like she was saying "Um...mom...what are you doing???" But the best part was the weather--perfect temperatures and blue skies.
The real moment in the race, though, was when we turned the corner to the finish line and I saw the look on R.'s face as she closed in on the end of the race. It was pure awesome! It felt like the first time I crossed a finish line of a race and I knew exactly how she felt.
We crossed a little after 2:37. Not too shabby considering I am 21 weeks pregnant. The year I did the same race a week after a cruise, I stumbled across at 2:50. So I'm happy with our result.
We hung around the finish line for a little bit and then a few of us went back out on the course in search of our last runner. This runner is a true inspiraton to all. This was her first race--EVER. No 5k. No 10k. Her first race was a half marathon. She was afraid she wouldn't make it before they closed the course at 3:30 hours. She's not fast by any means, but she had desire and heart and that carried her all 13.1 miles. We found her about .75 miles from the finish line. We then ran with her to the finish line and cheered her in. She made it by 14 minutes and you would have thought she won the whole thing. The look on her face was priceless. By far, one of the best race memories I have from any race. I wouldn't trade that moment for a few extra hours of sleep at any cost!
My car load went to grab lunch and then we headed all the way back home. It was a whirlwind trip, but well worth it. Everyone seems really excited about October's race--the Haunted Half Marathon--and I even recruited a new club member down in St. George. Overall, it was deemed a success and I had so much fun!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Orange-Simmered Pork Chops with Mango Relish
Orange-Simmered Pork Chops with Mango Relish
Source: Better Homes and Gardens February 2013
Time to prepare: Said 30 minutes, but they must not have kids. Closer to 50 minutes
1 mango, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped
1 C pineapple chunks
1 small orange or tangerine, peeled and segmented
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 C chopped red onion
1 small banana pepper, sliced (optional)
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 4 oz frozen bone-in pork chops, about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 T olive oil
1/2 C orange juice
2 tsp honey
Fresh cilantro
1. For mango relish, in a medium bowl stir together mango, pineapple, orange segments, the 1/4 C orange juice,, red onion, banana pepper, orange peel, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with chili powder, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add two pork chops; brown 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet. Add remaining pork chops to skillet; brown 3 minutes on each side. Add first two pork chops back to skillet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 C orange juice and honey; add to skillet. Add 1/2 C water. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until pork is done. Spoon mango relish over pork. Cover; simmer 1 minute more. Remover pork and relish and cover to keep warm.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat. Simmer juices, uncovered, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Drizzle over pork. Sprinkle with cilantro.
To use fresh or thawed chops: Reduce browning time to 1 1/2 minutes each side. Add liquid and chops to skillet. Bring to a simmer; add mango relish. Simmer just 1 minute. Proceed as above.
Nutrition: 360 calories. 16 g fat. 30 g CHO. 24 g Pro
This turned out to be really good, really simple and something you could do with frozen pork chops that you had forgotten to pull out of the freezer to defrost. Wade really liked it. I wasn't feeling very good and had an iffy appetite, so my review is a little lukewarm. I've never actually cut a mango and had some issues with that. I also didn't have a banana pepper. And I forgot about the sauce at the end. Sigh. It was a long day. However, I'm positive it will get good reviews if you make it, so you should try.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens February 2013
Time to prepare: Said 30 minutes, but they must not have kids. Closer to 50 minutes
1 mango, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped
1 C pineapple chunks
1 small orange or tangerine, peeled and segmented
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 C chopped red onion
1 small banana pepper, sliced (optional)
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 4 oz frozen bone-in pork chops, about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 T olive oil
1/2 C orange juice
2 tsp honey
Fresh cilantro
1. For mango relish, in a medium bowl stir together mango, pineapple, orange segments, the 1/4 C orange juice,, red onion, banana pepper, orange peel, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with chili powder, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add two pork chops; brown 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet. Add remaining pork chops to skillet; brown 3 minutes on each side. Add first two pork chops back to skillet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 C orange juice and honey; add to skillet. Add 1/2 C water. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until pork is done. Spoon mango relish over pork. Cover; simmer 1 minute more. Remover pork and relish and cover to keep warm.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat. Simmer juices, uncovered, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Drizzle over pork. Sprinkle with cilantro.
To use fresh or thawed chops: Reduce browning time to 1 1/2 minutes each side. Add liquid and chops to skillet. Bring to a simmer; add mango relish. Simmer just 1 minute. Proceed as above.
Nutrition: 360 calories. 16 g fat. 30 g CHO. 24 g Pro
This turned out to be really good, really simple and something you could do with frozen pork chops that you had forgotten to pull out of the freezer to defrost. Wade really liked it. I wasn't feeling very good and had an iffy appetite, so my review is a little lukewarm. I've never actually cut a mango and had some issues with that. I also didn't have a banana pepper. And I forgot about the sauce at the end. Sigh. It was a long day. However, I'm positive it will get good reviews if you make it, so you should try.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Ramblings
- I'm running a half marathon with a bunch of ladies from my area on Saturday. I'm really excited for it because I have no expectations for myself. I'm just in it to finish it and have a good time. Everyone else seems to be pretty excited about it too. I remember my first half marathon and how nervous I was. I know that some of these ladies are feeling that and I love it!
- Friday night I got a text from one of the gals that hasn't been able to do the long runs with us. I wasn't even sure if she was going to make it to the race. She texted me that she ran 11.8 miles. In the dark. In single digit temperatures. By herself. And you could read the excitement in her words. I actually ran into her a little later and she was so proud and happy, it made my weekend. I can remember the first time I ran double digits and how proud I was for myself. I could feel that for her too.
- Speaking of single digit temperatures, this winter has been the worst one I have ever run through. I feel like I owe all these people an apology for saying "oh it's not that bad." when they moan about running in the winter. It's bad. Really bad. The other Saturday--for our 12 miler--it was -3 degrees. Luckily, I woke up with a low grade fever and played the pregnancy card, so I sat it out. Which is probably good, because whatever I was fighting didn't blow up into anything big. This Saturday, it was a balmy 13 degrees. It's only gotten above freezing twice in the last three weeks.
- In contrast, St. George is going to be close to 60 degrees on Saturday. :)
- We find out the flavor of our baby on Thursday. Ultrasounds always make me nervous and I'll just be glad when it's over. But I think it's a girl. A. really wants a baby sister. J. wants a baby brother. One of them is going to be disappointed. A. christened the baby Heart when we first told her we were having a baby. Then last week she changed it to Twilight. I think she thinks we're having a My Little Pony.
- I have successfully kept the house clean for two weeks straight. And the laundry is caught up. Just don't open any closet doors.
- Our book this month for book club is Jane Eyre. I've been reading my 24 pages a day so I can finish in time. It's been really good. I even had to send out a retraction email to the book club for poking fun at the book.
- My natural tendency is to be a hermit. I hardly left my house the two weeks Wade was off for Christmas. If left to my own devices, I would sit and stew in my own juices. But, it isn't what I want for my life. So I've had to transform myself into more of a social person. I think it makes me well rounded. And nothing bad happens from being out of my comfort zone a little bit, right?
- I consume more calories during the hour I sit and watch Biggest Loser than at any other time during the week.
- I have the funniest, cutest kids. Couldn't ask for better. And the bestest husband. The other weekend, when I was sick with a fever and just feeling blah, he took the kids up to Park City overnight. It was awesome!
- Tomorrow, I'm officially half baked. Now it's a countdown!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Source: Family Circle February 2013
Prep: 20 min Bake: 50 min at 400 degrees Cook: 22 min Broil: 3 min
2 1/2 lbs baking potatoes
1/2 lb sliced bacon (I cheated and used bacon bits from the salad aisle)
2 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T all-purpose flour
4 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 C shredded white cheddar cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced
6 tsp sour cream
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake 50 minutes until tender. Allow to cool some. Scoop potato flesh into a bowl and mash.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 T bacon grease.
3. In a large pot, add butter and reserved bacon grease. Heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onion and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; stir in salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Add reserved mashed potatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese, half the reserved bacon and half the scallions.
4. Heat broiler. Divide soup into six oven-proof bowls. Sprinkle the tops of the soups with the remaining cheese. Broil 4 inches from heat source for 3 minutes until cheese melts.
5. Garnish each with 1 tsp sour cream and remaining bacon and scallions
Nutrition: Cal: 577 Fat: 31 g Pro: 29 g CHO 48 g
This was my first attempt at a favorite soup of mine when I'm out and about. I thought it was decent. Could have used some more oomph to it, but otherwise a great starter. It's definitely not for the healthy conscious. Look at the grams of fat in that sucker. But it warmed me up on (yet another) really cold day. I really, really liked the white cheddar cheese. I've never had it before and it's definitely considerably stronger than the orange cheddar cheese--even the sharp flavor. It has a grittiness to it that I also really liked. I found it in the regular aisle with the other cheeses. I've never noticed it there before. Goes to show you that you find new things every day. The hardest thing about the soup was scooping out the potato flesh. That's my kind of meal.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
What's For Dinner Wednesday: Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Cranberry Quinoa
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Cranberry Quinoa
Source: Taste of Home magazine December/January 2013
Prep time stated: 45 min
Actual: 1 hr
Cook time stated: 30 min
Actual: 35 min
Oven temp: 350
2 C Chicken broth
1 C quinoa, rinsed
1 fresh thyme sprig--I just used the dry stuff
1 T olive oil
8 green onions, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2/3 C dried cranberries
2/3 C chopped dried apricots
3 T lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
chicken
3/4 C dry sherry
1/4 C water
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 t ground ginger
1 large, tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/3 C chopped walnuts (omitted because I don't like walnuts)
1/2 C apricot preserves
2 T butter
6 skinless chicken breast halves
1 T olive oil
1. In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa and thyme. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat; fluff with a fork. Discard thyme (if you didn't use the dry stuff)
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add green onions and celery; cook and stir until tender. Add cooked quinoa. Stir in the dried fruits, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt.
3. In a large saucepan, mix the first six chicken ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil, cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add the apple, cranberries and walnuts. Stir in preserves and butter until melted.
4. Cut a pocket horizontally in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Fill each with 2-3 T quinoa mixture; secure with toothpicks. Place remaining quinoa mixture in a greased 1-qt baking dish; cover with foil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown stuffed chicken on both sides. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 in baking pan; spoon apple mixture over top.
5. Bake chicken and quinoa at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition: 1 serving (1/2 chicken breast): 606 calories, 11.8 g fat, 93 g CHO, 33 g Pro
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I really liked this dish. It was a little different and the chicken I had was too thick, so you didn't get to taste the stuffed part much, but overall, I really liked the apple sauce that was poured over the chicken and the different tastes of the different fruits involved. It was a little labor intensive for a weeknight meal, but a lot of that is my disorganization in the kitchen. And the kids fighting in the background.
The quinoa needed some work and might be one of those acquired tastes. It wasn't so horrible that I won't eat quinoa again, but I do need to figure out how to cook it right.
A good first meal of the year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really liked this dish. It was a little different and the chicken I had was too thick, so you didn't get to taste the stuffed part much, but overall, I really liked the apple sauce that was poured over the chicken and the different tastes of the different fruits involved. It was a little labor intensive for a weeknight meal, but a lot of that is my disorganization in the kitchen. And the kids fighting in the background.
The quinoa needed some work and might be one of those acquired tastes. It wasn't so horrible that I won't eat quinoa again, but I do need to figure out how to cook it right.
A good first meal of the year.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2013 New Years Resolutions
There is something about the beginning of a new year. It just seems like the perfect time to start over.
Or fine tune yourself. Or better yourself. Or to become something completely different.
Whatever's your tune--January 1st seems to be the perfect time. And I am no different then the rest of the crowd when I profess my desire to change things about myself every year. So without further ado, here are my resolutions for the year:
(1) Write more. This means in the blog. But also other things. I really, really enjoy writing but I don't do nearly enough of it. After many failed attempts at explaining why, I've come to the conclusion that I view writing as an extracurricular activity only to be engaged in when everything else on my plate is done. Which is never. So, this year, I'm giving myself permission to not have everything done before I sit down to write. I'm going to schedule a time to write and then adhere to that schedule.
Speaking of schedules, I plan to resurrect my book reviews and my What's For Dinner Wednesday posts. I'm in a book frenzy right now--I've read 17 books in the last three months--and have read some amazing books whose virtues need to be extolled to the masses. I've even finished the first book of the year (I know! It's 2:30 on New Years Day and I already have it crossed it.) It was amazing, one of the best I've read in a long time and left me sobbing in the bathtub. As for new recipes, it's something I enjoy and now that I have some more energy, I plan on adding some more to my arsenal.
(2) Get organized. This is on my list Every. Single. Year. but this year I'm serious. I even got a book on how to become organized in a year that has everything broken out by the different months so you don't get too overwhelmed. I'm tired of looking for the tools and things I need because they're never all together in the place where they should be. I want to be one of those organized people that has long periods of the day stretched before them in which to do things they want instead of things that they have to do because they're not organized enough to get it done in the morning.
(3) Do my thing. I know we all suffer from the dreaded "what will people think" disease from time to time and I found myself in this trap a lot in 2012. So guess what? I'm freeing myself from it. So, you know what? I'm not listening any more. Life is too short to care what others think, so I'm just going to do my thing.
Note: "Doing my thing" is not the same thing as "never doing anything that I don't want to do". I will still be doing things I don't want to because of inane reasons such as I value a particular friendship more than I value the time lost in doing something I'm not excited about. Or, it's just easier to do something than to put up a big stink. But, I'm not caring what anyone else thinks as to why I'm doing things the way I'm doing them. So there.
These seem a lot less ambitious then years past. Except for the whole organizing thing. That seems unfathomable at the moment. But no physical exertions that will bring me to my very limits. It's the first time in a long while something like that hasn't been on my list. But, it feels good to concentrate on other areas of my well-being.
Happy 2013 my fellow friends and followers.
Or fine tune yourself. Or better yourself. Or to become something completely different.
Whatever's your tune--January 1st seems to be the perfect time. And I am no different then the rest of the crowd when I profess my desire to change things about myself every year. So without further ado, here are my resolutions for the year:
(1) Write more. This means in the blog. But also other things. I really, really enjoy writing but I don't do nearly enough of it. After many failed attempts at explaining why, I've come to the conclusion that I view writing as an extracurricular activity only to be engaged in when everything else on my plate is done. Which is never. So, this year, I'm giving myself permission to not have everything done before I sit down to write. I'm going to schedule a time to write and then adhere to that schedule.
Speaking of schedules, I plan to resurrect my book reviews and my What's For Dinner Wednesday posts. I'm in a book frenzy right now--I've read 17 books in the last three months--and have read some amazing books whose virtues need to be extolled to the masses. I've even finished the first book of the year (I know! It's 2:30 on New Years Day and I already have it crossed it.) It was amazing, one of the best I've read in a long time and left me sobbing in the bathtub. As for new recipes, it's something I enjoy and now that I have some more energy, I plan on adding some more to my arsenal.
(2) Get organized. This is on my list Every. Single. Year. but this year I'm serious. I even got a book on how to become organized in a year that has everything broken out by the different months so you don't get too overwhelmed. I'm tired of looking for the tools and things I need because they're never all together in the place where they should be. I want to be one of those organized people that has long periods of the day stretched before them in which to do things they want instead of things that they have to do because they're not organized enough to get it done in the morning.
(3) Do my thing. I know we all suffer from the dreaded "what will people think" disease from time to time and I found myself in this trap a lot in 2012. So guess what? I'm freeing myself from it. So, you know what? I'm not listening any more. Life is too short to care what others think, so I'm just going to do my thing.
Note: "Doing my thing" is not the same thing as "never doing anything that I don't want to do". I will still be doing things I don't want to because of inane reasons such as I value a particular friendship more than I value the time lost in doing something I'm not excited about. Or, it's just easier to do something than to put up a big stink. But, I'm not caring what anyone else thinks as to why I'm doing things the way I'm doing them. So there.
These seem a lot less ambitious then years past. Except for the whole organizing thing. That seems unfathomable at the moment. But no physical exertions that will bring me to my very limits. It's the first time in a long while something like that hasn't been on my list. But, it feels good to concentrate on other areas of my well-being.
Happy 2013 my fellow friends and followers.
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