My soapbox is a lunchbox

One of my pet peeves is school lunch. I make Dagny her lunch 4 out of 5 days a week (she's allowed pizza on Fridays if she has good behaviour all week) because the small Catholic school she attends, while excellent on the academic front, has a truly abysmal lunch program. I've talked with the principal a few times, but she says it all comes down to three things: money, volunteers to man the cafeteria/cooking/serving lines, and what the kids will eat. I'm sure that's the standard response whether you are in public school or private. It's true; getting kids to eat well can be tricky. Paying for it straps the parents. And getting volunteers for anything is nearly impossible.

Enter Jamie Oliver and his glorious, amazing Food Revolution. If you haven't seen his new show, and have previously been turned off by his Food Network programs, I urge you to reconsider and check it out (Friday nights, ABC, check your local listings). What he is attempting to do is truly revolutionary: he is overhauling the school lunch program for a school district in Huntington, WV -- a town that has the current title of the Unhealthiest Place in the US. And not only is he attempting to get the kids to eat real, freshly prepared food, he's also attempting to change the mindset of the community. A community that currently considers french fries a vegetable. A community that didn't even have utensils for the children to use - all the food was "finger food." A community where the Kindergarten kids he visited couldn't identify 90% of the fresh vegetables he showed them -- including tomatoes. A community where the mom of a family he visited -- a family where every member was obese -- admitted that she served fried or fast food for every meal.

Obviously, he's meeting some resistance and I'm sure there are even a fair number of viewers (Hi Mom!) who consider him arrogant and bossy and that the schools have more to worry about than if the kids are eating properly, you know what with drop-out rates, test scores, social problems, etc. But I say let him try! (He attempted the same makeover in the UK and it is a resounding success, with students grades way up, less illness, etc.) At the very least, it will ensure that the kids are getting at least one nutritious, balanced, fresh meal a day. In the best case, families in Huntington will start eating better and eating together and everyone will benefit.

It's a great concept. I hope it works. In the meantime, I'm "homeschooling" my kids when it comes to food, cooking, eating healthy, and making good food choices. I'm lucky that I had parents that thought mealtimes were important. I'm lucky that I am able to afford quality fresh ingredients (I'm sure some people would disagree, I think everyone can do this -- some people will always make bad, uneducated choices and the children certainly do suffer for it. But COME ON, you can't tell me that anyone thinks a box of snack cakes is a better choice than an apple.) And, although creating and packing school lunches can be time consuming, thankless, and frustrating, I'm happy to be able to do it.

My six rules:

1) If you're going to allow snacks, make sure the kids have healthy snack options. Get the processed foods* out of their - and your - life now!
2) Portion control
3) A vegetable and/or fruit of some sort every single night - sometimes this is as easy as iceberg lettuce or mandarin oranges. Sometimes I serve TWO veggies. Sometimes it's just apple slices or carrot sticks. But I do it every night.
4) Buy whole foods whenever possible. My kids know what carrots look like with the greens on; they've seen a whole watermelon; they know that fruit doesn't come from a can; they LOVE the Farmer's Market. (Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with buying a convenient prepared cup of mixed melons and berries. I'm saying do BOTH.)
5) Let your kids help in the kitchen! My sis was amazed when Dagny picked up a whisk like a pro to whip up some hot fudge sauce. (She knows all about ganache, egg washes, and proofing dough.)
6) Make it homemade as much as humanly possible. It's not about convenience -- it's about survival. I want my kids to be able to provide a nutritious homemade meal for themselves, their friends, their future families. I get a real kick when I hear my kids ask "Is this homemade?" when they eat something.


*Full disclosure: Anders is a very picky eater and has a thing about Ritz crackers. I know one day they won't be considered a whole food group at our house, but until then I will buy them. I did however, wean them from processed, sugary breakfast cereals. And they haven't seemed to miss them at all!

Welcome spring, er, SUMMER!

And just when we thought winter would never end here in sunny Florida, Easter weekend we magically went from chilly- still-wearing-fleece spring to dead hot SUMMER. We left for Easter weekend with long sleeves and sweaters and came back yesterday and had to turn on the a/c. Love it.

No kidding. I do love it. It's so nice to feel the warmth of the sun again. I'll love it for at least another 30 days (or until I get my first electric bill) before I start complaining.

And thank goodness that, now that Easter has passed, all the major candy-centric occasions are behind us until next October. Dags & Anders are way more into collecting candy than actually eating it -- which explains why their "special" candy from last Halloween is still in the treat basket. So I give them until Memorial Day to eat it, then whatever is still around gets pitched. Except of course for any remaining "special" peanut butter confections, which get pitched into my tummy.

The kiddos have been on Spring Break all week so we have been enjoying the beach, sleeping "in" (6:45 for Anders), afternoon movies, and staying up a wee bit later so I can read the first Harry Potter to them before bedtime. Lovely! Next Monday we're back to routines, schedules, snacks and lunches (>shudder<) but for now, we relax!

Holy Week

This is Holy Week, the most glorious week in the Church year.

In honor of such, and in the spirit of sacrifice and family, I am observing a break from all media. No blogging, no Facebook, no Word Challenge. (I'll still check my email from time to time though.)

Have a happy & joyous Easter!

Count on it

A warning to D & K: I'm about to go off on your favorite four-legged member of the J family. But she deserves it.

Three, no, FOUR things that consistently happen when a major holiday is right around the corner that will necessitate us boarding The Dog:

1. Mr. J will have to be out of town on business at least one night which means I am on 24/7 dog n' kid duty.
2. A lizard will get into the house. Even if the freezing winter here has drastically reduced their population, the hardy survivors continue to make valiant attempts to find their way indoors.
3. One or both kids will have about 23,000 things going on, a major test, and/or a fight with their so-called best friend.
4. The Dog will develop a sudden and disgusting illness that will include any or all of the following: sudden diarrhea, total incontinence, unexplained vomiting, a giant hotspot, stinky fur.

Items 1-3 I can handle on my own, because I am a Mom, and everyone knows Mom can do anything. Item number 4 is the kicker.

I came downstairs Thursday morning in the midst of my tightly scheduled and highly efficient morning routine that allows us to get out the door to school. I was immediately assaulted by a crying doggy and the most foul sinus-clearing stench ever. At first glance it seemed that every corner of the wood floor (Praise God we don't - and never will - have carpet) was covered with some type of doggy-related accident. On second glance it was just the downstairs loo, the fireplace hearth, both doorways, behind the couch and on our old upstairs sunroom rug, which was enjoying what turned out to be a very short-lived trial run in the Awkward Front Window area of the living room.

Let it be known that I have very little compassion for any creature that consistently befouls my living area(s) resulting in me on my hands & knees employing my holy trinity of cleaning products. Plus there is no obvious reason for her doing this: she is not allowed outside unsupervised anymore; she hasn't been to a dog park; she didn't eat anything crazy off the kitchen floor.

So now I'm trapped at home, afraid to leave her because I don't want her to mess all over everything again. And worse, I will either have to take her to the vet where they will immediately want to run $1800 worth of tests on her and provide her with 45 days worth of medicine that I will have to give her three times a day, 'cause I don't have anything better to do with my time or money OR I will have to omit fudge the truth outright LIE when I board her and say she is fine or they probably won't let her in without the aforementioned $1800 of tests and meds. I will bet that we had a large part in funding the vet's office renovation last year. As long as Fizz lives they have a guaranteed income source.

Disclaimer: Lest you think I am a heartless, careless, irresponsible dog owner, please note that she does this roughly once a month. If she was having one of her pancreatitis attacks we would recognize those symptoms immediately and get her to the vet. All this other stuff is, I believe, largely psychosomatic and no tests have EVER conclusively pointed to a cause. And we have spent untold thousands testing her. And there is never anything wrong.

Okay. I've vented. Thanks for listening.

I'm dreaming of....

Spring fever! After this long, cold-for-Florida, damp winter I'm ready for some spring sunshine. It's finally warming up during the days and I'm thinking our house might just break into the 70s this week! Yay! Soon I'll be complaining about the heat and the a/c and our horrendous electricity bills, but for now I'm enjoying the moment and loving the beautiful weather.

A few things on my mind for Spring:

1) Iced tea

2) Limes! Limes! Limes!

3) Angel food cupcakes (on my to do list as soon as Lent is over)

4) Lounging on the porch

5) Homemade granola

6) Fresh cut flowers for the house

7) Spring cleaning the closets

8) Getting out the warm weather linens and packing away the down comforter

9) New swimsuits for everyone

10) Picnic breakfasts at the beach

Life skills

Ten (Random) Things That My I Will Make Sure My Kids Know Before They Leave Home:

10) How to cook a chicken

9) The importance of dental health

8) How to balance a checkbook

7) How to make a budget & a savings plan

6) How to make cookies

5) How to wash the dishes

4) How to ride public transportation

3) How to write a real letter (on paper!)

2) How to shop in a grocery store without loading the cart with processed food and junk

1) Families are forever!!

Got milk? Goat milk!

My BIL & SIL in Kansas just opened an online store for their wonderful, homemade, handmade, all-natural, amazing goat's milk soap! And get this: every bar is made with real goat's milk from their very own goats. We were lucky enough to receive a package of soap (and equally amazing body butter and shaving soap) for Christmas this year and I can totally attest to their amazing moisturizing properties. You will truly never want to use store bought soap again. And if dry skin is an issue, like it is for me, your skin will never look or feel better!

They get a FIVE STAR recommendation from this beauty product addict!

Go check 'em out!

The Little Flower Farm

Toy takeover

I don't really need further proof that the kids' toys have taken over the house, but I will say that my favorite vase is now being used as a "garbage chute" for Anders' Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and C3PO toys.

That is, until I buy some Gerbera Daisies and reclaim it. Luke, Han & Co. will have to find somewhere else to play.

Sweet land of liberty

Wake UP America. Mr. J and I are watching breathlessly as the Government attempts to take over the American health care system. It is sickening.. the shenanigans, back-door deals, meaningless promises and utter corruption of the great American legislative process. Meanwhile, we will have a health care bill shoved down our throats that will most likely bankrupt the American economy and, in the process, create a whole new class of institutionalized entitlements unlike anything this country has ever seen.

Nice, huh? Not exactly change that I can believe in.

The brilliant Alcee Hastings (D-FL) said it best: "There are no rules. They're making it up as they go along." What more do you expect from an impeached federal judge who now sits on the House Rules Committee. That's just one example of the fine leadership the Democratic party has shown this week.

Next up for this Government:

1) Health care

2) Immigration "reform"

3) Education

4) Gun control

5) Term limits (mark my words)

6) Media control?

Hmmph.

Oy

It's Live Oak Pollen Season here in sunny Florida. I long to open the windows and let in the fresh air, the sunshine and the warmth. I am afraid to also let in the dreaded yellow-green Death Dust.

Since I hate all Rx allergy meds -- no one here needs a repeat of my severe ALLERGIC reaction to Claritin (seriously. do you know anyone who is allergic to allergy meds?) -- I take regular ol' OTC Children's Benadryl. Grape Meltaways, to be specific. One first thing in the a.m., one at noon if needed, one right before bed. It doesn't make me woozy, takes the edge off the symptoms AND I get a real good night's sleep.

Yes, please!

I've got a Brownie meeting, gymnastics, furniture shopping and a whole bunch of nothin' on the menu today.

But I did see THIS over at Summer is a Verb:

I think I'm in love. Cake Monkey. Have I mentioned that I. Love. Cake. Drroooool.

Sorry about the weird and random caption at the top of the photo. Don't let it distract you.

Three more days!!

Liberty of London at Target opens Sunday....I'm so excited! I'm stalking the Targets in the area today to try to guess who is going to have the best selection:

Swoon.

I bit the bullet

Tired of my un-pretty utilitarian wardrobe.

I just placed my first order for some Boden dresses. And, I can't believe it, but I also ordered a TUNIC. What?! There may be no item of clothing ever invented that is less "me" than a tunic. But I was sucked in by the print, the colors and how easy it looked to just throw on with some great sandals and GO. (This summer, that is. Still cold now.)

I'd never have done it 'cept they've got free returns in case I look as ridiculous as I've always imagined I might in a tunic.

Need to lie down now.

Give me Liberty!

March 14 is the opening date for Liberty of London at Target!

Teapots, cute plates, and ohmygravy, did you see the BIKE? I don't even ride and I want one.

Liberty prints are some of my very favorite in the whole world, as far as prints go. Yay!

What I should be doing

I should be....

• Vacuuming
• Weeding and pruning our pitiful yard
• Finishing the laundry, of course
• Cleaning out our master sunroom
• Organizing the Girl Scout stuff which is starting to take over the laundry room
• Cleaning the bathrooms
• Baking some bread for this weekend
• Washing the MomMobile
• On my way to the Mall to buy a new Sunday- best dress (I can tell you right now that I'm NOT going to do this and that I already know I'll be so angry at myself come Sunday morning when I want to wear a pretty dress and all I'll have is my black dress pants that I've been wearing all winter anyway.)

Instead I'm making batches of lemon, lime and orange curd. Our fridge is full of yummy tangy citrus curds, homemade Irish Cream and Girl Scout cookies. And asparagus. The first of the asparagus was in this week and I am SUCH a sucker for it. I love lightly steamed asparagus dipped into soft-boiled eggs. Or w/ a poached egg and thick cut bacon on a homemade English muffin topped w/ hollandaise. Or tossed with penne, gorgonzola and a little lemon juice. Or grilled with a little garlic oil.

I could go on and on. But someone's got to vacuum.

Advice?

I just bought these jeans:

They are by Kut from the Kloth at Nordstroms - my most favorite brand of jeans ever. I already have a pair of their regular straight leg jeans and they are even better than Levis. They have the perfect rinse, stretch, rise, etc.

The ever-helpful sales staff at Nordies spent hours with me (and entertaining Anders) while I tried on jean after jean looking for the perfect comfy pair to replace my aging Ralph Lauren jeans which are so saggy-baggy-washed-out that they might as well be sweatpants. They finally sold me on these K.F.T.K. "boyfriend jeans" -- they are a great dark wash, nice straight leg and soooo comfortable! The only problem is that they are made to be worn with the leg slightly rolled up, which I normally never do. I've been wearing these with t-shirts and cardigans, but what shoe is best? Ballet flats? Sandals? Espadrilles? Wedge heel? ANYTHING but sneakers, which I detest. Advice?

Bucket list

My little sis just completed her first marathon. Way to go D! What an accomplishment!

Made me think though... what have I accomplished lately? Have I put my heart into anything? Gone all out? Can't remember..... so I think not! It's easy to brush it off as part of being a mom to young kids (although lots of moms to young kids run marathons). Then there is my excuse that Mr. J works very long hours, and is often called away suddenly since he's at the mercy of the court system. It makes it hard to plan things except for waaaay in advance or schedule large blocks of "me" time. I also don't have any children old enough to babysit so any time away from home usually involves sitters. I tried to get active playing tennis in the evenings at a local club, but after a month or so, it just got too hard to schedule or predict Mr. J's schedule. And I couldn't justify hiring a sitter (plus picking up, taking home) for me to play tennis for an hour in the evening.

As for actually going anywhere.. HAH! The law is a harsh mistress. Defense attorneys are all about billable hours, so vacations and trips can only be taken once your billables are secure (NOT the case with Mr. J's firm this year -- or a lot of defense firms in general in this economy).

That said, I've formulated a short "bucket" list of things I'd like to do (preferably with Mr. J and/or other family members) in the next 7 years:

• Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

• Safari in Botswana - note, I don't NEED to do an Abercrombie & Kent trip, although that would be nice, no? I do want to go to Botswana because 1) it's family friendly, 2) it's a relatively politically stable country and 3) Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls!

• Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage - while probably the most affordable and least physically taxing item on my bucket list, it's also the most far-fetched. Why?Because it's a 30 day pilgrimage so the kids would most likely NOT come along. So I would need someone to watch them for a whole month. Yeep.

I set a goal of 7 years because I'd really like to do these things before I turn the big 5-0. Mr. J and I think it is HILARIOUS that we'll qualify for AARP before Anders is even in middle school.

Upside

On the upside, the prolonged cold weather has meant my seasonal live oak pollen allergies have been delayed! Maybe until June!

Our church/school Festival is March 11 -14 -- I hope we have great weather by then!

Do I need them? Do I want them?

Do you like Anthropologie? I do! Their clothes are so very pretty! The dresses and skirts are beautiful! But I can't really wear their clothes. I'm a bit over their target market's age (and, ahem, size) and also their clothes could be best described as romantic and whimsical, two things which I totally am not. Sporty and tailored? Check. Practical and comfy? Sure! Plain and jane? Yup. But ruffles, tiers and sheer make me look crazy. So I do a lot of lookie-looing to see what I would buy there if I were 5'9 and 115 lbs. (or if I were my dear sis Jenn who-- being tall, slim and FANCY-- looks FABULOUS in their clothes) but I've never even considered buying anything.

But their housewares? Oh. My. Gravy. They are to die for. I love them all! I guess I AM romantic and whimsical when it comes to housewares. Especially:

Orquidea tea set

Fleur de lys dinnerware

Cockatoo cocktail napkins (oh whatver, I'm just going to order these right now!)

Preening teapot

Nile delta tumbler

Fleur de lys tea cup & saucer

Birdwatcher dessert plates

Plus, pretty much any and all of their linens and those whimsical plates with the octopi and owls. So cool. Maybe I'll sell all my current stuff (8 place settings of Pflatzgraff and 10 settings of Pottery Barn Emma) and go romantic and whimsical for Spring!

And their bed & bath collection? Swoon.

Amazing Race!

Can we talk about how much I love love love love the Amazing Race? It is hands down my favorite show. There is no other reality-competition show like it as it usually rewards the good and honest while ousting the bad and the ugly. We call it Amazing Race Karma, because it happens so often that the snooty, sneaky, lying, arguing, griping teams get their comeuppance during the course of the Race -- sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but it usually happens. The teams that pull together? That earn good Race Karma by helping out a team in need? That work cohesively even when they disagree? They WIN. Backstabbers* need not apply.

So it is no surprise that I anxiously await every new season. By the end of the first episode Mr. J and I have stereotyped (Angry Married Man/Meathead is usually our first pick to get busted by the karma police) and/or judged every couple and usually already have "favorites."

This year? I LOOOOOOVE the Cowboys. Oh my gravy, indeed!!

*On the Amazing Race you have to draw the line between strategy and lying. Not telling someone where the clue box is? Good strategy. Out and out lying about where it is? Bad Race Karma!

On the menu

Tonight: Taco soup w/ cheddar biscuits
Friday: Potato tortilla (for grown ups) AND mac n' cheese from a box (for the kids), because we have one of Dagny's friends staying with us for the weekend and Dagny assures me that "everyone, well not me, but everyone else likes the box kind"

Saturday: Hamburgers and french fries; salad
Sunday: Roast chicken, smashed potatoes, broccoli and rosemary rolls

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: pizza

Thursday: leftovers

NEXT Friday: Cheese grits and fried eggs (breakfast for dinner!)

Now that my menu is planned I have to go clean up the playroom so that Dagny and her friend have somewhere to sleep this weekend. I don't normally have a sleepover for an entire weekend but this little girl's family is military and her mom & dad have to go to a pre-command conference so I offered to take her in. I did however pass on watching her utterly precocious 12 year old brother, who is going to his BFF's house. I don't know jack about 12 year old boys (yet) and I was AFRAID. Although I am quite confident that by the time Anders is 12 (NINE years) I'll have my act together. Or at least my menu.

Downside

I've discovered that one of the downsides to baking homemade bread is that you actually eat more of it. Oh well.

Gone fishin'

Be back soon!

I am a capitalist

I have a feeling that the Big Brother Government auto industry watchdogs are about to start barking and chasing Toyota down the street.

Why? Because they are the largest automaker in the world? Because they have outstanding safety, performance and customer satisfaction records? Because they make great cars? Because they came clean about their safety problems, said they were sorry (without making lame excuses), and got down to the business of fixing those problems?

Nope. Because they can. Where in the world does Congress get off thinking they have a right to pull executives from Toyota in for an inquest? Good grief.

Hey guess what? Toyota only needs to make amends with its consumers (who will vote with their pocketbooks if Toyota doesn't fix the problem) and its shareholders (ditto). Congress has no business in the boardroom. They wish they could run GM half as well as Toyota is run.

I know it's Ash Wednesday, but...

In the interest of full disclosure my Lenten sacrifice, and by extension the whole families, was giving up baking treats/goodies. I'll still bake our daily bread, but nary a cookie, cupcake, cake, pie, tart, torte, bar, puff, etc.

So of course, I've thought of NOTHING BUT baking for the last 24 hours.

What if you took a s'more and coated the whole thing in chocolate? Kinda like a Mallomar, but crunchier? Yes, yum. Been thinking of that.

I also had a dream last night that I was delivering batches of homemade cupcakes to all our friends. I had stacks and stacks of those plastic cupcake carriers in the MomMobile and I had baked what looked like (in my dream) about 300 cupcakes: toasted coconut, red velvet, vanilla w/lemon buttercream, Whopper, chocolate w/ vanilla buttercream, chocolate w/chocolate ganache and sprinkles. Everyone got one of each and then when I got home I realized I had given them all away and I didn't have any for us.

It's going to be a long 40 days.

What's cooking: Shrove Tuesday version

I've been testing meatless recipes for the upcoming Lenten season. Here's a rundown*, along with the judges' reaction:

Fresh tomato sauce w. whole wheat pasta: PASS
Homemade french bread pizzas w/cheese: PASS
Baked salmon: FAIL
Tuna noodle casserole: FAIL and I think everyone will move out if I ever make this again. My family? Hates casseroles.
Fried fish sandwiches: PASS
Baked potato (toppings were broccoli, cheese, sour cream): FAIL
Banana pancakes: PASS
Fruit salad with yogurt: PASS
Black beans and rice: FAIL
Ceaser salad: FAIL
Veggie stir fry: FAIL
Omelets: PASS/FAIL - Dags & I enjoyed. The menfolk? Notsomuch.


The tuna casserole is my latest abject failure. I loved tuna casserole when I was younger and I can't imagine why they won't eat it (oh yeah, cause it's a casserole!) Dagny wanted to know why we just can't eat Cheerios every Friday. Indeed, why not?


*This list is more for my benefit than anyone else's because my memory is shot and by next week I won't remember if they liked the tuna casserole or not. Anyway, by Good Friday I'm sure I'll have defaulted to Cheerios or pancakes on Fridays. Breakfast for dinner was my second favorite thing about Lent (next to tuna casserole) when I was growing up.

Super$aver?

I have a friend who is a major coupon user and routinely saves 80% or so a week at the grocery store. Who wouldn't love to do that?! I think it's great. Once in a while I'll find a coupon for a $1 off my contact solution in a magazine and I'll cut it out and try to remember to use it the next time I go to the store. Invariably I forget. So I thought I'd browse around one of the big couponing sites to see what all the fuss was about and to see if there were any good deals in my area and to see if I could find out the secret to saving big at the grocery.

What do I think? I think using coupons requires patience, perseverance, timing, planning, a great memory for where the deals are. It also requires you to develop a taste for boxed/processed foods based on the items I saw advertised.

There were lots and lots of coupons for kids cereals and boxed mixes. There were lots and lots and TONS of coupons for snack foods. There were none at all for fresh fruits or veggies or meat, except for the ridiculously overpriced frozen veggies-for-one or veggies-with-sauce-in-a-bag. Maybe I hit an off week? But if I didn't, coupons will never pay off for me because we don't use a lot of the things advertised*.

But then I had an a-ha moment: it hit me that coupons are subsidized by the food processing industry who OF COURSE want you to buy their processed foods! Duh!

Do I think that I save more by purchasing fresh foods versus purchasing convenience items with a coupon? Maybe not. But I'm not sure I could eat the other way.

*Full disclosure: While I don't count things like flour, butter or sugar, we do buy some things that I would describe as processed foods. Cheerios, Grape Nuts, once in a while a box of Lucky Charms or Mini-Wheats. Pasta. Canned tomatoes. Cheese. Ritz crackers. Peanut butter. Tortillas. Pickles. Chicken broth. Condiments. So I guess if I focused my coupon search on those items I would save some money. Is it worth the time and effort? Not sure.

Happy whatever day!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Happy Valentine's Day! (To my valentines... you know who you are)

Love, love, love!

On the multi-culti mixed up menu for today: kung pao chicken, shrimps & veggies in red curry sauce, jasmine rice, bananas foster creme brulee.

The dessert is a tribute to my wonderful Mr. J. It was "our" dessert while we lived in Pittsburgh. We had it on the night we got engaged (at the Gandy Dancer). It is on my Top 5 Favorite Dessert list. It is, for us, sentimental and romantic and delicious. Perfect for Valentine's Day and perfect to welcome in the Year of the Tiger.

Hope you all had/are having a great day!

I look at this when I think I'm cold

(Image courtesy of AP)

(Image courtesy of Life News)

Happy new year I love you

QUANDARY! I don't know whether to celebrate Valentine's Day or Chinese New Year on Sunday. Or should I do both? Boston cream pie and sao bao? Shrimp with black bean sauce and chocolate mousse? What to do.....

Bring on the Year of the Tiger! Dad, if you're reading, I wish you could be here to hand out the red envelopes for the kids. I love that.

Un. Real.

The high today was about 65. That's the warmest we'll see for at least the next 10 days! I just. can't. believe that we will be in the 50s all this week and most of next. Someone remind me where it is I live, because it sure doesn't feel like Florida.

Three Bean Turkey Chili

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeno, minced (seeded if you don't want it too hot)
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 T. olive oil
1.25 lbs ground turkey (93/7)
ground cumin
chili powder
worcestshire sauce
tomato paste
kosher salt
cayenne pepper
red pepper flakes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can chili beans
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce (or about 3/4 c. homemade)

In large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute first four ingredients just until soft. Add ground turkey, stirring to break into chunks, and cook until meat is cooked through and beginning to brown. Add next 7 ingredients to taste. Add beans and tomatoes and stir to mix well. Adjust seasonings, particularly chili powder, salt and cayenne, to taste. Add up to 1/2c. water if mixture is too thick. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour.

WINTER!!

Still cold & rainy here in Florida. I don't ever remember a winter like this one and I've lived in Florida for a very long time.

As I was picking Anders up from school last week one of the teachers remarked "Ahh, this weather reminds me of home!"
"Where are you from?" I enquired.
"England!" she replied.

Well, at least no one is worrying about drought right now.

Half day

The kids are off in 20 minutes for a long weekend -- Monday is a Diocesan retreat. What are we doing? We'll be working on our Valentine's Day cards, playing at the park and, oh yeah, eating Super Bowl food all weekend!

On deck: three-bean chili, white pizzas, caramelized onion dip, firecracker shrimp, vanilla bean gelato and double-chocolate chip cookies. And that's just for us! We're not even having a party! Actually, we probably won't watch more than 20 minutes of the game because Mr. J refuses to enjoy football (except as a totally random spectator activity during which he gets to watch ME enjoy the hell out of it, jump around and yell about bad calls, scream for my team, all the while trying to get the kids to cheer too) and I'll betcha $200 he doesn't even know who's playing!

Go Colts!

Wah!

Our 85+ year old galvanized steel piping? SHOT. Major leaks in at least three places that the plumber could find. Basically the whole system is being held together by our prayers and God's grace. And now clamps, lots of clamps. And the only access we have to any of those systems is through a 24" square wood trapdoor that leads under the house. It looks like the kind of a tunnel you'd use if you're escaping from prison. The plumber tried to get out of going down there (I don't blame him!) but Mr. J managed to convince him it was the only access point. Who knows how they are going to be able to get any pipes or whatnot through that little hole. I can sense that we'll be paying a premium.

I guess it could be worse, like if the leak had been u-p-s-t-a-i-r-s in the w-a-l-l-s.

Pipe wrench anyone?

We woke up this morning to a plumbing problem. That is unless it is OK to hear the sound of rushing and dripping water from the stand-pipe in your laundry room. In which case we're about to drop a load of $$ for no reason. But methinks there is something afoot and I'm not happy 'bout it.

Am I paranoid or do these things always happen after a visit from my in-laws? A visit in which my FIL attempted to repair the downstairs toilet and also cut a metal pipe that previously extended from the house to the garage? (Granted, both projects were undertaken at our request, but now I'm notsosure that was a good idea. Although, the man does have some mad house skills... he built us a bathroom once, but I distinctly remember him hiring out the plumbing and electricity work.)

Anyhoo, plumbers here later this morning. There goes my free time. Which is a cryin' shame since I BUSTED my housework out yesterday after the ILs departed since I knew that would mean extra free time for me this morning, until the plumbing problem anyway, which means I really have NO free time, but whatever. I kind of liked cleaning on Sunday since Mr. J had to go into the office for an hour or four right after they left anyway (nice timing honey) so I had ample time to clean and do all laundry while the kids tried to stay warm and watched G-Force.

So now I have a nice clean shiny leaky house.

More fun on the internets

Have you been on Failbook yet? HILARIOUS. I had to read them all. I sincerely hope I never see myself or anyone I know on there. Not that 1/8000000 of what I discuss is anything like those posts.

Oh the humanity!

Not a paid advertisement

I don't often endorse specific products here. Mainly because I think 1) my regular readers (all 4 of you!) probably have their own brand loyalties and 2) I'm not sure who wants product advice from a stay-at-home mom with a Polarfleece addiction and who's primarily goal in life is to keep her house clean for more than 2 hours at a crack.

But.

I have to give a shout out to Suki's Naturals. Their amazing products, specifically the 21-day Detox regimen, have completely revitalized and rescued my very sensitive, completely parched, horrible winter skin. The long, cold Florida winter had taken its toll. I was a bumpy, patchy, peely, bumpy, itchy, cracky, scaly, spotty mess. One week after starting the Detox my skin is soft, clear, smooth and so even-toned that I can go out without makeup!

I salute you, Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser.

Ten things I learned about camping

I had an awesome time camping with Dag's Brownie troop this weekend! Maybe because it was only one night (Friday to Saturday) but that seemed to be about the right length of time for a first camping trip. I certainly could have used a shower, but no one else seemed to care. The girls were all on their best behavior-- no squabbles, tears or fighting! -- and we only had one girl from our troop get homesick and bail out on Friday. Overall, it was one of the best organized events I've ever been to.

Friday night was check-in. I had been at the campsite most of the afternoon setting up tents with one of the troop dad's, and I was very concerned because it was horribly muddy from the rain we got Thurs. night and Friday morning. But by the time the girls checked in at 5:30 the pathways were mostly dry and only the edges of the tent field were icky. After we got the girls' stuff settled in the tents, they got to watch a movie, have pizza and make s'mores. Have you ever tried to get 150 girls organized around a campfire? Yeah, me neither. But the staff were EXCELLENT. They got everybody in and out safely.

Lights out/quiet time was at 9:00 and I think everyone had fallen asleep by 10:30 (I know I did!)

It was so much fun sleeping in a tent! You hear things that you just don't anywhere else like coyotes howling and, best of all, owls. They were hooting all night long. So cool. And yeah, I didn't sleep much (see items 8 & 9 below) but it was still cool.

Saturday was a full day - 8 hours of programs and activities planned and executed entirely by 8th grade girls earning their Silver Awards. I was so impressed! There was a scrapbook program, a "SPA-tacular" program (exercise, manicures and make-your-own lip balm & bubble bath) and a full afternoon of Outdoor Skills. (When I told him about it, Mr. J was a bit confused - he was a Boy Scout and he was sure they never had a scrapbook badge.) The girls really enjoyed them all, but I loved the Outdoor Skills. We - I mean THEY - made foil packet meals, learned how to make campfires, learned how to set-up and take down a simple tent and then learned a bunch of Girl Scout songs. I (I mean THEY) loved it!

Overall it was a great experience for me - I mean THEM. Our troop can be tricky - most of them have known each other since they were 3 and since our school is small, only one class per grade, they can be pretty clique-y. But they got along beautifully and it was good to see girls who don't normally play together getting along just fine. Mr. J said Dags looked like she'd grown up two years overnight.

So, in a nutshell, here are my top 10 things l learned this weekend for future Girl Scout camping experiences (and oh yes we're already planning on more trips!):

1) Everyone will overpack - some girls had a full rolling SUITCASE with them. Make a very concise packing list and make sure people stick to it. And then tell everyone to take half the stuff off it. Most everyone wore the exact same thing Friday night to Saturday with maybe just a change from long-sleeves to short. Obviously, we can do this because we're in Florida so don't really need heavy gear and also because it was only one night. If you're going to bring multiples of anything, make it socks. On a side note -- after everyone checked out I noticed no less than 7 pairs of unde*rwear scattered around the field. What the heck? Did the girls change their unde*rwear and then just drop them outside? Weird.

2) Make sure everyone packs a cup for water (this is a GS camping rule anyway). We had bought the girls water bottles for the trip, but they turned out to be a total pain - they weren't as portable as we thought. Only one girl also bought a cup with a handle that she could easily tie to her belt loops with a bandana.

3) Make sure everyone has a lightweight backpack!!! I can't tell you how many girls asked me to carry stuff for them. The backpacks can be for water bottles, SWAPS, goodies that they make, mementos, sunscreen, etc. Make sure it's a backpack - not shoulder bags, not totes, not a teeny tiny Hello*Kitty messenger bag. A backpack. You can get lightweight cloth ones at Oriental Trading for about $1 each and I'm headed over there ASAP to purchase a bunch for future events - I think you can even iron-on your own troop numbers and stuff on them.

4) Check out the bathroom facilities ahead of time, know where they are, make sure the girls know where they are and plan accordingly. There were 6 toilet stalls and 10 sinks for 200 people. For someone like me who places a really high premium on bathroom privacy (and cleanliness!) it was a total nightmare. I didn't have anywhere to do my contact lenses, there were girls in line for days, there was only one mirror, it was gross. So next time, the girls are going on their OWN (I might wait nearby to make sure they all come out) and I will wait until everyone is in bed and then go do my own thing. I will always be the first one up -- 5:20 a.m! -- to make sure I can wash up without a crowd around me. I will also either wear my glasses or make sure that I bring a disposable pair of lenses with me so I don't have to fuss with cases and solution, etc. Also invest in a quick-dry towel like an Aquis especially if you will have access to a shower. The girls all had regular towels and not a single one dried after Friday night wash-up. There were icky damp towels everywhere and no place to hang them.

5) Bring snacks and drinks - and definitely some breakfast stuff - for yourself! The girls all had plenty of snacks at the programs and always had access to water, but by 10:00 on Saturday I would have sold a kidney for a Diet Coke and a granola bar. I tried to beg for a bag of GORP from a 13 year old who told me they were "really just for the girls." Thank goodness I had gum. This might have just been our encampment, but the main reason I was a low-blood-sugar basket case was...

6) Breakfast was totally kid-centered! They had a thing of very watery coffee* for the adults. That was about it. The rest of the breakfast was kids' cereals, muffins, milk, donuts, some very green bananas and tangerines. Next time I'll bring some instant coffee (to add to their coffee-flavored hot water), a packet of instant oatmeal, some granola bars, nuts, maybe some apples or something -- anything -- with some fiber and protein.

*Disclaimer: I like very strong, hot, black-as-night, full-caff coffee and I drink need about 6 cups in the morning. (My name is Trish and I'm an addict.)

7) Make sure you have a very portable camp chair to sit on, especially while the girls are doing their activities. The girls can sit anywhere, but if I tried to sit on the ground for more than 20 minutes at a crack I'd probably need knee surgery.

8) If you are tent camping, make sure the girls are told about taking off their shoes before going in the tents. And also about not touching the sides of the tent with anything, including themselves. I didn't even know this rule myself, and the condensation on the tents soaked just about everything by the morning. (Again, this might be an issue only in Florida where it's pretty humid.)

9) Bring a foam mat or something to put under your sleeping bag and also a soft, small, DRY towel or something that you can roll-up and put under your head. The ground is much harder than it looks or feels. I was being all macho "I don't need the extra gear" but by 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning I was wishing I had bothered. Lots of girls bought blankets and pillows, but they mostly ended up soaking wet by morning.

10) Allow some free time! By lunch everyone just wanted a chance to run around and explore. The programs were pretty tightly timed and none of the kids are into watches yet, so unfortunately we had to keep them pretty contained. In hindsight, I wish we'd taken time to just let them run, swing on the rope swings, play by themselves. I'm sure they would have all come back sooner or later. (Maybe next time we'll make sure they wear watches.)

So that's about it! I ( WE) had an excellent time and it will be even more fun next time I'm sure! And the best part is I think we're ready to start doing this as a family, now that Anders is out of diapers and both kids are less picky about food. I'm looking forward to some cool family camping adventures. Watch for us at a campsite near you -- we'll be the ones with an abundance of coffee and Ritz crackers.

Survivormom

I did it! I made it! I slept in a tent and didn't shower, do my hair or put on makeup in the morning. I almost didn't brush my teeth Friday night, but finally decided poor oral hygiene was more disgusting than sharing a rusty, cobwebby old bathroom (10 sinks, 6 toilets) with 199 other people, most of which were under the age of 8.

Full recap to follow after I get unpacked. Which I did not do last night, contrary to my SOP, because I was so tired I barely made it home at all.

Hey NBC! I got your drama right here.

Holy crap. Brownie campout tomorrow. Supposed to rain all day. Booo!

Need some drama in your life? Then YOU try equally dividing 12 emotionally unstable seven year old girls between two tents. Did we tell them the tent assignments are basically just where they will be sleeping tomorrow? Yes. That they would get to spend the WHOLE DAY Saturday and most of the night Friday with the same people that they are attached at the hip with anyway? Yes. Did we tell them that "you get what you get and you don't get upset!"? Yes. Did we tell them that, rather than letting 12 emotionally unstable seven year olds figure out where they will sleep, we decided to assign tents to "break up" some of the groups/duos that we know would cause problems and allow the girls to get to know some of the other girls better? No, of course not.

But while we might have warded off some nighttime problems tomorrow, we bought ourselves a world of drama today when we handed out the tent assignments. Some of them took the news as if we told them they were being permanently exiled. Which I guess is what it feels like to a seven year old, but you know what? My kid is one of the ones being assigned away from her BFF and she's not crying.

Ugh. I'm already over it.

Tummy trouble

Little tummy trouble going on here.

Be back soon!

Tasty treats!

Want to enter a blogger giveaway for some tasty treats from Blackberry Farm? Head over to Spice & Sass!

We're off to the Saturday Morning Market early this morning - trying to beat the rain. Stay tuned next week for fun posts as we gear up for the Great Brownie Camping Trip (the one where me & my brave co-leader attempt to take 12 rowdy little 2nd graders camping, most for the first time.)

Have I mentioned I'm more of a Four Seasons kind of girl?

That said, I think it will be fun and I do love gearing up for events like these. I found awesome sleeping bags for Dags & I and these cute little mess kits at Target. Until two days ago I didn't even know what a "mess kit with dunk bag" was! I also got a little LED leopard-print book light, my current Book Club book, and a really pretty leaf-green fleece. I'm also considering some dry shampoo since this campout does not feature shower facilities and everyone who's ever seen me in the morning knows I have to shampoo every day. My hair does not wear well otherwise. But I've also heard funky things about dry shampoos and darker hair - you can get a dandruffy effect. Option 2: The Hat. Oh well, it's all about the girls, not me!

Haiti

I had planned a frivolous Friday post about this and that. But then I got an email from the Parish about our twin parish in La Gonave, Haiti and how we are able to contact anyone there - the people who administer the project or the priests who administer to the parish - to find out how they are doing.

We are having a special fundraiser collection at church on Sunday for them. If you'd like, you can read more about St. Paul's "Partners with Haiti" project. Note: the website is a little out of date, but the basic gist is there.

Part of our funds collected will also go to Catholic Relief Services, who are already on the ground in Haiti providing aid.

Having grown up in the Caribbean and having seen first hand the absolute poverty that many live in, I can't imagine what it must be like to actually be there. Can you imagine being a mom, with kids, not knowing how to feed them? No bathrooms? No place to do laundry? And that's probably their NORMAL everyday life. Now imagine what little shelter or comfort you have is destroyed. Yeah, makes our problems seem petty.

Crisper drawer: FAIL

My crisper drawer, overloaded with lettuce and kale from my CSA all nicely tucked into Green Bags, froze over last night.

N.B.: You can't thaw lettuce. It turns into mush.

However dinner (grilled flat iron steak, roasted red potatoes and peas - not salad as planned, see above) was a resounding success! Everyone ate! Woohoooooo.

J. Crew: FAIL

No, no, no. Dear J. Crew - you are still getting it wrong. Guess why? Because back in the day when you made quality clothes that really were meant to last, I bought some J. Crew chinos. And they have been naturally destroyed not by 400 minutes of being worked over by a machine, but by almost 20 years of being worked over by me!

And your model? Still looks drunk and/or boneless. Didn't your mother ever tell you to stand up straight? Can't you find a hairbrush? Also, I'm not sure adults should wear clothes that purposely looked patched. It's sorta cute and charming on little kids who are clearly wearing hand-me-downs, but is that the image we want to portray when your over 10? Somebody please help these people out.

Dinner: FAIL

It's finally supposed to warm up into the 50s this week! Yay! I am so over hibernating, frozen feet, layering the kids in fleecy blankets and the furnace running 24/7. Our gas bill this month is going to be SCARY, like maybe middle-of-August-a/c-bill scary.

It was also too cold to go anywhere for dinner, and usually we go out on Saturday night or at the very least for brunch after church on Sunday. But not this weekend. As a matter of fact we didn't make it to church until the 11:30 Mass, which was PACKED so it looks like a lot of other families had issues with getting out of bed for the 9:30 service. Anyway, knowing it was too cold to want to venture out, I had carefully planned and prepared delicious, easy, warm meals for us to eat all weekend. And what did the kids eat? Mostly bread & jam.

Friday we had baked ziti. Picked at by Dags, ignored by Anders.
Saturday we had homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese on homemade bread. Dags drank about 2 tsp. of soup, picked her sandwich apart. Anders ate PB on Ritz crackers.
Sunday we had slow-cooked beef brisket. Choice between hard rolls or tortillas with a topping for every palate. Dagny ate about half a tortilla. Anders had a roll.

The Great Homemade Bread Experiment is off to a steady start. I've made honey wheat (kids didn't like) and homemade white (kid tolerated, as long as it is lightly toasted and slathered with jam). I'm going to try a sandwich loaf later this week. Homemade bread does take some getting used to, but making it is way, way easier than I thought and boy, is it FUN. Love it!

Today is Matt's birthday but also Dagny's First Reconciliation at Church, so we'll be celebrating Dagny today and Matt tomorrow (flat iron steaks for us. bread & jam for the kids.)

Ice watch

We're basically the same temperature as Juneau, ALASKA this morning. We're watching for the much-hoped-for (by the kids!) wintry mix that's on it's way.

Brrr. Send hot cocoa!

Cupcake cabin fever

In a futile attempt to warm up the house Anders & I made cupcakes today! The oven may not do much for warmth, but all the extra pounds I'll put on sure will help. (I really should lay off the baked goods. Maybe when it warms up.)



These are moist rich chocolate (anti-oxidants! yes!) cupcakes with a creamy, butter-less buttercream frosting. So I guess it's really 7 minute frosting, but I made it with vanilla sugar to get the flavor party going. It's thick and creamy and no, it doesn't have that crazy buttercream richness, but it goes awfully well with the chocolate anyhow. And some have toasted coconut, which Anders declared disgusting but that just means there are more for me. The best thing about that frosting was I made it with frozen egg whites that I had on hand. I usually have a lot of frozen egg whites because I use a lot of yolks for ice cream (although I need to lay off the ice cream too). So it's nice to have a purpose for them. These treats might even be relatively healthy. They're definitely low-fat: no butter in either the cake or the frosting; one whole egg in the cake and two egg whites for the frosting. You just have to overlook the 3 cups of sugar.

Oh and don't worry I didn't eat 17 cupcakes. I made a mini-batch so I wouldn't over do it.

Here are some money shots of the frosting, before it got spreadeded (Anders word).




Watch out! You're drooling on your keyboard.

Downy

High tomorrow is 41. Low 31. 60% chance of rain. There is the slight, tiny chance of flurries, but I think we're too close to the water for it to stay below freezing. The kids are praying like anything for snow, no matter how tiny the amount.

It is so rare to be this cold here! Unfortunately, Florida is not really a winter sport kind of place. There's no where to go when it's cold out - parks are out of the question as is the beach. Not that we're going anywhere because of COURSE Anders is sick. Just a chest cold, but enough to keep him home from school. Poor kid. I don't even mind getting up 23,000 times a night when they are hacking and coughing and wheezing all night long. I finally snuck him some illicit Pediacare around 2:30 and he was able to sleep until 7.

Another cozy couch day!

Don't stop believing

It's great watching the kids grow up and discover how to do things like read, write, make "magic potions" or put together Indiana Jones Lego sets. I watch and help and wonder when/if they will discover that they have a real talent for something like singing or painting or French or piano or soccer or skiing.

It's OK if they don't; I'm not trying to raise the next Bode Miller or Carrie Underwood here. I'm happy if they are happy. And so far they are happy pretending they are chihuahuas or fairies or Indiana Jones.

It's just that at age 43 I still wonder every day if today's THE DAY I'm going to discover I'm really talented at _______. Fill in the blank, cause truly it could be anything. Although I've ruled out ballerina, American Idol singer and Rembrandt-style painter. But everything else is fair game.

Blankets. Not just for bed anymore.

Greetings from the frozen tundra of Florida! Yeah, I hate to complain about that when most of the country is in the teens or negative numbers this morning, but trust me when I say that Floridians, for the most part, are completely unprepared for more than 1 day of this kind of weather. We don't own that kind of clothing. I had to haul out my old wool coat back from when I was working - it looks kind of funky over my mom jeans, multiple sweatshirt layers and new Uggs, but I'm warm. The kids have ski jackets, but not really any suitable outdoor play clothes. Not that we're playing outdoors.

But let's take a moment of appreciation for our ancient boiler, the sole source of heat for our house:

It spends it's days in a dark utility closet. For 9 months out of the year we barely think of it, other than in an abstract, "gee, I hope THAT never breaks" kind of way. But on these cold days it's all we've got. Thankfully, it was converted from coal to oil to gas before we bought the house. It may not be quite as efficient as forced heat, but it does a fairly good job most winters. I say most because it's NOT so awesome during really cold weather.

Our lovely 85+ year old house was totally built for Florida. The downstairs retains cold pretty well. Which is great in August. Notsomuch when you're on your 4th day of not breaking out of the 50s. The master "sun"room and downstairs artroom both clocked in at 51 this morning. Which makes the 62 in the house feel pretty cozy. But what it really means is that we've taken to wearing our blankets around the house, since short of wearing outdoor gear, our clothes just aren't warm enough. Anders has a lime green down blanket; Dagny is the one in red plaid fleece. Very festive. I myself am sporting a eggplant-colored chenille throw and Mr. J is wearing an on-trend aqua blue and chocolate brown plaid wool blanket. It is especially convenient in the evening since, if you're wearing your blanket over your jammies, you really can just fall right into bed.

Cold snap

Brrrr. I love winter!

Starting fresh

The first thing I do every new year is purchase a year's worth of the following products:

- fridge water filters

- vacuum bags

- trash can liners

- white vinegar

- baking powder

- Kosher salt

- ground black pepper

- Jet Dry

- notepads - I'm leaning toward these this year, I think, probably

- tape: regular, mailing and masking (on a side note, does anyone know where the kids put my heavy-duty tape dispenser? How can that be lost?!)

Fairly random list, no? However, those are the common, non-perishable household items that I'm most likely to run out of during the year and then repeatedly forget to buy. It is so much easier to remember to buy trash bags when you only have to remember ONCE a year, right?

I'm also totally lucky to have the storage space to indulge this little habit. And I usually get coupons or really good deals on all of these things (notsomuch the fridge filters) so it tends to be a pretty cost effective strategy too.

It's also fun to know that at least one chore is off the list for the year.

Poor Cinci

That loss to 'Bama? Looks like the Gators took it out on Cincinnati.

Go Gators!

Rain

Looks like we're rained out. Oh well. Fondue will go on!

Happy 2010!!

Good morning! Happy New Year! Happy Twenty-ten? Or are you going with Twothousandandten? Whichever, I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and that your Christmas was as merry, bright and filled with fun & family as ours was. And I've got pictures to prove it!

A lot of our traditions revolve around the kids, especially New Year's Day. We spend the morning at Lowry Park Zoo (the animals are usually playing with Christmas presents; fun for all) then we come home to a special dinner of hot dogs (actually beer bratwursts this year) with all the fixins, roast potatoes & the first of the Florida sweet corn on the cob. I'm also making Hoppin' John this year because we could all use a little luck. Our dessert is Chocolate Fondue with bananas, angel food cake and Plant City strawberries. Yum!

And although we don't do anything special for New Year's Eve, I did find this intriguing recipe to try at home:

Scotch Fizz

serves 4

2 oz single malt Scotch
3/4 oz Cointreau
12 oz Champagne or sparkling wine

4 large lemon peels

Shake Scotch and Cointreau with ice cubes until shaker is frosted. Divide into 4 chilled champagne flutes. Top with the Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the lemon peel and serve.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to all....

and to all a good night!

See you next year!

p/s - don't forget to track Santa: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

I multitask, therefore I am

In this month's issue of Publix's Greenwise magazine was an unintentionally hilarious article on reducing stress and saving time. One of their insights was to "rethink multi-tasking". I giggled when I read it. Really. Without multitasking how the heck would you ever get anything done?! I'm not talking about bad multitasking like driving and reading your mail. I'm talking about the 100,000 things I do - simultaneously - on a daily basis.

I can only assume the article was written by a man because most men, and by "men" I mean "my husband", are pretty bad at multitasking. Mr. J can't coordinate going to lunch and getting a haircut at the same time, never mind the totally efficient multitasking that I, and most women/moms I know, engage in on a daily basis. He also tends to get very aggravated when he sees me multitasking - he says it makes him feel like he's in the middle of a tornado. I say he's just jealous that I can get so much done in the same time it takes him to do just one thing. After which he'll claim exhaustion and need to go sit on the porch for 2 hours.

Even as I write this, I'm doing laundry, making a batch of cookies, finishing a round of emergency vacuuming since Anders decided it would be a good idea to pull the cover off the a/c return vent (with an air filter that hasn't been changed in a year - yeccch), and getting lunch/snacks ready for Dagny's afternoon playdate. Top that!

Now Greenwise did have a decent point - you must try to coordinate your multitasking so that you are doing tasks with similar concentration points at the same time, e.g., folding laundry and watching DVR'd episodes of "Good Eats". As opposed to trying to do your taxes and clean out a closet at the same time. It's probably not a good idea to try to multitask any financial-type activity. No one is getting hurt if your cookies don't turn out right, but you don't want to mess with your money, right?

At that's the thing about women/moms - we've got a LOCK on this multitasking business. I may look like chaos as I whirl through the house cleaning, straightening, piling, moving, cooking, squirting (Slatkin's Winter scent - awesome!) and fluffing, but I know exactly what I'm doing. And I'm getting it all done TODAY.

Well, since you asked

I am a little concerned that Mr. J has not begun inquiring what I'd like for Christmas. Usually he has asked for a few recommendations by now. So either he's come up with something on his own, forgot entirely or is waiting until 10:59 p.m. on December 24 to figure it out (hello Walgreens!)

So just in case he asks YOU, here are some goodies I wouldn't mind finding in my stocking:
Slatkin's candle in Winter from Bath & Body Works. It even gets rid of wet dog smell.

"Artisan Breads Every Day" - to help fuel my 2010 homemade-only bread policy.

"Blackberry Farm Cookbook" - I've never been, but both the farm and the recipes make me drool.

"Bon Apetit, Y'all" - 'Cause Southern cooking is one of our favorites around here!

Pastry scraper - essential for making bread, scones, biscuits, etc.Pastry blender - so I don't have to haul out the Cuisinart every time I want to make pastry
Ugg short boots in Chocolate (couldn't find an exact picture)

And finally, if we win the lottery this weekend, I'll be asking for sterling silver flatware, specifically Reed & Barton's Burgundy.

But mostly I would like a healthy and happy year for my whole family. And maybe some willpower to stick to my diet/exercise plan in 2010!

It's not me, it's you

All that fuss about my candy? Turns out it's my wretched old candy thermometer -- totally out of calibration by about 10 degrees! Well no WONDER nothing was setting up!

I'll be looking for one of these in my stocking:

But for now, my candy-making days are DONE. I have one more wretched, gooey pan of peppermint marshmallows (really, peppermint marshmallow fluff) to clean and then I'm sticking with some ez bar cookies. Maybe some biscotti if I find the time.

Ho ho ho.

Got candy?

As stated in an earlier post, I was planning on making candy for my Christmas goody boxes this year. Because candy stores better without going stale. Because candy ships better. Because candy can be made in large batches. But I forgot one important thing - candy is very weather-dependent. Humidity and heat do terrible, terrible things to candy.

And of course this has been the most humid miserable rainy December ever. It's rained so much they even lifted our watering restrictions! It's rained so much our lawn/weeds are as green as they are in July! It's rained so much I've ruined 1 batch of caramels (wouldn't set) and 2 batches of peppermint bark (chocolate wouldn't temper, candies clumped into a giant Starlight Mint ball).

I did manage to get one batch of marshmallows done last weekend, but the humidity came right back up again.

I'm rethinking the cookie thing.

Ugh.

Two to go

This has been a busy, busy crazy hectic week month year. But I only have two events to go and THEN I can relax and enjoy Christmas. Do you feel that way too?

Tomorrow is Mr. J's work Holiday party. I want to wear something OVER THE TOP sparkly but am afraid of looking like Tinkerbell. What to do?

Hungry

I've been pretty good about my diet this past month, in preparation for all the Christmas goodies I'll be eating next week. But today. Oh today. The weather is cool (and getting colder), gray and windy. I'm in a nesting mood. I've got the munchies. I want to watch a football game. I want:

- Crispy potato skins loaded with pimento cheese and bacon

- Hot wings w/ blue cheese and celery

- Spicy hot jalapeno poppers

- Creamy 4-cheese mac n' cheese

- Crab cake w/ remoulade

- A cold Sam Adams

- A dish of peppermint ice cream

Maybe not in that order.

What I'll have: a tuna melt, green salad and a gingerbread cookie. Sigh.

Photophobic

My kids are gorgeous. Really! But our Christmas pictures? They always look deranged.

Are your lights up?

Here's where we went last night:

http://www.christmasdisplay.org/

Wow.

Under the weather

Haven't seen the sun in about a week now. So humid that our porch has standing water on it (DISGUSTING). Had to turn on the a/c yesterday so we could dry out a bit. Everything feels moist.

Help! Send sun!

Did you know we have a solar water heater? It makes this quiet humming noise as the water cycles through the heater thingamajig. I haven't heard it in Idontknowhowlong so I assume we're on the electrical back-up heater. The downside of going green -- only works when Nature cooperates. Well, I guess we could take cold showers (NOT!)

Going to crank up the oven, make some toasty granola, some pumpkin spice muffins and a yummy hashbrown casserole for dinner.

Rethink

Anders is sick AGAIN. Is it him? Is it us? Is it school? We're considering moving him to the Tues-Thurs schedule after the holidays. Three days a week may be too much and he's having some behavior problems that concern us. I need to spend more time with him.... or wait? Maybe I spend too much? Anyway, he gets sick every month and he is hitting and he is yelling (at home not at school) and we are thinking it's because of school. He is on the young side -- late July bday -- he is a boy and parents are the best pre-school there is. And if you want to be brutally honest about it, the best thing about pre-school is the time it gives ME. I mean, sure, there are some educational aspects to it and certainly if you are a working parent then it's probably essential, but I guarantee there is absolutely nothing that is taught in pre-school that I don't know. (This is probably true up until 9th grade where I will hit the Geometry Wall of Pain. I had no problem with Algebra or Calculus, but I just don't "get" Geometry.)

But above everything, we have to think about what is best for this individual kid. And maybe I have to be unselfish enough to think that pre-school, even part time, isn't the best option for him.

Best laid plans

So much for my morning of cleaning, baking and candy-making. Anders woke up sick and Dagny was home by 10:00 not feeling well. Soooo... a nice leisurely day instead enjoying our Christmas decorations.

'Tis the season

Can your husband put up the Christmas lights without a single cuss word? Mine can't.

Somehow, during their 11 months in storage, we had three whole strands of tree lights completely burnout. After Mr. J tried for almost 2 hours to find the bad bulb, complete with language that made me hide the Baby Jesus from the nativity scene, I finally sent him out to the Home Depot with instructions to buy five brand new sets. Three for this year and two for back-up. And yes, I agree it's frustrating and silly, but nothing is built to last these days anyway. So just go buy those new ones and THROW OUT the old ones and move on already!

And we haven't even started hanging the wreaths yet.

Resolution time

Have you started thinking about your New Year's resolutions yet (if you make them at all)?

One of the ones I've been toying with is only eating homemade bread at home next year. Except for maybe the random burger or hot dog bun and even those are relatively easy to make, for the few times a year we'd need them. There's some logistical issues like should I make it every day or make a bunch of loaves at one time and then freeze them? Should I do no-knead breads, which are "easier" in terms of prep than traditional loaves, but require much more planning. How do I work in familial preferences since Dags only eats sourdough and Anders only eats whole wheat or honey wheat?

On the plus side, we really don't eat that much bread mainly because we're not big sandwich eaters (esp. Dags & I) so we're not talking about huge quantities of bread. Maybe 2 homemade size loaves a week will be fine. We do eat a lot of rolls and bagels, but those are easier to make in large quantity -- at least I think so. Plus they freeze nicely.

Lots to consider, but since I've gone homemade with ice creams, candies, yogurt, sour cream and almost all other baked goods why not bread?

Someone talk me out of it before I decide it's a good idea.

I've got a problem with J. Crew

I started wearing J. Crew waaay back in college, back when they were super preppy and reasonably affordable. Cute stuff, built to last, I have two t-shirts that date back to 1986. (They are only worn around the house because they are not fit for public viewing. But they are soft & comfeeeee and I love them.)

But over the years J. Crew has changed, I have changed and let's face it ... we just don't have much of a relationship anymore. (Except for their favorite fit cropped chinos which I can't live without. And their favorite fit corduroys. Love.)

And here's why:

I mean really? She looks drunk. Or homeless. Or like she's had her spine removed. Her hair needs brushing. And that's how 98% of the models in their catalog look these days. It really doesn't entice me to shop there. If I wanted to see someone wearing 14 layers of clothing, slouching over with a semi-conscious expression all I have to do is walk about 8 blocks south of my house to the nearest public park. I would not pay well over $150 per item to look like this.

And don't even get me started on the absurdity that is CrewCuts.*

Now, they still have some reasonably cute and reasonably priced clothes like their tees, cable sweaters, chinos but guess what? Those things never go out of style. Back to basics J. Crew. A girl really can't have too many pairs of cropped chinos.

*Full disclosure, Anders does own several well-made polos and critter shorts from CrewCuts but I got them all on mega-sale and they will last him through at least the next 2 years of school. Under no circumstances will I cough up $45 for a regularly priced shirt for a child.

May the Force be with you!

Does your three-year-old walk around telling you to "use the Force"? Can he school you on the slight differences between "Star Wars - A New Hope" (or as he calls it "Star Wars Regular") and "Star Wars Original"? Does he know that Harrison Ford was Indiana Jones AND Han Solo? Is he counting the days until Netflix delivers "Umpire Strikes Back"?

Either I have a movie prodigy on my hands or he watches too many movies. I should probably be happy since Dagny's favorite movie at this age was The Care Bears in Care-a-lot.

Domestic diva

Five domestic things I care deeply about:

• Bathroom/kitchen cleanliness
• Quality, homemade baked goods
• Daily vacuuming
• Making the beds every single morning
• Healthy school lunches/snacks

Five domestic things I don't think about:

• Pantry neatness
• Folding sheets properly
• Weeding and/or all gardening-related tasks
• Tupperware-and-lid organization
• Where anyone's shoes are but mine

Christmas treats

I'm being very ambitious with my list of Christmas goodies this year. For the last few years cookies just haven't been working for me. They go stale way too easy. They don't ship well. You can't make them weeks in advance. So this year I'm making candy!

On the list:

• Homemade marshmallows (choc. dipped, plain and peppermint) - my sis convinced me to try these earlier this year and even though I was skeptical and thought it was too humid in Florida to make them, they actually turned out brilliant and the taste? To die for. So much better than store bought.
• Fleur de sel caramels
• Peanut butter cups
• Peppermint bark (and maybe peppermint patties)

So who wants some candy?