30 days...

i’ve been seeing all this daily thankfulness being posted on facebook & i wanted to jump on the bandwagon (because i’m thankful for stuff, too) but instead of boring people on a daily basis, i thought i’d just get it all out in one post! so, here it goes…

1. family. hubs & monkey. rents, sissy & fam, in-laws, & all the rest of the clan. (good, bad, & crazy)
2. monkey. (because he gets his own separate line...my love, my life, my monkey-monk!)
3. roof over our heads.

4. coffee. (if i come in contact with you regularly, you know to be thankful too.)
5. our animal kids.
6. music. naturally.
7. friends. old & new.
8. concealer & burt's bees.
9. warm blankets & warm bodies to snuggle under them with.
10. spanx.
11. the ability to fly. i know, i can't actually "fly," but i'd be super grateful if i could.
12. bravo & food network. plus, those marathons rock my socks.
13. cupcakes.
14. sandwiches. any variety. (hold meat & oregano, of course)
15. underwire.
16. positive people.
17. books.
18. weekends.
19. bubble baths.
20. rainy days.
21. compassion, passion...all the -sions.
22. shiny things. big & small, short & tall.
23. diy & crafty shenanigans.
24. beer.
25. beauty in random places.
26. french everything; language, art, kisses...
27. cold weather garb; leggings, tights, scarves, boots.
28. bright lights, big cities.
29. homegrown whatevers.
30. readers that let me ramble on.

holly jolly ponderings...

why does the “short” week at work/school drag forever & the “long” weekend fly by super fast?

i love picking out a christmas tree…i really do. (& i am in the holiday spirit, but seeing those trees all wrapped up made me giggle…’fifty shades of frasier fir’)

why is there always one strand of xmas lights that doesn't want to play well with others? how can half of it just not work? just half…of the whole thing…after you’ve checked them…really?

thank goodness i don’t have a little girl, who is obsessed with barbie, to buy for this year. that human barbie chick has me totally weirded out & haunts my dreams.

how come some people (adults) turn into the biggest brats around the holidays? don’t they know that santa’s watching?

i really want to meet the person that gets the brand new car with the obnoxious bow on it for christmas. & then i want to know where i can get that big ‘ol bow!

i am so emotional lately…what the heck is up with that?

of course my child wants an animal for christmas. how does one (me) hide a critter until the morning of?

why have i not seen one classic christmas movie yet? my tradition is at least the original ‘miracle on 34^th street’ no later than sunday night post thanksgiving. (i’m behind schedule already)

we (hubs & i) actually did a pseudo-black friday line waiting event (we only ventured to one store) it was comical…folks were grabbing up cheap as dirt deals & making a bee line to the lay-a-way department. what the crap is that cheater-y nonsense?

why are folks so personally offended by the abbreviation “xmas?” i type it a lot. it’s quick & easy & i have never done it out of spite. i didn’t make it up to piss you off. so what gives? it’s not like i’m all “merry xxx-mas!”

i always wish i had beaucoups of money to buy every child a coat & a toy that needs them this time of year. perhaps one day i can do that; i have big dreams.

will our loved ones see an actual “merry/happy from us” holiday card this year? i’m wondering this myself.

i really want to have a heinous christmas sweater party. sadly, my guest list is bleak.

can i just say how much i adore homemade/handcrafted gifts? it’d be nice to know some of these same folks to exchange with.

i plan on cooking or baking some shenanigans from now until the big day, whenever time will permit…seriously.

the holidays always remind me that i will never be good enough for the in-laws, but that’s okay. i’ve had, what, almost 20 years to prepare for this?! (so i say “meh!”)

at the end of the day i love taking care of people all year round, & maybe one day someone will want to take care of me. (or at least want to get to know me…ha!)

& oh, yea…twinkies? nooo! by the way, i can’t even remember the last time i had one. maybe it’s that “ya don’t miss it until it’s gone” kind of thing.

thanksgiving's already gone, ya'll...

who wasn’t scared, unprepared, or a little drunk? totally kidding, but really what did you do to ready for the occasion?

maybe your momma does it all every year & all you have to do is show up. maybe you were elected a side of sorts. or maybe you volunteered yourself this year for the whole kit & caboodle...ya poor bastard!

for me, i love opportunities to bring "stuff!" i adore being in my kitchen & whipping up this & that. now, i'm not experimenting on friends & fam, per se, but yea, i kind of am.

i have been busting at the seams to make an oyster dressing for some time now. (ps...i've never even had it before) it just sounded super yum. where on earth do i find the very best recipe? of course, my fingers immediately type 'pioneer woman.' & what'dya know...there it was; hooray!

the pw way: (complete cuteness at thepioneerwoman.com)

• 3 cups cornbread, cut into cubes
• 2 loaves ciabatta or other crusty italian bread, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
• 3 cans oysters, drained, liquid reserved
• 4 whole carrots, diced
• 6 stalks celery, diced
• 2 whole small onions, diced
• 8 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

allow all bread cubes to sit uncovered for several hours or overnight until it's dry. place all the cubed bread in a large mixing bowl.

heat bacon fat or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. add carrots, celery, and onions, and stir to combine. cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

add oysters and stir around for 1 minutes. remove from heat and pour over the bread cubes. sprinkle on the sage, the rosemary, and salt and pepper. then add the broth while tossing bread cubes with a large spoon. stir in egg.

stop after adding 5 or 6 cups of liquid to give the mixture a taste. add more broth to taste, until it gets to the moisture level you like. adjust seasonings as needed. hint: if you think it needs a little more of an oyster kick, splash in a small amount of the oyster liquid. (a little goes a long way!)
pour mixture into a large baking dish (or stuff the bird if you prefer.) bake it in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. serve with your thanksgiving dinner.

your tummy just growled a bit, huh…even if you’re still a little holiday hungover like me. & unlike my usual, i did not deviate from this recipe…in dee i trust! with the exception of creating cornbread from a box mix because of my time issues & a la veggie style, using butter versus bacon fat & vegetable broth versus chicken or turkey. (had to make it to where i could eat it too, right?!)

her version is much prettier than mine :)

 



i also had to throw in an old faithful dip (because i am dubbed the “dip queen” by the hubs' fam), jalapeno popper dip. it doesn’t take long to prepare & takes even less time to be devoured. it’s super easy & always a favorite.

(i may have shared this one before, but here it is again)

1 8 oz block cream cheese

½ cup mayo

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz pickled jalapeno peppers

2 jalapeno peppers chopped

¼ cup parmesan reggiano, (or i’ll use like a mozzarella if i’m fresh out of that)

combine all ingredients together. top with a parmesan & panko mixture. i also place extra jalapeno slices on top. bake at 350* for about 20 minutes.

 

so, thanksgiving is over, but the holidays are truly just starting. it’s never too late to try something new for all those parties & get togethers coming up. enjoy!

 

 



birthdays are weird...

when you're little, the thought of another year older means parties & presents, & can't seem to come fast enough. the older i get, i realize that time just can't seem to slow down...& i become so sappy & almost homesick over these memories that cloud my brain. i start to recall old songs & people & places & things.

i remember wanting to be older with a chic group of friends, a bazillion boyfriends, a style that everyone envied, & a calendar filled to the max with only the raddest events. (i know, right?!) i wanted to be an artist in a huge, fast-paced, hip city & live in a studio apartment over a night club or something.

i remember trying to lie about my age all the freaking time...i say "try" because i'm a horrible liar. but at times, it worked; buying cigarettes, meeting older guys (translation: older teenagers, whoa!), getting into movies/music shows/raves. a short skirt, heels, & a shit ton of makeup, right? who was i kidding…ha! (of course, being a cute girl probably helped my cause.)

i remember being fascinated by fashion & music (& i still am) i remember my first real kiss, love & heartache. i remember the first time that i read woolf, dickinson, hemingway, nin…& how their words were so captivating. i remember writing poems & song lyrics & love letters & talking on the phone for like, forever. i remember watching my first horror/black & white/musical/comedic movie & realizing how much i loved them all. i remember my first concert; even more so, my first punk rock show in a hole in the wall bar (& i was hooked). i remember the first funeral that i went to for a friend instead of an elderly or sick relative; unfortunately, i would go to many more. i remember my first job, car, & hangover (not all in the same day, mind you)! i remember feeling so cool after getting my first tattoo. i remember thinking that when i grew up…wow, it’d be the most amazing thing ever & i could not wait! (don’t get me wrong, i adore my life, but you have to admit that the perception of the child is way off base from the actual “adult.” i still have no clue what i want to be when i “grow up!”)

i think about all the different personalities that i've encountered in my life. how they've affected me, shaped me, called me friend or sweetheart at some space in time. i think about those that are passed on (but not forgotten) & those that are living their lives in various places. i miss them all for different reasons; i look forward to seeing them again face to face, & not just out in cyberspace (but glad that's an option).

i wonder if others have these moments. what triggers them? for me, it could be as simple as a dream or a song or, well, a certain occasion. i remember everything; adventures, sweet moments, conversations, secrets. it’s probably pretty silly, but it’s just how i am…living in the present, but always reminiscing about the past. wow, that sounds kind of tragic, but i swear that i mean it in the healthiest of ways. maybe i’m lucky in that way…it gives me writing material after all.

they don't call me smooth (for a reason)...

so, i've been hindered, fractured, broken?...what have you...for a week! i managed to catch my hand in a closing door. or, trap it in a closed door; heavy door. the way it caught was both alarming & painful. do i vomit or cry?

i thought (of course, ouch) but then i sorta laughed. story of my life, right?! when am i not hurting myself? i am, after all, a walking accident waiting to happen. still, i try with my half missed illusions of grandeur. omg! it super hurts & it is totally not cool. perhaps so much worse than i choose to admit, & i am not the best at “taking it easy.” i missed clients last week at school, i can't do silly everyday things; most of all i couldn't physically contribute to monkeys birthday cake!

but, i usually do the cake. creative designer, grocery list writer, secret ingredient of love provider; your idea sounds "okay," but i do the cake! (or you know, i like to be in charge?) i had to surrender. the vision was shared with the hubs. he would create said cake. oh, sweet jeebus, i was a bit nervous.
now, he did a great job & i promised not to be a "backseat driver," buuuut...some things were lost in translation. like, it's a 12" pan, so "we'll" need (to keep it simple) 2 cake mixes. seeing as how a single box of betty or whatever will provide (2) 9" pans of cake loveliness, i didn't foresee an issue. the process was discussed. i even got the necessities out & put them in the counter. the man, bless his heart, used the 2 boxes; to fill the entire mold! (proof that no one ever listens to me...ever) let's just say it took a wee bit longer in the oven to bake than the recommended instructions spoke of. i may have hyperventilated, just a tad. fine…a lot.

fortunately, the cake turned out a-okay. it was late friday night, so i suggested saving the frosting for in the morning. sounds reasonable, right?! only hubs left it...the cake...in the pan...overnight. come saturday morning, that sucker was not coming out to play. in lieu of it falling apart, we decided to just ice it in the pan. (am i the only one who would have a minor freak out over this? just the thought made me die a little. yes, i worry about the overall appearance.)

cake is decorated. looks amazing. i am humbled...thank you, hubs! monkey absolutely loves it…which is the most important thing, after all.

en route to the party place, i must take a picture of this cool pokemon inspired cake. with my one good hand, i scroll to cam &...drop my iphone on top of the damn thing! wow! red icing is everywhere. & it stains, so by the time everything is wiped off, my hands look as if i've killed something! party goes off like a hitch, but dang...i am constantly rolling my eyes at what the universe might throw at me next.
maybe i'm meant to constantly have material to blog about...can't make this craziness up! maybe i'm supposed to learn to let things go. maybe i need to appreciate the small stuff; like, asking for help, turning on the shower, or just opening up a jar of pickles. whatever comes along, i realize that i really hate being broken. seriously, it stinks!!

don't freaking blink...

monkey is 8 this week...how the hell did that happen? i just brought him home, what, a few weeks ago? jeez, i was just 27 a few weeks ago. the party days were done (or, you know, dwindling down for a minute) & it was time to start a family...that missing piece to the puzzle with my sass & spontaneity & the hubs' smarts (i hoped). but yikes, i remember months becoming weeks & then days away! p.s. why in the world do they glamourize a show like '16 & pregnant'...i was terrified in my late 20's with a "plan?"
yes, the child who was 9 days post (plus 13 hours of labor) refusing to show his gorgeous face is now a bright-eyed, smart as a whip, growing boy. at what age is the mom not cool anymore? nevermind, don't answer that! i just cannot wrap my brain around how amazing this child is; continues to be…& i’m totally biased, but i swear, it’s true. he definitely didn’t get it from me (well, maybe a little bit).
as the days grow closer to his party, i am totally unorganized. of course, it is the bane of my existence that my good intent & over the top ideas conflict with time. oh, time...you are my nemesis for sure!
some invites just made the mailbox (story of my life) & also, i have prepared nada! i can't stop reminiscing & looking at baby pictures. does this happen to any of you?
it will come together & it will be great. but in the meantime, gush with me for a minute (this sad lump of momma)...oh, & now i need a kleenex!

 

*sniff, sniff*