Good Tidings

good tidings, thank goodness it's friday!

let's get down to business

1.  i am very thankful that my aunt is ok after a semi-serious fall the sunday before christmas.  we spent the day in the ER, and she has some pretty staples in her head - but luckily it wasn't worse and it was caused in part to new medication and light headedness. 

2.  thank goodness i have bill.  after hanging out at what is easily the worst emergency room in all of louisville and not having enough boxes or bags to wrap presents on christmas eve, and discovering the stores were sold out of everything.  i had a mini breakdown. 

 and bill opened his presents right out of the bags i purchased them in

bless his heart.  and buffalo trace.

3.  my aunt lisa hosted a wonderfully casual christmas lunch despite her recent injury.  and there are many reasons i appreciate her - one being that the lady can find a kate spade bargain and share :)

4.  after not being able to spend a single day at home relaxing on my days off - i was very thankful i got in a bit of this

woodford is clearly trying to push me off the couch so he can snuggle with his daddy, but on a cold night i just try and tuck my legs under the furry heat lamp and pretend i'm comfortable.

5.  there's lots of things i'm thankful for and proud of and blessed with - but when those blessings are hard to recognize - it's best to just make some homemade bread

 nothing makes me happier than some flour, salt, and yeast mixed together

and then i remember it's about all the small simple stuff added together

makes a pretty tiny but ABSOLUTELY delicious loaf

that makes something big and wonderful

 

 recipe can be found here

have a safe remaining 2012 and celebrate responsibly ringing in 2013.  

kitchen addiction

i'm the first to admit i have a kitchen gadget problem


i will never feel completely satisfied until my kitchen is fully stocked

and then i will need to move into a house outfitted with a magazine ready kitchen

it's my favorite part of the house.  it's where everyone congregates

i love cooking and baking and....obviously...eating

but my kitchen is missing something

let's see

rice cooker, stand mixer, food processor, bread machine, toaster oven, keurig....

yes

i'm missing something

a blender.

but not just any blender

i need a vitamix



 it's basically the Bentley of blenders

and when i convince myself that i can just go get a nice blender in the 100-150 range...i start reading reviews on amazon

leaks, doesn't blend thoroughly, chunky smoothies...

i'm convinced i need a vitamix.

go big or go home right?

i just cannot justify the cost (400 and upwards)

but i mean - it also has 2 HP...i'm doing the tim allen tool time grunt while i type this...

someone please recommend a nice less expensive blender that will blend realllllly well -

i'm itching to go to williams sonoma and just do it

talk me down from this ledge!

post-christmas post

so bummed my long weekend is over

there was so much to be thankful for this christmas

friday night i celebrated being another year older

with a little bourbon

before a little sushi

before a little celebratory birthday shot

saturday we had our annual christmas sweater party

woodford even got in on the fun

and what better way to work off some indulgence than to

hoof it around the neighborhood a few times.

christmas eve and christmas day were spent with our families - lots of laughing and eating with some very thoughtful gifts mixed in.

and as thankful as i am to be able to have family and friends to visit with

coming home for a little bit of this

made it one of my favorite Christmases to date.

be careful and stay safe if you're traveling today - there's some funky weather out there!

good tidings ya'll

who all survived the zombie apocalypse?

glad we're all here

i think that deserves-

 a good tidings friday!  5 things that made me happy this week:

1.  we survived the world ending.  this time. 

2.  SNOW!

ok...so we have a small dusting.

but it's still the first snow of the season so it counts.  i kind of hope we can get a few more flurries and not all the rain we've had the past week - it really helps make the season a bit more merry.

3.  wrapping party.  party of one. 

i actually only managed to get those two presents wrapped.  i hadn't used my cricut in awhile and i think i need a new blade and definitely a new sticky mat - the hairspray wasn't helping.

instead of bows - i thought i would put shapes on my gifts.  but with the quirky acting cutter - my wrapping party got delayed.  i think my shapes idea is going to turn out cute though!  check out those feet!  that gift is for a special lady pregnant with twins! - woodford is jealous.

4.  birthday drinks!

it was pint night at one of my favorite bars on my birthday - so a couple of coworker/friends and i stopped by after work.  if you order the pint of the night you get to take the glass home - i have a couple from the last pint night we went to - one day when bill and i have a bar space we will be set on glassware.

and bonus (even though i'm a total UK fan)

the UofL basketball team was dining at O'sheas - i tried to get a good picture...bummer..

5.  long weekend!  christmas is finally here!  i'm so excited!



our official christmas cards have been sent out and everyone on our mailing list should have received theirs by now. 

if i'm not back before christmas i hope you all have a merry holiday and enjoy your time off with loved ones.

birthday girl

happy birthday to me!

kind of glad i'll be having a birthday before the end of the world - even though we've made dinner plans for tomorrow

but i've made pint night plans for tonight!

so birthday/end of the world party - let's go!

today i'm a whole 27 years old

and while bill (31) teases me about being older

at least i can still claim to be mid-20's

right?

right!

see you tomorrow - maybe ;)

christmas for the dogs

i baked last night

but i was able to restrain from licking the bowl

even though these are completely edible for humans

i had four legged friends in mind while baking

if you have doggy loved ones in your life, consider making them a special treat this holiday season

they're easy to whip up

the contain basic ingredients - no funny by products like store bought treats

and if you mess up the recipe - your recipients, if they're like woodford, will still probably eat your creation.

this recipe is from thekitchn.com

preheat oven to 350 degrees

combine
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cups wheat germ  (i used a flax cereal blend i already had on hand - ground flax, oats, etc will
                                   work too- but you may need to adjust your moisture levels)
1/2 cups melted bacon fat  (go ahead...make some bacon for breakfast this morning and make dog treats tonight!)
1 egg
1/2 cups cold water

knead by hand to really get everything mixed well

roll out on a floured surface to just about 1/2" thickness

then you can slice these in square shapes or use a cookie cutter - i found my bone shaped cookie cutter at meijers in the small kitchen appliances section

i poked my cookies with a fork to give them more of a bakery look

bake for 20 minutes until light brown

turn off oven and flip cookies - let cool in oven to help crisp them up

I was able to make 19 bones and one weird shape (woodford's taste tester)

and since these were meant for my work friends' doggies

i made some gift tags with some cardstock and ribbon

and let everyone know woodford helped

 

then packaged them in some clear/cellophaney tissue paper i found at the dollar general store.

merry roughmes!

my favorite things

when the dog bites!
when the bee stings! 
when i'm feeeeeeling baddddd
i simply remember my favorite thinggggggs

and then i don't feeeeeeel
soooooo baaaaaaaad!






        

anyone else completely obsessed with the sound of music as a child?  i owned it on vhs - it was a 2-vhs movie and i basically only watched the first vhs on repeat - i honestly had forgotten the whole nazi part of the second half...

anyone else also watch grease 2 on repeat?  i actually liked it better...




no?

clearly i liked musicals...

moving on..

my favorite things...

kind of like old school oprah.

except i'm not giving you any of these things...

and no one gets a new car.

bummer.

but if you're in a stitch for a gift...for me (my birthday is this week)

or for someone else

hopefully these are some great suggestions.

for the homemaker/wannabe chef:

i am kitchen gadget obsessed - and there are definitely gadgets i would recommend over others

first being:


enamelware.  feel free to buy $300 le creuset cookware, but my cusinart ones from tj maxx (gifted to me last year) are just fine.  world market even has their own brand 50% off today. 

at the very least get a dutch oven - so versatile

next - i am really wanting a couple of silpat baking mats


i love non-stick

and if you're looking to go out with a bang i would recommend either
a.  
 a single cup brewing system - it has changed my life.  and i love coffee even more.

b. 
i could not live without my rice cooker.  rice, grains, beans, veggies, oatmeal - i love cooking with it.  sure you COULD do a lot of stuff with a crockpot - but the technology in a rice cooker is more complex and just does a better job.  promise.

for the athletic/outdoorsy/resolution making friends:

socks are important.  trust me.  if you're just starting out walking or running socks will probably save your life.  (truth be told i don't usually wear socks when i run, but i'm weird - and i have started wearing these - they are phenomenal)

smartwool socks can be pricey, but unless you want to be off your game for a week with blisters - invest in 2 or 3 pairs and thank me later - or have your recipient thank you later

also - it's cold out, well i guess it was in the 50's this weekend...but it might get colder out... or maybe when you first go out to run it feels cold but you warm up quickly -

unless you like throwing away several layers or hoping to loop back and pick up layers you've shed


get a neck gator.  i picked mine up at bass pro for $10 and it's been my favorite cold weather running investment.

i get hot after a couple of miles and this is easy to pull down around my neck to cool me off and just as easy to pull back up over my mouth, nose, and ears when i get cold again.


for the person who just wants to snuggle on christmas eve in something cozy:

i had a long run with victoria's secret.

i'm over it.  i feel too old to have sparkly bras.  and lounge wear with PINK written across it.  if your recipient isn't over this phase - don't look any further...

but if she is...

and wants to look a step up better than:

gingerbread covered fleece pj's

please head over to soma.com

their nightgowns are ridiculously soft and comfortable and beautiful

 
i picked up this exact one the other night...and i could live in it

also

if you like to be comfortable when you get home, but also may need to take the dog out

you're going to need some rubber-bottomed slippers

well...I NEED some rubber-bottomed slippers
 
and i want these from target.  because...they could potentially make a trip to the grocery store if needed.

and i love that they're lined with soft faux fur.


what's on your wish list this year?

weekend update!

monday again?

it's a casual work week and i'm hoping people start taking the rest of the week off - it's kind of refreshing to be at work when it's really quiet. 

and taking long lunches all week to finalize christmas shopping will be nice too.

most of my shopping is done, but i need to find a few stocking stuffers for bill and gifts for the animals :)

and speaking of animals..

i was THIS close to coming home with one saturday

this little beagle girl is breaking my heart.  bill says no, but i'm pretty sure she needs me.

i have a special place in my heart for beagles - but i know living in a condo with one rambunctious dog already is no place to bring another dog into - this little girl was at the petsmart on hurstbourne saturday, but i'm not sure which rescue group she was with.  i can promise you that if you were considering a pet for a present this holiday season that beagles make great family dogs.  and while they do need a good walk everyday - they are content to lay on your lap and watch tv too.

ugh.  ok. heart broken over not being able to adopt her, but i'm praying she finds a home for christmas.

i also almost came home with this saturday:

i desperately need a piece of furniture in the bedroom, and i love the color.  the price is 225, but i think i might be able to get it down to 175.  my only concern was that i need a functional piece of furniture that would also hold a 32" flat screen - not sure if this is it.  i do love the mirror on it - even though there are a couple of spots where the glass is distorted - not sure if that's fixable or if i care.

i had taken some items to consign recently - and needed to pick up my check ($47!) but they were having trouble finding my check - which meant i had to shop while they looked....annnnd i was tempted to spend my check plus some.

i restrained (for now...i'm still considering the dresser) and only left with

this pillow made from an old feed bag - it has two horses on it - and i just thought it was really cool (and $12)

sold!

i came home and was thankful for the animals i have been able to rescue

like this mass of a kitty that i know never gets enough attention on the blog.  woodford steals the show.  but deep down i will always be a cat person.

got cleaned up and headed out to dinner with my best friend

a year ago saturday bill proposed, and even though i remembered the date i had forgot that's what the day was

the cork from the bottle of wine we drank that night

we went to the bluegrass brewing company for dinner

we split a few seasonal beers and shared some seitan buffalo wings and bean burritos

while admiring the wall o'pints

if you're in the louisville area i would recommend the BBC for dinner for any occasion.

their food is out of this world with many vegan/vegetarian friendly creative dishes.

oh, and their beers are wonderful :)

at about 9 o'clock we called it a night.

because we had a big day of reading the newspaper and watching the cbs sunday morning show ahead of us

woodford makes quite a mess daily in the living room

but honestly the news is just too depressing to watch or read.  i just can't even put in to words my sadness of the sandy hook school shooting.  the news is always so depressing to watch anyways, but this weekend it was multiplied.  i tend to watch the cbs sunday morning show since they do fun stories and interview fascinating people - and keep a lot of the stories lighter - but there was no avoiding it - i had to turn off the tv

so to try and add some good in this world - we did our senior tree shopping.  a senior tree is a lot like an angel tree, but for seniors living in nursing homes.  my recipient wanted socks, a knit hat, sugar free candy, and bath products.  an hour plus at walmart bill and i had done our good deed.  if you're interested in the senior trees at wal-mart - today is the last day to drop of your items.

and while we were out i picked up some christmas card addressing supplies

my hand was cramping after addressing just a handful - hopefully we can mail them out tomorrow - we're cutting it a bit close!

bill and i capped off our weekend with a friendly coloring competition

these pages might have been stolen out of our nephew's christmas coloring book.  sorry wesley!  i'll buy another!

i pray you had a safe weekend and were able to create your own good and happiness!

good tidings ya'll

it's friday!

sorry for my absenteeism - i took a few impromptu vacation days

 

but i'm checking in to list 5 joyous things about the week.

1.  i kind of finished a project!

i'm still waiting to apply another coat to my chalkboard frame - but i've since had fun decorating the chalkboard...so did bill..

spot the dog nose!

coming up with a phrase i liked that was short enough was the most difficult part - but since i plan to put this in the kitchen -

 i thought this was appropriate

2.  seasonal weird foods!

i went to the grocery to stock up on more

cranberry soda!  i'm obsessed.

and i found

i don't even eat pop-tarts.  and i was reminded why - total sugar bomb - but these taste delicious as a massive dessert :)

i also discovered cinnamon sugar pringles - crazy!

3.  seasonal delicious foods!

these were in my green bean bin two weeks ago and i definitely wasn't about to let them go to waste

they were delicious - thank goodness bill helped me eat them or i would have ate the whole batch.

4.  i finished 2 items on my cookie making list!

well..technically not a cookie, but a cinnamon ornament

what they lacked in edibility they more than made up for in delicious smells

and to fill the unedible void:

 oreo bark.  mmm. 

5.  woodford can be crazy, but i am so happy to catch him like this

even if it is short lived

and as much as i love woodford and wish he was as crazy about me - he's bill's dog

he's slowly trying to push me out.

have a merry weekend!