Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Sunday Salon 57: Have You Read These Books?

2012-01-29T06:00:00.001-06:00

Good Morning! It is chilly here in Dallas but I'm still trying to figure out where our winter is. Scott spent most of the day yesterday outside building boxes for our square foot gardening. Yup--we're taking the plunge into backyard gardening. I have NO idea what we'll plant--maybe carrots, tomatoes, peppers, okra. I want to do Squash but Heather said the bugs are bad. Scott can't do lettuce so there's no point in planting any. Would love to do berries but afraid they might be difficult. Anything you recommend??

OK Ok Ok--back on topic. Books.

On Friday I mentioned that I haven't made very much progress on my bookshelf organization yet. BUT yesterday Elle took the most amazing afternoon nap and I was able to at least move a bunch of books around and pull several off the shelf. Books that I really don't know anything about--Books that I've had for years. Sooooooo, I'm hoping you'll help me!

Have You Read These Books or know the authors? Are they keepers or ditchers? Help!!!

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not - Trish Ryan
Back When We Were Grownups - Anne Tyler
Trespassers will be Baptized - Elizabeth Emerson Hancock
The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd
The Rapture of Canaan - Sheri Reynold
For Kings and Planets - Ethan Canin

Songs in Ordinary Time - Mary McGarry Morris
The Zoo Where You're Fed to God - Michael Ventura
Big as Life - Maureen Howard
Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst
Pandora - Anne Rice
Standing in the Rainbow - Fannie Flagg (she's hit or miss for me)

Graceland - Christopher Abani
A Man in Full - Tom Wolfe (among others of his I haven't read)
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - James Agee and Walker Evans
Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson
The Book of Ruth - Jane Hamilton
While I Was Gone - Sue Miller
Summerland - Michael Chabon

So---what do you say? Read any of these? Send them to the library or read them sooner rather than later?

On the Blog:

Looking Back the last Two Weeks
**On Feeling Whole Again - Handling Postpartum Depression
**Kickin' Fitness's Ass with Movin' Shakin' and Couch to 5Kin'
**Operation Use My Crockpot!
**Friday Ra-Ra-Ramblings :)

On Chickpea Banana
Nine Month Update

Looking Forward to Next Week
**Tuesday is Read More/Blog More Poetry Event hosted by Lu and Kailana. Crossing my fingers that I'll have actually read something I can post about. Ha!
**A fun flying act for Wordless Wednesday
**I've thought about talking about freezer meals for Weekend Cooking but not sure if I'm ready yet. Other than that, I got nada. :)

That's all I got! If all goes well, I'll have cooked THREE crockpot recipes this weekend. Yayyyyyyy!

What's going on with you this weekend?

Friday Ra-Ra-Rambling

2012-01-27T06:00:00.003-06:00

Am I the only one who feels a bit of guilt posting when she hasn’t had time to bloghop or respond to comments? I know I know, UGH, I know. No need to respond to the question… My Internet at home has been a bit spotty and our laptop is dying, so it’s been hard to play catch up. I was in a quilting class all day last Saturday, so fell behind a bit then, but I’m hoping to be able to steal away a few moments this weekend to catch up a bit.

Ok, moving on! Can you believe that January is almost over? I know, I don’t want to think about it either. Though I have been rockin’ out my “things I want to do in 2012.” I’ve created TWO things from Pinterest, tried a few new recipes, made two desserts, booked tickets to a cultural event (Dracula Ballet!!), and learned the basics of free-motion quilting. Oh, and I’m totally kicking ass at my Couch to 5K program. I finished one paper book (Affinity) and one audiobook (What is the What). Yup, Rockin.

Not bad for a first Free-Motion Quilting attempt!

I’ve also started counting my calories. Which sucks. And I don’t plan to do it forever but it was eye opening to me how many times I’d grab a sweet during the day. Please note, I am NOT dieting. Just being more aware. I’m using the MyFitnessPal app where I can track everything I eat and all of my exercise. It’s been really motivating so far!

Wool makes my teeth hurt. I was thinking about knitting on my way to work this morning and then I started thinking about wool and then my teeth started to hurt. That’s all.

Has anyone done a blogger survey on their blog? Thinking about doing one but am afraid it might seem vain. Or lame. Really I just want to know what you'd like to see more of and what is blah. If you want to tell me this non-anonymously, go for it. Though I did enable the anonymous comments so there's that, too (but that would be annoying). ;)

I’ve been pondering photo editing lately. Not that I have time to edit photographs but I’m often not quite satisfied when I upload pictures I’ve taken and wish that I could change just a little thing or two. I’ve been thinking about Lightroom rather than Photoshop. I don’t have a fancy Mac and don’t have any editing software. Do you use anything specific? I’m tired of having great pictures that are just a little too underexposed.

I want another orchid. I killed all FOUR of mine while I was home on maternity leave. Has anyone had any luck repotting orchids? I think this is where I might have gone wrong with one of mine (extreme lack of water did the others in).

The bookshelves. **hides in shame** I really really wanted to be finished with my bookshelf reorganization by Sunday but it’s not going to happen. So I’m extending my deadline until February 5th. I can do that with my own goals, right? I did pull all of the non-fiction books and group them together and started to pull the classics. But then I started getting confused on what is a classic and what isn’t.

Other bookshelf categories I’m contemplating: Big Freakin’ Books, Literary Fiction (yes, I know “Literary Fiction” is a dirty word…leave me alone), General Fiction, Books I Know Nothing About But Bought Anyway. I started to draft a “Have you read these books” post for last Sunday but just couldn’t find the time to finish it, so I might post it this week. See if there’s any that you give me permission to ditch. Bahahaha!

Speaking of drafts. I have a ton of one paragraph posts in my drafts folder. Does anyone else do this? Yes, and also some that just have Title: XX Author: XX, etc. Was thinking of doing a post of just my opening paragraphs and you can tell me if any of them are interesting enough for a full post. I know, I’m lame sometimes…

Still haven’t found out who in Dallas is reading my blog (other than those I know read). Is it you? Please drop me a line! Like seriously--email me or something.

If you’ve read all of this, give yourself a big pat on the back (and virtual hugs and kisses from me). Sadly I could keep rambling on and on and on and on. But I’ll spare you. The below is for Fizzy Jill who wants to know what happened to Baby Elle's Mohawk.

One more thing - Andi from Estella's Revenge wrote a fantastic post on Book Blogging Influence

Alright--I'm opening the flood gates. What rambles do YOU have today??

Nine Month Update - 1.25.2012

2012-01-25T06:00:00.008-06:00

The monthly picture this month was near impossible. I have four sets of pictures exactly like these. She'd crawl over to Scott who was supposed to be making her smile (she doesn't typically smile at me behind the camera), he'd make her laugh and set her back down, repeat...

Nine months brings so much spunk! And laughter. But also teething. And more teething. But just look at that nomnomnom!

Full Nine Month Update at Chickpea Banana. If you'd like access, I just need your email address.

Ha!!!

On another note, it's been a bit quiet over here the past week or so. I admit to feeling really overwhelmed with trying to keep up with blogging. I want to thank you all for your incredible comments on my postpartum depression post. You always manage to overwhelm me in the most touching ways. I've responded to all of your comments individually (hate how the threaded comments inflate the comment numbers...). Again, thank you.

Operation Use My...Crockpot - Weekend Cooking

2012-01-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about my kitchen appliances for a while. Thinking about how I have so many cool things but rarely use them--or don't know how to use them best. Many of these appliances are ones Scott and I registered for when we were getting married. Fondue Pot!! Cool!! Of course I need a Trifle Dish! Shake Mixer? Hell ya!

Other than to cook queso (the jarred kind), we've only used our fondue pot once. Never used the trifle and I'm not sure about the shake maker. Not to mention all of the other gadgets filling our cabinets and taking space on our counters. I won't tell you guys that last night I might have bought a bundt cake tin at the grocery store... So sad Trish, so sad.

Out of this was born Operation Use My Kitchen Gadgets. Using my kitchen stuff is part of my list of things I want to do in 2012--each month I will focus on one appliance/gadget and really try to learn how to use each item to its full potential. I'm counting on your help to give me pointers!!

For the rest of January and February my focus will be the Crockpot. I just got a new one for Christmas and really want to utilize it. I've been a crockpot owner for over 10 years and have gotten really good at cooking roast but that's about it. Last Sunday I cooked a breakfast casserole and it was OK but it helped me realize that this baby can be used for so much more than just pot roast. My two limitations with the crockpot are finding the time to prep (night before? get up early?) and being gone for 11 hours and not eating for another 2 after I get home. 13 hours is a long time for anything to cook.

Do you have a crockpot? How do you use your crockpot? Any good recipes you'd recommend? Suggestions on how to get past the limitations?

The other appliances/gadgets on the list: ice cream maker, fondue pot, blender, food processor, springform pans, George Foreman grill, shake maker, and trifle dish (gah...and now bundt cake tin). One for each month (not in that order).

I'll report back at the end of February and let you know how my first OUMKG went. Anyone want to join me?!

Every weekend, Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking. "Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs." Hope you'll join the fun!

Movin' and Shakin' and Couch to 5Kin'

2012-01-20T08:03:00.000-06:00

So you probably saw last week when I posted the Wordless Wednesday picture that Scott and I are doing the Biggest Loser together. My dear husband doesn’t need to lose any weight. He did gain some pregnancy sympathy weight but has since lost it all. On the other hand, I would like to lose 10-15 pounds to get me back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I can fit in to some things but the muffin top makes things incredibly uncomfortable. Ha!! Plus, I lost a lot of my muscle mass during the pregnancy and after and really want to tone up.

My biggest struggle with getting back into shape is time. I have worked out occasionally during lunch but it's a limited workout and I have to use the yucky building showers and then am overheated afterwards. The evenings are tough because we don't eat dinner until after Elle has gone to bed--so sometimes as late as 8! That leaves the mornings. And I'm thrilled to say that I've been heading to the gym at 5:15 in the morning. Scott literally has to kick me out of bed (my request) so that I don't just hit snooze for two hours, but I'm hoping I can make a habit out of this. Plus it means I'm not so rushed in the mornings and hopefully it can lead to some more "me" time.

To get me started in getting back into shape I'm doing the Couch to 5K program. For those of you who aren't familiar, C25K is a 9 week series of workouts to help train someone from the couch to be able to run a 5K. I'm planning on running a 5K on March 10th so this plan works out perfectly for me! Since I'm a moderately conditioned runner I haven't been following completely (first couple of weeks so far alternate running and walking but sometimes I'll skip the walk and just run at a slower pace), but it's been a lot of fun to compete against myself AND Scott!!

I'm babbling, but more the point of this post is to direct you to the Get Moving Fitness Challenge that Amanda and Jill are hosting. Yup--it's a spawn of the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge but this time YOU get to pick your goals. And it's certainly not too late to join to fun. My goal for the challenge is to work out 50 times by March 31st (the challenge deadline). This doesn't seem like much but it's about 4 workouts a week and for this recent couch potato, 4 workouts is a lot!

Super excited!! Just need to get used to being up before the crack of dawn. Ha!

On my running playlist this morning: Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. Love.

And, because I die at how cute Elle's little baby running shoes are...

How are you moving this year?

On Feeling Whole Again - Handling Postpartum Depression

2012-01-17T05:16:00.000-06:00

Bare with me...this is long but I didn't want to break up my thoughts between several posts.

I’ve toyed with the idea of writing this post for a long time and have even started a few drafts. In the end I’ve always hit “delete all” but it’s time and I’m ready. Part of my hesitancy comes from the fact that people I know personally read this blog, including a few coworkers. I would certainly hope that no one would unfairly judge, use this information maliciously, or view me any differently. Truthfully, I’ve become so good at internalizing that maybe this is a surprise? Mainly, my purpose for this post is to record my thoughts and hopefully show someone else that she is not alone. Postpartum depression is very real and very painful but it should not be a source of shame for a new mother.

When you’re pregnant you’re given all kinds of literature on the Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression. It was discussed in our hospital childbirth class and mentioned by my doctor several times. It’s absolutely normal, and often expected, for a new mother to feel the blues after having her baby. When this doesn’t go away after a few weeks, it starts to be considered postpartum depression. Before going on any further let me disclaim that I am not an expert and every individual experience is different. I can only speak for myself.

Being a new mother is one of the hardest things I have experienced in my thirty years. The teenage years sucked big time, but deep down I always knew that I could make it through. There were moments in my first few weeks of motherhood that I just didn’t see how I could ever get through it. I asked my friends when it would get better or easier. I remember sobbing to my mom several times “I can’t do this.” I could and I did and I am. By week three things were already much easier and when I went back to the doctor for my six week check-up I squeaked by with a passing grade on my postpartum depression evaluation.

I was able to laugh and smile and was feeling a lot more at ease in my new role as mother. I still had moments where I cried (a lot), but I just waited for those moments to pass and chalked most of it up to the lack of sleep. When I returned to work at twelve weeks I started to feel like my normal self again until I realized how overwhelmed I was feeling. I started taking my frustrations out on Scott and became really detached from everything and everyone, including Elle. Detached in a weird way—I never questioned my love or our decision to have a child or wished for my “old life” but it was like I couldn’t let myself fully enjoy. I felt crushed and panicked and anxious until I would finally shut down emotionally and mentally.

Things came to a boiling point about a month after I returned to work (maybe 16 weeks after Elle was born) when I realized that when Elle was napping or had gone down for bed, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I would clean like crazy—rushing around the house like mad woman—and when there was nothing left for me to do I literally stood in the kitchen with a blank stare on my face. I had completely lost myself. I looked at Scott and told him it was time. I needed to be me again. Bless his poor and patient heart—Scott agreed and I made the appointment to talk to the doctor. When I met with her I finally broke down and sobbed. Her two words of advice were to get some sleep (ha!) and take time for myself (double ha!).

It has now been almost six months since I made the decision to go talk to my doctor and I am so grateful that I did. It was incredibly difficult for me to admit that I was struggling—being a new mother is already so emotionally complicated that to admit one more fault is almost crushing, especially when I miscarried once and struggled for months to get pregnant with Elle. She is such an incredible joy and blessing--why was I feeling so...

I’ve done a little bit of reading about postpartum depression and it doesn’t necessarily seem to be related to hormones and even some men have been diagnosed with postpartum depression. Having gone through periods of depression in the past (none of which were treated), I wondered if I would be more prone to having more than just the baby blues. I’m not sure if this is truly the case or not—so much is unknown about postpartum depression and I’ve heard many women say that they are sure they dealt with it when their babies were born twenty and thirty years ago but there wasn’t a vocabulary to discuss it.

My cousin was sweet enough to bounce some questions to me to help me write this post and one of the questions she asked was what was postpartum depression like. I’ve already mentioned the disconnect between myself and others and feeling incredibly overwhelmed. But I think the biggest struggle was coming to terms with my new life changes. I didn’t know how to be a mom, a wife, and myself all at the same time. Looking back I can see that I thought I needed to be someone completely different from who I was before the baby—I didn’t know how to adjust just parts of my life. Because of this I completely lost myself. There is absolutely no way to prepare for how absolutely life changing being a mother is. But, what I now know is that I did not need to change, I just needed to grow. (I hope this makes sense—basically I can be the same person as I was, just enhanced?).

One of the things that I believe can exacerbate the depression is feeling alone and isolated. People would tell me that of course there will be adjustment and of course it will be hard, but I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t able to handle those adjustments or the difficulty. I felt like a failure for not having the answers or not knowing what to do when Elle was crying or upset or not sleeping or not nursing or… And I felt shame for feeling depressed and helpless. In the book What Mother’s Do the first chapter discusses the competition between mothers and sadly I see this to be true—it’s impossible not to compare your experiences to others and for me I wanted to prove that I was handling everything perfectly and doing just fine. It was so hard to admit that things were not OK and that I needed help.

So what has changed over the past five months? R-E-L-A-X. Yes, I’m laughing at myself, too. But really—like the doctor ordered: sleep and time to myself—with the realization that both won’t be like it was before Elle. Cutting myself some slack. Realizing that I can’t do everything that I want to do or even need to do, but that the world won’t end. Asking for help. Asking for help again. Relying on my incredibly supportive husband who happens to be the best dad. Sometimes I think that I rely on him a little too much, but I’ve learned that we really are partners. Taking deep breaths and not forgetting to take time to just snuggle and be in the moment.

Do I still have moments? Yes, of course—we all do, don’t we? But the key, for me, is that I feel like myself again. And with renewed strength. Do I worry that I will go through this again with baby number 2? Yes. Will it prevent me from having more kids? No. I can’t wait for the next baby to come and I know there will be struggles but I also know that I can do it. I’ll count on Scott to hold my hand, but now that I know the signs, I feel better equipped to take care of myself sooner rather than later.

I don’t really know how to end this post. I don’t have the answers and I don’t have any sage advice. Everyone’s experiences are individual and different treatment works for different people (I did not want to go into detail about this in the post, if you’d like to discuss you can email me). But what I do hope is that by sharing my own story that I will help someone else realize that she is not alone. There is nothing “wrong” with you for the way that you are feeling, but it can get better and my hope is that women can and will ask for help when they need it—in whatever shape or form that might be.

I know this picture is flawed but I can't help but love it.

Deep breath...and Publish.

With a heart full of love,

Sunday Salon 56: You Know You're Book Obsessed When...

2012-01-15T08:45:00.002-06:00

Good morning!!! I think Sunday morning is my favorite of the week. Scott and I always make breakfast together on Sundays and it's usually a morning to be a bit lazy.

You will be proud to know that I've started the Great Bookshelf Overhaul (I'm looking at you who said end of January was quite ambitious...). As I've been spending time with my books, and trying to find some to part with, I've also started thinking about characteristics of the book obsessed.

You Know You're Book Obsessed When:

You highly recommend books that you haven't read yet because so many other bloggers loved them.

One of your greatest fears is not being able to read everything you want to in your lifetime.

Turning the pages of a book is one of your greatest comforts.

You've hugged a book...more than once.

The joke about the person who was crushed to death by his bookshelves--that could totally be you.

You see an awesome movie preview and know you have a to read the book first.

Your literary crush is so very real.

You dread being seated next to someone chatty who will interrupt your public transportation reading.

You've cried in public while reading your book--and you didn't care.

How to categorize your books is a serious dilemma.

You've learned the art of multitasking while listening to audiobooks.

You follow book awards like others follow movie awards.

You've bought a book you already owned because you forgot you had it.

You are never ever ever without a book.

Added from the comments:

You plan your day around your reading (Jenny)

You add more books to your library holds list, even though you already have more checked out than you could possibly read before they are due (Lisa)

You've thrown a book across the room (CB James) - though the rest of us hope that he does so gently!!!

You call in sick to work so you can stay home and read (Softdrink/Jill)

You know you're book obsessed when you plan trips around author events (BermudaOnion)

You've been known to smell a new book (Laura)

You give someone an incredulous look when someones tells you they don't read (Kay)

What do you have to add to the list?

On the Blog:

Looking Back to last week
**The Great Bookshelf Overhaul
**Oh We're Going to a Hukilau (or, give me suggestions for Maui!)
**Wordless Wednesday: Biggest Loser
**Thoughts on The Elegance of the Hedgehog
**Homemade Baby Food - Weekend Cooking

On Chickpea Banana
Nothing this week.

Looking Forward to Next Week
**I've started drafting a rather lengthy post on postpartum depression--if I can finish then I'll post this week. Not sure if I should break it up into two posts or not.
**For you Quilters: I found a tutorial series that I'm going to be sewing along with (or at least attempting). The tutorials is for Solstice Stars. Let me know if you're interest and we can give each other mutual support!
**On Saturday for weekend cooking I'm going to try to post about my Operation Use My Kitchen Stuff - First up is the crockpot!! Not sure what else...

A Note on Blogger's New Threaded Comments: I have installed the threaded comments but I don't plan to personally use them. I have a system for responding to comments and even though it sometimes takes me a day or two to respond, I've been better! But because I can only respond to comments maybe once a day, I don't want to junk up your inboxes with replies. So, I'll continue to respond the same way for now, but the threaded comments will be there for anyone else's use. Maybe I'll end up just switching back to the old way...

Hope you're all having a delicious Sunday. What's on the agenda for you? I'm counting on lots of snuggles this afternoon with Elle--even if I have to steal those snuggles! ;)

Homemade Baby Food - Weekend Cooking

2012-01-13T06:00:00.003-06:00

I can remember the first time I saw a baby food maker. I was browsing through William Sonoma (love) and saw the little baby puree maker and freezer containers. I may have laughed out loud—I don’t remember—but I definitely remember scoffing a little bit. Who has time to make baby food? Granola moms, that’s who!

But then my friend had a baby and she made me realize how easy it is to make baby food. Maybe it was because I didn’t get to nurse for as long as I would have liked, but I decided that when it came time for Elle to have solids that I would make her baby food. I’ve stuck with the idea that I will continue to do this until it becomes stressful and luckily for the both of us it has been easier than I would have ever imagined.

And trust me, I am not a freaky granola mom. But when I was trying to think of reasons NOT to make baby food, I couldn’t think of any good ones.

I don’t have any of those fancy baby food making gadgets either. I did buy a food processor but only because when I tried to puree carrots in the blender, it was a nightmare. A pot, a steamer, the food processor, and ice cube trays. Not sure why you would need anything more than that.

Well, I do have a baby food book that I’ve used religiously. Even though steaming and pureeing vegetables and fruits is kind of a no brainer, I LOVE Top 100 Baby Purees for all of the advice, recipes, and nutritional information. Plus it’s just kind of nice to have some hand holding in the beginning.

What have I made for Elle? Carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, apples, pears, peaches, and most recently chicken mixtures. I have some cauliflower in the fridge and blueberries in the freezer to whip up soon and then maybe we'll move on to broccoli and then who knows what else. I typically make a big batch on the weekends (usually only every other weekend) and we're good to go for a few weeks. Especially now that she has much more variety of foods and is also eating raw bananas.

So all you non-freaky non-granola moms--you can do this too. Honestly? I think it's easier than having to go to the store every time she's out of jarred food. It's really taken the guessing game out and I can defrost as much as I want at a time and very little goes to waste. Plus, it tastes amazing. Yes, even the pureed chicken!

Do you have any baby food making tips? I know I still have a lot to learn!

And a big thanks to Heather for pointing me towards this Homemade Baby Food Recipe site!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

Title: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Author: Muriel Barbery
Narrators: Barbara Rosenblat, Cassandra Morris
Published: 2006 Pages: 359
Audio Duration: 9 hrs, 34 mins
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: A middle aged apartment concierge, Madame Renee Michel, who has hidden her cultural proclivities from those around her and a teenage girl, Paloma, who is searching for a reason to continue to live in this seemingly meaningless world, are brought together by a strange new tenant, Mr. Ozu.

Why I listened: JoAnn made me. Well, her review did anyway. I was in an audio-lull and had just received an audible credit; JoAnn's description of this one being a "thought-provoking, cerebral novel" had me knowing that it was just what I needed.

Thoughts in General: The book is written from the alternating perspectives of Madame Michel and Paloma. JoAnn warns that there is a slow start to the book and she's absolutely correct--but pick this one up when you're in the mood for character and writing-driven novels rather than a plot-driven novel. It is an incredibly quiet book that takes place mostly in the heads of the two characters, but I was surprised at how I longed to hear more of each ones thoughts.

Bottom Line: I will certainly be listening to this book again and I will also be picking up a hard copy. It's a book that needs to be enjoyed slowly and indulgently like a decadent and rich coffee. But don't be discouraged by the slow start--instead savor it--get to know these wonderful characters. And if slow isn't your style, skip this one!

A note on the audio: The narration of The Elegance of the Hedgehog was absolutely fantastic. Barbara Rosenblat as Madame Michel is by far one of the narrations I have listened to--Rosenblat absolutely transformed herself into the character and made her come to life. She was emphatic and dramatic in all of the right places. My only quibble is a personal one--I was trying to listen to the ending while doing some basic tasks at work when I realized that I only peripherally knew what was happening. I missed out on a key moment and certainly learned my lesson about trying to multitask!!

This one has received some really rave reviews but also some mild ones. Have you read it? What did you think?

Also, while looking up the page numbers for this post I realized that it was originally published in France and that there's a French movie. Huh!

Wordless Wednesday: Biggest Loser

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

So it begins...

Oh We're Going to a Hukilau

2012-01-10T06:00:00.004-06:00

A huki huki huki huki hukilau

This is the song that has been stuck in my head for a day--over and over and over.

Why?

We booked a family vacation to Maui this summer!! As in all of my immediate family!! You can be assured that I'll be practicing my hula, as seen below, while I patiently wait for the time to hop on the plane.

Scott and I went to Oahu three years ago (zomg, really three years ago?!), so we're looking forward to seeing one of the other Hawaiian islands.

Have you been to Maui? What MUST we do while we're there?

Sunday Salon 55: The Great Bookshelf Overhaul

2012-01-08T00:00:00.001-06:00

Scott and I have officially lived in our house for two years. Most of me can't believe it--really two years? But the rest of me just feels a big blur when I think about our rental when we first moved to Dallas--or our house out in small town West Texas after we graduated from college.

But remember the following picture from when we were first getting unsettled?

Sadly I have STILL not organized my books. As in NOT AT ALL. I even asked you guys over a year ago how you tame your shelves and got some great suggestions. And I did start pulling some books off the shelf to donate to the library. But then ebooks started being everywhere. And book bloggers who said they would never abandon paper now prefer their cold plastic ereaders. And then I started to get paranoid that maybe one day publishers wouldn't publish as many paper books. And then rarely publish paper books and then...I decided that I needed to hoard my books "just in case." Even the ones I don't think I'll ever read. SOMEONE COME SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO ME!

But regardless of whether I give up any of my precious books or not, I DO need to organize. The shelves in the picture above actually look much neater than they do in real life. Almost every single shelf is double stacked and it's dangerous any time I try to find a book within the stacks. So, my goal for January will be to get these shelves in order. I'm thinking about getting bins and storing the books that I've already read or those I'm not likely to read anytime soon (SOMEONE COME SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO ME!!), but for the rest, I think I finally have an idea of how to sort.

I recently stumbled onto Melody's (of Fingers and Prose) post on organizing your TBR shelf in a guilt-free manner. Now, I've kind of organized shelves this way in the past but not as a whole--and I've never had all of my bookshelves in one room together either. So except for my "Read" shelf, which is double-stacked and running over into the other shelves, I'm going to organize my books into different categories--fiction and non-fiction and then different categories within those. I haven't quite worked that out yet, but say all the memoirs together, all the classics together, all the pulp fiction together, etc. Makes total sense, doesn't it? (nevermind that...um...bookstores seem to organize their shelves this way...)

Headdesk.

So you'll hold me to it?? I'm shooting for a follow-up post on January 29th. Bahahahaha!! (especially since one Saturday is out because I've officially signed up for a free-motion quilting class).

How do you go about organizing your bookish chaos?

On the Blog:

Looking Back to last week
**Gooooooodbye 2011! And Helllllllo 2012!! Or, things I'd like to do this year.
**Wordless Wednesday: New Tricks
**Mini Thoughts on four/five audiobooks I've recently listened to!!
**Holiday Recipe Exchange Round-up

On Chickpea Banana
**Wordless Wednesday: Eight Month Difference

Looking Forward to Next Week
So, my "blog calendar" (which is really just a sheet of paper with the month and days) is great for looking backward but not so great for planning ahead. I have ALL of these things running through my head but none of them seem good enough for a post of it's own. Bah. I do have a baby food post drafted, so I'll try to publish that this week. I finished Affinity last week (yay me!) so maybe a short post about that as well. Hmmmmm... ;)

What do you have going on??

Holiday Recipe Exchange Round-up

2012-01-07T12:04:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to all of those who participated in my Holiday Recipe Exchange! Here's a short round-up of links of those who shared something yummy. Please hop around!!

All you have to do is follow Beth F of Beth Fish Reads on Twitter or haunt her weekend cooking to know that she's always whipping up something delicious. She shared recipes for Latkes (potato pancakes), Shortbread Bars, and ideas for holiday side dishes (I have my eye on the brussel sprouts with chestnuts).

Les in Nebraska posted a recipe for Rugelach from her Kiss the Cook blog. I can smell the cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins all the way down here in Texas!

Book Club Care shared a recipe for a dish she calls Fruit Slices. It's a recipe that reminds her of mom and tastes like home. I know Scott would love it with Cherry Pie filling!

I shared the recipe I used to make the cookies in the picture above: Hildabrotchen or Shortbread Cookies with Jam. So pretty and not too terribly sweet.

Christine at The Happily Ever After... posted about making Spritz Cookies. I was familiar with the name but new them immediately when I visited her post. The type of cookies that just melt in your mouth!

Meg from Write Meg! shared her gorgeous Candy Cane Blossoms. Sure to impress at any holiday cookie exchange and they would be great for Valentine's Day Too!

And I about died when I saw Nicole's post about Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. Just read that title and try not to experience immediate mouth-watering. Nicole also shared a recipe for gorgeous Russian Tea Cakes.

Again, thanks for participating! And if you're just hopping around, I hope you find something yummy here!!

Happy Cooking!

Some Sorta Mini Audiobook Thoughts

2012-01-05T06:00:00.002-06:00

Holla!!!

Title: Before I Go to Sleep

Author: S. J. Watson
Published: 2011; Pages: 368
Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy
Audio Length: 11 hrs, 32 min
Genre: Fiction, Suspense
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Christine was in a terrible accident and doesn't have the abilities to make new memories and has lost many of her old memories. Under advisement of her doctor, Christine begins a daily journal and slowly realizes things have gone awry and she cannot trust the man who has been caring for her--her husband Ben.

Descriptors: Thrilling, absorbing, emotional rollercoaster, thought-provoking, satisfying, at times a bit over the top and a bit unbelievable, found excuses to clean my house so I could keep listening.

Bottom Line: I would definitely recommend listening to Before I Go to Sleep! Orlagh Cassidy did a fantastic job of conveying the range of emotions Christine experiences throughout the novel.

Title: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief/ Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Published: 2005/2006 Pages: 384/279
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
Audio Length: 10 hrs / 7 hrs and 56 mins
Genre: Fantasy (Middle Grade)
Rating: 3/5

Summary: Percy Jackson, a young pre-teen who struggles with ADHA and dyslexia, learns that he is son to one of the Olympian gods. He meets other demi-gods, satyrs, and creatures, and gets transported into a whirlwind of mayhem and quests to make all right within the universe.

Descriptors: Fun, action packed, engaging, reminiscent of popular Greek myths (Odyssey, Jason and the Golden Fleece), pre-teen hormones (ick).

Bottom Line: I enjoyed listening to the first two books in the series but don't feel a big pull to continue. I'll download from the library when I feel a lull in my listening but am not in a big hurry.

Title: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Author: Tom Franklin
Published: 2010? Pages: 304
Narrator: Kevin Kenerly
Audio Length: 9 hrs, 30 min
Genre: Fiction, Mystery?
Rating: 3/5

Summary: Larry Ott and Silas Jones were once unlikely childhood friends whose friendship ended abruptly. Years later their paths cross again as Ott is suspect in a missing persons case and Jones is the constable investigating.

Descriptors: Eh.

OK Fine: I listened to this one on my bike trip in Arkansas last fall and I was interested enough to keep listening but not really invested in the story. Kevin Kenerly's narration was wonderful, though. And for those who wondered, I thought the Mississippi dialect sounded very authentic on the audio.

Bottom Line: Everyone loves this book. Thinks the writing was awesome. One of the pitfalls of listening is that I don't notice laudable writing styles (conversely I also don't notice terrible writing either). It was also much grittier than I expected--my fault for hearing the raves but not taking the time to learn the subject matter.

Title: At Home, A Short History of Private Life

Author: Bill Bryson
Published: 2010; Pages: 700
Narrator: Bill Bryson
Audio Length: 16 hrs, 38 mins
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Everything you wanted to know about nearly everything you can think of in your home. Like seriously everything. Like bed bugs and salt and wigs and meat and hermits and and and everything.

Descriptors: Fascinating, Fascinating, Fascinating. Information Overload. Great small talk fodder..."Did you know..."

Bottom Line: It took me an hour or two or three to really get into this book, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Once I realized that it was basically just a bunch of random history and information, I was able to let go and allow my brain to be filled. But overwhelming at times and I'm sure I tuned out of at least 30% of the book. And only remember 10%?

Whew! So glad to have those done. I listened to some other really great audiobooks in 2011, but other than Ready Player One and Elegance of the Hedgehog I don't plan on writing about them at this point. If you're curious, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Alice I Have Been, and And Then There Were None were all fantastic. Bedwetter was not. Nor was Three Cups of Tea--it's possible I didn't even finish that one?

Have you read/listen to any of these? What did you think?

Wordless Wednesday: New Tricks

2012-01-04T00:00:00.002-06:00

Ok, I'm bored...

Oooooooh, camera strap!

More Wordless Wednesday on Chickpea Banana

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012!!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

As I started thinking about my 2011 year in review, I thought I’d revisit my 2010 year in review post. I loved reading over my thoughts and seeing that I’ve ended my year much in line with where I started the year. Which is funny because this year has not only been the longest year of my life but also the most life changing. Longest year because 2011 was basically divided into three distinctly different parts—the first third pre-baby, the second quarter on maternity leave with a new baby, and the third halfish when I returned to work as a new working mom. And I don’t think I need to explain why this year was the most life changing.

I didn’t make any real goals for 2011, but there are a few things in my 2010 post that caught my eye. I mentioned, “I just want to live a full life and not be bogged down by this, that, or the other. Life's too short and moves entirely too quickly.” There will never be enough time to do everything I want to do. I always wish I did this or that or the other, but this year I’ve been able to let go of some of the stress and anxiety of not fitting it all in. And not only have I slowed down and allowed myself to not worry about things as much, but in the process I was able to focus on many different interests and hobbies.

I love reading. I really do. I love reading and thinking and talking about books, but when that’s all that I focus on, I feel unbalanced. As I said last year, “Since blogging I've been so caught up in how many books I've read, how many I need to read to fulfill challenges, how many books I haven't read yet that I want to, how many I'm acquiring, numbersnumbersnumbers, Ineedtoneedtoneedto.” I will always love books and I will always be passionate about them, but that’s not all I want to be passionate about. When someone asks me my hobbies, I don’t want to have to think really hard and only be able to come up with, “Well, I like to read a lot.”

Although I didn’t set any real resolutions for 2011 (not a big fan of “resolutions”), I did write down a few things that I wanted to accomplish this year:

finish a quilt for Scott and make one for the baby
read 24 books next year (2 a month)
cook one new recipe every month
continue learning more about photography
exercise regularly (which might only mean 3 times a week)
spend more face time with family and friends
finally blog about that trip to Europe
mostly, I just want to live a full life

I didn’t keep track of my progress on any of these things, but I finished the quilt for Elle, read/listened to over 24 books, cooked several new recipes thanks to my recipe scrapbook, experimented a lot with photography, and spent more time with friends and family. Big fail on finishing Scott’s quilt (I’m so close!!), exercising, and blogging about the trip to Europe. But I also made homemade Christmas Stockings, participated in a virtual quilting bee, and blogged a whole heck of a lot.

For 2012 I’m going to try to take a similarly relaxed approach. For someone as incredibly high strung as I am, relaxing is sometimes really tough, but Frankie says to Relax!

So, the things I’d like to do in 2012:

Finish that damn quilt for Scott. The front and back are done—just need to quilt and then bind but I’d like to free-motion quilt it and I don’t know how. Am going to try to take a class on FMQ sometime in January
Finish my Christmas Quilt from my Virtual Christmas Bee. Before next Christmas. Preferably before Thanksgiving
Maybe another quilting project. A handful of bloggers have mentioned interest in a quiltalong but I don’t know about the logistics. Anyone want to help plan this with me?!
Read/listen to 24 books
Read The Stand by Stephen King. For funsies.
Use My Kitchen Appliances/Gadgets!! I have so many cool things in my kitchen that I never use. Fondue maker? Shake maker? Ice cream machine? Going to make this a personal challenge
Make one dessert (from scratch) a month
Twelve new recipes (also keep up with my recipe scrapbook)
Make something I pinned on Pinterest
Run a 5K race
Attend four cultural events with Scott. This could be anything, really. Basically get out and do things (besides run errands)
Continue to work on my photography. Trying to figure out a way to make this a quantifiable goal but don’t have any ideas--any suggestions? Photo a day doesn’t work for me.
Continue to write (i.e. blog) about all types of topics. I’d really like to write about motherhood related stuff. And try to get back to writing more about the books I finish.

Wow. That list looks long. I’d also like to try to find a face to face book club but am drawing blanks on where. My library doesn’t have anything and my local indie bookstore has a group that reads books I’m not terribly interested in. Despite my outgoingness here, I’m not terribly outgoing in person in real life. I need to work on this but am really selfish with my “free” time.

So, I didn’t mean for this post to turn into the mother of all posts, but I’m really excited for 2012.

What are you excited for in 2012?

Eight Month Update - 12.25.2011

2011-12-26T09:59:00.000-06:00

I'm sad to say that I'm currently removing the entire post for these updates. Someone locally is particularly interested in these updates. If this someone is you, please email me and let me know. I have a feeling it is probably someone I know personally but I'd rather not worry.

Eight Month Update on Chickpea Banana Blog

I'm happy to share. If you want access to the private blog, I need your email address.

Hoping you had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Homemade Quilted Christmas Stockings

2011-12-22T00:00:00.001-06:00

Scott and I were Christmas shopping a few weeks ago when he casually asked me, “Are you going to make Christmas stockings this year?” My response: “Eventually I want to make quilted stockings, but not this year. Too stressy.” Be assured that stressy is a word and it is a very real emotion.

On the way home Scott asked, “Can we go to Hobby Lobby?” Me: “Sure, what for?” Scott: “To get stuff so I can make stockings.”

The wheels began to turn in my head. What would this look like? And how much would he do before I had to step in a finish the rest.

Me: “Ok fine. I’ll make stockings.”

Really. The things I get myself into.

All in all, the three Christmas stockings took a little less than a week and a half to make (mostly in the evenings and a lot of the time I just sat there staring at the fabric/stockings trying to figure out what the hell to do). Considering I didn’t work from a pattern and haven’t made stockings before, I’m thrilled with how they turned out. There are imperfections, of course, but I’m probably the only one who would notice (except for the uneven name stitching). And the great news is that next time I make stockings I’ll probably have to do less blank-eyed staring and be able to work more efficiently.

I failed at photographing the progress, but here’s a hodgepodge of shots (you should be able to click on all to enlarge).

Yes! Of course I put that boy to work!

The stocking backs. Scott chose Grinch for himself.

Handstitched using embroidery floss.

I quilted these using a zigzag stitch and LOVE the way they turned out.

There are six layers to the stockings--each side has quilted front/fleece back, batting in the middle, and then cotton material in the center. I sewed the front, middle inside together and then the inside, middle and back. Then sewed the front and back together inside out and turned right side.

For the actual fronts of the stockings, I cut a piece of fabric, sewed it to another piece, ironed, trimmed, and started over until the shape was large enough for me to trim to the "pattern." Other than a few pieces that I wanted to fussy cut (the girls on mine and Elle's stockings and the Grinch on Scott's), everything is random.

If I were to do anything over, it would be the cuff. I don't love the way that they turned out, but the good news is this will be easy to replace if I chose to over the years.

My mom made stockings for us when we were little. Aren't hers adorable? I can't believe how well they've held up over the years! Especially considering mine is 30 years old.

This will be my last post for the week and I'll be back on Monday with Elle's 8 month update.

I hope everyone has a truly blessed and beautiful Christmas.

Much love,

Wordless Wednesday: Annual Bake Day

2011-12-21T07:55:00.000-06:00

Ok...almost wordless.

English Toffee

Strawberries

Hello Dollies (aka Devil Bars)

Hilda Brötchen / Shortbread with Jam

Fantasy Fudge

Caramels

Cake Balls with Heath

Buckeye Delights

We missed having the extra guests that came last year to help, but Bake Day was still a blast and quite productive. Eight treats in all.

Best of Reading for 2011

2011-12-20T00:00:00.002-06:00

Best of Reading for 2011
I offered a tongue in cheek version of this survey on Sunday. Below are my more "adult" answers.

Jamie, the Perpetual Page Turner, provided us with a whole slew of questions about our 2011 bookish endeavors. I'm only answering the book questions below--not sure if I'll use her blogging questions for a separate post or not. Definitely have a lot of blogging thoughts to reflect on, but... :)

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

I’m sad to say that 2011 was not a year of bests—I was much too distracted to focus on reading and when I do have some time here and there to pick up a book, I usually fall asleep within five minutes. Ha!

That said, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss is one that has stuck with me. It was a tough read, but it was beautiful, snuck up on me, and hit me hard.

Looking for Alaska by John Green is a close second. I also really loved The Help by Kathryn Stockett—both the paper and audio versions.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. After all the raving, I wanted to love this one but just didn’t.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (audio). I had seen this one around a lot but didn’t have much interest in the story. I listened to it while my brother was reading for school and was immediately absorbed.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I think I’m running out of fingers to count the amount of people I’ve convinced to read this book. Some have loved, some didn’t. That’s OK. Second would be The Help. Though I was recommending this one before I even read it!

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Bah.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild on audio and Into Thin Air), Bill Bryson (At Home on audio), and W. Somerset Maugham (The Painted Veil).

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (audio) was definitely not something I’d normally pick up, but it kept my interest and was a lot of fun to listen to.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson(audio). I have a friend who read the book and had qualms with the writing, but the audio was certainly unputdownable!

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

Bah.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

Yes, it's a children's book but It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman. GORGEOUS illustrations. I could read this book a million times just for the drawings.

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

Minnie Jackson from The Help. Especially as narrated by Octavia Spencer on the audio version.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

The Painted Veil, The History of Love, The Namesake, Looking for Alaska. All beautifully written in very different ways.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

Not done with it yet, but What Mothers Do by Naomi Stadlen is one I'm currently reading and wish I could underline every sentence.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Guess I’m good at waiting until some of the hype dies down.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

"I lit a cigarette and spit into the creek. 'You can't just make me different and then leave,' I said out loud to her. 'Beause I was fine before, Alaska. I was fine with just me and last words and school friends, and you can't just make me different and then leave.' For she had embodied the Great Perhaps--she had proved to me that it was worth it to leave behind my minor life for grander maybes, and now she was gone and with her my faith in perhaps" (Looking for Alaska 172).

And the final tally of books read and listened to in 2011. There is a small chance that I'll finish one of the two books that I'm halfway through, but...

Books Read in 2011 (links to my thoughts)

1. True Grit - Charles Portis
2. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
3. Looking for Alaska - John Green
4. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
5. Notes from the Underbelly - Risa Green
6. Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List - David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
7. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance - Elna Baker
8. The Painted Veil - W. Somerset Maugham
9. The History of Love - Nicole Krauss
10. The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag - Alan Bradley
11. The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
12. Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
13. Maman’s Homesick Pie - Donia Bijan

Books Listened to in 2011 (links to my thoughts)

1. Good to Great - Jim Collins
2. Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
3. Alice I Have Been - Melanie Benjamin
4. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
5. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
6. Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
7. Bedwetter - Sarah Silverman
8. Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
9. At Home - Bill Bryson
10. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
11. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
12. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan
13. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
14. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
15. Before I go to Sleep - S. J. Watson
16. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

This year is the first year that I've counted audiobooks--I don't think that I've ever listened to more than just a couple each year. I've really come to enjoy the medium and missed my listening time when I was on maternity leave. I still have a tough time with some audiobooks, but I have an easier time abandoning books if I'm not enjoying them. I look forward to continuing to discover the world of audiobooks in 2012.

Overall 2011 wasn't a truly terrible year for reading. I wish that some of the books I'd read had been more Spectacular, but for the most part I enjoyed what I picked to read. I don't think that 2012 will be an improvement on this year, but I do want to continue to pick my books with purpose.

How was your 2011 reading year? Any favorites? Anything you're dying to read in 2012?

Sunday Salon 54: End of the Year Survey

2011-12-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

End of the Year Survey (Take 1)

Jamie, the Perpetual Page Turner, provided us with a whole slew of questions about our 2011 bookish endeavors.

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

So many great books to choose from but I’m going to go with You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love. Such a sweet book which shows the bond between parent and child.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman. I’m sorry but it just does nothing for me. Maybe when Elle is a bit bigger.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman and Eric Metaxas. Such a beautiful and tender book.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

I haven’t done much recommending this year, but I would highly recommend You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love to any parent and anyone gifting to small children/new parents.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Can Dr. Seuss count for series? That man ROCKS!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

Sandra Boynton. Some of her books are too short for my taste (I always want more!) but I love her.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

One day I will master reading Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss at rapid pace!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. Holy cow is that book fun!

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I look forward to when Elle and I can find the little mouse on each page.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman. GORGEOUS illustrations.

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

Pat the Bunny. Need I say more?!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

Toss up between You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love and It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

Ok, so not a baby book, but I’m slowly making my way through What Mothers Do Especially When it Looks Like Nothing by Naomi Stadlen. Would love to write about my thoughts on this one in segments but not sure that’ll ever happen.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?

Goodnight Moon. Can you believe I had NEVER read that one before baby?!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

I am your lullaby; you are my peekaboo. I am your goodnight kiss; you are my I love you. From You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

Hrmmmmm…all of the above. ;)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

So, not a book, but Samuel L. Jackson’s reading Go the F*ck to Sleep. If you haven’t seen the video—watch. But be warned—very explicit language. Ha!

Ok, so this post is a bit tongue in cheek, but I love reading to Elle and look forward to the day when she's actually interested in being read to instead of eating the books. :)

You guys have me a lot of great suggestions for Children's books a few weeks ago--if you have any additions, I'd love to hear them!

On the Blog:

Looking Back to the Past Two Weeks
**I shared my Favorite Christmas Albums
**A Long Overdue Ramble
**I finished my Recipe Scrapbook!!
**I'm hosting a Holiday Recipe Exchange. Please Join!!!
**Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Cheer
**Fun with Charts...or...Facepalm. Ha!
**I shared a recipe for Hildabrotchen/Shortbread cookies.

On Chickpea Banana (Elle's picture blog) - Babe in a Box

Looking Forward to Next Week
Hopefully pictures of my completed Christmas stockings, a "real" End of the Year Survey, and maybe Bake Day pictures. No posts this coming weekend for Christmas, but the 26th I'll post Elle's EIGHT month update. Holy Cow!!!

What's on your agenda today? Off to do some quick shopping...

Hildabrötchen/Shortbread Cookies

2011-12-17T08:28:00.001-06:00

A few years ago for my birthday I received one of the best presents—two cooking classes at the local grocery/market with my mom. The first class was for Thanksgiving Pies and the second was German Holiday Cookies. Both were fantastic but I loved the second class because of my own Swiss heritage and many of the recipes reminded me of my grandmother’s Christmas cookies.

All of the participants were divided into pairs and worked on baking one recipe (believe there were 12 recipes in total). At the end we all got to take home a few of each. The cookie my mom and I made was Hildabrötchen – or Shortbread with Jam. We both loved the simplicity of the cookie and have made it during our Annual Bake Day since taking the class.

Hildabrötchen
Shortbread Cookies with Jam
[Amended from recipe received in class]

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (10.5 oz)
½ cup sugar (4 oz)
Smidge of Vanilla (½ tsp? or leave out)
½ cup + 2 Tbsp Butter (5 oz or 1.25 sticks)
1 egg
Jam (your choice of flavor—we use Raspberry!)
**note: all ingredients were provided in ounces so the conversion is from my own experimenting

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients with mixer or food processor. If dough is dry and crumbly, knead with hands until mixed completely.

2. Refrigerate until cool/firm—but be careful because it will become as hard as a rock when left too long! (will soften when worked over)

3. Roll out dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. If you want your jam to peek through, use a smaller cookie cutter to cut the middle of the cookies. I use the circle opening of a frosting tip for my middle hole!

4. Place on a buttered/sprayed baking sheet. The cookies won’t expand much in the oven

5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Watch these puppies as they brown quickly!

Assembly:
1. Heat jam in saucepan until thinned and easily spreadable

2. Spoon jam onto bottom cookie (without the hole) and sandwich with the top cookie (with the hole)

3. Dust cookies lightly with powdered sugar (also pretty with raw sugar granules)

Yields two dozenish small cookies (remember you’re halving the amount when combine top and bottom!)

Perfect for those who don’t have an extreme sweet tooth—subtle but yummy! If you make these, let me know how they turn out.

I'm hosting a Holiday Recipe Exchange and am linking this recipe there. Please join in with any holiday recipe you would like to share!

Fun with Charts...or...Facepalm

2011-12-15T06:00:00.002-06:00

As I get ready for the end of the year, I realized I should probably figure out how many books I've read this year. I kept a casual written list, at least in the beginning of the year, but never stopped to count.

Thirteen.

Not including audio (still trying to figure out that number as I stopped keeping track when I returned to work in July).

But still.

Thirteen.

I've only blogged about nine of those books, so I'm not really sure what you're all here for but obviously it isn't the books. Ha! If I were a book blogger I'd be the worst book blogger ever!!

I decided to do a little visual chart of my reading over the past eleven years and YIKES!! 2001-2003 I was in college, 2004-2006 I was in grad school and in 2007 I started book blogging.

And yes yes yes, I had a baby this year, but that's really only part of the story. But I did have a bit of a chuckle over this. Does this make you feel better about YOUR reading for the year?!

How has your reading changed over the years?

Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Cheer

2011-12-14T00:00:00.001-06:00

Holiday Recipe Exchange!!

2011-12-11T15:08:00.003-06:00

No, this isn't becoming a foodie blog, I promise. But the holidays are just around the corner and this week I'll be planning Bake Day with my mom and sister. Every year (for the past four years) we get together one Saturday in December and bake our butts off. Seriously--we mean business.

Seems that every year we make the same goodies (picture above are shortbread cookies with raspberry jam filling) and we're always on the lookout for new holiday recipes. I haven't seen a Holiday Recipe Exchange yet, so I thought I'd offer one up. I hope you'll join me!

Holiday Recipe Exchange
December 11, 2011 - January 7, 2012

To Play Along: Post a holiday recipe and link the url in the Mister Linky below anytime between now and January 7th. Can be a sweet or savory dish, dessert, appetizer, main course. Anything goes, but please keep the holiday theme in mind. If you don't have a blog/tumblr but would still like to play along, a Facebook post would work or you can email me about guest posting here.

Please list the name of the dish in the name field of Mister Linky per below:

Name: Trish (Buckeye Delights)
URL: http://www.lovelaughterinsanity.com/2011/02/betty-crockers-buckeye-delights.html

Holiday Recipe Exchange Prize: Now, to encourage you to hop around and TRY someone else's recipe, I'm going to offer up a giveaway. In order to be eligible for the giveaway, you must post your own recipe AND try another's recipe by January 15th. You don't need to post about trying the other's recipe, but you need to let me know in the comments and let the other person know you tried his/her dish.

The prize? Your choice of cookbook up to $20 value. International. I'll draw from the eligible folks randomly, but you will have one entry for each recipe you try.

I hope you'll all play along!!

Happy Cooking/Baking/Kneading/Decorating/Eating!!