Friday, December 24, 2010

santa's little helper.


I'll start eating healthy again after the holidays...

For now, I'm getting everyone in the Christmas spirit with some delicious homemade goodies like Peppermint Bark and Chocolate Fudge...



I'm loving the "Gourmet Food" setting on my new camera, and am awfully proud of my baking skills today. Dad and I have a date to make mini pecan pies later...hope they turn out just as yummy!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays - it's wonderful to have time off to relax, enjoy family and lots of good food!

Merry Christmas Eve to all!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

sweet secret.


It is clearly no secret that I may have a little sweet tooth.


And just as clearly, the holidays are a good time to "train" my little sweet tooth. When surrounded by holiday goodies, how can I resist?

  But that's not what this story is about.

Well, I guess it explains my territorial behavior, but there's more to this story anyway.

In the spirit of National Brownie Day, a co-worker brought in delicious, gooey fudge brownies topped with icing and crushed peppermint bark yesterday. To die for, no?

He specifically said he made them for me because he knew they were my fav dessert. Therefore, I was put in charge of the brownies {aka they were just sitting on my desk all day testing my self-control}.

So the team enjoyed bites of brownies throughout the work day {because if you eat dessert in a series of "bites" instead of an entire serving, the calories somehow don't count, duh}.

Before leaving, I carefully covered the brownies with tin foil so they wouldn't get stale and set them on the corner of my desk.

Then this morning when I got to work...GONE!  Not just the contents, but the entire glass dish! And I felt terrible because now co-worker lost a nice piece of kitchen-ware because of my unrelenting sweet tooth.

Not even 5 minutes later, another co-worker strolls in with an EMPTY brownie dish. He had taken them home to his wife and kids. What? Who gave him permission to do that?

No longer felt bad about "losing" the dish.

All morning people around me kept saying "Gosh, I'm really craving a brownie..."

And the greedy brownie co-worker whined, "Now my wife thinks I should be making brownies since those were so delicious, can I get the recipe?"

He's getting no sympathy from this girl!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

magazine miracle.


I realize not everyone is as crazy psycho OCD organized as me. 

 Read: Color coded closet with identical shirt hangers.
 
However, I think this cheap little trick could be handy for anyone.

 
I always have an issue with keeping the shoes in my closet organized. Particularly boots because they are tall and floppy all over the floor.
 
So may I suggest zipping up your boots, rolling up an old magazine, and inserting in each shoe.
And just like that my boots are standing straight as soldiers. Problem solved {and for zero dollars, no less}!



Taa daaaa! Now get on wit yo bad self - go do some good old fashioned organizing! You know you want to...

Sunday, December 5, 2010

snow bunny.


What a lazy winter Sunday! All I wanted to do today was snuggle up, relax, and read. Which just so happens to be exactly what I did.

I did make it to the grocery and decided to make Santa Fe Stew for dinner with fresh baked cornbread muffins. It's so funny to me that I was so lazy all day, but when it comes to carrying in groceries I somehow muster up the energy to carry ALL grocery bags at once. Do you all do this? Struggle with a million bags so that you only have to make one trip into the house? Well, I do. And as you'll see by the recipe I'm kindly sharing below, today's grocery trip included LOTS of canned goods. Quite heavy, but I work out. ;)

I think this is a delicious winter meal. Beware that it makes a ton of soup, but it freezes well. I make it when it starts to get cold, then freeze portion size amounts that are easy to warm up throughout the snowy cold winter months. It's pretty yummy!

Santa Fe Stew
1lb lean ground meat (turkey or beef)
1 chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 can black beans
1 can red beands
1 can Great Northern Beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced mild green chilies
1 can sliced potatoes
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 pkg taco seasoning

Brown the meat with onion and garlic. Drain. Combine all ingredients, UNDRAINED, in large pot and cook low until warm throughout (about 30mins).

Thursday, December 2, 2010

flaws and all.


I have a confession. 

I came to this revelation tonight, but I have a serious issue with commitment.

The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one, right?

Whether it be deciding on an apartment to rent, what color sweater to buy, or simply what I would like to do on New Year's Eve {the  most recent conundrum), it causes me anxiety. And then I get annoyed.

Perhaps the deeper issue is the fact that I am continuously wondering what my other options are. I don't fear that I am making the wrong decision, just that there may be a better one. And the longer it takes me to commit, the longer I have to conduct an internal debate about other possible solutions.

I need to work on being content and grateful. For example, no matter what color sweater I buy, I'm still getting a new piece of clothing... and everything goes with jeans so any color would work.

No matter what the New Year's plans are, I'll be with friends {and some drinks} which guarantees a good time. Who cares what the other two folks who can't make it are doing, right? I should just focus on what I'm doing and have fun doing it.

Perhaps this character flaw also has something to do with why I am perpetually single??

Bottom-line: Lower standards a smidge and be happy with the opportunities that are given to you.