So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
I love December, basically because it is a month long excuse to always be baking cookies. And listen to Christmas music. And have a lovely big ass tree in the house covered in lights and dried fruit. Plus snow if we are really lucky. December. It%u2019s a good month.
And we are getting to that time when now most of us have serious cookie making on the brain. I bet if you ask 5 people what they are planning on doing in the next few days leading up to Christmas, at least 3 of them will tell you they are making cookies because really, that is what you should be doing. That is if you like to bake. If not, then by all means, skip cookie baking.
Now what cookies to bake? Well you got to have chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Plus some no bakes and sugar cookies, but also, I think, some type of gingerbread.
These cookies are the gingerbread something. I added cardamon because I think cardamom is delicious and think everyone will think so too, And lemon because lemon goes with cardamom and ginger and lemon cardamon ginger just has a nice ring to it. Then crinkle because I didn%u2019t really want to roll out dough and cut out shapes (I was being lazy), but I wanted pretty and I am really Into the crinkle look.
These cookies were a huge hit. Not crispy like a snap, but not cakey or overly soft. A nice chew and deep in flavor. The mr was basically smuggling these cookies all day before I had a chance to really hide them and he is not a typical gingerbread lover but he told me that these cookies might just be the best cookies he has ever had. So yeah, I guess this is now my new winner gingerbread cookie recipe.
And no joke, these are probably the best smelling cookies I have ever made. I wanted to bottle up the smell and wear it on me like a teenage boy wears a new bottle of axe. Seriously, I kept sniffing my sweater all day long just to get a good hit of the smell. So good!
Now to the cookies!
The stuff. In one bowl there is flour, salt, and baking soda and powder. The other bowl is brown sugar and molasses. There there is a couple flax eggs, some oil, a lemon for it%u2019s zest, and spices of ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, and black pepper. Also powdered sugar to roll and crinkle these cookies.
Wet stuff. Sugar, molasses, flax eggs, and oil. Mix until combined.
Dry stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Add in the lemon zest too and whisk to combine.
Wet into dry. Grab a wooden spoon and mix until a cohesive dough forms. And yes you can give up the spoon after a minute and use your hands to complete the mixing%u2026 I did.
After dough is mixed and uniform, pop the bowl into the fridge for a little while to give he dough some time to rest. Half an hour is good and you could even leave it for a day if you wanted to, just cover it if you do.
And when the dough has had it%u2019s time, scoop, roll into balls, ans roll around and completely coat in powdered sugar.
Sugars balls of dough. Now pop them into the oven.
TA DA! Baked and all crinkly.
Let the cookies cool on a wire rack because that%u2019s how all cookie cool. And smell that delicious oh so lovely smell. It really is amazing, no?
Then onto a serving plate and now you have cookies for your mouth face.
Happiest happys of all the days to come! Now go eat cookies!
-C
makes around 2 dozen cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
zest of a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup neutral oil (I used canola)
2 flax eggs (6 tablespoon warm water mixed with 2 tablespoon ground flax seed)
1/2 -3/4 cup powdered sugar
To start, grab a bowl and mix together the brown sugar, molasses, oil, and flax seed eggs until completely combines. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, all the spices (ginger, cardamon, cinnamon,and pepper), baking powder and soda, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry and mix together until a cohesive dough forms. Place dough in fridge for about a 1/2 hour to up to a day to let dough rest for a bit. If you are going to keep in the fridge for a while, just cover it up.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and measure out powdered sugar into a bowl
Remove dough from fridge and using a scoop or just eyeballing it, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough. With each scoop, roll the dough into a ball and place into the bowl of the powdered sugar and roll around unit completely coated. Place ball on a baking sheet, giving it a little pat down, NOT squishing it down, just a little indent. And don%u2019t overcrowd balls, give them a little space.
When your baking sheet full, place Into hot oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and flattened out a bit, are golden brown on the bottoms, and the tops are all crinkly and lovely. Once cooked all the way, remove from oven and transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
Then eat a warm one. Heck, eat 2 warm ones, then do what you will with the rest.
Store cooled cookies in an air tight container at room temp for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for long term storage but why do you need to store your cookies? Jest eat them.
I was walking around Costco this week and they have set up all the Christmas trees and decorations. It struck me hard, like what? Did I miss something. What about like fall and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Leave it to Costco to make you feel like you are behind on your holiday preparations. Lucky Home Depot had it right and had only Halloween decorations out. Those little skeletons made me feel a little better, and even excited. Fall be coming for real soon!!!
The last week started with our usual camping Sunday. Stopped at a few pieces of property for sale (fell in love with one except it is really close to high voltage power lines and yeah, I don%u2019t know if I can live that close to that). Found a plastic Santa on the side of a dirt road in the middle of now where and was so pumped. I have been on the look out for an old vintage Santa for the house (this one was a knock off, but still cool) so we grabbed him and stuffed him in-between the tent and sleeping bags.
We got to our campsite, set up the new tent(yeah!) sat out Santa, then tooled to the woods. Did some hiking, some exploring, and just really savored all that the world is in. A good lentil and potato dinner, a fire made by the best fire starter in the world, then assed out as soon as it got dark. Camping is the best. Woke while it was still pitch dark out, made the coffee, packed up, and watched the greatest sunrise before heading to the river for the mr to go and do some fishing. Unfortunately Santa did not make it through the camping trip. When we were packing up I accidentally shattered his head while trying to stuff him back into the car. I was so pissed, but what can you do? He was a fragile old man. But the hunt continues. I will get my plastic Santa. I will.
Then back to life in town, which this week consisted mostly of me miserable because I bit a whole in my tongue (yes I did, and it was gross) and the mr on high ladders and me on the porch, painting away. We need to get this house done before it gets too cold.
Barb and the littles came over for dinner and sour patch kids, I gave the mr a hair cut, and went to Mileys first ever field hockey game (She is so dang good). Barb came over again for dinner because she really likes it when I feed her good food, and basically besides running around doing chores and errands, it was painting. Oh, and I did work at the studio, cleaning and such, and I did get a little time to start the tearing the garden apart process, but yeah, that%u2019s about it. That and I bought my first sugar pie pumpkin of the season%u2026 Gonna eat the shit out of that! So excited!
For today, it%u2019s off to the great outdoors. I think the mr was saying something about good fishing soon or whatever, so we are camping out near some rivers that he like to fish. Me, I am just excited to get my hike, and knit, and read on. We only have a few more weeks before all the campgrounds are closed and it gets to cold to camp so I am going to savor every bit of it.
Internet from the internet from the week.
-I didn%u2019t even know, or even thought to think about it. Watch How Steel Ribbons Are Shaped into Cookie Cutters
-This new blood test can figure out what time it is inside your cells Whoa. I wonder what my cell time is?
-Don%u2019t care about the hot tub, but the rest. SO COOL! Next time I am in Wales I guess. Luxury Dome Getaway with Private Hot Tub near Round Swamp in New South Wales
–Cross Back Apron. On my list of things to make within the next week (or month)
-I still use plastic containers because I have them and don%u2019t want to just toss them away, but maybe I really should.(But I probably won%u2019t, at least fora while) There%u2019s So Much to Worry About I Forgot to Worry About Plastic Poisoning
–When Your Child Believes Meat Is Murder It happens, be prepared. I remember when I became a vegetarian when I was 11, the shit I got from my family (And still sometime do, 21 year later) and I didn%u2019t know what to eat. I ended up eating lot of garbage food until I figured my shit out later in my mid teens. Not good.
-I don%u2019t really eat any food that comes in a package, but I would totally be the one to eat the package if I did. Eat Your Food, and the Package Too
-The Truth About How Much Happiness Money Can Buy. All relative though. I make far far less then 85k and I am pretty happy, I think?
–Modular A-frame homes.. Just not in America, yet.
I hate the fidget spinners, they make me anxious. Fidget spinners, weighted blankets, and the rise of anxiety consumerism
Pictures and Barb eating from the week.
There is something about purple cabbage that makes me feel like I need to share it. It sounds weird , especially because I eat about a head of cabbage a day, but that is green cabbage. I barely buy purple cabbage because it cost twice as much and I really like green , but at farm share when you get to pick what color you want, I alway pick the purple. ( Side note. I used to call it red cabbage but have since stopped because it is very clearly purple and calling red just doesn’t make any sense)%u00a0
I also feel the need to do something a little more the chopping it up and eating it raw. So I make a little fancy. pretty, almond crunchy mustard type thing because that’s what I was feeling and I figure the mr would like it too. Note that I ended up using half a green and half %u00a0the purple because color is nice and also I ended up eating the other half of the purple before I could share it. But I caught myself before eating it all to may face and was proud of myself for thinking of others.%u00a0%u00a0
This dish is good, really really good.%u00a0. It has roasted cabbage which is alway great, but slathered with maple mustard and crunchy almonds.. it’s just freaking fantastic in all the ways. It also happens to be super easy to prepare and with minimal ingredients.%u00a0It makes for a great side dish, a main dish, and is great for sharing during the holidays that are just around the corner. Or if you are like me, not sharing and eating all afternoon long. (I did save some for the m for dinner because I am so nice)%u00a0
The stuff. Cabbage, red or green or a bit of both, stone ground mustard, maple syrup, almonds and pepper.
Easy peasy. Cut the cabbages about an 3/4 inch thick and lay them on a baking sheet. Pop it into the oven once it’s preheated.
While thats going on, mix some maple with the mustard and chop up the almonds.
After about 25 minutes, pull the cabbage out and flip them. Cover the top with maple mustard and sprinkle on the almonds. Stick the cabbage back into the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until it’s roasted to your taste preference (I like it really roasted)%u00a0
Just look how pretty it is.%u00a0
Serves from a baking sheet but would look so lovely on a nice plater, you know, if you want to be extra classy.%u00a0
This cabbage situation is all of it.%u00a0
Have a great weekend and hope the Thanksgiving planning goes smoothly.%u00a0
-C
Makes about 6-8 slabs
1 head of cabbage (red or green or half of both)
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
2 tablespoon maple syrup%u00a0
1/3 cup raw almonds%u00a0
pepper to taste.%u00a0
Preheat oven to 425
Slice cabbage into thick slabs about 3/4 inch thick. Try to get them roughly the same thickness so they roast evenly. %u00a0Lay the cabbage on a baking sheet, not overlapping, and stick into the oven once it’s preheated. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottoms of the cabbage are crispy.
While cabbage is roasting, mix mustard and maple %u00a0together and roughly chop the almonds. %u00a0
After %u00a0the 25 minutes, grab the cabbage from the oven and flip each piece. Cover the tops with the maple mustard and sprinkle on chopped almonds. Place back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes %u00a0and roast until the cabbage is as crispy as you like it.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with good pepper,%u00a0and serve. Extra maple muastd is welcomed to some. Any left over (but there won’t be any) is great eaten cold before bed %u00a0or tossed onto a salad for lunch the next day.%u00a0
Happy New Year! Hope you are all waking up to sunshine in your strut, happiness in you mouth, and kindness in your soul.
So much has happened in the past few weeks. Holidays full of family, friends, birthdays (Happy to Cam, Anthony, and Judah) and all around craziness. My phone got run over by a car(still works!!!),we finally changed the summer tires to snows (thanks Justin!) and Only has now officially moved in behind the couch and is enjoying the life of an indoor cat. We are getting so close with house, so so close.%u00a0 I know a few weeks ago I told you we about the counter top and how excited I was to un-mold it. Well what I don’t think I told you was that we un-molded it and it was fantastic. Then, trying to remove the sink mold from the middle with a hammer, I cracked it! AAAGGGHHHH. That was suck a bitch if a day. But we took it it stride and just made another one. And that one, that one is even better and amazing and is all nice and perfectly perfect. Once we did that we threw up a tile wall, hood vent, light fixtures and all sorts of little things that I can’t remember.%u00a0 Last night we slid the stove into place and fired it up for the first time! It was really stinky and great and I made the mr a pizza for all of his excellent work bringing me fire. It was so freaking satisfying to use an oven and feel slightly normal again. Now all we need to do is finish the cabinets, find a faucet that doesn’t suck, hook up the sink, and a bunch of other stuff and we will be all set. But the oven works so the coming weeks are going to be full of so much oven food so watch out! (i can’t wait to start posting more recipes!!!!)
On top of all the life stuff, I have been sicko all week, and so has the mr. Actually, he has been sick for two weeks and then lovingly gave me his ick. And it sucks. I am tired and snotty and sore and cranks. I have been eating large quantities of raw garlic, swiging apple cider vinegar, and drinking turmeric tea all day. (so I don’t smell the greatest) I bought elderberries to make some syrup a little while back but left them at the loft and we let my dad stay there this week so I didn’t want to go ransack the place looking for them. He is gone now so I’ll go find them and make us a wellness potion. We will be tops soon!
So 2017. You got any resolutions or plans? Me, no resolutions, just to keep on living with intention, kindness and love and to continue to pursue my goals. We have plans for some travels (cross country awesomeness part 2), plans for some life stuff, so we got things. But basically I am just looking forward to making this year good,%u00a0 and to be better with where I place my camera. (I can never seem to find it when I want to take pictures)%u00a0
Sunday. With today, I am going to relax and recoup. Drink my fluids (tea and coffee)%u00a0 take my naps, and wash the sheets (everyone should start a new year with clean sheets!)
Internet links to click if you like.
-Happiness vs meaning…How about some of both.%u00a0 In 2017, Pursue Meaning Instead of Happiness.
–15 of Carrie Fisher%u2019s Best, Most Honest Feminist Quotes.
-I already charge my cellphone on the machines at the gym, but it it floated , well that would be swell.%u00a0Floating Gym In Paris Uses Human Energy To Sail Down The Seine River
–A Short Catalog of Foods Discontinued in 2016
-Life is bigger then all of us. As A Rough Year Ends, We Turn To The Cosmos For Some Perspective
–Cross stitching awesomeness
– Maybe 2017 will be the year that I wear pretty things. I really like this dress.
–The Best Things We Read and Ate This Year
-I really want to go back to Iceland.(maybe we will this summer?!) 15+ Iceland Photos You Won%u2019t Believe Are From This Planet
-There is sugar in everything. How Much Sugar Can You Avoid Today?
THE LOVELY CRAZY
December 29, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Hello, hello, hey hey hey!
So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
I love December, basically because it is a month long excuse to always be baking cookies. And listen to Christmas music. And have a lovely big ass tree in the house covered in lights and dried fruit. Plus snow if we are really lucky. December. It%u2019s a good month.
And we are getting to that time when now most of us have serious cookie making on the brain. I bet if you ask 5 people what they are planning on doing in the next few days leading up to Christmas, at least 3 of them will tell you they are making cookies because really, that is what you should be doing. That is if you like to bake. If not, then by all means, skip cookie baking.
Now what cookies to bake? Well you got to have chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Plus some no bakes and sugar cookies, but also, I think, some type of gingerbread.
These cookies are the gingerbread something. I added cardamon because I think cardamom is delicious and think everyone will think so too, And lemon because lemon goes with cardamom and ginger and lemon cardamon ginger just has a nice ring to it. Then crinkle because I didn%u2019t really want to roll out dough and cut out shapes (I was being lazy), but I wanted pretty and I am really Into the crinkle look.
These cookies were a huge hit. Not crispy like a snap, but not cakey or overly soft. A nice chew and deep in flavor. The mr was basically smuggling these cookies all day before I had a chance to really hide them and he is not a typical gingerbread lover but he told me that these cookies might just be the best cookies he has ever had. So yeah, I guess this is now my new winner gingerbread cookie recipe.
And no joke, these are probably the best smelling cookies I have ever made. I wanted to bottle up the smell and wear it on me like a teenage boy wears a new bottle of axe. Seriously, I kept sniffing my sweater all day long just to get a good hit of the smell. So good!
Now to the cookies!
The stuff. In one bowl there is flour, salt, and baking soda and powder. The other bowl is brown sugar and molasses. There there is a couple flax eggs, some oil, a lemon for it%u2019s zest, and spices of ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, and black pepper. Also powdered sugar to roll and crinkle these cookies.
Wet stuff. Sugar, molasses, flax eggs, and oil. Mix until combined.
Dry stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Add in the lemon zest too and whisk to combine.
Wet into dry. Grab a wooden spoon and mix until a cohesive dough forms. And yes you can give up the spoon after a minute and use your hands to complete the mixing%u2026 I did.
After dough is mixed and uniform, pop the bowl into the fridge for a little while to give he dough some time to rest. Half an hour is good and you could even leave it for a day if you wanted to, just cover it if you do.
And when the dough has had it%u2019s time, scoop, roll into balls, ans roll around and completely coat in powdered sugar.
Sugars balls of dough. Now pop them into the oven.
TA DA! Baked and all crinkly.
Let the cookies cool on a wire rack because that%u2019s how all cookie cool. And smell that delicious oh so lovely smell. It really is amazing, no?
Then onto a serving plate and now you have cookies for your mouth face.
Happiest happys of all the days to come! Now go eat cookies!
-C
makes around 2 dozen cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
zest of a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup neutral oil (I used canola)
2 flax eggs (6 tablespoon warm water mixed with 2 tablespoon ground flax seed)
1/2 -3/4 cup powdered sugar
To start, grab a bowl and mix together the brown sugar, molasses, oil, and flax seed eggs until completely combines. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, all the spices (ginger, cardamon, cinnamon,and pepper), baking powder and soda, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry and mix together until a cohesive dough forms. Place dough in fridge for about a 1/2 hour to up to a day to let dough rest for a bit. If you are going to keep in the fridge for a while, just cover it up.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and measure out powdered sugar into a bowl
Remove dough from fridge and using a scoop or just eyeballing it, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough. With each scoop, roll the dough into a ball and place into the bowl of the powdered sugar and roll around unit completely coated. Place ball on a baking sheet, giving it a little pat down, NOT squishing it down, just a little indent. And don%u2019t overcrowd balls, give them a little space.
When your baking sheet full, place Into hot oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and flattened out a bit, are golden brown on the bottoms, and the tops are all crinkly and lovely. Once cooked all the way, remove from oven and transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
Then eat a warm one. Heck, eat 2 warm ones, then do what you will with the rest.
Store cooled cookies in an air tight container at room temp for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for long term storage but why do you need to store your cookies? Jest eat them.
I was walking around Costco this week and they have set up all the Christmas trees and decorations. It struck me hard, like what? Did I miss something. What about like fall and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Leave it to Costco to make you feel like you are behind on your holiday preparations. Lucky Home Depot had it right and had only Halloween decorations out. Those little skeletons made me feel a little better, and even excited. Fall be coming for real soon!!!
The last week started with our usual camping Sunday. Stopped at a few pieces of property for sale (fell in love with one except it is really close to high voltage power lines and yeah, I don%u2019t know if I can live that close to that). Found a plastic Santa on the side of a dirt road in the middle of now where and was so pumped. I have been on the look out for an old vintage Santa for the house (this one was a knock off, but still cool) so we grabbed him and stuffed him in-between the tent and sleeping bags.
We got to our campsite, set up the new tent(yeah!) sat out Santa, then tooled to the woods. Did some hiking, some exploring, and just really savored all that the world is in. A good lentil and potato dinner, a fire made by the best fire starter in the world, then assed out as soon as it got dark. Camping is the best. Woke while it was still pitch dark out, made the coffee, packed up, and watched the greatest sunrise before heading to the river for the mr to go and do some fishing. Unfortunately Santa did not make it through the camping trip. When we were packing up I accidentally shattered his head while trying to stuff him back into the car. I was so pissed, but what can you do? He was a fragile old man. But the hunt continues. I will get my plastic Santa. I will.
Then back to life in town, which this week consisted mostly of me miserable because I bit a whole in my tongue (yes I did, and it was gross) and the mr on high ladders and me on the porch, painting away. We need to get this house done before it gets too cold.
Barb and the littles came over for dinner and sour patch kids, I gave the mr a hair cut, and went to Mileys first ever field hockey game (She is so dang good). Barb came over again for dinner because she really likes it when I feed her good food, and basically besides running around doing chores and errands, it was painting. Oh, and I did work at the studio, cleaning and such, and I did get a little time to start the tearing the garden apart process, but yeah, that%u2019s about it. That and I bought my first sugar pie pumpkin of the season%u2026 Gonna eat the shit out of that! So excited!
For today, it%u2019s off to the great outdoors. I think the mr was saying something about good fishing soon or whatever, so we are camping out near some rivers that he like to fish. Me, I am just excited to get my hike, and knit, and read on. We only have a few more weeks before all the campgrounds are closed and it gets to cold to camp so I am going to savor every bit of it.
Internet from the internet from the week.
-I didn%u2019t even know, or even thought to think about it. Watch How Steel Ribbons Are Shaped into Cookie Cutters
-This new blood test can figure out what time it is inside your cells Whoa. I wonder what my cell time is?
-Don%u2019t care about the hot tub, but the rest. SO COOL! Next time I am in Wales I guess. Luxury Dome Getaway with Private Hot Tub near Round Swamp in New South Wales
–Cross Back Apron. On my list of things to make within the next week (or month)
-I still use plastic containers because I have them and don%u2019t want to just toss them away, but maybe I really should.(But I probably won%u2019t, at least fora while) There%u2019s So Much to Worry About I Forgot to Worry About Plastic Poisoning
–When Your Child Believes Meat Is Murder It happens, be prepared. I remember when I became a vegetarian when I was 11, the shit I got from my family (And still sometime do, 21 year later) and I didn%u2019t know what to eat. I ended up eating lot of garbage food until I figured my shit out later in my mid teens. Not good.
-I don%u2019t really eat any food that comes in a package, but I would totally be the one to eat the package if I did. Eat Your Food, and the Package Too
-The Truth About How Much Happiness Money Can Buy. All relative though. I make far far less then 85k and I am pretty happy, I think?
–Modular A-frame homes.. Just not in America, yet.
I hate the fidget spinners, they make me anxious. Fidget spinners, weighted blankets, and the rise of anxiety consumerism
Pictures and Barb eating from the week.
There is something about purple cabbage that makes me feel like I need to share it. It sounds weird , especially because I eat about a head of cabbage a day, but that is green cabbage. I barely buy purple cabbage because it cost twice as much and I really like green , but at farm share when you get to pick what color you want, I alway pick the purple. ( Side note. I used to call it red cabbage but have since stopped because it is very clearly purple and calling red just doesn’t make any sense)%u00a0
I also feel the need to do something a little more the chopping it up and eating it raw. So I make a little fancy. pretty, almond crunchy mustard type thing because that’s what I was feeling and I figure the mr would like it too. Note that I ended up using half a green and half %u00a0the purple because color is nice and also I ended up eating the other half of the purple before I could share it. But I caught myself before eating it all to may face and was proud of myself for thinking of others.%u00a0%u00a0
This dish is good, really really good.%u00a0. It has roasted cabbage which is alway great, but slathered with maple mustard and crunchy almonds.. it’s just freaking fantastic in all the ways. It also happens to be super easy to prepare and with minimal ingredients.%u00a0It makes for a great side dish, a main dish, and is great for sharing during the holidays that are just around the corner. Or if you are like me, not sharing and eating all afternoon long. (I did save some for the m for dinner because I am so nice)%u00a0
The stuff. Cabbage, red or green or a bit of both, stone ground mustard, maple syrup, almonds and pepper.
Easy peasy. Cut the cabbages about an 3/4 inch thick and lay them on a baking sheet. Pop it into the oven once it’s preheated.
While thats going on, mix some maple with the mustard and chop up the almonds.
After about 25 minutes, pull the cabbage out and flip them. Cover the top with maple mustard and sprinkle on the almonds. Stick the cabbage back into the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until it’s roasted to your taste preference (I like it really roasted)%u00a0
Just look how pretty it is.%u00a0
Serves from a baking sheet but would look so lovely on a nice plater, you know, if you want to be extra classy.%u00a0
This cabbage situation is all of it.%u00a0
Have a great weekend and hope the Thanksgiving planning goes smoothly.%u00a0
-C
Makes about 6-8 slabs
Preheat oven to 425
Slice cabbage into thick slabs about 3/4 inch thick. Try to get them roughly the same thickness so they roast evenly. %u00a0Lay the cabbage on a baking sheet, not overlapping, and stick into the oven once it’s preheated. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottoms of the cabbage are crispy.
While cabbage is roasting, mix mustard and maple %u00a0together and roughly chop the almonds. %u00a0
After %u00a0the 25 minutes, grab the cabbage from the oven and flip each piece. Cover the tops with the maple mustard and sprinkle on chopped almonds. Place back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes %u00a0and roast until the cabbage is as crispy as you like it.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with good pepper,%u00a0and serve. Extra maple muastd is welcomed to some. Any left over (but there won’t be any) is great eaten cold before bed %u00a0or tossed onto a salad for lunch the next day.%u00a0
Happy New Year! Hope you are all waking up to sunshine in your strut, happiness in you mouth, and kindness in your soul.
So much has happened in the past few weeks. Holidays full of family, friends, birthdays (Happy to Cam, Anthony, and Judah) and all around craziness. My phone got run over by a car(still works!!!),we finally changed the summer tires to snows (thanks Justin!) and Only has now officially moved in behind the couch and is enjoying the life of an indoor cat. We are getting so close with house, so so close.%u00a0 I know a few weeks ago I told you we about the counter top and how excited I was to un-mold it. Well what I don’t think I told you was that we un-molded it and it was fantastic. Then, trying to remove the sink mold from the middle with a hammer, I cracked it! AAAGGGHHHH. That was suck a bitch if a day. But we took it it stride and just made another one. And that one, that one is even better and amazing and is all nice and perfectly perfect. Once we did that we threw up a tile wall, hood vent, light fixtures and all sorts of little things that I can’t remember.%u00a0 Last night we slid the stove into place and fired it up for the first time! It was really stinky and great and I made the mr a pizza for all of his excellent work bringing me fire. It was so freaking satisfying to use an oven and feel slightly normal again. Now all we need to do is finish the cabinets, find a faucet that doesn’t suck, hook up the sink, and a bunch of other stuff and we will be all set. But the oven works so the coming weeks are going to be full of so much oven food so watch out! (i can’t wait to start posting more recipes!!!!)
On top of all the life stuff, I have been sicko all week, and so has the mr. Actually, he has been sick for two weeks and then lovingly gave me his ick. And it sucks. I am tired and snotty and sore and cranks. I have been eating large quantities of raw garlic, swiging apple cider vinegar, and drinking turmeric tea all day. (so I don’t smell the greatest) I bought elderberries to make some syrup a little while back but left them at the loft and we let my dad stay there this week so I didn’t want to go ransack the place looking for them. He is gone now so I’ll go find them and make us a wellness potion. We will be tops soon!
So 2017. You got any resolutions or plans? Me, no resolutions, just to keep on living with intention, kindness and love and to continue to pursue my goals. We have plans for some travels (cross country awesomeness part 2), plans for some life stuff, so we got things. But basically I am just looking forward to making this year good,%u00a0 and to be better with where I place my camera. (I can never seem to find it when I want to take pictures)%u00a0
Sunday. With today, I am going to relax and recoup. Drink my fluids (tea and coffee)%u00a0 take my naps, and wash the sheets (everyone should start a new year with clean sheets!)
Internet links to click if you like.
-Happiness vs meaning…How about some of both.%u00a0 In 2017, Pursue Meaning Instead of Happiness.
–15 of Carrie Fisher%u2019s Best, Most Honest Feminist Quotes.
-I already charge my cellphone on the machines at the gym, but it it floated , well that would be swell.%u00a0 Floating Gym In Paris Uses Human Energy To Sail Down The Seine River
–A Short Catalog of Foods Discontinued in 2016
-Life is bigger then all of us. As A Rough Year Ends, We Turn To The Cosmos For Some Perspective
–Cross stitching awesomeness
– Maybe 2017 will be the year that I wear pretty things. I really like this dress.
–The Best Things We Read and Ate This Year
-I really want to go back to Iceland.(maybe we will this summer?!) 15+ Iceland Photos You Won%u2019t Believe Are From This Planet
-There is sugar in everything. How Much Sugar Can You Avoid Today?
Pictures of some of the crazy.