2012 Resolutions

Clearly I am a resolution maker.  I try to make only a few resolutions a year that are obtainable and can make life a bit more interesting.  The big resolution I am making this year is to learn to bake with yeast.  I don't make a lot of breads other than quick breads, and I used to make my own pizza dough, but I am not very experienced with baking with yeast. I think I tried making cinnamon rolls once and they were rock hard when baked.

Each month I intend to make one baked good with yeast and of course I will keep you posted on how they turn out.  Here are some of the items on my to-bake list.  If you have any good suggestions or recipes please pass them along!

life.love.paper via Kelly Nelson Lowe via Pinterest



1. French Bread
2. Croissants
3. Brioche
4. White Bread
5. Cinnamon Rolls
6. Doughnuts
7. Sourdough
8. Traditional Dinner Rolls

What's for dinner?

Here is what we are having for dinner next week...

Sunday - Happy New Year - we always have pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day

Monday - Butternut Squash Curry

Tuesday - Three-Greens Soup with Spinach Gremolata

Wednesday - Butter Lettuce, Persimmon, Feta and Hazelnut Salad

Thursday - Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta

Friday - Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad

Saturday - Chicken with Kale and Kreehek-Lentil Pilaf

Home Schedules

As a new year approaches it is time to get a new calendar.  Personally I am partial to having a hard copy calendar with my momAgenda.  However I know that some people like having electronic versions and there are some calendars out there that the whole family can sync with. 

COZI

COZI - www.cozi.com

• There are calendars for each family member and one for the whole family
• You can color code your calendar for each family member
• Text and email reminders are available
• Syncs to Outlook
• Mobile, smart phone, and tablet access
• Also includes shopping and to-do lists, family journals, etc...
• Free

Jibidee

JIBIDEE - www.jibidee.com

• Calendars to each category (people, events, etc.)
• Color code each person, coding appears in all views
• Email and text reminders to the account user only
• Soon to sync with Outlook and iCal
• View-only mobile access
• Can create "sticky" notes, lists, can create a personalized homepage, send/receive paperless faxes
• Free

Plumlife

PLUMLIFE - www.plumlife.com

• A calendar for each family member, plus project
• Each calendar gets its own color
• Email reminders to account user only
• Subscribes to iCal, Google, and Outlook calendars
• Mobile access and tablet and smart phone apps are coming soon
• Can search events, set due dates, can send notifications for tasks
• $10/month

HomeLife

HOMELIFE - www.homelife.daytimer.com

• A calendar for each family member but additional categories
• Color coding by person or event type
• Any family member can receive text, email, or pop-up reminders
• Syncs with Outlook, can import from .csv or .ics files or Google Calendar, subscribe to iCal
• Mobile access
• Tag events for easy searching, color codes and reminders for chores, create a family blog
• Free

2011 Resolution

For 2011 I made a resolution to read more.  I started out really good, reading about a book a week.  So after keeping that pace for a while I decided that would end up being my goal, reading 52 books this year. 

Uploaded by User via Keely Turner via Pinterest

Here is my list of books I have read this year, in no particular order.

1. The Help (one of my favorites of the year!), Kathryn Stockett
2. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
3. Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
4. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
5. The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder, C.N.
6. Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee, Hoda Kotb
7. Extraordinary Ordinary People: A Memoir Of Family, Condoleezza Rice
8. Revive, Dr. Frank Lipman
9. 20 Years Younger: Look Younger, Feel Younger, Be Younger, Bob Green
10. The Call Of The Wild, Jack London
11. Enchantment: The Life Of Audrey Hepburn, Donald Spoto
12. The Perfectly Imperfect Home, Deborah Needleman and Virginia Johnson
13. How To Be The Perfect Housewife: Lessons In The Art Of Modern Household Management, Anthea Turner
14. The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo (I might be one of the only people who didn't like this book.), Stieg Larrson
15. Unbroken (I didn't think I would like this book, but it was captivating), Laura Hillenbrand
16. A Year Without "Made In China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy, Sara Bongiorni
17. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
18. Life Is So Good: One Man's Extrodinary Journey Through the 20th Century and How He Learned to Read at 98, George Dawson and Richard Glaubman
19. Letter To My Daughter, Maya Angelou
20. The Campaign For Domestic Happiness, Isabella Beeton
21. The Bucolic Plague:  How Two Manhattanite Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir, Josh Kilmer-Purcell
22. Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel, Laura Wiesberger
23. Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own, Doreen Orion
24. Parisan Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange
25. The Three Weismanns of Westport: A Novel, Cathleen Schine
26. Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy's Astanding Story of His Trip To Heaven and Back, Todd Burpo
27. One Day, David Nicholls
28. Two States: The Story of My Marriage, Chetan Bhagat
29. Walking Backwards In High Heels:  The Impossible Art of Being Female, Tania Kindersley and Sarah Vine
30. What The Dog Saw: And Other Adventures, Malcolm Gladwell
31. Comfort Me With Apples: More Adventures at the Table, Ruth Reichl
32. Elegance: A Novel, Kathleen Tessaro
33. A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on all Occasions, Genevieve Antoine-Dariaux
34. Clean: The Revolutionary Program To Restore the Body's Natural Ability To Heal Itself, Alejandro Junger
35. The Sari Shop: A Novel, Rupa Bajwa
36. I Don't Know How She Does It, Allison Pearson
37. Irreverant Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Stangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town, David Farley
38. Woman Food God: An Unexpected Path To Almost Everything, Geneen Roth
39. Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation, Nicholas Perricone
40. The Secret, Rhonda Byrne
41. True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World, Lisa Birnbach
42. Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style, Tim Gunn and Kate Moloney
43. The Wind and the Willows, Kenneth Graham
44. Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.:  Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and The Dawn of the Modern Woman, Sam Wasson
45. Tales of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald
46. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
47. A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, Charles Dickens
48. Things I Want My Daughters To Know, Alexandra Stoddard
49. Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal, A Guide for Crafters, Artists, and Creatives of All Kinds, Tara Frey
50. Lucia, Lucia: A Novel, Adriana Trigiani
51. What Would Jackie Do?: An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living, Shelly Branch and Sue Callaway
52. Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, Debra Ollivier 

Next year I plan to keep up my reading, however maybe not a book a week.  I would love to hear your suggestions on what I should read!

Happy Holidays

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

May you have a wonderful holiday full of good times with family and friends.

 

Zsa Zsa Bellagio via Kinzey Whitty via Pinterest



What's for dinner?

Here is what we are having for dinner this week...

Sunday - Merry Christmas!

Monday - Chiang Mai Curry

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner

Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potatoes

Friday - Polenta Souffle  with Lemon Cream Sauce

Saturday - Happy New Years!!!!

Amazing View

I found this picture in the September 2011 issue of House Beautiful and thought it was such an interesting view of our world. The colors are simply amazing...




Pinterest



Can you guess where you are?  It is a NASA picture of the Dea Sea.

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah

Martha Stewart

Gifts from the Kitchen

I like making gifts to give, especially if I need a hostess gift or a gift for a helpful neighbor.  I think there is something really special about taking the time to make something yourself.  Here is what I have been making this season;

These Truffle Hot Chocolate balls from Mel's Kitchen Cafe were very easy to make, and taste delicious.  I used the special dark chocolate chip to make mine. 

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I made this Walnut-Thyme Honey from Bon Appetit yesterday.  I couldn't find the dried chilies in the recipe, but substituted chipotle chilies and it still tasted really good.  They give it a very nice heat.  This honey is going to taste delicious drizzled on a chunk of cheese.

Bon Appetit

I make these spiced nuts from Martha Stewart all of the time.  They are easy and I am consistently told how delicious they are. 

Martha Stewart

My next door neighbor will love receiving this candy cane vodka from Scary Mommy.

Scary Mommy via Sarah Kuehn via Pinterest

Here is the final Christmas round-up:


If you want an easy and quick decoration for your Christmas cake try adding some trees.

Chocolate & Carrots via Kate Lewis via Pinterest

This cream cheese dip looks delicious.

Jamie Cooks It Up via Ruth Johnson via Pinterest

If you haven't gotten your holiday cards out yet, check out this website for some tips on how to mass produce cards.

Wren Handmade via Merrill Hogan via Pinterest


These would look gorgeous on the table or on your walk up to your door.

The Bride's Diary via Emily Outen via Pinterest



Wha'for dinner?

Where is what we are having for dinner next week:

Sunday - Cheese Souffle

Monday - Dumplings

Tuesday - Thai Beef Salad

Wednesday - Cobb Salad

Thursday - Parsnip and Pear Latkes

Friday - Greek Salad

Saturday - Mustard-Seed-Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Dijon Creme Fraiche and Roasted Balsamic Onions

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

This was supposed to be posted earlier this week, however my scheduling was off for some reason.  So, here you go!

Next week Hanukkah begins so here are some holiday ideas I found online:

This place setting is so simple and the blue is so pretty:

Martha Stewart via Hilary Schwartz via Pinterest

This buffet is perfect for a family get together.  The dreidel garland is a favorite of mine!

Martha Stewart via Brianna Willis via Pinterest

I found this  latkes recipe in Sunset Magazine for a "Not-So-Heavy Hanukkah"

My Recipes

Here are some great Hanukkah printable puzzles for the kids:



Activity Village



Tags and Paper

After posting the wrapping paper post last week I found a terrific article on gift wrapping in Matchbook Magazine, you have go to check it out!

Here are some fun printables and more gift wrapping ideas:


These printable gift tags are so colorful and fun!

How About Orange via Jen Jones via Pinterest

Using old cards and turning them into gift boxes is such a great idea.  Of course Martha Stewart thought of it!

Martha Stewart via Erin Derbi via Pinterest

These printable tags look so fun, and there is something for EVERYONE celebrating a holiday this month.

Sass and Peril via Jennifer Kelley via Pinterest

If you want some whimsical holiday printable check out these!

Uploaded by User via Tiffany Jambor via Pinterest

Jingle Bells

Here are some fabulous holiday ideas for your home:

These reindeer goody bags are so cute, and look pretty easy to put together!

Google.com via Angie Beaird via Pinterest

My little one still sleeps in a crib, but once she moves to a real bed we will be do this to her door on Christmas morning!  I have to check out this blog, I am sure this Super Mommy has other terrific ideas.

Secrets of a Super Mommy via Katie Porter via Pinterest

These reindeer cupcakes would make anyone happy!

Homemaking Fun via Brittany Walters via Pinterest

I seem to really like decorating with ornaments.  This just looks so pretty.

Junk Garden Girl via Whitney Straw Fey via Pinterest

Saturday Thoughts



Emily McDowell via Rebekeh Kamae via Pinterest

 Sorry I haven't had many posts this week, but it has been very busy around this house, and I am headed out of town, so I may not have many next week either.  I hope you understand.

I hope your December is going a bit more smoothly than mine!

Wrap It Up

I love a beautifully wrapped present.  It sometimes takes a bit more time, but it is worth it in the end.  I often have a hard time coming up interesting wrapping ideas, but I found these great ones online.

Older and Wisor via Renata Sanderson via Pinterest

The Decorologist via Kaytlin Massman via Pinterest

Good Housekeeping via Dianne Johnson via Pinterest

Flickr via Renee Stewart via Pinterest

What is for dinner?

So we are going to spend this week cleaning out leftovers and things in the freezer...

Sunday -  Roasted veggies and brats

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Spaghetti

Wednesday - Dinner Out

Thursday - Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad with Sweet Chili Ginger Sauce

Friday - Tortilla Espanola

Saturday - Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples

Ho Ho Ho!

Here is this week's Christmas favorites!

I love this wreath idea from Better Homes and Gardens.  My dollar store is all sold out of snowflakes, but I am hoping to find them elsewhere. 

Better Homes and Gardens via Mayce Henley via Pinterest

The pom pom garland is so cute and slightly different from the expected mantle garland.

Small Bird Blog via sfgirlbybay via Pinterest

These peppermint snickerdoodles look delicious!

Food Gawker via Allison Barrett via Pinterest

I thought this was a very clever Christmas card idea.

Flickr via Helen Ash via Pinterest

This color combination is unique, but totally works.

Allsorts via Lisa Cohen via Pinterest

Believing

Tis' the season to believe!

Endless Possibilities via Pinterest

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post our dinners for next week yet.  I have been swamped and haven't had a chance to think about what we are going to eat...hopefully it will be posted tomorrow.

Christmas Round-Up

As I have done with the other holidays, I am going to highlight some terrific Christmas ideas I have found online.  Here are this week's great finds!

Wrap 24 Christmas books that you already own and let your kids pick one book out a day that they can read.  How exciting would it be to unwrap a present everyday!  I am definitely going to do this, however I don't have enough Christmas books, so I guess I will just wrap up some other books that we have as well.

Katherine Marie Photography via Pinterest

A garland made from ornaments is a nice contrast to the traditional pine garlands.  You could do it in just blues and whites if you wanted to decorate for Hanukkah.

Pretty-Quirky via Pinterest

Last year homemade marshmallows were all over the place, and I never got a chance to make them.  This year I am going to try this recipe from Martha Stewart.  The marshmallows just look so beautiful.

Martha Stewart via Pinterest

If you are going to a holiday cookie exchange these would be perfect to take along to share.  Here is the recipe.

BHG via Pinterest

If you haven't decided what type of holiday card you want to send these might be fun to try. 

Meet the Dubiens via Pinterest