Solar and Lunar Personalities...and Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

Okay. So it's been a while since my last post. All that posting...it's exhausting! Sometimes, I think I might be ADHD, moving from one idea to the next...(and I probably am to some degree...) I get a big ole burst of energy, with tons of ideas, recipes, things to try, things to write, then I burn out.
    
I have a sister in law, who like her own mother, is a "get it done" type person. She will call me and say, "well, today I  repainted my porch, organized the kids rooms, cooked dinner, mowed the lawn, washed the dogs, took down some trees..."all after working a full day. I listen intently whilst laying on my big gold chair, willing myself to get up and start a load of laundry. Some days, I get a ton done, some days, not so much....

Then, I read an article. I don't remember the name of the article, or where I read it, but it was a great article. It was about lunar people, and solar people, and the main differences between them. I don't know too much about astrology, or anything of that nature, but this was more about two distinct types of people, and how they are both good.

Lunar people, are people who know how to chill...they are thoughtful, and full of ideas. They think carefully about an idea, research it, picture it in their head, nap a little, then go full steam ahead. They get a ton done, pat themselves on the back, then take another nap. Everything we lunar people do, is well thought out...planning and energy goes into all the details, and when we get things done...we get things done. It just doesn't happen that often. Days go by where we get nothing done. Some days my sister (who I'm pretty sure is lunar too,) calls me and says, "I need to get something done..." and I say, "me too..." and then we chat for an hour about the things we want to get done, and eventually, they do get done. Sometimes.

Solar people spend no time contemplating what they need to get done. They are in "go"mode, and move from one project to the next. My mom is a solar person...she measures her day on what she accomplished. She will go to work for three days, then on her one day off, I find her down in her garage, organizing. Solar people make decisions quickly, and they move on. My sister in law has two sweet girls, and both times she gave birth, she had no name picked out. We all brainstormed, she picked a name, and moved on, never looking back....and they both have beautiful names that suit them. Me, however, thought about names for months...wrote them down to see what they looked like...said them over and over until I didn't like it anymore, and moved on to the next name. I pretty much knew, down to one or two names, what they would  be when I left for the  hospital, with great confidence I would love the name for years to come. We both got to the same place, just in different ways.

Now for years, I have wanted to be a solar person...well before I knew what a solar person was. My grandma? Solar. Totally. My mom. Super solar. Me and my sister...even my brother, did not get that gene. All hard workers in our own right...we just need down time...and sleep.

At Christmas, my grandma and my mother would bake a different type of Christmas cookie every day, for like two weeks, so that on Christmas, there was a nice spread of many different kinds of cookies. Me??? I sit down, take a day to figure out which ones I want to bake, bake about 5 kinds the next day, then I go to the bakery and fill in the gaps. Burst of energy. Downtime. Burst of energy. Downtime. You get it?

Solar people work harder, for longer, then burn out. They get a lot done, and move quickly through their day, and do it all again the next day. Burst of energy. Burst of energy. Burst of energy. Repeat. You get it again. Right?

 I am learning to embrace my lunar-ness. Well thought out ideas, (like starting a blog) but that come in waves. Energy that comes in waves. Creativity that comes in waves. Being that I don't do this for money, just as an outlet, I'm okay with that. I can post a ton of ideas, and then sit on  my big gold chair for a month and think about what to do next in life. Maybe I'll call my sister and talk about it. Maybe, I'll just nap instead. Tomorrow, I'll get to the things I need to get done, or maybe not, but when I do, watch out! It will be like the super moon! Or not. But, that's okay.

Until the next super moon, enjoy this awesome cheesy pesto pull apart bread I found on Jamiecooksitup.com. Love her blog, and all her great recipes. It is easy to make, perfect for parties, and tastes great on a big gold chair, while thinking of your next big idea...

photo from Jamiecooksitup.com

Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

Chocolate chip cookie perfection...

Haven't posted in a bit....there has been barfing. All around. You understand. Right? Climbing out from the depths of vomit stained laundry, and picking up kleenex, (am I making you hungry?) I find myself craving cookies. The classic kind. Chocolate chip to be exact. You know the kind that are crunchy around the edges, but soft and gooey in the middle? I searched for "the best chocolate chip cookie" on the internet, and found many options. This one was rated the best, and the pictures were glorious, so I made them....Also because my brother in law put new brakes on my car, and I usually trade him car labor for cookies. I know it sounds unfair...cookies, for new brakes? But come on, my cookies are awesome. It's totally fair. In fact, I think he should throw in the front brakes too. I'm willing to let it go...anyway...Dang. Just burned a batch....you know when you think about setting the timer, but you say to yourself, I'll totally remember...but then you freak out when you actually do remember, because you were supposed to remember 5 minutes ago? That just happened. So that won't be the batch I take a picture of, but this batch will for sure, (because I set the timer.)



Here is the recipe:

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from howshedoesit.com

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake....It's the bomb!

I found this recipe last year, on a blog called alexandracooks.com. Love her food blog, and when I saw this picture on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it. I love breakfast, and this cake looked like perfection. The buttermilk, the blueberries, the lemon zest...the sugar sprinkled on top, an awesome combination. I had to laugh when I read her story on this cake...how she found it in her mom's recipes, and the name of the recipe was "Baby Boys Favorite Cake." She described how her little brother was the baby in the family, and was a super picky eater, and when she saw the recipe, she knew it would be good because "baby boy" liked it so much. The reason I laughed, is because we also have a "baby boy" in our family.....my little brother, who just turned 36. I have memories of my mom making him scrambled eggs every morning, because he was the "baby." I even remember making his bed for awhile, because my mom thought he was too little. I think he was twelve. We were heading out to our cabin with the whole family last summer, and I thought I would make this cake to see if our "baby boy" would like it. Sure enough, he ate half the pan. Make it for your family, or the "baby boy" in your life!

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake (baby boy's favorite:))

Honey yogurt berry pops...healthy snacking for kids!

(photo from joylicious)

So, Peter and I were both doing so good on this "eating healthy" thing...that is, until Valentine's day threw us into a tail spin...followed by a two day stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Eating healthy there is like eating healthy at Denny's. It just doesn't happen. My exercise plan took a hiatus, and has been replaced with boxes of chocolates, banana cake, these awesome ginger molasses bake yourself cookies from Trader Joe's that my cousin turned me on to...oh, and birthday dinner for my brother tonight with cake and ice cream. What the heck? I was doing so good! How can all these little mini holidays and celebrations become little excuses to undo all the good stuff I have done? Tomorrow, people. That is the day I get back on track...and the kids? They have been with me on my one way trip to unhealthiness...enough already! So, I decided to start getting rid of all the junk around here this last week...(mostly by personally eating it.) My giant box of chocolates now looks like this.....




My kids love good food as much as I do, and I'm always thrilled when I find a recipe for something seemingly unhealthy, but that is actually super healthy. Make sense? Take these Honey yogurt berry pops. Found them on the joylicious.net, a great food blog. They were posted around fourth of July, but I think they apply to all months of the year. Even better? They have no sugar...naturally. My kids like them better than store bought popsicles, so I never have to say NO!

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups Plain greek yogurt ( I love FAGE, sold at Costco...eat it every morning w/ honey and almonds)
1 cup Honey
Fresh or frozen berried of your choice
Popsicle molds (can be purchased at IKEA, or seasonally at grocery stores)




Mix yogurt and honey. Fold in berries. Transfer to something with a spout, as it makes it easier when pouring. Fill to top of popsicle mold. Freeze.

p.s. I actually used a "honey" greek yogurt made by "The Greek Gods,"when I made these last...then left out the honey, saved me step, and they tasted great! You can use any left over yogurt and berry mix for smoothies...another healthy snack for the family! Enjoy!

Modern Nautical...Decorating with Maps

Check out a guest blog I wrote for my friend Caron over at Everything Coastal! You will love her blog! She is master of all things beach, coastal, and sea...

Everythingcoastal.com

Valentine's Day...make it special for the kids!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and my brain is buzzing with Valentine's Day ideas. I love all holidays with a passion, but I actually ENJOY Valentine's Day. During most holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, the joy of the holiday is overshadowed with the craziness that comes with meal planning, cleaning your house for company, cooking like a crazy person, running to the grocery store, making sure the presents are wrapped....in all the bustle, it's easy to lose track of the real joy in the holidays...spending time with your loved ones. Valentine's Day is the exception, because it's a very underwhelming holiday...most people don't host extravagant Valentine's dinners, so there is plenty of time to put a little thought into the little things...which are what really make memories for your loved ones.

When it comes to the kids, we parents will jump at any chance to make them feel special. Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to make them each feel loved, by planning little surprises throughout the day. They need not be expensive gifts, just little gestures to make them feel they are someone's valentine, and they are special to you. I love to start off the day with a Valentine's breakfast...we usually make heart shaped pancakes using a pancake mold, but this can also be done with a large heart shaped cookie cutter. Here are a few breakfast ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:



My daughter loves it if I stick a little love note into her lunch....I'm pretty sure my son does too, but he would never admit it...The sky is the limit for lunch ideas at Valentines. Here are a few great ideas, all served up in my favorite BPA free lunch gear, from Easylunchboxes.com. These things are so handy, I can't even tell you. I pack two in my kids lunch everyday, one with a lunch, one with a snack. The best part??? No waste!

(photos from lisastorms.typepad.com)

My husband and I usually celebrate our own Valentine's Day the weekend before...it just seems easier for us...easier for whoever is watching the kids, no lunches to pack the next day, more lax bedtimes...which frees us up on Valentine's Day, to have a special dinner at home with the kids. I try and have a small gift for each kid when they get home, and a little Valentine's snack, maybe cupcakes or cookies. I love the idea of this charming little Valentine fort, to sit in and eat our goodies while we look through each of their valentine's card they received that day. How cute is that? Then, just dinner at home, with a few little decorations around the table...and you have a memorable, cheap, Valentine's day for the family.




As for the Valentine's themselves? This year, we made these awesome little monster bookmarks. See the tutorial here. They were super easy, and something you can reuse!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baked French Toast with Blueberries....perfect weekend food!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day...and there is nothing I love more than pancakes, french toast, syrup, bacon...perfection. My favorite thing to cook is some kind of new breakfast casserole or breakfast cake, and this baked french toast falls into both of those categories. This is a great dish to serve for brunch...Mother's Day, Easter, or just Sunday morning! My cousin Steph first introduced me to this dish...she called me with the recipe telling me how awesome it was, and how I had to try it. It took me a whole 24 hours, and the results were amazing. It is now a favorite in my family, and it is often requested at family brunches. Something about the crusty bread layers, mixed with cream cheesiness, warm blueberries, and syrup. It's awesome. Try it this weekend, you will not be disappointed!

You will need:

2 loaves crusty Italian bread cut into 1" cubes
1 1/2 packages of cream cheese
Sprinkle of sugar
Fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup

Blueberry sauce:

1 cup white sugar
2 Tbs cornstarch
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbs butter

Sprinkle half of the bread cubes in a casserole dish. Mix the cream cheese with a little sugar, and spread across the bread cubes. Sprinkle blueberries over the cream cheese (1+ cups). Top with remaining bread cubes. In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla and syrup. Pour over bread mixture. Let sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning, take the pan out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to making. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake 30 more minutes, until center is firm, and the edges are brown. While baking, mix 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, with the cornstarch. Bring to boil, stirring for 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of blueberries. Reduce heat, simmer for ten minutes, until blueberries burst or mush. Add 1 Tbs butter. Pour over french toast, or make extra and serve on the side, get jiggy with it. (It really says that at the bottom of my recipe card...) Enjoy!

Superbowl food made easy!

It has begun. It's still a day away, and I find myself, as I write this, snacking on things I would not normally eat. You now those white, yogurt covered pretzels that taste like awesome? I just ate about twenty. Nine. Anyway, back to the Superbowl. Maybe you are having a little party.... or maybe you are going to a little party? Maybe you are just watching it with your family in the comfort of your own TV room....either way, you need snacks, people. I know I will draw gasps when I say this, but I have never really cared about football. I look forward to the snacking, and the napping. My day goes something like this....wake up late. Eat breakfast. Small nap on couch. Snacking begins. Another nap....cheering...someone scores...I stuff chips and dip into my mouth. Go back to sleep. Dream about snacks, and napping. Laugh at funny commercials in my half awake state...then dinner....then dessert. Then a small snack. Back to bed. Thought I would share a few recipes of some tried and true Superbowl food to get you in the spirit!



Feta Dip

Found this recipe off of memoriesatcloverlane.com, a cute food blog a while back, and have made it s few times. Slice up a fresh baguette for dipping...you will LOVE it!

Here’s what you need:
olive oil
1 block (1#) of feta cheese (I don’t like the pre-crumbled kind because I think it is dry)
tomatoes (any kind)…I use about 3 Roma’s
1 bunch of green onions
1 baguette
Greek Seasoning (see pic below)
1 large platter

Cover the bottom of a platter in olive oil. Dice the tomatoes and green onion. Throw on top. Crumble the feta cheese over the top. Sprinkle Greek seasoning over top. (use about 3 tsp.) (If you can't find the seasoning, you can sub with oregano and a little pepper and some salt to taste.)
Gently mix together, and start dipping!



Reuben Dip

This dip is made in a crockpot, and also served with a sliced baguette. It is warm, gooey, easy to make, and can be served all day from the crock pot. It almost tastes like hot, crab artichoke dip, without the cost. A woman brought it to a neighbors party, and at least a handful of people were sitting around the kitchen writing down the recipe. It's that good.

you will need:

1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded cooked corned beef
1/4 cup thousand island dressing

In a slow cooker, combine the sauerkraut, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, corned beef and thousand island dressing. Cover, and cook on high for 45 minutes if you're in a hurry, low for longer if you're not, or just until hot and cheese is melted. Stir occasionally while cooking. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes.



7 Layer Taco Dip

My mom has been making this since I was little. I don't know what it is about hers, that makes it so good, but I could (and do) eat it all day.

Layer the following in a casserole dish starting with:

1 can Frito Lay Jalapeno Bean dip (find in the chip aisle)
Next, spread over 3 mashed avocados seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper
mix1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayo, and 3/4 packet of taco seasoning and spread over dip
sprinkle on 2 diced tomatoes
sprinkle on 1 can sliced olives
sprinkle on 1 bunch of chopped green onions
top with shredded cheddar and heat in oven until melty.

The best tortilla chips I have tasted, are the Juanita's brand, in a red and green bag.

For something sweet, my cousin makes an awesome popcorn/chex mix that the kids chow down on:




Caramel Popcorn Chex Mix

8 cups popcorn
4 cups rice chex cereal
2 cups pretzels
1 or 2 cups pecans

Mix in a bowl, then put on baking sheet.

in a sauce pan: bring to a boil, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter. turn down to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes (do not stir.) Take off of heat, and stir in 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp baking soda. Pour mixture over popcorn mix. Bake at 295 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir halfway through. Enjoy!

Hope you all have the best Superbowl ever! (as I go to eat just one more pretzel...but alas...there are two stuck together like Siamese pretzels. Of course they are meant to be together, I guess I have to eat them both...) Enjoy your snacking, napping, funny commercials, and of course....football!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Five things I am diggin' on right now:

1)This wrap on sale at Nordstrom. My friend Mary was wearing one last week. It was super soft and sweatshirt-like and fleecy on the inside, and just plain awesome. I am ordering one as soon as I figure out what color I want...and at $39? Yes!

Bobeau wrap at Nordstom

2)These hand blown wine tumblers from Napastyle. Love the funky mismatched set of 6...we now have about 3 or 4 of these sets. My husband makes his blood orange margarita (see #3) in them all the time.

Venetian Wine Tumblers

3) Our friends introduced us this summer, to this amazing home made margarita that actually may be a little healthy as far as margaritas go. My husband Peter, always striving for the perfect margarita, has perfected it. What started with one squeezed orange, and one squeezed lime, has now morphed into a blood orange, and now.....watermelon. That's right. Oh, and....it's awesome.

Peter's Blood Orange and Watermelon Margarita:

Squeeze 1/4 cup of watermelon juice on a citrus press. Set aside. Squeeze two blood oranges, and two limes. Add juice to watermelon juice, and add to cocktail shaker. Add one shot good tequila, one shot triple sec or Grand Mariner, and a squeeze of agave syrup. Add a handful of ice. Shake and pour into glasses. Makes about 4 drinks.

4) Essie nail polish- Sand Tropez. Love the nude nail polish,. Unfortunately, I have super short nails, that despite my attempts to grow them in the past, I am the most "me" when they are super short and boylike. That's okay. This color is great on toes, and I try and keep mine cute and painted all year long to make up for my boy nails. Buy it here for 3 bucks!

Essie-Sand Tropez Nail Polish

5) Lana Del Rey. She is my new favorite singer, and yes, I know she bombed on Saturday Night Live, but I still think she is amazing. She is kind of a throwback from the sixties, and has a totally unique sound. Her videos are amazing, and I could listen to this song all day.

Lana Del Rey- Video Games

Happy 2012! Resolutions and other mom advice...

2012 is here....what the heck? Where does the time go? I apologize for the lapse in posting...it seems to be taking an extra long time to recover from Christmas this year! Maybe all of the parties, the massive amounts of food, the winter sangria? It's possible, all of it. My new years resolutions this year, I took from one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes & Cashmere from last year. Emily, the fashion and home blogger over there, pretty much cloned my thoughts when she wrote her resolutions last year:

1) Live Fearlessly 2) Focus on the Present 3) Drink more Water

So this year, I adopted them as my own. Live fearlessly. Hmmm...something I have been needing to do for a long time. Since having children, I find myself gripped by fear on many occasions...the thought of getting on a plane, a bump on my child's head, going over tanker waves on a ferry....(that's the worst.) I have never considered myself a controlling person, but after contemplating my fears, they all come back to the same thing. Fear of losing control. Fear of something happening to my kids or myself that is beyond my control. When I realize the truth, we have no control, that is God's job, it is easier for me to let go and have fun. A glass of wine of the ferry doesn't hurt either. How will I ever teach my kids to enjoy life and throw caution to the wind, if I can't do it myself? A resolution, for sure.

Focus on the present....another resolution tailor made for me. I often find myself feeling nostalgia for other era's of my life...when my children were babies....when I was in my twenties....stressing at the age of 38 of how fast 40 is approaching. How did that happen? I swear I was just 29...where did the last decade go? Old home video's of days gone by...but what about today? Am I thoroughly enjoying 38? Am I cherishing the age's of 10, 8 and 4, or am I too consumed on how they aren't babies anymore? The one thing I don't want is to look back when I am 60 and wish I was 38 again....I need to enjoy the here and now, live every year with thankfulness and excitement for what the future holds. Definitely resolution #2.

Drink more water???? Dang. For sure. Pretty sure I am part lizard...never even remember to drink water until after 3pm. Just common sense, right?

Lastly, this is not really a resolution, but a piece of advice that sticks in my mind every time one of my kids asks to do something....A friend once told me, before the mom inspired automatic "NO" or "not right now" comes out of your mouth, try and ask yourself three things....a) What will it hurt? b) What will it help? and c) What will they remember? This has helped me say yes to many more fun projects and spur of the moment idea's my kids come up with. "Mom? Can we take all the couch cushions off and make a tent?" Let's see....I have just cleaned them up for what seems like the fiftieth time, and am about to reply with, "not right now...." but then I think, what will it hurt? Really? Is it that big of a deal to help them put the couch cushions back for the fifty first time? Will it really wreck my day on some level? Probably not. What will it help? It will boost creativity in my child, and keep them doing something fun, and off the Wii for awhile. What will they remember? Making cool forts in the TV room...mom getting out all the blankets to help, great memories focused around our home. Love it. "Go for it!" Here's to 2012...raise your glass of ferry wine to living fearlessy, embracing 38...or whatever super important year of your awesome life you are celebrating...living in the present, drinking tons of water (hopefully not while treading water and gasping for life after the ferry flipped over....) and saying YES! to little creative minds! Happy 2012! May all your resolutions come true!