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!