Comfort and Joy

The potpie I made yesterday was a hit and Tim was in heaven! Yeah!!!! He asked me to make it every year from now on...of course we had to compromise and agree that I would make it any Thanksgiving that it is just the two (or three) of us.

Photo from marthastewart.com

I made this pie as requested by Tim and it was wonderful. Super easy to make. I didn't take a photo because my crust got darker than I wanted and I freaked out. Tim ate it anyway, it wasnt burnt, just darker than I like.

OK, I have to admit something....I have a serious cranberry addiction - some of you know about it. I doubled my normal recipe this year so I will have cranberry sauce until the New Year (I hope). I added an apple this year and it is yummy. Do you ever watch Nigella Lawson on the Food Network? Well, she always sneaks into the kitchen at night and takes a bite of whatever she made on the show that is leftover in the fridge - well, that is what I do with cranberries. Any time of the day, if I want a little something sweet, tart and yummy - I grab a spoon and take a few bites from my designated container (my own germs, not for sharing, ha ha!). I hope you can't overdose on cranberries. If so, I may have a situation on my hands. Some of you also may know, when I want to swear at work, I sing the word "cranberries" more like "Crrrraaaaanberries". One of my favorite snacks after work is a little bowl of apple sauce with a gob of cranberry sauce in the middle. So good.
Hope your Thanksgiving was full of wonderful food, comfort and joy!

Now...I must make a pumpkin pie this weekend - coconut was for Tim's BDay and this holiday is not the same without pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have a pleasant Thanksgiving and are surrounded by
friends and family.

Change of Pace

Every year at my job, we are asked to go and work in a store the day before Thanksgiving since it is the busiest day of the year for us. I decided to go up to Sonoma today and work at the store there. It was not a busy as I had expected from past years working at stores in San Francisco and Marin, but it was steady. I bagged groceries and felt like a teenager again, since that is what I was doing when I was younger. It was so fun talking to the customers, checking out what they are buying, asking them what they are making for Thanksgiving dinner, etc. Wendy came and worked at the store as well so we had fun together working then we had lunch and did our Thanksgiving shopping and went home. My feet hurt! I am not used to standing on a hard cement floor for 5 hours in a row while bending and lifting to assist people with their groceries and heavy turkeys. It was fun though, don't get me wrong, there was a buzz in the air that gave me a spring in my step. A nice addition to the day was that I ran into someone who I had worked with years and years ago. I think the only person reading that has met her is Angela - her name is Loren (she was at my 25th BDay party and I think you two took the bus home together). She is now married and has 2 little boys, I love when things like that happen.
Anyway, today is the Mister's Birthday. We are having a nice evening at home since we both worked today and will celebrate tomorrow. I am making him turkey pot pie with herbed biscuit topping and coconut custard pie (per his request). It should be a nice day, my one and only goal (besides cooking) is to watch Miracle on 34th Street (the original black and white version).

Busy Busy and Boring

Seems like time goes by a little faster this time of year and the holiday season always seems to sneak up on us too!
I have been busy cleaning house, getting ready to put our Christmas decor out and putting my nose to the grindstone trying to finish the few Christmas gifts we are giving this year. We are trying to make almost everything this year due to the economy being so bad and due to the fact we are updating our adoption home study which is not an easy expense to swallow this time of year.
I have not had anything very exciting to blog about that is why I have been MIA.
Hopefully I will have something to talk about later this week, perhaps a post Thanksgiving update.

*Fabulous Find*

Tried these Lucy's cookies tonight after dinner and they are tasty! I tried the oatmeal variety (made with, you guessed it, gluten free oats). I have the sugar cookie as well, have not tried that one yet.
Hard to believe that they are free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk , eggs, wheat and gluten and they taste delicious. I am so glad there are more options out there for folks with allergies, especially for kids - not having cookies is no fun! I would make a wheat exception for anything my Mom baked though, I have to admit.

Cute packaging too!

*Fabulous Find*

I am sucker for packaging and I know you could probably make this Message in a Bottle yourself, but I think this is super cute! I love the concept, the packaging, and the idea that you would make a new friend in another part of the world. More details here.

Michigan Favorites

I have lived in Northern California now for a little over 12 years and there are so many things (mostly food based) I miss from back home in Michigan.

• Vernors Ginger Ale - found the cans a couple years back but just last night at my local market, they had the 2 liter size, I about teared up in the isle while I placed it in my basket.
• Better Made Potato Chips - the Red Hots are my favorite.
• Awrey's Baked Goods - Date Nut Squares
• Sanders - Milk Chocolate Sauce, Bumpy Cake and Carmel Cake
• Apple Cider - can't find it anywhere our here!
• Cider Mill - fresh hot doughnuts and cider, ugh, what I wouldn't give for one around here.
• Blue Moon Ice Cream - Ray's Brand or really any...my sister in law told Tim that Blue Moon is a "great Northern secret" I love it!
• Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream - or Mackinac Island fudge anything, maple walnut is the best.
• Elephant Ears - they call them funnel cakes out here, really?
• Middle Eastern Bakeries and Restaurants
• Greek Town!
• Blakes - "pick your own" farm and you guessed it, Cider Mill
• TownClub Soda
• Faygo Rock N'Rye

This is not an complete list, I will add more as I think of them. I guess I am a little homesick - have not been back to Michigan since November of 2005 I believe. It is about time.

The photos are Cider Mills I went to while I lived in Michigan. Top one is Yates and the lower is Franklin.

* Fabulous Find *

This advent calendar is super cute and now 40% off here.

One Word Meme

Something fun for a change, I love these. Answering in one word is hard sometimes.

Where is your mobile phone? desk
Where is your significant other? work
Your hair colour? brown
Your mother? fun
Your father? hero
Your favourite thing? photography
Your dream last night? yuck!
Your dream goal? writer
The room you're in? office
Your hobby? creating
Your fear? snakes
Where do you want to be in 6 years? seriously?
Where were you last night? Fiesta
What you're not? fake
One of your wish-list items? Oliveia
Where you grew up? Michigan
The last thing you did? sit
What are you wearing? boots
Your TV? nil
Your pets? BayLee
Your computer? old
Your mood? eager
Missing someone? Grandma
Your car? Blue
Something you're not wearing? nylons
Favourite shop? bookstore
Your summer? fun
Love someone? yes
Your favourite colour? pink
When is the last time you laughed? earlier
When is the last time you cried? today

Viva La Malta!

Last night at the Maltese American Social Club of San Francisco the Women's Committee had our monthly meeting followed by a Mexican Fiesta! We had a TON of food; salsa, guacamole, carnitas, chicken in green chili sauce, beans (2 kinds), rice, cheese - you name it! You could have made a super burrito or taco of any combination. It was awesome!

I am looking forward to the next general membership meeting at the end of the month so I can buy some pastizzi! I know it is not good for you, but some of the yummiest things aren't that good for you - oh, they do have peas in them, that outta count for something. If only I could find some Kinnie to drink while I eat them!

PS - I got to test out my new vocabulary words last night as well and I impressed the ladies that I was sitting with who will only speak to me in Maltese.

I Can't Believe It!

I cant believe it is almost 2009!

So strange to me how time flies.

As some of you know, I am obsessed with stationary especially the world of calendars, planners, etc. I wanted to purchase my dream diary for my purse this year, but the idea was vetoed by my budget conscious husband (I know he is right). The problem is, I purchased this aforementioned "dream diary" while on a layover over in London in 2006 when I went to Malta. I used it for some of 2007 (first month) and then lost it until recently. Funny thing is (and scary) I bought it not aware of the currency exchange so didn't really know what I spent until it was too late and I got home to the statement! oops! Another funny thing, did you know the days and numbers of the calendar are the same in 2009 as they were in 2007. I thought for a moment, it would add to my character if I used that old 2007 diary for this upcoming year, just for some panache and a laugh! ***After checking the calendar again, I realized this statement is not true, the dates do not match up - crap! I was actually considering that.

Anyway, my budget (per the Mister) was $15 dollars this year, I can't even get refills for my cute Kate Spade leather organizer for $15 and yes, I have to have the Kate Spade brand for the Kate Spade organizer, otherwise I would be doing Kate (and myself) and disservice.

So, this past weekend we went to the local gift shop and I found this cute Cath Kidson calendar and I love it! I have already filled it with birthday's and important events for next year. I love a new calendar so empty yet ready to be filled with excited events in the future. But that other one is still in the back of my mind.

One day, I may get my dream diary again (I love how in the UK it is a diary not a calendar or planner). Until then, I will stick with my $12.99 plastic covered purse calendar. Hey, it is one step up from the free pocket calendars they used to hand out at the local Hallmark store when I was growing up. No, I will not post a link to my dream diary, I am too embarrassed at the price.

May your calendar for 2009 be filled with lovely events.

To All of My Heros

Harmony with Horses

As most of you know, I am a horse lover like none other. I had to stop riding a while back due to lack on money in the budget (it is an expensive sport, hobby, love).

Anyway, back in the spring I found this great workshop online called "Harmony with Horses" in West Sonoma County. I had planned on buying the workshop for myself for my birthday but Miss Wendy beat me to the punch and purchased it for me. Well, after a couple of cancellations due to rain, I went to the 3 hour workshop this past Saturday and it was incredible. I can't even explain what happened there but it was magical. It is all about personal intention and working on the same vibrational plane with the horses. There were 5 of us in the class and we all had the option to do a couple exercises testing our intention and personal space with the horses. Horses are so amazing, they never judge and can tune into what is going on in your head and I have never experienced that as much as I did on Saturday. I mean, I was tight with Apache, my relationship with him was intense and full of love and lessons - I felt him and he felt me - we needed each other at that time in both of our lives. The exercises on Saturday were in a nut shell, us as single humans, moving horses with nothing but our minds and intention. If you are intrigued or interested in hearing more, call me and I can lay down some examples. I know that I am going back to do more - I learned so much about myself and learned that I have a lot of work to do in order to become more confident in all aspects of my life. It was very revealing to say the least.

This entire experience made me miss Apache - I had a good cry afterwards. I just cropped this photo below and noticed that I named it "true love" when I originally loaded it on my flickr (4/20/07), that makes me sad. One day we may meet again, you never know. I know that each horse I meet will teach me something new about myself, Apache was the first and will always have a special place in my heart. Sniff. Lump in my throat.

Jess, if you are reading this - we have to talk about this, I want to share what I have learned. I think it would be cool to add to the potential equine program.

Date Night

Tim and I don't have a regularly scheduled date night like we used to. We should though, after 10 years of marriage it would be sort of fun, but has not been in the budget as of late. Friday night I went to pick Tim up and decided to make a turn on a street in my neighborhood where there is a small Italian restaurant on a corner advertising Pizza and Pasta in the window. As luck would have it I found a parking spot right out front and we went inside. It was a very small family run place with family photos all over the walls (which I love). The menu was simple, full of various pasta dishes which came with your choice of soup or salad. They also sold pizza, but that was "to go" only. We ordered a carafe of the house red wine, which was served in an old pitcher (so cool) - the carafe provided us each with 4 glasses of wine (great deal at $14 and so yummy).We each ordered a pasta dish, I decided to go for it, even though I have cut the majority flour/wheat of it out of my diet (well, until I go to Malta again!). I had a salad with mine and Tim had the minestrone, both were delicious and we were both very satisfied with our meals. We ended with cappuccino's and dessert - cheesecake for him and a cannoli for me.

It was a nice night out. I just read the reviews of the restaurant on yelp and they are not good - what do you expect in a city full of food snobs though? There are foodies (which I am one) and then there are the snobs (which I am not, I will eat whatever, where ever and when ever to try it out). This place is not for the snobs, but was fit for this girl and her mister who both love Italian food.

Here's to You!

YES WE CAN!!!!!

Congratulations Obama!

Thank God!

You've come a long way baby!

Nothing is impossible!

I BELIEVE.

VOTE

If you don't do anything else today, go out and VOTE if you have not already!

PS - Voting is sexy!