I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!!!!

Yes, I'm shouting for joy.



Actually, it's my Christmas Card list. I'm later than usual because I'm still hunting down addresses. Turns out, that for most of you that I have reconnected with in the last few years, I have no idea where you live. Like, barely the state, forget the city, and zip codes...who has ever heard of those?



So here, this is as cheesy as it gets. If you read this blog post, please type your address as a comment. I'll turn on comment moderation and never approve any comments, so your identity will be protected from everyone except my mailman, and trust me, he's not paying attention.



Thanks for being my friend, and Merry Christmas!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To celebrate Thanksgiving (and make up for the facebook meme that I ignored about posting something to be thankful for every day), I thought I'd list the top 10 or so things I am thankful for this year. So here is my top 10 list in random order (drum roll, please):





1. My sweet family. My kids are growing, my husband is working, and everyone is right where they should be.





2. Fall weather in Texas. We get to use fresh herbs from the garden for tomorrow's turkey, and I figured that out while checking on the still-blooming pansies.





3. Immune systems. The kids' 104 fevers broke today, so they'll be (reasonably) happy for tomorrow's feast.





4. Christmas time. It doesn't officially start until the day after Thanksgiving at our house, but, oh, the projects I have planned.





5. Amazon.com. Nobody has ever said it better than Charlotte in O Amazon





6. This book. Thanks to the random guy who made my son feel so much better about his less-than-common name (or maybe just mom).









6. My friends. Most are cyber, but just because I can't actually see you, doesn't mean you aren't a big part of my life.



7. My legs. Not that they are fabulous (because, let's face it, they're not), but they've had a rough year with surgeries, but still work well enough to help me cover ground on my awesome new bike (which I am also thankful for).


8. Joshua. He's a great husband, an awesome father, and an all-around great guy. I'm fortunate enough to have been able to con him into marrying me many a year ago (don't ask how many, it's too hard to lie about my age that way), and even more fortunate to have had him stick around through all the chaos.



9. Thanksgiving dinner. I admit it, this is my favorite holiday because A) it involves food B) I love food C) I can't think of a way to commercialize it (and neither can anyone else) and D) it involves food.



10. Bread and Water. Because that's all I'm going to able to eat next week unless I also want to be thankful for fat pants.


Wishing everyone a very happy thanksgiving, with all the Turkey (or Tofurkey, or whatever) that you would care to eat, a happy day to celebrate, and the good sense to recognize all that you have been blessed with.

Happy Birthday Tristan!

If I were a little better at playing along, I'd be posting a facebook status every day this month about things I am thankful for, but I'm not very good about things like that, and I'd feel bad about the 10 days I've already missed, and blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, if I say nothing else this month, I have to say that I am thankful for my friends. Today, I am thankful for Tristan. Actually, I'm thankful for her most days, but it's her birthday, so I feel like I can post a picture...

Happy birthday to the woman who showed up in 7th grade math class wearing my outfit - and who let me be her friend anyway. For all the matching outfits we've had over the years (remember the collegiate sweats? how about showing up to Boise in the same color sweaters? the barbecue 3 years ago in matching t-shirts?), all the late night heart to hearts, all the whole pies and boxes of doughnuts, and all the love and support, thank you dear friend. No matter how far apart we live, I am grateful that you are never more than a phone call, email, txt, or subliminal message away. Thanks for being there through all the hard times and celebrating the good ones.

Happy Birthday!!!! Wish I was there to share a pie.

There's a reason I'm not as thin as I used to be

I've been looking over my last few blog posts, and I'm a little troubled that so many of them are about food. Not that I don't love food (I most certainly do), but I do think I have other interests too. Maybe not.

For book club this month, my fabulous group of women who read perused the pages of Ruth Reichl's book Tender at the Bone. I enjoyed the book, but was thrilled that it was not only a memoir, but included recipes. Hooray, a foodie book about food with recipes for food!

I tried a few of the recipes for the women who attended, and just couldn't help but share this one. I've never made true Devil's food cake before, and haven't ever tried 7-minute frosting either (here's a secret - I'm terrible at frosting. If it looks decent and comes out of my kitchen, Joshua frosted it). Nevertheless, here are my Devil's food cupcakes, with 7-minute frosting, and no husband intervention.

It wouldn't be any fun without the recipe:

Devil’s food cake
1 cup milk
¾ cup cocoa
⅓ cup white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Seven-minute frosting
4 egg whites
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup water
1 tsp. cream of tartar
⅛ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

Heat the milk in a small pan until bubbles begin to appear around the edges. Remove from the heat.

Mix the cocoa and white sugar together in a small bowl and slowly beat in the warm milk. Let cool.

Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add the cocoa mixture.

Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and gently blend into the butter mixture. Do not overbeat.

Turn the batter into the prepared cake pans (or cupcake cups). Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the pans and springs back when touched gently in the center (cupcakes - start with 12 minutes, check and adjust). Cool on a rack for a few minutes, then turn out of the pans onto the rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt in the top pan of a double boiler. Set the pan over simmering water and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Keep beating until frosting is stiff enough to spread. Use immediately. It looks like a lot, but use it all; it is enough to fill and frost the sides and top of the cake.

The Pirate and the Mermaid: an Epic Tale of Candy

"You rock, Dad!"

"No, you rock, Adayla!"

"Okay, we both rock - who wants to go beg for candy from the neighbors?"

"We massacre Indians, kill little boys, and cater to Captain Hook" - it's being sung at our house over and over. Should we worry?

"I want candy...."

"The monster mash" - Costumes courtesy of the awesome, great, uber generous Ann, Dave, and Kids!

Completely off theme, but Theo insisted on having a pumpkin carved with Thomas. Thanks, Dad!

Adayla, on theme with mermaids and pirates, chose this lovely dolphin. Thanks, Mom!

The spoils of war. Thanks, neighborhood!

Now that the slaughter is over...

Once you've assassinated Jack, and have all those guts lying around, here's the best recipe I've ever found to care of the carnage (that's as gruesome as I could make squash seeds sound):

Combine:
1 1/2 T margarine
1/2 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 C pumpkin seeds

Mix thoroughly and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 1 hour at 275degrees, stirring occasionally.

Happy Birthday Claudia

Another year starts as the last one closes;

Like a snowflake on the tip of our noses.

So quickly it appears and so quickly it’s gone;

With the heat and intensity of the person it has fallen upon.

So much to remember from the year before;

So much to anticipate for the year just born.

With each passing second, minute, hour, day, and year;

How I miss them as they pass my darling, my dear.

However, my longing for time is quickly replaced;

As another unforgettable moment takes its place.

Thank you for sharing precious time with me;

With each drum beat marching along happily.

Happy birthday to the girl, woman, wife, and mother;

We love you now, tomorrow, and forever.

- By her husband -