Well friends, we’ve made it through another year. 2013, like every year, had ups and downs…but I’d like to think it was mostly good times. It could very well be that I’ve just forgotten the bad stuff, because we all know I can be a little forgetful…but I’m ok with it.
My sweet boy wasn’t quite two months old last year on New Year’s Eve, so The BF and I spent a quiet evening at home.
We’ll probably do the same thing tonight, because neither of us are all that interested in going out during the drunk driver derby that is New Year’s Eve. I’d rather stay home with my sweet boy, anyway.
2013 was the year that I finally (thank God) had my giant fibroid removed. Soon after, The Bloggess made ol’ Fred famous… And then he was featured on BlogHer. I still get a lot of messages about Fred and asking about how I’m doing… and that is why the internet is so awesome.
…Well did you really think we were going to get through a year-end roundup without Fred? Come on, now.
My boy experienced a lot of firsts this year… It was his first year of life, after all. I didn’t expect them to be so rapid-fire, but it seemed like once he hit his first milestone they just started happening one right after the other.
2013 was a big year for me as a writer. With the new readers that I gained from Fred’s twitter fame, and then the new readers from the BlogHer feature, this little blog experienced a lot of growth. I also started getting serious about working as a freelance writer. As with a lot if things, it has been a slow start… but I started the day today (at 7:00 am, thanks to O) with an email from a potential new client. I guess I must be doing something right!
…I just want you all to know that the urge to type ‘write’ instead of ‘right’ was so hard to resist it was almost painful. You’re welcome…
I hope, dear readers, that when you all look back on 2013 you do it with a smile. I also hope that, no matter what kind of year you had, 2014 is even better.
Unless you won the bazillion dollar lottery jackpot this year. In that case, stop being such a greedy asshole.
Just kidding!
And in all seriousness, please PLEASE do not drink and drive tonight. If I could, I’d run my own drunky taxi just for my lovely readers, but that would involve warp speed or time travel or some such thing to get to all of you. Even I can’t make that happen.
So please be safe and have a super awesome New Year’s Eve celebration.
Thanks for reading!
I like to think I’m a pretty responsible person. I don’t let my car run out of gas, my house is clean, I meet deadlines… So it’s a little embarrassing to admit that I’m really, really good at losing things.
At least once a day I lose my coffee cup. After I’ve checked every room in the house I usually remember that I warmed it up an hour ago and haven’t seen it since. Sure enough, the microwave display is flashing END and my coffee is once again ice cold. The fun continues when I decide to re-warm it and forget about it again. Lather, rinse, repeat…Until eventually I just drink it cold and move on.
We have roughly twelve sets of nail clippers. At any given time, I know where exactly none of them are. I keep buying them because…well, because I keep losing them. Somewhere in my house I’ll bet every single pair of nail clippers we own are just hanging out together in a basket or a drawer. Wait, not true…I know for a fact that the baby clippers are on the footstool in the boy’s room. HA! At least I know where ONE pair is located.
What I’m trying to say, is that I spend an awful lot of time wandering about my house looking for something “I just had in my hand a second ago…” and muttering to myself.
On Christmas Eve, I lost an envelope that contained pictures that I had intended to give as Christmas gifts and a CD of over two hundred pictures of the boy. I felt sick most of the day while I ran errands (Christmas Eve is a hell of a day to run out of toilet paper) and was almost in tears by the time I got home and told The BF. I was sad to have lost the pictures, but I knew they were backed up. What really got to me was the idea that some random stranger might have found them. What if some sicko was pawing at the pictures of my sweet boy?! I worked myself into quite a state, but lucky for me my wonderful BF managed to find everything scattered about the field across the road. Apparently I had put the envelope on top of my car and then forgotten about it. Oops.
You would think I’d learn my lesson, but just a couple of days ago I was looking for one of my rings when I remembered sticking it in the pocket of my jeans to pump gas. I located the jeans in the hamper but (big shocker!) the ring was nowhere to be found. In retrospect, it wasn’t a stellar idea to shove a diamond ring into the really shallow pocket of my skinny jeans… Some days, I just wonder where my mind is.
So there I was, digging through the hamper and cursing myself for not losing a cheaper ring. By the time I got to the bottom, I had discovered $.46, a couple of legos, the BF’s Carmex, and a few of O’s puffs (thankfully, not soggy) among the dirty clothes but no ring. I guessed that it had worked it’s way out of my pocket while I walked or sat in the car. Either way, it was probably gone and I had no one to be mad at but myself.
Later that evening, I was putting some clean clothes away when I stepped on something small that hurt like hell. When I lifted my bare foot, I found my ring stuck to the bottom. It seemed fitting that I’d only discover it by hurting myself.
What is something you frequently lose? Please tell me I’m not the only one.
***
Shameless plug:
I have Sverve! Do you? Check me out!
Did you know that Christmas is NEXT WEEK? It’s true, and here I sit with not one single present purchased. It’s par for the course with me, really. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever had my shopping done before the week of Christmas.
I do at least know what I’m making for the Christmas dinner we’ll be attending this weekend… if only because someone specifically requested it.
If you aren’t sure what to bring to an upcoming gathering, never fear!
I thought it might be helpful to link to all of the holiday recipes I’ve shared in one post…I’ve also included some recipes from the archives that I think would make good additions to any holiday table.
You can thank me later.
1. Lactose-free cake and icing (Well you can’t just leave your dairy-free loved ones with no dessert)
6. Heart healthy pie crust (for whatever holiday pie your heart desires)
7. Sweet and spicy meatballs (would make a great appetizer)
9. Darn good chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting
10. Cast iron skillet cornbread
Of course, you could always just swing by the store on the way to your Christmas gathering and pick up some already made cookies…but that doesn’t really say “I love you”, you know?
If you’ve liked my page on Facebook (you can do it in the right-hand sidebar over there), you probably saw that I made an experimental dessert on Friday. I had been kicking the idea around ever since I made the cherry delight, and I decided the BF’s family Christmas was the perfect occasion for my mystery concoction.
Turns out, no one minded playing pie guinea pig because it was really pretty good!
Here’s what you need to make this super quick and easy holiday (or anytime) treat:
Oreo crust (I used a store-bought crust this time. Shameful, I know)
For the chocolate filling:
1 envelope Dream Whip
1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
For the peanut butter filling:
1envelope Dream Whip
1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate:
Prepare Dream Whip according to package directions. Add cocoa and cream cheese and mix well. Once combined, add powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread about half of the chocolate filling into an even layer in the bottom of your crust. Cover and refrigerate.
Peanut butter:
Prepare Dream Whip according to package directions. Add peanut butter and powdered sugar. Mix well.
Spread a thin layer of peanut butter filling over the chocolate layer in your pie crust. I had a little peanut butter filling left (about 1/2 cup that The BF gladly ‘taste tested’)… You’ll want the middle layer to be a bit thinner than the others. Top peanut butter layer with the remaining chocolate filling, cover and refrigerate. Mine chilled overnight, and I think that is the best way to go.
I apologize for the not-so-great picture. I totally forgot to take a picture until the darn thing was almost gone. I did sneak a little piece, and I have to toot my own horn a bit on this one. Toot!
In other words, it’s tasty!
Here’s the BF and I, modeling his Dirty Santa gift of Bubba teeth, fake pink mustaches, and a spy disguise:
We’re hot.
Remember those awesome spicy meatballs I was talking about? Well I made way too much and had to freeze a bunch of the sauce and meatballs. I also had some sauce leftover from the pork cutlets parmesan…
Baked spaghetti just seemed like the right thing to do. I even added a cream cheese layer as a last minute experiment and, wow! I couldn’t believe how good it was!
So, if you find yourself with an abundance of leftover spaghetti sauce try this tasty dish!
I used:
Leftover spaghetti, maybe 1/4 of a box
Leftover meat sauce, probably 3 cups or so
8 leftover meatballs (yes, I counted them)
1 8 oz package cream cheese, cut into cubes
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Basil
Oregano
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a casserole dish, then arrange spaghetti in a thin layer on the bottom. Top noodles with an even layer of cream cheese cubes, then sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan on top. Add basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Carefully spread meat sauce over the cheeses. Arrange meatballs on top, then cover with more parmesan and mozzarella if desired.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.
Ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness.
I may never make regular ol’ spaghetti again.
How about we take a break from the holiday recipes… I need to stop stuffing my face with sweets in the name of R&D. Also, for my next holiday treat I need peanut butter and we’re out. So…there’s that.
Don’t worry, I still have a recipe for you! Just not one that contains roughly a pound of sugar. I made this super easy and quick dish for supper on Saturday and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out!
Pork cutlet parmesan
Pork cutlets (1 for each person…I used 2)
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
About 1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
A handful of mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 can Italian style tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
Parmesan cheese
Pinch sugar
Basil (about a palm full)
Oregano (same)
Salt and pepper
Shredded mozzarella cheese
About 1/2 package spaghetti
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Press cutlets into crumbs to coat… You could do the flour, eggs, crumbs routine but I didn’t.
Fry cutlets uncovered for about 5 minutes on each side, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe the pan out if necessary, then add the veggies and a little salt and pepper. Cook until softened. Stir in tomato paste and canned tomatoes, then add oregano, basil, sugar (if the sauce is bitter… if not, you could omit the sugar), and parmesan. Stir it all together, then place cutlets on top and turn to medium-low heat to simmer while you boil your spaghetti.
When spaghetti has a couple of minutes left, top cutlets with shredded cheese and cover skillet, then let cook until cheese is melted.
Serve each cutlet over spaghetti and sauce with some garlic bread and a salad.
This was actually better than the chicken parmesan I had been craving… And it was so quick and simple that you could easily do it on a weeknight!
Am I allowed to call it that or am I supposed to call it Holiday toffee?
Wait, since when did I care?
So anyway… back to the candy. This is actually something I’ve shared before, in this post. It’s still one of my all time favorite sweet treats to make this time of year, and if I could just remember to buy some damned ol’ brown sugar I would have already made a batch. Or twelve.
For the recipe, just follow the link above. I was going to re-type it all but…Ok, no I wasn’t.
Just be warned: Once you try a little bite you’ll be hooked, and you may find yourself going back for “just one more tiny piece” until you’ve eaten every last bit.
Don’t worry…If that happens, your secret is safe with me.
I know I dropped the ball a bit on the Thanksgiving front, so I’m hoping to make it up to y’all with some holiday recipes you can make for Christmas and maybe even New Year’s Eve.
The first recipe I’m sharing is something I look forward to every year. I don’t recall a single Thanksgiving or Christmas table at Mamaw’s that wasn’t graced with cherry delight (turns out, it was actually a recipe given to my aunt by her mother-in-law, and it was so good my Mamaw started making it for every holiday).
Similar to cherry cheesecake, but far easier to make. I altered the original recipe a tad (I can’t help it), so this is my version:
CHERRY DELIGHT
1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared to package directions
6 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 large can cherry pie filling
1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 Stick butter, melted
1/4 cup of sugar
Add cream cheese to prepared Dream Whip and beat until stiff (har dee har har). Set aside.
Mix graham cracker crumbs together with sugar and butter. Press into casserole dish. Pour cream cheese mixture over cracker crust and top with cherries. Chill in the fridge, overnight if possible.
I actually made this for the first time recently. I brought a huge plate full of cherry delight home after Thanksgiving at Mamaw’s, but when I opened the fridge on Saturday it was gone and The BF was wearing a rather sheepish look on his face. I had to ask my aunt for the recipe just so I could make more…and of course, I shared.
I ate all of his ice cream first, though.
The week of Thanksgiving was insanely busy, with three dinners, a funeral, and a day of tree decorating. I just didn’t have much time at home that didn’t involve sleeping.
Sunday, I took a look around my bedroom and thought, “Huh. I was sure we had a floor in here…” There were two baskets of clean, folded clothes sitting in front of the closet (hey, I tried) and an overflowing hamper spilling its contents onto the floor.
My parents had dropped off a dresser that had belonged to my Grandma, and I had moved it to its intended spot…but then I got distracted and forgot to put the drawers in. Those were leaning against the dresser, just waiting to be put in their proper places.
The BF’s mom stopped by, and with her help I had the dresser done and the our room was back to looking less like a college dorm and more like a couple of grown ups live there.
In other words, if you drop by my house I might put you to work.
I was pretty happy to have the help (doing that kind of thing with destructo-baby running around is really frustrating), and I was able to share a couple of my favorite tips with her.
Of course I’m sharing them with you, too:
– To cut down on static cling, wad up a ball of aluminum foil and toss it in your dryer. That’s it! Do laundry as usual, and don’t forget fabric softener.
– Add a pinch of table salt to your wash loads…It helps keep colors crisp and bright. I actually add it to every load I do. Again, do laundry as you normally would.
– Once a month or so, refresh your towels with baking soda and vinegar. It really does make a huge difference.
– Buy pool noodles at the Dollar Tree, or when you see them on sale. Cut them to the height of your tall boots, then stick ’em in there to keep them standing tall.
-Instead of stacking stuff in your drawers the regular (and messy) way, try filing your t-shirts instead. I swear, since I started doing this with The BF’s t-shirts I feel a lot less like strangling him. Plus, you can cram way more stuff in there!
My tank tops
My comfy pants and t-shirts
Willfully Disobedient 