New Years Day

High winds and light snow kept us in today, happily eating, reading, watching movies, sipping spirits and otherwise easing into the new year.

My first accomplishment of the year besides a nice long meditation this morning?

Reading an entire book in almost one sitting -- The Hunger Games. I'm hooked and will undoubtedly pick up the second book in the series on our way back into town tomorrow.

It's almost indescribable how good it feels to race through a good book again. It's been far too long!

All in all, a great start to what is bound to be a fantastic year!

Sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!//

Back In the Spirit

I had to give myself a serious talking to this morning. This year with no snow, it's been a little tough to get in the spirit...I cannot lie. Last year at this time, we had over two feet on the ground and it was impossible not to be in the spirit.

And then guess what??

We got a dusting...

...and that's all we can expect this Christmas.

Hmm...it still looks like Christmas...

...see? There's even an outdoor lighted tree!

So you can understand how I've been a little Scroogish so far this season.

Thank goodness I respond well to serious-talking-to's -- the self-talk kind, at least. It was as if a light switch was flipped this morning in my meditation. My energy was back, things at work were hectic but not frantic. The dusting of snow lifted my spirits even more.

Is it because I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with only three days of work left before the holiday? Or did another almost-straight-to-bed night last night and some meditation this morning increase my buffer enough that the insanity didn't phase me today?

Whatever it is, I'll take it.

Actually, I think it's the Solstice -- Mother Nature's energy is shifting and we're at the turning point. We're at the cusp of our turn back towards the light.

Thank god! It's enough to brighten anyone's spirit.

So tonight, to celebrate, it's...

...Wednesday Night Dance Party!

Because sometimes, you have to create your own fun. : )

First, there was fire! What better night to celebrate the coming of the light than this??!?

Then, there was...

...music!

Our friend Mikey (you're welcome, Mike!) puts together an annual Christmas CD, which I LOVE!

Now, be warned: This isn't your ordinary Christmas album.

First, he calls it "Dirty's 2011 xmas cd" which should tell you something. Next, he's been doing this for thirteen years, so eventually, he's scraping the bottom of the barrel. Really.

But in a good way. : )

Everything from Bob & Doug McKenzie's 12 Days of Christmas, to Dr. John's Silent Night. From the Muppets Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (with Rolf and John Denver, no less!!!), to Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin'. From Halford's We Three Kings to the Pogue's Fairytale of New York featuring Kirsty MacColl.

The list goes on and on and on...24 fantastics! Well, maybe not the last two "songs" -- which we've been warned in the CD notes: "If you have youngins that are old enough to know some more robust verbage and you want to shelter them; turn off the CD after Auld Lang Syne".

Enough said.

Thanks Mike, for another eye opening musical Christmas adventure!

My current favorite, if you must know, is The Blind Boys of Alabama singing Last Month of the Year. True dance party material, right there!

Love it.

And I have to say, the iPhone app Shazam is the coolest ever. Not only will it listen to your music and tell you who it is, it will give you a little karaoke thing where it highlights the lyrics as the music's playing.

Too cool!

Who knew the life of an iPhone owner could be SO MUCH FUN??!?

Thanks, Santa!

OK. Where was I? First there was fire, then there was music, and then there was...

...his and her favorite winter libations! Cosmopolitan (hers) and VO-7 (OK, VO and Sprite) for him.

Cheers!

Then, of course, there was dancing...but didn't get any pictures of that (thank god), so you'll have to take my word for it.

Clearly, these two weren't particularly impressed.

(But look how close in proximity they are??!? I think they might like each other!!)

Lastly, there was...

What's For Dinner Tonight?

Enchilladas. You know, the usual that allows us to use up a bunch of leftovers.

YUM!

A great day! Shopping almost done, wrapping to finish Friday night while my man is off at The Wine Thief pouring wine (from 4-7pm for those who like to plan ahead!). Stop by and see him...and tell him I sent you! : )

It must be time to sign off since I'm dancing at the computer, while I type, to Buck Owen's rendition of Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (I HATE THIS SONG!!! What's the matter with me??!? Thanks a lot, Mike. No, really.)

I know what's wrong with me...

...I overdid it. Now I've now got spirit to spare.

Anyone in need? Let me know and I'll send it your way!

A beautiful winter solstice evening to ya!//

Many Hands

As the proverb goes, they make light work...

...even if they turn purple after a while.

Nice!

Today was the perfect example of what a team can be at its best. It reminds me of why I love working at the bakery and what a joy it is to get to experience the synergistic energy of a group of people working toward a common goal. And having fun in the process.

Yep, as you might have guessed from some previous posts, today was "200 Gift Box Day".

And the true beauty of it was, it went off without a hitch!

Stacked even taller than me! : )

And the reason it went so smoothly? None of us was in it alone.

Last week I was working through the feelings of anxiety of what this day would be. And the reason I was anxious?

I often forget the I'm not alone part.

A couple years ago I participated in a 10-day silent meditation retreat with about fifteen other people, only one of which I knew. On the final day when we were able to begin talking again, I was surprised to find I had nothing to say. Everyone else spoke about how they were affected positively by other people in the group, about how the energy encouraged them and buoyed them along, supporting them in their most challenging times.

I was shocked.

I realized I had come into that experience as I do many others...feeling like I had to muscle through on my own. Like the only person I could, or ever should depend on is myself. Like my identification with being a strong independent woman depended on my ability do this and do it well. Without fail.

And yet to hear how lovingly everyone spoke of everyone else and their experiences of connection even though we rarely looked at each other and didn't speak to one another for ten days, I realized I had missed something beautiful and precious and deeply important.

None of us is ever alone. Ever.

Whether it is the energy of a group of others, the energy in nature, the divine spark in ourselves -- connection is available to us at all moments, if only we get out of our own way.

I missed the connection at the retreat because I was attached to my story of "alone". There's no doubt I had something to prove. If my story -- my ego's drama that I had built my life on -- said my sense of self-worth was based on how well I could take care of myself and anything that happened to fall within my realm of responsibility without depending on others for anything, I had to know that I could...that I excelled at it above all else.

What I learned that day -- and am reminded of again on days like today -- is that yes, I've proven to myself time and time again that I can do it alone. But gratefully, I don't have to.

None of us have to.

The choice is ours in this life to open up, invite others in, to be part of a team, to be one of the many sets of hands that will make short work of even the most daunting tasks...whether that task is 10 days of silence, a challenging yoga class, 200 gift boxes or getting a good meal in your family on any of many crazy, busy days.

When we do open up, guess what happens?

We get to set that self-imposed burden down. We get to relax. We get to let go and ride the wave. We get to connect and remember we're all in this wild adventure together.

We get to experience joy.

Thanks to my bakery team today for sharing in the work and for the joy of remembering we're all in it together!//

12 Brews of Christmas!
Speaking of us all being in it together, I had a nice surprise when I got home.

T was at Excelsior Vintage this afternoon on a sales call and told Rob -- EV's main dude -- what we were up to. He doesn't normally sell brews by the bottle, but in support of our fun, he let T buy this one.

You may remember Lagunitas from WTF last Tuesday. These guys have a sense of humor and don't take themselves too seriously.

I love that!

(Check out that fine man in the kitchen cooking dinner in the background!!)

For the eleventh brew of Christmas, my true love bought for me...

...the Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale. These guys crack me up! The story goes like this: When it came time to brew their favorite holiday brew, BrownShugga' Ale, they realized they didn't have the capacity they needed to do it. So they didn't.

And have been publicly flogging themselves ever since.

They are very clear that they made a mistake. I mean, just look at the name of the beer! And the label...

: )

There's that cute dog again!

So, this beer is the lightest and most interesting so far. And on a whim no less! They call it their "Cereal Medley" consisting of Rye, Wheat, Barley and Oats.

T's first comment was that it tasted sweet. When I said oats he said, mmm...oatmeal. I don't know if I would go quite that far, but it's complex and earthy with all those different grains. Yes, a little sweet, a little hoppy. And refreshing. Different.

So if they have to flog themselves to make something this fun and unique, it must motivate them and we'll let them at it.

I'll just happily drink their mistakes.

What's For Dinner Tonight?
What did my man make me for dinner tonight, you ask?

His old family recipe...

Goulash
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion chopped and cooked with the beef
2 stalks celery, chopped and cooked with the beef
1 cup cooked macaroni pasta (or noodle of your choice)
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/4 tsp dried minced garlic
Italian seasoning to taste
s+p to taste

T serves this with baked beans...makes for a nice sweet/savory combo.

We are breaking out the comfort food all over the place!

What old family recipes do you usually break out this time of year?

Enjoy your night! : )

Finnished Yet?

After a ten hour day, I raced home to take Bella to the vet to get her sutures removed from her surgeries two weeks ago. Our friend Dan was over helping T with some heating duct work in our unfinished basement...

...another attempt at getting the house warmer and more heat-efficient for winter. When I arrived, Dan was in the middle of something that T couldn't really help with, so he went with me to the vet.

Much easier with two. And as it turns out, much more amusing.

I needed a witness for this one. Our sweet little kitty cat is actually a vicious raving lunatic. Or perhaps an award-winning drama queen.

Who knew?

Gratefully, her focus seems to be exclusively on evil vet techs who want to hold her down and poke a dull scissors into her belly and paws.

Can you blame her?

The tech took her out of the room for her paws because she realized after much spitting and hissing that she had her hands full. T and I were sitting in the room talking and after about five minutes, we heard the longest, most involved, most blood-curdling yowl I have ever heard in my entire life. You'd have thought she was being disemboweled. Honestly. The bustling vet office with four full exam rooms and a lobby full of people and pets fell completely silent...even the bird in the lobby stopped singing! T and I looked at each other for one deadpan second and then busted out laughing. Our conversation, in between gasps of breath, went something like this...

"Oh sh*! Was that her??!?"

Wiping tears from his eyes, T responds conspiratorially, "Do you think we can duck out the back door and leave her here?"

"We're...in...so...much...trouble!"

Chirp, chirp. You could have heard a pin drop. Then suddenly, as if on cue, every breathing entity in the office let out a collective groan and came back to life.

Yep, we're the poor sods with "the cat".

And guess who was the hero for rescuing her from the torture chamber? I wish I had a picture of her lying peacefully on T's lap on the drive home. I bet she was purring.

The nut.

Impressive. It's the only word that sticks. And now I know who I don't want to piss off.

Ever.

Well. Not nearly enough excitement in this day. So it's no wonder then when we got home at six, I was ready to dive headlong into dinner preparations.

Really??!?

Dan was here and I know how he appreciates a good meal. And since I appreciate his willingness to help us out with things I know nothing about, it was the least I could do.

And I had a ton of fun making a meal I've never made before. Win, win!

Where to start?

Start with the ending, I like to say (actually David Wilcox says this...it's pretty cute) so I began by making dessert...

Finnish Pulla Bread Pudding. The recipe was created by my co-worker Michelle and I've never made it before tonight. OMG, is it fantastic! And so incredibly easy.

Making the custard...

...poured over the cut up Finnish Pulla...

...pressed in the baking dish to soak before baking. In the oven at 350*F for 45 minutes.

This morning before leaving for work, I seared a beef roast in Pino's Press Garlic Gusto olive oil (which we sell at the bakery!) and put it in the crockpot with one quart of beef stock and let it cook on low all day long.

I LOVE crockpot cooking! So easy and so crazy good!

So while my bread pudding was baking, I peeled and boiled some Russet potatoes...

 ...strained them and prepared to mash with 1/2 stick of butter, 3/4 cup of warmed half-and-half, and s+p to taste.

Then, I strained the liquid from the crockpot and made a gravy using the pan I saved from the morning's searing. Gotta save all those tasty tidbits! I melted 4 Tbsp. butter, sprinkled in 1/2 cup flour and made a roux (very similar to Chicken Pot Pie from the other night...), cooked the flour mixture for one minute and then whisked in the reserved beef stock. Lots of pepper, a little salt. Best dang gravy I've ever made.

T opened a 1999 Spanish Rioja Reserva, mostly because he was curious whether it would still be any good. Which it was. Amazingly so.

And just so you know, we picked wine because Santa checked his list twice and said, No beer for you tonight!

Now, who can argue with Santa? You might be feeling so bold, but not this good girl (OK, you can stop laughing now...no really, you can stop). I'm not getting all up in the fat man's grill and drinking a beer when he said no. Maybe in January or February...but not this close the holiday. Not when I'm still hoping for a Smart phone.

Which was fine, because the wine went so good with the final product...

...I couldn't have picked out a better one myself.

Delicious!

We should have been finished, but then there was dessert...

...incredible as well. Served with just a touch of Haagen Dazs Chai ice cream...which must be such a special edition flavor they don't even list it on their website!

Just in case you wanted to know?

Cardamom is the best flavor ever.

Pardon me as I roll myself to bed...//

Shadows

What a beautiful morning we had! 30*F and on the breezy side, but as sunny and bright as a day this close to the Winter Solstice could be. We decided what better to do than to go to our favorite place and go for a snowy morning walk.

Only this time of the year could you have a shadow this tall! See Trooper's extra long tail?? : ) So much fun!

It was after 8:00 but we had the entire park to ourselves. I LOVE mornings like this!

T suiting up...

...and Trooper taking advantage of our solitary adventure by spending an extraordinarily long time sniffing.

I swear Trooper is a snow dog at heart, with her big snowshoe paws and her love of breaking trail. It would have been a perfect day to tackle the woods, but we had breakfast at Bunny's to attend to.

Duty calls!

This morning's entourage included second time grandparents and auntie celebrating my cousin Mandy's new baby boy, and my mom and my grandma.

And Sir Benedict!

There I go digging into my food before pictures again!

After breakfast, we ran a few errands...

...to pick up supplies for the week, and then headed home for a long afternoon's nap. Much needed and well deserved!

Now, though, it's time for the...

12 Brews of Christmas!
For the tenth brew of Christmas, by true love picked for me...

...Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale!

I really like this beer! Light, highly effervescent, good flavor and spicy -- nutmeg, maybe a little ginger? Slightly sweet and hoppy. Yum!

Tonight's menu? Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers.

Have a beautiful night!//

Luna

This morning began with a view of the lunar eclipse -- at least partially, until the moon was obscured by light clouds on the horizon and then she set in the western sky. Ah, but the beginnings. How magnificent! What a treat to have view of it from an upstairs bedroom! Inside the warmth of our own home. What an honor to bear witness to such a spectacular sight.

As much as I would have loved to have run to get my camera, pictures of the moon from inside the house are destined to be mediocre at best. Instead, I thought it best to simply soak in the experience and feel what luna had to offer.

I waved to the moony, as I always do when I see her. I listened deeply as she whispered to me an invitation for what's to come if we allow ourselves to be moved by the cycles of Nature. If we're open to the wisdom available to us. New beginnings. Powerful, big changes for one and all.

Yes!

I wonder what it means for my cousin Mandy's brand new baby boy born at 3:55am during a full moon on the cusp of a lunar eclipse?? (Congrats you guys!) Talk about new beginnings!

Our first big change? We jumped out of bed before eight and started cleaning the house. By 11:30, the house was spic and span...

...and we were ready to continue our day.

A little wine bottle labeling at the warehouse (someone's gotta fix the mistakes!), a little shopping...

...and some other errands, and we were home before dark (sounds like a long day but sunset's at 4:30 for crying out loud!).

And then before I knew it, T was tearing apart the bathroom on the main floor to paint the ceiling in preparation for painting the walls, a new mirror and new light fixture that we've been talking about since we moved in. Don't know what got into him, but I'm all for it!

When all the hard work was done, it was time for the...

12 Brews of Christmas!
For the ninth brew of Christmas, my true love poured for me...

Deschutes Jubelale!

I love this label! Just wish we had enough snow to have a good old fashioned snowball extravaganza.

Beautiful ruby red in color, well-balanced, tastes like some unusual malts perhaps? Earthy with a little cherry. Nice one. Perfect pairing with none other than...

...homemade Chicken Pot Pie.

What's For Dinner Tonight?
My most favorite recipe so far out of my most favorite cookbook.

If you're in the market for a new cookbook, you will not be disappointed with this one.  Fantastic!

First, I cut up a pound of chicken breast and poached it in 2 cups of chicken broth for 8-10 minutes, spooned out the chicken and then set it aside, reserving the broth. I chopped the veggies (3 small carrots, 2 stalks of celery and one medium onion) and sauteed them in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until tender. Set aside with the chicken.

Next comes the sauce!

Melt four tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, sprinkle in 1/2 cup of flour and combine.

Cook for one minute.

Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups milk.

Simmer until thickened. Season with s+p and 1 tsp dried thyme, and 3 Tbsp dry sherry. Add the chicken and veggies, stir to combine. Pour into a pie plate and top with pie crust. Pierce the crust to vent.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400*F. Easy peasy!

While it's baking, tend to the fire : )

It's ready when the crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbling. Not all the filling fit in the pie pan tonight, so I had to make a second, single serving pie.

Shucks!

So, so good. I ate the small one and T ate from the large one. Now these are some leftovers I don't imagine we'll have any trouble finishing. Comfort food for a chilly fall night.

Enjoy your night!