Holiday Sweets

In addition to the fabulous meals we enjoyed during the holidays, I made quite a few yummy sweets.  I already mentioned the one stinker - the almond torte, which was very disappointing, especially given the amount of effort that went into it.  So let's just focus on the winners...

Dark Chocolate Almond Crackles - My family didn't get to enjoy these, but I hope my neighbors did.  My husband and I certainly did, since we saved half of the batch for ourselves.  They are excellent.
Lemon Wreath Cookies - I probably doubled the lemon zest in these, because I enjoy a good strong lemon flavor, and I used Meyer lemon juice for the icing to make it extra sweet.  These were really good.  I also ended up making most of them as simple round cookies, because quite frankly making the wreaths takes a bit of time and effort.  The shape doesn't impact the taste, so it didn't bother me!
Peppermint Bark - I made several batches of bark, and now that I know how easy it is, I have no doubt it will be an annual tradition.  I started with this recipe, but I branched out a little with my last batch.  I made a layered batch, with dark chocolate on the bottom and white chocolate on top.  Oh my goodness yum! 
Thumbprint Cookies - I adore thumbprint cookies.  They're probably my favorites.  I started with a very basic recipe - not the one I linked to, but very close I think.  I used raspberry and blueberry jam, and I also added a touch of almond extract.
Chocolate Gingerbread Bars -  I love gingerbread, but I love chocolate gingerbread even more.  I was careful not to overcook them, and I think I actually took them out a few minutes early.  This is a really easy recipe, and I'd imagine it would be easy to double, since this only makes a small 8X8 pan.  I loved these. 

I am definitely saving all of these recipes!

Manners, To-Do Lists, and Clementines

 via are so happy

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. "Yes, please" and "No, Thank You" - With all the people and excitement of the holidays, my big boy's manners got a little rusty.  It's so nice when he asks for things nicely on his own, and I don't have to nag.  I hate being a nag. 
2. Marking things off the to-do list.  I love to-do lists, and crossing something off is such a great feeling, especially when it's been on there for a while.
3. Clementines.  We've been enjoying these since Thanksgiving.  Cute little low-maintenance balls of sweetness. 

We're supposed to get over a foot of snow today.  I wonder if that's the way Winter is going to go this year - we just get snow a foot at a time.  So I'm not sure what's in store for us today - I may be at home with my boys, which would be just fine.  We're all battling the beginnings of colds, so perhaps a day at home is what we need anyway.

 Winter in Finland - via absolutely white

A Clean Start

 via better homes and gardens

I do not love a lot about January.  That post-holiday letdown can be hard, especially when you live in a dark and cold place like Boston.  One thing I do enjoy about January, though, is that it brings extra motivation to clean and organize.

I've mentioned before that I detest clutter, but this is a constant battle.  I currently have quite a few drawers whose contents are entirely unrecognizable upon opening.  I try to keep up with things throughout the year, but I always feel the urge to tackle these organizing projects in January, and this year is no different.  For the past week, I've been in the process of putting things back where they were before our holiday entertaining.  I'm also collecting yet another load of items to donate - a necessary task, given the amount of stuff that my son's birthday and Christmas shopping brought to the household. 

I spent a good portion of the weekend tackling my recipe binder.  This involved going through all my magazines, clipping the recipes I want to save, and recycling the rest of the magazine.  (I do not like having stacks of magazines around.)  Then I had to review all the recipes in my binder to remove the ones I either haven't tried or didn't like.  I also updated my recipe box for non-magazine recipes - the ones I had printed out from a blog or written down from a friend that were folded up and jammed inside.  (Thanks Mom for the new recipe cards - they've been put to good use!)  This project isn't quite complete, but I'm well on my way and should get back into maintenance mode soon. Whew! 

Here are some of the other organizing tasks I plan to address in these winter months.  Sometimes just the act of writing them down helps motivate me to get them done.
- clean out/organize my kitchen junk drawer
- clean out the car (swap out toys/books for the boys)
- organize bathroom drawers
- go through the boys' clothes (put current size in the drawers, too small in storage/donations bag, too big in closet)
- continue to go through my husband's work papers he's been storing at the house
- freecycle, give to friends or donate any unused baby items still hanging around (I've been pretty good about keeping up with this, and I actually got rid of a couple things this weekend, but it seems like there's always something, and I can think of a few other things we no longer need.)
- continue to play with my blog design.  Feel free to voice your opinion along the way, as I tinker and play and experiment with it. 

Do you feel a similar urge to clean and organize in January?

via mary ruffle

Menu of the Week

I wanted to capture some of the recipes I tried over the holidays.  We had one loser - this almond torte, which will forever be referred to as "burn-mush".  It wasn't completely inedible, but it was close.  Everything else, however, was really really good.  I already told you about our Christmas Eve/Day meals, and they were great.  Here's a look at what we ate the week after Christmas.

Before my guests arrived, I spent a day cooking a few make-ahead items, and I was so happy that I did.  It made several meals completely stress-free, and it helped me prepare the big Christmas feast as well. 

Butternut Bisque - This was one I made ahead and had in portions in the freezer.  We started off our first day enjoying this soup for lunch.  It is very good - the red pepper gives it a little kick, and serving with a dollop of sour cream is the perfect balance.
Vegetable Enchiladas - Another one I made ahead and froze.  I don't think the recipe makes quite enough sauce, so I added a can of enchilada sauce to it.  Next time I'll double the sauce.  These are really really good.
Baked Ziti - A good-old standby.  Mini-penne, mushrooms, onions, garlic, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and sauce.  Topped with a layer of cheese, cooked until bubbly, served with a salad, good crusty bread, and a couple bottles of wine.  Perfect.  
Turkey Reubens - This is always a favorite, and it was a special request made by my sister, who can't get rye bread in Spain.
Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, and Potatoes - No, asparagus is not in season, but it's one of the few green vegetables my son will eat in any real quantity, so we eat it quite a bit. 
New Year's Eve menu:  Lamb chops, arugula/mint salad, mashed sweet potatoes, and a good bottle of Italian wine. Yum, yum, yum, and yum. 

Expect a separate post on this year's desserts.

Now that the holidays are over, I'm back to cooking for my boys.  I must tell you, they are definitely less fun to cook for, but I'm always on the hunt for healthy food they'll enjoy.  It's an effort, but I'll keep working at it. 

*I will definitely update my favorite recipes list with some of these!

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks

This week's music pick is Karen Elson.  She's perhaps more well-known for being a model and wife of Jack White, but I'm kinda digging her debut album.  It's dark, perhaps gothic at times, but the music is interesting and cool.  Hard to put a label on it, which just makes me like it more.

via last.fm

The King's Speech

During our vacation, my sister and I enjoyed an afternoon to ourselves.  We decided to go see a movie, which is something we don't get to do very often these days, having little ones at home.  We saw "The King's Speech", with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter.  It was wonderful.  The acting is tremendous, and the story is interesting and uplifting.  If you don't know about it yet, you will - it looks like it's going to do very well during awards season.  

Colin Firth plays the Duke of York, who goes on to become King George VI, after his older brother abdicates the throne to him.  It takes place in the 30s and early 40s, in the buildup to World War II.  The King has a speech impediment - he stammers - so he engages a speech therapist, played by Geoffrey Rush.  The movie is essentially about the relationship between these two men.  Again, it's wonderful.  Highly recommend it.  Here's the review by the NY Times if you want to read more.

 

images via NYTimes

Moving Forward

via bonjourceline

I know that many people feel the need to identify resolutions as they head into the new year.  Looking back, I even had a post last year declaring my own.  It's funny, but I don't really feel the urge to do it this year.  When I look at how I did against those resolutions, I find that I did really well in some areas, and others, not so much.  I'm sure that would be the case again if I were to write them down, and honestly, I think my resolutions would be pretty much the same.  So instead, I'm going to look forward and continue on my current path, always searching for opportunities to better myself and enjoy life.

Here's what I said last year (and how I did):

• Sleep more (more, yes.  enough?  not even close.)
• Don't ever complain about having to play with my sons (can't remember complaining once about having to play - they are my joy.)
• Entertain more and nurture my local friendships (pretty good - i keep trying, anyway.)
• Write more letters to friends and family and nurture my long-distance relationships (Facebook is fun, but it doesn't count). Perhaps even pick up the phone every now and then (sigh - this will always be a challenge for me - i hate talking on the phone, but i'll keep trying.)
• Spend lots of time snuggling with my baby boy, who is rapidly outgrowing the snuggly phase (lots and lots of snuggling.  he's getting big, but he's still pretty snuggly.)
• Find a time to exercise each week, even if it's just once (some good weeks, some bad weeks - won't that always be the case?)
• Hire our neighbor to babysit and begin more regular date nights - at least monthly (good!  i actually even saw a few movies this year.  this reminds me - i need to plan one for January...)
• Read at least a book a month (very good - i was in a reading groove this year and read quite a few great ones)
• Do whatever it takes to make life easier so I can focus on what's truly important to me - my boys, my husband, my friends, my family, myself (this will always be on the list too of course.  the juggle is tough, but my priorities are usually right.)
  
  via flickr

Quiet Evenings, a Clean Table, and New Perfume

via made by girl

Last week was completely packed with beautiful things.  It's a little harder this week, but that's why I try. 

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1.  Quiet evenings.  I'm going to enjoy picking up my books again.  I didn't read much in December.

2.  A clean dining room table.  It helps relax me when that table is clear when I walk in the door.  

3.  New perfume.  It's a lovely, clean, fresh scent, and it makes me happy.

Holiday Recap

It's nice to be back, although I must admit, it was also really nice to unplug for a while.  My family and I had a fabulous vacation at home.  We did all the things I wanted to do - played games, went sledding, danced, cooked/ate great food, talked, watched movies, snuggled, and played some more.  I finally purchased Apples to Apples as a family gift, and it was a lot of fun.  We finally got snow too.  After all my complaining about the lack of snow, a wonderful snowstorm arrived and brought us a foot and a half!  It was great.  It canceled my sister's flight, so she had to stay an extra two days (yay!); and it gave us great entertainment for the kids, who loved sledding and climbing snow mountains. 

All my planning efforts paid off, and I was truly able to relax and enjoy the moments.  Christmas morning was magical, watching my big boy's face as he saw the new train set Santa brought him.  Even more fun was watching his face beam with pride as we opened his handmade gifts.  We spent New Year's Eve enjoying a late dinner, after the kids went to bed, so we could actually enjoy our food and adult conversation (what a luxury!).  Other highlights:  visiting the neighbors on New Year's Day, playing scrabble and losing to my mom three times in the same day, enjoying rare peaceful moments during afternoon naptime, always having sweets within reach....truly the entire time was wonderful.

Now, we're all trying to get back into our normal routine.  The tree and decorations are all down, and the house is slowly being put back together.  We'll have to get used to the lack of lights and cookies.  And now my focus will shift forward again, as we plan all the fun to be had in 2011...

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year  everyone!  I hope you are all enjoying fun and relaxing time with family and friends.  I'm sure I am.  Tonight will include a yummy dinner, chocolate fondue, and champagne.  Plus the spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.  There's nothing like saying "happy new year!" with a mouth full of grapes.

What are you all doing to celebrate?  Looking forward to catching up in the new year...

images via prettystuff

Unplugged...

via etsy - I love this and think I really must have it.

We're almost there.  My family arrives tonight, and I think I'm ready for them.  I've even impressed myself by my planning and have made it through the month with minimal stress and maximum fun.  Hopefully this means that I'll be able to relax a bit over the next week or so.  Saturday will include spending a lot of the day in the kitchen, but as long as my sister is with me with a bottle (or two) of wine, I'll be perfectly happy.  The week will hopefully involve lots of games, music, talking, playing, sledding (need a little more snow please!), and eating of course.  It will be especially magical for the little ones - we'll have four kids between the ages of 1 and 4.

I hope you are able to find a little relaxation and peace over the coming week as well.  I won't be posting here much so that I can focus on spending good quality time with my family.  I'll be back in 2011.

Happy New Year!

via wit and delight

Hark!

my husband took this photo of the chokeberry bush in front of our house - it's one of my favorites, and hangs in our dining room

The title of this post is for my sisters, who love to throw a good "hark!" in the middle of a conversation.  I'm busy today food shopping and cooking, but I thought I'd pop in here to say hi and share some of my favorite holiday and winter images I've seen recently.  I am especially drawn to those that are simple and peaceful.  

For me, an essential part of this season is the celebration of winter and the solstice - how magical that we had an eclipse this year on the shortest day of the year.  So now the celebrations can start, as the days begin to get longer again.  I hope you're all able to enjoy some joyful time with family and friends during this holiday season.  

via so about what i said...

via lou, boos, and shoes

colombian christmas tree via flickr

via one sydney road

via one sydney road

via pinterest

Weekend Recap

My boys

We had another wonderful weekend, full of happy holiday fun.  We took Aaron to see the Boston Pops on Saturday, and it was so great.  He was so excited to go on an outing with just Mom and Dad - Nathan stayed at home with a sitter.  He liked the music and seeing the instruments, but he especially loved the lights and effects in the gorgeous Symphony Hall.  He was excited to see Santa make an appearance, and he enjoyed the performance of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  Unfortunately, we followed the rules and did not bring our camera, so I don't have any pictures to share, but after seeing hundreds of cameras at the show, I think we'll bring one along next year.

On Sunday, we made another batch of cookies and then packaged them up to deliver to our neighbors.  Aaron had fun going to each neighbor's house and delivering the gifts.  (So many different kinds of cookie recipes I want to try!  I went with homemade peppermint bark (who knew it was SO easy!), dark chocolate-almond crackle cookies, and sugar cookies that we had a blast decorating.

The rest of the time was spent playing, reading, and watching Home Alone.  I've never enjoyed that movie so much as I did snuggled up with my boys, next to the tree with a fire in the fireplace, eating popcorn.  Fa la la la la...

 My gorgeous little boy, wishing he could take a swing at the tree

My gorgeous big boy, having fun building and playing with a lego set with Dad

Christmas Menu

My son asks every morning now, "How many days left until Christmas, Mom?"  I think the end of his birthday is when the Christmas excitement really kicked in.  There are only a few days left, and then the family arrives and the festivities begin!  As my Mom reminded me, December 25th should really be just the beginning of the celebration, and since they will be with us through New Year's, we'll have plenty of time to relax and make merry.  (Isn't that a fun expression - "to make merry"?  I watched "A Christmas Carol" a few days ago, and I decided that I need to use it more often.)

My husband and I reviewed the menu plans, and it's starting to take shape.  We do have a couple gaps to fill, though.  We not only want to plan for Christmas Eve and Day dinners, but also for the rest of the week that we'll have visitors.  Planning in advance helps me relax a bit - I truly think the deciding is the hardest part.  Here's what the big meals look like so far...

Christmas Eve
Lobster Mac 'N Cheese
Mixed greens with pecans, sweetened cranberries, pears, and balsamic fig dressing

Christmas Day
Appetizers
Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach
Lots of really good cheese
Good chorizo or sausage
Olives with herbs and/or stuffed with garlic or cheese
Celery with chive cream cheese

Dinner
Horseradish and Mustard-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms
Parmesan Scallion Pastry Pinwheels
*Update:  Winter Squash with Caramelized Onions
(*I can make this one ahead of time.  By the way, a second oven is going on my future kitchen wish list.)

Desserts
Almond Torte
Some other selection that we purchase - perhaps a blueberry pie or cheesecake or whatever else strikes our fancy
Lots of cookies - I want to try these Lemon-Wreath Cookies.  I made these Dark Chocolate-Almond Crackles this weekend, and they are awesome.  I may need to make another batch.

BNL and the Boston Pops

We're headed to the Holiday Pops concert tomorrow, and I'm so looking forward to it.  We're taking the big boy for the first time, and he's really excited too.  I am so incredibly grateful to live in a city with such an amazing symphony orchestra. 

Pins of the Week

*Cookies - I've designated Sunday my cookie-baking day.  I still haven't figured out which ones to make, but I'm sure they won't be quite this gorgeous.  

*Sequined Tee - I wish I had an occasion to wear this.  I almost feel like I should get it just to wear at home on New Year's Eve.  

*Boots - For as long as I've lived in Boston, I've complained every winter about my lack of snow boots.  I don't know why, but I could never quite find what I was looking for.  I finally got a pair, and I am loving them.  Simple, warm, and they fit under my jeans and still look good.  

*Handbag - The search is still on for a new bag.  I really like this one, but I don't know where to find it.  I think perhaps it's not coming out until the Spring.  I really like it though.  Did I already say that?

These are just a few of the photos I've recently pinned on my pinboards at Pinterest:  Mary Loves

When the holidays are over, we're all going to need a day on our calendar that looks like this:

via 

Inception

via minimal movie posters

Have you seen Inception yet?  Wow it's good.  I was really bummed not to be able to see it in the theater, because the effects are really cool, and I think it's probably a movie that is best seen on the large screen.  That said, it was still extremely cool seen from my living room.  All of the actors are perfect - Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe...and of course Marion Cotillard and Leo.  I really enjoyed it, and because of its complexity, I know it's a movie I'd enjoy seeing again.  

Back to the Holidays

via bliss

In a way, it felt like the big boy's birthday forced us to step out of the holiday season for a few days.  My focus shifted from choosing cookie recipes to party planning.  Instead of working on our paper chain for the tree, we celebrated our gorgeous boy turning 4.  Now that the party is over and the presents are all opened, I feel like I can shift back into holiday mode.  I'm continuing to focus on making that 'holiday mode' as relaxed as possible, but I will admit that I also want to maximize the fun, which requires a bit of work.  It's funny to think about how holidays used to be, when there weren't little kids and I wasn't the one in charge.

That said, I am thoroughly enjoying the season and have so far been able to stay chill about it all.  I've had to let a few things go in order to do this, but that's okay.   My only complaint is the lack of snow.  It seems that everybody everywhere has already had their fill of the white stuff - even south of us - but our grass remains green.  It is bitter cold outside, and yet still no snow.  I keep checking the forecast, waiting for some sign of a storm.  Ah well.  I'll look at the bright side - it'll make everyone's travels easier.  I also know that we will get plenty of snow before the winter is over, and it'll stay a lot longer than I'd like, so I'll try to appreciate the clear sidewalks for now.

Only one more week of work before being able to take a break and enjoy the end of the year at home with family.  I hope you've been able to maintain a peaceful outlook on this busy season.  Here are a few peaceful images to help you on your way...

via apartment therapy

Aren't these the prettiest snowflakes?  Winter - and the holiday season in particular - is magical...

via flickr

Somehow this image reminds me to focus on keeping things simple in this crazy time...

via sunday in bed

And if you can't keep things simple, then plan to spend some time here...

via sunday in bed

Or take a few minutes to turn down the rest of the lights to sit by the tree and snuggle with a loved one, a cup of hot cocoa, a warm blanket... 

via firepretty flickr

Five Senses Weekend - Birthday Party

Well, the birthday party was a definite success!  Aaron was so proud to have his friends at his home, and he had a ton of fun, which was of course the goal.  I let him lead the way, so everything was as he wanted.  He chose the colors and snacks.  He helped me make a mix of his favorite music to play.  He picked out the stickers everybody used to decorate their goody bags.  He was proud of the results, and he had a great time.

The weekend also included a trip to the library, where the boys got to see Santa, so in the words of my big boy, "It was an awesome awesome weekend!"

See
-  Little kids clung to their moms' legs as they walked in
-  Aaron wanted rainbow colors, so that's what he got:  balloons in every color, rainbow sprinkles on the cupcakes, rainbow goldfish, rainbow candies and toys in his rainbow pinata...
- Aaron got a hug from one of his girl friends before she left.  There is nothing cuter. 
Hear
- All the kids squealed as the rainbow pinata spilled its contents (finally!)
- Aaron's favorite songs provided the soundtrack to playtime
- Everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to my almost 4-year-old, as he hid behind his hands and wished they'd all stop looking at him
Touch
- The pinata did not want to open, but I made it!
- I got lots of hugs and cuddles from Aaron, who wanted to stay close to me most of the time
Smell
- Hot apple cider, simmering on the stove
- Rain - it was a dreary wet day, but the atmosphere inside was sunny and colorful!
Taste
- Homemade yellow cupcakes with vanilla or chocolate frosting (with rainbow sprinkles of course!)
- Root beer and other sodas for the adults, juices for the kids
- Popcorn, goldfish, and fruit salad - Nobody ate much, though.  They just wanted to play!

Love is...

via pinterest

My end to this sentence today...

"Love is throwing a birthday party for your son and a bunch of his friends.  Making homemade cupcakes.  Not caring at all when nobody wanted to play pin the tail on the donkey or when they made it look like a hurricane hit the house."

"Love is when your son runs around the house yelling "yeah! that was fun!  thanks mom!" after the party.  Love is the way he holds onto me after I read stories at bedtime...he doesn't want to let go."  

"Love is 'lub', 'louw', 'low', according to my little guy, but the message is perfectly clear.  Love is the beaming smile I see every time he sees me."
"Love is being a gracious host and hanging a pinata and buying balloons and taking coats and watching your little boy during a party when you feel like crap and really just want to lie on the couch."  

"Love is handling dinner, bath, and bedtime so your sick husband can lie on the couch and go to bed early."

I live in a house full of love.