Book Club - always and forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

2020-3

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I only wish my own mom were here for this.  All these big moments she's missing, that she'll keep missing.  I have to believe that she knows, that somehow she still sees.

Families shrink and expand.  All you can really do is be glad for it, glad for each other, for as long as you have each other.

How hard it must be to be the youngest sometimes, to be the one left behind.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I needed a fast weeknight dinner and found it with this One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta, and as an unexpected bonus, everyone liked it!

I used two vessels instead of one - don't tell! - a pot for the pasta and a pan to cook the chicken while the pasta was cooking to speed up the dish and get everyone where they needed to be after dinner.

It was fast and delicious and this will become a regular dish.

Recipe:  One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta

Book Club - Spolier Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello

2020-2

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I wanted to believe her, but the so-called experts had misled Kit and me so many times during this journey that my faith tank was running on empty.

At this moment, I found myself really wishing New York State had a Death With Dignity Act.  There was no dignity in what was transpiring tonight,  Kit deserved a better end than he was getting.

"He will go when he is ready to go.  And if you're not present, that means he wanted to spare you that moment."

"He can hear you.  Talk to him.  Tell him you love him.  Assure him you will be ok without him."

......it would all soon be over.  And for an instant I felt a fleeting sense of relief.  For Kit.  For Kit's parents.  And for me.

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Whoooooooooo.  This one got me good.  It has been a long time since a book made me cry this much.  It is a lovely, sad story.  Go find this book and read it.

Snapshot - There's a face in the pancake!

Book Club - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

2020-1

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My nana likes to say that spring brings love.  Spring in Garden Heights doesn't always bring love, but it promises babies in the winter. 

Funerals aren't for dead people.  They're for the living.

That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes ok to them and normal for us.  

Khalil, I'll never forget.

I'll never give up.

I'll never be quiet.

I promise.

2 bad photos of 2 good things

Not that any of my photos are wonderful, but sometimes my photos are truly horrendous, even by my low standards.  And I get grumpy because maybe I wanted to share a link to a really good recipe, but I don't have much to say other than here is a really good recipe, and a really bad photo but my photo is so bad that I just give up and don't.

But this time I will - these photos and links have been sitting in my drafts for a while because the photos are bad but the recipes are sooooo good.

First up is a broccoli cheese soup.  The soup was really good and easy to make because you toss it all in the instant pot.  I couldn't be bothered to try to take a nice photo on the counter or table, and instead tried to take a photo of it in my lap in my chair in the living room.  No.

Recipe: instant pot broccoli cheese soup

Next up is a very very good apple crisp with a yummy brown sugar and cinnamon crust.  The recipe called for cold butter and mine was not, which is why I think it came out looking like this.

Not horrific, but not really great.

It tasted amazing though.  Love me some apple crisp.

Recipe: Four Ingredient Apple Crisp

Energy Bites

My kids are eternally hungry, always wanting snacks.  Hungry all the time, except when it is meal time and we put an actual plate of an actual meal in front of them, and then they are magically full until the kitchen is cleaned up and then they start asking for more snacks.

Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

They would prefer an endless stream of sugar and we would not, and I found a bit of compromise with these energy bites.  I like that these make room for some added nutrition with flax seed, and the recipe lists some other substitutions you might want to try,  I've also thrown some shredded coconut in which was also very delicious.

Recipe: 5 ingredient peanut butter energy bites

Grocery Shop - January 4

goldfish crackers (x2), coconut milk, rice cakes, granola bars, ground coriander, canned diced tomatos, canned crushed tomatos, dill pickles, fruit snacks, rolled oats, shredded unsweetened coconut, gingerale, beef broth, more granola bars, canned ravioli (shudder), cheerios, apple juice, mayo, KD, canned baby corn, applesauce, tea, eggs, mini frozen pizzas, almond butter, puffed rice, almond milk, clif bars, kombucha, coconut water, avocados, romaine, carrots, onions, cucumbers, watermelon, bananas, lemons, tomatos, sweet potato, raspberries, blackberries, italian sausage, pork roast, cheese, deli meat (x3), hummus

$219.15

Hello to 2020 - Intentions - 1

ugh.  2019 was supposed to be my year to get myself pulled together but instead I've fallen apart even worse.  I want this year to be the year that I really do pull myself together and get healthier.

2020 Intentions -  

Morning pages - I am working on incorporating this into my daily routine.  So far I'm not doing it daily or hitting the 3 page goal, but it is nice to sit in the morning and have some quiet time before the day gets going.

Self contemplation with pulling cards/reading oracle book.  I've been slowly working towards this in 2019 - gathering some mindfulness/intuitive cards and an oracle book to take some time each day to see where I'm at and how I'm feeling. 

Read Simple Abundance every day - I can't recall where I heard about this book but apparently the daily essays help you connect and reflect with yourself and be present.  I was lucky enough to come across a copy in perfect condition at the symphony book sale in the Spring.  I squirreled it away, but after Christmas I tidied up my night table (above) and put it smack dab in the middle so hopefully I will look at every day/most days/some days.

 Getting healthier - more water, more veggies, less sugar.  More moving, less screen time.  More reading, more sleep.

Trying a gentler return to yoga

Caring less about what other people think of me.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a grand list, I know, but I am really rooting for myself this year.

my favorites in december

Here's a list of things I enjoyed in December:

On Netflix - 

Schitts Creek - I finished up seasons 4 and 5 with a lot of laughs and tears and can't wait until season 6 arrives on CBC next month.  My family will have to let me watch a show I want on tv, right?

On Amazon Prime -

Booksmart - loooooooove this movie!  So funny and wonderful.

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Face Sprays -  my aromatherapy and face sprays kept me going this month.  I treated myself to 2 new ones - Kismet's Flower Child - rose and peppermint, and Saje's Cool Spray - mint and eucalyptus.  So good.

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In the kitchen - I really really liked cooking from Eat Delicious this fall, and finished up this month with more cookies and some ramen and stir fried pork and green beans.  I really love this book.

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The sounds of Christmas -

I bought the Vinyl Cafe Christmas pack because The Mister and I have always loved Stuart McLean (we were lucky enough to see him twice in concert!) and his stories remind me of my mom, who also loved his stories and would listen to him on the weekends on CBC radio.

Elvis Christmas.  Uh-huh.

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I put on my big girl pants and my Boo (eternal BFF) and I booked ourselves Mammogram appointments.

If you are part of the group that should be screened - do it.  

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Blessings to a new year - hope yours is already off to a wonderful start.