{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Good and Tasty Tuesday: Comfort Food

It was a cool and rainy day here so I decided that it was time to make my husband favorite soup.  Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken from Epicurious.  Of course I don't follow the recipe haven't since the first time I made it.
Now don't worry about it being too spicy I am the biggest wimp when it comes to spicy foods.  I will warn you though it will get hotter the longer it sits.  I like to make in my giant stock pot and we live off it it for a few days.  In winter time we even just leave it out on the stove so we can dip in whenever we are hungry. It can be made vegetarian and/or gluten free.  You can also make it healthier by sticking to the chicken breast and using olive oil instead of butter. We have also added beans.  I personally love the taste of chicken thighs in the soup.
This soup also has a fond memory instilled with it.  It was with this dish we discovered our daughter loves spicy food.  It was also the food in which we accidentally introduced peanuts to her.  Luckily she was not allergic!

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Tia and Aili enjoying the rose tree.

Aili had a good time with the organic strawberries.

Sorry I couldn't help but add a few words.  This is some of my wonderful family here in Oregon.  My daughter enjoying an outing with Tia.  We were all very happy to discover this farm and their berries!

Good and Tasty Tuesday: Markdown Meals

I am joining Stay at Home Babe on Tuesdays for her Good and Tasty link up!  I love it and her.  So just forget that I am a day late.  That is the procrastinator in me you will get used to it.
So my meal today is inspired by a very good purchase, turkey burger for just $1.20 a pound.  I couldn't resist and then I got home and wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I had been wanting to try making my own chicken nuggets with broccoli a recipe I had received in my email from one of the parent websites (sorry I can not remember which one).
Since I had no chicken or the recipe I decided to make up my own! Check it out after the break!

Cupcakes Everywhere!

Things I learned while making almost 200 cupcakes in a week:

Milk shake cupcakes for a soda
 shoppe wedding.  My first paying gig!

1. you can never have too many mixing bowls.
2. it is a workout mixing colors into fondant (was even sore the next day).
3. you can get sick of the smell of sugar.
4. seventy-two cupcakes doesn't look like 72 cupcakes.
5. I hate my cupcake pans.
6. I love cupcake wrappers that fit all the way inside the cupcake pan.
7. And no matter what where you put them a 2 year old can find way to put her finger in at least one cupcake.

Growing Up

All kids do, grow up I mean.  My daughter will be two at the end of May.  I know it is cliche to say but where did the time go.  I barely remember the baby who was lifting her head up on day two and never stopped talking.  I was looking through the pictures a few days ago and was so surprised to see this child I barely remember.  She is definitely becoming her own little person.  And the learning curve right now is amazing.  Today she demonstrated the concepts of "me" and wait".  We ask her to wait all the time, so it is not that surprising to hear her yelling it at me as she runs after me.  But it was a bit shocking to have her look at me and ask for something by pointing at herself and saying ME!  It is pure joy and fear when you realize how smart your child already is before the age of two.

This is not who I want to be.

The problem is I don't know who I want to be.  I love reading blogs but it becomes overwhelming when reading all these things that sound so cool.  I want to do it all and be all.  Then I get up in the morning and can't even clean out the sink.  Life can be overwhelming if you let it.  There are so many excuses; too tired, the kid is sick, the husband is sick, the kid wants held.
Now is the time for no more excuses.  So I will start of list of things I am going to do every day.  Even if it is only for 5 minutes.

• Exercise
• Knitting
• Writing (blog or journal)
• Read
• Get outside (walk or yard work or play with Aili or get the mail)
• Sewing
• Practice cake decorating
• Take pictures!  I am going to join other bloggers in a photo day project.
• and last but no least remove unwanted/needed items from my home.

If I take myself literally doing all these things will take 45 minutes of my day.  I can take 45 minutes of my day to make myself feel productive.  So here is the start!  Today I begin to become the person I want to be.