Good friends and great bakers!

I spent the better part of a day last week baking cookies.

Trust me when I say that I am no baker! I absolutely love to cook, but somewhere in my lineage, the baking gene passed right over me!

As luck would have it , my mom was down for a visit, and I chose two family recipes, so she could assist me. The results were wonderful, all due to my mom's tips and helpful guidance!

The cookies were made for a cookie exchange being held at a friend's house. If you've never participated in a party like this, I highly recommend it! It's a fantastic excuse to get a group of friends together, and it sets such a festive tone.

Everyone was told to bring three dozen cookies, a container to bring our confections home in, and include the recipes to exchange. We put our goodies into our bins, dividing them equally. We had a beautiful selection and were fortunate enough to get to sample and take home some amazing cookies! I dare say I have very talented friends! One of my girlfriends at the party is from Europe and she remarked several times what a wonderful tradition this is, and one she will be introducing to all her friends when she returns home!

It's funny how things we are used to doing we tend to take for granted until their splendor is pointed out to us. With every cookie that I and my family have nibbled on this week, I've tried to reflect on the morning spent in the company of good friends and great bakers!

Cherry Cookies
Great Grandma T's Recipe
1 3/4 C Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 C butter- room temp
2/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C maraschino cherries chopped and squeezed

Cream butter, mix sugar and egg. Add dry ingredients and vanilla, last gently stir in cherries.
Roll into quarter size balls, press with fork dipped in water.
Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Don't let them get brown!

Ode to Coffee

Coffee.

By definition it means 1. A hot drink made from the roasted and ground beanlike seeds of a tropical shrub. 2. A cup of this drink.

To me, it is so much more. It's my morning fuel, to which without I tend to function far below optimal level! It's described by others as the nectar of the gods, liquid gold. Indulgence? Necessity? Maybe even a necessary evil?

The ways to drink it are virtually endless. At one point in my life I heard myself order a tall, half cafe, skim, cold latte with a shot of coconut, not too much ice. Seriously? At which point I did apologize to the barista and slipped her a tip--silly, high-maintenance customer!

But truly, nothing beats a good strong cup of joe to send energy coursing through my veins to help conquer the day. Sometimes it's multiple cups of joe and once in awhile it's the long, fussy order, placed at a coffee shop that puts a smile on my face and a zing in my step! I'll say I drink it for the health benefits, of which there are many. But really I drink it because I love the smell, the taste, and how I feel after drinking it. So raise your mug and cheers to all my fellow coffee lovers out there!


Check out these links:
Seven surprising health benefits of coffee
Coffee health benefits

Truman is a ton of love

Ninety five pounds. A little or a lot? In my case, it's a ton! A ton of love that is, as mine comes bundled in the form of a beautiful white labradoodle.

I know I've made a few references to my pooch before, but he's just such a great guy I thought I'd write a bit more. When my kids are having a bad day, or don't even want to get out of bed to start their day, they will gladly take an early morning lick in the face or a hug to cheer them up and wake them up!

He's there and excited to see us if we leave him for five minutes or five hours. Unconditional, devoted canine love! We had a dog prior to this guy, who we lost when he was eight to cancer. We all took his loss very hard, but my daughter was devastated. We debated just when the right time would be to get another dog, and what type would suit our family the best.

I did a lot of research, and stumbled upon a local breeder of labradoodles. We visited with her before she even had any puppies, and really liked her small litters and beautiful dogs she offered. Then the wait was on until the day that our guy was born. We had the privilege of going to pick our puppy, and wow was that a fantastic experience! I think in the end, our baby, Truman, picked us. He gets as much love as he gives, and I love every last wag of his tail and shake of his paw. I think he's the best four legged buddy a girl could ask for! Dog, woman's or man's best friend? Do we really have to pick sides?

Check out this link: She Knows Pets

A nation in mourning

As I pondered what to write for my entries this week, I had several ideas, especially with the holidays approaching.

But all of that went out the window the moment I heard of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred in Connecticut--26 innocent people who won't be around to see the holidays, sensely taken before their time.

When I read about the school shootings, as a parent, I fought every urge not to drive directly to my kids' school just to hug them as hard as I could. I'm sure I'm not the only one, and maybe many parents did just that.

It's impossible to try to reason or make sense of this violent act. I've read words of wisdom from leaders in the community and struggled with how to handle discussing this with our children. How can we expect them to comprehend something so awful if we, as adults, can't? I didn't want to scare my kids or put unnecessary thoughts in their heads, but I know that they will hear about it at school. We allowed them to watch some of the news coverage and had a discussion where they could ask any questions they wanted.

As the weekend winds to a close, the start of a new school week begins. I am certain that the thought in every parent's mind is the safety of our kids as they enter into their school and start their Monday. How do we let them go without some reluctance?

There is no good way to write about such a situation. I want my kids to have a carefree, idyllic childhood. I will do anything I can to try to see that they do, including sending them to a school they love. I will hug them extra hard on Monday as I drop them off, and I may arrive extra early to greet them as they are dismissed.

As a mother, I will keep the families of Connecticut in my thoughts and prayers and hope that they know they have a nation of parents who are grieving with them. They are not alone, and they will never be forgotten.

J. Bells is still watching! Where is he now?

Our elf, Jingle Bells, has struck again.

He's been a bit more mischievous this year, much to the delight of our kids!

He's been spotted high on top the Christmas tree, suspended from a door lock in a pair of undergarments, and hidden in a potted plant. The other morning he was on the kitchen counter covered in flour and had made a snow angel!

It sure has been a terrific way to see the kids get excited for Christmas. Every visitor to our house gets to see where Jingle Bells showed up that day. We get to listen to the kids tell the tales of what the little elf has been up to, and how he is full of magic!

We have seen the kids behavior improve when they know Jingle Bells is watching, so who knows, maybe he is magical after all! The time of holiday magic is so very brief. Before long the kids will be doubting Santa's existence, a thought so very sad to imagine. I'll do anything I can to keep the holiday spirit, even if that means helping Jingle Bells cause trouble the month of December!

Dear Santa,

I've been a pretty good girl this year.

I've managed to get my family through most of 2012 with only minor amounts of complaints.

We enjoy dinner together around a relatively tasty, home-cooked meal more nights than not. I've tried to keep my kids involved in fun activities, and I help them get there on time (almost always!). The dog is fed and exercised on a regular basis, but I know there is room for improvement there! Overall he seems happy and moderately well trained.

So this year Santa, if I make it onto your nice list and not the other, there isn't too much to ask for. I'm happy with my family and friends and the majority of my possessions. My clothes are ok, I don't wear much jewelry and my car runs fine.

This year, I'l like to see more smiles on people's faces. I'd like to read more stories of people "paying things forward" and being kind to one another. Maybe I should try harder to do more of that. So this holiday season, I'm going to try to enjoy the spirit of Christmas, and maybe my gift will be trying to make that feeling last throughout the year! So Santa, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Love,
Tracey

The Silver Screen

Who doesn't need a break from everyday life?

One of my husband's absolute favorite things in life is going to the movies.

Talk about disconnecting and "letting" go. We can be transported to anywhere the screen wants to take us. Over the past few weeks I've been lucky enough to get to three movies! This maybe a personal record for me!

My husband and I were fortunate enough to get to see the new Bond film and Lincoln. I think there are two people, fictional and real, that my husband would/could claim as idols. He would choose Bond's snazzy wardrobe and Lincoln's wisdom! We were whisked away for a few hours, and afterward we had the pleasure of several lengthy discussions, especially concerning the Lincoln film.

It's not often anymore, that we are able to truly shutdown and tune out the happenings in our day-to-day world. Why not channel the excitement of a British spy or try to empathize with a world leader during a major turning point in our nation's history? Even better, try to do this while and enjoying a big tub of popcorn or box of Junior Mints! The next time you find yourself at the movies, enjoy the journey! It's only too soon we are back to reality, and our everyday wardrobe too!

Sometimes the 'bugs' win!

There is never a good time to get sick, not for anyone at any age.

I have to say this is especially true for moms or dads who stay home with kids.

It's inevitable, and you know that when living with kids who are constantly exposed to germs, our time to fall will happen. My time arrived bright and early Monday morning, ugh, a Monday after the holiday, double ugh! I was struck with some sort of vile stomach bug. I promise to spare all details to the dear readers of this blog, only to say that I felt like a useless pile of ice.

Somehow you find some reserve of energy to get all the troops assembled for school, clothed, fed and out the door in time. I returned from the school drop off to promptly take up residence on the couch.

Now to entertain a two-and-a-half year-old.

Thank goodness for technology and Max and Ruby. I think we completed a marathon of cartoon watching and book reading. It's certainly no fun to be sick, not for anyone at anytime. I think I'm fishing for some sympathy. In reality I was very fortunate to be able to stay home and rest. Even better I felt much like my old self 24 hours later. Now all fingers and toes are crossed so that no one else is subjected to this vile bug.

We moms, and dads too, are tough, even if we are managing things from our perch on the couch!

'Tis the season: Burning Off the Splurge!

There is a great, and might I add, very timely, article on the Balance Your 7 website. It's titled Burning Off the Splurge.

I needed to read this after spending Thanksgiving weekend at my parents' house.

I'm just wondering when they discuss splurging once in awhile, if I can condense mine into a few days worth? Did I need that extra slice of pumpkin pie, at 10 a.m.? No, but someone had to eat it, Grandma worked so hard to make it!

When they discuss coupling your indulgences with exercise, does walking the dog a few miles count, or chasing the kids? I had great intentions of running in the annual Turkey Trot, but we didn't get to town in time. The next day, it was too icy to run outside, so I tried walking off a few calories while Christmas shopping at the mall! I know it's not the same as vigorous exercise, but it's nice to read an article like this and know it's ok to indulge periodically and remember that all things are ok if done in moderation. It isn't often that I have pumpkin pie for breakfast, in fact it's about once a year. I think that qualifies as moderation!

And as far as catching up on my exercise after a weekend of indulging, there's always Monday!

J Bells is watching!

Our house has another family member, at least for the next month.

His name is Jingle Bells, J Bells for short. He's about twelve inches tall, wears red and white, has a twinkle in his eye and a permanent grin on his face.

Yes, he's our Elf on the Shelf and he's back for another holiday season.

If you've never heard of such a thing, they are the special helpers from the North Pole who report back to Santa every night. They watch all the activities that go on in the house by day, and each morning reappear in a new spot! They are magical, each with their own special name, given by the family.

Only the mommys and daddys may touch the elves or they could lose their magic. Jingle Bells has been a member of our family for the past three years. He arrives the day after Thanksgiving and leaves on Christmas. He may be small, but his presence is large, and during the month of December he is never forgotten.

It's a race in the morning to see who can spot the elf first. Santa's little helpers are mischievous and don't like to hide in the same place twice. We love having Jingle Bells around. It's funny how fast bad behavior can turn around with one quick reminder that "Jingle Bells is watching!"

If you have not had the chance to bring one of these cuties into your home, I would highly recommend it. They are fun for all ages, I think my husband and I get a bigger kick out of J Bells than the kids! Except on those nights that we are in bed and forgot to figure out where the little elf will show up the next day!

Stay tuned for more J Bell sightings!

My first acupuncture treatment...

I'm blogging to follow up from my acupuncture entry.

I went in for my appointment, late in the afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving.

The Gundersen Lutheran clinic was a ghost town, everyone scrambling to leave for the holiday. Have I mentioned that my biggest phobia in life are needles? So the idea of getting stuck with multiple needles does not render a great sense of calm! So I sat in the empty waiting area and my nerves kicked into overdrive. Once in the actual room, we briefly discussed the reason for my visit, my injured lower back. The practitioner explained that she would insert several hairpin sized needles, once inserted, she would attach a "pens" unit to stimulate the needles, causing a body buzzing sensation. I jumped when one of them was inserted, but after quickly being adjusted the pain went away.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, relaxation, pain, pressure? I felt several sensations, anxiety, calm, body buzz, some feelings familiar and some brand new. Laying on an exam table for twenty minutes with multiple needles vibrating in my back, I tried to train my mind to focus on anything other than what I was doing.

Admittedly it wasn't the best half hour I've ever spent, but by far not the worst. My body "buzz" lasted a bit after my appointment, one of the after effects of acupuncture.

I scheduled another session closer to Christmas. In order to see improvement, these treatments must be done on a regular basis. I know the next time I go my anxiety won't be so high, as the fear of the unknown is over. I'll focus on using the half hour of downtime as a chance to try to relax. After all, a practice that has been in existence for 5,000 years or more should be given a fair chance to prove it's worth it!

The origins of acupuncture...