I figured since I've been making quite a few yummy things lately and haven't taken the time to do proper blog posts about them, that to remedy the situation, I'd just use my instagram photos and link you to the sources for my awesome culinary creations.
And you're supposed to pronounce that "Keew-lin-ehry Kree-ay-shuns". But roll your "r"s. It makes it sound super cool.
Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
A new take on my Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies. These were made for a neighborhood Christmas Cookie Exchange. Oh what a night that was!
Crème Brûlée
Simple and easy recipe from Allrecipes. Just make sure to follow the "most helpful review" written by a professional pastry chef. This recipe made me giddy like a little kid. I can now say that I own a blow torch and I know how to use it. :)
A knock-off of Starbucks. I've made these twice already. And they are gone by the end of the evening. They are THAT good. Definitely inspires me to try my hand at making a bunch of different types of scones in the future.
Well, 2012, as you all know has been quite the year for me and Michael.
We've accomplished many things and feel so blessed to have done so. But,
it's on to 2013 and thinking about what this year will hold. As usual, I've made a list of things I would like to focus on for this year, and I'd like to share some of those with you today. As they always say, writing things down makes them all the more real (and helps to add responsibility into the mix).
(Remembering 2012 and moving into 2013)
Love more, judge less
This is a joint goal for me and the Mr. We have found ourselves getting caught up in others' lives and finding ways to judge them when we feel like we would make better decisions in their shoes (crazy, I know, but it's SO easy to do). Totally not who we want to be or become. We want to focus more on loving, forgiving, and supporting those we love and care about without all the extra baggage.
Get back into exercise routine
Cliche', I know, but it's true. We've both gotten out of the exercise habit and it's not pretty. I miss the adrenaline and endorphin rush, and feeling stronger. I miss running...a lot. Shame that it's so cold and bad air quality here in the winter, so outside is not an option. But, we're going to start exercising again, anyway that we can. I see training for some races in my future.
Observe the Sabbath day more fully
I always remember going to friend's homes on Sunday and the homes that I loved spending the most time in, were the ones where the family really made a special effort to make Sundays different. I want to wake up early enough so I can turn on some spiritual music (MoTab is a must) and truly prepare myself for church services (at 9 am this year!). Then, I want to focus on reading spiritual books, the scriptures, and conference talks to bring my focus more on the Saviour.
Read more, watch TV/surf Internet less
I find myself wasting too much time on the internet and Netflix, and not enough time reading. I LOVE reading and good books, and it's a shame that I let facebook and other media outlets get in the way. I've already started re-reading one of my favorite books, so I'm off to a good start. I still want to budget time for important things like blogging (which I'm determined to get back into, seeing as it's our family journal of sorts). Just more of the good, and less of the not so good.
Step more out of my comfort zone
The video below was my short 5-minute inspiration for this goal. I've started to feel, as I've been out of school and my life is not measured in semesters anymore, that I need to find new ways to motivate and educate myself. In ways, I miss the school schedule and the prospects that a new semester would bring. So, I'm resigned to dream big and do new things that maybe I had never thought of before. Keep learning, try my hand at something that maybe I've always wanted, but have never had the courage to try. In music, in work, in family, in cooking, in home, in friends, in marriage.
My favorite quote from the video:
"If you want something you don't already have, you have to do something you haven't already done."
The basic goal for 2013:
Focus on what is MOST important.
Find balance in life.
More of the best, instead of just settling for what is good (and comfortable).
Some dear friends of ours recently announced that they are pregnant with their first child. And we are so excited for them! This blessing couldn't come to two better people, in our minds. They actually live all the way on the other side of the country from us, so we don't get to see them too often. But, we were lucky that they have family who live here in Utah, and they came to visit for Christmas and New Year's!
We decided that the perfect Christmas present for them would be to decorate baby onesies! Well, truthfully, we really just wanted to get them a cute USU Aggie outfit for the wee babe to come, but they were astronomically expensive and we knew we could do better. So, we bought a 5 pack of onesies, some fabric paint, and created our own stencils from pictures on the internet, and voila...cuteness was created!
I think we spent about $10 overall. Which is NOT bad, considering some websites wanted to charge us almost $20 for a measly onesie with a teeny embroidered "A" on the front!
We really had so much fun making these. It's too early to know the gender of the baby, so we tried to stay as neutral as possible in our designs. And let's face it, slap anything on a onesie, and it's cute. I was just gushing the entire time painting these. You can ask Michael, I kept saying, "Awww" and squealing. I couldn't help myself. :)
And a closeup of the designs.
My Favorite: I Heart Snuggles
Michael's Favorite: The Aggie "A"
Our Friend's Favorites: The Aggie "A" and Boston Red Sox
Needless to say, they are big Red Sox fans, and just about died when they unraveled that last one. It was the most detailed and difficult one to make, but totally worth it for the reaction we received! I foresee making many of these in the future for friends and for our future little ones. And no announcement here, we're not expecting. Just dreaming of the future. ;)
