Look what I accomplished in 2009

I am not a person who likes to look back.. I love to look forward… what to do next, how to improve upon the future… the garden, the house… the next thing to accomplish; sew, bake, cook, decorate, etc. But as the end of 2009 approaches, I need to stop and acknowledge all the good work, hard work and just plain fun I had this year.

And funny, you guys know my work schedule almost every day of the week and what I ate every day.

So here is my look back on 2009.

1. Wrote 300 blogs…. how did that happen? For someone who was hammered during her dissertation for writing… How could I write 300 blogs.

2. Reorganized and transformed the garage.

BEFORE

AFTER

3. Learned how to smock and smocked a dress!!!

4. Made a lot of crafts….

A Ballet bag

Monogrammed a few tea towels

Photo Cards

Sewed my version of the Lily Pulitizer skirt

Sewed a jumper

5. Remodeled the master bedroom!!

Before

After

6. Hosted a wedding shower.

7. Turned 50 and my daughter with the help of the rest of the family threw a wonderful birthday party.

8. Found a market basket and made it my own.

9. Cooked alot…. And have the few extra pounds to show for it.

10. Expanded the garden….

11. Had a fabulous Fourth of July party!!!

12. Baked alot…

13. Picked blueberries and blackberries.

14. Embarrassed my family.

15. Took lots of pictures of the dogs.

All in All, it was a great, busy, exhausting, exhilarating, tiring, fascinating, informative, fun, festive ride this year. I look forward to another fun year in 2010 and hope you all will visit me this year…

Confession: I make New Year’s Resolutions

I cannot believe how controversial this topic is but I am going to tackle it. Many people have the opinion you shouldn't make resolutions but I like to set goals for each year. So I make New Year’s Resolutions.

Here are my New Year’s Resolutions for this year:

1. I will stop and smell the roses more.
2. Our family will be debt free by the end of 2010
3. I will exercise at least three times a week.
4. I will spend more time with my friends.. I have kind of ignored them this year.
5. Learn more about photography this year.

I hope to spend more time with you all this year.

Cooking: Pot stickers

We love Pot stickers at our favorite Chinese Restaurant but good lord… they are expensive. So for the Christmas Eve party, I thought I would test these out early and find a way to serve them for the party without making them while the guests were there. Here is how to make them… they are delicious… I mean seriously delicious… like you could eat your weight in pot stickers.

Start out with soy sauce, wonton wrappers, ground pork, garlic, an egg, I used an onion but the recipe calls for green onions, ginger, sesame oil and the funny looking Chinese cabbage.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg and cabbage. Stir until well mixed.



A hint I learned by reading more about pot stickers but did not do at the time. After you chop up the cabbage, salt with 1 Tablespoon of salt and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then squeeze all the water out of the cabbage. The filling will be so much less watery and the pot stickers can all be made ahead of time.



I used the round wonton skins.



Place 1 heaping teaspoon of pork filling onto each wonton skin.

Moisten edges with water and fold edges over to form a triangle shape. Roll edges slightly to seal in filling.

Set dumplings aside on a lightly floured surface until ready to cook.

To Cook: Heat a pan with two tablespoons of oil. Set the pot stickers in the pan making sure not to crowd them. Saute for two minutes.

After two minutes, turn. Now we turned the pot stickers but again, I don’t know that this step is necessary.

After you turned, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Cover and allow to cook for 6 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Almost absorbed.

Oh my goodness… you cannot imagine how good these little suckers are!!!

Heavenly.

If you drain the cabbage, I think you could make them ahead of time and cook them for your party. I also think they would be good without the cabbage.

Total Cost $5.27 for 60 pot stickers!!!

Pot Stickers

Ingredients

• 60 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
• 3/4 pounds ground pork
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 5 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage

Keep Christmas all year

I love Christmas! I love the sounds, sights and smells of Christmas. I love the season so much that I got married during the Christmas season.

Which got me thinking, what is it about Christmas that I love so much?

Here is my conclusion:

1. I love the “specialness of the season”. For me it is a sacred time that focuses on the birth of my Lord and Savior. But even the secular world acknowledges the magical time of Christmas.
2. I love showing friends and family how much I care about them.
3. Oh the baking, enough said.
4. During Christmas, the world “stops” and smells the roses.
5. As the birth of Jesus approaches, it is a time of renewal.

6. Traditions hold the present, past and future together. No time during the year holds more tradition than Christmas.

7. The entire world is covered in tinsel, lights, ribbon and greenery

8. The anticipation of Santa Claus in a child’s face.

9. Oh the presents… okay, that is materialistic but I love presents.

As much as I love Christmas, I am always sad it when it ends. But this year, I am going to try to keep Christmas every day.

Menu Planning – Week Ending 1.2.10

This week hubby is home from New Mexico and I plan on making a ton of home cooked meals that can be lunch on another day. We are all resting, relaxing and organizing Christmas to put away on Friday and Saturday.

• Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie
• Monday: Mushroom Risotto
• Tuesday: Asian BBQ Ribs, Fried Rice and Potstickers
• Wednesday: Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese, leftover Risotto
• Thursday: Broiled Lobster Tails, Baked Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
• Friday: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes and Peas
• Saturday: Leftovers

Have:

• Chicken Breasts
• Ham
• Risotto
• Rice
• Soy Sauce
• Potatoes
• Puff Pastry
• Peas
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Cream
• Wonton Wrappers
• Ground Pork
• Cheddar Cheese

Need:

• Goat Cheese
• Ribs
• Lobster Tails
• Mushrooms… Assorted
• Ginger

Source

Broiled Lobster Tail

• lobster tails, thawed
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare lobster, make a lengthwise cut through the top of each lobster shell using kitchen shears, cutting to, but not through, lobster meat; press shell open. Place the lobster tails, cut sides up, in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine the oils and pepper, and spoon over the lobster meat.

Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until the lobster meat turns opaque. Serve lobster with sauce, and garnish with onions, if desired.

Confession: Things I am not good at!!!!

Okay, Kim left a comment and said, “Really, one of these days you need to blog about the things you AREN'T good at to make us all feel better. :)”

That got me thinking and after spending four hours in the kids… they were happy to help with this challenge….

Santa is not coming for another 364 days so here goes.

My List

1. Relaxing… I am terrible at taking time off, as a German, I schedule too much in too short of time.

2. Directions! Thank God to whoever invented GPS… I would be totally lost without it.

3. Playing drums! I am awesome at Air Drums. I mean look at that bad ass…. how could I be bad but I borrowed a set from my son’s friend and it was horrendous.

 

4. Seeing the doctor or dentist… I hate them and prolong going them way too long. 

5.  Dieting. I don’t know anyone good at it but I suck at it. 

6. Reading books. I am way to busy and when I try to read a book, I fall asleep.

7. Cleaning bathrooms, I hate it… okay, I probably could do a good job but not my favorite thing.

8. Commenting on other blogs. I read all the blogs but do not feel like I have anything interesting to say other than…. Great post. But I love your blogs. I am just a bad commenter.

9. Writing. I think I am a terrible writer. I have used the word “I” 22 times so far… I am a loser… okay 23 times.

My Children’s List

1. I am a micromanager.. according to them. But trust me… they could use a little micro managing.
2. Driving: Their words not mine.. I have been known to take out a mailbox in my time but so not a bad driver.
3. I am bad at walking along the beach… or swimming in the ocean because I hate fish touching me.
4. I like bad 80’s music.
5. I am too nosey in their business.
6. I write too much about them on my blog. But seriously, what can I say… they are weird and I need to share this weirdness with others.

Kim, I hope this makes you feel better……

Merry Christmas to All

Thank you for all your friendship, your support and your inspiration.
Cynthia

Delivering Christmas Baskets

We delivered our baskets to some older members of our former church. I love these people and would never leave them without any goodies I can force on them. They are wonderful. We also delivered treats to our new church, a couple of friends and neighbors.
Lined up the boxes

Filled them with goodies.

Loaded up the reindeer

And added some helpers and Christmas music

Knocked on some doors.

And made some older lovely people happy!!!

We always have to make sure this gentleman’s wife knows we delivered treats… He hides them and doesn’t tell her. RASCAL!
These baskets are a lot of work but yesterday was worth all the effort… the kids and dogs were wonderful to help their momma even though they spent five hours delivering baskets… I know they had better things to do… but hey, they got to sing Christmas carols with their Mom. Okay, I sang and they rolled their eyes.

Confession: Christmas Present I want

Last year, I asked for a Christmas present on the blog and it worked like a charm. So I decided to try it again… can I easily manipulate my family?

Dear Santa,

Please bring me this camera flash? I tried to be a good girl this year!!!

I can take such awesome pictures of my family... and projects

Thanks,

Mom

Sewing: Apron gifts

I wanted to make a special gift or two for my family and I thought what a great gift to give… an apron. They are the hot thing right now and I love them.

So I found a pattern I liked.

And some pretty fabric with some contrasting fabric. Cut out and ironed under the fabric around the pocket

and the apron

being very careful to miter the corners.

I stitched up the apron

and added embroidery for my niece.

Next, I added the contrasting fabric. But first you have to make the piping. This process is very easy. First you fold down both sides of your fabric strips cut on the bias, i.e. on the diagonal.

Next fold over in half and press.

I then pinned it on the apron and sewed.

Voila!!!

A pretty apron for a pretty girl… It was easy, taking less than two hours and I love homemade gifts. I hope she loves it too.

P.S. Her momma is getting a matching one but don’t tell.