What's new, resolution wise

1. Today is J's birthday (happy birthday J!), so we broke out the vanilla cupcake recipe. I found this recipe for buttercream frosting and I think it worked out really well. Last night we tried baked honey sesame chicken (minus the sesame seeds) and really liked it. I also discovered that cornstarch is apparently the secret ingredient in Chinese food.

2. S's sweater continues to progress. As of this writing I have all of the body pieces done and I've started the first sleeve. So far so good!

3. Most of my exercise has been of the outdoor variety. This week I've taken S to the sledding hill twice, I've shoveled snow at least twice, and I dragged S on her sled UP the sledding hill. Which also makes me hungry, which is probably the reason my pants don't fit. *sigh*

Pic of the babe, aka gold medalist snowboarder, Olympics 2034

NY resolution update

1. I took a cupcake decorating class at Joann Fabrics over the weekend. We never have any cake mix in the house, so I cast about to find a scratch recipe that didn't require anything fancy. Enter Amy Sedaris's vanilla cupcakes. Super yum, funny instructions, and I totally want to make them again.

2. S's sweater is coming along great! So far I have the back and the left front done, and made a LOT of progress on the right front yesterday. I haven't had time to work on it today (freelancing calls), but tonight I might be able to squeeze some in.

3. My sore throat turned into a full-on cold this weekend, so exercise wasn't high on the list. But I'm feeling better now and have hit the treadmill again. I also found a 25-minute yoga sequence for hips that I want to try.

And a picture of the babe with her favorite man

NY resolution update

1. Revisited the beef and broccoli recipe. Loved it even more. Tonight we tried slow cooker teriyaki chicken. J didn't like the smell (lots of honey and soy sauce), but it was super yum. We even got fancy and put some in lettuce cups. Yum!

2. I finished Pisqu! Both are ginormous, so I'm either finding a big-footed friend or ripping them back to make them fit. In the meantime, I'm joining an Olympics themed knitting competition, and plan on finishing S's fair isle cardigan

3. I missed 2 days of exercise, but I'm blaming it on the sore throat and congestion I'm feeling lately. I did make it out to the park this week, and I shoveled snow at least twice. Plus S had me drag her on her sled through the backyard. Lots of work I tell ya!

And a picture of the babe to round out the post

Too much sadness these days

Please say another prayer for another little girl whose mom I "met" online. They are going through a horrific trial that no parent or child should have to go through.

http://www.love4jlk.org/

And I want to share this brave mom's plea for funding for pediatric cancer. Please share if you are so inclined

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CLYthNe1k4&feature=youtu.be

NY resolution update

1. Chicken recipes on the menu this year. I don't even remember the recipe, but I used this lemon garlic cream sauce. I tried to substitute whole milk for heavy cream, and it was a massive failure. I ended up just tossing some melted butter and lemon together.

2. Still working on the sock, and it will go into February before it's done. But the progress is pretty good.

3. I skipped the treadmill today due to errands and a school activity, but the rest of the week has gone well. Yay!

NY resolutions, Week 3

1. I tried baking artisan bread in a crockpot. I already had the dough around, might as well not turn on the oven, right? I was disappointed in how it turned out. Back to the oven.

2. Pisqu sock is still in progress. My goal is to get the leg done tonight, and hopefully make progress on the heel tomorrow.

3. I took off exercising last night, since my belly was turbulent, but I hit the treadmill again today. Thank goodness for music on the smart phone :)

New picture of the babe, in a sweater I made for her. Silly S

Please say a prayer

I'm a member of a few message boards. They get a bad rap at times for the drama that can be created, but they can also be a great source of community, comfort, and support. That sense of community shone this week. A mom on my message board experience unimaginable tragedy when she lost her 3-year-old daughter. Our boards came together and raised a ton of money to help with medical and other costs, and the outpouring of support was overwhelming.

So please take a moment to visit this site, and say a little prayer or thoughts of peace for Pixy and her family.