sweet, sugar-free kid

My inbox had several emails about raising a kid sugar-free after the 2nd birthday party.

Planning the party was easy. My fun started when I found red pom pom fringe trim at MJ Trim (a wonderful store I discovered on a NYC trip; bought the trim online).

Then I found the fabric (I know, this is backwards) at Joann's - a darling gingham in M's fave color, "Lellow."

On a different NYC trip, I literally stumbled into the FABULOUS Fishs Eddy and bought my new favorite dishes, these bowls in red.



Add balloons from Etsy (thanks Joanna) and flowers from Dad, and you have a beautiful table.

That was the fun part.

Stocking it with sugar-free goodies a la Amy Atlas was going to be more challenging.

Here's what I included:
grapes
rasberries, blueberries and blackberries as toppings for sugar-free ice cream
pretzels in a glass jar with a red ribbon
small boxes of raisins
goldfish
dried banana chips
yogurt-covered pretzels
popcorn boxes from Target with "Happy Birthday Mirabella" labels (and popcorn!)

The kids seemed to like it. So far my girl doesn't miss sugar because she doesn't know it exists. Her fave foods are watermelon, grapes and yogurt.

We do have to mix plain yogurt with fresh fruit, since most yogurts have an outrageous amount of sugar (read the labels!) and others have Splenda or sugar-alcohols. (NO!)

We've managed to pull off birthday parties, Halloween and Easter baskets without it. We'll see how long it lasts!

August Goals, Hopes and Dreams

I'm inspired by Kimberly Wilson's (aka Hip Tranquil Chick) blog posts where she lists her monthly goals.
She even has the guts to go review the month and admit what she has and hadn't accomplished. Talk about accountability.

So I'm giving it a try this month.

August Goals, Hopes and Dreams

Get a physical with new family physician.

Perhaps buy a new iPad.

Enjoy bachelorette time while hubby is in Colorado.

Reorganize my closet.

Get the new carpeting put down in the basement.

Paint the basement ceiling so the new carpeting can be put down.

Do a one-day Blue Print Cleanse.

Complete the outline for Mission-Centered Marketing book. Yep, I'm writing a book.

Complete work projects: re-write advocacy communications and webpages, promote annual meeting, develop a new concept for site for international medical students and outline a list of resources for a website for community FM preceptors. Whew.

Attend meetings for Family Medicine Working Party and CAFM. Just call them really smart docs.

Start studying for CMP and CAE exams in Dec/Jan.

Stay consistent with exercise. Walk 12 miles per week. Get in one yoga class per week.

Enroll Mirabella in fall classes for French, gymnastics and music.

See Eat Pray Love movie. Can't wait!

Labor Day will be a party if I get half of this done.

Baby Mama...

a sugar-free birthday

I just love the dessert tables that Amy Atlas puts together.

This white spread for a bridal shower is so elegant, and the white balloons add a nice festive touch. (click on number 06)

For Mirabella's second birthday, I wanted to stick with the sugar-free regime she's used to, which made designing a cute table a bit tougher.

But it was fine, because my girl was darling, and so happy.

Mimosas and Caviar for breakfast

La Prairie hosted quite an event for beauty editors to check out their fall products.

Superficial jobs, superficial industry. But so much to learn from them.

La Prairie, and everyone in this industry, understands how to deliver the personal touch and how it affects branding. They obviously excel at it.

This is experiential marketing at its best -- nice job La Prairie.

protein and exercise recovery -- do women need less?

Do women need less protein than men in post-exercise recovery?

Interesting article in the New York Times.

What I find most interesting: nearly all exercise science study subjects are men. Very exciting that a researcher has noticed and is going to find out more.



This interesting study found that men who ingested estrogen had almost "entirely different metabolisms." Hmmm.

Four Stars for Lauren

A lovely time at "Four Stars for Lauren" last night. Christopher Elbow and many of our fave restaurants were there.

And how about M, rockin' the orange dress? :)


Lauren's daughters are all grown up and GORGEOUS: Maren on far left and Brenna on far right. And the handsome guy is Dylan, son of the super-Phit chick Kelly S. (remember her 50K race -- yes, 31 miles).

Yay for Ann Taylor Loft!

Hip Hip Hooray for Ann Taylor and using real women as "models."

Get the dog off the bed Izzy!

Click here to see gorgeous photos of Katherine Heigl and her home.

But if I had that headboard and bed (and I do wish I did) I would NEVER allow a dog on the bed. I'm not anti-animals, but that is a pricey and gorgeous bed.

My envy of the day is...

I'm so jealous of Emily who designed a purse for Coach. How cool is that?

Big fashion in small packages

Melissa at "Lil Bee" does these fabulous posts of her baby girl imitating high fashion. I love this one on Color Blocking. And I may have to buy that gingham dress for M.

Moomah "Funky Forest"

This is why I'd like to visit Moomah (one of the reasons). M would love the Funky Forest. (OK, I would love it too!)

wishful thinking - artist date with my girl

I'd love to take my little girl to Moomah. One of the things that makes me wish I lived in NYC.

angelabroderick.com

Updated my website today with my favorite new photo of M & I.

I find that more and more professionals are being transparent about their personal lives. Many are even successfully incorporating it into their branding.

hmmmm...

Puttin' on the Ritz

We checked in here three weeks ago today. I am ready to return.

I would even pack up the toddler, all the bags, the stroller, the car seat, the car seat attachment so I can roll her thru the airport, the diaper bag, the dvd player, the books, the food, the soy milk again and pack it through security twice if I could go back to the Ritz at Laguna Beach.

"...I can't lose the nanny!"

Mr Right scored major points and took me to see Sex and the City 2 on Friday night of the holiday weekend. After delicious mussels and chardonnay at the Bristol.

Like many Moms, my favorite scene was the Mom confessions of Charlotte and Miranda. Funny and refreshing to hear their honesty, and the shared fears and frustrations from two women with completely different lifestyles.
Ebert would not give the movie a thumbs up. Not exactly an award-winning script, but as I expected (and enjoyed) it was a like a curling up with a talking magazine -- amazing fashion, fantasy vacation, friends and humor.

more California dreamin'

Mirabella LOVED the beach.

I loved the view from our room at the Ritz.

California dreamin'

Already missing my time in California. Traveling with baby was a bit stressful, but I still loved it.

treat after lunch

These smoked sea salt caramels were a wonderful treat after a
lite lunch.

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

butterfly pose

girl effect

I post this every few months -- you must see!

www.GirlEffect.org

stick with me thumb, we'll get more green

The beginnings of my swiss chard and beets. Now the arugula is sprouting too!

Green thumb, we may have turned a corner!

treadmill-worthy cupcakes

Yumm.

The cupcakes and cookies on this new website look very treadmill-worthy.

Another good find from Joanna.

Sleepless? Sleepy.

An early flight, followed by baby girl not sleeping, left me drowsy.
But I bought Shama's "The Zen of Social Media Marketing" on my Kindle and read it on the plane. Really good. Scratched down lots of notes and ideas and stayed awake.
If I'm doing the math right, this sharp gal is about 24 years old. Unbelievable.
I'm so envious.

Seattle is lovely. Has that clean air yumminess that Colorado cities do.
Been scoping out the hotel for a conference I"m planning this fall but anxious to go out and walk around the city.

"Reality Check" speaker

I heard Guy Kawasaki speak at the ASAE "Great Ideas" conference last month in Colorado Springs.

He did an interview recently with the New York Times.

Good points he makes:

They should teach students how to communicate in five-sentence e-mails and with 10-slide PowerPoint presentations.
If they just taught every student that, American business would be much better off.

The issue with consulting is that if you go straight to work for a consultant, you develop this perspective that the hard part is the analysis and the decision.
In reality, that’s not the hard part.

The hard part is implementing the decision, not making it.

You can develop an absolutely incorrect perception of yourself as a great manager when, in fact, you haven’t implemented anything.

All you’ve done is make spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.

Swiss chard to come?

Mr Right had to go to St Louis Saturday to scope out a possible new location for Three Dog Bakery.

So Mirabella and I spent Saturday planting seeds and taking a long walk.

We put Swiss Chard and Beets in these little peat moss pods. The plan is to let them germinate and then move them outside. Fingers crossed -- I'm not much of a green thumb.

Preservatives? Ya think?

You have to read this post on Glamour's fitness blog. It came from Snack Girl.

Both burgers are 11 days old.

Thanks Joanna, for posting this.

more nyc

Idlewild is my new fave bookstore. Organized by country, there are cookbooks, travel books and novels. Wonderful.


The Macy's Flower Show is always impressive, but this year seemed to be especially bright and cheery. Maybe it was the long winter.

nyc

Two wonderful weekends in New York yielded me these new finds.

The best new store for kitchen goodies.

"the best damn cookies on the earth" really.

Pom pom fringe trim at this endless store for curtains in M's room. When she turns the corner from nursery to little girl (soon!) I'm going to turn pink into pink-and-black.

Aerial yoga

3 year olds can be advertising "victims"

Yikes. According to study in the Journal of Psychology and Marketing, brand identification begins as young as three years old.

M's new transportation

Mr. Right has been saving for a new computer system for months. Last weekend, he blew the savings on a new Trek bike and a Trek trailer for baby girl.

And a very small pink Trek helmet.

The inagural ride apparently went well. Mirabella is very proficient with sign language at this point, and she did "more" every time Dad stopped at a stop sign.

"great ideas" from Colorado

Back from the Great Ideas Conference in Colorado Springs at the gorgeous, luxe Broadmoor.

Wow what a treat.

The Broadmoor made healthy, delicious meals for our conference breakfasts and lunches. And they even had Agave Nectar at their coffee service.

They also had beautiful cupcakes in the coffee shop -- I'm talking about the ones that make your mouth water just looking at them. And I managed to restrain myself! Three days, no cupcakes. Big pat on the back for Angela!

If you followed my facebook or twitter, you know I brought back a load of mommy-guilt presents for baby girl: three books, two rubber duckies (from the spa gift shop) and a "Colorado Rider" Harley-esque t-shirt - complete with flames - for my girl. The t-shirt has a tricycle where the Harley would normally be. Too funny.

But the spa ducks win the cute prize.

One thing I loved at this conference was the ribbons for the badges.

You know how conferences offer those ribbons to attach to your badge that in some form say "I'm really important?" Actually they say something like "Speaker" or "Committee Member."

This conference had ribbons that said "Colors Outside the Lines" and "Twitter-pated." They were laying on a table for anybody to take. Felt much more community than hierarchy. Love it.

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.".
Henry david Thoreau

realistic (ok, a bit more realistic) sample size

This was worth posting twice.

Apparently representatives of the beauty industry are considering changing the standard sample size - a whopping SIZE 0 -- to a size closer to what healthier women wear (or at least not anerexic 15 year olds).

The beauty and fitness blog on Vogue gives details here.

About time.

Way over due, actually.

Kudos to them for tackling it.

Hurry please.

Tina Fey on Vogue cover because she "benches 225"

March cover girl Tina Fey on Vogue.

She won my heart (again).

finesse at 19 months

Dear Mirabella,
You are awesome on the balance beam.
You are strong and confident.
Watching you sprint from trampoline to slide to rings at Open Gym makes me so proud I could bust.
I love you so much baby girl. When you smile I get goosebumps.
Love
Momma

how many minutes on the stairmaster to work off the chocolate cake?

Phit Chicks may remember our Chocolate Tasting event where we rated treats based on their "treadmill worthiness."

Now the Real Age website makes it easy to know the trade-off in exercise each calorie splurge will require -- check out the Real Age Exercise Estimator.

How to love a child

courtesy Home

Michelle Obama introduces "Let's Move"

For the first time in history, the United States is raising a generation of children expected to live shorter lives than their parents. More and more children are fighting diseases, like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, that used to only show up in adults.
As a country, we're spending $14 billion per year in direct costs for health care for obese children.

Last week, Michelle Obama rolled out the Let's Move initiative, an effort to use a variety of strategies to help roll back to the epidemic of childhood obesity in this country.

Creativity, volunteering and sharing

Research shows that empathy drives workplace creativity.

Volunteering on the rise, mostly thanks to women.

Do you like to share?

personal branding book

Planning to read

Me 2.0

a book on personal branding on my Kindle this weekend.
Have you read it?

Update: A decent read with some good ideas. Really targeted at 20-somethings but social media info is good for everyone to read. Thoughts on the resume being "dead" is an eye-opener many mid-careerists should ponder.
3 Angela stars out of five.

Forever 21 - please think before you shop

I knew it was too cheap to be true.

Sweatshop labor in the US – Forever 21 has been running sweatshops in California and using Mexican immigrant labor in subpar working conditions to provide you with cheap disposable clothing. How can you in good conscious spend money on a product that forces fellow women to work in sweatshop conditions? Several of these women have banded to together and created a must see documentary called “Made in LA”. It is very easy to say “Oh yeah, it may be cheap labor but I can’t afford anything better” and thereby distancing yourself from the issue at hand but watching this documentary and seeing the faces behind your garments should open everyone’s eyes.

Additionally, Forever 21 has been taken to the California Supreme Court regarding its unfair labor practices repeatedly. As one factory worker Guadalupe Hernandez explained she earned, “$4 per hour working 10 hours a day 6 days a week in a factory with no running water and no bathroom.” Clearly the cost of fast fashion is too high!

on my mind right now

1) How grateful I am for nasal cleansing. Yogis have been using Neti Pots for years, but they are just now in mainstream healthcare.

SO helpful in getting over a cold. Kinda weird, but definitely worth doing.

2) The people in Haiti. Mr Right has mentioned adopting a child from there and I'd do it in a minute.

3) Saw Quinton Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" on Tuesday night at home. The violence and hate just give me chills. A good movie, I guess, but really disturbing. I would not normally watch, but Mr Right was healing from back surgery and I wanted to get a non-girl movie for him.

I'm grateful that talented people like Trantino produce these movies; it will hopefully prevent us from ever allowing something so awful to happen again.

4) Trying to stop thinking about my cold and get some work done.

The Beauty of Health: Resizing the Sample Size

Apparently representatives of the beauty industry are considering changing the standard sample size - a whopping SIZE 0 -- to a size closer to what healthier women wear (or at least not anerexic 15 year olds).

The beauty and fitness blog on Vogue tells about it here.

About time.

Way over due, actually.

Kudos to them for tackling it.

Hurry please.

"a bastion of urban chic" - really? cool.

I love how Kansas city is described in this article in Elle Decor.

Poll: How often do you see your parents?

Poll: How often do you see your parents?

Supermarket Sarah

Have you seen Supermarket Sarah? She sells flea market items from her home. So cute, so clever.

On my mind right now:

Haiti victims

Apple's new iPad

how much I loved fitness conventions before every session was a commercial for a new gizmo

Oprah is stopping at 25 years. I've been teaching aerobics, group ex or yoga for 27 years. Time to quit?

My baby girl can now say "yeah" very clearly.

How stressful a month of non-stop business travel has been. Yet how wonderful to actually find time to THINK and READ which I never have unless I'm Up in the Air.

February day two

Not one to enjoy cold weather or winter, I tend to be ready to bail and move to Los Angeles by February.

To keep myself positive, I keep listing things to love about February.

1. Valentines Day! Chocolates and flowers and gifts, all definite yums. I enjoyed Valentines Day when I was single -- was fun surprising co-workers and friends with treats. I think I see it as a chance to make up for the things I didn't cross off my list at Christmas.

2. A short month.

3. January, and all it's goal setting and post-holiday blahs - is over.

4. Spring clothes are already in the magazines (and some of the stores)!

5. Another full month to enjoy indoor workouts and classes before the first sunshine-filled days send me outside to walk and run. I think this month I'll try Title Nine Boxing -- not one for boxing classes, but maybe if I hit a real bag, maybe that would be good.

trampoline you won't fall off

Kids love trampolines, but they are so dangerous.
This brilliant couple built an in-ground one for their family. Check out their amazing home.

"Urban Taco" in Dallas airport is pretty yummy and healthy!

Mad Men waistline

Mr Right and I have been catching up with the rest of the world and watching Mad Men on dvd.

I would love to wear those beautiful Betty Draper dresses.

My body type is more of like Joan's though.

early stretch

Thank you Lifetime peeps, for a wonderful yoga experience this morning.

Nothing like feeling strong, stretched and centered before the sun rises.

Vancouver

The Olympics start in 17 days.
I am looking at airline tickets to Vancouver.
Only problem is the Olympics will be long gone by the time I get there at the end of April for a work meeting.

That's ok - I love you Vancouver. Last time I was there I was really tired. Had no idea but I was pregnant.
Can't wait to take M and push her all over the city in her stroller. Glad I'll have a bit more energy when I visit this time!

have you heard of cross fit tribe?

Last night at dinner I learned about Crossfit Tribe. Read about it here.

I borrowed this quote from their blog:
“Discipline is the ability to do what needs to be done...
even when you don’t feel like doing it.” - Mark Sanborn

San Antonio

36 hours in San Antonio

0 margaritas
0 chips

:)

beautiful and fit in 2010

One of the Vogue blogs posted "Resolutions from the Pro's."

My fit and beautiful New Year will include:

Vibraderm (sp?) at Midwest Medical Aesthetics -- did it the first time this year and my skin felt so good and so smooth.

Yoga every Wed at 5:45 am with my Lifetime Fitness peeps.

Sweaty step class and core strength on Tuesday nights.

I am NOT resolving to eat less chocolate. Never works anyway.

Aqua Tots II at Blue Valley Rec Center. Managing an energetic toddler in the water is way more work than above mentioned step or yoga classes.

legal - ease

Thank you Carolyn, for spending my money. Your post on your favorite office supplies left me $50 poorer. BUT -- I'm excited for the papaya legal pads -- will lighten the many conference calls I have.

madness behind the method

Tracy Anderson is a publicity genius -- her studio and workouts are in every magazine. And now on Regis and Kelly.
Helps if you train people like Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, I'm sure.
I've purchased Tracy's dvd's and they were mediocre. She really doesn't "teach" at all -- she just does the routines and you are on your own to follow her. When she does cue, she's way late. She does have some terrific music though -- and there's no better motivation than good tunes.

marshmallow willpower

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

Hillarious

thanks Joanna for sharing

must be January

Yesterday morning I walked into my office and found my W-2 and two boxes of Girl Scout cookies I ordered from my bosses twin girls.

Both seem to be good and bad news.

soon fern shopping

So I am in search of a Boston Fern. I've never had a green thumb, or been a big fan of ferns.

But I understand they help counter the off-gas and create healthier air. Critical in my house with a baby and with Mr. Right's asthma.

decade wish lists

Seems I was just typing "I can't believe tomorrow is December" and blink, it's mid-January. I'm way too late for resolutions.
I've been thinking about the new decade though.
2000 - 2009 was rough. Ended this past year with horrible economy and unemployment rate. Got started with 9/11. In between there was Katrina and the asian tsunami.
I'm optimistic for this decade. For me, for my little girl, for my family and for everybody.
The Huffington Post listed 12 things that became obsolete this decade.
Classified ads
Landline phones
Fax machines
Dial up internet
Encyclopedias
CDs
Film
Yellow pages & address books
Catalogs
Wires
Hand written letters

I'm hoping to send more hand-written notes (not letters, but notes) in 2010. And my mailbox is awfully full of the supposed obsolete catalogs.
I wonder what will no longer be here in 2020?
I hope:
Time Warner Cable's horrific customer service
Sprint's current horrific customer service
Flight delays
Conference calls (boring ones anyway)
other time-wasters

What I hope we have that's new:

low-calorie chocolate (GOOD chocolate)

low-calorie frozen custard (I"m thinking Sheridan's or Culver's)

more independent restaurants: like the Gareltts' Blue Stem here in KC and Pure Food and Wine in NYC

higher paying jobs that require less work

more Meryl Streep movies

more Norah Ephron screenplays (stage or movie, fine)

no more hunger, domestic violence, child abuse, stupid people

Chinese and Indians realize the value of a baby girl

Ok, so if we can have a couple of those last ones, I'll give up chocolate. Happily.

chocolate in the shower

My mom also contributed to my very Merry Christmas -- gave me these yunmmy shower gels by Philosophy -- Peppermint hot cocoa and Fudge Cake. Nothing like lathering up a chocolate scent in a warm shower on a cold day. I really like these, they don't leave any lingering perfumy scent on your body, just smell great while you're using them.

gifts from Mr Right

I'm way late in posting this, but Mr Right out-did himself as Santa this year.
I opened gift after gift. Felt like a little girl getting everything I wanted!
Calvin Klein layering tanks in black and white from Bloomingdales
A beautiful black bra from Bloomingdales
Beautiful bras in red, red lace and black w/ white polka dots; matching panties too - from Victoria's Secret. (I don't know when they started carrying 34DD, but thank you!).
Trapp Candles! The big size in Pear, Pink Grapefruit, Lemongrass and Macintosh.
Aveda lotion and hand creme
A dozen pair of Thor-lo running socks
Darling polka-dot dishes from Prydes in Westport
Pink grapefruit dish soap from William Sonoma (plus a huge refill)
Two bottles of Veuve Clicquot
Scrubby exfoliating peppermint stuff that I love
And I don't even think that was all. What a wonderful Christmas morning!
I've always said the gifts are a small part of the holiday, and I love giving them more than getting them. But it was nice, I must admit, to be spoiled this way.

SATC 2

So everyone is excited about the "Sex and the City 2" movie trailer.

I did like the first movie, really just for the clothes the gals wore and the NYC scenes. Big was a weak jerk (even the fabulous closet he built doesn't make up for it).

But you have to read this hilarious post on The Lil Bee -- a blog I recently found and am really enjoying!

She is so right -- Samantha IS Blanche!

yummy brunch

On Christmas morning, I made Mr Right brunch. Eggs benedict but with beef tenderloin and corn bread. No hollandaise sauce. Not my favorite, but I think he really liked it.
Accompanied by Vueve Clicquot. THAT was my favorite. :)

Got the inspiration here.

resolution solution

no resolutions.

This is really hard for me. But I have a planner pad full of goals and projects and I don't need any more lists. I need more check marks on the lists I do have.

I was thinking today that in 2010 I will turn 45. Halfway to 50. Geez.

I saw Meryl Streep in "It's Complicated" yesterday. I was so looking forward to it; Meryl inspires me. She is amazing and yet she keeps getting better.

There is a scene in the movie where she is picking tomatoes in her beautiful garden and arguing with her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin (I think the character's name is Jake). I couldn't tell you what she said to him, because I was looking at the beautiful garden. It was amazing.

I'm sure Hollywood has a high-end nursery bring in beautiful plants and set them down right before the shooting. Still, it was gorgeous -- Kale, Swiss chard, tomatoes, lots of things I didn't recognize.

I'd like to have a garden like that before I'm 50.

The problem is, I don't really like gardening. I hate yard work. I know there's a lesson here about "enjoying the journey" but I just want the garden. I'd prefer to pay someone else to do it. Am I getting shallow? Aren't you supposed to be more drawn to gardening as you age?

Anyway, besides the garden, Meryl Streep is her typical amazing self. She's 60, and makes 60 look good.

So in the spring I'll be half-way to 50. What can I be doing now that I am close to being the "best self" that Meryl clearly is?

I think I want to learn to speak French.

Spanish would be easier, I took it in hs and college. And it would be more useful. But French is so beautiful.

Johnson County Community College has this great deal with Rosetta Stone -- you can take all the Rosetta Stone language courses for 10 weeks for $99. I'm going to try Spanish, French and Italian. At the end of the 10 weeks, I may buy the Rosetta Stone that I suck the least at.

Who knows, maybe I will be billingual at 50.

Run Forrest Run

I'm starting to love running.

I've always really hated it.

Teaching exercise classes for years created what I call "cardio-induced ADD." I have to have my mind busy.

I went Christmas eve before company and felt so good all day.
I went last night at 9:00 pm. Because I knew I'd sleep better.

I don't wantto curse this with a New Year's resolution, but I hope to do more running in 2010.
Benefits of Running - read here.

New York memories

One of my favorite memories of 2009 will be this trip to New York that Mr. Right gave me for an anniversary gift.
My one-year old sat through a 90 minute show and was mesmerized by the Rockettes.
I emailed abbey (who I've never met) and she recommended a fabulous raw food restaurant, Pure Food and Wine. We loved it. Creative cooking to say the least. And we were lucky enough to meet the owner, she happened to be in the restaurant that night.
"Love, Loss and What I Wore" might have been my favorite part of this trip. Rita Wilson is charming and funny and I want to be her. (Not just because she's married to Tom Hanks.) Kristen Chenowith was darling, and the mother-daughter duo of Rhea Perlman and Lucy DeVito made me want to have another baby and name her Lucy.
I want to go back to New York. Now. Even though it's cold and snowy.

Christmas Eve menu & Proscuitto Fig Tart

Last night Mr Right and I bought a Costco membership so we could get a few things for our company on Christmas Eve. Love the prices at Costco. Between the time we purchased the membership and got into the car, four different people tried to pitch us to upgrade to the Executive Membership for another $50. Ick. Felt like I needed a shower. Hate upselling.

After we got home, neither of us wanted to go back out so we sent Super Nanny to do battle at the grocery store. Now we are ready for company.

Christmas Eve menu:

appetizer: Proscuitto Fig Tart
Beef Tenderloin
Roasted brussel sprouts and parsnips
Garlicky parmesan cauliflower -- They used to try to fake mashed potatoes with this; I find people enjoy it more if you just call it what it is - cauliflower. Almost anything tastes good with garlic and parmesan cheese.
Cheese Tortellini with pesto and red peppers
Mac & cheese for kids (and probably some grown-ups)
Mr Right's famous cilantro-lime sweet potatoes
dessert: a small cake from Andres, chocolate-covered almonds from Andres, killer cupcakes from Cupcake Ala Mode.
Yumm.
I can't wait.

You HAVE to try the Proscuitto Fig Tart. Get a refrigerator pie crust and roll it on a cookie sheet. Spread spreadable cream cheese on it. Top with Fig preserves. (Sometimes I buy a can of figs, drain them, and stir them into the preserves for extra figgy-ness.) Turn up the edges of the pie crust, make your way around the tart. Then take extra-thin sliced proscuitto and twirl each piece. Put the twirled slices on the tart from the center outward -- like spokes on a bicycle wheel. Bake according to pie crust instructions. Yumm.

so true...

"There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity."
Washington Irving

Darling Cookie Cutters

Darling Cookie Cutters

Bye-bye November

I can't believe tomorrow is December.

November was good:
brunch for my Mom's birthday
several sweaty step classes
another month gone with no yoga (this is the LAST)
STFM Board meeting and Practice Improvement Conference
new windows in my house
a good meeting for NAPCRG
an exhausting week of work in Montreal
an amazing week in Montreal
a lovely Thanksgiving at my in-laws (I really do have wonderful in-laws)
holiday lights up outside house (a surprise from Mr. Right)
tree up; train up; ready for Christmas festivities
a couple of long stroller walks this past weekend

Now on to December.
And then to 2010.
Where is it all going??

Montreal

Montreal was magical.
The work was tiring, exhausting.

But that city was amazing. I so want to speak French. Maybe that will be a goal -- speak French before I turn 50. (I refuse to have a "bucket list.")

And I can find chocolate ANYWHERE. On any street, in any city and in any country. Had to snap a photo (thank you new Blackberry Tour) of this chocolatier. Christopher E still owns my chocolate-loving heart, but these folks were pretty darn good. Tres yummy!