Girl's Weekend

Everyone needs to get away once in a while.  Plus, I think girlfriends are a must have to keep sane (even if you have the perfect life).  So on the most hectic week of my awesome new job as librarian, I was lucky to have a girl's weekend to Estes Park scheduled.  I left from my busy workday, picked up a lovely girlfriend an hour after I left, and we resumed driving and chatting for two hours until we reached our destination.  The drive up there was the beginning of the fun.  It is so fun to chat with your longtime girlfriends (this particular one and I had been friends since fourth grade, not to mention she was my boudoir photographer).  I told her how I had been such a grouch to my family, and hopefully distance would make their hearts grow fonder.  She told me similar stories.  Then, when we arrived at our destination, boom it was so fun.  Two more of our lady friends were waiting for us in a divine place called Mary's Lake Getaway(photo above, website as follows   Maryslakegetaway.com).  I do suggest you stay there.  It was like having a beautiful mountain lodge all to yourself.  Waiting for us with open arms were the two previously mentioned lady friends, Erica and Samantha (known since kindergarten and sixth grade, respectively).  That night, at the suggestion of my friend Samantha's mom, we went to dinner at Dunraven's.  It was the most magical, delicious Italian resturaunt, with an eccentric decor.  There were Mona Lisa interpretations everywhere.  On the walls and ceiling of the entrance, there were $1 bills taped everywhere.  I asked an employee, and he said it was more than $10,000.00.  He said it is good luck if you tape a dollar bill to the wall.  I asked if a penny would bring luck, and he said no.  Being the cheapskate that I am, I had to decline.  Who knows where I could spend that dollar on girls weekend.  It is late, and I must be off, but stay tuned for the conclusion to girls weekend.....

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Are you so excited for April Showers?  I am.  I love the rain, because I picture the green grass and the flowers blooming.  Also, the smell is out of this world.  So check out these cute vintage umbrellas I found for less than most on http://www.lace-parasols.com/.  The above is the "Virginia".  Can't imagine why I would be so enthralled with that.  It is $37.99, which is cheaper than most lace parasols on the net.  And if it last you a lifetime of Aprils, what is $40.00?  What a cute site, and what cute items.

Tribute to Chance

I was hanging out with my daughter today, when I heard the Louis Armstrong song, "What A Wonderful World", and I fell apart.  I was so embarrassed crying in front of my daughter, but she gave me a hug and was so sweet.  I used to love that song, until I was on bedrest with my first son, and he used to kick every time he heard it.  I thought he loved it, and would love it when he was born.  Unfortunately, that day never came, as he died an hour and a half after his birth on September 29th, 2000.  That song used to bring me to tears, until a few years ago, when I could finally get through it after hearing it through countless weddings, ect.  But today, for some reason, it snuck up on me again.  Every bone in my body longs for him.  I often think how he would be in fourth grade this year, and I think how he would be such a good brother to Miles and Virginia.  Maybe it is selfish to long for a third child when so many people can't even have one, but I do.  I long for the baby I lost.  I long for him every mother's day, every birthday, and every once in a while, on days like today, when I think of how wonderful it would be to have him.  This is to every one who lost a baby, every one who wishes they could have one, and even to those who cancelled a birth on their own, and think of it every day....I love you Chance...thank you for being my son...if even for only an hour and a half.

St. Patty's Feast

Thursday is St. Patty's, and I have such a love for holidays, I am going all out.  While searching for dessert recipes, I found a yummy looking chocolate irish whiskey bundt cake on the following site.... http://www.chow.com/print/recipe/10892

What is going into our St. Patty's this year?  Corned Beef and Cabbage, scalloped potatoes, the above cake, and many fun games for the kiddos, and plenty o' Irish humor.  The corned beef is so easy.  You just throw it in the crock pot with onions, cabbage and beer, and turn it on.  It is ready at dinner time.  There are so many resources for St. Patty's games for the kiddos.  Here are a few... http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-games/, http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/holiday_themes/stpat_games.html

A great site for Irish Slang is http://www.irishabroad.com/culture/slang/irishslang.asp.  

A fun site for Irish Jokes is http://irishjokes.com/

Have fun, have a green beer, but be responsible, and celebrate a heritage who saw its share of opression  in the late 1800's.  No group was considered lower than the Irish in the 1850's.  Read about it at the following site....http://www.kinsella.org/history/histira.htm

And you can't celebrate the holiday without some wonderful Irish music.  So lively and delightful.  Go to Pandora.com and ask for St. Patty's mix, or celtic music.  It is so fun to listen to.

Hopefully I wasn't a dry shite in this blog, referrin you to a lot o sites....

Crazy Good Banana Bread

I had a couple bananas going brown on the counter, so I decided to make banana bread.  I looked in my recipe box, and found something different.  It was a recipe from Carole Lanthier from Ontario.  I found it in some cooking magazine.  Here goes:

1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 medium mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl beat the  eggs, bananas, butter, coconut, and extract.  Stir into dry ingredients until moistened.  Fold in walnuts and cherries.  Transfer to a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.

I didn't have cherries, and I used chopped pecans instead of walnuts, and it was sooo delicious.  I think the almond extract is to blame for the out of this world flavor.  I was never a huge fan of banana bread, but this has converted me.

March

Welcome to the month o' green(St. Patty's is on the 17th).  March also includes noted dates such as the birthday of Dr. Seuss (2nd), the beginning of daylight savings time (13th) and the first of spring (20th).  It is a month full of tradition and new beginnings.  The green tips of spring bulbs will soon be popping out of the ground.  Birds will soon be in the yard whistling and waiting for worms.  Spring/Summer clothes will be dragged out of storage.  Houses will be spring cleaned and windows opened.  A new beginning awaits...

St. Patty's Pancake Rainbow

Today, I thought I would indulge my children in a rainbow of pancakes for breakfast.  Is there a pot o gold at the end?  There is in the form of perfect childhood smiles.  If you would like to make a pancake rainbow, do the following:  Set out five bowls.  In each bowl, put 1/4 cup water, and a couple drops of the desired color food coloring.  Then add a little more than 1/4 cup mix to each bowl and stir vigorously with a fork.  Meanwhile, heat your skillet.  Then take a tablespoon and use it to make the pancakes the right size.  Cook them thoroughly on one side, and after you flip them, hurry and take them off so one side doesn't brown as much (so you can see the color).  Arrange them any way you like on a pan, and enjoy! -Linda