January Books

I heard good things about Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures by Emma Straub and it started off really interesting but ended up being unsatisfying.  There was a lot of hype around that book so maybe my expectations were too high.  I also didn't care for Will Schwalbe's The End of Your Life Book Club.  I liked some of Julianna Baggott's other books so when I saw Pure at the library I picked it up.  It felt like YA but wasn't.  The sci-fi/fantasy genre isn't my favorite but I kept reading, waiting for it to get good.  Spoiler: It didn't. I read Deborah Reed's Carry Yourself Back to Me, one of Amazon Editor's Best Book of 2011 picks, and found it hard to care deeply about the characters, all of whom got wrapped up in a pretty bow by the end of the book.

In Melanie Thorne's Hand Me Down, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth's stepdad gets out of prison for sexual assault and he can't live in the same house as underage girls. Elizabeth's mom chooses him over her daughters. Elizabeth's story of poverty, heartbreak, alcoholism, abuse, and what it means to be a family kept me turning the pages.  However, I found Elizabeth's speaking voice was too adult.  Worth reading from the library.  I also liked Charlotte Rogan's The Lifeboat, about a 22-year old newlywed woman on her way home to Boston with her wealthy new husband, when their ship wrecks in the middle of the ocean and she finds herself in a lifeboat with 39 other people.

I got a kick out of Dan Barden's The Next Right Thing, a book that shows a disgraced former police officer trying to solve the mystery of what happened surrounding his longtime sober AA sponsor's overdose and death.  Peaches for Father Francis, by Chocolat author Joanne Harris, was good but not great.  Beautiful writing kept me reading more.  I'd probably sigh over her grocery list.

Beth Harbison's When in Doubt Add Butter was too fluffy for me. Just fluffy enough was Lani Diane Rich's The Fortune Quilt.  Come on, a quilt-making psychic, a hippie town in Arizona, and the return of a long-lost mom that I read for free thanks to Amazon Prime?  Of course I liked it. Jillian Medoff's I Couldn't Love You More is about a working mom in a blended family who has no idea what's in store for her.  All of the characters are relatable and it build to climax that almost had me skipping to the end.  If you've got a flight in your future, pick up this book.

I was sick and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy was available for the Kindle from my library so I finally read it.  I had mixed feelings about it.  It's a fast read and I wanted to know what was going to happen next so I kept reading.  I'm not fond of books (or TV shows or movies) that use violence against women, and in this case the torture, rape, and murder of girls and women, for entertainment.  On the one hand, I'm glad that it is becoming part of the conversation that this violence exists, but at the same time I can't tolerate it as entertainment.  I do know I'm a few years behind this controversy. That's also why I hadn't read it before, despite raves from friends.

I finished Heaven on Earth, by Sharifa Oppenheimer, a book that was recommended by my hippie parenting class teacher.  It's aimed at slightly older preschool kids but I really liked the suggestions about rhythm and family festivals.

January Goal

What I do every day makes a bigger difference than what I just do sometimes.

For January, my goal is to workout every day.  I've been trying this off and on since late fall, with mixed results.  I decided to use the don't break the chain technique.  Armed with a free calendar from the hardware store and a new, black Sharpie, I have been marking off the days.  The X's mark off walks/jogs, weight lifting, swims, Yoga, and miles on the treadmill. 

It's also changed the question from, "Am I going to work out today?" to "What workout am I going to do today?"  That works well for me because I can very easily talk myself out of a workout.

I do best when I can workout in the morning but that isn't always possible.  I marked one day with a big S when I was really too sick to work out.  The following day I did Yoga at home with a box of tissues and cup of apple cinnamon tea.  

2013: A Year of Change

I haven't forgotten about the not-so-young New Year. I've been mulling over what I want to do.

In 2009, I set 9 commandments.

In 2010, I set 10 annual goals.

In 2012, I set quarterly goals.

What I do know for sure is that 2013 is going to be a year of change.  I'm a person that does well with a schedule and a routine.  I find great value to having a rhythm and routine for days, weeks, months, and seasons.  I'm a planner, that much is true.  I like knowing what is coming up and preparing for it.  I'm no stranger to lists, spreadsheets, checklists, and timelines in my personal and professional lives. I've been told I run a tight ship.

What am I having for dinner next Monday?  Funny you should ask, it's pasta bake (already made and in the deep freeze) with green salad.  What do I keep in the diaper bag?  Let me just glance at the checklist.  What do I need to throw a  baby shower?  I've got a spreadsheet with all the details and a playlist ready to go.  How long does it take to get a proof from the printer?  Usually less than 24 hours but I budget two days for it.

Being a planner can lead me to be a bit on the rigid side. However, I've become a lot more flexible since I became a parent. I am very far from being a go-with-the-flow, laissez-faire type of person, but I'm learning to be more adaptable.  It's better to bend than break.

For 2013, I'm setting monthly goals. The January post will be up shortly.

Wish me luck!  And tell me what your goals are in the comments below.

Today I am grateful for hot tea and lots of it, a delicious asparagus and goat cheese omelet, being able to FaceTime with my sister and niece,  hot showers (I'd have been a terrible pioneer woman), Babyface's long nap, friends near and far, videos that make me laugh, and spell check.

Rice Cooker Oatmeal

We eat a lot of oatmeal around here.  I like my oatmeal made with old fashioned oats, water and 1% milk (two parts water, one part milk) and a big spoonful of chunky peanut butter.  I've already shared how I make Babyface's Favorite Breakfast but when it comes to making breakfast for myself, I must admit my stove is no stranger to a boiled over mess.  I probably do that at least once a week...

I was mulling over how to make my breakfast (without boiling it over) and keep it hot until I am ready to eat it.  And so, I put everything into the rice cooker, pushed the button down, and voila!

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oats
1 spoonful of peanut butter

The only difference between oatmeal made in the rice cooker or the stove is the peanut butter.  On the stove, the PB melts into the water/milk and every bite has pretty much the same amount of peanut butter.  In the rice cooker, the peanut butter stays on the bottom, giving some bites more PB than others.  It's delicious either way.

I've also made Babyface's oatmeal in the rice cooker and it turned out well.  All I can say is that my kitchen appliances are working for me!

Today I am grateful for getting lots of sleep on cozy flannel sheets, feeling sore from yesterday's workout, Kindle books I borrow from the library, Pandora, hand-me-downs, not having to drive anywhere today, resisting online bargains, playing outside with Babyface (the dirtier he gets, the more fun he has), taking The 21-Day Happiness Challenge with My Heart's Desire, and feeling joyful for the New Year.

A Promise

New workout shoes are a promise that I make to myself.
I promise to take care of myself and to wear these shoes out with walks, jogs, and even some running.
I promise to lace these up regularly and move, even when I don't want to.
I promise to log cold, windy miles and hot, sweaty miles too.
I promise to remember I can make healthy choices every day.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than soup to warm up from the inside.  And slow cookers are perfect for this.  I first made this soup in the fall and loved it.  My Heart's Desire liked it too.  This recipe makes a really big batch, so we had some for lunches and froze the rest.  I got the original recipe from the Crockin' Girls and changed it to fit my taste. It's a little spicy but you could easily make it more or less so by adjusting the chili powder. Adding a can of green chilis would make it spicier too.  It's also easy to make without meat, just lose the chicken, triple the beans (maybe a mixture of black and kidney) and use veggie broth.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T minced garlic
1 c diced onions (I use the frozen kind)
28 oz diced tomatoes
15.5 oz black beans, drained
10 oz enchilada sauce
1.5 c frozen corn
1 Q chicken broth
1 c water
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 t lime juice

Toppings:
chopped avocado
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Put everything into the slow cooker and mix well.  Cook for 3-4 hours on low.  Take out the chicken and shred it.  Add the shredded chicken back into the crock.  Cook for 3-4 more hours on low or 1.5-2 hours on high.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips. It's very quickly become one of my favorites.

When I know my morning's going to busy, I put all of the ingredients except the chicken into a very large (5 Q) container the night before.  Then in the morning, all I have to do is pour it into the slow cooker, add the chicken, and go.

Today I am grateful for using the last swim on my 12-swim pass at the county pool, the fleece-lined sweatshirt I got from Santa that keeps me cozy, friends and family that share their skills with me, getting Little House in the Big Woods on CD from the library (I think  reading about Gretchen Rubin's love of children's literature at The Happiness Project put the bee in my bonnet), pancakes for dinner, Netflix, and the look on Babyface's face when he plays with bubbles in the bath.

Heft

Liz Moore's Heft is the kind of novel that intrigues and draws the reader in.  The characters include a former professor turned 550lb shut in, a high school athlete from the wrong side of the tracks at a wealthy school, and his alcoholic mother.  This book was recommended to me by my loyal blog reader Linda and once I got my hands on it I couldn't put it down. 

Today I am grateful for book recommendations that turn out to be really great books, homemade mac and cheese with lots of broccoli, new running shoes, creating a routine, Babyface's big hugs, clean water, and new opportunities.

2012 Greatest Hits

Oh, Baby!
My Heart's Desire and I are both head over heels when it comes to Babyface.  2012 was a year of a firsts for Babyface, from teeth to eating solids to talking to rolling over, crawling, and walking. He's grown from a baby into a toddler.  As our pediatrician said, "What a difference a year makes!" Every day he looks slightly less like a baby and slightly more like a little boy. I continued taking parenting classes and still belong to parenting groups. 

Books
I read many, many good and great books this year.  I even found the worst book I ever read.  The best nonfiction book was Cheryl Strayed's Wild. The best fiction books were The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Carol Rifka Brunt's Tell the Wolves I'm Home. I mostly read on my Kindle, though I regularly get paper books from the library and borrow books from friends.

Family Tradition
I can not stop having Babyface's picture taken.  Almost every month, I have taken him to the department store and had his portrait taken.  I signed up for the portrait studio emails and get the monthly special emailed to me.  Whatever the deal of the month is usually works for me.  It's true that he doesn't look that different month to month, but when I compare a spring to a winter picture, it's like a whole different baby.  We also had professional photographs taken of our family despite many grumbles from My Heart's Desire.  I love to see really good pictures of our family.

It's All Relative
This was a banner year for relatives.  In 2012, everyone in My Heart's Desire and my immediate families got to cuddle with Babyface.  In addition, we traveled to California and Florida for extended family extravaganzas.  It was great to see Babyface with so many relatives.  Suffice it to say that his feet did not touch the floor.

Thrift
I'm one thrifty mama.  Luckily I have friends with sons that hand down clothes and toys to Babyface.  I also have friends with sons younger than Babyface and am happy to pass clothes on.  I love being in the middle of the hand me down chain! 

(Kitchen) Game Changer
Last Christmas I got a slow cooker as a gift. A year later, I'm a slow cooking evangelist. I l-o-v-e that appliance. I can assemble everything in the morning, toss it in the crock, and come home to a hot, delicious dinner. My favorite meal is slow cooker chicken fajitas, but my slow cooker homestyle roast chicken is the most popular. The prep for these recipes takes less time than making a cup of tea. Tomorrow I'm going to slow cook chicken tortilla soup, recipe coming soon.

 

Breakfast
The Hurricane Omelet that my dad makes. Also known as shakshouka, it's eggs poached in a yummy tomato, onion, garlic and bell peppers with cumin and cinnamon.  I was lucky to have it several times this year.  I just happen to have all of the ingredients whenever my dad visits.