New Years...Big Deal

I'm not certain why everyone makes such a big deal about this holiday. The year is over, and a new one starts. So what? All it is another day. It's only symbolic. Everyone cheers at midnight...for what? I say it's just the alcohol talking and people's need to have a reason to get plastered. Resolutions? All that means to me is there will be a ton of people at the gym for the next 2 weeks (hogging machines they don't know how to use) before they give up. We will make empty promises to ourselves, with no real intentions of following through. Real change doesn't happen because of a new year, but when people are dedicated to their cause. There really are no fresh starts. For as long as people have memories, the slate is never wiped clean . And most of all, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Signature Cheesecake

This is my infamous (ok, not really but I'd like to think it is), White Chocolate Cheesecake. It is made with crushed chocolate graham cracker as the crust. When I lived in New York, you were able to buy crushed oreo cookie (minus the cream filling) and I would use that. I honestly prefer the taste of the oreo, but so short in time to seperate all those oreos (not to mention I really didn't need any temptation to eat the creamy filling of all those cookies). So here it is, uncracked and super yummy. This should be my last baking post for awhile!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

The under 10 crowd in my house is beyond technologically savvy, they are dependent. During a dinner conversation, my son asked a question I did not know the answer to. Without hesitation, the 7 year old responds, "Just Google it!". The 5 year old pipes in with, "Yeah mom, Google it on your ipod." I am cracking a smile, and inform the girls you can't do that on my ipod. The 9 year old rounds out the discussion with, "yeah but you could if you had a Blackberry."

It's Almost Over

2008....it went by so fast, but yet, looking back, it was a long year. I ended 2007 in a free falling descent into PMD, only to be plucked out of it's grips with the help of medication. I started the new year with destructive habits or overeating (especially in stressful times) and drinking (not always stress-induced). Now I have nearly elminated these, and have replaced them with some more positive and healthy alternatives. The result of banning alcohol and working out is the loss of over 25lbs., and a much healthier and toned body. Another resolution made and kept. Now as I look forward I need to start thinking about my future, my 2009. I guess I should start looking for the list from last year and stop patting myself on the back. I'm certain there are more unmet ones I could get around to this upcoming year.

Christmas Memories

I look upon Christmases past with such sentiment. Christmas eve I would spend dinner out with my family and going to midnight mass with my friends. On Christmas day, we would open presents, and my father would always have such a wonderful and thoughtful surprise awaiting me. My father loved to give presents to us, he would search out for just the perfect thing we could have hoped for. Even when he was declining in health, he always made us feel special. It didn't matter the monetary value, it was his consideration of you. Then, we would head to my grandmothers' house. When I was little, we celebrated in her apartment in Brooklyn. After my grandfather passed away, we would trek to New Jersey. But one thing was always constant, no matter where we were, there were tons of family memebers. My dad's aunts and uncles, my cousins, and quite often our boyfriends and girlfriends (many later became spouses). There were 12 cousins, and we were really close. My best memories are shared with them. Always taking center stage was the food. As true to our Italian roots, we ate all day long. There were at least 4 courses (appetizers, pasta, meat, and desert) and I still make some of the favorites (stuffed mushrooms and artichokes). Lots of people and lots of food. But one of the most poignant memory I have was one Christmas evening in Brooklyn, looking out my grandparent's 3rd floor apartment window, seeing the soft snowfakes fall. It made it magical.

Reality Checked

I've been whinning for a long time now about being homesick, the things I like about New York, and those I hate about Arizona. Well, the recent bad weather is shutting me up. For the record, I hate snow....ice....sleet....freezing temperatures. How I would go to work after sitting on the LIE for 3 hours to go 30 miles and proclaim I am moving to someplace warm. How much my fingers and toes would freeze while shoveling snow for the ump-teenth time in a 24 hour period. How it would take 15 minutes to warm up my car and scrape off the thick layers of ice. Praying I wouldn't skid out on black ice. Taking forever to get the kids dressed for the cold and snow, and losing waaayy too many mittens and hats. The annoying white grit on my floors and the piles of boots tripping you as you try to leave the house. I don't miss any of that! I complain when the temperature falls below 55, grabbing a sweater. Flip flops are to be worn year around and boots are for fashion purposes only (allowing me to have a cute pedicure all the time). Sunshine is the norm, and clouds and rain are hoped for. Ahhh....I had forgotten the reasons for me moving here....WINTER!

Further Proof I Can Bake

You'll have to ask others if they taste good, tho.

From left to right: Tri-colored Cake, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Cream Cheese Candy Cane Cookies


Clockwise from top: Knot, Oatmeal, Snickerdoodles, S'Mores Cookies

If you want the recipes, let me know!

If I Won Lotto

C'mon, we've all dreamed this dream. Spending a dollar, and hitting the big jackpot. What would you do with all that money? Buy a bigger house, or maybe a Rolls Royce? Take your family on a vacation around the world? Quit your job? Donate some to your favorite charity? How about change your phone number so the relatives that have forgotten about your meager existence will stop calling you. I think I would buy the NY Yankees and make Derek Jeter my personal trainer (A-Rod could be my spotter....haha!) I'd take Jennifer to NY for fashion week, and we'd stay at my east side apartment. I'd buy a beach house in Hawaii, and a villa in Italy. College funds for the kids would be a must, or course...I do need to be practical. A whole new wardrobe would be fun. I'd have better parties that P-Diddy on Labor Day, might even coerce Fall Out Boys to play. But most of all I think I would just have fun. It is good to dream about these things....but I guess the first thing I would do is pay off my Christmas bills.

It Still Makes Me Smile

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Old Wounds....

It's amazing how many years it has been since Brian has passed away. I can still picture his 16 year old face, and can't help but wonder what it would look like now. What would his life been like if he hadn't been taken so soon from us. Would he have been a great father like his own? Teaching his sons to love hockey as he did? Would his daughters have his fun smile? Losing Brian was the first time I experienced raw pain, and I suppose I will always have a gut wrenching feeling when I think of him. But it prepared me for the reality of losing people we loved, something we all face.

Patience Is a Virtue...

....that I am severely lacking (OK- I don't want tons of comments from my friends reminding me of all the other virtues I'm missing also). I am aware there are only 15 days left before Christmas. But when you buy your own presents, there is no reason to wait to wrap it, put it under the tree and wait. So, no presents for me on Christmas morning, we'll just tell the kids that Santa didn't bring me anything because I was bad....LOL.

It's a cute, dark blue Toshiba Laptop. It was on sale at Best Buy. I set it up last night and it was pretty cool. And yep the next morning, while in bed, I was on Facebook. Ah, fun, now I don't have to leave the privacy of my bedroom to interact with the cyberworld, or to write this blog. I'm sure this bit of information will make your day.

Seasonal Affect Syndrome

One day without sunshine and I am in a bad mood! Wow, I guess I have been so spoiled by mild temperatures and sunshine. With temps barely hitting 60 and overcast skies, I am so unhappy. My plans to decorate outside no longer appeal to me. I did some baking, but the kids were on my nerves too much for it to be fulfilling. We finished the tree, but it was just a chore. I cleaned and vaccummed for lack of better things to do. It has even made me sleepy. Instead of hyping myself on caffeine and sugar, maybe a good nap will make me feel better.

I was brave today. The kids had a half day. Without thinking, I take the kids to the local outdoor mall to do some Christmas looking. It was around 3 pm, and the mall was dead quiet. Not bad for December and a nice day. After dragging them to a few stores, I relent and take agree to go into Build a Bear. Well, dumb me forgets it's December and the Santa man is there....right there.....with NO LINE! As soon as it is pointed out to Rachel, she goes off running, excited as heck! This is the biggest thing in her life! I just had to smile as she was so happy to see him. We even convince the 9 year old the get in the picture! LOL

In the Name of Christmas Spirit

It has been brought to my attention I have been a little crabby this season. My Ho Ho Ho needs a little Ha Ha Ha. So I'm am vowing to *attempt* to be more in the Christmas happy spirit. In this effort, I will try my best to not talk smack about people who annoy me. I will smile as I tread through the never ending list of people I need to buy presents for. The decorations will not make me swear and curse when the lights don't work correctly. I will try not to over sample all my baked creations, therefore not sending me into a spiral of negativity as I am cursing for having to add 20 minutes on the elliptical. But most of all, I am going to have to pray harder to make these things happen. How long before I slip??

Peer Pressure

I am giving in. Yep, I admit it. I'm allowing myself to be pressured into reading the next (and I have the following 2) Stephanie Meyer's novels. We read the first one, Twilight for book club over the summer. It was okay. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a juvenile fiction book, but otherwise it wasn't the worst thing I read. I never had any inclination to read the others in the series, until now. I guess I just have to see what all the hype is about before all the stories are made into movies. Speaking of which, I am in charge of getting the book club girls together to see that. Hmm....I better get going on that. I think it is relatively safe, the teenage girls should have mostly seen it already!