Monday, January 11, 2010

Confessions of a Closet chef-a-holic

I have a confession, a guilty pleasure.

I love the Food Network,

I love Ina Garten (the barefoot contessa). She is my Julia Child.

Now mind you, I don't like to cook or rather I am really bad at it, but I love to watch someone that knows what they are doing in the kitchen. Now that is truly a beautiful thing.

Today I learned how to make date bread with orange cream cheese spread and homemade orange marmalade.

I also am a fan of Alton Brown (good eats). Now this man knows everything there is to know about food, cooking, science, entertainment. Then there is Bobbie Flay and Tyler Florence also very fabulous cooks with great recipes. Man...there is just something about a man that can cook, it almost sends me over the top. That is why I love it when Mr Darcy mans the BBQ grill.

Watching these skilled chefs makes me almost giddy with the thought of bringing wonderful, tasty, beautiful creations of love for my family.

But alas, my thought process is as far as that goes. Wouldn't life be wonderful if the pictures in your head became your reality without any work or effort. Okay, okay.. before I start getting comments about the effort being the thing that brings joy to the experience...let me say this. I know...I know, I really do, but a girl can dream can't she.


Organize me, Please!

Have you ever had a crazy, crazy span of time? Well, I am in the throws of crazy business travel right now. Mr Darcy and I have been traveling A LOT. We usually leave on Monday and return home on Thursday so that we can be home on the weekends, however last week we were gone Monday coming home Wednesday and then left Friday returning home Saturday. It was a crazy week, and next week will not be much better, the difference is that next week is strictly a pleasure trip. I will be traveling with my lovely parents to a wedding in California and they have agreed to let me tag along. We will be gone about 10 days (depending on the weather) and get back just in time for me to entertain company for a couple of days and then immediately hop a plane for Costa Rica (by immediately, I mean the day they leave, we leave). After arriving home we will then have 1 day at home and then run down to Vegas for the blessing of '10' my latest and greatest grandbaby.

Whew! just writing it has left me exhausted. Why did I just spill my guts to all you innocent bystanders? well, I will tell you. I am extremely disorganized, it is a natural state that I live in daily, but as part of my new goals, I want to change this part of my brain makeup. So I have written this out to try to get a handle on my next three weeks. I figured if I saw it in black and white it would give me a starting place, you know, kind of ground me a little. Unfortunately after rereading what I have written, all it leaves me with is a feeling of bewilderment and yes, exhaustion.

To all you wonderful people reading this, any suggestions on reworking my brain so that organization is not only natural but ...oh I don't know.... Fun, would be oh so appreciated! I would love your input and your suggestions. After reading your posts, and may I say you are amazing, I know that you all can help me with my issues, even if it is just to help me laugh at myself.

Now, while I wait for your pearls of wisdom, I think a nap is in order.


Tuesday, January 5, 2010

2009, you were fine

We made it, it is 2010 and 2009 is officially behind us now. It has been a very busy and productive year for my family. We have been blessed with great opportunities as well as great challenges and both I find to be blessings from a loving Father in Heaven.

As I take stock, I wanted to give a special Thank You to the people in my life that color it with love and flavor it with laughter and kindness. It has been a year that has increased our little family by 2 beautiful babies, bringing it to a total of 10 choice little spirits that grace this family and for that I must give an extra measure of love to my 3 beautiful daughters-in-law and 1 beautiful daughter. Where would I be without the love of my very special support system. MY GIRLS (and yes, they all are my girls) are the best of the best.

But we must not forget the testosterone that is also part of the pack. My darling Mr Darcy and my boys (all 4 of them) are incredible men, fathers, husbands and sons. They are truly honorable men.

The year has been one that I will treasure for the moments spent with friends both near and far and with siblings that give much more then they ever get back from me. How I love you all. Thinking about you makes me want to be a better person, love more, share more, serve more, so if a New Years Resolution were something that I was prone to make, that would be it.

And probably my greatest wish of all would be for all of you to have the righteous desires of your hearts both great and small and that you will always be blessed for the good that you are in my life.