I'm Baaaaccccckkkk!!!!!

Welcome back everyone, or should I say welcome back me.  After a too long hiatus, we are back in full swing in our household.  Kids go back to school today and hubby is back to work and I am back to wondering around my house, wondering how I can organize better, what I can create without having to leave my house, and wondering if I can just go visit all my friends instead.

While we were on our fabulous vaca to see family and friends in Cape Breton, I decide on my New Years resolutions, and I know this is coming a little late, but give me a break I just got back.  Every year, I make and break all of my resolutions, but this year, my # 1 is to NOT BREAK MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You heard it here folks, and if I say it out loud, I have to challenge myself to follow through, so thank you for your help in advance.

Resolution #2: Organize my life and house a little bit better, and maybe downsize   on some of the stuff I don't really use (maybe).

Resolution #3: Get back into better shape.  Last year I lost almost 50 lbs, and then I got cocky and lazy.  I had an injury that prevented me from continuing to run, and our towns gym closed down, so I took that as my excuse to slow down on my workouts.  I was ok until the holiday season, when I took it two steps further by just stopping my workouts (short of yoga, which I still do religiously), and over indulging on vaca.  Them east coast donairs and pizzas are hard to turn down.  While I haven't gained much of the weight back, I feel my body falling back into the old body and I don't like it.  So my goal is to get back into shape, not lose weight (too much pressure).

Resolution #4: Stay in touch better with friends and family.  I am a big believer in writing and email  (I do not and will not have Facebook, so I miss out on a lot of correspondence).  But it gets lost on my to do list, and sometimes, months go by without me talking to some people.  So the actual goal is to email or handwrite letters to  friends and family at the very least once every month to keep everyone updated on our family and find out how everyone else is doing.  I would say more than that, but realistically, I don't have that exciting of a life that I need to tell everyone what happens everyday.

Thats it, my Meditation Monday is dedicated to my resolutions, and to welcome me and you back.  My week will continue as normal after today, although, seeing as how we just got home, I'm not sure what kind of tut I am going to do.  I will get all my pics uploaded and edited and put up for Fotography Friday.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your life, enjoy your kids and take a deep breath, it will be the best thing you do today.

Happy New Year 2011

I'm still on vacation, but I just wanted to stop by and wish you all a Happy New Year.  Hope the coming year gives you exactly what you need.  We are having a blast and have been super duper busy, visiting everyone.  And since this is the first time that the boys and YaYa will be around for birthdays, (theirs are all in Jan and Feb) we are going to have a great big birthday party to celebrate everyone's special day.  I'm gonna need another suitcase. 

I will post tons of pics when we get back, btw, I got my new camera from Santa, so I have been taking even more pics than normal, my poor kids are gonna be blind from the flash.

Hope everyones holidays are going well and I will see you all back here on Jan 10, 2011.

As Promised, The BEST RECIPE EVER!!!!!!!

So my mother in law gave me this recipe about 5 years ago, and I make it religiously at Christmas, ok and I had it for my birthday too.  This square type cake whips up in a 9x13 pan, but I would strongly recommend  making at least 2, 1 to share with visitors, and one for you. Is your curiosity peaked yet?  My friends here in town have heard tell of this recipe being made, but none have seen it.  For the first time ever, I am going to share it with all my friends and family.  Be prepared for the compliments to start rolling in!

(And the marching band is playing softly in the back ground, drums getting louder, fireworks ready to go)

Banana Split Cake:

• First Layer:
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 stick melted butter
• Second Layer:
• 2 stick softened butter
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 egg whites
• Third Layer:
• 3-4 sliced bananas, dipped in lemon juice to prevent browning

• 1 (20 oz) can WELL DRAINED crushed pineapple
• Fourth Layer
• Dream Whip, milk
• sliced Marashino (Drained) cherries
  
• Preheat oven to 325.

Layer 1, combine all ingredients, and press into 9x13 pan, bake 10-12 minutes.  LET COOL COMPLETELY!

Layer 2, combine all ingredients and mix for a FULL 15 MINUTES (if you don't you base layer will be soft and the cake will be gloopy).  Spread over COOLED crust

Layer 3, peel and slice bananas lengthwise.  After the bananas have been dipped in lemon juice, layer side by side over layer 2.  Drain crushed pineapple completely, spread in between bananas. Use the full can.

Layer 4, mix dream whip according to directions, fold in cherries gently, and spread on top of cake.  

Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours to set.

Enjoy, believe me, you will!  Please send me feedback after you have had a chance to try this and let me know what you thought of it.

So I am leaving you with this final post for the holiday season, I will periodically check in just to see how everyone is doing and update you with out happy holidays. 

Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and have a HAPPY AND FESTIVE HOLIDAY!!

See you all back here in January.

Merry Christmas

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Why I Need To Meditate....... And Other Truths

As I do my last meditation post for a month, I realize that I have been looking forward to this for the last week.  I never realized exactly how stressful it would be to plan a month long vaca, while remembering that half of the trip is driving, with 3 kids, so I need to plan things to do, for a 5000 km drive.  All while planning Christmas, making Christmas presents, hiding presents from my kids.  And then...... I have everyday life!  Hockey 3 times a week, and I am the team manager, so I had to schedule all of that.  The kids have school, and I volunteered for a few things with them.  Oh and my weekend went like this........ Sat night, up with Supernan as he threw up a carpet in my bathroom, clean.  Up with Supernan as he sat in the bathroom for over an hour, bleach the bathroom, and all the doorknobs.  Up with YaYa as she threw up all day, do laundry from the kids throwing up all over their beds, bleach the house.  Up with Mad Dad as he threw up all night last night.  Chaos had it earlier this week, so at least he was good.  But the kids have their Christmas concert tomorrow night, and seeing as how it has run through the house to everyone but me, I fully expect to get it tomorrow (I have only seen 2 of YaYas Christmas concerts, she is in grade 6, because someone is always sick on that day).

So my plan this morning is to take advantage of some silence, relax with a coffee and reflect on December and all it has to offer.  I am thankful for what we have the opportunity to do for Christmas, and thankful for what we have here.  My moment of peace today will be when I think of that.  During my yoga, during my reflection, I will not be stressed out, if only for a moment.  I will take the time to smell the roses snow (LOL to all those whose live in the wintery north).

Until the last post tomorrow, when you get the BEST RECIPE EVER, enjoy your day, and enjoy your family, and enjoy the holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

Perfectly Perfect, Scrumdidliumtious Vanilla Spritz Cookies

Perfect Vanilla Spritz Cookies
(with a cookie press or decorators bag and tips)

1 cup butter, room temp
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beta in eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and salt.
Add flour, beating until a soft dough forms.  (At this point you can add food coloring if desired)
Pack dough into cookie press or decorators bag and press onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake until golden, about 10-12 min.
Transfer to cooling racks.  Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

These are a scrumdidliumtious little treat.

Only 2 more days to go until you get the best recipe of all.  Hope your ready for it.

See you all back here on monday for the last Meditation for a month.
Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy baking.

Merry Christmas!