This last week was kinda rough, it just was. So I am going to do a self-indulgent exercise here to re frame my thoughts and get ready for a new week! I am going to free form with you about the good things or "bright" spots lately. (the pic is super tiny I know, I couldn't get a big one for you, it's mentioned below)
1.) Cooler weather. The changing leaves, the feeling of the end of a challenging year and the beginning of something new. I pray daily that I will find my way and make the most of my purpose here. This is something I really struggle with and I really hope that I'm doing the right things with my life and I will be at peace with how I've lived it when I'm finished. I've kind of been really down lately and wondering what all of this is for and feeling like my life is pointless and doesn't matter. I sense this may be seasonal, missing people who are no longer with me and feeling lonely for those people with a terrible, undefinable ache. Maybe it's related to being sick lately and wishing they were here to lean on when in reality I do have loving friends but it's not the same. I don't lean, I'm afraid to lean, I take it all on myself and ....ACK . I am in a TMI state right now and am promptly cutting that mess off. My point is, I am happy to have things shifting and changing and I am looking forward to what is to come even though it is bittersweet. Oh, bonus points in that is I am having the best hair weather of my life. The humidity levels are optimum for me looking the most goddess-like that I have in years. This is good. Just so you don't get the idea that I am too deep and spiritual, I had to remind you that after all, I am just a girl trying to look at cute as possible.
2.) Starting up with tea drinking again. I am not a hot beverage drinker but as I told you, my constant struggle not to eat crap at night has been greatly reduced by drinking fancy teas. Really, if this is an issue for you, try this! I was lucky enough to make it to a teavana yesterday and a wonderful gentleman kindly treated me to a few small bags to try. The coconut ginger tea is my new favorite. It is so interesting and satisfying. There is also a new one called Treviso tiramisu. YUMMO! This is an excellent dessert one. It replaced my munching on sweets last night. I highly recommend trying this if you are a struggling former or current fatty with a few to lose like me. not that you want to envision this but I already feel less bloated! WOOT!
3.)My crush on Mike Bloomberg. Yeah, I know. I'm a sad old woman who probably has 20 cats and knits cozies for the back of my toilet. No, not really. I love HIM, I really do. Daydreaming about him reminds me of when I was 13 and had the hots for Scott Baio or Leif Garrett. *twirls hair and doodles "Mrs. Mike Bloomberg", ahhhhh*
4.)Finally getting to wear boots I spent and OBSCENE amount on. Hear me now John Fluevog, you are ordered to cease and desist the making of your beautiful comfortable extremely costly shoes and boots. I simply cannot afford them and I'm being driven to mentally percolate horrible scenarios as to how I can score more of them in unsavory ways. I feel almost as much passion for these shoes as I do for my beloved Mike. I think if I was ever in a situation where I was wearing my Fluevogs AND standing next to Mike I would probably just spontaneously combust, for life would be just too good. Yes, if I could choose my death it would be to die while out at dinner or even on vacation with Mike and wearing my Fluevogs. Now that's the stuff dreams are made of kiddos.
5.)Pumpkin everything. Being a miserable beeatch who is always conscious of everything I eat I am extremely tempted to go nuts with pumpkin baked goods right now. I love this time of year and all the spices that are in cakes and cookies. I restrain myself daily from Starbucks pumpkin scones but it ain't easy. It's killing me. I had one and I stopped the habit immediately. I also am dying to make my mom's pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies. But I will not. I am putting up the good fight because I know I am a hopeless beast with no self control and I will eat till it's all gone and then torture everyone I know with the dreaded 'does this make me look fat" question when I know that yes, it does because, yes, you are fat you cake eating hog you.
Just for fun, here is my favorite Carrot Cookie which I turned into a pumpkin cookie by substituting pumpkin for the mashed carrots. This recipe came from a beloved old farm in upstate N.Y called Westheimers Carrot Barn. It was sold and is not the carrot barn anymore but for years my dear mother and I used to go there and enjoy all the fresh vegetables and the little bakery where local ladies made some of the most delicious cakes, cookies, pies and salads and dishes with the vegetables grown there that you've ever tasted. They used to put out a small booklet of those recipes and I lost it. I got ballsy and googled the phone number of the Westheimers and called them. They were shocked that someone was calling them for a cookie recipe. But hey, that's how I roll. I loved these cookies and nothing would stop me from getting the recipe again as long as it is out there! Oh and by the way, Mr Westheimer is the brother of Dr Ruth Westheimer that eccentric little sex therapist who used to be on TV a lot in the 80's. so maybe I should call these "Sexy Carrot Cookies'?...or maybe not.
Millie's Carrot Cookies (or pumpkin if you like)
I cup carrots cooked and mashed (this is a one pound bag before cooking)
1 cup shortening (I always use butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I leave out)
1/2 cup raisins
sift together
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Add mashed carrots (or pumpkin, if you do use pumpkin get the plain stuff without sugar or spices, NOT the pie ready stuff)
Now, add the dry ingredients. fold in the nuts and raisins. I sometimes do not use raisins and nuts, I like to add a cup of chocolate chips.. Bake on a greased cookie sheet (I use parchment) for 10 minutes. Delish plain or iced with a confectioners sugar glaze or a browned butter glaze! They are also heavenly with a cream cheese icing sprinkled with coconut. Damn you, now I want to make them!
6.) OK., I will admit this to you with reservations, and only you because quite frankly I'm a bit ashamed of myself. I wandered over to overstock.com and spotted quite the stunning winter coat. Now to be honest,I have many winter coats, but they all seem to be down and for comfort. I don't have anything "dressy" to speak of. This is probably because I am always freezing and I refuse to wear something to look hot in if it makes me really uncomfortable. This one just called out to me though. It's a black wool military styled coat, very long ankle length. quite dramatic looking. The quality appeared to be pretty nice too. I immediately began to envision myself in this with my Victorian lace up boots and my long red curly hair and I thought wow, this look could really work for me! Lets get some naughty librarian/victorian lady "age of innocence" smouldering sexiness going on here! At that moment I read the details and people, I was shocked to see that this coat sprouted from the fashion stylings of none other than her highness JLo. Yes, Jennifer Lopez. I felt shame and questioned my fashion sense, but there was no denying this was a lovely coat and it was really cheap at that overstock price so I went for it. It is set to arrive this week. We shall see how great it is in person. I will report back. This does remind me of the time I fell in love with a lip gloss from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's makeup line at walmart. Oh the shame if it!
7.)Today is THE DAY AFTER. I am off right now to search for some half price Halloween candy. It's my annual tradition every year. I call it "the running of the jiggly thighs". Sort of my tribute to all those brave souls in Spain who chase after bulls, you know?
OK.....that's it for now. sorry if this was a crushing disappointment for you but hey, at least you got a fabulous cookie recipe out of me. That alone was worth the 2 minutes it took you to read today, wasn't it?
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