don't forget to vote.

grateful on day 5

as i untangled myself from the sheets this morning i thought wow, monday again.  i could smell the coffee wafting up the stairs into the bedroom.  it is one of my favorite scents.  this morning was a little brighter than it had been last week,  partly because mic had spent the weekend home with us.  but also because day light savings had kicked in over the weekend.  with my head filled with thoughts of the upcoming week i headed to work.  traffic was heavy and it doesn't take long for all the to do lists to start multiplying in my head.  i arrived at work and shuffled through some paperwork. i made a few phone calls.  i was checking through emails and i stopped to read one regarding some disaster relief efforts being made from my office to hurricane sandy victims.  i am reminded what terrible struggles some people are having today, my heart aches for their hardships and devastating loss. it's hard to imagine what they must be going through right now.   life is so  fragile and security is an illusion.  we can never really protect ourselves from the unexpected disaster.  today i promise to look around and be grateful for the moment.  i will reach out to lighten someones burden.  each and every part of the world is within someones reach.  each little kindness counts.  the only way to move forward beyond helplessness is to try a different approach.  do something kind for someone that wasn't expecting it.   tonight when i crawl back into bed i will feel good knowing that i made someones day a little brighter.  then i will entwine myself with t for safekeeping and be thankful for all i have.

a slice of my life...

 pumpkin creme brulee  (via sunday suppers)


spiced pumpkin crème brûlée

serves 4


1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup. pumpkin purée
4 tsp superfine sugar reserved for top of brûlée

preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks. combine the cream, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and vanilla bean (de-seeded) in a saucepot, and bring to a simmer. slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. whisk in the pumpkin purée.
divide the mixture among four 8-oz. ramekins and place in a large baking pan. add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set (about 30 minutes).
transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
just before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp. superfine sugar evenly over the surface of each custard. using a kitchen torch, move the flame continuously over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns. serve immediately

i'm grateful...

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

thanks moe!!!!

tides and seasons...

i am listening to hurricane sandy raging outside my window.  with every gust of wind i expect to lose power.  lots of people around us have already lost power.  i am thinking back to the weekend,  just one short day ago.  the glorious weekend, when the skies were sunny and the laughter was loud.  saturday was one of those days when everything feels so right.  the sky was so blue and the golden light filtered through the trees warming everything with an extra shot of gold.  this past weekend was girls weekend.  an annual event that reminds me of how lucky i am to have the friends i have.
i honestly believe that people are put in our lives that we are suppose to have relationships with.  we are meant to fall in love with them.  when we are young sometimes you can want your life to be filled with grandiosity.  then life happens and we realize what really matters.  friendship matters.   life is paved with ordinary days. when we all met i couldn't have imagined what would come next.  i didn't realize how much i would come to depend on you.  back then we were just baking pies for play group, getting through the day, swapping kid stories, hanging out at the pool club, changing diapers and makes plans.  no big deal.  at that time we were all new parents trying to find our way.  walking around blindly oblivious.  we needed some people in our corner.  we all shared so much of the same.  little did we know as time moved on we would celebrate more births,  attend pto meetings, go on field trips, teach CCD, cheer the kids on at the 4th of july road race, celebrate christmas teas, bad haircuts and every thing in between. we walked up hill together so much faster than we ever could have imagined.  then suddenly there were graduations and kids being kids and late night phone calls and aging parents, divorce and deaths.  now, weddings, more births, moves,  more of life to share with each other.   we are still needing each other, still depending on each other for support and reassurance that we can make it through whatever life might present us with.  we do know how lucky we are.  we just had no idea in the beginning where this friendship would lead us.
the irony is,  all those times together, all those ordinary days, all those times from brewing tea to passing wine back and forth made us the friends we are today. 

i hope that 20 years from now we are still arranging girls weekends.  i hope we are still sharing laughter, wiping up tears, celebrating milestones and jotting down recipes (if sue will give them to us)
and always, always,  cheering each other on. 

                                                                        love you guys....

                                                         we missed you Joan and Marie !!!!

xo

can't get this song out of my head...

obsessed

this just touched a piece of me i can't explain...

listen to it here.......     love