Here We Go

It’s my first blog of 2011 and already I feel behind! Sigh…I had such good intentions of posting something uplifting or inspirational on New Year’s Day. I guess inspiration never struck. Rather than interpret that as a sign of things to come this year, I’ll just assume that inspiration is simply still on its way, gathering momentum, waiting to pounce at just the right moment. Yes.

Did you all come up with resolutions for the year? (I like to ask questions because it makes me feel like I have an audience.) I have the standard “get back on the exercise wagon” one, which is so boring that I’m not even calling it a resolution, just something I simply must do before I am forced to buy bigger pants.

I seriously considered trying to give up sugar. Isn’t that hilarious? Then I thought, “Maybe I’ll just try to only consume the daily recommended allowance of sugar.” But, of course, there IS no daily allowance of sugar – sugar is entirely superfluous, which I think is what makes it sweet. In my research, I found a guideline that says you should try to limit sugar intake to only 8-10% of your daily calories…this means that the more I eat, the more sugar I can eat, but that’s probably not the way it’s intended. Maybe I should just stop eating sugar cookies for breakfast.

Actually, I think I'll resolve to bake more and to try harder recipes. It will go well with my other resolution to entertain more (not to be confused with throwing more parties because I think we all know I have party anxiety). I just want to invite people over more often. Small groups of people. Even just one person. It’s silly that we always go out and spend money every time we want to hang out…plus, it will force me to clean my house. Plus, plus, with how bad I’ve gotten about making plans, it would be efficient for me to invite several friends over at once. But not more than 6. Through no scientific research, I’ve decided that 6 is the magic number – once you go over, you miss out on talking to someone and that’s always such a bummer. (and one of the reasons I don't like to host parties)

Baking and entertaining. I feel like Betty Draper...no wait, I don't think she bakes. I could resolve to do something career-related, but I'm much more inclined to just be happy where I am and see what happens.

And there you have it: Bake. Entertain. Be Happy and See What Happens.

Welcome to 2011.

A New Year and Another Item Off the List

This is how I greeted 2010. On the beach, with my husband and my boys, watching the sunrise. How can this year be anything but good?

Sure, sure, there's plenty left out of that picturesque scene. I skipped over the 11+ hours of travel time the day before, which made it impossible to stay up past 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve, which (combined with the time difference) caused us (and really, I mean my children) to be up before 5 a.m. on New Year's Day, while everyone else in the world slept off the revelry of the night before. We actually stood outside Starbucks until it opened...at 6 a.m.

But none of that matters. It was a perfect way to start the year. Perfect.

Maybe it was even more perfect because I was able to completely blow off New Year's Eve as an event, since the event was really getting my family to Hawaii. Most years I tell myself that I'm not going to make a big deal about NYE, only to find myself in panic mode after Christmas, thinking that my fate as lamest person alive will be sealed if I don't quickly find something sparkly to do on Dec. 31.

I am now a big fan of traveling on New Year's Eve and making the big event the starting of a new year somewhere fabulous. Who knows if I'll keep up this tradition, but I still recommend it.

So Happy New Year to you. I hope you've been able to greet 2010 with a sense of excitement, hope, gratitude, or something similar. It's going to be a good year.

And for those who are wondering, Hawaii was amazing. It's hard to convey the magic of the trip by simply telling you that when we weren't on the beach, we were either eating or up in our hotel room, where my husband and I refereed a gazillion rounds of bed jumping, a game that involves our boys jumping back and forth between the two beds until one of them either crashes into the wall or misjudges the distance and lands on the floor. Good times.

In addition to all of that action, we did get to take a submarine into the ocean and see 16 kinds of fish and a sea turtle. We also took a road trip to the rainforest, where we not only hiked, but stumbled upon one of the sets for the new season of LOST (awesome!). We also trekked up to the North Shore and watched tiny kids surfing fearlessly, which caused me to realize that I am even more overprotective than I thought. Oh, and we had the legendary Matsumoto shave ice, which was bigger than our heads.

I have lots of commentary I could make on the pros and cons of staying in a luxury hotel, but again, those are pretty minor given how great it felt to spend a week in a tropical paradise with the people I love. (Not to mention that it was below zero here in Minnesota nearly the entire time we were gone.)

Hawaii is amazing. I only wish it were slightly closer and less expensive, but then I suppose that's part of why it's so amazing.

So cross off #4 on my 40 by 40 list! What's next? Well, I'd like to think that I will complete #21 this year, but I suspect that it might be easier to plan a two-week trip to Key West over Christmas, during which I eat key lime pie, read Ulysses and get a tattoo. We shall see.

Pretty Good Year

I love this photo. It just conjures up so many possibilities on what that is and where and what it tasted like. (FYI, it's a marshmallow from Three Tarts in NYC and I have to assume it was good.) Sadly, it's not my photo. It's from Cakespy, where they've counted down their 25 Most Delicious Bakery Experiences of 2008. (note: If someone would pay me to travel around eating and writing about baked goods, I could never ask for anything more.) 

I am so delighted with (and jealous of) this list, that I hereby resolve to take more pictures of my food in 2009 so that I can make a Best Meals of 2009 list at this time next year. And possibly I will also make a Biggest Home-Cooking Disasters of 2009 list as well. I didn't document all of my failures this year, but I can assure you that the pumpkin cake incident is #1. 

Ok, so what do I have to say about this year as it draws to a close? Well, to be honest, 2008 sucked in a whole lot of ways. Without rehashing the drama with the teenager, let me just say that my biggest hope for 2009 is that it will be easier for him and that it will contain far less fear and heartbreak for all of us. 

Perhaps my second biggest hope is that I find a job that is at least tolerable, if not awesome, so that we can weather this failed economy and reclaim some financial stability...and go to Hawaii next Christmas. You see, in my view, the whole point of lowering your cost of living and/or trying to make more money is that you have the freedom to experience more of life. The Hawaii experience is the goal for 2009. 

On that note, 2008 was not a total bust. I made a ridiculous three trips to Las Vegas (oh, that's where I left our financial stability) with some of my best friends. My babies turned five and started kindergarten. I had two of the best meals of my life: one on my birthday at La Belle Vie and the other at Craftsteak during trip #2 to Las Vegas. Most of all, I got to spend another year (what looks to be my last year) making a living as a freelancer and staying home with my boys. That's all pretty good. 

So goodbye, 2008. You've had your moments, but it's time for you to go.

Hello, 2009, all shiny and new. No pressure or anything, but don't let us down, okay?