It's been fun... (Veggie Panini)

Not to wax poetic for you, but 2010 was a wonderful year.  A lot of great things happened this year - I left my despised job, we adopted Layla, I started school, Bob had a successful year at the golf course, we traveled some, I discovered solace in baking and started this blog.  Just about all of my 2010 resolutions came true.  Except that one about becoming a Victoria's Secret model and writing the great American novel.  Oh well.  

My 2011 resolutions are pretty simple.  Finish school.  Get a job.  Make a quilt.  Enrich my friendships.  Conquer my fear of vegetables.

Snowed In... (Throw Pillows)

It snowed here on Monday, about 12 inches.  I love snow.  Snow means that my hardworking golfer husband gets to take it easy for a few days.  Since school doesn't start again until Jan 3, we get another entire week together this week!  So far we've laid around, ate a lot, played in the snow with Layla, caught up on our DVR'd television, did the whole post-holiday clean up and generally relaxed.  It's nice.  :o)

Bob gave me this on our first Christmas together, so long ago!

I have not, however, turned on my oven.  I can't.  The idea of more butter and sugar gives me palpitations.  Next week, I promise I'll have some deliciousness, but for now I have something else.  Not delicious, but something I'm thoroughly proud of.

What's for dinner? (Christmas Dinner)

For Christmas, my wonderful husband gave me a new camera!  It has a "food" setting!!  And it took these beautiful pictures...

Merry Christmas morning from the Hennefers!

Bob and I had two Christmases this year - with his family on Christmas Day, and with my family when they came the day after.  I cooked dinner for Christmas 2.0.  I walked around the grocery store on Christmas Eve with a cart empty except for a ham.  I had no idea what else to serve.  Potatoes?  Macaroni and cheese? Salad?  No idea.

Put a little love in your heart (Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Icing)

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Royal Icing

Real Simple's Basic Sugar Cookies

Royal Icing

1 egg white

4 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons eggnog

3 tablespoons milk

Beat the egg white into the powdered sugar.  Beat in the eggnogg until smooth - mixture will be very stiff.  Beat in the milk until you get the desired consistency.  Because I wasn't flooding my cookies, just outlining them, about 3 tablespoons worked perfectly.  Decorate with icing and sugar. 

Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie (Peanut Butter Buckeyes)

That song always makes me thing of home, especially around Christmas, mostly because I'm from Pennsylvania and we always had homemade *some kind of* pie around our table.  Makes me all warm inside.  

What I have for you today is not pumpkin pie.  It is not pie of any kind.  But it is homemade.  And it is delicious enough to drive from Tennessee for.

Haul out the holly (Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies)

Because we need a little Christmas, right this very minute...

I'm back!  Lest you think that I failed all my finals and jumped off the Ben Franklin Bridge, I've returned.  Finals actually went better than expected, a pleasant surprise.  For my first week of vacation, the husband, pup and I drove from New Jersey to the Keys.  

We're going in the car?!?!  The car!!!!!

Take two and call me in the morning (Sugar Cookies)

We're halfway done with exams.  I've actually done really well on them so far, so here's hoping that the stream of luck will continue.  During a study break on Sunday, I decided that my classmates and I needed something to help us get through these stressful and anxiety-ridden times.

So I made Valium cookies.

Or rather, the generic version, diazepam cookies.

Over a hill... (Puppy Chow)

My birthday is on Monday.  I'll be 27 years old.  Somehow 27 seems so much more grown up than 26.  When you're 26, you're still in the mid-twenties, you can still get away with being a "retired college kid" (as my husband calls us) and the life is all ahead of you.  By the time you're 27, you're closer to 30 and to figuring out how to be good at this thing called life.  I'm 27 and starting over with a new education and (hopefully!) a new career.  It's been a long road, this 26th year, but I think it was one of my best.  I made some great friends, found furry love, grew a new marriage with my wonderful husband, took some huge risks (like quitting my job for something completely different), discovered new parts of me (like this blog) and learned to trust myself.  When I look back to the turning 26 me from the me who is turning 27, I think I did good by the old me.  I think I can honestly say that I took stock of my life and then made it better.

I guess we'll see if that's true when grades are posted.  :o)