christmas yarn

A very tired me modeling my chunky christmas cowl - thanks for the lovely yarn fmil!

one for you and one for me

Behold, Lemon-Thyme Cornish Hens with Garlic Red Potatoes. Delish!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Thyme-Cornish-Hens/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlic-Red-Potatoes/Detail.aspx

do blondes have more fun?

Hunter Style Chicken - a quick one-dish meal that makes the house smell delish! Simple to make and the splash of white wine in the sauce makes it feel rather elegant.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hunter-Style-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Today's menu:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Thyme-Cornish-Hens/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Felipe has been asking me to make every day of his vacation! (Extended vacation I might add.) Somehow the suave-surgeon in him managed to score 2 extra days of vacation, gaining him 4 whole days off rather than just the 2 he was scheduled.

So, I've been dying to chop off my long locks that I have painstakingly grown out since the big engagement last February. Well, after playing around on the In-Style makeover website I'm starting to realize that a pixie is just not for me. But, maybe a blond bombshell is in my future?

christmas morning

Christmas breasfast - big soft gingersnaps and a steaming mug of coffee. Delish!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Big-Soft-Ginger-Cookies/Detail.aspx
Felipe playing with his new present (a digi-camcorder!) Soon I will have to post a movie of felipe and elo "playing."

It's a white christmas!

Elo - playing with her old toy. The new ones only interested her for about 5 minutes. Jingle toys are where its at.

I've had a WONDERFUL christmas this year. Felipe and I opened up gifts last night with christmas carols playing in the background, a steaming mug of gingerbread tea in hand, and the tree casting sparkling lights. I must have been extra good - felipe got me this locket that I've been wanting for years! It even came with his and elo's pictures inside:) And miss elo got me my very own i-pod! Awesome!

twas the night before christmas

Last night I had the "best meal I've had all year." (Haha - bit of an inside joke there.) My fmil made a scrumptious meal of beef tenderloin with mushrooms and carmalized onions, spicy green beans, fingerling potatoes, and cranberry rice. Delish!

Dinner was followed by various christmas snacks. I got to try this new type of candy made from saltines. I went home and immediately looked up the recipe, I'm going to have to make some of my own here soon. I just love the mix of salty and sweet: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crunch-Bar/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

After dinner was time for gifts! I got tons of fabulous treasures - a gigantic knitting bag to hold all my projects, some beautiful green/brown yarn (I already have a pattern picked out!), a soft pink pashmina, and a charm-bracelet to add to each year with new memories. I was a wonderful evening and I felt right at home with my new family:)

when the weather outside is frightful. . . . .

. . . . you gotta have somewhere great to hang your coat. Right now we are hanging our coats in the laundry room - which is frigid this time of year! Its no fun to put on a freezing cold coat. Today I remedied that situation with the most awesome coat tree ever, literally a tree! I've been wanting this for ages, and when I found a 20% off coupon I knew it was time to make the dream come true.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas came early in Arkansas this year. I'm down for a long weekend to interview at AHEC's family medicine program. This was the first time mom has gotten to have Christmas at her house since I was in high school! Very special indeed. We opened gifts around the tree this morning and I think the whole family was on santa's nice list. because we all received fabulous treasures.

Here's a quick list of some of my christmas loot:

• spacious red purse
• barefoot contessa cookbook with scrumptious recipes
• 2 pairs of slipper socks
• 1 pair of tall warm wonderful slippers
• yummy treats
• bath and body works lotions and potions
• the perfect beach bag/carry-on for my jamaican weddingmoon
• an amaryllis bulb
• kitchen gadgets

Yummy yummy cinnamon rolls!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Rolls-III/Detail.aspx

I hope everyone in KC is staying warming - brrrrrrrrrr!

christmas time is here, happiness and cheer

Sigh. Contentment. I could not sleep Thursday night. For some reason I decided 11pm was an appropriate time to think about my future, so I toiled over the computer until the wee hours Friday morning making charts and doing research into the FM residency programs here in town. I woke up the next morning no closer to a decision. If only I had waiting another day for this debate because as soon as I arrived at my KU interview it felt like coming home, it felt like I was with family. Which truly is what your colleagues become, since you spend more time with them than anyone else. So now my mind is at rest and I'm decided that KU is the place for me (at least for the next 3 years.) I even scored an invite to the Family Medicine holiday party which was SO much fun. Felipe got to see me in my element and I think he was pleasantly suprised.

Should be a fun golden weekend for us. Felipe is off, we're decorating holiday cookies with our good friends the Schumachers, and then we are registering! I cannot wait!

Stay tuned for cookie pics - here's the recipe for now. Super easy, makes approximately 2 dozen, which is awesome b/c I hate rolling out cookies. I'm much more of a drop cookie kind of gal. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gingerbread-Men/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

UPDATE: Cookies were fun (check out Felipe's blue tongue!) Registering was AWESOME! You can look it up on Target.com.

smitten mittens

Behold -
My first pair of mittens, think I'll start on a matching hat next! Finished up another project today which I'm loving. But its a Christmas gift to someone who might be a reader of this blog and I can't chance it. Remind me and I'll post pics after the holiday!

who's been naughty this year?

Looks like someone couldn't wait until christmas to open her gifts!

And she's caught:) Look at that innocent face.

purple shrinkage

felipe. put. my. cashmere. sweater. in. the. dryer.


I once read that if you can find 3 positives in the situation, it really isn't all that bad. So here goes:

1. Felipe was doing laundry - not too shabby for a busy intern:)
2. Felipe remembered not to dry other items that do not belong in the dryer - this is definitely progress.
3. There is now a nice little hole in my closet just waiting to be filled!

Another lovely (almost perfect) day

My day started off rather uneventful. I slept in under the cozy cover of my electric blanket paired with a nice down comforter and a furball foot-warmer (ie miss elo.) A bit tired after a late evening last nice impressing the truman surgical department. I tried to be the prim and proper surgeon's wife but I think I might be a bit too sassy for that;)

After a lovely steaming mug of coffee and a good half-dozen pumpkin muffins in front of the tv I decided it was time to be productive. But before that could happen my phone began to ring, and next thing I knew I was off on a shopping adventure with my favorite partner in crime - annie. We hit up Oakpark for some shoes to complement her bridesmaids dress for Emily & Brians New Years Eve wedding extravanganza. We also ended up with some fabulous holiday head-wear. I got this amazing purple velvet peacock feather headband to wear to the wedding. It's the pizazz to go with my simple black velvet sheath. Now if only Felipe could be my date. It's sad enough to go to the wedding alone, but to have no one to kiss at midnight is almost tragic.

This evening I set in cleaning. Whew! It's been a good 6 weeks since this house has seen a good scrubbing. I forgot how happy a sparkling house can make me:) Kitchen and bath are done, living room and bedroom left for tomorrow. And Felipe has promised to clean his bedroom, no easy feat (especially post-call.) Wish him luck:)

Muffin Top

Anyone remember that commercial (re: title)? It was one of my faves.

Speaking of muffins, I made some fabulous pumpkin-butterscotch muffins today. A dozen of the mini's with a bakers dozen of the full size. The two-bite mini's are disappearing into my tummy at an alarming rate. The combination of the pumpkin and spicy cinnamon goes so well with the sweet butterscoth. Mmmmmmmmmm! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mini-Pumpkin-Butterscotch-Muffins/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

And a pic of my pea-green vintage mixer:

And a final pic of the two loves of my life:

One looks a bit more excited to be cuddling.

Oops!

So while I was out this afternoon tuning up my car for the winter and finishing up my christmas shopping I just happened to pick up a few things for myself. No big deal really, I deserved them. Except I got BUSTED big-time by Felipe when I was sneaking my new faux-leather coat into the closet. He made me get every single coat out of the closet and describe why I needed to keep it. About 20 coats, and 10 minutes later I thoroughly felt like I was in big trouble. He just doesn't understand how the perfect coat is crucial in the winter when that is all people get to see. The perfect accessory.

I also happened to pick up one of my holiday favorites - cinnamon pine cones! (Another thing I've quickly discovered Felipe doesn't share my passion for.) Anyways, my car is now winter-proofed with anti-ice windshield washer fluid and our tiny tree is packed with freshly wrapped presents. If you get a chance check back to my previous post and see the "angel" on top of our tree, I think it is especially cute.

Tomorrow we get to go to Truman Surgery Department holiday party - I can't wait to wear one of my fabulous coats!

Wreaths that are knit ... I mean *fit* ... for the nifty knitter

Wreaths that are knit ... I mean *fit* ... for the nifty knitter


So cute! The little nester in me is dying to make one!

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O Christmas Tree

This weekend Felipe and I put up our first tree while listening to Christmas carols. Tis the season and the start of our own traditions. Its a humble tree-begining and a little crooked but we have grand plans for next year. I think it just barely beats the sad little Charlie Brown tree:)

I spent the day interviewing medical students for acceptance into KUMed. It was nice to be on the other side of the table, asking the questions rather than in the hot seat. I was very impressed with 2 of the candidates and didn't make a single person cry or break out in hives. I really need to learn to be tougher;) Plus I rocked my first pair of high heels (my new red ones I got for interviews). This was my first day-long high heel experience. Two band-aids later my feet aren't barking too loud.

Tonight I made Felipe a lovely meaty meal which we ate lounging on the couch while watching the new Get Smart movie. Absolutely hilarious, and just what we were in the mood for. (I apologize for the poor picture, I was halfway through my dinner when I realized I had forgotten to snap it!) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chile-Pork/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Hope everyone's week is off to a great beginning. Felipe and Miss Elo seem to be getting along, so my week is off to a lovely start.