hello!

The holidays are almost over and as of the day after Christmas, the baking has ceased.  Well, not entirely. I still make bread weekly and sweet potato bran muffins, but that's it! Because too much of this....

I'm getting fat.

Recipe here

The first time I made this pie I found that I couldn't get the lemon slices thin enough, so when I set the lemon slices aside to soak the sugar for the suggested 24 hours they got a bit tough and chewy. That said the flavor was so amazing that I had to try again. When I made it the second time, I zested the lemons and cut off the pith instead, then sliced the lemon. I also squeezed the juice of an extra lemon in the sugar lemon mix. I took this to my BIL and SIL house for a Christmas gathering and it was a huge success. My FIL said it was the best lemon pie he had ever had. No joke. 

I hope everyone has had a lovely Holiday! 

Snow Day

It snowed last night. I know I know, it's December, but I live in the desert so it's a treat when it snows. High desert by the way. Way different then the low kind. I worked in a tourist spot once, and people from cold places would say, "I thought it wasn't supposed to be cold in the desert?!?" I'd smile and inform them that they were thinking of Phoenix, not Albuquerque. It gets cold, but we don't get much snow.

The boys were so excited! they had to make a snowman and have a snowball fight. I made them warm biscuits and hot cocoa.

They had a two hour delay, but we kept them home anyway. It's the last day before Christmas break and we figured why not? 

They were so happy!

Birthday Cake

I made a cake for my mother in law.

It was her birthday.

It was a delicious cake.

I got the recipe HERE

I"m not saying how many candles were lit.

But it looked like a forest fire.

Let me introduce you to my Grandma

Grandma has dementia. She thinks it's funny to flip the bird.

She likes my boys. She eats a tub of margarine a week. She used to smoke.

Once upon a time she was sharp as a tack. She was one of the first females to be ordained an Episcopal Priest in the 1970's.  

Now she sits in her room and knits all day long while watching TV.

She lives with us. It's not easy sometimes.

Sometimes she is like a broken record.

Sometimes she can carry a conversation. 

She can't remember that conversation for more then 5 minutes.

Incontinence is a bitch.

  My house smells funny now.

But mostly, 

I'm glad she is with us. 

I'm glad we can take care of her now. 

We might not be able to do it forever, but we will do it as long as we can. 

A rock and a sleigh bell

My children have a lot of stuff. Their rooms are littered with Gears, action figures, crayons, etc.  They have so much they don't play with, it's hard to think of things to get them for Christmas. Other then games for the Wii and DS, I was at a loss when family asked what they might like for gifts. The other day I asked them what they would like for Cristmas, their reply... Chad my oldest would like a rock. A big one from the mountain. David my youngest (making his Pop-eye the sailor man face above) wants a sleigh bell. Not just any sleigh bell, one from Santa's sleigh. This is what they asked for. Boy did I luck out this year.

Thanksgiving Dessert

Thanksgiving is over and everything was delicious. In fact,  wish I was still eating. For dessert this year I made an amazing Maple Nutmeg Cream Pie.  I wish I could eat it every day but my muffin tops say no! Seriously, if you ever want to try something that tastes perfect for the season, but is different from the usual suspects (pumpkin, apple, sweet potato pie) this is the way to go. The custard is so creamy, the maple flavor divine, and the nutmeg is a perfect accent. I want another so bad.

Cat on a hot tin roof ORIGINAL trailer 1958

I registered for my next semesters classes this week. I will be a busy girl. The only way I could wrangle my schedule was to start my classes at 7:30 in the morning. I'm not real thrilled about this because, well, I'm a sleeper. If I don't get my 8 hours I am not happy. On top of that I am also a night owl. I may end up being one cranky lady next semester, but we shall see. 

I just finished reading Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for a school report. I'm writing a comparison paper on the written play vs. the movie. I love the movie and I love Tennessee Williams. Street Car Named Desire, Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, it doesn't gt much better then that!   

The Winner Is....

I assigned numbers for all the entries and ran the numbers through a random number generator and the winner of the ring is...

SignePling!!!!!!

Check out her beautiful blog and enjoy!

Halloween....

 Halloween...

David the vampire

Mmmmm.

Chad the zombie a la George Romero

Who will eat who first????

And yeah. That's my vacuum handle in the background. 

By the time I put them to bed they had both had so much candy they were twitching and foaming at the mouth. When I was little my mom and dad just let me have at it and eat as much candy as I could. I carry on the tradition of creating cavities and sugar comas with my children every Halloween. It's probably the only night of the year you get to hear the words, "Okay! Two more pieces of candy then bedtime!"

Candy candy candy!!!!!

So now that I have devoured a years worth of candy in one day, I've been thinking about how to make the candies I so love. Where do I turn for this knowledge? Who will I ask about the culinary delight that is candy? Google of course! (Think about this... What did you do before google? I had to sit for days not knowing something then head to the library... Or call my dad.)

So here's what I found...

Recipe for homemade Almond Joy

at THIS fabulous blog

Yummy yummy yummy! Homemade Butterfinger!

Here!

My personal favorite bar.

Mmmmmmmm

.

Mars Bar

Could it be possible? I have such a hard time finding these treats

that making them sounds fun!

This looks amazing. Homemade 

Twix!

Please remember to enter my GIVEAWAY!
Click on the link and enter! I think only three or four people have entered
so the odds are in your favor!

Petroglyphs

Just a five minute walk from my house and I'm at the petroglyphs.  I figured this out last month which is really stupid because I've lived here for five years. Where was my head? I always thought you had to drive three miles down the road to get the trails at Rinconada Canyon, but no. You just have to walk a block and a half and cross the street. Now I know.

Remember to Join my giveaway! 

only two people are entered right now so odds are in your favor!

Click here!

Hard Way

I'm almost done with my General Education Associates! I went to my academic advisor today to try and figure out next semesters classes and found out I only need eleven more credits... That's like four classes. I am so excited! As soon as I have that in the bag it's bye bye community college, hello University of New Mexico, and the real work begins as I work toward a Doctorate in Psychology. It feels amazing to have a direction, something to work towards, something that will be rewarding to my family and myself and help others. This time last year I was working a job that made me miserable. I hadn't a clue what I wanted to be when I grow up. Well, I guess I can thank my miserable job for helping make a life changing decision. I'm not doing this the easy way, but hey! If it's not the hard way, it's not my way!

Please Remember to join in the fun and enter my giveaway! 

So.... I'm thinking it's GIVEAWAY time. (CLOSED)

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

I"m giving away this adorable button ring!

This is a vintage glass button super cute with cherries on top

a way to keep summer with you year round!

Rules:

Post on your blog for one entry 

Leave a comment for a second

Follow me for a third

(if you already follow mention in your comment)

Be sure to leave me your preferred ring size in the comment section

Drawing will take place on November 6th

Good Luck One and All 

-Katharine 

working out

So I've been working out with my husband. Four days a week he puts me through the wringer on our Total Trainer. (He says it should be five but something always comes up thank god!)

The problem is, this is what I think about while working out. 

I wanna make them NOW!

I start thinking, hmmmm. what if you made little balls of cream cheese frosting, froze them, then wrapped the cake pop goop around them......

Then It's my turn to do pull ups on a setting I would rather not discuss and while doing my pull ups and chest presses I think back fondly on my oldest boys birthday cake.

Which was amazing!

The moistest chocolate cake with fluffy marshmallowy 7minute frosting and coated in ganche.

Then its time for more chest and back exercises because, today is chest and back day. And I fantasize about the turnovers I made this weekend. 

Thinking of their flaky buttery goodness sends a shiver down my spine while I do my best to choke down my protein drink that will leave my mouth tasting of artificial sweetener for the rest of the day. 

Making Bread

Mix It

Helper

His Favorite Part

Cut It

My Favorite Part

Yum

Things That Make Me Smile

Maria's Blog

OliveStreetStudio and this super cute dress!

I can see my niece Lily in this with her

adorable Harpo Marx Curls

These super delicious looking pumpkin pop tarts

at this yummy blog

Pretty Photos of Pretty Places

Focus

I would say that right now I am lacking focus. I think that if you look at my blog you can see it for yourself. I'm all over the place and only post sporadically. I haven't been working on my jewelry, I procrastinate on my homework, and my house hasn't been really clean for months and months.

Of course if you ask those who know me they'll wonder if my house has ever truly been clean, and rightly so. My friends and family know that I only really scrub my house down when I'm hosting a gathering, and even then, my bedroom will be off limits because that is where i hide my piles of unfolded laundry, the children's rooms will be toy ridden minefields of disaster, and there will stacks and file piles in every corner of the house. But to answer their question, yes. Once upon a time my house was really clean. Top to bottom clean. Five years ago. For about two months. Right after we moved in. Then I gave up.

Now jewelry. I've got ideas! I know I can bring those ideas to fruition. BUT, I have no money to make it happen. The adorable boutique that was carrying my items closed. (now let us all bow our head for a moment of silence and shed a tear for Jilli Kae Everything Chic). I have plenty of jewelry that is not posted on my etsy. I have that jewelry photographed and edited. I have been to lazy to upload it. So here are some pics. I would like feedback-a-plenty on what you all think!









Also I've been making these button rings. I make them with vintage buttons as well as those I just really like. I started making them with sterling wire, but soon realized it was much more cost effective to make them with colored copper wire.





So please, FEEDBACK! Let me know what you think. Maybe hearing from you will help me get the lead out and upload all my goodies I have stashed away. Now off to look at my messy kitchen and decide to read my English assignments instead of clean.