First Quarter Results

Sad fact: since going back to work, I sometimes think of my life in terms of fiscal years and quarters.

This year will end with my saying good-bye to my thirties and hello to whatever’s next. I have decided to take inspiration from myself – for a change – to celebrate my getting to the next birthday milestone. In the last year-and-a-half, I have more or less figured out the work-family balance and the kid-family balance and the PTA-volunteerism-balance and a few other balances that make sense for our family. Nowhere in there is a family-work-ME balance.

And so, slowly, 2012 will be a little bit about trying harder to find the time to do things for myself, be they for my health or sanity or sheer entertainment.

Approaching the end of the Q1, I have a list of what I’d like to do and some tentative results.

In no particular order:

1. Get a physical
2. Get a massage and facial
3. Get another massage. And maybe another facial...
4. Figure out how to bake a chewy chocolate cookies
5. Find a dermatologist and make appointment
6. Get a mammogram
7. Exercise more
8. Tweak my hair cut and color
9. Finally read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the Hunger Games
10. Get a second opinion on my eyesight, or lack thereof
11. Get away for a girls’ weekend

Results are in, and I have knocked off items 1 and 2, have concrete plans for 11, and am working on 7. Not too shabby, I think!

Wherein we revisit my 2010 resolutions...

Hmmm...happy March!

Sometime in January, I belatedly thought to address my little note about why I even started this little blog.

So, here I am now, adding this little update for 2012: Still cooking, cleaning much less, exploring more via internet than anywhere else, but always attempting to nurture my family and trying to figure out when and how to say "no" to some of the demands on all of us.

I think the idea, two years ago, was to take some time for myself and explore what I do, try new things (like blogging and knitting), and maybe share it with a few interested parties.

I can report the knitting as a complete bust, but I am more mindful of cooking and trying new projects in the kitchen. And that the blog isn't complete, totally dead. Yet.

More food contestants!

Not that more than maybe 3 people read this, but...

In addition to voting for Mary Beth Albright on the Next Food Network Star since she is, after all, a fellow Throat*, my actual friend Jennifer Beckman is in the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

You can vote for Jen's Toasted Coconut-Brownie Bonbons too. Just click "vote."


*I suggest being really careful about Googling "throat." This one is specific to Johns Hopkins!

Food Porn

I have a small addiction. To cooking shows. Around here, when little pitchers are out of earshot, we call it food porn, thinking ourselves so very clever. Turns out that those guys from South Park caught on back in 2010 with their Crème Fraiche episode.


It's hilarious, and you'll never deglaze the same way again.

Now we're on to Next Food Network Star for the summer. Imagine my surprise to find someone from college on my screen. I remember Mary Beth as quiet with a wickedly funny sense of humor. It'll be interesting to see how she does.

Finally, Katherine's Pot Roast Recipe

April Fool!

We've Been Experiencing Technical Difficulties

We've been experiencing technical difficulties… thank you for standing by!

A little laziness and a little problem with Blogger and Google meant a big problem adding anything to this site. Happily, it seems better now. Except for the laziness...

I'm Still Alive

Just in case anyone out there is reading this.