Aprons and Cookies and Blenders, Oh my!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Nora

This past Sunday, Knight and I headed into the Windy City to hang out with Nilsa, Sweets and Gavin… and to bake a ton of holiday goodies that are still tempting us each time we open the fridge or glance at the counter. (Nilsa posted her recap yesterday which I highly recommend you check out if you haven’t already!)

On the list of things to make:

*Peppermint Fudge (Nilsa is right; super secret recipe but divine, I promise)
* Oatmeal Carmelitas (which I will use only homemade caramel sauce going forward since Nilsa and I accomplished making it from scratch on Sunday. Check out the link for the recipe I posted last year.)
* Chocolate Covered Pretzels (semi-sweet and white) , which are pretty much the easiest thing to make but still taste so decadent
* Salted Caramel Cookies

Sweets and Knight hung out in the kitchen watching football, sipping beer, anxioiusly awaiting tasting or trying any of the goodies once they were done, and occasionally laughing at the way Nilsa and I were reading the recipes. Gavin, who is one of the most adorable and hilarious toddlers ever chilled with us throughout the day, introduced me to his own language (I love it when kids are learning to talk. Just too cute) and melted my heart when he indicated he wanted me to hold him (which I gladly did). We made a mess of dirty dishes, oohed and aahed over the homemade caramel sauce (it was so cool to watch it happen) and discussed future baking plans and events.

We wore aprons (that’s me above, sporting a new one that Knight’s sister gave me. It’s an odd shape and a little big but I love it anyway!). Talked about everything from blogging to baking (duh!), parenting to holidays and everything in between. It was an all around lovely day that had me on a heap on the couch as soon as we got home from sore feet and a full belly. We left with two tupperwares and one tin full of sugar, caramel-y deliciousness and we are trying are hardest to not eat it all so that Belle and Jolie can enjoy some when they are with us.

It was a wonderful way to end the weekend and start the week… with a house full of treats!

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie to make or enjoy? Are you an apron wearer?

Friends, Fun, and a Brownie Recipe

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Nora

Remember the days of middle school and high school where you and friends would pile around the TV to watch some romantic comedy with the actor du jour? Junk food littered the room, music blared on the stereo, magazines strewn about. You know, like an old-school sleepover or girls night? Well Saturday night two of my friends and I got together for our more reformed, updated version of a girls night: Do-it-yourself pizza, a stack of movies, homemade brownies (the recipe follows since several have asked for it), big comfy couches, blankets, and plenty of girl talk. {Photo Credit}

One of the friends doesn’t live here anymore so when she’s in town we make it a point to get together once or twice. The things we talk about have shifted to celebrity crushes, the hopes and dreams of where we want to live and the latest fashions but instead talk of budgets, babies (theirs, not mine, though it’s fun to talk about my experiences with Knights’ girls), books we need to read, exercise, and a host of other seemingly boring topics. But you know what? It’s fun. It’s fun to hear about birth stories and their babies milestones. Fun to make fun of the movie while we watch it but then realize that we did kind of like it at the end. (Charlie St. Cloud, in case you were wondering. And yes, I’ll be reading the book to see how similar book/movie are. I’m just curious like that.) Fun to gather around in the kitchen to add tons of toppings to our pizzas, and eat a few brownies even if we aren’t really hungry or don’t think we need the calories. It’s fun to talk about moving (not only am I moving but my out of town friend is relocating again since her husband has new orders; he’s a Marine), to discuss how things “used to be” when we were 24 and could go out and drink like it was our jobs, laughing at the outfits we wore, remembering the people we encountered. Most of all it’s fun to just be with the girls, the old gang, yet again.

It may not look the same as it did five years ago, but there is something about friendship that resonates through time, distance, and over years. It’s pretty spectacular.

And now, for the brownie recipe that several people on Twitter asked for! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do; they are my absolute favorite recipe (found thanks to allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup (such as Hershey’s®)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I tend to add more, but that’s cause I love it. Also great with mint chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips if you want a variation)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and chocolate syrup; mix until evenly incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture and chocolate chips; stir until just moistened and pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

When’s the last time you had an old-school girls/friend night? Any favorite brownie recipes that I need to check out?

February in Five

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Nora

Things I don’t want to forget from February in Five Minutes…

My first trip with Knight. ♦ Hearing the ocean roar in Florida. ♦ Gobbling up amazing bbq, laughing with amazing friends and feeling revitalized. ♦ Warm weather that allowed me to run outside for a whole week. ♦ Teaching Knight’s oldest how to pinky swear and then melting when she wanted to pinky swear with me over the phone. ♦ Not reading as much and then deciding that it’s ok. ♦ The connections made at my journaling class. ♦ Spending a Saturday morning baking with my brother. ♦ Hilarity at triva night. ♦ Reconnecting with some friends as a result of the Connections post from last week. ♦ Firming up big plans for the future. ♦ Discovering new recipes. ♦ Lots of time spent around the kitchen table with my family laughing, smiling and talking. ♦ Connecting with new friends. ♦ Enjoying my first Valentine’s Day where I actually wanted to celebrate it. ♦ The Oscar PartyDarling & I host every year. ♦ Awesome, adult, grown-up relationship moments. ♦ Taking a ton of pictures to document what’s going on in my life (something I haven’t done in ages). ♦ The Mario Sports Mix Wii Competition thanks to Brand About Town, even though we lost big time. ♦ Gooey Butter cookies made by my brother. ♦ Dancing to the Cupid something-or-other dance in front of 300+ I didn’t know and loving every minute of it. ♦

Some favorite photos from this past month…

What don’t you want to forget about February!?

Connections

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Nora

Lately I’ve felt a little bit lonely in the friend department. As humans we are all moving targets, in pursuit of various things, with different daily challenges and goals, needs and wants, things we must do versus things we want to do. Lately that’s shown in my pool of friends. Most of my near and dear friends live far away, some I’ve met through the fabulous blogosphere, others have moved across the country to follow their love, their job, their bliss (all things I totally support, mind you). And those friends who do live in STL, we are all at that age where we are pursuing the same things, but a bit differently: careers, love, hobbies. This means that our schedules are incredibly erratic and getting together is next to impossible. There are definitely phone calls, e-mails and catching up when we can, but face-to-face evenings are few and far between.

So lately I’ve been trying to think of ways to make the times we do connect more meaningful, memorable and to help sustain us through the in-between-times:

{via}

* I’ve been favoring small cafes where we can sit and chat for two or three hours rather than a restaurant where we feel rushed.
* I’ve taken the time to write thorough emails with meaningful content: life updates, a picture or two, ask genuine questions about what is new with them (ask questions and you’ll almost always get a reply!)
* If I can’t reach a friend by phone after a few times, I’ll send a text just to let them know I’m thinking of (and they usually call back).
* If at first I don’t succeed, I try and try again to get a date on the books. It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth the try.
* When it comes to my long distance friends, email, email, and more email. It’s what gets us by.
* And for those long distance friends, coming up with future plans to get together, even if it’s for a weekend, makes the time fly by and gives me something lovely to look forward to on my calendar.
* If I see a quote or a picture or something that reminds me of a friend, I’ll send it to them. Even if they don’t open the link or the attachment, at least they know I was thinking of them.

Doing these things help combat the loneliness, help to remind me that I have an amazingly solid group of friends, most that are there for me no matter how long it’s been since we last saw each other. I know I’m not a 100% super stellar friend all the time nor do I claim to be. My schedule and life as of late has me going in 100 different directions and trying to keep up with friends, family, exercise, “me time,” my relationship, work and the everday stuff, well sometimes I get overwhelmed. I know that friends grow apart sometimes too and I’m learning to accept that as well. But in spite of all of this, I’m trying. And I hope that’s what shows and counts with my friends.

What are your favorite ways to really connect with your friends?

Beaches

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Nora

**** Before I share my Florida trip, I have a shameless plug for Becky’s fabulous husband, Ben! He has entered a contest that could really help his career and get his artwork in front of the right people. In Ben’s words: “The winner gets flown out to pretty much the biggest comic book convention and introduced to all the bigwigs in the comic book, video game, and toy/statue industry which will jump start my career in comics and everything else! I am so freakin’ excited about this it’s not even funny! The voting ends on the 14th so it’s a very limited time in which to decide the winner so everything has to be a concentrated effort. Thank you so much for the support.” So how can you help? Go to this link. Click on “Support Ben,” via the Facebook button. The website will email you when to vote; both views and votes count! *****

So, Florida.

Apart from the chaos that ensued before we actually got there (in a nutshell: Knight’s flight getting canceled, him having to juggle to get on my flights out of StL, dealing with a flat tire in the ghetto of STL, arriving at 1am) and the fact that we got no sleep the night before (hooray for 24 hour amazing breakfast places to kick off the trip), our first vacation was totally ah-mazing.

There was nothing but hugs, love, laughs, holding babies (hers, not mine… duh!), drinking, eating our way through North Florida, laughing some more, watching ridiculous reality TV (hello, Jersey Shore. Nice to meet you, finally. And I may be hooked.)

There was not lovely weather by any means but it was still warmer then this stupid midwest. Like by a lot. And it rained, warm rain. The good kind of rain, you know?

I wore flip-flops and short sleeved shirts. I slept in. I cuddled with Knight and my niece. I sat with my childhood BFF (she needs a nickname, seriously) and laughed, smiled and cried over the pictures and memories of us from the last five years. We hung with my niece and had good life chats. We sat in silence at times and it was more than ok.

I put my toes in the sand despite the insane fog that was covering the Jacksonville beaches. I had to talk to a cop in order to get into the bar since I was a dunce and left my license at home (it worked). I took shots to celebrate my childhood BFF’s birthday, the attainment of my Masters, and friendship and love in general.

Future trips were planned. Tears were shed when it was time to leave. Bonds were strengthened. Knight and I spent five days and six nights together; the most in a row since we’ve met one another and were left hungry for more.

My soul is rejuvenated (again). My heart is soaring (still). There is a smile plastered to my face (like usual). I’m in love with Florida all over again. I fell more in love with myself, with Knight, with life.

When was the last time you fell in love with yourself, your life, your loved ones all over again?

Lessons Learned: Soulful Weekend

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Nora

Bright and early on Saturday morning I picked up Lisa at a very packed airport (I think everyone was trying to flee this ridiculous weather are getting), greeted her with a classic Midwest Bear Hug, and we were off! This trip has been planned for only a month but it seemed like a long time coming; I think this past weekend was something we both needed: lots and lots of girl time.

Here are some of the things that I learned this past weekend:

* Apparently Mother Nature is nice and graces us with her lovely presence (as in 45 degrees and sunny) for special out-of-town guests. This will lead you to shedding your coat in favor of feeling a bit springlike. Don’t be too fooled, though. The weather will change after the sun goes down.

* Getting to the zoo within 30 minutes of them opening? Best idea ever. No lines to see the penguins!

* You know a lot more about the history and culture of your city than you think, but you always forget the Arch is 630 feet tall.

* Sitting on your bed, magazines askew, Generation X music on in the background? Reminds you both of high school, the days you couldn’t drive, and it is SO much fun. Nothing like just relaxing and being girls for a bit, no worries about driving, bills, plans, boys, nothing beats it!

* Celebrity gossip and looking at fashion is fun at any age. You’re also reminded of why you and Lisa are such good friends: your thoughts and tastes are incredibly similar.

* You might get totally giggly and say something like “smokes like a fish,” when you really meant “smokes like a chimney.” This will become a running joke for the rest of the weekend.

* Introducing your boyfriend to one of your best friends is really fun, especially when they like each other and get along really well.

* Mexican and margaritas is more fun when you’re celebrating a friend’s early birthday (and when the margaritas go down very easy).

* There are some bars in St. Louis that would be ideal for numerous episodes of “What Not to Wear.” We found one of those bars. We also think we should have a stack of Vogues to hand out to people who need some fashion advice.

* Chatting over a delicious breakfast with no agenda on a Sunday? Divine.

* Colin Firth is amazing and dashing, even when he’s playing a King with a speech impediment. (In other words, go see “The King’s Speech.”)

* Sex and the City is a lot funnier than you remember it being; so fun to watch it with a true fan!

* Spinach & feta stuffed chicken breasts are really good; maybe it’s the company (your parents + Lisa), the wine, and the fact that you were totally relaxed, but the recipe is definitely a keeper.

* When going to THE custard place of St. Louis, it’s probably a wise idea to call before you go, just in case they are closed for the season. (Lesson learned the hard way.)

* Sometimes the best weekends are the ones where you put down the camera and only have a few photos to share!

* You are incredibly thankful for the blog world and the best friends it has brought you and you will always wish they lived much, much closer to you.

* It is way more fun to drop a friend off at the airport when you know you’ll see them again soon!

* Fact: You need much, much more girl time in your life than you’re currently getting.

Notes to Self

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Nora

Hi Self,

Just a few friendly reminders…

Don’t get too caught up in the everyday. Silly things like long commutes to work, ice on the windshield, forgetting to put earrings in? Small potatoes compared to the bigger picture.

Continue to embrace those people and things that you love; remember how delighted and engaged you feel during your creative writing class, connecting with other like-minded individuals, sharing books to read, writing prompts, feeling like you belong to a group? Do more of that. Remember how you feel when Knight wraps his arms around you after being apart for a few weeks. Remember how great it is to live with your parents, two people who would do anything for you since it’s all going to change soon; they are amazing forces in your life.

Really push yourself at the gym. It’s totally worth it and you know it. Enjoy the running high, the sweat dripping down your face, pounding it out on the dreadmill, rocking out to really hardcore rap. Sign up for a few races soon, use that Groupon for the Yoga classes and treat yourself right. You deserve it.

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep… you’ve treated yourself to some much needed quiet time this week (read: Saying NO to social engagements) and it’s done a world of good for you. Do it more often. Your friends who are your true friends will understand and still be there for you.

Be present. I know things are topsy-turvy for you right now to a degree, but you can only do so much planning for the future. You know what John Lennon said (“Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans,”) and you know he’s right. Your life is NOW. Enjoy it, you only get one shot at it.

It’s ok to ignore the pile of laundry growing in your closet, the unmade bed, and bathroom that needs to be cleaned every once in awhile. Chances are it means you’re doing something more meaningful and that’s a good thing.

Love hard. I know you’re good at it but just don’t forget to keep doing it. Love your family, your friends, Knight. They are all deserving. Let those walls come tumbling down and just fully embrace love. You know you want to do it. You know you can do it. And you know what will happen when you do.

And above all? This:

You’ve really been yourself lately (well, ok, for many, many months now) and it shows. Just don’t forget to always be true to you.

What would your notes to self say today?

The 2010 Wrap-Up

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Nora

I hadn’t planned on doing the 2010 Wrap-up partially because a good portion of the year was spent recovering, healing, with my nose in books finsihing up my masters. And partially because you were all here for the good, the bad, the ugly (and I thank you for it!).

But it doesn’t seem right to start a new year without looking back, at least a little bit.

So, 2010, in a paragraph…..

Blogger meet-ups that were good for the heart and soul. Fried food on a stick. Bar Crawls that left me with mean hangovers. Training for a 10-mile race, getting injured, but forging on and running a 10k anyway. Adjusting to living with the parents. Countless books read, movies watched, journal pages scribbled in. Learning how to get over heart-wrenching pain. Embracing the people in my life who make me feel good. Eating a whole lot of Mexican food. Letting go of toxicity in my life, whether it be plans, people, or dreams. Cuddles with Jack. Laughing so hard it made my stomach hurt and tears roll down my face. Reasserting my hopes and dreams, ones that are attainable. Finishing my masters and being so thrilled that I actually did it. Squeeing with joy when my diploma came just before Christmas. Getting back to my roots, back to who I really am. Being surprised by love. Being surprised by what I would do for love. Growing stronger every day. Being choosy. Road trips, lots of road trips. Allowing myself to be a hopeless romantic again, and not apologizing for it. Refusing to settle. Learning to say no. At the same time, learning to say yes. Becoming obsessed with all things Ann Taylor Loft, Nintendo, and baking (again). Deciding that I won’t dye my hair any color other than it’s natural color, even if the grays show through. Making amazing new friends that I would be 100% lost without. Hugging my parents more. Falling in love with not only a great man, but also myself.

I’m not making resolutions this year (I’m really bad at them). Instead I’m just facing 2011 head-on with all the changes that I know are ahead of me, some which will change the rest of my life I suspect, and am prepared to tackle all the changes and challenges that I can’t yet see. I’m going into 2011 with hope, joy and smiles and I know that it will be a good year.

What are you going into 2011 with?

What Christmas Means to Me…

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Nora

This song by Stevie Wonder is one of my all-time favorites. And yes, you can find me singing it (loudly and likely off key) in a regular basis during the holiday season:

It also puts me in the best mood ever and reminds me of why I love the holidays so darn much.

Here’s what Christmas means to me this year:

Getting super excited about exchanging presents with the boyfriend (who needs a nickname, I realize this); we’ve both kept the hints and clues to a minimum and so basically I have no idea what I’ll be getting from him. ♥ Enjoying evenings by the fire combating the bitter winter cold (at least bitter winter cold to the STL, I know it’s worse elsewhere!)♥ Borrowing cheesy holiday books from the library and loving them so much I cry at the end. ♥ Making my list and checking it twice to make sure I have really completed my Christmas shopping (turns out I haven’t). ♥ Sneaking in extra time to sleep in the mornings. ♥ Continuing to decorate the house with Darling even though Christmas is 10 days away. ♥ Christmas Cards! This year I’m a bit behind but I’m 50% of the way done with them. ♥ Listening to holiday music all the time. I can’t get enough. ♥ Remembering the reason for the season and enlisting the help of my coworkers to raise money for some very worthy local charities. ♥ Lots of laughter, lots of great food, lots of time spent with family. ♥ Reunions and catching up with friends who are home for the holidays. ♥ Being thankful for all that is good in my life. ♥ Embracing the various assortment of tights I own as they really extend one’s wardrobe. Skirts + tights + boots in the winter? Don’t mind if I do. ♥ Remembering my grandfather; my heart aches for him at this time each year. ♥ Baking up a storm. December 23rd will be Nora in the Kitchen Day and I can’t wait. ♥ Romantic evenings out with the boyfriend, getting all dressed up, enjoying wine and then totally forgetting to take pictures because we are “in the moment.” ♥ Watching the excitement on the little kids faces as they run to see Santa at the mall. Too adorable. ♥ Christmas Puzzles! We do one each year and although we are missing pieces (on a new puzzle!?) we are forging ahead anyway. ♥ Dreaming of a White Christmas even though it surely won’t happen. ♥ Bubbling over with happiness, excitement, hope and general joy for all things going on in my life right now. ♥

What do the holidays mean to you this year?

Monday, Monday

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Nora

It’s Monday.

Which means that my brain is still on weekend time, struggling to keep up with the corporate world, perhaps even wishing it were still in bed under warm blankets (fall has arrived here in STL). Something that looks a lot like this:

{via}

This also means that this morning you get some Nora Randomness.

* I had to pay a late fine of $3.15 at the library about a week ago. Three books were only five days overdue. I understand that they were late and it was my fault, but $3.15? It seemed a little steep for an overdue charge.

* No one at my office noticed my new glasses. This seems odd to me as I wear my glasses all the time at the office since they are readers/computer glasses. I guess everyone is really wrapped up in what they are doing on a daily basis which is fine, but I guess I thought they were a huge departure from my old ones.

* Every time I go to visit my brother, I inevitably have a great time. I also inevitably realize that I’m not 21 years old anymore and do not have a problem going to bed before midnight. I learned a lot this weekend too; suffice to say college and the college culture has changed drastically.

* I have one of the best brothers and family anyone could ask for. Hands down.

* I am really proud of my Tigers so far; a huge win yesterday ought to give them the confidence to get through our conference games later in the season.

* Getting one’s nose pierced doesn’t hurt nearly as much as you’d think. It’s also relatively easy to get used to. Here’s a picture for those who are curious:

* The closer I am to being done with school the more excited I get for all my free time. I literally am counting down the days. 14 days.

* Shopping at boutique stores can lead to finding some amazing presents for friends. Bonus for supporting local economies and entreprenuers.

* Free (early) birthday peppermint chip ice cream is the best. Also, I have mixed feelings about my birthday being in two days.

* My 10k is only three Sundays away and I’m getting a little nervous about my ability to run 6.2 miles all at once; I’ve been doing pretty well in my training runs but I’m nervous anyway!

* I purged my book collection yesterday; I decided to part with about 10 books that I know I won’t read again and/or recommend to friends, so why bother keeping them on my shelf? My shelves are exploding with books as it is, so freeing up some space was a great feeling.

Any Monday randomness that you’d like to share?