“my word”

book dandelions — Source: Eqinox/We Heart It

I finally decided on “my word”. For 2015. My word is “chapters”.

Whew! I mean, here it is, February 1st. Already. That means I existed the entire first month of January, 2015… with no word. What? How? OK. Here’s the deal. I didn’t want to just grab any random word; and call it MY word. I had to ponder. And dwell. And stress. Now I probably shoulda coulda woulda started this process a little earlier, but to be quite honest with y’all (my son moved to Dallas. Gotta do that y’all thingie every once in awhile now…), I DID NOT KNOW we had to have “a word”. Yep. I’m just being really honest here. I just didn’t know. Did you know? Ya. You probably did. My friend Dawn has a word. (Click HERE) And she had a word last year as well. She just kinda “knows” these things tho…

“What’s the greatest chapter in your book? Are there pages where it hurts to look?”

A couple lines from one of my fav Blake Shelton songs… Truth is, I have always looked at my life as a book, and every single chapter in “my book” has made me the very person that I am today. The good, the not so good; accomplishments, defeat; amazing triumphs and overwhelming heartbreaks; over-the-top joy, and excruciating pain. It is all me. It is my book. Those are my chapters.

2015 promises to be a big year for me. As it stands now, I will be writing many new chapters throughout the year. And closing others. Case in point, I started the year off by closing the longest running, absolutely hands-down greatest chapter in my “book of life” thus far… The chapter dedicated to raising my (amazing) kids. You notice I did NOT say the chapter dedicated to “Motherhood”. Oh no, no, no. I know better than that. There is no “one chapter”; no “end” to the privilege of Motherhood. My kids will ALWAYS be my kids, and I will ALWAYS be their mom. Nothing will ever change that. EVER. Yes; there are many levels, and chapters, to Motherhood. But the reality is, I am done “raising” my children. They are both almost 25 years old now. Adults; living and working on their own. But I must be honest in telling you, it hurt like crazy to turn that page. To leave behind that amazing chapter and move on.

“What’s the greatest chapter in your book? Are there pages where it hurts to look…?”

2015… Stay tuned.

live happy… Cathy

steak soup weather

11 / 11 / 14

Right off the bat I’m gonna tell you that I am a believer in recipes, but more as a guide than a rulebook. Sort of a suggestion on how to “begin the process” of creating your own personal culinary masterpiece!!

Or not.

Yep. That’s part of the deal when you allow yourself to be a creative cook. You must take risks, think out of the box, have fun and – yes – be willing to fail sometimes. Boo-Boos happen. So what. One of the biggest problems I have is trying to re-create something that does end up coming out pretty tasty. I start “creating” with a little of this, a pinch of that, a little more of the other and a whole lotta whatever. At the end of the day, I have NO IDEA how much of this or that is actually in the final product. My poor hubbie… “Hey sugar lump; any chance you can duplicate this?” Ummm… ya… No. Sorry. And, sadly, he does not actually call me sugar lump.

So I’m getting better about tracking my “culinary creativity”. I have always been one to mark all over the recipes in my many, many (many) cookbooks. Cross this out, halve that ingredient, omit this, sub that… What I have also started doing is making notes on a post it note until I get to the “final answer”. I write down the exact ingredients as I add them, updating the amounts as I go along. For example, I may start out by adding a tablespoon of minced cilantro to a dish; but after two more adjustments I end up at 1/2 cup in the end. The same goes for something you might add that you aren’t so keen on. Make a note. Cookbooks were meant to be tattered and dog eared and scribbled on!! It’s a sign of love and affection! (Side note: the exception is BAKING. For the most part, stick to the exact measurements when baking)

So it’s the first really cold day outside today. All thoughts are on comfort food. So how ’bout some Steak Soup? I am going to give you the recipe as it was given to me, first. Then we’ll talk.

STEAK SOUP

8 T butter ½

1/2 c flour

40 oz. cans beef broth

¼ c diced carrots

¼ c diced onion

¼ c diced celery

½ c chopped canned tomatoes

1 T Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

¾ t seasoning salt

¼ t black pepper

5 oz frozen mixed vegetables

½ lb lean ground chuck, chili grind, browned and drained

Melt, but do not brown, the butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and stir to form a roux. Cook over medium heat without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef broth to roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a full boil. Add the carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 20-30 minutes. Stir in browning sauce to achieve a richer color and flavor. Stir in frozen vegetables and cooked ground beef. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, or long enough that the flavors become well blended. Makes about 4 servings.

Here’s how I “personalized” this soup to make it mine… I gathered whatever veggies I had fresh, and oven roasted until tender, rather than boiling them in the soup. (In this case that included carrots, onions and tomatoes.) I had frozen peas and corn on hand, so those were my frozen veggies. (On the fresh and frozen veggies – I don’t measure. Just add as much as you want) I also had some oven roasted sweet potatoes leftover from the night before, so in they went as well. I don’t use butter. I use a combination of a little olive oil and some of the stock. I use unsalted beef stock, eliminate the seasoning salt and add in 1-2 packets of beefy onion soup mix. My hubbie likes a meaty soup, so I double the amount of meat… or more!! I also add dried thyme; to taste. (I like a lot) and I double the pepper to 1/2 t (or more).

So there we go. My version of Steak Soup. Would love to hear what YOU add into your Steak Soup to make it special…

live happy

off to SNAP!

4 / 23 / 14

http://www.pinterest.com/poeticwanderlust — Source: Tracy Porter poetic wanderlust

So it’s time. The “to-do” list is checked off, my bags are packed and it’s time to head to Salt Lake City for the SNAP! Conference. (lies, lies, lies. My “to-do” list is MILES from being completed, and I haven’t even touched my suitcase. I’ve got less than 24 hours as I write this post. Ya. Whatever.)

http://anightowlblog.com — Source: A Night Owl

So you’re wondering. What is SNAP!, exactly. Well, in all honesty… this is my first SNAP! Conference. But here’s my guess… Think “creative thinkers” meet “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” meet “middle school slumber party with your (new) BFF’s.” Ya. That’s a lot, isn’t it. Can’t wait!! We have “secret sister’s” and we bring “roomie gifts” ( Check out Kimberly, from “A Night Owl“). And, of course, there’s a slumber party and a door decorating contest! (Yes. I am 52.) Oh ya… and classes. Two and a half days of great classes!! Should be a BLAST!

Still wondering? Alrighty. Here is a direct quote from the official SNAP! site…

“Welcome to SNAP, where you’ll find creativity at your fingertips. There is something a bit different about being a creative blogger…Instead of dissecting life and examining the pieces like many online writers, we’re busy dreaming, sharing and building things up. We inspire one another and when we connect in ways that comfort and sustain, it is something truly extraordinary.

That is why we launched SNAP – a community where imaginative bloggers can come together; learn from one another and walk away invigorated.
The hallmark of this community? A three-day conference April 24-26, 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah,targeting the best bloggers representing modern handmade, contemporary craft, mind-blowing events and DIY.
Take a step away from your busy life and join us for lots of laughter, hugging and replenishment. You’ll walk away with a stronger sense of community, enhanced skills and an even greater sense of self.”

Little-America-Hotel-Salt-Lake-City — Little America Hotel & Conference Center – Salt Lake City, Utah

So I’m sorry to have to say this, but I’m gonna have to give you a little break on the ole’ blogs here for a short time. (Suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard inconsolable weeping…) But no worries. I’ll be back in no time. (wink, wink!) Dawn (Joyful Scribblings) and I are gonna do our best to throw things on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… as we go along. Otherwise, we will just catch up when I return!!

live happy… Cathy

joyful scribblings

4 / 22 / 14

About a year ago, I stumbled across the blog of a gal named Dawn. “Joyful Scribblings“. I like it. She made a nice comment on one of my blogposts, so I went to her blog to “check her out”. (No. I’m not a creeper. That’s what bloggers do with other bloggers!) In the process, I stumbled across a “few” similarities… Married with a son and a daughter, an SUV and a brown 2 story house “in the suburbs”. A dog person with a sweet tooth and a frequent shopper at Ann Taylor Loft, Trader Joe’s and Target. OK. Nothing earth shattering so far. But then it went a little deeper. Self described as “a dreamer, a list maker, a person who is passionate about collecting ideas. All with a touch of sarcasm…“?? Oh my. She was describing ME! She went on to list two things that are on my “bucket list” that most people don’t even know about me… I would love to play the drums (yes. really.) and I dream of publishing a book of my writings someday. OK, Dawn. Whoever and wherever you are; You had me at “Hello”.

I immediately called my mom to inquire about the day of my birth. Is it possible that I might actually have a twin sister somewhere out there that someone just forgot to mention…? I told my mom that somehow, somewhere; I would meet this ~~obviously~~ “wonderful, amazing, All-American” blogger… named Dawn.

Several weeks later, I got an email request to participate in a group blogpost “Lazy Days and BBQ’s” from another blogger that I had never met. I was invited to come in as the resident “expert” (teehee!) on entertaining/table settings. That bloggers name? Yep. It was Dawn. Don’t believe in fate? Fair enough. Read on.

In the world of blogging, one of the really fun things is getting to “meet” people online that live hundreds (or even thousands) of miles away. I was excited to know where I was headed if I wanted to meet this new friend of mine at some point. As it ends up, this get together wasn’t going to cost much in the way of travel miles. Dawn lives less than five miles from my house…!! Ha! But wait! There’s more. Our daughters share the same first name. Our sons share the same middle name. And her son’s first name is what we were going to name our daughter when we thought she was a boy! Ha! And it just continues on and on from there. Some of our extended family similarities would blow your mind…

So we eventually met at a Starbucks to discuss the details of our “group blog”. Soon after, we decided to go to a “Blogging Conference” together in Chicago. The conference took place in July, and although we had only known each other for a couple of months, everyone thought we had been friends forever. Many even thought we were related! Too funny! One year later; we are great friends! We have lunch, we go on “double dates” with the hubbies, we share stories and problems and challenges, and we talk and text more than we probably should. We both love photography, food, crafting, the beach and have wonderful hubbies. We are a lot alike, but at the same time very different. Almost like the “yin and the yang” of the same person!

So off we go... Heading to Salt Lake City this week for another blogging conference. SNAP! (Talked about this conference in a recent blog called “creative thinking“) Both Dawn and I are really looking forward to going. It looks like a GREAT group of bloggers that will be there!! Our “peeps”!! Last year we (somehow) ended up taking matching Martha Stewart turquoise leather notebooks. Not kidding. This year?? I’m thinking maybe matching “Hello Kitty” lunch boxes…

So without further adieu; my friend, Dawn… “Although I consider myself ordinary, I’ve always believed I was meant to do and experience great things. We all are because we were created. I sometimes overlook the simple abundance and possibilities which surround me because I get caught up in the treadmill of life. My intention for creating this blog is to find the joy in the everyday. Joy is something you feel from within and makes your heart smile. Outward circumstances can’t affect it unlike happiness. I hope you find joy from within and follow your passions.”

Please hop over and check her out at Joyful Scribblings…

creative thinking

4 / 9 / 14

Creative thinking. That’s what I was thinking about today. Ya – Pretty much all day. Now I should have been thinking about dusting. My house ~~really~~ needs it. But there is always time to dust. Later. Back to the creative thinking… This is a subject that I think I could go on and on ~~and on~~ about… but I am really gonna try and make this a quick post. No really… Don’t worry though, we will revisit this subject again. And again. So my friend, Dawn (@ Joyful Scribblings – check out her blog!), and I are going to another blogging conference (SNAP!) in two weeks. This particular conference is geared towards more creative thinkers; people who blog about the things that I am passionate about. Photography, Food & Entertaining, DIY (Do It Yourself)/Crafting… love, Love, LOVE! So we are participating in some of the fun & creative “extras” at the conference – One of them being a “decorate your door” contest! That brings me to the task at hand for today… finding some of the goodies for our door, as well as other supplies for the conference. OK. So I try to go into crafting places like Michael’s, JoAnn’s, Hobby Lobby, with a plan. Maybe even a list. But I seem to subconsciously check all of that at the door somehow. My soul is suddenly filled with the hope and promise of possibility thinking. Ideas flow through my veins at an almost overwhelming pace. “I could do this. Or that. Or this and that and…”. Right. You get my point.

Truth is, creativity is a huge part of my life. Not just in what I do, but in who I am. It affects my actions, thoughts, decisions. It permeates my photography, my cooking, my decorating. It is why my dining room chairs are mismatched (on purpose) and I hate to iron. Or dust. It is deeply woven into my relationships, how I make friends, how I raised my kids. It is why I have trouble focusing; why my “to do” list never shrinks. It is me. Or, a (very big) part of me, anyway.

So I stumbled across an article tonight, from The Huffington Post, entitled “18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently“. Here were a few of the things they listed:

They view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression.
They surround themselves with beauty.
They get out of their own heads.
They follow their true passions
They lose track of the time.
They constantly shake things up.

Found the article to be quite interesting, really. Kinda, sorta made me feel validated, in a way. Like something on paper; in print. Something they have officially “studied“… Nice. We’re always looking for answers, explanations, excuses (?) aren’t we. I’m a Taurus, so I’m stubborn. I’m the oldest child, so I’m ~~bossy~~ responsible. Yadda, yadda, yadda. So tonight my brain is absolutely exhausted from all this creative thinking. Doggonit. No time to dust. It will simply have to wait until tomorrow.

“And then she remembered something very important… She was not bothered by dust. She was, after all, creative.” the end