Olympic Pride

Have you been watching the Olympics? Are you hooked or do you feel they are just an annoyance? I, myself, LOVE the Olympics. My daughter has just discovered her love for the Olympics too...and for Apolo Anton Ohno! (and let me say here that last night, Ohno was robbed!)

I find myself getting little sleep as I'm up til midnight waiting to see if another American can take the gold. I can't get over the drive, dedication and discipline that the athletes have. They are truly amazing. I get all teary eyed along with the athletes as I see them stand proud on the podium while The Star Spangled Banner is played. I also feel an athlete's heartbreak when they don't do well. Can you imagine training for 4 years for one moment in time only to have it all taken away in a flash by a mistake? And what about the commercials? Oh they're awesome and really heart warming!

Ok, I'll step off my soap box now, but I have to leave you with some of my favorites:
Shaun White

Apolo Anton Ohno by David J Phillip

Shani Davis by Getty Images

Lindsey Vonn by Gero Breloer

Olympic closing ceremonies are Sunday night, sniff sniff :( I sure am going to miss them, yet I will be grateful for getting some sleep back!

Snow

Looking out my windows this morning, I see this:



and this:

17 inches of snow yesterday, combined with what we already had created this winter wonderland we're experiencing now. The best part?

SNOW DAY! No school for kids = No work for me! Yippee!

Now, don't let my joy of no work fool you. I honestly would rather have signs of spring and a day at work, than 2 feet of snow and no work, especially this late in February. You see, I love snow, but when the end of February rolls around I'm kind of done with it. At this time of year, we've already put in our time, about 4 months of snow, and we will most likely still have 2 more to go as it often snows into April. (There have even been a few instances when it's snowed in May, but we try hard to forget about that!)
I really shouldn't complain though. At least Central New Yorkers are able to handle this kind of thing, we're equipped for it. Give us a couple of hours to dig out and it's life as usual. Nothing like what our friends to the south have experienced in the last month...those poor people were incapacitated by the snow!
Whether you're at the mercy of a snowstorm or seeing budding signs of spring, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

What is my problem?

Sometimes I swear that spring will never make an appearance. Just like I swear, I will never be a thin person.
Is it blatantly obvious that winter is starting to drag me down as we expect two snowstorms this week? How about that I just went on an eating binge and ate everything that wasn't nailed down?
So I thought I would do something "helpful" like post pretty pictures that remind me of spring:

Ahhh tulips, my favorite!

A lovely sweater from Anthropologie.

More eye candy from Anthropologie. Sure wish I could wear these right now, without getting frozen, snow-covered toes of course!

And how can this post come full circle if I don't post pictures of thin people as well? The lovely and thin Sarah Jessica Parker

The beautiful and thin Eva Longoria Parker


The darling and thin Jennifer Aniston

Well, this will either do the trick to boost my spirits or else make me even crankier...Hmmm?

Definitely crankier!

I guess tomorrow is another day. Right?

Eggplant Focaccia

Today, I am participating in Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.


I know, I know. How can I have the nerve to post delicious recipes when I'm supposed to be dieting? Well, I am still dieting, but because I have a passion for cooking and baking, it's difficult to not get in the kitchen and stir up some love. I will be honest, I did have one piece of this loveliness and it was DE-lish! (I had to sample it, right? How could I post this if I had no idea what it tasted like? Oh, how I suffer for my blog readers! ;) Heehee!


The recipe came from Everyday Food magazine. Here it is:
Eggplant Focaccia

1 medium eggplant (1/2 pound, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices)
coarse salt
all-purpose flour, for rolling
1 ball (1 pound) homemade or store bought pizza dough
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded Emmentaler cheese (4 ounces) or other type of Swiss
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

In a colander, toss eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Press slices between a double layer of paper towels to dry and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees; place a rimless baking sheet or inverted rimmed backing sheet in oven. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle cornmeal on another baking sheet or inverted rimmed baking sheet or lightweight wooden board; top with dough (you will transfer it onto the preheated sheet to cook).
Brush dough with 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Layer on eggplant; top with 3 tablespoons oil, oregano and 1/2 cup cheese. Let stand 30 minutes. Give sheet a gentle shake to ensure dough isn't sticking.
Carefully remove baking sheet from oven and slide focaccia onto sheet. Return to oven and bake until bottom of focaccia is crispy and edges are golden, 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Now enjoy!

In honor of President's Day...

...I think a little red, white & blue is in order:




All of the above from Coastal Living.
Above from Country Living.



Oh how I wish I was alive in the 40s to have worn this nautically inspired dress!


Ahhhh, good old red, white & blue. I've always had a place in my heart for it. We are on mid winter recess from school this week. I'm hoping it's fun and productive. Have a great week everyone!

Dough Boy is ready

Mr. Dough Boy tells me he's ready for some lovin' from the oven!
How about some light, crisp and delicious Palmiers? They're perfect for Valentine's Day and so easy to make too.


I still have to make heart shaped Rice Krispie Treats for my son's class at school as well as Funfetti cupcakes for my daughter just because (as a 6th grader, she's too old for school parties). How about you? Are you making anything special for Valentine's Day?

Vintage Valentines

Cindy hosts Show & Tell Fridays over at her fabulous blog My Romantic Home every Friday. Today, I decided to participate and wanted to share my vintage valentines.
My mother gave these to me about 5 years ago. I can remember them from when I was a kid. She would take them out every year and I would look at them over and over again. I've always loved them. I wish I was able to pinpoint how old they actually are. (Without revealing my ancient-ness, ahem, I know they're at least 30+ years old!) This is one of my absolute favorites: I think it's so cute with the heart border and the farmhouse nestled sweetly into the hills. If you get a chance, head on over to My Romatic Home and see what the others are sharing today. Have a great weekend!

Why is nothing ever done?

I keep asking myself this question over and over again. Even when I think I've completely finished decorating a room, some little voice in my head calls out adamantly,
"NO! You're not done here, you still could use ________ ."
I can't stand it. Really. That little voice in my head is never silent, never! I find that I spend my life looking for that one ________ that the voice tells me my room needs. Whatever that item is, guaranteed, I can never find it. I search from store to store. I search the internet until my eyes water. How is this possible in this day and age of technology? Shouldn't I be able to find whatever it is I'm looking for? No, no, not me. The minute that voice starts talking, all retailers everywhere will remove _________ from their stores in an effort to totally elude me and keep my rooms unfinished forever. Just when that voice realizes I've given up trying to find __________ is about the time it starts talking again about something else that a room is in need of in which case we start the whole vicious cycle over again. As a result of all of this, NOTHING is ever done. Never, ever, ever, completely done. Ok, tell me. Am I crazy or does anyone else suffer this way too?
(Is it obvious that my search for an area rug under my coffee table is getting the better of me? Darn that voice!)