A Christmas to Remember

This was a bittersweet Christmas for my family. My great aunt Dolores passed away on the 26th reminding all of us how precious time with family truly is. With part of the family in Mobile and the rest in Birmingham, we celebrated as best we could. The little ones had a blast creating gingerbread houses.

My friend Cat and I painted mugs together at In the Making in Homewood.

Amanda Blake painted this beautiful present for me. Inspired by one of Runner's World's Rave Runs, she painted this masterpiece on a piece of wood.

To see more of ABC's creations or order your own, visit http://amandablakes.blogspot.com/.

On Sunday morning, everyone grabbed their running shoes and headed outside. It was awesome to experience one of my favorite things in the world (running) with the ones I love.

Winter Booklist

“The more you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

~Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

From my perspective, there are few activities more pleasurable than curling up, with coffee in hand,  and dwelling an hour or two within the pages of a good book. I've compiled a group of books that I have been reading or plan to complete by winter's end.

1. )Work in Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide to Grace - Kristin Armstrong

Every week for the past two years, I've paid a visit to www.runnersworld.com to read Kristin's latest Mile Markers blog entry. She writes about her faith, running, her children (she was married to Lance Armstrong and had three children with him), writing and life in general. I feel very strongly that if I was to ever move to Austin, Texas, Ms. Armstrong would have to be one of my dearest friends.

In her second book, Kristin writes about the attributes of a Godly woman continually emphasizing that we are all works in progress and have not yet arrived. I was able to share these truths every Monday night at O'Henry's with my precious friends Annabelle and Whit. Chapter by chapter, we learned what true beauty looks like and how to be diligent and courageous in our daily lives. This is a wonderful book to read alone or with a weekly book club.

2.) A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller

After finding huge success from Blue Like Jazz, Miller is approached by two film producers who would like to document his life in a movie. Throughout the creative process, Miller finds his life doesn't quite look the way he had pictured and he wonders what lasting impact he is making. This book serves as a reminder of the great importance of continually reflecting on our lives, spending time in prayer and living out what truly matters in life.

3.) i am not but i know I AM - Louie Giglio

This book was a "present" for me from Dan. Like A Million Miles it emphasizes stepping out of the 3x5 index card view of our lives and taking in the grand masterpiece that God has created. Good stuff.

"If you see life as your own one-act play and history as your story, you could be in a for a rude awakening when the curtain finally closes on your tiny tale -- and you discover that life wasn't all about you after all."

4.) Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading - Eugene Peterson

An extremely thought provoking look at how we read Scripture and then how it forms into our lives. I mentioned this one in a previous post. This is NOT a one-nighter. In my opionion Peterson's writing style could be compared to C.S. Lewis' a la Mere Christianity; full of meat but often hard to eat. So, take in stride.

5.) Mornings on Horseback - David McCullough

A biographical piece on one of my favorite presidents, Teddy Roosevelt. I can't wait to read about the Rough Rider president who was known for taking his love of nature and life into the White House.

6.) The Power of Story: Rewrite your Destiny in Business and in Life - Jim Loehr

Loehr was the keynote speaker at a leadership conference I attended last April at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I've been meaning to read this one and with New Year's just around the corner, here we go.

7.) A Homemade Life - Molly Wizenberg

Known for her food blog Orangette, Wizenberg weaves delicious recipes through the telling of her life story in this charming page-turner. You'll want to whip up her French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon as you're drawn into the serendipitous story of how her and her husband met. Absolutely delicious!

8.) Going Rogue - Sarah Palin

I couldn't resist, and I'm so glad I couldn't! This book has been a real treat. I've thoroughly enjoyed taking a behind-the-scenes glance at Palin's 2008 VP race as well as being charmed by her Alaskan upbringing and lifestyle. I'll be very sad when I finish this one.

Marlene's Mac 'n Cheese

My favorite dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas is my grandmother Marlene's homemade Macaroni and Cheese. Served alone or as an essential ingredient to your family's holiday feast, this easy comfort food will send you back for seconds, and thirds, and...

Boil two cups of macaroni for eight minutes.

Grate 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese. 

I prefer grating my own rather than using pre-grated cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs.

Drain the pasta, but do not rinse. 

Pour pasta back into the boiling pot. 

Stir in one can of evaporated milk, 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter, whisked eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the pasta mixture into a 8x11 inch casserole dish.

Sprinkle cheese all over top of mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

ENJOY!

A Hand Carved Christmas

My grandfather Richard served in the Army almost a quarter of a century. He's traveled the globe experiencing a vast wealth of cultures aplenty and has fought and lived in Cambodia, Korea, Vietnam, Germany, Austria, Italy and France. In 1972 he retired in Mobile, Alabama with his wife Marlene and four children, including my mother, and that's been home ever since. 

Here he is ice fishing in North Korea.

It's funny how our memories have a way of coming back to us though, and how they just have to be let out in all kinds of ways. While Grandpa's been ro0ted in lower Alabama the past 37, the years he spent in foreign countries have trickled out in stories, pictures and even in carvings oftentimes created with just a pocketknife and splinter.

I've watch him carve ducks, birds, walking canes, and faces into pieces of driftwood from the Gulf. Upon my dear grandmother's request, he started carving Santa Clauses.

His Santas were influenced by Germany's Saint Nikolaus who left treats for children who placed their shoe or boot by the fireplace, the woodsman from southern Bavaria, and faces from all over the world carved into balsa and pine. 

Creativity is a common thread in my family. Growing up my mother sewed all of my sister and I's dresses. We still have stained glass ornaments that my dad made in addition to beautiful stained glass windows and etched pieces. My grandmother was also quite the seamstress, who sewed beautiful dolls and Christmas mouses for most of the family. My sister and aunt paint, my cousin acts, I write, and almost everyone in my family loves to prepare a fine meal. 

But Grandpa is the only one who whittles.

"Here comes Santa Claus, 

Here comes Santa Claus, 

Right down Santa Claus Lane, 

Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer 

Pullin' on the reins. 

Bells are ringin', children singin', 

All is merry and bright. 

So hang your stockings and say your prayers, 

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

 Here comes Santa Claus, 

Here comes Santa Claus, 

Right down Santa Claus Lane, 

He's got a bag that's filled with toys 

For boys and girls again. 

Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle, 

Oh what a beautiful sight, 

So jump in bed, and cover your head, 

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Peace on earth will come to all, 

If we just follow the light, 

So let's give thanks to the Lord above 

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight, 

So let's give thanks to the Lord above 

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight."

"Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the

counsel of the wicked or stand in the

way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But

his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he

meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams

of water, which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever

he

does

prospers."

Psalm

1:1-3

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Every Sunday night a familiar aroma fills our home. The fragrance of homemade blueberry muffins ushers in a new week of deadlines, possibilities and coffee breaks.

For a healthy and filling on-the-go breakfast, I've found this delicious recipe from eatbetteramerica and have made some small adaptations. There are two ingredients that make this baked good so very good for you:

Local Honey

and Whole Wheat Flour.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and place muffins cups in your muffin tin; I usually only use nine of the 12 "muffin holes," but feel free to make 12 smaller muffins.

Whisk 3/4 cup fat-free milk, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/4 cup honey and one egg in a large bowl.

Stir in 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Fold in 1 cup (half bag) of frozen blueberries. Using real, whole blueberries is so much more tasty and healthy than those canned pseudo-blueberries found in pre-made muffin mixes!

Folding...

In a separate, small bowl mix together 1 TBSP of packed brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for muffin topping.

Spoon muffin batter into muffin tin; sprinkle topping on each one.

Bake for 20 minutes on 400.

I've found that if you let the muffins cool and then seal them in a container ,they can make it all the way to Friday. Grab one on the go with a banana for a delicious, well-balanced meal. 

To Carve a Pumpkin

This past weekend my whole family was in town for my grandfather's surprise 80th birthday (more on that in the next entry), and we were able to share a Halloween tradition: pumpkin carving!

I actually got the idea (and courage) the night before at a fun carving party held at my friend Kelly's house. My lovely partner-in-crime Dana helped me create the pumpkin below (left).

Although our pumpkin didn't win the contest, we still had a blast, and I found how easy and fun it is to carve these festive autumn vegetables. 

So, the next night while Alabama was taking on the Gamecocks upstairs, a handful of the kids (young and old) were meticulously carving up pumpkins downstairs in the basement.

First, pick a pattern for your pumpkin. If you google "Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns," you'll find a slew, but I like this particular site: http://www.pumpkinlady.com/pattern.htm

For under $3 you get a pdf pattern that you can print and reuse as many times as you like.

Next you'll need to pick out your pumpkin; we lucked up and found a nearby pumpkin patch at Asbury United Methodist Church. I've learned from experience that gourds, though aesthetically pleasing, often have a denser center and are thus more difficult to cut. We picked out a selection of orange pumpkins and a miniature white one.

Then comes the fun part: gutting the pumpkin! With a sharp knife, cut a jagged line around the crown of the pumpkin. This creates a nice, finished look. Below Jessica elegantly demonstrates how to pull off the crown once the cutting is complete.

Assorted pumpkin crowns.

Next step is removing all the innards from the pumpkin. Elizabeth and Emme illustrate that this task can be a full-body, two-person one. Trash the seeds or rinse them for toasting.

Next you'll need to "poke" your design on the face of the pumpkin to make cutting easier and your design more accurate. I used a nail to trace mine.

If you're not creating your design freehand, you can tape your printed patter onto the pumpkin face and poke along the lines; see Tara's example below.

After you poke the design out, cut along the dotted lines you've created with a sharp knife.

Insert tea lights into the bases, light and ENJOY!

Happy Halloween!

The Cat's Meow

Because my otherwise sweet and charming roommate Natalie (a.k.a. Natty Patty) disdains cats, I'm not allowed to enjoy the company of one of my very favorite creatures within the comfort of my own home. 

Forgoing my desires for the harmony of the entire household, I've resorted to miniature statue versions of these furry feline friends. Here are two Halloween-themed cats I would like to share with you. They are from Attic Antiques on Cahaba Valley Road and were created by an in-house artist who makes like creations for all holidays. 

Thankfully Natalie has blessed their presence; after all, who can reject a party-hat wearing kitty cat? Meow!