Keri me home: January 2012

1/27/12

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama
A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

1/26/12

Ugh. It's been a rainy, icky, phooey, mushy, ugly, gooey, muddy, dreary mess out there today.

And me NO likey!

I mean, I know the alternative is snow, but this rain is just so sad and dull. It makes me tired. So, I'd rather see some snow. Like the snow we had this past weekend, for example- on Sunday afternoon, especially. Sigh. It was the kind of winter day that moves you. Well, it was more so the horses, I think. Oh, the horses. They moved me...

These two gorgeous guys, Opossum and Drag, live in the little, red barn next to our house. Well, on Sunday they got to run 'free' in the field across the road from us, and I could have watched them all day long.

Their exuberant gallops over the softly rolling, white hills brought me joy, and energized my spirit.

They were just so so happy, and that made me happy, too.

Anyway, I recently posted some of these playful photos on Fabin Bros. Farms' Facebook page, and couldn't resist sharing them with you, too. Enjoy!

1/23/12

I heart biscotti, a lotti.

Hello there. I hope that your weekend was wonderful, and that your Monday is marvelous.

OK, I have a riddle for you today: What should you do when life hands you lemons... and walnuts?

Give up? Alright, I'll tell you.

Make biscotti, of course!

So, needless to say, I haven't been doing so well with the whole 'not baking for myself thing', but I don't care. Baking has become a habit of mine. I'm not sure when or how or why I allowed this to happen, but it's in my soul, now, or something. I can't explain it.

I just can't resist.

It's too good. Too comforting. Too magical.

Oh well, life is short, but sweet, for certain, right? Right. So, I say, 'YES' to baked goods!

Who's with me?

Anyway, this was my first time baking biscotti, and to my surprise, it was much simpler than I thought it would be- just time consuming. Alright, enough chatter. Here's the recipe (it's my own, so I hope you like it)...

Nutty Lemon Biscotti

Ingredients
The cookie
3 2/3 c. flour
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
zest of 1 1/2 lemons
1 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 stick butter, melted
juice of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 egg white

The glaze
3/4 c. powdered sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Thoroughly combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, walnuts, lemon zest,
baking powder and baking soda) together in a large bowl.

Slightly beat the wet ingredients (butter, lemon juice, eggs and egg yolk)
together in a small bowl, and add to the dry ingredients.

Incorporate the ingredients together with a wooden spoon.
This takes a while, so keep at it, and use those muscles!

Gently knead the dough out onto a floured surface, and form 2 large logs.
Evenly place the logs onto a lightly greased baking sheet, and gently flatten them.
Then brush beaten egg white on top of the logs.

Bake the logs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely.
If they aren't totally cooled, they will crumble when you attempt the next step.
So, get the ants out of your pants, and just let them cool.

Cut the logs, diagonally, into 1 in. slices with a serrated knife, using a sawing motion.
Return the cookies to the baking sheet, and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until crisp.

Create the glaze by mixing the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a measuring cup.
Drizzle the mixture over the cooled biscotti and allow to dry.

SIDE NOTE
I recently joked with my friend, Laura, about my 'steady diet of biscotti' on Twitter. But I wasn't joking, really. I pretty much ate the entire batch of these babies myself.

Almost.

I ate them for breakfast, for dessert, for lunch, for boredom, for dinner, for 'eh, yea I could eat', for snack, for mood boosting, for midnight snack, and for (insert any other reason for binging on baked goods here)... I am not proud of this, but that's how delicious they were.

Enjoy!

1/20/12

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama
A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

1/19/12

One in front of the other

This morning I received a surprise email from a long-time family friend with some great advice. I have always admired this individual: a great business man; a greater friend; the greatest family man.

This email made my day so, of course, I had to share. And I sincerely hope that you can take something from this as well, for these are wise words:

This shot was taken while on a long, uphill, farm walk last week.
(I think it fits here)

Here’s something to think about…

One in front of the other…

“To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.” – Chinese Proverb

No matter what they are, or how tough the journey, be persistent in pursuit of your goals. Celebrate progress along the way, but keep stepping. It’s those that keep putting one foot in front of the other that prevail.

Take care,

Steve

1/16/12

That 'something'

Oh, my dear, sweet, silly-headed Christopher. For those of you lucky enough to know my husband (it doesn't have to be well), understand that there's just 'something' about him. You might not understand what that 'something' is, but you understand that it's there... and you know that Chris just wouldn't be Chris without it.

It is a certain characteristic, a special quality- a quirk, if you will. In my eyes, it's honest, endearing and love able. It's that 'something' that I adore most about him (and occasionally what makes me the most crazy). That 'something' usually shines brightest when he is cracking jokes, making strange noises, and/or singing songs. But it comes out in other really amazing ways, too.

For example: Last Wednesday evening, around 8:30 pm, Chris got a call from our good friends, the Goods. Their beloved cat, Dimitri (aka 'D') got himself into quite a pickle. And when I say, 'quite a pickle', I mean, stranded at the very tippy top of an old 50(ish)-ft. silo.

Don't ask me how- I have NO idea.

Regular cats get themselves stuck atop trees and things like that. But, you see, D is not an average cat. D has got that 'something' too (a feline version of it). And I think he could handle a tree, no problem. But this ancient farming storehouse... eh, not so much.

Anyway, Chris, without hesitation promised to help his good friend save the Good kitty. So, we hopped in the truck, and made our way to the scene.

I think it is safe to assume that D was after a few roosting pigeons when he suddenly found himself atop this tower of terror, but we'll never know exactly how he managed it, or exactly how long he was up there.

Regardless, my heart semi sank as Chris agreed that he was the only one with long enough legs to successfully climb up the rusty, dusty silo- go figure. Ugh.

I felt like I was on one of those animal rescue shows, only I was admittedly more concerned for the rescuer than I was for the four-legged victim.

But Chris assured me that he could do it. Then, made one of his 'jokes' about plummeting to his death/getting his face scratched off, handed me his wedding band (you'd think he would know better), and started to ascend.

Here's how it happened...

UP climbs Chris.

UP goes the bucket.

DOWN comes the bucket.

And OUT pops the cat.

Whew... we think D might have used up a few of his nine lives with this little stunt. But who's counting?

Maybe he should have been a fireman?!

After Chris slowly came back down the corroded ladder, and lovingly swooped up the Good cat for a photo op, I realized that he never really had a choice in the matter of saving D that night- that 'something' made him do it.

I'm one lucky gal. ; )

1/13/12

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama
A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

1/11/12

Doodle Snaps

In a desperate effort to break my recent, quite naughty baking habit, and hopefully reclaim my post-holiday shape (in my mind it was smaller), I'm baking goodies for my dogs instead!

Here's my recipe for peanut butter & carrot doodle snaps:
Ingredients
2 c. ginger snap cookies, finely crushed in food processor
1 carrot, finely grated
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. flour

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together crumbs, carrot, peanut butter and egg until well combined.

Mix in flour and baking powder until the dough resembles ground hamburger.

Roll and form the mixture into (approx. 40) 1 in. balls and place evenly on a baking sheet.

Softly flatten each cookie down with your fingers.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, cool, and enjoy!

Rocco and Callie just looooooooove them.

1/10/12

Sky's the limit

Happy (belated) new year, everyone! I hope 2012 is treating you as wonderfully as it's been treating me. Last week, Chris and I returned home from a cozy, super-fun getaway to New England (more of that to come), and now I'm feeling lively, anew and determined.

I feel like I haven't really posted in a while, but with the holidays and all, you know how it is. My motivation was MIA, my brain juices were stagnant, and I was much too busy indulging in sweets and feasts to notice. But I tossed the leftover sugar cookies, and now I'm back! So, here we go...

I know new year's resolutions are cliche (so is this post's title), but I don't care.

If we did all the things we're really capable of doing,
we would literally astound ourselves.
- Thomas Edison

The other night, the sky was roaring and burning with bold salmon clouds, softly lined with shades of lavender. It was the most breathtaking, beautiful sky. The kind of sky that sappy poets gush over in their verses- romanticism at its finest, for sure.

Anyway, it kind of inspired me. Since I don't really have one, specific resolution for the new year, I'll just say that I want to be better me: a body/mind/soul kind of thing, you know? I just want to be a me who lives better, laughs harder, and loves stronger.

Yup, that's about as vague as it gets, but I'm sticking to it. I mean, there's no way I could even begin to ponder, express AND accomplish all of my goals, hopes, ideas, dreams, etc., this year. And even if I could, it wouldn't matter- they are ever changing.

So that's that. : ) What do you think? What are some of your new year's resolutions?

1/6/12

{these moments}

Inspired by SouleMama
A Friday ritual, beefed up. ~~A single~~ photo(s) - no words - capturing a moment(s) from the week *at Kiele and Jay's*. Simple, special, extraordinary moments. Moments I want to pause, savor and remember.