Winter is really starting to suck

It is snowing, again. I was born and raised in New Hampshire and I can honestly say, this has been the suckiest winter, ever. I officially hate snow. I thought I'd post some of my favorite springy pictures so I can start looking forward to the Spring and warmer weather. Some inspiration:

I feel a little better. Spring will be here March 20, 2011, less than a month away!

-Joanna

Baseball

It's almost baseball season. Even though there's still about 2 feet, 3 feet in some areas, of snow outside, I can’t wait. . My boys play baseball and I LOVE watching them play.

It means Summer is closer than we think.

It means the Red Sox are getting ready…. (as I write this - - they just won Game #1 in Spring Training).

It means Little League is starting soon. My oldest just finished his Little League stint this past Spring. Bittersweet. I still have 5 more years with the big “O”. Babe Ruth is on the horizon as well for T. The Big Leagues.

It means another crazy mother will be sitting in the bleachers, or in my case pacing back and forth, screaming, "Come on baby, come on, keep your eye on the ball, you've done it before, you can do it again, line drive, line drive, we need a hit, come on baby!”

Then I get the evil eye for calling him, “baby”.

Inspiration for the week

Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self. There is something which you can do better than another. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that. Do the things at which you are great, not what you were never made for."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Red Velvet Cupcakes - Made for Valentine's Day

YUM!

Best I've ever made.

Recipe: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/11/08/red-velvet-cupcakes-cream-cheese-frosting/

Pancakes!

One of the best pancake recipes, ever! Martha Stewart style. Buttermilk Pancakes. Just made them for the boys. They are the fluffiest, yummiest looking pancakes I have ever seen. Some day I'll be like the Pioneer Woman and post step by step pictures.

For now, the key ingredients are buttermilk, real buttermilk, not the powdered stuff you can buy at the store and not the conversion style (adding lemon juice to milk). I bought a container of buttermilk last week at the store to make Red Velvet Cupcakes for the boys on Valentine's Day. Had lots of leftover so I thought this would be the perfect thing to make on this beautiful, windy, but sunny, Saturday morning. The other key ingredients/points, hot griddle, or in my case, a hot pan. It's not on high but Med/High on my stove. The pancakes cook fast and can burn so you've got to keep an eye on them. When the bubbles are across the pancakes, time to flip.

Here's the direct link to the recipe: http://http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/best-buttermilk-pancakes-by-martha

Enjoy!

J-

First post

First, I need to thank my friend, Steve L., for coming up with the name of my blog. I'm so new at this and this is going to look so bad at first so bear (bare?) with me. See what I mean. I'm creating this blog for myself. If someone else enjoys it, great! I have 2 wonderful boys who are the center and meaning of my life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm supposed to put myself first in life. I'll let you know how that's working. Just not me. Someday, right?



Anyway, this blog will hopefully have my beautiful pictures on it that I love to take with my fancy, schmancy camera (not reallly, but kind of). I look like a professional news photographer when I have my gear on. If they only knew I have no idea what I'm doing, ok, I let it out now.

I love to organize so I may post some of my tips, ideas and completed projects, along with links to my favorite blogs as well.

Cooking, baking, that's me too. Recipes my appear here and there too.

This is a work in progress, so enjoy!

So, here goes. I hope to come back tomorrow. We'll see. :)

Joanna