holiday baking

It's no secret that I love to bake, and with Christmas coming up, I've been looking

at web sites and Pinterest boards for some baking inspiration.

This Cranberry Cake photo practically had me drooling on my keyboard.

It's from a site called The Kitchn and you can find the recipe here.

 A Pretty Life in the Suburbs posted the recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate

cookies last year. I made them and they were delicious. I am definitely

making them again this year. Here's the recipe.

How about a Christmas Blondie? This blondie delight is studded with white chocolate, 

candied cherries, and toasted walnuts. Brought to you by Better Homes and Gardens.

I'm a huge chocolate fan, but I also love a good molasses cookie around

Christmastime. These are one of Brian's favorites. From the blog, Mango

On An Apple, here's the yummy recipe.

 

Even if you're not a baker, you can whip up these holiday spiced nuts.

They'd be great for snacking, for putting out on the table for pre-dinner

snacking when company comes over, or even put in a pretty package for

gifts. Go check out the recipe at Mom Advice.

Speaking of holiday baking, next week starts the Blog Tour that I'll be

a part of. I'm still putting final touches on my holiday decor and even though

I don't put up a tree or do anything "fancy", I'd like to think that my home

is inviting and cheery for my family and friends. I can't wait to share it with

 all of you!

the yin and yang of days

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that one of my passions is healthy

 cooking and eating. I'm also a strong believer in exercise to keep one healthy, 

but I still really struggle with that one -  as in getting enough exercise. I also know

 that no matter how well we take care of our bodies, something is going to go wrong

 once in awhile. Last month, I started having some shoulder pain. I didn't really

 think anything of it. It'd come and go. But then it started to get worse, especially when 

moving my arm behind me, like to put on my seat belt or when getting dressed.

The pain was mostly in the front part of my shoulder and a little down my arm. 

I saw an orthopedic doctor yesterday and had x-rays and an exam. I was diagnosed

 with rotator cuff impingement. Common in people that do a lot of overhead work 

or swimmers and pitchers (I am neither), but also common in middle-aged people.

 I'll be starting physical therapy tomorrow and I have to go 2-3 days/week for six

 weeks. I've been to physical therapy in past years for my back. It is not fun. And it

 takes up  a lot of time. I'm feeling pretty bummed about this. I also want to get acupuncture 

treatments (I'm a strong believer in holistic and non-drug treatment whenever possible) 

but Brian's insurance doesn't cover acupuncture anymore. Doesn't that figure? I love

 how these insurance companies will pay for drug treatment (don't get me started on 

Big Pharma!) but not alternative, non-harmful treatments that actually cure the problem 

instead of just masking it. Of course I know why - neither drug companies nor 

health insurance companies benefit financially. Off my soap box now...long story short,

 I found an acupuncture place that might be able to work with me on a sliding scale. 

It just might be doable. I also have some other medical tests coming up and so

does Brian, so I've been feeling a bit bummed about all this lately. But, enough of

that stuff...I do not want to dwell on the negative.

So! Now for some happy news: Jemma is hosting a Tis The Season Blog Tour 

coming up December 9-14 and I will be one of the blogs on that tour!  Each day

 will feature a different blogger - some of whom you may be familiar with; others

 may be new to you. I think it'll be fun to see different homes, pretty Christmas 

decor, perhaps some holiday recipes, and to make some new blogger friends. 

And around my home today...remember the bland cork board in my kitchen where

I wanted to do something with vintage recipes? I had thought of putting criss-cross

 ribbon on the bulletin board, but then had a better idea.

 

 I covered it with scrapbook paper! Much better, yes? The colors are

bright and cheery and match my kitchen. Something simple that even this

non-crafter could do!

Happy hump day, everyone.