cookies for heart day

So, while I’m fully aware Valentine’s day was over a month ago, I just had to share these cookies I made J for Valentine’s day (they were actually post-Valentine’s day cookies because we had to buy a new food processor). He LOVES raisins. LOVES them. His mom always makes him these raisin paste filled cookies for his birthday, so when I ran across this recipe, and super cute idea of the heart shapes, I had to try them.

I thought they were very easy and fun to make. While mine didn't look as perfect as Martha's, I'm pretty sure they tasted just as good : ) Unfortunately, I am not a raisin fan and can’t give you a personal review…but J really liked them (and he would tell me if he didn’t!).

{photo by me, recipe by Martha MarthaStewart.com}

Gotta give it up.

 

I have a major sweet tooth. I mean, major. However, this sweet tooth is mostly only for candy…the chewy, sweet, pure sugar kind of candy. I can pass up a piece of cake, a cookie, or a Reese cup no problem. I’m not much of a chocolate person, but dangle a sour gummy worm in front of me and I cannot resist!  The sad thing is, before I was diagnosed with diabetes, I could care less about candy, but the second I was told "no more candy", I had to have it! This post is a little late, but this year for Lent I decided to give up my favorite candy (except the bag of jellybeans we’d already opened because this is the only time of year my favorite kind is out! Those are already long gone).

To my yummy, sweet, tasty candy I've abandoned, I will see you April 24th!

I don't get it.

{via Ecouterre.com}

Seriously? Don’t try it. 

I mean, I know this look is popping up everywhere in catalogs, fashion mags, and whatnot, but I just don’t get it. The socks and sandals combo has always just been an obvious no-no to me. Not only because it doesn’t make sense to me, but because I just don’t think it is cute. To each their own.

I did a little research, and apparently this trend has been trying to make it big for a couple of years now. Why?! If it didn’t work in 2009 or 2010, give it up. 2011 doesn’t want you either. What’s next? Toesocks with flip flops? (ew, I just threw up in my mouth a little) I think this has to definitely be one of those love it or hate it kind of things. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer to wear sandals sans socks. 

However, if someone can pull this off and make it look cute, I’d love to see it. Right now, I'm just not feeling it.

 

{via Urban Outfitters}

turkey-loaf

I tried a new recipe last night...it was delish! We will definitely have this again. It reminded me a lot of my dad's "secret" dressing/stuffing recipe (apparently I'm the only one who calls it stuffing?). Lots of flavor...and I can still smell it when I walk in our kitchen. Anyway, although there are some complex sounding ingredients (most things I make are pretty simple, spices other than salt and the occasional cinnamon are rare) it is very easy to make and well worth the prep! I'm going to call it turkey loaf, because isn't turkey meatloaf almost like calling it meat meatloaf? Here's the recipe : )

Turkey Loaf

4 slices white bread (no crust, torn in pieces)

8 small sage leaves

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 large yellow onion (cut into eighths)

1 stalk celery (cut into 2 inch pieces)

1/2 tsp dried thyme (I just used ground thyme)

1 large whole egg (lightly beaten)

2 TBSP tomato paste

4 tsp Dijon mustard

1 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp salt

Black pepper

1 large egg white (so, 2 eggs total for the loaf)

Preheat oven to 400*. Place bread and sage leaves in food processor and pulse to form fine crumbs. Transfer to medium bowl and add ground turkey. Chop onion and celery in food processor (finely). Add to turkey mixture, using hands to combine.

Add thyme, whole egg, 1 TBSP tomato paste, mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Season with pepper.

looks tasty, right??

Combine well. Place in a 9x5x2 1/2in loaf pan.

In a small bowl, combine egg white with remaining TBSP tomato paste and 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, whisking with a fork until smooth. Spread evenly over turkeyloaf. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes, remove and let sit 15 minutes covered with foil.

And enjoy! YUM!



{recipe found on MarthaStewart.com}

                                                         

Speaking of turkey, why in bowling if you get 3 strikes in a row it's called a "turkey"??

Oh, and...

Be sure to check out my "About" section. This is also a work in progress so, stay tuned! 

Here’s how it all began…

I love, love, love reading blogs and decided in 2009 I wanted to start my own. However, I am just now, in March 2011, getting around to it. 2009 was a big year for me and I hope to eventually share all about it on this blog. Part of the reason it has taken me so long to start (other than working full-time, socializing, getting sucked in to HGTV, Law&Order:SVU, and Lifetime Movies, and just procrastinating) isn’t that I didn’t have ideas…I had/have too many ideas! I initially thought I’d start a blog that focused on my 365 photo project (taking a picture every single day for a year), but as I took pictures I realized I really like to cook, so maybe I should focus on cooking and recipes? But my husband and I also LOVE to travel, so should I focus on our travels and travel tips? And so on. But this has gone on too long! My plan for this blog is to have no restrictions- I hope to write about all aspects of our life, because life is random. I’m random. So, that’s how this blog will be. I was also a little nervous about my first post (this post) because that’s kind of a big deal, right? Maybe not. Sometimes I build things up in my head and totally over think it, but it’s time to jump “write”in! (ha, get it??) Over the past several months I really started working on my blog design and I have it pretty much where I like it (other than it being completely blank...until now!). I’ve created tabs (hopefully they will work like I’m hoping they will) where I can keep my 365 photos, recipes, travel stories and tips, and DIY projects I hope to get around to…;) I’m still learning a lot about blogger and how to use different features and get things to look how I’d like them to, so bear with me. I hope you will follow along and follow the journeys of my new life as “Mrs. J”.