My small joys, let me tell them
Dec. 29th, 2011 10:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42The icicle lights I put up in the kitchen have been pleasing me no end. They cast quite a bit of light, so we can eat, effectively, by candlelight but without the toxicity of burning paraffin. They're also really, really pretty. I'm not sure when I'm going to take them down, but I suspect it won't be until late February, when the days are getting noticeably brighter.
One of the things Santa brought for me this year was towels. Cheap, white, Costco towels. I have been lusting over those towels for... oh, three or four years now, because white is what would go best in my blue, green and white bathroom. However, I only felt that this year I could justify (asking for ;-) them because the majority of our current towels are getting seriously worn out. I haven't had any new towels since Geoff and I got married, almost ten years ago, and the majority of the towels came from Geoff's college years *mumble* years ago.
Well anyway, yesterday, I folded them, and put them in my linen closet. While I was at it, I refolded the messy sheets and organized them all nice an neatly so that my linen closet is now a thing of organized beauty. Well, the shelves are. The floor still needs work.
Anyway, it's nice to make the closet as neat as I like after months of Geoff being a sweetheart and doing all the laundry.
Another small but full joy was Christmas dinner. Though perhaps I shouldn't list that as a small joy, due to the price tag... Hmm. Anyway, I splurged and bought a very nice beef roast, which I then did not ruin! It turned out beautifully - pink in the middle and crusty on the outside, and juicy throughout. The only glitch in the meal was that it was done a bit earlier than I expected, so I hadn't had time to make the batter for the gingerbread for dessert. However, it all turned out perfectly, as everyone ate so much that they weren't ready for dessert until hours later, when the gingerbread was out of the oven and had cooled to an eatable temperature.
And then came the joy of eating the gingerbread.* Oh. My. Goodness. SO! GOOD! I'm not sure which I liked better, eating my own piece or seeing Page eat his with the plain yogurt as a topping (no honey needed).
Another joy was having energy on the 27th after a full four day weekend of feeling so tired and being very lazy. I think there's a fair amount of resting left to do, but it's nice to not feel tired every now and again.
And my grades finally came through the system. All A's as I expected. Yay! And next week I will go pay for next semester's classes.
And yesterday, once the second cup of caffeine kicked in, I was able to get all the running-around errands finished up, including exchanging clothes without a receipt! Whee for excellent costumer service! (Boo that it's at a company I don't really want to support anymore... [Target] But this is still the year of not giving a damn, so whatever.) And Page was no trouble at all, with only one or two small whines throughout!
And a final small joy is getting around to doing what I said I would do where Page is concerned. The big gift for me and Geoff was a nice office chair to replace the really old, franksteined one we'd been (painfully) living with. So, we now have that chair, but the old one is left over. Well, I also have a drafting table in the closet downstairs. So, I asked Page if he wanted the desk and chair and he said yes. So yesterday, I dug the pieces of the desk out, and scrubbed them clean. Today's task will be cleaning up his room so as to fit the desk in there. (I think the bouncy horse will have to go outside...)
I still haven't quite figured out the logistics in fitting all the big items of his room in there, but I'm sure it will happen. And hey, he has a good sense of space and style, so I think he'll be able to help me out.
Oh, and have I mentioned how happy, nice and polite Page has been since break started? I don't know whether to list that as a joy, though, given the implications...
The gingerbread was so good, I need to share the recipe.
Pumpkin Gingerbread
1 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. butter, melted 1/2 c. honey
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger (optional but I strongly recommend it)
2 eggs
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350ยบ.
Grease a 9x5x3" pan.
Whisk dry ingredients in processor, then add the rest of the ingredients (except raisins) and blend until smooth. Stir in raisins,if using.
Bake until a tooth pick comes out dry, about 50-60 minutes.
Great served warm with SCD whipped cream (SCD whipping cream yogurt, drained).
One of the things Santa brought for me this year was towels. Cheap, white, Costco towels. I have been lusting over those towels for... oh, three or four years now, because white is what would go best in my blue, green and white bathroom. However, I only felt that this year I could justify (asking for ;-) them because the majority of our current towels are getting seriously worn out. I haven't had any new towels since Geoff and I got married, almost ten years ago, and the majority of the towels came from Geoff's college years *mumble* years ago.
Well anyway, yesterday, I folded them, and put them in my linen closet. While I was at it, I refolded the messy sheets and organized them all nice an neatly so that my linen closet is now a thing of organized beauty. Well, the shelves are. The floor still needs work.
Anyway, it's nice to make the closet as neat as I like after months of Geoff being a sweetheart and doing all the laundry.
Another small but full joy was Christmas dinner. Though perhaps I shouldn't list that as a small joy, due to the price tag... Hmm. Anyway, I splurged and bought a very nice beef roast, which I then did not ruin! It turned out beautifully - pink in the middle and crusty on the outside, and juicy throughout. The only glitch in the meal was that it was done a bit earlier than I expected, so I hadn't had time to make the batter for the gingerbread for dessert. However, it all turned out perfectly, as everyone ate so much that they weren't ready for dessert until hours later, when the gingerbread was out of the oven and had cooled to an eatable temperature.
And then came the joy of eating the gingerbread.* Oh. My. Goodness. SO! GOOD! I'm not sure which I liked better, eating my own piece or seeing Page eat his with the plain yogurt as a topping (no honey needed).
Another joy was having energy on the 27th after a full four day weekend of feeling so tired and being very lazy. I think there's a fair amount of resting left to do, but it's nice to not feel tired every now and again.
And my grades finally came through the system. All A's as I expected. Yay! And next week I will go pay for next semester's classes.
And yesterday, once the second cup of caffeine kicked in, I was able to get all the running-around errands finished up, including exchanging clothes without a receipt! Whee for excellent costumer service! (Boo that it's at a company I don't really want to support anymore... [Target] But this is still the year of not giving a damn, so whatever.) And Page was no trouble at all, with only one or two small whines throughout!
And a final small joy is getting around to doing what I said I would do where Page is concerned. The big gift for me and Geoff was a nice office chair to replace the really old, franksteined one we'd been (painfully) living with. So, we now have that chair, but the old one is left over. Well, I also have a drafting table in the closet downstairs. So, I asked Page if he wanted the desk and chair and he said yes. So yesterday, I dug the pieces of the desk out, and scrubbed them clean. Today's task will be cleaning up his room so as to fit the desk in there. (I think the bouncy horse will have to go outside...)
I still haven't quite figured out the logistics in fitting all the big items of his room in there, but I'm sure it will happen. And hey, he has a good sense of space and style, so I think he'll be able to help me out.
Oh, and have I mentioned how happy, nice and polite Page has been since break started? I don't know whether to list that as a joy, though, given the implications...
The gingerbread was so good, I need to share the recipe.
Pumpkin Gingerbread
1 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. butter, melted 1/2 c. honey
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger (optional but I strongly recommend it)
2 eggs
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350ยบ.
Grease a 9x5x3" pan.
Whisk dry ingredients in processor, then add the rest of the ingredients (except raisins) and blend until smooth. Stir in raisins,if using.
Bake until a tooth pick comes out dry, about 50-60 minutes.
Great served warm with SCD whipped cream (SCD whipping cream yogurt, drained).
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-12-29 04:45 pm (UTC)And if Page behaves well when he's not at school, it rather begs the question what they are feeding him/doing to or with him that makes him naughty.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-29 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-29 05:28 pm (UTC)There is also that factor of the holiday nerves to take into account. Everyone, but especially the kids, seem to get tetchy in the lead up to Christmas. (And I prefer that to having the blow-ups happen on Christmas day.)
no subject
Date: 2011-12-29 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-29 06:48 pm (UTC)very good
Date: 2011-12-30 12:03 am (UTC)i had gingerbread cookies too with eggnogg teehee all by myself, may this be a good start for your new year!!!!<<<<waving at you!
no subject
Date: 2011-12-30 06:28 pm (UTC)Re: very good
Date: 2011-12-30 06:31 pm (UTC)*waves back*