On Forgetting Things

So I really wanted to post this awesome baked oatmeal recipe for more than a week now... and I forgot.
Then I wanted to put up the oatmeal-raisin cookie recipe I baked this weekend- and I forgot.
Then about all the other things I keep forgetting unless I write them down on a piece of paper and leave it in PLAIN SIGHT--because otherwise I forgot.

Yep, Scatterbrain is my middle name these days. But I packed up two big boxes of clothes for storage this wekeend that won't fit me until next summer or more, and a small one for charity, and started to make the Christmas list for people (this year more people requested either not to get presents or that we give to some charity in their name... I am pondering this one for at least two of them), so some progrress was made at least.

And tomorrow we leave for our last adventure-vacation for Thanksgiving, so probably no more posts until the weekend.

Y' all have a great Thanksgiving-- there's much, much to give thanks for this year... I hope it's the same with you!

Small Delights

It finally dawned on me as I was doing my Monday grocery run after work, that if I can get some decaf tea, I can get back to my habit of sipping on hot tea flavored with honey and lemon, my favorite winter treat, even though my caffeine intake is rather limited these days. Duh!
So I found Stash Tea's Decaf Earl Grey and with a deep sigh of satisfaction I made a big cuppa for myself last night. Not that I don't have enough teas in my cupboard already (in truth, it overfloweth with various bags and boxes) but decaf I didn't have much, except various herbal blends with which I need to be cautious just right now.
Small delights, indeed. Now if I can get the energy together to make that apple pie I was craving for a week now...

Holiday Obligatory

As every year, I overhauled my amazon.com wishlist for those of the family and friends who requested it in the past. Please note that baby stuff is NOT included--this is my wishlist. :) Baby stuff that is needful for our new arrival is over at target.com under both of our names. Thank you!

ETA: Please don't think this is me being greedy. This is my last Christmas when I can get something for myself, as opposed to the baby (I've been warned by my family already that this WILL happen)--don't blame the girl if she would like to receive something else than six adorable pink baby burping cloths or another swaddling blankie, m'kay?

Old Country Christmas

Saturday was great, really. The weather was crisp and not too warm and sunny, I didn't feel like I was hit on the head with a sledgehammer when I got up, and a friend invited me to go with her to Ft. Worth where her church had their annual Christmas bake sale. I try to make it every year, but missed it last time. I mean really missed it. They have these amazing East European cakes and cookies and really taste like the stuff I used to have at home, and the poppyseed roll is such a hit with The Husband that I cannot hide it in the freezer deep enough to last until the actual season starts...:)
They were out of the poppyseed rolls this time (sniff, sniff) but my friend made a great suggestion for how to recreate those at home, so I think I'll try that even though I prefer the walnut rolls myself. I picked up cherry-cheese rolls, pumpkin cakes, chocolate cakes, apricot rolls and baklava instead. Everything landed in the freezer except the baklava, which was gone the same day-- they make it really, really good, dripping with syrup and with a thick layer of walnut-pistachio filling that is crunchy and soft at the same time (one of the mysteries of a well-made baklava).
After the sale, we had lunch at Blue Mesa in Ft. Worth--I keep forgetting just how good their food is for a chain restaurant. They have sweet potato chips mixed in with the blue and yellow corn tortillas in their tortilla basket, their two salsas are a bit on the hot side but very flavorful (especially the roasted tomatillo one), and the tiny corn cakes that come with most of the entrees are so sweet from the perfectly ripe corn they use that they prectically pass as dessert. Unfortunately the smoked chicken in one of the tacos I had was just a bit dry, but the beef and the shrimp in the others made up for it. A good thing that they don't have a location close to our house, otherwise we'd be SO broke!

On The Election

While I am no citizen yet and thus I couldn't vote, I really enjoyed this analysis this afternoon, which essentially echoed quite a number of conversation The Husband and I had in the past weeks.
I come from a country where I could see WAY too much of those things the winning candidate promised in his campaign, and while my faith in the way the system over here runs makes me believe that a LOT of those promises will not be able to come to fruition, I still think this will not be an easy presidency.