December diversions {wrap-up}

...worked long and hard.

...scored cheap tickets to see Godspell. I did a lot of laughing, clapping and tearing up.

...spent a lot of time with the family. I'm so thankful for this.

...continued to watch (unsuccessfully) for snow.

...started jogging just a tiny bit.

...experienced my first Christmas in NYC.

Happy New Year!

(I'm incredulous every year, but...can you believe it's 2012?!)

Christmas by the numbers

4   days of travel
6   hours flown
2   airline vouchers scored
1   car rented
1   free car rental upgrade received
12 hours driven
3   hours of Broadway XM radio listened to
26 family members visited
2   beds slept in
1   biryani lunch enjoyed
1   Kindle book read
6   naps taken
2   puppies played with
1   walk taken
3   magazines read
2   Pasta House salads eaten
0   snowflakes seen
1   potluck attended
0   photos taken
1   Christmas movie watched

countless hands held, hugs given and kisses received

Light

"I have come into the world as a light..." 

(John 12:46)

Merry Christmas to you.

One year later

Wednesday was my one year blogging anniversary.

I started out blogging in response to all the blogs I read that inspired, interested and encouraged me. I wanted to join the fun. Plus, since, at the time, we were in the middle of a big life change (i.e. - moving to New York), it seemed like a good time to start documenting life.

However, one year later, I find myself continuing to blog for different reasons. I blog as a creative outlet and way to challenge myself. Blogging keeps me brainstorming about different ways to capture life, looking at the world in new ways and trying a variety of recipes. It pushes me to be a better writer, photographer, cook and person. 

I still have a lot of unanswered questions:

1. How do I balance blogging and real life?
2. How much information is too much information?
3. How do I blog authentically and still value my and my loved ones' privacy?
4. How can I encourage others as I have been encouraged?

I'm curious about what I'll think about blogging in one more year. I'm also curious about what other bloggers think. Why do you blog?* What questions do you still wrestle with about blogging?

*As you might guess, I love reading the "about" section of blogs.

Peanut butter and jelly bars...nostalgia in dessert form

Are you getting steamrolled? I sure am. I'm almost breathless with all the work and holiday hoopla that's been going on.

So, I've really appreciated the nostalgic oasis that these peanut butter and jelly bars have provided. The scent of peanut butter and jelly has been transporting me back to a time when I ate peanut butter on bagels everyday for lunch and my mom included jelly-topped toast on her Saturday breakfast menu.

These bars are thick and chewy on the bottom but light and crumbly on top, with sweet jelly sandwiched in between the salty, peanut butter layers. Right now, packing these bars in my lunch is the best gift I can give myself.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
(inspired by Martha Stewart's Cookies)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature*
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (1 12 ounces jar) strawberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla, and mix to combine. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flours, salt and baking powder. Then, combine flour mixture and butter mixture. 

Spread two-thirds of peanut mixture in prepared pan. Spread preserves on top of peanut butter mixture. Crumble remaining peanut mixture on top of preserves.

Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes. Loosely cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for another 10 minutes. Run knife around the edge of the pan. Cool on a wire rack. 

Makes 24 bars

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* If you're like me, you might forget to set the butter out to thaw. In that case, heat a bowl full of water. Set a plate on top of the bowl of hot water, and then place the sticks of butter on the plate.

Things we really needed over the weekend

It's Christmas time in the city

Peanut butter and fruit smoothie...you'll feel good just making it

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a work-sponsored health screening. 

I've been blessed with relatively good health, so I'm accustomed to health appointments ending with a "Good job! Keep up the good work." I really love all the praise.

Therefore, I was not at all pleased when, at the health screening, my cholesterol and triglycerides tested as less than ideal. I'm not using the phrase "less than ideal" as a euphemism for "really, really bad." In this case,"less than ideal" really was just that, slightly over the ideal range. Even though there is little reason for concern, I felt upset.

I want to avoid becoming obsessive about my health (and since I'm a recovering perfectionist, that would be easy to do), but I think the screening was a good reminder about some of the general wellness principles I'm committed to but have been lax about in recent months.

One way I'm combating my lapse is by focusing on getting my meal portions back in line and stocking my home and office with healthy snacks. This smoothie is a new addition to my arsenal. It's full of things I love, so the way I make it involves a lot of spoon licking. It's also creamy, filling and fresh-tasting, which is perfect for an afternoon snack.

On a practical note - since putting the blender back together after washing it is a minor production for me, I went ahead and made some extra batches to stash in the fridge while the blender was already dirtied up. Reserved portions need a little stir before serving.

Peanut Butter and Fruit Smoothie
(inspired by Cooking Light)

1 ripe banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen fruit (I used a berry medley.)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup vanilla fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon creamy, natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Put all of the ingredients into the blender, and run the blender until fully combined.

Serves 1

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Tuesday

5:45 

hear my alarm go off

6:00

roll out of bed, get ready and chat with husband

(put on a skirt because it's going to be rainy, and skirts are most comfortable with rain boots)

7:00

come downstairs, put together lunches and eat my favorite breakfast - cereal, oj and tea 

7:33

hurry out of the house, because we're a tiny bit late

8:00

text mom, chat with husband and read bible on phone

(on train)

8:30

arrive at work, glance at email, wash hands, put away lunch and lock myself out of the office

(which leads to maneuvering around locked doors and talking to security)

9:00

settle down to work

(addressing email, questions, unresolved issues and plans)

11:00

attend a meeting

11:35

lunch while browsing online

(eat veggie burger, apple and brownie)

12:40

head out to offsite meeting

1 - 4:30

participate in meetings and work on my laptop during breaks

5:00

drop off my laptop at my office and head to train station
5:30
read library book
(on train)
5:50
call mom while walking home
(talk about nephew, snow and sinuses)

6:00

arrive home, check mail, take out recycling and watch an episode of New Girl online
(feeling lazy since husband is coming home late)

6:45

put together a salad for dinner and a second salad for tomorrow's lunch

(decide on a salad because it will go well with the bread I made over the weekend)

7:00

eat dinner and watch another episode of New Girl

(can't decide if I like it enough to watch future episodes)

7:45

hop on the treadmill

(do a very short workout)

8:30

shower and get ready for bed

9:00 

chat with husband about the day

9:30

blog and read

10:30

goodnight

As seen on Thanksgiving