Apple and Goat Cheese Sandwich

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe, but I have a few on the horizon now. First, I have to share my new favorite sandwich!  Some protein, some carb, some fruit - what's not to love? : )

You'll need:

One gala or fuji apple

goat cheese

2 slices of sourdough bread

butter

directions:

Core and slice apple. Set aside.

Lightly butter both sides of two slices of sourdough bread.

Grill bread on a skillet until very lightly golden brown on both sides.

Layer one piece of bread with a scoop of goat cheese crumbles and some apple slices.  Add second layer of bread on top.  Flip sandwich a couple of times on the skillet (you might lower the heat so the bread doesn't get too brown) so that the goat cheese and apple cook a bit. 

Serve with remaining apple slices on the side.

Yum!



last gasp of Christmas

Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't really take many Christmas photos this year. Let's just say that my little camera doesn't exactly inspire one to try and capture the moment.  Here are two I did take though, which I want to post to commerorate the season. : )

Miss Paige, Christmas morning.  God Bless her. She waited to come downstairs until after I had walked Cooper and gone to Starbucks (!)  Her kindle ("Kindle Fire HD" - as she likes to refer to it) was waiting under the tree in a quiet manner.  We let P run the show, starting with her stocking, just waiting for her to notice her new device. Finally, she did. Here she is, reading the note from Santa (attached). She is thrilled with it!

Cooper, and his mini companion. Since getting Cooper, Paige has taken to collecting pugs. My mom got her 'Christmas Pug' at a winery.  Cooper is not at all jealous of Christmas Pug, although he did try to sit on him once. Incidentally, Cooper received a new antler and new bed for Christmas. He, too, is thrilled!

Onward with the new year!

Thinking about 2013....

Source: socialmediabonus.com via Sarah on Pinterest

What are your resolutions for 2013? I'm dying to know!

Merriest Photo Grid Christmas Card

Customize your Christmas cards this season at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

I could not figure out this year how to get shutterfly to let me upload my card to a viewable size, and without all of the other clutter, so here it is, in all of its non-glory. I do love this card!

We had a wonderful holiday; non-stop fun from Friday to Tuesday, with parties, visiting family, caroling, opening gifts, playing games, watching movies and lots of other fun stuff.  I took hardly any pictures and instead tried to just enjoy the moment.

In other news, Cooper is celebrating his 6 month anniversary with us (his forever family) today, and I am hibernating a bit.  It's good to be home!

Dizzy December

I'm finally making time to post!  We are running a bit ragged over here.  I've had some extra work demands - which have been both frustrating and enlightening. Ed has been sick. And of course I'm trying to keep with all of my favorite holiday traditions. It's made for some tightly packed days.

A bright spot - with Miss P at school with me, we do spend a lot of time together.  And I have the photographic evidence to prove it! 

All of the kids receive an award sometime throughout the year for an area of achievement.  Each year, P has received hers for reading.  She is a reader like her mom. The other day we took a special trip to the Scholastic Warehouse and found some treasures, including a sought after Alie Finkle book for her.  Then tonight, she was reading this with me (the beginning).

Paige is getting another award tomorrow for overall hard work and perfect attendance. I'm so happy because she is one of those easygoing kids who tends to just blend in.

Speaking of standing out, last weekend, we saw the sweetest performance of The Nutcracker, featuring an adorable little friend.

Paige and future prom date.  Don't they just go together?

We checked 'make a gingerbread house' off our holiday list. We've lost count of all the holiday movies we've watched during weekend crafterganzas. 

Back to school biz, I took a day off of work to chaperone P's class field trip to 'A Christmas Carol.' After constant kinder, 3rd graders are such a joy. Tip: if you are going to chaperone a field trip - do a play! Today and tomorrow I'm scooting over to help them make holiday cards as soon as I can shuffle my group out the door.

 

On the agenda this weekend are holiday get-togethers, baking, and card mailing.  How is your month going?

One jam packed weekend...

The secret to getting it all done....a cup of coffee at 4 p.m.!

Let me back up. It's been a busy but awesome holiday weekend. It's the time of year when I have to be uber organized in order to get it all done. I'm sure you know the feeling.

It started off with a very fun and mellow family night on Friday at our neighborhood pizza joint. One of those places where you have to strategize to get a table.  Ed was excited to see the Pac-10 championship, Paige was excited to have dad i-phone time. I was excited to have a glass of wine and no kitchen duty.

Saturday morning, Miss P was up early for our mother/daughter December 1st ornament shopping date. She had her heart set on finding the cutest pug-themed dog ornament ever.

We headed out early to the mall, but no ornament found. We did enjoy a few fun new stores, and lots of sales.  Next, we hit our downtown neighborhood where the coveted dog ornament was victoriously procured. Finally it was off to Micheal's to get materials for Paige's pinnacle of the holiday season - her advent calendar.


No, it isn't a calendar of chocolates, like most normal people.  I search high and low for inexpensive goodies that she actually needs (like leggings from Old Navy on sale for $3 on Black Friday) and those get packaged up. 

The pattern goes like this: day #1 gift, day 2 'a clue' for gift #2. So on the odd days she gets a gift (12 total) and on the even days a rhyming clue for the next gift. This took me, oh, a few hours in Santa's workshop, with accompanying holiday movies. 



A few more decorations.

Today I actually returned to the mall with my bf : ) for a girls shopping trip - something I rarely do, but we are trying to make more friend time. It was a blast, with lots of chatting and sharing.  I got to do some grown-up shopping and scored a sweater, top and scarf at Banana. More great sales! It will be nice to have a few more decent pieces in my sadly lacking wardrobe.

Afterward, we got our younger set together for lunch and a playdate. They love each other, which we of course love. 

Once our friends left it was back to work! That's where the cup of coffee came in. Multiple hour work project - done. Dog walk - done. Laundry - done. Dinner - done. 

Blogging - done. : )