Sunday, February 27, 2011

giving up the control

Giving up control.  I went to Church this morning to come home thinking about Pastor Paul's message about giving up control, not spending our days worrying and filling that space with trust, love, and thankfulness.  My mind has been contemplating his sermon in a broader sense taking it beyond the relationship with God to the craziness in which I am living.  I remember living alone, in a quiet home, with a clean kitchen, made beds, and room to walk in the living room instead of trenches forged by sliding legos and duplo blocks aside with my foot.  I am not saying that I prefer those days but I do, however, fondly miss the simpleness of those times.  Today I am not feeling well.  Battling a small dose of the flu has me napping the hours away in the early afternoon.  Once I emerged from my cocoon the kids were taking naps so the house was at peace.  Upon entering the living room I noticed that the special "window safe" crayons the grandparents sent for Valentine's Day had not only created swirls and scribbles on every single window but also on the dining room chairs, teak side table, leather ottoman, and light beige carpeting.  Sigh... I, then, enter the kitchen where the dishes from breakfast and lunch are still sitting beside the sink (it is now 3pm).  I ignore it all to come upstairs.  There I discover the cat is beside himself due to an overdue cleaning needed in the kitty box and laundry piling up in the hallway.  How does one juggle this life?  Kids, pets, marriage, house, full-time job and many part-time responsibilities.  Frustration is an occasional demon making me irritable and impatient.  Today I feel mellow looking upon my life with thankfulness.  Thankful I have my husband.  Thankful I have two amazing, active, healthy children.  Thankful I have a new job and thankful for so many more things.  Letting go of the control is okay.  The dirty dishes can wait - we have clean ones waiting to be used (no worries), legos are everywhere and rule our home life (no worries), the kitty will get a clean box (okay, maybe a little worry on his part!), and the laundry will get done even if it is by one load a day over the course of a lifetime.  I write this post so I may revisit it when I feel the "crazy" coming back.  Yes, I would like to sit down for a bit today instead of scrubbing pancake batter from the griddle but I am thankful that I got to nap two hours in the middle of the day.  Well, the kids are awake and I have the cat nipping at my heels so I must go.  

How do you handle the the craziness in your life?  Meditation? A hike? Exercise? Glass of wine?  They all sound divine to me!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

busy with the new event calendar

The Jackson Hole Family Event Calendar is full of great events, activities, classes and more for families, parents, kids, toddlers and teens.  It is the most comprehensive calendar of events for Jackson Hole with updates made daily.  I personally scan websites and resources to ensure that nothing has been missed.  Don't see it on the calendar, please let me know!  If you live here use it to plan out your time with the kids.  If you plan on visiting the area this site makes it easy to plan out a fantastic vacation.  Don't miss out on another fun event!  Check the site daily...bookmark it!  www.jacksonholefamilyevents.com

Sunday, October 3, 2010

chocolate cake: best ever!

Back in the "olden days" of Jackson Hole there was a short lived restaurant called Tortilla Flats.  I worked there my first summer in town.  They served some of the best mexican food I had ever tasted so I was sorry when it closed for good.  However, before the doors were locked I was given the recipe for a fantastic (and easy) chocolate cake.  It requires no frosting and is perfect for pot lucks since it is easy to transport. Don't let the addition of black beans throw you as they add a creamy moistness with no real flavor.  A little protein and potassium in our dessert never hurts!  Another bonus with this cake is that I typically have all the ingredients on hand so I can bake it whenever the urge hits.  Try it - I guarantee you will LOVE it!

Chocolate Black Bean Cake
  • 1 - 15 oz can Black Beans
  • 1/4 c Kaluha
  • 6 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate (or 3/4 c chips)
  • 2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate
  • 2 sticks of Butter
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1 c Sugar
  • 1 c Flour
Heat oven to 350ยบ
Rinse beans and blend with the Kaluha in a food processor until smooth.  Melt chocolate and butter until combined and allow to cool.  Whip eggs with an electric beater while gradually add sugar to eggs until mixture becomes light and fluffy.  Gently fold in chocolate/butter and bean mixture.  Fold in flour until just combined.  Pour into a greased bundt pan or springform pan.  Bake 50-60 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.  

*whipping the eggs into submission until they are very airy and light allows this cake to rise perfectly without any leavening.  Soooo good!

Topping:  I like to sprinkle (with a small metal colander) some powdered sugar on top.  If you want to have a "frosting" glaze:  melt 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate with 4 tbl butter and drizzle over cake.

I wish I had taken a photo for you but it was eaten to fast after baking!  Sorry!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Jackson Hole Family Calendar

Has been created on a fresh page!  No fluff, just the facts.  Take a look, bookmark it and send it off to all your friends in the area.  Know of a family visiting Jackson Hole?  This is a great resource for all the goings-on in the valley!

Jackson Hole Family Events Calendar