Thai One On - Thai Butternut Squash Soup

One of the best things about moving to Ohio when we did was my first chance to see the season’s change. In Florida, you get hot for nine months and then chilly for three with interspersed hot days. I have been assured that I will get to see five seasons here (Winter, Spring, Summer, Indian Summer and Fall).

Awaiting the dramatic snowfall yesterday (dramatic to this Florida girl), I wanted to make something warm and inviting that was also healthy.

This recipe, Thai Butternut Squash Soup has been adapted from this month’s Cooking Light magazine. I made a couple changes to the recipe, roasting my own squash instead of frozen puree (I like the roasted flavor, which sweetens the squash so I omitted the sugar) and leaving out the peanuts (which I didn’t miss at all). Though peeling and slicing butternut squash is painful to the knuckles and feels more like cutting through a steel rod than a vegetable, the effort is worth it when you smell the squash roasting and then, of course, get that roasted flavor in the soup. I also zested the lime before I cut it in sections. I added the zest to the soup to give another level of flavor.

I thought I would really like this soup, but I fell in love and now this is a favorite go-to soup. The one-cup serving is only 4 WW points and is pretty filling since it is thick. I think this may work itself into a dinner party or two since the color is so elegant and the flavor just so … INCREDIBLE! Since the recipe makes four servings, I get to have another this afternoon after a hard morning of shoveling snow! (As a leftover, you may want to add another ¼ cup of broth per serving to make it not so pasty, but still rich and thick.)

The link above will direct you to the original recipe. Below are my adaptations.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash (peeled and cut into aprx 1” pieces)

cooking spray

salt and pepper

1 tsp canola oil                     

1 cup chopped onion

2-1/2 tsp red curry paste

1-1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 tsp brown sugar

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

1-1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges and zested

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cut and peeled squash on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper, toss and put in the oven for 1 hour.

2. When the squash is finished roasting, heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for a minute, stirring constantly.

3. Add the squash to the pan and stir to meld the flavors.

4. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through soy sauce) and lime zest; cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Place half of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture.

6. Spoon 1 cup of soup into each of the 4 bowls; top with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

What is your favorite go-to soup recipe?

Chicken Again? Yipee!

So many times eating healthy can put people in a rut. With chicken being a main staple for a lot of people, it can also become a main drag for dinner. As a Weight Watcher member, I could have fallen into this rut early on, but thanks to a little inspiration, I created some poultry magic instead.

In the old days, pre-WW, I would have paired this with pasta to add a little more substance to my plate, but I’ve replaced the wheat spaghetti with spaghetti squash and I like it so much more. Paired with a side veggie (you can never have too many veggies on the plate) you have a complete, filling, satisfying and tasty meal.

Chicken with Peppers and Onions

4 servings

1lb of chicken breasts (cut into 4 pieces)

1 large onion (halved and sliced thin) (or more if you want)

2 bell peppers or 6 small peppers (sliced thin) (or more if you want)

garlic (minced) or garlic powder

cooking spray

1 spaghetti squash (cut in half lengthwise)

2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce

1 tsp each paprika, dried oregano and dried basil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spray each half of the spaghetti squash with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.

3. Place each half cut-side down on the pan and bake for one hour.

4. The last 15 minutes of the squash’s cook time, heat a cooking spray-coated skillet over medium heat.

5. Place seasoned chicken (salt, pepper, ½ of the garlic and ½ of the paprika) in the skillet.

6. Brown the chicken, but don’t let it cook through. Place browned chicken on a plate and add onions and peppers to the heated skillet. Season with salt, pepper and the rest of the garlic and paprika.

7.  Cook vegetables until browned and soft.

8.  Check the squash with a fork to see if the flesh is stringy and can be removed easily. If so, take it out of the oven and turn the oven to 350 degrees. If not, place it back in the oven and check every 10 minutes.

9. In a 9x13 Pyrex dish, add ½ cup of pasta sauce to the bottom, layer with ½ of the veggies, ¾ cup of sauce, chicken breasts, the other half of veggies and remaining sauce.

10.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

11.  To serve, place 1-1/2 cups of squash on plate and top with chicken and vegetable mixture.

See how simple it is?

We chose roasted asparagus for our side and it went beautifully with the chicken. 30 minutes into the squash roasting, add the asparagus spears (seasoned with salt and pepper on a cooking spray-coated pan) to the oven. After removing the squash and turning the oven to 350, move the asparagus to the bottom shelf under the chicken and continue roasting.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite chicken breast recipe? 

Tuesdays

Tuesdays are kinda like Fridays and kinda not. I work from home most Wednesdays, so it is a relaxing day though I am still working (all my coworkers reading this note: I am still working on Wednesday!) It is just a bit easier since I can sleep in until 8 sometimes and be logged in to work by 8:05. I usually use this quiet time to write my big articles and intensive pieces since there are fewer interruptions and fewer distractions.

And since it is like a pseudo Friday, I have chosen to check in with WW and see how I did this week. I wrote down about half of what I ate and exercised very little, but I still did pretty well with a 3.8lb loss. I think it mostly has to do with alcohol. I haven’t had much of a taste for it lately and I really prefer spending my points on food instead of drink.

Another plus about Tuesday is I don’t have to fret too much about getting to bed by 10. My unwinding didn’t even start until 8:30 when I finally got to eat. Even before a shower, I needed some food or I was going to go mad and order a pizza. The perfect opportunity for leftovers. A bit of left over salad and shrimp, check. A couple cups of roasted cauliflower and a stuffed tomato, check. Soup and salad. I don’t like eating heavy meals at night, unless I am in NYC since I will be walking off whatever I gorge on.

And another plus for this Tuesday: bestowed upon me was a huge bag of cotton yarn. I am so happy – giddy even. One of the women I work with is also a knitter and had inherited a shops worth of yarn goodies. She gave me the cotton for the washcloths I am doing and offered to fill in the gaps I have when it comes to needles and accessories. I hit pay dirt. I knew there was something grand about my job.

Leftover Soup
Leftover roasted veggies that are in the fridge – tonight is cauliflower. Add the roasted, stuffed tomato and the tablespoon of Chimchurri sauce. Blend and add chicken broth to get it to the consistency you desire. I like mine a bit thick, but not too much. Heat on the stove or in the nuker and Voila, soup.

Leftover Salad
This is way easier to figure out and to make as you see fit. I added a bit more lettuce to the bowl, some avocado, almonds, tomatoes and cukes. There was just enough dressing and about 4 shrimp so why not.

Now I have room in the fridge for leftovers from my cooking class. It’s funny how I am single, but I have a fuller fridge than most of my friends with kids. I guess I am just a hoarder.

Pizza and Burgers - Yes I Am Being Healthy

Pizza for Breakfast ... YES!

Burgers for Dinner - and I am still on plan!

Clutter is a sign of an artistic mind. An overstuffed and unorganized refrigerator is the sign of a slob, i.e. me. My fridge is a stockpile of wishful thinking and lost causes. Jars of vindaloo sauce mingling with red curry paste which once begged for my attentions are now stand-offish and aloof on the back of the shelf. Forgotten sliced onions and halves of cucumbers and peppers cry at the promises I refused to keep just a couple weeks ago. And Tupperware encased leftovers shun me as I them, perfumed with a rancid odor that once was a delight.

It has been months since I cleaned out this vortex of forgotten food. In fact, it was right before the Thanksgiving feast when I knew I would need room for the gargantuan amounts of food I slaved over to cook in 8 hours. But now is the time since to have a perfect meal plan I need a perfect storage plan.

Haven’t touched it in months, throw it away like those leather pants I wore only once when I found my ass looking a bit too big even as I sweated away 10 pounds in one evening of wear. Scrub the drawers and shelves erasing spills and cast off the bonds of do-gooders as I restrict my planning to something more aware.

Once glistening, I refill with all the proper refrigerated items I need for this week, particularly the mounds of produce I procured at the veggie market this morning. I have promised myself to have 2/3 of what I have on my plate be veggies and/or fruit. No hard task for me since I love the stuff. But now comes the prepping and bagging in those cute green bags that earnestly guarantee to keep food fresher longer. I feel more alive and in control with a clean fridge and kitchen. Now to mess it up.

Starting with breakfast pizza. I was inspired by a more intricate pizza-like thing in some magazine a while ago. I dressed it up as my own with what I had.

1 whole wheat tortilla
3 handfuls fresh spinach
Roasted red pepper
1Tbsp low fat ricotta
1 egg

Cook the spinach in a little Pam or olive oil on the stove until wilted. In a pie pan, layer the tortilla with spinach, sliced red pepper, ricotta and egg in the center. Cook in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Then turn it to broil and cook until the egg is done to your liking. Plus remember to salt/pepper at each stage.
It was a pretty nice treat for a Sunday morning with the kids and only 4 points.


Update:
Dinner is a bit decadent sounding: burgers with chimichurri sauce, roasted cauliflower and roasted tomatoes. OK not so decadent, but it is burgers.

Healing Hiatus

My healing hiatus has ended and I am back in the full swing of things. One conundrum I experienced was what to do about the direction of this blog. I have been flirting with the idea of making it into a piece about my greatest love (other than the puppies and kitties); food.

I am a walking contradiction since I am a foodie who also is on the quest to lose weight. This is both a blessing and a curse. I love eating healthy and healthful foods. Broccoli, just can’t get enough. Sweet potatoes, bring ‘em on and keep them plain. Seafood, to the gills. Now if this were my diet I would be fine, but then again I adore hamburgers (never fast food ones), Pad Thai (and pretty much anything Thai), Burritos (with lots of cheese and guacamole) and Cocktails.

But I can do it since I have the tools, support and knowledge to make great food that is healthy for me and feeds my body, as well as my soul.

First step, use what I have. I believe being grateful for what I have now will only bring me more to be grateful for in the future. I am truly thankful for my full freezer, fridge and small, but concise pantry. Now I just need to make something.

To keep me from biting more donuts and tater tots, I bit the bullet and went back to Weight Watcher meetings. It was the hardest thing I have done in a while since I am very embarrassed about how bad I got trying to eat away my relationship and then breakup pain. But I did it. And now I am on the road to a healthier life.

I got a bunch of cookbooks from the library yesterday, mainly South Beach books. I don’t completely agree with this entire philosophy, but I don’t agree with WW either. Both are proud sponsors of faux foods and I just can’t do that. No fake sugars or fats or other nefarious things disguised as healthy foods. Yet, they do have some recipes that caught my eye so I am doing the South Beach thing by way of recipes.

So two days down and a quite a few to go, but so far I feel pretty good. One of my favorites … turkey breast with teriyaki and steamed broccoli – so yummy and easy, perfect for an evening after working all day.

Ode to Nigella

One of my friends, W., has recently discovered the talented and lovely Nigella. He heard her voice one afternoon on NPR and was drowned in its robust Britishness. As a neigh-sayer he figured that she was probably all voice, but after a gander on the Internet he found her to be the new object of his fantasy affections.

The next day when he confessed his indecent ideas to me (he had already told his wife who balked and kept on cooking her beans and rice) I told him I knew all about Nigella. Someone said that she is an object of desire for both men and women; men want to be with her while women want to be her. I know R. even had a teeny crush on her, though she is a bit chunky for his tastes. Never one to shrug off a gift, I would love to be her, I admit it. At least to have just a dash of her personality and rounded figure.

A recurring daydream of mine is to have my own cooking show on the Food Network. Not a chef or really even a cook, I love to cook and find it all so Zen. Even when I am stressed out, sad or just plain frustrated, I find cooking calms my soul. When I mentioned this in Weight Watchers the leader scoffed saying that “food is not the answer when you are upset.” I agreed, but added, “Eating your feelings isn’t the answer, but sautéing, roasting or chopping them away is, for me.” I think only those who love to dabble in the kitchen can understand.

Another article I saw referred to Ms. L as the ‘Queen of Food Porn” I love it. Food, cookbooks, cooking shows, talking about food, cooking are all so sensual to me that even making my shopping list can be considered orgasmic. One of my favorite past times is to get a load of cookbooks from the library, a bottle of wine and a free Friday or Saturday night and peruse. God it is heaven.

And what I love about this British biscuit bombshell is that she makes no apologies for her curvy figure and voluptuous assets. Though quite a few heads taller than me, she handles body well and emphasizes her sensuality in each movement, caress of the food, smile and wink at the camera, and sexy enunciation of the edible words. It’s like the foreplay. Unfortunately most men I have dated only care about the main event and skip the fondling, sweet nothings and sizzle that revs it up. But Ms. L would never allow that in her kitchen.

Oh to be Nigella; beautiful, smart, sexy and all with a sweet smile. That is who I want to be. Until then, I will just have to be a cheap copy.

With that, here is a recipe I made the other night and loved. Enjoy!

Rainbow Salad
This was concocted on a night when I was really hungry and didn’t want to go off plan so I only had about 4 points to use. I made a huge batch and ate it the next day, a surefire way to stay on track.

Lettuce (I used one bag of iceberg jazzed with carrots and one romaine heart)
Tomatoes
Cucumbers (I like the pickling and hot house kinds since they aren’t waxed)
Red and green Cubanelle peppers
Shredded carrots
Sliced celery
About 3 medium pickles
10 or so Kalamata olives
Half a jar of pickled beets (sliced)
Half a jar of vinegar-marinated mushrooms (chopped)
1 can or artichoke hearts (chopped)
1 can of hearts of palm (cut)
1 can of sliced green beans
3TBSP of grated parmesan

I mixed it all together in a big bowl and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then came the dressing.

1 part grapefruit juice
1 part lime juice
3 parts olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dash of cumin

I find it easiest to make my dressing in a jar and shake away. The I put a light coat on the salad, tossed with my hands and voila! A fantastic salad with lots of textures, tastes and only 2 points. For lunch the next day, I spruced it up with a chicken breast and the next day I put in some feta. Use any vegetables you like (but I must admit I am hooked on pickled beets ever since North Carolina.)

Chicken Soup for the Wondering Soul

Last week I visited with a life coach. It wasn’t my first experience, but it was one I will not repeat. His approach didn’t appeal to me so I am taking the map of my life plan and going it alone. But lost in the tall grass of the plan, I begin to dream and wonder about where I am going.

In the first place, the premise of going to said coach was to try to take more action in my life. I have been skirting by the past couple years and really not putting a whole lot of thought or emphasis into what happens. I am just going with the flow, which is so not me since I am classified as an INFJ and don’t like to have things out of control or unscheduled. But nonetheless, it happened and I wanted to get back into my personality profile so I took the first step.

The concept for the rest of my existence, at least up to 20 years from now is to do what I love. What I really love and get paid for it. Not a money seeker, I prefer the green for what it can get for me, not for what it is on its own. So yesterday, when I was working from home, my thoughts turned to how I could become accustom to this lifestyle with ease. I did have the unique freedom of being without a job for several months a couple years ago, but the worry of become broke damned my serenity.

Yesterday I enjoyed the grayness of winter, with a temp of about 65 degrees F, the nits and nats of work to be done and the joy of it being on my own schedule. My purging desire left me to want to clean out the freezer and I came across a few chicken and one turkey carcass. Simmering them with rosemary, thyme and an orange gave me such a fabulous broth. I picked the bones clean and strained the golden concoction adding carrots, celery and onion for a great cool weather soup. And of course I added a lemon for a tinge of freshness at the end.

This all transpired while I wrote articles, answered e-mails, edited photos, did the laundry and worked on my next knitting adventure. All a perfect day to me. This was something I could not translate to the life coach. I can be happy and full of joy doing something so simple as making soup. Now I just need to get paid for it.

Of course, I do have some coaches that are not so presumptuous to call themselves so. Renee and Wayne were sharing with me their ideas of a new life making purses and afghans, cooking, writing, taking pictures and massaging for a living. Sounds great, but then comes the dreaded “How?”

So I left that to linger and went on crafting more treats. Being on Weight Watchers and trying to be as healthy as I comfortably can, has lead me to construct dishes that will fill me up, satisfy my taste buds and of course provide healthful sustenance. Taking a hint from one of my cook books, I came across a recipe for stuffed eggplant rolls. I know, they don’t sound super appealing, but with a little help from me, they rock.

You slice the eggplant lengthwise and spray the grill or grill pan with Pam and let them get a little soft and marked up. I made a filling of ¼ cup reduced-fat feta cheese, diced tomatoes, diced scallion, and chopped capers, parsley, basil and oregano. I added a couple dashes of hot sauce too. When the eggplant slices are cool to the touch, I put a dollop of the filling on the wide end and rolled. Then I make a dressing of lemon zest, lemon juice, a hint of cumin, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. These make a great snack or an accompaniment for soup (say fresh-made chicken soup for example.)

So what’s next? I gravitate towards recipe sites and food stuff blogs collecting about 20 new adventures a week and there is not enough time to make it all. I love the thought of having the funds, time and hungry mouths to feed so that I could make so many dishes, but alas, that is not to be right now. But I still ask, how can I make it real?

Fini and Begin Again

My stained glass angel ornament on my pink tree - that's Christmas to me

Life is what happens when you’re trying to write a blog. So instead of writing, I was living, but now I am back and happy to have some semblance of routine and normalcy. Nothing bad kept me from this personal task, all good with holidays to boot, but it did leave me snackered. Here are the top ten things that have transpired over the past 4 weeks. (In no particular order)

O Tannebaum

My perfect pink tree. Kitsche, I know, but aren't you jealous?

I just love my Christmas tree. It is pink with white lights and stands only about 6 feet tall (on a crate.) I have all kinds of ornaments on it even one that was crafted with my own wee hands when I was 3. I got the tree last year for $30 and the guy at the store said, “You’re goin’ to be the only person in Pinellas County with a pink tree.” My response, “I hope so,” even though I knew that there would be many folks in the gayborhood that would adore some pink plastic perfection. Even Guy was jealous. I wrap the bottom and its pedestal wine crate in a Santa-inspired, red and white faux fur skirt and even sans gifts it is a sight to behold. I hate the thought of taking it down and packing it away for another full year.

All the little children

Leilani having a blast at her recital. Her enthusiam was contagious!

It wouldn’t be a holiday without a children’s recital. I was invited to Leilani’s class’ Christmas program and had the honor of listening to three-year-olds massacre the old Christmas standards. It’s sort of like watching the auditions for American Idol, but not sad at all with kids forgetting their lines and waving to mommy in the front row, or those standing fear-struck as dad coerces them to look at the video camera. I just loved it. And of course Leilani stayed on cue and didn’t pick her nose nor lift her dress even once to the relief of her mother.

Noah, not to be outdone, does his famous rolling eyes routine. He's such a comedian.

I’ll be home for ChristmasA quick shot of my family during the gift exchange.

Since my family has developed into quite an extended posse, we try to make it for at least one day a year to be together, including spouses, mates, in-laws and kids. This year my niece Amanda hosted at her posh house. The food was divine with deep-fried turkey, pole beans cooked with bacon, Greek salad, butternut squash casserole and apple cobbler (my addition.) Plus it was great seeing the clan. My nieces and nephews are all grown with the youngest in his second year of college. Brian brought the girlies (his two divine daughters Madison and Sailor) and they are what really make the season bright. Even Laura, the actress, made it home all the way from LA and her Orange County-lifestyle. I miss the lot of them, but we just don’t seem to be able to hook-up much. Plus it is a nice time to catch up and do a simple gift exchange. This year was pretty weak though since my niece Erin left early and no one stole from anyone else, except me to try to get the ball rolling. Plus for me it’s all about giving so I was so pleased to see that Holley, Brian’s wife, got the afghan I made. She is so sweet and really appreciates things like that. My brother never makes it to these things since he lives in Michigan or something and I guess it is better to be there than with us.

Madison and Sailor Grace having a blast on Christmas Eve. They really make the holiday for me.

Sailor helping her mom with her new afghan. It was my first big project and turned out so sweet.

Feliz Navidad

You can't have black beans and rice without red wine vinegar!

And to balance out all the stress from driving to the family Christmas, I spent Christmas Day at Michelle’s and enjoyed my favorite meal of all time – Cuban roast pork, black beans and rice and baked ziti. Last year, she went to Ohio to visit family (why else would someone go to Ohio) and this left me beanless for the first Christmas in more than 10 years. It was painful. But I made up for it this year with double plates of food and a very sick belly that evening. Her family had done the Christmas Eve too so it was just us, Vivi, Ronn and her mom lounging around watching the Food Network and drinking wine. Mich and I recycle presents (meaning we usually take something we have and give that as a gift instead of buying something impersonal – except wine, that is good for all occasions.) This year I gave Vivi a Mary Poppins Barbie I had gotten about 12 years ago from an ex-boyfriend. It was still in the box with most of the accessories. I also shared with her half of my Hello Kitty collection (the other half goes to Leilani with her brother Noah gets my X-Men comic collection.) There was only a touch of drama, but it wouldn’t be a holiday without someone drinking too much and being all passive aggressive. (Vivi took the picture of her mom to the left, not too bad I thought. )
Vivi has already learned-leave the gun, take the cannoli!






Cause I’m a loser baby
Weight Watchers is a godsend. I am doing pretty well though I have fallen off the wagon a couple times. It’s the holidays and I let myself falter from time to time, but try to keep up with the exercising. I know that this is my time, and 2009 is all about me. I no longer want to think about my weight or convince myself that one day I will be thin. I am working towards my goal and I plan to be the hottest beatch at next year’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Now, I just need a hot guy to show me off. So far I have found a bunch of new recipes, including a vegetarian chili that so rocks, I just love a cup of it in the afternoon when I get ready to work out. I feel more alive than before and even when I am naughty (which I love being naughty) I can still be on track, a touch. I have vowed to not buy any new clothes until I get to the halfway point (which I am shooting for the end of April) and will be treating myself to exercise toys, accessories for my bike and cookbooks instead. I just love deciphering recipes, deconstructing them and making them more healthy. And that is what this is all about – it’s not a diet, it’s a healthy way to live.

I want to ride my bicycle
I just love, love, love my bike. I really do. I like to ride to the beach on Saturday morning, ride my bike to my friends’ homes, ride to the store and the library, and ride around just for fun. The weather has been great here and that only inspires me to get out and ride even more. My morning rides are the hardest to convince myself of, but when I do get peddling, the music in my ears and a fresh cup of juice or a smoothie when I get back really bring it all together. I feel so much better about myself when I ride. Since I can’t walk much, it is one of the only ways I can get mobile. My boss even gave me a harnessed pouch for Finnegan to ride in when I go out riding. I’ve thought about riding up to Georgie’s in the evening for cocktails since I will have to stick to one and not feel too guilty about the calories. We’ll see about that later. Future adventures include: the Saturday Morning Market downtown, visiting Michelle and Renee (both are just a few miles more) and maybe one day go all the way to Guy’s.
Santa baby

Made this when I was three - aren't you impressed???

Christmas was simple this year. I wasn’t able to give very much, if anything since money is pretty tight, but I was blessed with several treats. Ronn gave me a bottle of vodka accompanied by a bottle of deliciously spiced olives. That was my Christmas morning treat – a spicy martini to go with the healthy egg white omelet and tomatoes. Michelle shared with me a set of espresso cups and saucers from her grandmother and homemade marinara and cranberry sauce that she canned. Guy made it a Warholiday with a money tray in Andy style and a pink martini ornament for my pink Christmas tree. Heidi shared her generosity with my kids by getting the kitties some cat nip balls and Finnegan a squeaky toy. I just love how she always thinks of the pets during the holidays. Patty gave me a flask, though it only holds six ounces (HA) because she knows me so well. I know that will definitely get a lot of use. I always feel blessed when people share gifts with me, even if it is stuff that I never considered, I still am grateful since no one really has to do it. Plus, my friends are the same way since they appreciate anything that is given to them and they teach their kids this too, since just being kin is a gift.

Finnegan Begin Again
I waited 35 years to get a puppy for Christmas and it finally happened. Finn is still with his mommy and grandma since he isn’t weaned. It will be about 4 more weeks until he comes home to me. I have been visiting him at least once a week and even held him all night on New Year’s Eve. It was a quiet end to the year. Ronn joined me over at Patty and Jim’s where we sat out back, drank champagne and held puppies – what could be more magical? My first kiss of the new year was Finn with his sour puppy breath and newly opened eyes to see how much I love him. I am so excited to be a new mommy.

Kids in America

Dancing to "They Don't Know About Us" by Tracey Ullman

I ended the year dancing with my dear friends Patty and Tuttie to old 80s tunes and began 2009 dancing with Renee and Malika to reggae/hip hop favorites. I just love to dance, but don’t get the chance much. Being a goth kid in high school and college limited my dance moves though I have always loved dancing around the house. That is where it ended since I felt clumsy with my weight and lost with all the choreography. But that is all changing. Malika was showing me how to belly dance and Renee shared some of her Jamaican moves getting me up and running and I didn’t care how I looked, as long as I was having fun. So that is one of my new year’s goals – to dance more just for fun. Plus it is great exercise. Dexy's Dancing!!

Hot Hot Hot
For my new adventure in 2009 I got a new haircut. It isn’t too different from before and is even a recollection of a few years ago with short curls framing my face. I love it an am so excited with my new look. 2009 has so much possibility! Plus I have the perfect accessory for my new look - FINN!

And one sad note. On December 20, Jerry Taylor was murdered. Jerry and I worked together for several years. Though not close, we shared many laughs in boring meetings. As circumstances would have it, I spotted him a few months ago at my new place of business and found it a touch comforting to see someone from the old stomping grounds. He was an innocent victim of a deranged psychopath who also murdered Beth Evans, his ex-wife and a friend of Jerry’s. We weren’t close, but it still keeps me struck with sadness to think how this vibrant man and loving father will not longer be there to bring light into his daughter’s eyes.