Summer To Do List - FOOD

I know, I know.  It's still cold/rainy/windy.  Shoot, we even had snow flurries yesterday.  However, I have lived in Cedar long enough to know that we will probably still have a day of snow before school gets out.

HOWEVER, I'm looking forward.  Summer.  It's got to happen eventually.  And I'm planning on a FUN summer this year.  No stress, no showing a house, no taking 30 minutes just to get to and from swim lessons (not counting time at swim lessons).  Fun.

Then I found two new blogs.

But before I tell you about them, I have to ask - how's your diet?  Fitness?  Overall feeling about your well-being?  Because the two blogs I'm about to share may send your best intentions and all your will power in a downward spiral at mach speed.

Willing to take the risk?  Okay.

The first one is Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. 





Cute huh!  She makes a frozen cream pie on a stick

 and these

 and these. 

Have I told you about my weakness for Almond Joy bars?  I LOVE them.  Add this?  I can't wait!!!  And this is only three of the things from her site.  Seriously, plan an hour or two to drool and dream about chocolatey cupcakey sweet deliciousness.

Second, have you heard of this book?

I recently saw this at a friends house and probably spent 30 minutes just looking at the food in it.  It's amazing!  And the best part is the ingredients are things that you actually have had in your house at one point in time or another AND know where to buy it again!  I know - revolutionary really.  This is totally a wish list topper for me.

Then add to my excitement when I discovered these lovely ladies have a blog - where they post more deliciousness on a regular basis. 

I'm pretty much in heaven right now.  Today's feature was this

You may have a hard time dreaming about this right now, but fast forward a little bit - think of kids, sprinklers, pools, ballgames and dream with me. 

But if you are a chocoholic like me - look at this!!!

Yes, that is a chocolate chip cookie PIE!!!  Seriously. 

I plan to cook my way through the summer.  I've recently started dabbling in Thai food, thanks to some ingredients and recipes from my sister-in-law as a Christmas gift and I'm SICK of the food I've been making over and over lately, so I'm going to try, test, keep or toss and cook all summer.

Doesn't that sound like FUN!!!

Am I Mr. Holland?

I have had scenes from Mr. Holland's Opus running through my head for weeks now.  I haven't seen that movie for years and yet there it's been.  I couldn't figure it out at first, but then it hit me.  Mr. Holland had the dream of becoming a composer that got lost in the daily life.  Sure, he ends up with insurmountable personal fulfillment and still gets to put his music writing talents to use because of his career choice, and throughout the movie, we get to see the evolution of his passion.  He even has the culminating great moment when the work that has been ruminating around for several years is prepared and ready for his to conduct.

I long for that.

I have had an incredibly nagging feeling for for weeks - okay, MONTHS - that I need to write.  Not just a blog or facebook update, but really write.  NOW.  However, the daily duties combined with my more recent March Madness*, has worn me out, worn me down and I am left with a deep desire that isn't as deep as my fatigue. 

I have this fear.  I fear I will wake up in 20 years with memories of students and laughs and light bulb moments but will have the feeling of the man who buried his talent and has only that left.  I've done pretty good so far this year with prioritizing myself better, but the nagging feeling is still here and it is almost making me nauseous. 

I fear the look in God's eyes when He asks why i didn't do more with what He gave me. 

I fear that knowledge of what I could have been, who I could have influenced, but let myself become too busy.  Sure there is a time for everything, but I sometimes wonder if we say that because acknowledging that the time could be now is just too damn scary.

Or overwhelming.

Or doesn't go with "the plan."

All I know is I MUST figure something out.

I am sick of feeling sick.

*Updates on birthdays, prom, science fair projects and upcoming baptism are on their way...