inner space

Maggie: What is the name of that inappropriate planet again?

Layla: Uranus.

Maggie: oh yeah. haha.

And then they just kept right on playing with teeny tiny plastic frogs. Kids are cool.

thankful for

my life, my love, my health and my sense of humor. I feel mixed about the way time has taken to flying recently, it makes things all frantic and jumbled, but it is making Christmas come much faster, so I am excited about that.
Merry Christmas, hope you enjoy the magic of the holiday season.

what's not to love?

Today I am thankful for warm breakfast. I have never been a big cold cereal fan (except sometimes count chocula as a midnight snack), I take my breakfast warm. Savory breakfasts are my favorite, but I also really love muffins (as if you didn't know). I made these this morning expecting a friend to join me. I ended up breakfasting alone, but since the muffins are so amazing, I didn't even mind. My family will also be thankful when they get home, these are more like a cake dessert, but we can just call them muffins so they don't carry the guilt of breakfast cake.

Coconut Almond Muffins
1 Cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (you can use a little less, these are pretty sweet for me)
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 C melted butter (I use coconut oil)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 Cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup chocolate chips (i love the minis)
1/4 Cup sliced almonds

*in a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk the egg, sour cream, butter and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moist. (dough will be very thick) Fold in coconut and chocolate chips.
*using a 1/4 cup, fill muffin cups. Sprinkle with almonds and a little extra sugar if you'd like.  Bake at 375* for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes about 9 muffins.
These could win a ribbon at the fair, but since I'm not into that, they will just win a place in my heart. These muffins will impress people, make them.
You're welcome.

there's always December!

 It is popular in November to be thankful each day for something that makes your life awesome. It is also popular to share these wonderful things via some form of electronic media. Please hear me when I say that I am, indeed, thankful, and I am also pleased that you are. It does get a little cloying though by the end of the month. Like apple juice. F'ing apple juice.  It is so sweet, I want to love it, but I just can't in my deep down heart. (it doesn't even really taste like apples does it?)
Anyway, because I am a big fan of being ironic, and also because I am actually very blessed, I decided to hitch my ass to the wagon. (You KNOW I don't jump. 40 pounds of boobs are not conducive to flying into the air of my own accord)
I saw a post about being grateful in December (every day, which of course is very different than being thankful every damn day in November. Come on people.) The point (in case you are thick) is to focus on the good, and not the stress and ridiculousness of the commercialization of the holidays. (ok, maybe that is just what I think it means, feel free to think for yourself here. Please. Really)
So, in the spirit of gratefulness, I am going to share some things that I am thankful for. (Probably not daily, because let's just be honest here, commitment to any daily task isn't really my gig. If this was a project that involved large amounts of butter or napping it would have a fighting chance.)

The first thing I am thankful for is kind of amazing, but I promise you it is true. (I only tell the truth, it's just my way) So, if you know me, you know that the Janina fan club includes 1 member of Alan's family. It is Alan. I somehow brainwashed him in the early 90s without the use of any (good) forms of sex, drugs or rock and roll (still all true) and yet, 20 years later, he is still here. Amazing, I know. For some reason (or most likely loads of them) the rest of his family hasn't fallen for me yet. This has been a huge stumbling block for me for most of my life. I just can't quite accept that the family of man that I love more than my life, just can't like me. Ouch.
And then I got a facebook friend request. It was from Alan's Uncle Earl. Why me? Really? Fine, whatever. Friends indeed. Except, (and here's the lesson kids) he isn't anything like I expected him to be. Shame on me! Uncle Earl is a gay democrat, and from what I gather, he is also a retired ice dancer!!! Shut the front door! (I KNOW!  a DEMOCRAT in Alan's family! wow. Mind=blown)
Anyway, the thing I am grateful for today is discovering a kinship with a member of my family in-law. Better late than never I say. Now that Uncle Earl and I are going to be buds, I am kind of figuring out why they have kept us a secret from each other all of these years. It has a little to do with possible world domination, but you didn't hear it from me...