Simplify

There are two guiding principles I'm following and trying to focus on for the next 30 days. They say we can create a habit by focusing on change for 30 days. These principles are:

1) Simplify

and

2) Finish what you start

My worst characteristic, I believe, is that I never finish what I start. I get distracted by the next exciting idea or task and leave behind the original. I might do this multiple times and pretty soon I have three or four projects in the works and no motivation to finish. Then I have clutter and guilt and am overwhelmed with the idea of getting back to any of them. Its time to do one thing at a time and finish what I start.

Rock and Roll

I don't know why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't the commercial success that the Grammy's or the Country Music Awards may seem to be but to me, its the Heart and Soul, its the REAL music awards show.

David Geffen was inducted this year and when you listen to the artists that he represented, its like a list of the artists that formed my young ideal of good music: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,

Jackson Brown, Bob Dylan, Elton John.

The Hollie's were also inducted with an amazing induction speech from Stevie Van Zant which, if you get a chance to hear it, is well worth listening to, on the historical perspective of the cultural change and musical revolution that happened in the 60s.

The Stooges, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, so much good music.

ABBA's acceptance speech made the point of how inspired we are by the creativity of those around us.

Hearing that and all this music takes me back to my core and makes me realize how inspired I am when I listen to that music and reminds me how much more I need to listen to it.

Weekend fun

Making molasses cookies.






Lego building.

Animal Lover

My son has started volunteering at the Humane Society. He loves spending time playing with and socializing the cats and taking the dogs for walks. Of course he wants to adopt every animal he bonds with.

He loves his job so much that when faced with the prospect of the world ending in 2012 (as has been brought up recently by a popular movie and numerous science-y shows on the Discovery channel) his only concern is how it will affect his ability to volunteer at the Humane Society, not his own personal future.

Peanut butter chips

For those who don't love chocolate, and I realize there are probably very few of you, isn't it nice that there are so many other options for baking chips?

I somehow produced a daughter who isn't a fan of chocolate so tonight we made Peanut butter chip cookies. Yummy.

Oscar Party

Yummy food and a nice beverage







Best Actor: Jeff Bridges









Best Actress: Sandra Bullock








Best Movie: Hurt Locker

Carrot Soup

I've gotten some of my best recipe ideas from blogs I've read and some of those recipes have become part of my permanent recipe file - those recipes that I use over and over again. They are either quick, healthy, inexpensive, my kids like them - or any combination of the four. Those are the keepers.

This recipe for carrot soup I found on-line because I got a bargain deal on a five pound bag of carrots and wanted to find a good way to use them. The most important ingredient in this is the tool that has opened my soup repetoire wide open - the hand-held blender.





Curried Carrot Soup

2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T curry powder
2 pounds of carrot
4 cups broth (I used chicken)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in the curry powder. Add the chopped carrots and stir until the carrots are coated. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and use hand-held blender to puree soup until it is as smooth as you like it. You can re-heat and add water to thin if you like. I like it thick with some slight chunks.

It may not be Campbells, but its Mmm, Mmm good.