This week

Posted: January 24, 2014 | Author: Mika | Filed under: Weekly World News | Leave a comment

Here’s a summary of this week’s highlights:

I had a fit of jealousy (well-contained, at least) over a yarn collection. And I learned I really love heather gray yarn and other neutral colors. Imagine pairing it with a neon pink trim for an ultra-trendy baby blanket…
Car shopping is the worst.
Using a slightly-not-navy yarn, I’m crocheting a basket to replace a hold-everything box in our black Expedit bookcase. Pretty soon I’ll run out of the blue yarn, so I plan to make it a colorblock basket and make the top half (or two-thirds ((is that hyphenated?)) ) cream or orange or something. Suggestions?
Thursday night I hosted a Mary Kay party. It was almost like I had real friends! Plus, my living room got clean(er).
While Evan is out on a date with his grandpa, June and I are chilling in the play area. I brought my crochet basket to work on because I’m that person now.
I was digging through my stack of past projects – many incomplete – and found the birth announcement I started designing for June. It is incredible, and I’m going to work on it a little more next week. Should I make it solid text on a watercolor background, or watercolor text on a solid background? Or watercolor on watercolor? I’m not sure I’m that skilled yet.
Oh yeah, and I made a bunch of cookies. I shared some so I’m positive I didn’t eat them all.

A brief update on feelings

Posted: January 23, 2014 | Author: Mika | Filed under: The Story of a Mother, War and Peace | Leave a comment

Feelings are dumb.

This week we’ve started looking for a replacement car, since my sweet-but-ugly Suzuki was totaled in November. I went with Jarom to a dealer on Tuesday. We liked the car we drove, but the dealer wasn’t willing to negotiate price, which was disappointing. On the way home the following feelings happened:

Sad. I really wanted that car!
Grouchy. Car dealer, you are dumb.
Frustrated. I hate car shopping. Jarom is now in charge of finding me a car.
Overwhelmed. Last year our car died and our baby died. Why can’t our lives be full of good things? Why do crappy things happen to us?
Bitter. It sucks that Christian died! It sucks a lot! It’s so stupid!
Sad. My baby died. It’s so sad.
Despair. I just want to eat cookies and cry instead of making dinner. But I also don’t want to be lumpy-shaped and my clothes don’t fit and it’s just not fair that Christian died AND I gained a bunch of weight.

It was not a fun drive home. Yeah, I cried. No, it wasn’t really about the car. Thankfully, Jarom is patient and understanding and nice – and he knows when I just want to be left alone with my misery. Eventually I came out of it (though I didn’t end up eating cookies or making dinner), and stopped having those feelings.

Because feelings are dumb.

Orange chocolate chip cookies

Posted: January 22, 2014 | Author: Mika | Filed under: James and the Giant Peach | Leave a comment

This is one of my all-time favorite cookies. It’s so good that I even wrote down the day I first made them on my one-line calendar. I have yet to make these for someone without them asking for the recipe. So, because I’m feeling nice today, here it is:

Orange chocolate chip cookies

1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange extract
1 Tbsp orange zest (about 2 oranges’ worth)
3¼ c flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla, orange extract, and orange zest. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to dough. Mx in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes, until bottom edges are barely browned.

Of course, you can cook them more if you prefer crunchier cookies. I use a cookie scoop (I’m not sure of the size) and end up with about 4 dozen delicious cookies.

Enjoy!

Recipe via Cooking Classy