Bound

These are the things one notices on quiet, cold mornings after a drop-off at the airport, another at Goodwill, an hour-long sit in Starbucks where you bump into an old friend and a slew of police officers enjoying hot cuppas, and a trip to the grocery store to stock up on treats, all before 8am.

My sweet man is bound for Lisbon, where he will meet his crew and stay for a while. Their ship is dry docked for some repair work and there are currently active protests on the docks (unrelated to his work). January in Lisbon should be stimulating.

I am bound for a three-day weekend of crafting and food with friends. On the horizon there is a snow forecast and the prospect of our move into a larger apartment as we prepare for the baby. I am looking forward to the quiet weeks ahead to purge and organize and scheme over our new place.

I am also counting the days until he is home again.

Life is...full.

Bam! And just like that...2012!

Hello and Happy New Year!

I spy with my little eye a kitty cat under the tree

My my my, what a year we have had and what a year it will be. In the spirit of acknowledging the good in life, here are the top highlights of 2011:

01) Ryan successfully defended and completed his graduate degree. Anyone looking for a top-notch paleontologist? (see #2 & #4 below)

02) He landed a one-of-a-kind job on a deep-sea drilling ship for the National Science Foundation running a thin-section lab. The pros: its in his field, the crew is international and they are good people, he travels all over the world (hello Barbados, Portugal, the Caribbean, Newfoundland, Panama...). The con, he is away from home about six months of the year.

03) I scored my own new gig at Nike WHQ as a space planner and love love love it. The departure from architecture was a bit scary but I've both adjusted just fine and have found myself working on a few fun construction projects here & there.

04) We have a baby on the way and boy howdy are we excited! What I've made so far: big butt baby pants, burp cloths, and bibs. What I'd like to make soon: fitted crib sheets, a sun hat, and a quilt of some sort (I'm inspired by this one & this one).

our boy

Now, picking up where we left off, our end-of-year in review:

Birthday Boy Beer Tasting 2011
Top Hits (2008, 2009, 2010 picks):
1. Southern Tier Brewing Company's Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout
2. Redhook's Winterhook Winter Ale
3. Bridgeport's Ebenezer Ale

Bonus: Braunsten's looser gift, which he wore like a good sport while singing Christmas carols and explaining the ins & outs of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Christmas Eve with Matt, Adam, Michelle, & Sam. Love me a happy chubby baby and marinated tri-tip!

Christmas in Las Vegas. Highlights: spending Christmas in Mom's new house and a sunset hike at Red Rock.

only a ginormous intersection in my hometown

New Year's Eve at the Columbia River Gorge...

Because I love trains...

...and this guy to boot

Here's to a top-notch, bright new year!

New Year's Day Brunch of Champions

On New Year's day we fixed a simple breakfast consisting of Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Baked French Toast and green smoothies (for detox control, you know). The french toast was fantastic and it got me thinking...

Wouldn't it be nice to host a New Year's Day brunch one year? Yes it would. The menu? A sweet Cinnamon & Sugar Breakfast Bread Pudding (recipe below) and a savory & cheesy bread pudding, both of which could be prepared the day before, along side some good quality bacon/sausage, fresh fruit, and mimosas & bloody marys. Because, well, you know.

Cinnamon & Sugar Breakfast Bread Pudding
adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman
Serves 8-12; recipe can easily be halved

Bread Pudding:
- 1 loaf crusty Sourdough or French Bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 whole Eggs
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
- 3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 stick Cold Butter, cut into pieces
- Fruit (thinly sliced peaches, apples, or pears or canned crushed pineapple) - optional

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from fridge, place fruit on top if using, and sprinkle crumb mixture over the whole thing. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.