Top 10 Series... Let's Start With FOOD

I'm going to do a few series here on the ol' blog because I miss blogging and starting a series might help me blog a bit more... give me some material. This series is a Top 10. I'll share my top 10s of various categories and encourage you to share yours. I'm starting with comfort foods.

This is a far cry from my usual, "I want to be healthy" posts. Most comfort foods aren't the healthiest, and, well... this list is no exception. My definition of comfort food is something that I want when it's cold out, I'm feeling nostalgic, or simply want to spend some time in the kitchen whipping up something warm. To me, comfort food is always warm.

Without further delay; my top 10 comfort foods (in order from least favorite comfort food (but still delicious and amazing) to most coveted comfort food ever according to me.


10. Pancakes

What's not to love about pancakes? Dripping with butter and syrup. You can flavor pancakes to your hearts content. Blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, the world is your breakfast oyster. 

9. Chinese food

Chinese food is something I really crave when weather is cold. I love nothing more than to sit and watch a fabulous chick flick and eat chinese food. My favorites are chow mein and any kind of breaded chicken in a sauce. Orange, sesame, lemon... what-have-you. Chinese food just makes me feel good. 

8. Biscuits

Preferably cheddar dill biscuits made at home by me. I love rolling dough, I love making a floury mess of the counter. I love the way they smell cooking in the oven. I love spreading homemade jam on them or dipping them into a savory soup. 

7. Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha

Sweet, caffeinated, warm... it's my favorite Starbucks drink. 

6. Loaded Baked Potato

I love a crispy, salty skin of a soft, warm baked potato loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon. Baked potatoes are perfect, by the way, with a medium rare filet mignon. Cooked at home. By Ritchie. 

5. Spiced apples, preferably with ice cream and caramel

These make the house smell amazing and are a perfect dessert. They're not too heavy, but still give me a sweet flavor after a savory meal. Spiced apples scream, "FALL!" to me. Yummm... 

4. Chocolate chip cookies

Baking my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe is SO comforting to me. I love to involve Max in all the measuring and stirring. This recipe is by far my favorite and anytime I crave baking, I turn to this easy fix. 

3. Pasta with homemade meat sauce

Ritchie makes the most amazing meat sauce in the history of meat sauces. It simmers on the stove for hours and makes enough for us to freeze afterwards. I love thick, hearty spaghetti noodles. No angel hair pasta for me. Cover this in some parmesan cheese and I've died and gone to comfort food heaven. 

2. Tomato soup and grilled cheese

Sadly, I've yet to find a homemade tomato soup recipe that I love so I stick with Progresso Tomato Basil. It gets the job done. For grilled cheese though? My favorite is rosemary bread, turkey, gruyere cheese, bacon and fig jam. Go make this right now... just go. 

1. Corn and cheese chowder WITH bread

Pioneer woman's recipe is my go to. I love to cook this soup. I love the way it's done in 30 minutes. I love to dunk bread in it. I LOVE that it lasts me for the next 3 days and I usually have it for lunch and dinner for 3 days straight and I never tire of it. As soon as it gets cold out I immediately want this soup. It's creamy, it's hot, it's cheesy, and it's perfect. My ultimate comfort food. 

What's your go-to comfort food? 

My Balls

Apparently I've become a 12 year old boy because this post has been buzzing in my head for a few days and the title that I keep coming up with, "My Balls", has me laughing out loud every single time I think about it.

Real mature, I know.

Anyway, what this post is REALLY about is balance. Finding balance. With my new photography business, I've been hypersensitive to the issue of balance.  Kelly Hampton has spoken before of juggling these imaginary balls in the air and with each day there's a choice of which balls you'll keep up, and which you'll let fall. Balance.

So, that's had me thinking about my balls (haha, it gets me every time!). Which ones I choose to keep up each day, which I let fall and pick up another day. I've been practicing the art of finding balance, but also of cutting myself some slack.

I can get into a really bad pattern of comparing myself to others. Well, actually just to what others PUT OUT THERE. That's an important piece. I think often we compare our reality to what we perceive others' realities to be. People tend to put their best foot forward when under observation. Whether in blogging, when hosting a play date, when showing their work - it usually makes things look REALLY good.

But, what's real? How many of us actually have sparkling homes, well fed, clean, and impeccably behaved children with whom we craft, bake, discipline, snuggle, play with and teach morals and values to? All while, of course, maintaining a strong, loving marriage, healthy sex life, finding time for ourselves and, OF COURSE wearing adorable, highly accessorized outfits daily. Oh yes, and exercising! And reading! We're all doing all of those things, yes?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

I can balance about 2 balls at any given time. Some days I choose kids and housework. Other days it's kids and photography. After the kids go to bed, or during nap I may choose some different balls, one of the one's that dropped earlier, like showering or relaxing or making time for my marriage. But, I find, at any given time, I can handle about 2 balls up in the air. Some women may be able to handle more, and that's fine. I'm trying to be comfortable with what I can do and just feel good about that.

So, here's a little bit of reality for you on a Wednesday.

 This particular day I was not focusing on housework OR discipline, apparently.

 The balls can change frequently. I may not have planned on balancing a needy 3 year old that afternoon, but he needed me, so I dropped whichever other ball I needed to to make room to balance him, too. And it felt good.

 Often times I choose to include TV in my balancing act. Because I love it.

 Sometimes cooking healthy, homemade meals is my priority. Other days I just need to eat greasy food and focus on other things.

 This day I made time for MYSELF. A haircut, a cute outfit... this may be rare, but when I make the time it feels so great.

Sometimes the balls I need to balance are SO simple. The ball of "kids" is always sort of floating up there, but I do consciously have days where I put my simplest needs above them. Sometimes, the day feels so hard that my juggling act consists of the balls "caffeine" and "rest". So, I use movies and snacks and long car rides and whatever it takes just to get me through that day with minimal yelling or crying. Those days happen, and that's okay, too. In being kind to myself I hope to teach my kids that bad days happen, you can't please everyone, you can't have everything, but you can do the very best with each day that you can. Whenever you choose to put your energy into something, inevitably something else will suffer and THAT'S OKAY. You're human, there's only so much one person can do.

Which balls are you juggling today? Mine were errands and TV. A lovely balancing act today. This afternoon it will be errands (didn't finish this morning) and kids - I have something fun in store for them. When Ritchie gets home I need the balls to be cleaning and cooking. After bedtime I have to focus on photography, the business side and time with Ritchie.

It's all in finding balance.

Colorado Home Tour - The Dining Room

This was an easy one. It's still not quite done yet as we have one big piece of art we're working on for the big empty wall, but other than that, it's an easy one to show you. It was one of the first spaces that really got put together because I can't handle not having our pictures up. I love our picture gallery. It might be one of the favorite spots in our home. 

This is the view when you enter the dining room. 

This is the view from the living room. 

This is the view from directly across the room (still technically in the living room). 

Details:

Paint color:

Darker wall: Benjamin Moore River Reflections (my new favorite paint color!) 

Lighter wall: Benjamin Moore London Fog 

Picture Frames:

A combo of Pottery Barn's gallery opening frames and Aaron Brothers Steinbeck collection. 

Table:

Cost Plus years ago (wedding present) 

Kid's Table:

Pottery Barn Kids Carolina collection 

Okay, got the easiest room done first! More to come :) 

A Day Out With Thomas!

We took Max out for a ride on the REAL Thomas the tank engine on the day of his birthday party. The timing was perfect that we got to take him to do that right near his birthday. 

Isn't that such a great looking train? Max was in heaven! 

He actually didn't love having to stand so close to it... he loves Thomas from afar, I suppose. 

The whole Colorado Railroad Museum was sectioned off into petting zoos, train tables, tatoos and face painting, ice cream booths, etc. It was put together really well and there was so much to do and see. 

Fun was had by all. 

If you're ever in the area, Golden, Colorado has an awesome railroad museum. It's just a short ride into the charming downtown area of Golden as well. It's really worth visiting! 

Beautiful Girls

Terry has been a family friend since I was in middle school. When we moved to Colorado, she was the only person we knew in the area. She has been so incredibly wonderful to us. Tonight I got to capture her 3 beautiful daughters in some photos.









Each girl has a shining personality and while getting them all together for a photo proved more challenging than I had thought, I had no problems getting each girl to give the camera some one on one time.

Angela:










I love this last one. She's 12...

Nicole:











And sweet little Christina:







We had some more candid moments, which was really fun!













And Terry jumped in for a few with her girls:







My favorite part was inspired by the cover of the new Mini Boden catalogue. These girls knew just what to do...













Thanks, Terry for letting me practice on your beautiful girls!