i'm thankful that. . .

since i'm so fond of lists, it seemed the best way to include what in my alzeimher state i could remember to be thankful for in the past month.

1. tights and dresses are acceptable as "holiday wear"  and even "work wear" considering they're basically leggings and long t-shirts.

2. the bittman bread recipe has come into my life. it is sure to be a lifelong relationship

i still can't believe i made a loaf of bread that is this beautiful in my own kitchen.
with only three ingredients. well four, if you call water an ingredient.

p.s. it tastes as good as it looks. chewy and soft.
perfect right out of the oven.
top it with spicy pumpkin butter and crumbly goat cheese.
fill it with herbed turkey, the sharpest cheese you can find and grainy mustard.
or perhaps even sneak a slice into bed at midnight?
(sorry about the crumbs dear!).

and especially just with butter.

seriously.

3. instead of sitting in ridiculous traffic on 495 on thanksgiving eve, i was making whoopie pies, watching in treatment and eating the bell yet again. it is the best thanksgiving eve meal after all.

4. text messaging is acceptable as "communication"

5. i did zero shopping on black friday

6. the internet exists. i did almost 90 percent of my christmas shopping online.

7. sam cooke cuellar, i love his little morning chirp, chrip chirps and his evening puffiness and sighs.

8. saltine toffee. i made three batches in a week.

mama c. aka my dentist, will not be pleased....but it was divine.
and it twas the only christmas "cookie" i made over the holiday season.
my thighs said when and i respected that.

9. my sense of humor.
without it i would never would have been able to make as many jokes about my "gift" in the work holiday swap/ exchange.

after all, who doesn't need a three-foot stuffed dog for the christmas season right?

10. the hub. a new television station that plays the wonder years every night. followed by doogie howser. i actually skip the doogster most of the time. but i will never forsake my kevin arnold. i loved him before jordan catalano even existed, and even now there is something about his naive nature, surprising determination and refusal to be pushed by anyone around combined with such a genuine sweetness that is still charming and leaves my inner 10 year-old sighing with wonder each night. i always wanted to be his winnie cooper. or someone's winnie cooper for that matter.

11. avocado. i have eaten more avocado in the past two months than i probably have in my entire life. and i'm not just referring to guacamole people. i mean i love some mean guac. but i'm mostly just talking about plain avocado. i'm now bringing avocados to work. and just eating them as snacks. i now it sounds insane, but avocado might be the world's most perfect food. even surpassing (can you believe i'm going to say this?) cheese.
try it on scrambled eggs, turkey sandwiches, straight out of it's lovely flesh.

12. van morrison. no matter what has gone wrong in my day -- the biggest pimple known to man, a membership to Gold's gym that I was sure had been canceled, waiting to talk to a Gold's gym representative for 45 minutes and then being hung up on, high gas prices, the tardiness of the postal service at the holiday season, the existence of low fat cheese, unplugging my tv with my christmas lights during the last 5 minutes of a movie and various other blunders--van the man always me smile. he even makes me break out in full-bodied laughter most of the time. he is delightful. especially the below clip.

13. sweater tights aka the reason i'm longer rotating between two pairs of pants that tuck into my boots. they're warm, soft and surprisingly cute. although i do feel like sausage stuffed into own's casing. hmmm, just hoping i don't look too much like one.
14. that i finally started writing again. amen. and happy new year all!
i've missed you all.

Recipe: Saltine Toffee

Ingredients:

40 saltines

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 bag chocolate chips

Method:

-cover 9x13 pan in foil, spray with cooking spray

-preheat oven to 375

-lay saltines on foil

-cook together butter and brown sugar over medium heat, bring to a boil, stir for 2 minutes, remove from heat

-pour brown sugar/butter mixture over saltines

-bake for 7-8 minutes, remove from oven

-immeaditely cover saltines in chocolate chips, as chips melt spread into a layer as even as possible

-let toffee harden, break into pieces

-try not to make three times in a week so husband doesn't murder you