2012 Goal Check-In

One month ago I posted on what I would like to accomplish in 2012.  Today I am blogging to check in where I am at...hopefully better than I think!

What I want to accomplish in 2012:

1. Run a total of 1,000 miles

So far I have ran 60 miles.  I definitely need to get my butt in gear to make the 1,000 mark.  It has been so hard running more than 4 miles on the treadmill.  I also do two days of no running and instead do a one hour weight lifting class, so l\getting the miles in hasn't been the easiest.  No excuses....I just need to run longer!

2. Run another 1/2 marathon

Still have not signed up for one but definitely plan on doing it. 

3. Paint our entire basement

I have bought ALL of the paint...all 12 gallons of it.  I just need to find the time to actually paint. 

4. Blog more

I have been a slacker here.  Since this is my 4th post for the year.  I definitely need to get going on this!

5. Journal more

I have wrote in my journal every night before going to bed.  Thank you to my fabulous best friend Mollie for a wonderful Christmas gift...A Diary of a Lady...to help me journal.  I just love it!

6. Start a tradition of Sunday Dinners

I still need to get this started!

7. Do more DIY projects

I have tons of ideas and have bought some items to help with my ideas...just haven' t done anything. 

8. Visit family and friends more frequently

Josh and I actually leave tomorrow for a long weekend in Florida with my family who lives in Florida for the winter (including my dad, grandparents, and aunts and uncles).  I am looking forward to a nice long weekend away and in warm weather. 

I am also very very close to securing my three week long South Africa visit, spending two weeks volunteer teaching and one week exploring SA.  All three weeks will be spent wth my favorite gal Mollie and her amazing husband Eric. 

9. Work less

Haven't done this either! 

10. Drink more water and eat more fiber

Still on a high fiber diet...but haven't been drinking much water. 

11. Take more pictures \

Haven't been doing this either...man...what is wrong!!

12. Do more yoga

4 weeks ago I bought a 6 session package for yoga at a private yoga studio.  I love it! 

Realization has it that I need to get going on a few things but am happy that I have done some of my goals or at least started.  It is only February and I am confident that I will meet them ALL by December 31, 2012!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Kristen

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Has is really been January 11th since my last post!!  I am not living up to one of my goals for the year...Blogging More... I can't believe February is here...where did January go?  Lots of exciting thing have happened including two weekends away to Minneapolis, one with Josh and one with my mom and sister.  The Cooan family also went to see Lion King, and I organized a Daddy Daughter Dance at work for over 140 participants.  Ok...now I know where January has gone!

Lets get to the Neapolitan cupcakes.   I love the mixture of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  Thinking back, one of my favorite ice cream flavors is Neapolitan.  My favorite memory of eating Neapolitan ice cream is at the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown Minneapolis.  If you ever get a change to go, it is really worth it.  The food is amazing and each meal comes with a dessert and one choice is Neapolitan ice cream. 

This is a Kristen creation so although it tasted good it really didn't look great. The colors were identified but the size was really small and didn't fluff as much as I thought...small is better anyway when talking about desserts, right?!?

Ingredients:

One box of strawberry cake mix
One box of brownie mix
One tub of vanilla frosting

Follow the directions to the cake and brownie mix.  In cupcakes tins put a layer of brownie mix and then top with strawberry cake mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  When cooled, frost with vanilla frosting. There you have it...Neapolitan cupcakes. 

Enjoy!

Kristen

Where Does Snow Come From?

As winter opens its door and welcomes us to 17 degree weather, snow, and high winds it brings me back to a discussion that I had with my students last week about snow.  During our morning meeting I asked them where they thought snow came from.  This is what I got...

Of course...the sky
The North Pole
Earth
Winter brings snow
My mom and dad get snow at the gas station
From the red air balloon that floats in the sky
Clouds
Santa brings snow for Christmas

This answer isn't even relevant to the question asked but I had to include it.
Genaveve: Ms. Kristen please don't ever eat yellow snow. 
Ms. Kristen: Why shouldn't I eat yellow snow?
Genaveve: That is where a snow man went to the bathroom.
Ms. Kristen: Thank you Genaveve.

It was bittersweet telling them that snow comes from water vapors that condense into ice crystals. These ice crystals attach themselves to each other forming snowflakes that eventually get heavy enough to fall to the ground.  My answer wasn't nearly as good as theirs!  The imagination of preschoolers. 

Happy New Year

It is hard to believe that 2011 has gone and 2012 has opened its doors. 

There is such an exciting buzz around ringing in a new year.  A feeling of wiping the slate clean and being able to start again...forget what you didn't accomplish and focusing on what you want to achieve. 

2011 has been a great year!   There wasn't one thing that made 2011 a great year; it was the small, exciting things that made the year such a success.   

The Top 10 of 2011

1. Spend 3 glorious days in Napa Valley

2.  Successfully completed my 1^st sprint triathlon

3.  Went to New York City with two fabulous friends (went on Sex and the City tour--FABULOUS)

4.  Ran the Madison Mini-Marathon (6 miles of the race in pouring rain and high winds)

5. Saw Amos Lee (twice) and Ray LaMontagne live in concert

6. Started a blog-Kristen’s Notebook

7. Rode the cable cars in San Francisco

8. Celebrated our 1-year-wedding anniversary in Miller Park at a dear friends wedding

9. Had a wonderful girl's weekend with 5 amazing friends

10. Witnessed the Packer's beat the Vikings at the Metrodome

What I want to accomplish in 2012:

1. Run a total of 1,000 miles

2. Run another 1/2 marathon

3. Paint our entire basement

4. Blog more

5. Journal more

6. Start a tradition of Sunday Dinners

7. Do more DIY projects

8. Visit family and friends more frequently

9. Work less

10. Drink more water and eat more fiber

11. Take more pictures

12. Do more yoga



Jenny's Wedding (July 2011)



Josh and I ringing in 2011 in Florida

My mom and I after finishing my 1st triathlon

My 29th Birthday in Napa Valley

San Francisco (August 2011)

New York City-on Sex and the City Tour (April 2011)

Fabulous Friends

"Good friends are like stars…. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there."

 I have the most amazing friends from high school.  All but three live hundreds of miles from each other....one thousands of miles...and we can go a year without seeing each other but when we finally do it feels like a day. We have all chosen different paths for ourselves but one constant is that we have remained true friends.  Since high school we have had many opportunities to get together to celebrate weddings, babies, and birthdays but as we started getting older there has been less weddings, a lull in baby making, and less birthdays celebrated.  So, I decided to invite everyone to our house for a girls weekend.  A weekend of talking, laughing, eating, wine drinking, shopping and fabulous girl FUN! Almost everyone was able to make the travels and those unable were truly missed. 

Some highlights from the weekend:
*Kristen's first batch of Mulled Spice Wine (it was very tasty and a must to make again)
*Julie wearing Josh's shoes to BodyStep class
*Skyping with Mollie
*A baby announcement
*A Badger WIN!
*100% girl FUN!

Kristen


Below is a picture taken at Saturday's lunch at CRAVE. 

Two Nights of Baking

I love to bake.  I have always wanted to own a little bakery showcasing delectable desserts and beautifully assembled pastries.  We attended Thanksgiving at Josh’s aunt and uncle’s house in Eagan, MN.  When the list of ‘what to bring’ came out I quickly put my name by desserts and pies.  For Thanksgiving I made Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake (I make this every year), Bourbon Pecan Pie (a request from Josh), and Pumpkin-Spiced Whoopie Pies with Ginger Cream.  Josh was craving bread pudding and since we had all of the ingredients I assembled a dish of pudding as well. 

Day 1

I had to split the baking duties into two nights.  After arriving home from work I decided to get right to work.  While making dinner I quickly mixed together the ingredients for the bread pudding and made the pie part of the whoopie pies.  Since this didn’t take as long as I thought I decided to also make the pecan pie.  The bread pudding turned out great and the pecan pie not only looked good but tasted wonderful!

Bread Pudding

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Whoopie Pie Shell

 Bourbon Pecan Pie

Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
• 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, unbaked

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, eggs, pecans, and bourbon, and stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Bread Pudding

www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.    Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.

3.    In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Pumpkin-Spiced Whoopie Pies with Ginger Cream

www.kraftrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup  canned pumpkin

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup  water

3 eggs

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

1/3 cup  finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tub  (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1/2 cup Halloween sprinkles

Directions

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT first 7 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Scoop into 32 mounds, 3 inches apart, on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, using about 2 Tbsp. for each.

BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese, marshmallow cream, ginger and cinnamon in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP. Spread 3 Tbsp. onto flat side of 1 cake; top with second cake, flat-side down. Roll edge in sprinkles. Repeat with remaining cakes. Keep refrigerated.

Day 2

Day 2 brought the creation of the Turtle Cheesecake and the filling and assembly of the whoopie pies.  The whoopie pie cake part tured out sticky so they stuck together in the tupperware.  After I assembled them they didn't look the greatest but tasted really good.  They tasted like little cream filled pumpkin pies.  The Turtle Cheesecake is a process to make but it was worth all of the work.  Each dessert turned out tasty and I would make any of them again. 

Crust and Filling of Turtle Cheesecake

Assembled Whoopie Pie

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake  

http://www.kraftrecipies.com/

Ingredients

• 24 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
• 6 Tbsp.  butter or margarine, melted
• 1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels
• 1/2 cup  milk
• 1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
• 3 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp.  vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 squares  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Directions

1.      HEAT oven to 325°F.

2.      MIX crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch spring form pan.

3.      MICROWAVE caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 3 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Stir in nuts; pour half into crust. Refrigerate 10 min. Refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later use.

4.      BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel layer in crust.

5.      BAKE 1 hour 5 min. to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

6.      MICROWAVE reserved caramel mixture 1 min.; stir. Pour over cheesecake. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake.

What I am Thankful For

It feels so good to be blogging again after two weeks of craziness. Next to me is a cup of soy hot chocolate and Ray Lamontagne (one of my favorite musicians) is playing through the house. 


1 cup soy milk and 2 squares ghirardelli chocolate

What I am thankful for...

I am thankful for my wonderful family, my amazing in-laws, and my fabulous friends.  God has provided me a beautiful house to live in, an absoultely incredible husband to come home to every night, and a career that allows me to do what I love and help others daily.

What are you thankful for?

Kristen