Happy New Year

 

We welcomed 2012 with wonderful friends, good food and lots of great wine. It was different from the new year's eve tradition I grew up with back in the hometown but just as fun and festive nonetheless.

I am very grateful for all the love and countless blessings we have been showered with in 2011. Here's to more reasons to be thankful and celebrate in 2012!

Thanks to my beautiful friends, Ila and Faye, for the memorable night and the photos!

hard boiled eggs

You would think that one of the easiest things to cook is a hard boiled egg. For me, it was always hit or miss when it came to boiling eggs until I came across this helpful technique from the Barefoot Contessa.

Place the eggs in a sauce pan and add enough cold water to cover.


Bring the water to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the pan for 15 minutes.

Remove the eggs to a bowl and allow to rest for at least 2 minutes. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack the eggs on each side and then roll them back and forth with your hand, breaking up the shell. Remove and discard the shell.

I just thought it would be a good idea to share this with you especially since I boil eggs on a daily basis.The Mister loves his egg salad sandwich and never tires of eating it every single day.

Do you have other tips for boiling eggs? Please do share.

Happy Holidays!

bike rides and wine tasting

My brother recently visited and spent two full weekends with us. Since he has already been here a couple of times before, we looked for new activities to do and new place to visit with him apart from the customary shopping. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there's so much more we haven't done and seen in the Twin Cities.

On his first weekend, we toured downtown Minneapolis on bicyles. I had a vision of myself wearing a dress while riding a vintage bicycle with the streamers hanging from the handlebars. But NO, I didn't wear a dress and we rode the Nice Ride rental bikes instead. I had dressed appropriately knowing that I haven't been on a bike for more than 15 years. You know,there is some truth in the saying "it's just like riding a bike". You really never forget how to do it. It did take me a while to get used to getting on and off the bike again without fumbling but I managed to get around and I actually quite enjoyed the experience. Now I understand why there are so many people who look forward to riding their bikes during the weekends.

Nice Ride Bike Station

The next Saturday, we visited the Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings, MN for some wine tasting. I am no expert when it comes to wine but I would say most of their wines are on the sweet side which is why I really enjoyed all the bottles we tasted. The most memorable for me was the Bailly's Reserve Chocolate Port. It was bold, sweet and sexy all at the same time. We brought the little man with us too. He played with the resident dog while we sipped our wine. You could say we all had a great time.

fall uniform: red and blue

My love affair with color only started early this year and now I can't imagine going back to my humdrum neutral ensembles even for the frigid season. One of my favorite combinations this fall is the classic red and blue. It's easy to pull off even if you only have a few minutes to get dressed. No need to check twice before heading out the door. 

red, white and blue

What about you? What's your go-to color combination?

simple joys

Hello, bunnies! I realize I have been neglectful of my blog lately. Needless to say, some updating is in order.

Well, the inevitable birthday came up two weeks ago. My boys gave me the priceless gift of having a full day of ME-time which I spent getting pampered. As if that wasn't enough, mother nature also gave me the gift of a glorious summer day in October so we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening with a picnic at the park. 



birthday picnic with my two favorite people

A few days later, the Mister and I celebrated our 5th year anniversary as a married couple. Five years may not seem like a long time but if you add up all the years we've been together, it's more than half of my lifetime. He has been a part of my life for so long I couldn't even imagine how I would've turned out if I had not met him. Everyday I thank God for blessing me with a friend and a husband who continues to inspire me to be better. 

during a shcool project 17 years ago

the night we got engaged, june 2006

5 years later and still happily married

On a lighter note, the leaves have now litterally fallen and Bud was so excited just watching them being blown by the wind. We spend our afternoons playing with the leaves, kicking and squishing and throwing them up in the air. It's amazing how having a child has given me a new appreciation for such simple things.

fall in the city

 I hope all is well in your part of the world. Thanks for stopping by.

would you rather be a mermaid or whale?

A friend of mine posted this on facebook and the message really hit home. 

Live, love and laugh, bunnies! 

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and b...eautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness.
They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.
They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?
They would have no sex life and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.
We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.
Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: "How amazing am I ?! "

(The girl on the picture is French model Tara Lynn)

By: Delphine Fieberg