the hallelujah chorus.

you know that song that religious people sing at easter…

“hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! ha-LE-lu-jah!”

it’s very triumphant and victorious and emphatic and very long.

well- i realized (along with my silent “yes!” and fist pump- so 90’s)  i sing the chorus in my head just about every day when i finally get toddlergirl down for her nap.  except today i realized i was singing it under my breath.

i’m so tired.

to better things (like sleep),

steph 

“oh spring, you’re so damn sexy.”

    

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chocolate chip cookies.

on a cold and rainy west coast morning, i bring to you a little warmth.  my chocolate chip cookie recipe.  i originally found this version in my mother’s tattered and falling a part, hardbound edition of good housekeeping recipes.  you know, the recipe book that she got as a wedding present light years ago and it’s lost it’s book jacket and what’s left is a boring manila colored book but really it contains all the secrets to culinary goodness.  i’ve adjusted the recipe over the years and this is my version of what i make. 

steph’s chocolate chip cookies

• 2/3 cup oil
• 2/3 cup margarine or butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cup chocolate chips (or i use the whole package!)

other optional add-ins for the cookie batter:

• 1 cup chopped nuts OR
• plain m&m’s (seriously, who measures these? just add lots) OR
• dried cranberries, white chocolate chips and crushed walnuts OR
• peanut butter chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375F degrees.  Cream oil, margarine, and sugars together.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  (For a softer, rounder cookie, add an additional 1/2 cup of flour).

Drop dough by spoon onto an UNgreased baking sheet.  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until light brown around the edges.  Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.

 

Makes approximately 3-4 dozen cookies.

 

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the trick to these is to make sure not to over bake them.  they are more of a softer, chewier chocolate chip cookie.  if you do make some- leave and comment and let me know!

enjoy.

to better (and yummier) things,

steph

 

grandpa is great.

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parallel parking in the soup aisle.

i don’t get mad and experience road rage while driving.  seriously- i don’t.  but one thing that vehemently gets me going are people that don’t know how to steer their grocery cart in the supermarket. 

as far as i’m concerned, there’s an unwritten rule that if you’re driving a grocery cart, then road rules apply to the supermarket floor plan.

for example:  you are merrily pushing your cart along and you’re in a secondary aisle shopping for jam.  at the end of the jam aisle you need to turn possibly left or right to make it to the next secondary aisle for cereal. 

in doing so- you are either making a left hand turn, or a right hand turn.  road rules apply!  you do not have the right of way because you are turning into a MAJOR aisle (meat, milk, or produce aisles tend to be major aisles).  you should be looking both ways, making eye contact with the other shoppers and then proceed when it’s safe.  this is otherwise known as yielding.

not every shopper does this.  i understand to some extent.  grocery shopping is hard work.  “did i get everything on the list?  did i get everything that didn’t make it on the list?  did i get something to eat for tonight?  drat- i didn’t bring in my newfangled reusable grocery bags!”  there is a lot going through one’s mind while hunting and gathering.  so to be fair, this may be a new thing to many.  possibly this is a pet peeve only i think about.

i also parallel park my cart to the side when stopping to compare prices or find a specific brand.  it’s only impolite to stop dead center in the aisle, blocking others from making it by without wondering if they might hit the side of your cart.  this is otherwise known as a stall.

and depending on the store layout there may be a few areas where who has the right of way is not so obvious.  this is where you slow down- see where the traffic flow is at, and then you join in when safe.  this is otherwise known as a merge.

if all i’ve done is enlighten one grocery cart shopper out there, then i’m satisfied.  i’m happy.  see you in the soup aisle!

the introductions: me

it’s kind of strange writing a post about yourself.  i tried to come up with a catchy, inventive blog name for myself, but somehow the letters “m-o-m” started to appear in everything i brainstormed.  and i didn’t like it.   i’m not just a mom.  (not that being just a mom, is just a mom.  it’s pretty much ridiculously hard- don’t get me wrong).  but i really need a space in which to be write about things other then entirely mommyland.  and this is that space.

so- i will be me; i will be steph. 

everyone else can have superhero names and i’m okay with that because i know deep down that i am a superhero too.  it just feels too… flashy, otherwise.

 about me.

well, there IS an about me page that has a pretty good introduction.  to add to it i’ll tell you that i think i’m becoming a minimalist, caffeine is a regular occurence for me, i love the smell of outdoor fresh bounce (i like laundry), and i gave up wearing a watch about 10 years ago.  i realized that i had an inner clock and i didn’t like the feel of being chained with a watch- so… away it went.  try going without your watch for at least one day- i challenge you.  it’s very freeing to go without.  i find i actually DO know the time without having to look.  i love the sound of birds chirping.  i would enjoy an ice making slurpee machine in my gourmet kitchen one day.  i will tell you that my photo above, although slightly enhanced with a filter, is not retouched.  i could easily retouch out all the wrinkles, but somehow i kind of don’t mind them.  a little patina is welcome.  it hopefully shows some maturity and age and it has a story. 

and so these stories are some of mine- imperfect and patinaed, but aspiring to bring some grace and relevance to my surroundings.

to better things,

steph

the introductions: toddlergirl

ah yes, the light in my eyes.  all day long.  literally.  she does not sleep.  toddlergirl actually does have superpowers and just goes, goes, goes.  she’s cute, never stops talking and gets into trouble quite often. 

her favorite pastimes include playdoh, building with lego, stickers, and being scared of random things (in the past week i’ve had her tell me she’s scared of front doors, ceiling fans, shrimp, dolphins and baby wipes).  strange?  yes, i think.  she likes to attain smarties by letting us know her stuffed animals “asked for them.”  she’s recently started to call mom and dad by their first names because she knows she gets our attention much faster that way.  she’s 2 and she likes black olives, feta cheese and thai food. 

overall, she’s pretty sweet. 

the introductions: incrediblehusband

it’s been awhile coming… but i think it’s high time to introduce the main characters in my life.  today we will start with incrediblehusband, next post will be toddlergirl and then myself (in which i have yet to come up with a superhero name for myself yet.  hmmm… any suggestions?)

meet incrediblehusband

(he may also be referred to as “IH“ in the future for ease of typing)

this is very much his look.  deep in thought.  thinking.  probably thinking about the zany wife and daughter he has to inhabit a home with.  he’s very intelligent, amazingly patient and deeply loyal.  we met in our high school years (long distance relationship -2 provinces apart) and married young.  he is the guy that brings me a whole rose bush instead of roses because roses would be just “too ordinary.”  he writes poetry about peanut butter or crappy studentmobile toyota tercels in iambic pentameter- well… just because he’s that smart.  soccer player, canada’s jamie oliver, marketing-business-entrepreneur guru.  so an ode to my dear husband- incrediblehusband.  you’ll only hear me write good things about him.

my new favourite photo(s)

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