Cocktail Wednesday - Strawberry Gin Cocktail

So, we had our first Cocktail Wednesday of 2017 last week.  We've been quite faithful (?) in continuing this tradition started by my friend Shay.

Anyway, last week's drink was a Strawberry Gin Cocktail.  Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• Gin
• Strawberries
• Lemon (fresh lemon juice)
• Mint (instead of basil -- mix up at the grocery store) 
• Sugar
• Club soda
• Ice

 

 

here's me trying to be all artsy with my pictures ...

Basically, you take one strawberry, two mint leaves and 2 teaspoons of sugar and muddle them in the bottom of the shaker.  When you feel like everything is well muddled, you add gin (2 oz) and lemon juice (1 oz), and shake.  You pour that into the glass, with ice, and top off with the club soda (with a strawberry for garnish).  That's it. 

It was tasty, not too sweet, but sweet enough for me - another success!

Google Love

Google has this option in photos where they animate your pictures for you.  Here are some pics of Nate Dog from Christmas that I just love.

Pink Elephant

Not sure where to start this.  A few years ago a friend of mine gave me a stuffed elephant pattern.  I put it away, to make, later.  Then at a Christmas party, where we participated in a white elephant gift exchange, one of the kids at the party had a "white elephant" made from this same pattern.  It was so cute, I decided that I would try to make one. 

This was my first try.  I  think the trunk should be a little thicker, but I like it very much.

I haven't quite finished it -- I need to sew up the back still and the eyes are a little crooked.  I plan to make more.

Biography #1 - The Last Lion

The full title is: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965.  This is Volume 3.

It took me all year to read; I actually listened to most of it.  I have the hardest time reading non-fiction so I figured this would be the best way (Audible.com).  I actually enjoyed it but it was about 60 hours long.

I'd like to give a book report but I'm not great at that.  Churchill is a fascinating character and this obviously delves deeply into the history.  This would be a great book to listen to when taking a very long road trip.

oh and btw, I highly recommend audible -- the narrator was excellent.  I plan to read/listen to volumes 1 and 2 as well.  Not sure when. 

One Second Every Day - 2016

The LIST for 2017

Here is the list for this year.  I finished so few of my "goals" last year that a ton of this year's are going to be "finish ..." or "complete..."  

1. Take a trip with Nevada
2. Visit Yosemite
3. Finish the Couch to 5K program - DONE (finished right before trip to Michigan)
4. Visit the East Coast
5. Make a souffle - DONE!
6. Continue with the 12 biographies (11 to go) ...
7. Finish Grinch quilt
8. Finish making Dalek costume - Done! (didn't blog about it when it was finished, but did wear it at Gallifrey One)

9. Complete Round Robin blog - finished March 24, 2017
10. Trip to Wales?
11. Blog more than last year (not too hard since I only posted 67 times in 2016) DONE (79 in 2017)
12. Go on 6 dates with my husband.
13. Make 6 new breads (maybe even use the bread maker I got from Nevada)(can include scones, biscuits, etc.)
14. Make curtains for the little boys' room
15. Make a 5-year plan
16. Take a road trip
17. Attend a local art and wine festival - DONE
18. Plant thyme, basil, and mint (Done - except it might be Rosemary instead of Thyme)
19. Make/plant a garden with tomatoes, peppers, squash and some other things - Done
20. Go to lunch with someone I haven't seen for a while
21. Make a family photo calendar - DONE
22. Cook something with grandson(s)
23. Try a new ethnic food
24. Try one new recipe a month
25. Take 6 new hikes (#1 Almaden Quicksilver County Park; #2 Sycamore Grove Park; #3 Garin Regional Park; #4 Point Isabel; #5 Stevens Creek County Park; #6 Estivant Pines
26. Make doughnuts
27. Make mozzarella cheese - attempted.  Will try again.
28. One Second Every Day Project - Done
29. Record Story Corps interviews with the boys - DONE
30. Have a 35,000 step day - DONE!
31. Walk 1200 fitbit miles - Done
32. Fondue (have at home or out) -- not just chocolate
33. Do barrel tasting at Raymond - Done
34. Make 6 different ice creams/sorbets/yogurt - 1, 2, 3 - Strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla
35. Watch original Star Wars trilogy
36. Make 6 quilts
37. Make elephant stuffed animal - DONE
38. Clean garage - DONE
39. Have a blind wine tasting party - DONE (Nevada's going away party)
40. Try 3 new restaurants
41. Go to a major league baseball game -- A's, O's, Giants, Nats? - NOPE - BB Season is OVER
42. Go to a museum
43. Visit Nevada (the state)
44. Go to a minor league baseball game - NOPE - BB Season is OVER
45. Take a walk on a beach - DONE, Michigan
46. Make pillow cases for me
47. Make the perfect French Fries
48. Try a new hair color ... DONE - red, going grey
49. Finish watching new Who
50. Get another Night Before Christmas - done
51. Have a 100,000 step week - DONE (8/20-26/17)
52. Make a list for 2018

and as always, get healthier, i.e., exercise more, eat better (and less).

Waffle Iron - #48

So it's time to go through the list and see where I stand .. not looking so good ... however, I completed #48.  Well, I had a little help from my OD and his wife.  I got this beauty for Christmas. 

 I tested it out on Boxing Day ..

and they turned out super yummy!

Cocktail Wednesday - Bubbles

This week we decided to have some bubbles with guava juice -- kind of a mimosa, but not.

Simple, yet tasty.  I actually had mine with pomegranate liqueur.  It was good, but a little tart.

Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving morning, we participated in the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot; we being my husband, my daughter, her husband, and me.  The colors this year were the worst so far ...

Here's a picture of us pre-race ..

This is evidence that I am really bad at selfies ..  maybe I need a selfie stick.

 

Our ribbons ...

I finished in 57 minutes; an 18:21 minute mile.  I need to work on my time.

and a post race picture...

 

Cocktail Wednesday - Eggnog

Every year my husband makes a most excellent eggnog (recipe from here).  He made it for our pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday night cocktail. 

  

My OS and DIL and YD and SIL (my oldest son, his wife, younger daughter, and her husband) were all there.  It was delicious and lots of fun ...

 

I never liked eggnog before, but that was the store-bought kind.  This is so very much better.  I highly recommend you try it -- even without the rum.

Christmas Decorations

One of my goals this year was to make or buy new Christmas decorations.  This picture is my first attempt .. quite a fail.  I'll try again to see if I can get it right ...