Sauerkraut and Latkes

In an attempt to reconnect with my German heritage I decided to make a German meal. Out came the sauerkraut, bratwurst...and I made Latkes!. I had never made Latkes before and I was impressed with how easy they were! I served them with warm applesauce and sour cream. Yumm-o! Find the recipe here. I have to say that I changed it up a bit. I omitted the eggs, added a few tablespoons of lemon juice to help with the oxidation, and I switched the onion for a whole carrot (grated of course). They were still delish! I did all the shredding and grating in the food processor to make it quick and easy.

Whew! It's almost over!

Perhaps I am becoming jaded, but I honestly have to say that I am glad that the holidays are almost over. I think year after year I become more disgusted with the commercialism of the holidays, and this year I am especially happy to have them over with. I'm just tired this year and I definitely did a lot less than I normally do. I really didn't do any holiday baking this year, and my Christmas shopping was rather limited because of deciding to get Mark one large gift instead of several smaller ones. Perhaps I'm a scrooge......

Keeping in mind that tomorrow is New Year's Eve, I figured that I should share my resolutions with you (Even though I'm afraid to call them resolutions for fear of dooming them to failure).
1. I have a goal (and a plan!) to increase our emergency fund to a more appropriate amount during 2009.
2. We will get around to removing all the tree stumps left from when we cut down trees this past summer.
3. I plan on expanding the vegetable garden and planning things differently so that I don't run out of interest in gardening before July.
4. I am going to stop buying Bread from the grocery store. I know this one seems kind of silly...but homemade bread is better for you. Plus, there is nothing that quite says home like hot fresh bread, and a wife in a cute pink and black apron...LOL. The apron is a long story!
5. I am going to begin line drying at least 75% of our clothes. It's better for the environment, cheaper, and our clothes will last longer. I am only aiming for 75% because I can never seem to keep up with laundry. It seems like I am always trying to scale Mount Washmore.
6. I am going to be a better friend, sister, daughter, wife. I don't have a plan for this one yet, but I'm going to find a way somehow!
&. Mark and I have another goal that we will start working on in February. We will keep you posted then!

Dear Santa

I know, I know, I;m a little old to believe in Santa We just have a little tradition here at the Carney house of writing a letter to Santa the night that the Christmas tree goes up. So here goes:

Dear Santa,
We really have tried to be good this year, but no one is perfect. We know that we have spent too much money and wasted too much time, but you just gotta have some fun!
This Christmas season our list is easy (at least it should be for you!). We simply want:

Christmas with Amy's family for next year since it can't happen in 2008
Help in deciding if Amy should go back to school or wait a bit
An immersion blender
The patience and love to be better help meets for each other
Peace on Earth
Our kitten to stop climbing the Christmas tree
Martin to arrive home safely from Florida
For that one last dream to come true (you know the one)

Have a good flight,
Mark and Amy

Blogging for Change

I have a challenge for all of you out there in blogdom.....Make a difference this year. Make someone's Christmas mean more than ever before.

Thankful

As today is Thanksgiving, I thought that it would be appropriate to share the things in our life that we are most thankful for.

Amy:
1. I am greatful for a wonderful husband that copes with my daily struggle with my temper, and still manages to love me. He is wonderful friend, confidant, provider and more. I don't know what I would do without Mark in my life, He can always make me laugh and over the years has gradually taught me to not take everything so seriously.
2. I am greatful for my family. Especially two little boys that always light up when they see me and yell out "Sissy's here!!!". Those boys have taught me to be gentler and to listen more.
3. I am greatful for dear friends, the kind that you have known for over a decade and still find fascinating (you know who you are). The people that know you well enough to understand when to tell you that you're making a horrible choice, and when to zip it. Thanks guys, our Saturday nights would be dull without you.
4. I am thankful for my furbabies. I know, this one may seem silly, but you can only understand if you have arrived home to a dog with a wagging tail, and a cat purring loudly, both competing to give the first welcome home.
5. I am thankful for our prosperity such as it is. In these rough economic times, we have a home, we have dependable jobs and not much in our lives has changed. I know so many people whose lives have changed dramatically due to the economy, and I am so happy that it hasn't happened to us.

Mark:
1. I am thankful for a wonderful wife. She is great at cooking, and she likes to do it as well. She does well at keeping a clean house most of the time. She has helped me to find a career that I enjoy, and doesn't mind my long hours.
2. I am thankful for a kind and loving family. I know I'm not the best at keeping in contact, but my family loves me anyways. We all communicate in different ways, which sometimes makes it hard to get things planned and done without toes getting stepped on, but we all love each other and help each other out when we need it.
3. I am thankful for the freedoms we all enjoy. I know that many people have fought and given much for those freedoms, and I thank them all sincerely. I am grateful for all the emergency service personnel as well. I know they sacrifice a lot for all of us and those we love.
4. I am thankful for all the holidays we enjoy. Without them, life would be pretty boring. I know we could party and celebrate whenever, but the holidays give it purpose and meaning.
5. I am thankful for friends. Friends can't always play when we want to, and they don't always wanna play what we wanna play. They help teach us patience and sharing, among other desirable attributes. They also help make free time fun, and help us enjoy life when it isn't as happy as we would like.

Thanksgiving is coming.....

Okay I know that this may sound silly, but this year will be the very first year of me making the Thanksgiving meal for company. It will just be Mark and I, my parents, baby brothers and my grandma, but I am really excited. I think that this year may be a little bittersweet because of the recent loss of my grandpa, so I will be trying to make everything a little bit brighter, a little bit more perfect. I am determined to not get too wrapped up in perfection though because the only thing it will do is stress me out! This will also be one of my last chances to spend time with my parents and little brothers before they move to Montana. They are leaving the day after Thanksgiving. AARRGGHHH! I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it! Wish me luck...and may your Thanksgiving be amazing as well!

Aunt Jane is Smarter

Have you ever seen something, or heard something exactly when you needed to? Today a comment was made to me that left me aghast at things people think are okay to say. How am I supposed to respond? In other words my Aunt Jane is smarter than my RE (reproductive endocrinologist.)



I am so grateful to have people in my life that TRY to understand what we're going through. Keep the vids coming, guys!