Monday Motivators

Friday night I slept more than 4 hours in a row for the first time in about a year!

Lack of sleep can bring such a heaviness to my head.
It's amazing how much lighter I now feel.

Enjoy your own week.
Enjoy your own lightness.

Waving

Miller found a sand dollar in the car today,
some long ago memory of a warm sandy beach. 
He held it sweetly.
Curiously. 
This magical piece of the sea.

I forget how close we live to the shore. 
A quick trip down the freeway and I could easily be cooled by a single breeze.  
Sweetly.
Curiously.
This magical place of the sea.

"Next week," I plan. 
Gear up. 
Soak up.
Some new sandy memories.

{Ray-Ban Clubmaster Street 1980's Sunglasses from Igneous Rocks}

{Blue Wave Hand Knit Pillow from Cape Gift Shop}

{Beach Worn Seashell Earrings from Celtic Sea Treasures}

{Hand Dyed Cotton Scarf, SAND from Dear June}

{Original Starfish Painting on Paper from Lisa Congdon}

{Seashell Air Plant Tillandsia Terrarium from Robin Charlotte}

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

Another week, and another long weekend to savor.

Happiest

I regret not taking more pictures.
I regret not buying chocolate fudge.
I regret not riding The Haunted Mansion.

But each memory made, was never a moment wasted.

 

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

Wonderful wonder full eyes.

{Miller's first trip to Disneyland 5/10; Miller's second trip to Disneyland 2/12*}

What's got you mesmerized today?

*more pictures to come...

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

Remember the way the wind pinched your cheeks?
A heartbeat racing down a hill?
Skin tight and flushed riding so close to the edge of all this newness?

He will remember it too.

Superbowl snackery at its finest!

I've had a few new chocolate bark ideas rolling around in my head since Christmas.
One hope with these ideas is to create familiar desserts and translate them into bark form.  My first two endeavors were quite the success.

{Red Velvet Bark, Blueberry Streusel Bark}

 

Red Velvet Chocolate Bark: 

Melt together 1/2 a bag each of good quality white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips by microwaving and stirring in thirty second increments until smooth.

Stir in red food coloring a few drops at a time.  (About 6 in total.)  If the chocolate seizes up from adding the coloring, just stir and re-microwave the chocolate in ten second increments until it's at a smoother texture again.  (I'm sure there's a more professional chocolatier way to stop this or fix seizing chocolate, but I am lazy and this easy fix seems to work just fine for me.)

In another bowl melt one cup of white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until smooth.

Spread out the white/milk chocolate mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Drizzle melted white chocolate onto main chocolate.  Swirling into chocolate with a fork or toothpick, if desired.

Cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Break apart into bite size pieces.

Share and enjoy!

Blueberry Streusel Bark:

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Cut 3 tablespoons of butter into mix until it's at a good sandy texture.

Spread mixture evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown.  Stirring about halfway through.  (About 10-12 minutes total.)

Set aside to cool.

Melt good quality white chocolate chips, microwaving and stirring in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.

Spread onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Drizzle blueberry preserves or reduction if you have the time (I used Bonne Mamam Wild Blueberry Preserves.)  Swirling into chocolate with a fork or toothpick.

Sprinkle streusel topping and press into chocolate before it cools.

Cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Break into bite size pieces.

Share and enjoy!

{Miller liking it now.}

{Ivy liking it "later".}

I'm thinking about a tiramisu bark and/or a carrot cake bark next...
Any other ideas I should play with? Or any other ideas that you've made, had or seen?