Looking for a Valentine’s Day treat?  These cupcakes are delicious, and so easy!  Just throw everything together, mix, and bake.

Keep reading for the recipe…

Back in those days when we watched Michael Jackson videos, wore jelly shoes and acid wash jeans, you seemed so impossibly far away. So romantic. At lunch time I’d play games with my friends where we’d choose what kind of cars we wanted, how many kids we’d have or what type of house we’d live in, and I think that in some ways, I believed that some of those things might be possible.

So here we are, 2010. I drive a sensible Toyota, live in a rancher, have one kid, and didn’t marry Harrison Ford (although Hubs is the same age, does that count?).

You are officially just days away and I’m staring down the last year of my 30’s.

That’s a bit scary. Thirties seems young, sort of like 20’s more sensible sister but still just as pretty and fun. Forties makes me think of fifties, which signals things like becoming a grandparent and qualifying for the seniors meals in some restaurants.

Forty seems old and I’m so not ready for that. In fact, it’s almost the same age Hubs was when we met. Where did all that time go?

I spent my twenties raising other people’s children, trying to figure out who I was, and then becoming a parent myself. When I turned thirty I felt like I had finally arrived as an adult.

Now, I’m grown up. Whoa, was I in for a shock. What was I thinking?!

Thirties were when I finally had to act like an adult, and take on all the things that comes with it. Job losses and career changes, almost losing Hubs, becoming sick and injured myself, and the business of morphing from the girl that wanted to please everyone to the Momma Bear that would tear your head off should you go after my child. Yep, I grew up alright, and it was damn hard. Thirties, you were not fun. Oh you had some fun parts, yes. Overall you slammed us with some serious lows and not much in the way of extreme highs. You tested me in ways that I never thought were possible and at times I never thought I’d see the other side. I can’t say I’m that sad to see you go.

2009 was a good year, though. I really figured out that I want to make a career of writing, and all the hard work that I’ve sunk into this blog has begun to pay off. My family is all doing well and we’re happy, healthy, and together. The drama that was my 30’s is tapering off, and things have smoothed out into an easy rhythm. That’s all I could ask for, really.

Well. I would like to win the lottery and be a billionaire, like I had predicted in that stupid game but since I’m grown up now, I know the odds are just not in my favor.

So 2010, I’m planning to enjoy you and the last year of my 30’s. Maybe you don’t look as romantic and shiny as you did when I was 12, but I’m okay with that. You have laptops and iPod Touch, apps, downloads, Twitter, Blogger, and all sorts of fun things I would’ve given my right arm for at 12. I’ll never forget the Christmas I desperately wanted a computer, and the idea of owning a computer was about as impossible as buying a Ferrari.

Now that I’m grown up I’ll happily settle for peaceful and happy, with no big surprises or drama along the way. Deal?

They do say that life begins at 40, after all.

PS. But if you really feel generous, the lottery thing would be cool. Just sayin’.

I mean, hello? DVD players for under $50? Are you joking?

This week we made a trek to Best Buy in Richmond, BC. For those of you that don’t know the Vancouver area, Richmond is just over a bridge from Vancouver. The Vancouver International airport is there, and now there’s the new 2010 Olympic speed skating oval. Hubs and I met at the Three Road Starbucks, were married in Minoru chapel, and Jake was born in Richmond Hospital. It always feels like coming home when we head over the Oak Street bridge.

We were in the market for a laptop for Jake this time. Before I get e-mail stating how terrible I am for spoiling my merely 14 year old child with his very own bling-y lap top, just know that there is a huge, un-blogable reason for it.

Anyway we walked through those Best Buy doors and the drooling commenced. Despite my claims that we aren’t really a techie family, I guess we actually are. We may not do the whole gaming thing, but over the past few years we’ve (okay, *I’ve*) really gotten into it. If you see me out and about now I have my camera, Flip, cell, and possibly the iPod AND, I’m now drooling over the bigger, badder, SLR cameras.

I admit it, I’m totally hooked.

After 3 long hours of wandering in the store, research, choosing, talking, looking at cameras (ya I fit that in there because I’m just so clever), we finally settled on a way cool HP laptop. Took us forever because not only had we decided to take advantage of some awesome deals, but so did half of the population of the entire Lower Mainland (if you’re not from Vancouver, the term Lower Mainland refers to a huge area surrounding Vancouver.)

What we didn’t know was that Best Buy needed 24 hours to configure and format the thing.

Um…ya. We had been planning on catching the 5:30 ferry. Best Buy said that possibly they could have it ready in an hour and a half, since we weren’t having that much done anyway, and since it was waaaaay past lunch time we decided to go to Tim Hortons.

Well that was the plan, anyway. Instead we went and danced around a traffic jam for 45 minutes because half of the city had the nerve to go and have a power outage.

A few hours later, Best Buy wasn’t finished, and Hubs? He wasn’t willing to leave the store to go get a coffee or whatever and kill time doing something other than sit and watch the Geek Squad format the computer. So we waited.

And waited.

Waited some more.

Waited until around 7 pm at night. It wasn’t that bad, really. They were super apologetic and even gifted Jake with a $20 gift card to say thanks for waiting. When they saw how techie he was, the Geek Squad let him go in their super secret back room and watch them format his computer. He looked like he fit in back there, among all these guys and loads of tech equipment. His eyes glowed with delight and we giggled as he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching everything, which is a trick Hubs taught him when he was little and around lots of breakables.

Have you ever spent hours in a Best Buy? I really got the chance to check out all the camera gear, accessories for my iPod, and we ended up picking up a new HP printer/scanner and some phones in the process. We also decided that dude, instead of buying our Christmas gifts before Christmas, next time we’ll wait until Boxing Day weekend and shop.

We also had a chance to watch other customers. Like the middle aged guy who picked up his laptop, immediately turned on Skype, and began preening right there in the store, grinning into the computer with smouldering eyes and posing like he was just so hawtly sexy.

Finally, we were done. It was time to go. Best Buy was totally apologetic, but we had been fine with it all along. Apparently their network had been acting up (maybe because of that power outage) and things had taken far longer then usual. Computers are finicky and sometimes, it’s just beyond their control. The staff were great and getting all angry wouldn’t have helped things along away.

With a huge sigh of relief we loaded up the car and were all ready to go, when…

Hubs put the key in the ignition and turned it.

“Oh, SHIT.” He held up the key and in the evening light, I could see what he was talking about. The key had come out of the ignition switch, with part of the CAR attached to it.

You may not be able to see the panic that this would cause. First off, we were just going to make the very last ferry of the night. If the car was broken, there is no way we’d make it to the ferry terminal which would mean an impromptu overnight stay, then a tow truck home, which would cost PILES of money. Being stranded in Vancouver miles from home isn’t on my “fun things to do” list.

With Hubs old clunker car, which he insists we have to take to the city because he’s terrified the pretty newish Toyota will become scratched on the ferry, we have had exactly THREE near break downs; all in December in Vancouver.

The car is telling us something, people. Maybe like “I’m old and tired and hate the city,” ?

Hubs shoved the key and whatever was attached to it in the hole where the ignition is supposed to be and as we all fervently offered prayers to the Gods, the car started. I’m guessing it must have been from me petting the dashboard and talking to the car gently, begging it to please get me home and I will make sure we never, ever, force it to go to the city again. At least not with me in it.

The prayers didn’t help when we finally were in the ferry line up and Jake and I hoofed it to Trolls for take out (since we hadn’t had dinner and all of us felt like we were going to die from hunger), only to discover it was closed. The bartender cleaning up took one look at us and laughed. LAUGHED! Then we couldn’t find an ATM because you can’t use debit on the ferry, and we had resigned ourselves to eating ferry food for dinner.

You can imagine my relief when I discovered they took Visa, though.

Thank GOD for Visa, which allowed us to have big sloppy burgers and crispy fries, which normally wouldn’t be my first choice but to be in Best Buy all day without food or water would make me ready to eat just about anything. (To be fair, it was pretty yummy.)

I admit, we were all nervous when it came time to drive off the ferry. Would the car start? Would we have pieces falling off in our hands again? Did we need to call a friend and lug all that newly bought computer equipment off? My cell phone had run out of juice as well and all the phone numbers were IN it, so how would we even do that?

Hubs gingerly turned the key as I whispered sweet nothings to the dashboard and Jake clutched his new toy in the back seat. We collectively held our breath and the car roared to life.

Whoo! High fives all around! We’re going to make it home!

The next day I was at work when Hubs called with a fix it report.

“I don’t know what the hell happened, but that piece is stuck on there again. Won’t come off. I don’t know how or why it came off in the first place.”

Maybe the car was just trying to tell us something, like “Look you stupid humans, I’m too old for this shit. Take the younger car. Besides, if you had planned things better you’d have had snacks, drinks and some cash on you. Remember that for next year or I’ll strand your asses in Richmond and you’ll be hitch hiking home. Don’t you remember the LAST two years when I broke down? Do I have to spell it out for you?”

Point taken.

Butter Tart

Absolutely THE favorite Christmas goodie in my house.  With a sweet sugary filling and buttery pastry, they are often the first thing to go off the tray of Christmas goodies.  I like them right from the freezer, nice and cold.

More…

The class that I worked in was filled with kids in grades 5-7 and on my first day, the teacher pulled me aside and gave me a quick run down on the kids.

“That one,” he pointed to a sandy blond boy in torn, scruffy jeans and a t-shirt, about 12 years old. “is a brat. Don’t bother. He’ll just give you a hard time.”

I stood there, studying him as he joked with his friends, then reached over and shoved a smaller student with a sneer. He looked up at me and for a split second across the room, our eyes met.

His were filled with suspicion and anger.

I’ve never believed that there are just “bad” kids. After having worked and lived with some of the most difficult teenagers that the city has to offer, I have learned that they are kids who have survived bad circumstances. They have taken on behavior that might be needed to survive and what they don’t realize is, in some circumstances they don’t need that behavior. Then we just need to work on changing it.

I think Jason hated me at first. Every interaction was laced with sarcasm, and he would never do what I asked him to do. Ever. Until one day after school, I decided to start leaving the kids little “love notes” in their desks. I praised how they handled things at lunch with their friends. I told the girls how valued they were. They were just little scraps of paper with kind words on them, but the effect was magical.

I told Jason that he brightened my day with his smile. He did! I didn’t see it often, but when I did, it was like catching him unaware.

The next day he went to get his math book out of his desk and the note fell in his lap. As I watched from across the room, he carefully unfolded it. Our eyes met across the room and slowly, self conciously, he smiled slightly. The next day, he helped me carry some books. After school, he stopped at my desk to chat. The next week, he sternly told some rowdy kids to settle down for the substitute teacher. We worked hard on his math to bring his grades up, and celebrated with high fives. That anger he had seemed to just melt away when he walked in through the doors.

“You are here to work with these kids, not be their friend!” the teacher sternly chided me after school one day. What he didn’t understand was that in order to work with these kids, you had to be their friend. They wouldn’t open up unless they trusted you first.

Christmas came that year, and unfortunately so did an end to my time at the school. The kids showered me with gifts and cards throughout the day, but Jason held back. When finally everyone else had left, he approached my desk; his blue eyes filled with tears, his sandy hair rumpled.

“I didn’t have anything else. It’s not a Hallmark card,” he thrust a piece of lined paper at me.

On a folded piece of paper from his notebook, he had carefully drawn a beautiful winter scene, and on the inside had written,

“You are the best teacher I’ve ever had. I’ll miss you. Merry Christmas.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and began to drip down my cheeks.

“It’s not a Hallmark card, ” Jason apologized and looked at his shoes. “It’s not a nice one like..” he gestured towards the stack of expensive, glittery cards and boxes of chocolates on my desk.

Our eyes met once more. This time, his were uncertain and a bit sad.

“No Jason, it’s not, ” I smiled through my tears, “THIS kind of card is a million times better.”

It’s been fifteen years, three districts, about 100 schools since that Christmas. Jason is probably about 27 years old now, and has kids of his own. The glittery, expensive cards have long since been recycled and the chocolates were eaten.

I still have the card that he made me, all those years ago.

Photo credit: Keep Waddling1

rum balls

So Christmas is over and now we’re on our way to New Years, but now you might have some time to whip up some last minute nibblies.  Or at the very least, scope out some tasty things to serve for New Years.  These were my first rum ball attempt, and oh my…not only are they super easy and require no cooking, but they taste delish.

The recipe….

You likely know that and have heard me rant on twitter about how yummy they were.

Let me just say that they are the most delectable morsels of peanut buttery chocolate goodness in the universe. Not just that, but the recipe can be halved and so you can make a small pan if you want, even.

They would be really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a cup of coffee.

Keep reading for the recipe…

PS…Recipe Tuesdays has been moved to Thursdays, because it just fits my schedule better. You’re still going to get recipes! Just on Thursdays instead.

It’s an interesting drive, which is why I always give myself a ton of time to get to work, just in case. Well. That depends on if my teenager, who is exceedingly hard to get out of bed, will be ready on time. I have resorted to threats of keeping a squirt gun in the fridge, loaded and ready to go just in case he’s extra lazy.

Last week he was.

“Jake, get UP!” I bounced on his bed for good measure. He yawned and mumbled something before pulling his covers over his head. “UP! UP! NOOWWWW!”

This slothfulness was getting out of hand. I would need to really buy that squirt gun and actually use it. After nagging and threatening to make him walk, I finally got him to school and was feeling the pressure to get moving. Burning down the highway at 80 km/hr, I took the opportunity in a slight straight part to adjust the stereo before I rounded a curve.

As a looked back at the road, out of the corner of my eye, something moved up on the hill to my right. Was that…? What on Earth was a tire doing over there?

A tire, complete with a hub cap, was bounding down the hill to my right, poising to land smack in front of the car.

It happened so fast; I had barely enough time to avoid the tire, but then I noticed what had happened. A jeep coming in the opposite direction was missing it’s driver’s side front tire.
That tire? It had literally flown off, across the highway, hit a tree on the opposite side of the road, and rolled down the hill.

If I had been any faster that morning, I would have been closer to that oncoming jeep. That tire just might have hit ME instead of the tree.

Suddenly, Jake’s slowness in the morning didn’t really look like such a bad thing. His slothfulness just might have saved my life.

I sort of expected the guy standing in the middle of the aisle, looking right at me, to move over.  He didn’t.  He stood there, looking me up and down, so that I cold barely get by.

“Um, excuse me.”

I waited.  He moved slightly, and gave me a grin.

Usually I don’t even notice when men check me out.   Do they?  Hubs says they do.  He says I’m charmingly oblivious to the whole thing, but this time I noticed and this time, it completely creeped me out.  It wasn’t like the guy was just a friendly, “hey you look kinda cute,” sort.   I can’t put my finger on it, but this one gave me the eebie jeebies.  Big time.  Like, crazy stalker better run for the car kinda creepy.

Once my shopping was finished, I stood in line to pay and out of nowhere, creepy guy is suddenly right behind me.

Oh my god, I need to move.  This guy is going to mug me in the parking lot. Or ask for my number.  At the very least, he’s standing really close and I’m not okay with this.

Thankfully another cashier appeared and said she could help the next person in line, who happened to be me.

“Oh, go ahead,” creepy guy grins at me again.  He motions for me to go to the other cash register.

There’s one thing about this store-they only sell cigarettes at particular cash registers, and Hubs had asked me to pick some up for him.  So I couldn’t move to the no-tobacco products line because arriving at home without Hubs sticks o’ cancer would not go over well in the least.

“No that’s okay, I need to get cigarettes.   You go ahead,” Suddenly, his face changed from creepy grin to absolute disgust.  Obviously by that one statement, I had gone from “hawt” in his view to a disgusting lowlife.  His eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down.

“That’s a BAD HABIT,” he snorted as he changed lines.

The backlash that I get when I pick up cigarettes for Hubs is incredible.  People lecture me, and nobody ever believes that I have never even tried a cigarette in my entire life.  Usually I get really annoyed because come on, do you drink?  Do I bug you in the liquor store?  No.

On the other hand, if thinking I’m a smoker gets rid of creepy people?

Totally works for me.

You all know me-responding to those types of questions in a little comment box isn’t going to do. A blog post, maybe? With pictures? Of course!

For ages I have resisted one, but this baby is clear at the very TOP of my wish list this year…

1. A 32 G iPod Touch so that I can Twitter, listen to music, and be connected anywhere. Of course it would have to come with some music, so an iTunes card, screen care kit and a case would be really great too. I’m gadgety. I need to have access to the blog world and Twitter when we are on vacation or I’m just out and about.

Maybe I’m tad addicted?

2. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 and a mini tripod

Would you guys believe I’ve never Photoshopped any of my pictures? Besides doing a teeny bit of adjusting on the color, that’s it. I would love Photoshop because then I could probably create banners and more graphics. If I was really dreaming I’d ask for a really amazing camera, but I’m realistic. That won’t happen for awhile, so I’m just getting the other tools first. One day….

A mini tripod would be real helpful with all those close up food shots, and I think I’d likely use it a lot.

3. Warm and cozy sweaters

I’m not sure where I’d expect these to be from, but I love the Gap, Roots, and a few other places so I’d have to go try things on and check them out. I really could use some new sweaters though, and so I’m eying what’s on at the stores!

4. Slippers, some really nice Flannel PJs, and a blanket for my bed

For years I’ve bought cheap slippers, only to have them fall apart and stretch out of shape only weeks later. I get cold feet, and to have some really good quality slippers that would last are a big deal to me. The ones above look good, or something similar.

Plus, I’d love some really nice pjs that would keep me toasty warm because if there’s one thing that is constant about me, it’s that I’m freezing cold almost all the time. So that explains the extra blanket currently on my bed-which is this old, ugly thing. I’d like something a bit prettier, maybe? As long as it’s big (at least a double) and warm.

5. The Super Big, Ultimate gift?

Actually it’s not something you can buy. I wish for a stress free, fulfilling job for Hubs in the city so that he could get his health on track and so that I will have him around for many more years to come.

That, my friends, is better than ANY old Christmas gift.

What’s on YOUR list?