FIGHTING OFF THE JANUARIES

ah, yes, the monday of months. 

no gift giving holidays, no swimming pool weather, and it feels just a wee bit early to make a valentine's cake.

sometimes during january it's like what else is there besides new girl and youtube videos of last year's world synchronized skating championships and dumb made up holidays?

...i spent yesterday with waffles. so there's that.

and einstein on the beach is streaming, so there's that too.

oh! and the turkey meatballs from jerusalem. they's good.

(could it be? is this turning into a happy list?)

marzipan balls.

fleece lined things.

my new vintage coffee pot with the colorful chicken on it.

kelsey's take on january.

all this talk of man buns. jason brown's pony tail.

and no, but really, you need to get into synchronized skating. if nothing else, just please watch this.

a blizzard is a comin! so what else is new. these days i believe that the best warmth comes from a risotto pan. minutes and minutes stood at a risotto pan, spoon in one hand, wine in the other, stirring your little bum off until you can stir no longer and you're just so hungee and before you know it you're down to one layer because the heat! there's a blizzard outside??

happy watch-all-the-heath-ledger-movies day!

-yeh!

THE FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HAPPY MEAL BAG

1. if ever you find yourself in chicago, you simply must go to dillman's and eat a matzo ball the size of your head.

2. a few weeks ago, my darling lemon thyme went to vietnam and instagrammed all about it and it was one of my most favorite things. a pop of color to a snowy instagram world.

3. this blog is so wonderful and creative. it combines food and... (wait for it) books! i made a little appearance on it yesterday where i admitted that i am a full blown book abandoner.

4. whenever this lady posts a photo of a new photo prop, i nearly barf because it is so pretty yet so vintage and one of a kindy. i mean she has heart shaped cast iron cornbread tins!

5. out of the bazillion cookbooks i got at the library last week, this is a cookbook by max and eli sussman has got to be the one with the most chutzpah and the most recipes that i actually want to try.

6. sista had me at tahini. i'll best be making these soba noodles soon.

7. if you have not read nico's review of the new beyonce album, you should.

8. can anyone point me in the direction of a homemade boloney recipe?

-yeh!

NO-SHAME NOVEMBER

welcome to the battle of no-shame november vs. the shower.

all this month i've played with the idea of just waiting one more day to shower. but then common sense enters the equation and i have to go out in public or eggboy tells me to shower. i don't know, i've been rather tame in this whole shameless month business (however i am wearing turquoise juicy pants currently, so there's that). 

please excuse me for writing my no-shame november list a third of the way through november. i trust you've all been eating nachos and lunchables and other shameless snacks for the past 12 days? (oh, just me? oh...) 

hopefully the idea of no-shame november is nothing new to you and you're currently smelling your armpits to make sure that they're just a little bit smelly.

so put on your uggs, brew up some tang, and get listing! 

shameless loves, the 2013 edition

saying screw you to bread crust.  

uggs. sorry i'm not sorry. 

chocolate o'clock. it happens twice as often during november.

i just burped. 

emoji. mainly the santa claus and onigiri ones. 

those days when my entire calorie intake consists of cake batter.

 scotch eggs.

dreadlocks. 

interrobangs.  

 ...what are you shamelessly loving this month (or every month)?

-yeh! 

A BIRTHDAY LIST

the smell of challah baking in the oven: that​, all day, every day, and no way to adjust to it so that every time you breath in, it is new again.

more mornings like this morning​: where breakfast is bread dough and breakfast number two is fresh bread, right out of the oven. and outside it is raining cats and sheepdogs. 

my family, my friends, all of my people, around one big round dinner table, every sunday. ​or friday. or both. or every morning. 

lunchables​: the boloney kind, with jell-o pudding and juice out of a bag. 

one of those fancy manicures where the nail polish doesn't come off, like, ever: ​so that i don't have to worry about my nails chipping during my summer travels (specifically, on eggboy's farm). and so that i can pack lighter and not have to decide which nail polishes to bring with me. 

a lemonade stand​: because wouldn't that be so much fun?!

one hip summer jacket​: that will transition seamlessly from a night out in hong kong to a 2am hike up the masada to an evening on the lawn at ravinia. i haven't found one yet, but then again, i haven't looked that hard. suggestions are welcome. 

just, like, one big bowl of cookie dough and a spoon and game of thrones ​for twelve hours straight.

this list is not totally that much to ask for, right? i'm basically just really looking forward to spending my birthday at home and then jetting off for what is shaping up to be a fantastically awesome all-around-the-world summer. here's to two weeks until i'm a real 24-year-old! 

-yeh!​