Life Lately

We are settling in to being back at home after being in Arizona for 10 days.  The weather is brutally cold and we are staying inside as much as possible because it's so cold out.  I took down all of our Christmas stuff over the weekend and I'm working hard to declutter our house. 

Last weekend I helped my friend Vicki make a sign for her beloved Dodgers.  Her nephew plays on the team and she has wanted to make this sign for a long time.  I love how it turned out!  I am working on another one for her and I hope to get it done this weekend. 

My friend Betty turned 30 so we went to lunch to celebrate her last Saturday.  It was fun to see everyone and catch up.



My friends Sabrina and Melinda had an early New Year's eve party on the 30th.  I loved it!  I thought having a party that day was perfect because then on New Year's Eve G and I stayed home and relaxed.  The party was a perfect way to end the year.

On New Year's Eve G and I stayed home and I made lobster tails, potatoes and salad for a nice dinner.  It was delicious!  After dinner we watched some NYE events on TV and went to bed early.  

Lobster Tail Recipe

2 whole lobster tails

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

salt to taste

ground white pepper, to taste

1 lemon - cut into wedges, for garnish

Place lobster tails on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, carefully cut top side of lobster shells lengthwise. Pull apart shells slightly, and season meat with equal amounts butter, paprika, salt, and white pepper.

Broil lobster tails until lightly browned and lobster meat is opaque, about 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

I also made almond sugar cookies as a treat for us for New Year’s Eve. They were delicious and easy to make.  

Almond Sugar Cookie Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk (or water)

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.   Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix  together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract, mixing until combined. Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until completely combined.

Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into small circles and then press with hands into a disk shape. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies will not look browned or cooked, but they are! Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To Ice: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and almond extract - until smooth.

Using a spoon, smooth icing onto the top of each cookie and let set for 10 minutes, or until hardened. Store in the fridge, let come to room temperature when ready to serve.

On New Year's Day I was up bright and early to do a bootcamp workout.  Some of my favorite people were at the class and I'm glad I got up and went.  It was a great way to start 2018. 

2018 is off to a good start!