Cooking and Crafting

It all started when I purchased a SAD light (seasonal affective disorder). I had a 50 thousand-mile check up back in November and I told Dr. T that I needed something to get me through the winter. I can't say it any plainer than I HATE the winters in the valley. It isn't the snow--skiing has been great--it generally isn't the cold, although I do have my limits. It is the daylight. The lack of it.

Last winter at this time I instituted the Ladies Luncheon--it was a selfish motivation to get other women to come over for a few hours and chat it up. It was either get out of the funk or take a bath with the hair dryer. It still wasn't enough. My anxiety was through the roof. I would lay in bed at night just praying that my brain would shut down long enough for me to get a couple hours of sleep...and then I couldn't wake up...and I needed a two hour nap every day. Ugh. I wasn't going to do it again.

Fortunately, Dr. T wrote me a prescription for the "magic" light. I ordered one from Costco online and I turned it on and gave a little prayer that it would change my life and solve all of my problems. Solve all my problems? no. Change my miserable winter existence? Yes! Hallelujah! Thank you for this miracle of science!! Hey, you can think whatever you want--this thing is amazing. I sit in front of this light for 40 minutes every morning and in exchange I have less anxiety, better sleep patterns, and depression--what depression?! Yeah!

The main side effect has been that I am WIDE awake at 530AM and I am crawling into bed at 9PM--but during the day I don't feel like I'm going to fall asleep during my third episode of White Collar.

And here's where the cooking and crafting come into play. You see, waking up that early has changed lunch from noon to 1130AM. I'm starving because I ate breakfast at 630AM. Which means that --now don't judge me--- I turn on Studio 5 while I fix everyone lunch.

I know. This is alarming on so many levels. Darin and Brooke are the world's two biggest idiots. Their reactions to Becky Low's Jello Cheesecakes make me want to VIM. Hey, Becky and I go way back to the Dairy Council days and I'm just sayin' her cheesecake ain't that good. Over the past few weeks I have had my intelligence insulted, my taste disgusted, and my regard for "Utah Mormon" television appalled....nevertheless, I have gleened a few ideas for crafty projects and even one new recipe.

Hence the following:

Project #1: Yarn and Felt Wreath (Sidenote: When Jeff saw it he got a funny look on his face and said, "Did you steal that from your great-grandmother's house?" Then we both laughed really hard because it was the perfect statement. The wreath is growing on me, but I keep wondering why I thought that it would be super cute)

Crafty Level: easy

Cost: $9 wreath frame, $2.50 for yarn, $1.00 for felt--plus three hours of icing down hand to deal with the pain of a second-degree burn from the hot glue.

Project #2: Insect Collage

I wanted an initial for Jack's room remodel. I purchased a bunch of frogs and lizards from the dollar store and returned for more punishment with the glue gun.

Crafty Level: easy

Cost: $8 for cardboard letter, $4 for plastic toys

Project #3: Hot Chocolate Monkey Bread

I love monkey bread. I actually think that it is possible for me to eat an entire bundt pan full of it. This particular recipe asks you to cut the rolls in half and fill them with chocolate chips. Then you roll them in hot chocolate before placing them in the pan. After that, its just nuts, brown sugar and butter. It was so good that I made Jeff take the rest of it to the office this morning because I can't be home alone with it.

Crafty level: moderate, because it did take a while to fill the dough with chocolate

Cost: $6 for Rhodes rolls at Costco, the rest I had in the cupboard.

Project #4: Room Remodel

This is the official unveiling of Jack's room remodel (remember the old red room?). I painted the walls a neutral, added a blue racing stripe, had the curtains dry cleaned, ordered some dinosaur wall vinyls, purchased a book shelf at DownEast and a side table with lamp at Target. Truthfully, it didn't take me two full weeks to get it finished--but I had some other stuff going on so it kind of dragged on, and on, and on...

Crafty Level: moderate, for painting the stripe (extra patience) and putting up the gigantic wall vinyl (repentance for foul language will be necessary).

Cost: $20 paint, $80 bookshelf, $15 table and lamp, $100 wall vinyls...I know. That's a lot to pay for a vinyl, but it makes the room and it was exactly what I wanted so I'm not even going to apologize. Plus...I totally shopped around for the perfect bookshelf--$80 for a PB mahogany bookshelf--come on, that's a screaming deal!

It really is cool. Jack is over the moon for these things. He even said so in his prayers.