St Patrick's Day

This is always a fun holiday for me, mostly because of the time required in the kitchen. This year, like year's past, I made corned beef and cabbage (in the crock pot!), potato leak soup, and Irish soda bread. This year I also added potato leek pizza and a friend brought a yummy casserole! It was delicious! Here's the spread:

Super Bowl

So once a year we a host a huge party. We host Super Bowl for our mutual friends. We have people over often, but Super Bowl is our big one. So yesterday I spent the day cooking, Joe spent the day cleaning and we spent the evening relaxing with friends.

Another perk of my cooking all day? I finished the appetizer section of PW Cookbook! Two sections down, three to go!

All in all it was a good party. Now if only I didn't have to catch up on homework today....

2012 Goals

Health

• I would like to be symptom free from my OCD. Now, I know I can't resolve this on my own. Something about nature doing its own thing...but I vow to do everything in my power to achieve this
• I got two scars this year, both from silly accidents. I chopped off a chunk of finger while cooking and I burnt a semi circle into my arm at work. My goal for 2012: no more scars!
• I would like to loose some weight. And by that I mean pant sizes, I don't care about the number on the scale. Ideally, I'd be back in the single digits, but I will settle for a 10 if I must.
• I'm going to keep doing derby. I'd also like to work out at the gym. I will have to revisit that situation once my seasonal job ends.

Family

• I truly appreciate everything Joe does for us. My goal for 2012 is to show my appreciation.
• My mom wants to do family meals once a month, I will do my best to help her accomplish this.

Volunteer

• For the AFSP: I want to volunteer for the Overnight. It's in San Francisco this year, I want to be on the Walk Committee for the Chicagoland Walk, and volunteer the day of that walk as well.
• If I could be useful, I'd like to do so for the International OCD Foundation Conference that is in Chicago in July.

Travel

• Joe and I want to make a vacation out of the AFSP weekend. We'd like to spend a few days in SanFran and a few days in LA. I want Joe to see a Conan taping and go to Disneyland.
• I want to start a Europe fund. As my family begins to plan for the International Feely Family Reunion, my heart physically aches from missing London. I don't know when it would be a responsible choice for Joe and I to make the trip, but I am definitely feeling a need to start saving for it.

Home

• I would like to completely clean and declutter the apartment and donate/sell/throw out things we don't need.
• I would like to be more cautious about saving money. With my medical needs under control, it should be easier then the past year.
• I have three years of scrapbooking to catch up on.
• I have hundreds of recipes to organize.

School/Work

• I am going to go back to school and begin my certificate in Library Technical Assistance.
• I would like to have a part time job by the end of the year (the sooner the better)

Entertainment

• I really need to read more. I need to make it a greater priority in my life. So, every month I would like to read a book. Preferably a classic. But if a new Janet Evanovich comes out, that's OK, too.
• I am taking Joe to see Jerry Seinfeld in March! I'm so excited to make him so excited!
• It has been quite awhile since I have seen a play or a musical. I would really like to make time for that sometime in 2012.
• Assuming Glee tours again, I would really like to see them preform. Especially since its the last year with the original cast. Nothing makes me quite as happy as a good Glee performance.

What are your plans for 2012?

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Love, Meg

Best. Christmas. Tradition. Ever.

Besides seeing all my family within two days, my favorite holiday tradition is Cookie Day with my cousin/sister Natalie. This year we decided to tackle 12 recipes, for the 12 days of Christmas. On the list:

1. Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
2. Sugar Cookies
3. Gingerbread
4. Thin Mints
5. Lemon Bars
6. Truffles
7. Pumpkin Chip
8. Fudge
9. Oreo Truffles
10. Chocolate Truffles
11. Raspberry Kolackys
12. Peanut Butter Mocha Cookies

This is what my house looked like before:

During:

Not Pictured: when I set a kitchen towel on fire.

After (Before you see this picture I want to very clearly state that Nat and I are incredibly grateful):

There is no doubt I have the world's best husband!

A Day By Myself

Today I have the day off work and my husband is gone working. Because of my 11 hour work day yesterday, I allowed myself to sleep in. But now its time to get busy. On the list of things to do before I attend a meeting this evening:

1. empty dishwasher
2. finish Christmas cards...I only finished the A's and the B's....I see a hand cramp coming on
3. laundry?
4. find and organize all Christmas cookie recipes so my cousin and I can be efficient next week
5. straighten and clean (in theory...but Christmas cards come first!)
6. check out a new cookbook I got last night
7. catch up on DVR (as evidence of how long yesterday was: I didn't even stay up to watch Glee)

...I think that will keep me busy 'til I have to leave at 430....

Why Decorating Is Taking Us Three Days

Usually we get our tree and decorate our house the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This year, we are not only behind but we will not be going all out, like we would  normally do. The cause: I am working. Not only am I working, but Joe and I work opposite hours. This means that for five days in a row we are not at home or functional at the same time. Consequently, that leaves errands, unwinding, family and fun time to occur Sunday and Monday. We hope to have a decorated tree by the end of the night!

Here is a peek at the tree:

My Nativity Scene

My favorite Christmas decoration is my nativity scene. For many, many years, my Godmother would give me a single piece of the set at Christmas. One year it would be Joseph, the other a wise man, etc. Then, at my wedding shower she gave me the stable. I was near tears, it was so sentimental. So, while I love all parts of Christmas (especially baking and seeing all my family within two days), this has a special place in my heart.

Graf Family Traditions

One of my favorite parts of starting a new family with Joe is the holiday traditions we borrow from each other's families and the ones we create on our own. Here are some of our traditions:

Super Bowl- This is our big hosting event of the year. We invite all of our friends over to watch the big game and I spend the day cooking lots of yummy treats.

St. Patrick's Day- Every year I make crock pot Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. Last year we shared the meal with a couple of friends. Seeing as there is always an abundance of food, I would like to continue sharing that meal with friends or family. Also, last year all four of us learned the joy of Potato Leek soup.

Easter- In an attempt to fairly split our time between families, we have decided to spend each Easter in Wisconsin with my Mom's family. We don't always get to see everyone we want to, but we try our best.

Memorial Day- My Opa, German for Grandpa, was a World War II vet. Every year my mom, and me if I'm lucky, go to his army reunion. Every Memorial Day, we all go up to the cemetery where he is at for a beautiful service hosted by the cemetery.

Fourth of July- My brother usually hosts a BBQ on the Fourth. So we go over and hang with him and his friends.

Birthdays Day-This is a new tradition my mother and I have started this year. Seeing as all our birthdays are within four months, and we have five people, all with very unique schedules, we have decided to do one big celebration! Our first one is next Sunday.

Election Day: One thing my Dad always felt very strong about was voting. He has voted in every election since I can remember and has instilled the same passion into me. So no matter how cruddy I feel, I make it out the the  polls and cast my vote every year. For the last presidential election I had a Returns Viewing Party for my fellow political buffs. I hope to do the same again next year.

Thanksgiving- This holiday we spend with Joe's side of the family. Often we meet with his mother's family and we have a nice dinner with them and then go to his Grandpa's house for desserts.

Anniversaries (yes, plural)- Our dating and wedding anniversaries are two days apart. Since there is a significant amount of time between the years (6 years!) we like to have a big celebration for both. We aren't really big on Sweetest or Valentine's Day, so we make this our big date night or weekend getaway of the year.

Sunday after Thanksgiving-This is the day I am usually able to convince Joe its time to get our Christmas tree. Since our first Christmas together we have been getting real trees...a first for me! If I ignore the needles on my floor, its definitely a tradition I love adopting! And, if I'm real lucky, I can even get Joe to bring up all the Christmas decorations from our storage unit! When we decorate we have adopted the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in our tree. Traditionally, when a child finds it they get a piece of candy. Since we are childless, one of us usually just hides it from the other.

St. Nicholas Day-This is a tradition we are taking from my parent's. During the night of December 5th and 6th St. Nick comes and fills our stockings. Even the kitties have one!
Baking Day- This is one of my favorite traditions! My lil sis/cousin comes over and we destroy my kitchen making baked goods for friends and family! Its an all day event with lots of delicious out comes!

Christmas Eve- Usually we both work Christmas Eve, but as I am without a job, I will have the day to get ready for our nighttime festivities. On Christmas Eve we drive up to Wisconsin and spend the night going to church with my Mom's side of the family.
Christmas Day- Christmas Day is a busy one for us. Usually in the morning/early afternoon we head out to Joe's mom's house and spend some time with his side of the family. Then in the late afternoon/evening we go to my aunt's house and celebrate with my dad's side of the family. THEN, my parents and brother come to our place for dessert and a family Christmas.

New Year's Eve- Every New Year's Eve our dear friends host a party, so we always spend the night with them, eating, playing games and welcoming the New Year.

Those are our current traditions, I am sure we will be developing more as the years go on.