Craaaaazy busy in this household the past week and a half - sorry for my absence! We've finally caught a little break here now though, ahhhhhh. So, first things first - I must, like everyone else, bitch about this godforsaken weather. Can you believe how long this cold snap has lasted? It's making everyone - man and beast alike - more than a little stir-crazy. No walks for even me in this nastiness (my test for too cold to walk? Snot-freeze - I can adequately cover every other part of my body, but I can't stand breathing through a wet, soggy scarf the entire walk, so snot-freeze is my hallmark test. I am sad to report that there has been plenty of Snot-Freeze Cold these last couple of years. Oh wait, sorry, I mean weeks; it just feels like years, sigh...). My darling kettlebells are getting a good workout instead, which is kind of cool, it's inspired me to do more weight training lately. Silver lining in every cloud, even the Snot-Freeze Cold ones. (But damn!)

What am I cooking to keep us all warm? (Because even though we're swamped, you KNOW we're eating, ha.) Let's see...well, Hearty (Bean-Optional!) Chili for Super Bowl Sunday, the big-game standard. A big ol' pot of very noodly Chicken Noodle Soup on Wednesday. Spicy Shrimp Tacos on Thursday night (recipe posted in comments, below). Tonight, I'm thinking a pot-roasted brisket of beef, yeeeeaaah, that sounds great.

A Belated Happy Birthday to my friend Chris!!! I hope you had a great day, my dear!!!

And speaking of birthdays, I've still been celebrating mine! Last Friday I had a lovely Yum Bakery birthday lunch with my lovely friend Polly. Yum is such a nice spot for lunch - cozy, sunny, with delicious soups and treats, a perfect birthday spot. We were toasty warm and happy as we chatted the bitterly cold afternoon away...

And keeping me warmest of all? My 11-month old nephew, aka Darling Cooper, whom I've been watching on Wednesdays and Thursdays while Stacey paints their new home and prepares to move. There's nothing warmer and snugglier than an adorable baby, and Cooper is the warmest and snuggliest of all (in my unbiased opinion, ha). He's very busy these days, crawl-exploring our house, looking for Sigmund, playing with Nathan, visiting Byerly's and Suz, and charming our whole group to applause by saying "uh oh!" at the dinner table. Very sweet and fun.

Hope you're all finding nice, cozy ways to stay warm and make the best of this bitter cold!