Heat, Redo's, Goodwill Finds

We have heat again thank you to our wonderful neighbor!  The temperature didn't get terribly low in the house until Wednesday and then it was down right cold!  Our house always felt "cold" before the furnace went out and now I think we know why....we were headed for a breakdown.  Not having and then having something as simple as heat really makes a person appreciate the simple joys of life. 

The boys went back to school yesterday after having two snow days off plus a few 2 hour delays.  I think they were ready to go back and I'm sure Carl was ready for them to go back also (Carl works from home so he has been "stuck" with the boys for those days). 

I haven't been blogging much lately - feel "wordless"; tired when I get home from work and then trying to get things finished at home equals writers block. 

Here is what I've been working on this week.  If you've read my previous post, you've seen the picture that I painted for the bathroom.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I also finished the window that I've been working on for a while.  I decided to just paint it black, sand a little bit, then put a darker stain on it.  As you can see in the picture, I put a red wreath on it and I'll change it out with the holidays/seasons. 

And, I finished the bookcase - finally!!  Kyle and Ryan's trophies are on there plus Ryan's books. Ryan wanted to be in the picture and he's such a sweetie that I couldn't say no - just don't ask about his outfit - it's something with the boys in his class this year.  Pure silliness.

These are a few Goodwill finds that I bought for $2.  I would like to do some stitchery and thought I could redo the frame for a project.  The other piece is a fall decoration that was too cute to pass up.

I'm also going to hop on over to Colleen's place to see what recipes everyone has posted.  I've decided to post a chocolate pound cake recipe for Valentine's Day - Sorry Fit Friday - the holiday won this time.  

Easy Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

from allrecipes.com

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 c. white sugar

3/4 c. water

3/4 c. oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

1/8 c. confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.  In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, instant pudding and sugar.  Add the water, oil, eggs, and sour cream, mix until well blended.  Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour into the prepared bundt pan.  

Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Cake is done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.  Dust with confectioners sugar before cutting and serving.  

This certainly sounds like a delicious recipe to share with a loved one, doesn't it?

FIT FRIDAY

With the weather we had this week plus the furnace going out, I think I lost weight from shivering so much.  These things threw Carl and I off our routine and we didn't do all we had hoped.  Falling out of the routine is so easy and it can be a challenge to get back on.  Last night was our first night back at the gym so hopefully it was only a slight bump in the road. 

So it's Valentines weekend.  I saw this morning on a news station that chocolate is a must!!  The dietitians are now saying that dark chocolate is good for you.  It could lower blood pressure, prevent heart attacks, prevent strokes, and even improve your mood (duh! who's not happy with chocolate).  The more cocoa in the chocolate, the better it is for your heath.  This is the breakthrough in science I've been waiting for!!! Wait there is a catch.......moderation is key and about a 1oz. serving is all they recommend.

Guess what....the phone just rang.....another 2 hour delay.  

Have a wonderful weekend with your Valentine!