Coffee Talk Mom

This blog has NOTHING to do with CORONA

Okay...for those of us sick about talking about the plague...let’s have some fun with some thoughts from the last few weeks!

Have you ever eaten a salad and about half way through thought, “I don’t think this is very good for me!”...THAT is how I feel when I eat my friend Joey’s yummy salad dressing...basically on anything...but best served with thin sliced red onion, pears, goat cheese, and (duh!) candied pecans:

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
1/3 C Olive oil
1/4 C rice Vinegar
1 T Maple Syrup (the real kind...not Mrs Butterworths!)
2 t Dijon
1/2 t sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Shake it up and pour!

Next, let’s talk a bit about CoffeeTalkDad who has given me a great quote from the walk-in closet, “I am running out of sweats-options in here!”...Baha...let’s face it, “WHO are we going to see?” I think he does business on the top and party on the bottom for some of his meetings...just be careful of those ZOOM calls and cameras!! On a similar note, take a shower and get dressed people!!!! It makes you feel like you have plans for the day!! AND...Bonus for the “marrieds” it may remind your spouse that you have a waist! (Or do we anymore?)

Let’s talk TV and Books: We are loving the “Taken” series on Netflix. Good for a little suspense, but be careful with little ones in the room. We have “The Voice” recorded, but I am getting a little bored. I am reading a kind of cheesy novel from the online library called, “As Bright as Heaven” about the Spanish Flu...but it is good because you can see the parallels without having to be an MD. If you need a no-brainer TV show before bed: 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Jane the Virgin are all good options. Has anyone seen, “Tiger King”? Okay...just kidding...what a dumpster fire!! Don’t do it...it’s like a bad accident that you can’t stop watching. Trust me when I say, “The Artists Way” is an awesome book that I always go back to. It is even fun to see what I highlighted in the past.

This is embarrassing since I have always liked to cook...I started a sour-dough starter with CoffeeTalkBuzz and have been making bread like a crazy-woman. I’m just not very good at it. I keep thinking about the bread from Great Harvest, then I look at my loaf that literally took about 9 hours to make and I think, “WHY?? WHY??”...just like Nancy Kerrigan (if you don’t know what I am talking about you are too young!).

Last, I am the mom of a 30-year old!! How did that happen and how old was I when I had him?? I miss CoffeeTalkTee like crazy, but the FaceTime has been fun...Isn’t that what old people say? Try it: just put a “the” in front of the hi-tech word you are trying to say. If you want to follow someone new on Instagram to make you laugh, try #classicdadmoves. It gives me a laugh almost every day and you will see what I mean about “getting older”!

Well...this has been fun...and I love the #tellmesomethinggood comments through this whole crazy time we are in. Even in our darkest days, there is always SOMETHING good...

Stay Healthy!!

CoffeeTalkMom

P.S. Big T and I on a California beach circa 1994

EVENT WEEK

This is a big week for CoffeeTalkMom here in Boulder and I have some GREAT friends here supporting me. I read last week that "event planner" is the 5th most stressful job. Now, I wouldn't equate it with a police officer, but for whoever you are serving, it could make or break business, partnerships, friendships and more. I wanted to share this photo from my kitchen counter this morning...all given to me from friend who knew what kind of week this was going to be! it kind of feels like I went out drinking, came home at 4am, couldn't get to sleep, so I walked back to Pearl Street in 5 inch heels. It's a mental, physical, and educational experience and not for the weak-hearted. My sister always says how she could "never do what I do", but I must say...it's not brain scientry for sure...

Here is what you need:

A knack for organization
A budget
Ideas to save money (the budget is and never will be enough)
Salesmanship: You can always work with the caterers, hotels and service providers (today I had to change food quantities for our final dinner tonight, arranged to bring a cake (avoiding the $8pp dessert charge), and had them throw in AV and paper plates for the cake)...
Clear head and a good cup of coffee: Things WILL happen and CHANGE during the event...are you ready? Can you adjust?
A smile...you WILL deal with people and no one appreciates a cranky, pushy event organizer.
Volunteers...you CANNOT do it yourself...come alongside your helpers and make sure they know they are needed and loved...write a thank you note after...

If this still sounds like a nightmare...hire me or another organizer...I have been places where they have "no one in charge" and it's a mess...I pride myself in basically "paying for myself" by saving money on the other side... NO...you cannot enjoy your dinner or event, plate the food, make the food, do the dishes, and think to yourself, "Gosh...let's do it again next weekend"...

One more dinner tonight, birthday this weekend, grad party, and a rehearsal dinner to plan...

CHEERS!

CoffeeTalkMom

SUPERBOWL WEEK RAMBLE

What great timing!  The holidays are long since past, snow is (still) on the ground, and whether you are a fan or not, you have to love the Superbowl.  It is the quintessential excuse to eat poorly, have a drink, visit with friends, and park yourself in a lazy boy lounger with no guilt.  It gives us cold weather people something to look forward to, a reason to plan a party, and THIS year...so much more.  Since Denver gave up the good looking, promising yet risky fan favorite Tebow, our hopes have been 100% in Peyton Manning.  Every time he gets hit, I think about the fact that he had the same neck surgery that I did (and I am avoiding any jarring activities which may or may not include house cleaning).  The pressure must be incredible.  Any time you play under these circumstances, it is two great teams and anything goes.  Men...I know it feels like "I could have done that!" when you watch, but...honestly, if you were over 37, can you imagine playing in the Superbowl?  This man deserves the "W"!

I remember during one of our first year's of marriage, we spent money to go to a "scab" game in Seattle (we lived there for 8 LONG years).  We thought we had died and gone to heaven to be able to afford an NFL game...even if the players had to cross picket lines.  I am excited that my cousins and auntie will have something to do other than splash around in the rain, pick out a new umbrella, or wait for the sun to shine (That is about as TRASH TALKIE as I can get!)

I have to admit, if the Broncos were not in the Superbowl, I would be cheering on the Seahawks. 

Unfortunately for the Seattle fans, this CoffeeTalkMom will be wearing her orange and blue, pacing the basement of a friend's house, and shouting "OMAHA!" Now...if this whole thing would, "Hurry Up, Hurry Up!"!!

Here is an easy refresher on a game pool.  We, here in Denver, are a little out of practice!

Have everyone BRING QUARTERS (well...you can always use them later for the drinking game if your team loses)...You can do dollars, but you will need $100=lots of people playing!

Create a game sheet containing a 10×10 grid of boxes where each row and column will be assigned a number from 0 to 9. The top row 0-9 is one team, the side row 0-9 is the other team playing. (We do have a free Super Bowl Squares Pool Game Sheet for you to print if you don’t want to make your own.)

Each square of the grid is claimed by a guest by writing his or her name in the square. Choose a price per square and let people buy as many squares as they want. You will have 100 squares to sell to your guests, and you’ll need to sell all 100 squares. Most people charge $1 a square, but if your friends are high rollers you can up the ante. This money goes to the prize pool.

Once all the squares are filled, to keep people from only picking the squares with 7′s, 3′s and 0′s, pull numbers from zero to nine randomly to designate the order of the numbers that go along the top and the left of the grid. Make sure to do this randomly and AFTER all the squares are filled to keep it fair.

At the end of each quarter of the Super Bowl, the last digit of both NFL teams’ score is compared to the grid to determine a winner. For example, a player has the 7-3 square, 7 for the Redskins and 3 for the Ravens. If, at the end of the first quarter, the Redskins were ahead 17-3 the 7-3 square would be a winner.

The prize pool is usually awarded by percentage with the largest going to the final score winner. $1 a square yields $100 prize pool, so you could pay out $12.50 to the 1st quarter winner, $25 to the halftime winner, $12.50 to the 3rd quarter winner, and $50 grand prize to the final score winner. If you don’t want to charge, split the squares up between your guests, then hand out prizes to the winners. Fun “Football party” prizes work well, like a large bucket of pretzels, or a 6-pack.

This is a great game for even the football novice to play since it requires no real knowledge of the game, just some luck.

 

 

Cheers and Enjoy your wings!

CoffeeTalkMom

Why I Party!

Most of you are probably thinking: what just happened? Is Christmas over? When do the kids go back to school? I better get these decorations down and dust! While you consider those options, I am busy preparing for a party. When I was first married, my mother in law Paula always had a holiday party that we would help with when we visited Arizona. It was always AFTER Christmas and her full house somehow felt joyous and comforting after the let-down of the "is that it?" feeling. Seeing friends and family, wearing red again, and eating yummy food "one last time" was all part of the celebration. I have followed in her footsteps (I miss her!) and for 18 years have had a party during the holidays. We have gone from 15 or 20 to over 100 depending upon the year. The numbers don't really matter to me because I think of it as a blessing. God brings some people whom we haven't seen much through the year and we are able to re-connect. One year I even drove myself to the hospital at 5am after 12 hours of stomach junk, had 2 liters of fluid via IV and drove myself home in time to change, patch together the cinnamon rolls Dave left in the oven for too long , and answer the first ring of the doorbell. God willing, I will NEVER do that again! I will never forget that I had a special grey shiny top to wear and I had comments like, "You match your top"! Little did they know, I had a bruise on my arm from the IV and was fighting to stay upright. Another year we had snow…LOTS of snow. We had boots lined up by the front door for miles. One thing remains: I wouldn't change any of it. We are truly blessed by our friends and grateful that God gave us this house to fill with them. Things change and with an impending move, who knows what next year will look like? For now, we move forward, with our cooking and baking and prepping and enjoying the last days of the decorations and lights.

With 2013 approaching and all of the talk of guns and cliffs, and despair…May God place peace on your heart, in your thoughts, and your actions because…LOVE IS BIGGER!

Cheers,

Coffee Talk Mom

2 of my favorite people and memories! Open House Day 2003

Just Breathe!

Christmas is upon us and after spending 2 months more or less at home, I have had numerous conversations with friends about the STRESS of the holidays. Most notorious throughout the conversations was a taboo subject that I plan to tackle with the help of those friends: UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS aka people who are hard to please, get along with, or be in the same room with! You must admit that there is probably someone in your life who brings out the absolute WORST in you. One way to tell is that you catch yourself thinking, "I don't act this way! Why am I feeling so defensive? Why do I feel less worthy than the other person? Why do I feel small?" At Christmas, many of these relationships resurface after a year of avoidance, healthy boundaries, or geography. How should we deal with situations that put us on the spot? JUST BREATHE and remember this acrostic:

B oundaries: This may be physical. Keep yourself in the other part of the house or at the far end of the dinner table. This may be verbal. Keep talk general and don't try to tackle subjects that you KNOW will cause controversy with the other person: politics, new diets and exercise regimes, personal religious inquiries, or showing off in any way with facts about your kid's awards, grades, or parental discipline techniques.

R espect: Even if the other person does not respect you and your boundaries, remember, you cannot be responsible for their behavior, only your own.

E ntertain: Try to do something other than TALK! Include a game for the kids or white elephant gifts. This releases the energy in the room to be used laughing and not crying or angry.

A nticipate: If this person (s) is someone who knows how to push your buttons, prepare some answers in advance and be prepared to be amazed at how "together" you look and how ridiculous the other person feels when they cross lines. Less is more with some of these conversation monopolizers!

T hank God: If there is one thing that is universal among my friends, life is short. If this was the last thing you said to that person, would you be proud of your responses and/or comments? Thank God in prayer before you go that He has brought you to that place for a purpose and ask Him to protect your heart and mind.

H elp: When all else fails, do the dishes, or run the game…keep busy rocking the baby or playing with the little ones. Sometimes it is the best excuse and the young parents are thrilled to have the break. This can remove you from a heavy discussion and bring you back to what is truly important: Barbie-vs-Ken.

E xit: Make a plan to stay for a respectful amount of time, pitch in, then leave before any taboo subjects are blurted out. This can especially be the case when alcohol is involved. . Last year we went to a work party that was truly a disaster. It was nice to just put a smile on our faces, grab our coats, and run for the door with no guilt.

Get back into your car and BREATHE! You did it!!

Merry Christmas Coffee Talk Peeps!

Coffee Talk Mom

YES…YOU CAN!

That is my usual response when I talk about my annual Thanksgiving Day track meet (or Olympics)…Originally, it was called a "track meet" mostly because we met at the track. Now it has evolved into a fine mess of games, exercise and mostly laughing which, might I add, is good for the abs! Most of the adults have to be talked in to coming for fear they will look like a total has-been. Well, we are ALL over that now and anything goes!! I am the type of person that watches sports and yells,"Go Dummies" thinking to myself…"I could run faster than that"…Well, that is NEVER the case especially this year as I had to stand by and watch the mayhem ensue. I hate it when that happens! I figured that launching this awesome body off the long jump board may not be good for the neck! (insert laugh here) Every participant brings a $5 gift card or gift. This year I LOVED the romance novel (found later when I got home and opened an unused bag of prizes) and a pound of bacon! If you are tired of the typical Thanksgiving "football" game which most little kids get crushed, here is a list of our activities for you to try. I am all about traditions: this is one that just won't die!

100 yard dash (kids first/then adults

Golf Chip/Putt: Place frozen, duct-tape wrapped turkey on field. Closest to the turkey wins!

4x100: Have families of 4 line-up on track. Have them pass an un-opened water bottle. Everyone on the winning team wins a gift card/prize.

Turkey Toss: Buy a frozen 8-10 pound turkey. Wrap in plastic grocery bags, then completely duct-tape. Have ALL participate…it is super funny.

They can throw it or roll it…Furthest wins!

Long Jump: Sometimes helpful to bring a rake (I usually forgetJ)…Longest for adult/kids

Donut Chow: Tie donuts to goal posts using string from home. Adjust height according to family member (each team or family chooses one person). If the donut falls, they must eat it off the ground. This year's proud winner: Reilly! She ate it off the ground and didn't puke!! Woohoo!

Water Chug: Line up all willing participants. Hand them each a water bottle and tell them they can break the seal but not open it. On the "GO", they chug. 2 years in a row the winner was Paisley (a college student daughter of our friends)…uhh…no comment…(hahaha)

Toilet Paper Wrap: Bring a 6 pack or 1 roll for each family. They chose a team member to be "papered". First to finish their roll without cheating, wins a gift for each team member!...

As a funny side-note, I must add that on the way home my son mentioned that since I WAS INDEED the "Activity Coordinator" maybe I should pick games that my OWN family can win! Next year we will be programming and solving Calculus problems. FYI friends…start practicing now!!

Bring on a NEW FAMILY TRADITION!!

Carry On Coffee Talk Peeps!

Coffee Talk Mom