les gets

Another sunny ski Saturday. This week Les Gets. It is still strangely warm and snow conditions are quite icy...but the sunshine a Alpine air is awesome. Derek and I crossed paths at the lunch stop and got a photo together- yea. Fingers crossed for some snow this winter.

pear tart

What else are we eating? This yummy pear tart topped with vanilla/whiskey almond cream- that's right, pears and whiskey and pecans. Recipe via here. You might want to try this one especially if you have ripe pears lying around.

lablabi

Another yum. Tonight we had this Tunisian chick pea stew. All it takes is chick peas, harissa, olive oil, a tomato, lots of garlic, a lemon, cumin, water, and some salt. Eat with torn chunks of bread- spicy comfort food. It also made great lunch leftovers. Another plus, it's really fun to say lablabi. Sort of sounds like Bob Loblaw's law blog...ah Arrested Development...isn't there a movie coming out?  

afghans

I've been keeping my hands pretty busy this month- already finished three baby afghans (they keep me warm while I'm crocheting them). The green is just a loose shell stitch. The lavender one I used a pattern that you can get for free here. It was really easy, went quickly, and is adorable with the ribbon woven through. The blue is basically the same, but I made it a bit larger and square instead of following the dimensions of the set pattern which is a little bit narrow. I really liked making this pattern so I might stick to it for a few more...as long as friends keep having the babies. I should probably start distributing these before the kids get any older.  

ski

Despite the warm weather and lack of snow, it's still ski season. We are taking five Saturday outings of lessons with the CERN ski club again this year, and have already three down. Our first outing: Les Carroz. Can you tell Derek is happy it's that time of year again?

Saturday two: Saint Gervais. Warm (hot) and sunny.

Three: Les Contamines. Colder, but good conditions, still lots of sunshine, and exhausting as usual. Two more club trips to go and more warm weather predicted.

exotic switzerland

Today I rode with a friend to look at apartments in Aigle, Switzerland at the opposite end of Lac Lemon. We spent some time wandering around the town center and ate lunch before driving up to the village, Leysin, in the mountains. Water from the fountains tastes like magic.

fort lecluse

It feels like an early, very early, spring. After a full day of skiing yesterday, we are taking it easy, light hiking around the fort, enjoying the views and the sunshine.

The stairs didn't lead anywhere and we still couldn't break through the giant gates (sorry Justin, we tried).

The temperature reached the mid fifties with intense sunshine. No jackets needed for sitting in the sun.

 

cookies

Super awesome chewy vegan chocolate (carob) chip cookies. Recipe via here. Yum.

pizza: chicago style

A good way to start the new year...deep dish Chicago style pizza, and it's vegan thanks to the ingenuity and pizza making skills of my friend Julia. I barely got this steamy, blurry picture before digging in. It was fantastic!

bonne année

Happy 2011 and welcome to a new year. Did you celebrate? It was a quiet evening around here besides the backyard fireworks surrounding us. 

The end of one year and the beginning of another one helps me remember the best parts of the year past, but mostly the changing year makes me think about what I'd like to change. This year, I have a few specifics, but my main resolution is pretty general: I'm aiming for neutral. 

Yep, that's it. Some people might shoot for a positive attitude, but neutral is more positive (lowered expectations, hehehe). I wouldn't say I'm necessarily a horribly negative snarky person and I'm not over-reaching for bubbly, just stepping it up to neutral. No one is really rainbows and milkshakes all the time, but admittedly, my edited self is a bit more smiley...like here on this blog, and it's good practice for me...so now to editing what sits in my head and slips out of my mouth until it becomes more habitual. 

This resolution came about from a funny discussion, listing appropriate types of statements, and practicing some non-negative expressions. So, now, I am trying to stick to positive, observational, and neutral comments. I considered adding humorous to this list, but sarcasm didn't make the non-negative criteria. I also run into trouble with what I would categorize as observational...but I don't want to limit myself too much. 

Do you feel motivated and inspired? No this is not the previously mentioned sarcasm. It really is a step in a better direction for me. Sometimes I think we all need a reminder to focus on what is good and beautiful in what's around us everyday. 

Wishing you a 2011 better than your 2010, but not quite as good as 2012.