Summing up the Weekend

Well, my Mother in Law has left Las Vegas. Surprisingly, the visit went without a hitch. No feelings were hurt and she even bought us lots of presents since we are stuck here for Christmas by ourselves.

On Thursday night we went and saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the MGM Grand. They have been around awhile, playing classical music and Christmas Music with a rocked out twist and a lot of pyro effects. It was pretty cool and because I suggested it and bought the tickets, I got brownie points from the In Law...so, yea for me.

So, now that my Hubby's mother is gone, I can hopefully get back to my normal schedule. I know most of you runners run in the morning, but I just cant do it. For some reason waking up an hour earlier in the mornings destroyed my day.

I also wanted to share with you today some things that I am excited about.

First of all, I made some goodies for Hubby's mom, she pretends to not like sweets, but I always catch her sneaky chocolate and desserts when no one is looking, so I knew she would like for me to have some in the house. I made cookies, banana-chocolate chip muffins and my Baklava. She went to college in Greece, so I was interested in knowing what she thought of my Baklava. Turns out she said its one of the best she has had.

Baklava Recipe:

7/8 lb. of almonds (ground)

1 cup Butter (Melted)

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 pinch of ground clove to taste

1 lb. fillo pastry

A little lemon juice

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup water

Directions: Mix almonds, cinnamon and cloves; Butter a pan (9x13); lay 4 fillo sheets down and spread a thin layer of mix, then add 2 fillo sheets and continue on with the butter and mix, layer the fillo sheets in between. Top off with 4 fillo sheets.

Cut into squares before you bake in oven at 350 for 35 to 40 min.

Mix: sugar, honey, vanilla and lemon juice in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and Pour over Baklava. Let stand for a few hours before serving.

Trust me, its pretty Yummy.

And for you coffee lovers, I have some good holiday suggestions for you. If you have a Cost Plus World Market in your town, you should pick up some World Market Pumpkin Spice coffee. Im addicted and may need to go back and stock up before they stop selling it for the season. I also am glad that they have Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory. I haven't been able to find this since I lived in New Orleans. I love it, it reminds me of the south. Its really strong and good for a wake up call in the mornings.

Before heading out for the gym, I would like to share with everyone how no matter how we torture my dog, he will let us get away with anything...

Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a good Monday!