friday links

My heart.


My dear dear friends Susan & Paul gave me this fro Christmas.
Thank you so very much.


So I found a tugboat that is the perfect size for me.....not too big not too small.


Martha's Vineyard ferry, woods hole, MA


Ready to jump in?


no tourists. east dennis, ma


New Years eve!


after new years ever (lol)


hangover grub


Thank you Quest Nutrition!  I would love to bake with this.
Had no idea one could use the protein powder to bake muffins, cookies, etc....Did you?


And thank you Kerrygold Butter.
I am never going back to regular butter now!
(ginger spice muffins from a friend)


New edition to the family. Shun knives.


Have you tried this?  Really good.  Found at Whole Foods.  Pricey though....


You don't need a review on this right?


I might have gained some weight this holiday season.....


#1 and #6 = heavenly


The lamb kofta from Whole Foods is very very good!!

around the web:

36 questions from Yahoo Answers (hilarious!)
3 power foods for sinus infections
tired mom "blank space" parody
5 exotic foods that can kill you
9 triggers that will slow your metabolism
you won't recognize these 16 survivor castaways
skittles vodka tutorial
year born may determine obesity risk (odd)
7 winter foods for depression
silent toxin in food that triggers cancer (seems a little far fetched, but sharing nonetheless)
how chefs feel about food critics & bloggers
what's a herniated disk, bulging disc, pinched nerve....
simple cookie glaze (the best)
7 smart tricks for natural constipation relief
a terrarium cake
hangover cures
7 powerful medicinal plants
best workout for your zodiac sign (sorry I had too!)
spicy cranberry-cream cheese wontons
10 superfoods healthier than kale
warning signs of B12 deficiency
remedies to kick the common cold
blunt confessions of a UPS handler
cheat sheet for pairing wine & cheese
apple health benefits
using weights to target belly fat
herbs & foods to cleanse your blood
an italian chef pronounces 'Worcestershire Sauce'
11 facts caffeine affects
woman sends angry letter to bank after they bounced her check
whats watermelon good for?
5 secrets for staying positive from oldest yoga teacher
how to lose weight: 40 fast & easy tips
some resolutions for snoring
bacteria 'factories' churn out valuable chemicals
another day another bizarre product from Japan


Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links

Happy Friday kids!
Christmas is next week!
Who knew?
Are you ready?

Images from around my cape cod world.....









No more bare feet for a while....


Blessed to live with such beauty....




I love hanging with these guys....


And I love hanging with these guys too...they are waiting on chum scraps from the boats.


Waiting for my lunch scraps....


This took about 4 minutes.


My own personal Christmas shopping got done. Progress.


I know! I know!

around the web:

probiotics for high blood pressure
5 wine pairings for junk food!
signs your hormones are out of balance
scottish university creates fabric that smells like whiskey
the art & science of breathing
calgary's worst driver (ever!)
8 natural recipes for amazing skin (from a plastic surgeon)
mission 26: the big endeavor
4 ways to manage depression naturally
guinness gingerbread
20 of the whitest things ever overheard at whole foods
powerfoods for sinus infections
foods to stop bloating
macarons almost too pretty to eat
men who like spicier foods are 'alpha-males'
man drinks 10 cans of coke a day for 3 months
what are cherries good for?
eating at night does not make you fat
has anyone tried "oil pulling" for teeth? Heard mixed reviews
salted caramel nuts (great holiday gift idea)
sugar cookie 7-layer bars
worlds longest burning lightbulb on for 113 years kids!
taming the ticking mind
who ate the ornaments?
one of my favorite de-stressing videos ever
dogs who fail at fetching
best biographies, memoirs & history books of 2014
I have no words for this story..I'm sorry
10 signs the woman you love will make an amazing mother
at what point are you actually dead? (brain pickings)
worrying may be a sign of intelligence? (sign me up!)
dreaming of a white Christmas? Here's the forecast
the truth behind charles dickens' christmas story



Have a wonderful weekend!

homemade Christmas food gift ideas + friday links

Need some ideas for holiday gift giving?
I truly believe giving homemade food gifts are the best.
Here are a few of mine and below are a few from other food bloggers.


coconut cream truffles


espresso bars


peppermint cream melt-away bars


eggnog crumb cake (bundt style)


espresso-chocolate butter creams


homemade peppermint Nestle crunch bars


cheez it bark


pb twix bars!


gingerbread crumb cake


cinnamon spice & everything nice cookies


pumpkin butter crunch bars


cookie butter cream cheese truffles


sea salted cookie butter caramels


ginger-peanut chews


cheddar-cranberry crackers


smoked gouda & walnut crackers

other DIY holiday foodie gifts:

DIY homemade 'everything' butter logs
scandinavian snowball truffles
cowboy cookies
mulling spices
english chocolate crisps
limoncello liqueur
raspberry cordial
chocolate covered pink peppermint patties
homemade chai tea concentrate
german egg liqueur
fruitcake truffles
norwegian almond bars
cranberry salsa
peppermint fudge bites (dairy free)
clean eating popcorn seasoning
maple sriracha nut mix
eggnog truffles
rosewater-pistachio marshmallows
lemon-chili olives
honey-almond loaves
mexican rice pudding
golden gingerbread with hard sauce

around the web:

11 idioms only Brits understand
8 makeup artist tricks to look younger
low magnesium plays a role in insulin resistance & diabetes
simple exercise will pull you out of sadness
Mediterranean diet has marked impact on aging
glitter pills? oh boy I might eat one, just for fun!
6 tricks for healthier holiday cookies
Saying "goodbye at the door" a photographic journey
10 easy ways to get over that weight loss plateau 
taste test: eggnog
meet Zeus, the rescued blind owl with starry eyes
know these 12 citrus varieties
no you're not sleeping enough & its a big problem
7 things men want in a relationship
Richard III DNA shows British Royal Family may not have royal bloodline
cats needed exercise, owners came up with this brilliant idea
baby sleep positions: the biohazard
nearly 100 brains missing from the University of Texas
really bad professional photography



Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links

Our beaches are complete ghost towns now.



It's beautiful this time of year, but I truly miss summer; I miss the bright sunshine.

These photos were taken at cape cod national seashore, lighthouse way.

Oyster digging. Good catch. Oysters rockefeller on tap!

How was your Thanksgiving food feast?
Mine was all about the pie, yes.

This tweet by the US Navy made my day.
They asked Naval families to #ThankASailor and I thanked my Gramps who was a survivor of
the USS Franklin when it was bombed 1945; it was one of the worst bombings ever, and my Gramps was one of the few survivors. The U.S.S. Franklin received four battle stars for World War II service. You can imagine how much this made my day.

One of the most creative gluten free baking books I've come across in a while.
Baking You Happy by Allison Lubert
I had no idea it was also 100% vegan; I was very impressed.
This is a really good Christmas present for you gluten free friends & family.
"...over 50 recipes for delicious desserts & breakfast treats that are not only gluten-free, but are also 100% vegan (without animal products), and free of soy, peanuts, corn, refined sugars, and artificial ingredients.  Since opening in 2010, Philadelphia's Sweet Freedom Bakery has been dishing out its delicious cupcakes, donuts, cookies, muffins, and more, to thousands of dedicated fans. The business recently expanded with a new location in Collingswood, New Jersey, and, with the growth of its online business, it's become clear that people outside of Philadelphia & New Jersey want a taste of Sweet Freedom, too!..."

around the web:

10 grocery sales you didn't know to look for during the holidays
7 food ingredients destroying your mood
make your own cookie butter? say what?
secret life of an oysterman
how to grind coffee beans perfectly
just put the f*cking turkey in the oven
this is the best idea ever for quick & easy charging your smartphone
5 ways to de-stress and help your heart
crazy ass man pets a great white shark! (yep)
kim kardashian snow blower (not for kids)
6 year old girl couldn't speak until this pitbull came into her life
in case you ever wanted to know if there was an Instagram for cheese curls
'text-neck' is becoming a real thing--sit up straight!
10 things you need to do again before your too old
creating pain-sensing neurons
please help us end the dog meat trade in thailand; they need your help!
the app to quiet all apps
if guy best friends acted like girl best friends (hilarious!)
pardoned turkeys: where are they now?
10 things you didn't know about oysters
surfing in the Arctic: the ends of the earth
pills to make your farts smell like chocolate (I kid not)
how to stop fearing the worst
awesome cut-out cake designs
how long can you subject your family to leftover turkey?
the cinnamon you're eating probably isn't cinnamon
great roundup of best Irish Cookbooks of 2014
lost in translation: catalog of beautiful untranslatable words
I don't knit, but these are knitting good patterns
precancerous stage found in blood
pecan crunch pie
a really bad month
featherbed eggs from ATK
maple gooey butter cake bites
spicy cheddar gougères (aka cheese puffs)
butterscotch peanut butter bark



Have a wonderful weekend!