Mexican Desserts

We are a family of Mexican food lovers! The first thing we had to find when we moved was "our" Mexican restaurant. We have found a fantastic place with a fabulous salsa bar...mmm. We ate there last night. And I could eat there again today. And tomorrow.

I love cooking Mexican food too...but I never know what to serve for dessert...and if I'm making dinner for company, it only makes sense to make dessert too, you know?

In the last few months I've stumbled across three great (and different) dessert ideas. The first is from a friend who made it for an event I went to last week; the second I think I came across in Southern Living, and the third is one my sister Katy shared with me from a college friend of hers. Hope you enjoy these!

Strawberry Margarita Squares (a Pampered Chef recipe)

Crust:

2 cups (66) fat-free mini-twist pretzels (1 cup crushed)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup sugar

Filling:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup thawed, frozen margarita mix concentrate (non-alcoholic)

16 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 3 ounce package strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup boiling water

1 package (10 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup

whipped cream, fresh strawberry slices, and lime slices to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350. For crust, finely crush pretzels. Melt butter for 30 seconds or until melted. Add crushed pretzels and sugar and mix well. Press into bottom of 9x13 rectangular baking dish. Bake 10 minutes and cool completely.

2. Beat cream cheese and margarita mix until well blended. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust. Refrigerate while preparing strawberry layer.

3. Place gelatin in bowl. Stir in boiling water, stir until completely dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir until strawberries separate and gelatin is thickened (a spoon drawn through mixture will leave an impression). Whisk in 3 cups of of the whipped topping and pour over cream cheese. Refrigerate 3 hours to set.

4. Cut dessert into 15 squares. Garnish each serving with whipped topping. Top with fresh strawberry and lime slices.

Notes: Make the dessert the day you plan to use it. The crust gets soggy if left in the fridge overnight.

Chocolate Chimichangas with Raspberry Sauce

6 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate candy bars

6 (10 inch) burrita size flour tortillas

vegetable oil

Raspberry Sauce (recipe follows)

vanilla ice cream

chocolate shavings and mint sprigs, to garnish

1. Place one candy bar in the center of each tortilla. Fold bottom of tortilla up and over candy bar just until partially covered. Fold left and right sides of tortilla over; roll up and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes.

2. Pour oil to a depth of one inch into a large skillet; heat to 375 degrees. Place 2 tortillas seam side down in hot oil, gently pressing with tongs for a few seconds to seal. Fry 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

3. Serve with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate and mint sprigs. (You could also use a caramel sauce instead of the raspberry sauce.)

Raspberry Sauce

1 (10 oz) package frozen raspberries, thawed

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. orange liqueur (optional)

1 tsp. cornstarch

1. Combine the first three ingredients (and liqueur if desired) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and cool completely.

2. Press raspberry mixture through strainer into a saucepan, using back of spoon to queeze out the juice. Discard pulp and seeds. Whisk in cornstarch. Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened. Store in refrigerator up to three days.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese

1 package refrigerated Pillsbury croissant rolls

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

cinnamon sugar, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll croissant rolls. Place half of rolls (two rectangles) in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

2.Mix sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla in medium bowl. Spread over croissant rolls. Place remaining croissant rolls over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Pour butter over croissant layer.

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled if desired.

Keeping busy...

Everyone keeps asking me how the kiddos have handled our move...I have to say, probably much better than me! :) We've done fun, creative stuff while cooped up inside...like these pipe cleaner and bead bugs Hadleigh made (gotta love the Klutz kits!) We've colored and stickered many, many pictures. Gone through sticker and coloring books like water. Made tunnels and bridges for Nathanael's cars and trains to travel on. We brought lots of books with us...and amazingly, the kiddos are still not tired of the originals! I, on the other hand, have added a few titles to our children's library for the sake of my reading sanity! Plus, I just really love books! It brings me such joy to see that both Hadleigh and Nathanael have a love for reading and books!

And Hadleigh and Nathanael are really starting to enjoy Madeleine more and more. They love to bring her toys...try explaining to your two year old (who thinks carrying five things around the house in his tiny chubby little boy hands constantly is normal) that Madeleine really can't play with more than one or two toys at a time. I'll have to take a picture of her "throne of toys" one day soon. But we love watching Madeleine roll over and sit up by herself and interact more and more with her toys! Just today, she made the "maa" sound...perfect, since she mastered the "daa" sound weeks and weeks ago!

What else? We go to the park a lot and to a children's museum here in town that is FABULOUS; we go on lots of drives, we get way too much ice cream. (Hadleigh has a new saying: "I need something to cool off my tummy." Hmmm.)

We take day trips to OKC...we went to this wilderness animal park (very non-zooish) where we saw tons of animals...even got to pet the cutest baby kangaroo. (But that will be it's own post soon.)

That's what we've been doing so far in 2008. Next week...we will begin keeping busy again. Unpacking. Organizing. Nesting. Making our new house into our home. Can't wait.

Anticipation

One of the things I have really missed (while we've been "moving" for five months) is creating. I have really missed scrapbooking and cutting paper and looking through pictures of our family for the perfect picture to go with the story I want to tell.

I have months and months of Studio Calico kits that have arrived and been laid aside until I have at last unpacked my scrappy stuff. These two arrived this week (the first picture is a project kit for making a bound book...I'm planning on it being a journal for recording the little stories and anecdotes my children say! It's the perfect size to have on-the-go! The second picture is this month's kit, called "Newsstand"! Pictures are from the website.) and I am so excited to create with them!

Yesterday was a thundery stormy perfectly wonderful rainy day. And I wanted so badly to be scrapbooking...it's my favorite rainy day activity now that sleeping in is not really an option. (Why do children rise with the sun??? I know, I know, I really need to become a morning person, but that's another post for another time!)

11 days until move-in day! You can bet that after the kitchen is unpacked and the beds are made, I will be getting my scrap space all set up! I'm really really looking forward to it!

I thought of my answer.

A couple months ago, my best friends (Courtney, Shannon, Shawna, and Stephanie) and I were together for a girls weekend (when's the next one by the way?) Courtney had some fun questions that we talked about one night and one of the questions was:

If you could take any type of class to learn something better, what would it be? I had a hard time coming up with an answer and the girls suggested a cooking class (which would be great, by the way) to learn about different flavors and techniques.

I think I mentioned that having some direction in interior design would be great...but I really never answered the question completely.

But I stumbled upon this blog the other day and I realized my answer to the question:

I really wish I could learn to sew well and that it would come easily. I can sew straight lines and stuff (I made our children's crib bedding with a bit of help from a friend) but looking at a pattern just confuses me, and I don't want to just tackle a project for fear of wasting beautiful fabric.

This is the fabric that inspired me, a fabric line created by Sandi Henderson (her blog is called Portabellopixie...how cute is that?!?):

Aren't these dresses just adorable? I'd love to be able to make such cute clothes for my girls!

My Marmie (my dad's mother) is the most amazing seamstress. She made so many beautiful clothes for me when I was little, made my aunt's gorgeous wedding dress, countless curtains for my Mom, as well as some fun toys and bears for me to play with when I was little. She just made a blanket for Madeleine...

I sat next to her so many times at her sewing machine...I just wish I had paid closer attention...wish I had known then that sewing was a skill I would have loved to have learned from her.


How about you? If you could take any type of class to improve on or learn a new skill or hobby, what would you choose?

light at the end of the tunnel.

Brent met with our builder on Monday, and we have set a move-in date for May 19! The house should be ready the week before, but between meetings and my sister's graduation from college, we decided to wait...what's a couple more days, anyway? So we're busy making last minute decisions and stuff and really glad to see the house coming together.

I am really looking forward to setting up my kitchen and cooking again! (Until then, I think I'll be taking a break from recipe sharing...I need some inspiration!) It's fun to hear the kiddos talk about what they're looking forward to playing with--Nathanael is excited about his legos and Hadleigh can't wait for her books and her pink camera! And Madeleine...oh, sweet Madeleine will finally get to sleep in her crib. Brent is looking forward to setting up his workshop (and tackling that long list of furniture projects!) and I am eager to pull out my scrapbook stuff and create again. It's been a long time. Most of all, it will be good to "nest"...I kind of had to reverse nest preceeding Madeleine's birth since the house was on the market, and we were slowly packing up. So it will be so nice to make our new house into our home! I promise to share pictures!!!

I have found that this time in the TLF and the apartment have been a good reminder of what we really "need". We have had more than enough room to live comfortably, and I am so thankful that the kiddos really haven't seemed phased by being uprooted for so many (going on five now) months.

Having said that, I have to share something funny. The brochure for our apartment complex says "Luxury Apartment Living". If this is luxury living, then my roommates and I lived in Buckingham Palace during our college days! Seriously, two days ago, the toilet started overflowing...and not just a little bit. Water gurgling over. Thankfully I got it to stop quickly but the bathroom floor was covered in water. And the lineoleum in the bathroom...buckled...methinks this was not the first time the toilet has overflowed. And the toilet. It is embarrasingly dirty...and I have tried to clean it. Let's just say I'm glad none of us had the flu here. Yuck. And then there's the dishwasher that leaves little black pieces of sediment in crevices like sippy cup lids. I have to rinse out everything after it has attempted to dry in the dishwasher. And the dryer takes ages to dry anything if it's not on high heat. And there's a wrinkle in the carpet that Nathanael trips on at least every other day.

I'm not trying to complain here...these are little things that we're just living with for a couple months...but luxury living? A little misleading advertising for sure! :) :) :)

Birthday Cakes

My sweet Brent isn't a huge fan of the traditional cake. So I always make him more of a dessert for his birthday (which is tomorrow). I love making him a birthday dessert. And it's always a fun challenge to come up with something new to surprise him with! He does like cheesecakes (a lot!) so this is what I would make for him if I had a kitchen and all the necessary things to bake with. Alas, we celebrated with an ice cream cake last night (he has to have surgery tomorrow) and while it was good...it wasn't quite homemade.

So I promised him something nice and homemade when we move in to the house.

Warm Fudge-Filled Cheesecake

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla, divided
2/3 cup pistachios, chopped
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish

1. Beat butter at medium speed with mixer ntil creamy; add 1/3 cup sugar, beating well. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and pistachios. Press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool.
3. Beat cream cheese at medium speed until light and fluffy; add 1 1/2 cups sugar gradually, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Stir in remaining 2 tsp. of vanilla.
4. Pour half of the batter over crust; sprinkle with chocolate chips to within 3/4 inch of the edge of the pan. Pour remaining batter over chocolate, starting at outer edge and working toward the center. Place ona baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool on rack one hour. Garnish and serve.

Frustrated. Very frustrated.

Before you read this you should know two things:
1. I needed to vent. I feel better now.
2. I really like Ethan Allen. They have beautiful furniture and almost always* outstanding service. **I guess I'm like my children; I don't like being told "No."

When Hadleigh was a few months shy of turning two and Nathanael was a few months away from making his entrance to our family, we went "big girl bed hunting".

We decided we would get a twin bed, since we knew that it was possible that we would one day have another girl (good thinking, huh?) We looked and looked and looked. This was not an easy decision for us. Brent loves to build things. (He built our changing table, office bookcase, as well as many other smaller items...and my honey-do building list only continues to grow!) I love this hobby of his. He is so very talented. He therefore has an appreciation of quality furniture. So, our furniture search was challenging because SO many "good" beds and "reasonably priced" beds had some not-so-quality features about their construction. We would find a design that we liked only to find that very little of the bed was genuine hardwood or would withstand multiple military moves...and yet these would still cost over $500. (Brent sometimes has a hard time paying for something that he could build for less money...even though time is definitely a factor.)

So we were so very pleased when we found the Emma bed at Ethan Allen. Completely hardwood. Beautiful finish. Gorgeous details. And only a little bit more than the cheapo-construction beds had cost.

We ordered it. In a chocolate-stained finish. (We love dark wood furniture.) No one could show me pictures of it...because the popular finish was the white...which is what all the stores carried in their showrooms. But we were confident we would love it.

We loved it. Still do. Fast forward two years. Madeleine arrives on the scene. Our crib coordinates beautifully with Hadleigh's bed. So we move to Oklahoma, and I am spending some naptime surfing the web for a few pieces of furniture for the new house. And while I'm looking for a secretary desk at Ethan Allen, I decide to check to make sure that the Emma bed is still available.

It is.

But not the chocolate finish. What? It must be a computer error. I immediately call the store we bought it from and ask for Janet, the lady who sold it to us. She doesn't work there anymore, but I can talk to another design specialist. Okay.

So the lady...let's call her Kay. This is our conversation:

Me: Umm...I really need to order the Emma bed in chocolate for my second daughter (who is only currently four months old) and the website doesn't have that stain as an option.
Kay: Well, that's odd. Because I am looking at my NEWEST style catalog that I JUST received and the chocolate is still available.
Me: Oh. Well, do you think you could check because if they are about to discontinue it, I would like to order one right this minute.
Kay: I'll get right back to you.

(fifteen minutes pass)

Kay: Well, I don't have good news. They have discontinued that stain for that bed.
Me: But they still have the bed. And the stain. Just not together.
Kay: Correct.
Me: I need that bed.
Kay: We can put you on a wishlist that will be emailed to all the Ethan Allen stores and warehouses and if a bed is in stock somewhere, you will be required to purchase it.
Me: That's fine.
Kay: Okay, I'll do that and hopefully I'll talk with you soon with some good news.
Me: Thanks so much.

(about two months pass by.) (still no word from Kay. wouldn't you call your client one way or another?)

(today.)

Me: Hi Kay. I spoke with you about the Emma bed on a wish list a few months ago. I was wondering if you had heard anything?
Kay: Oh, I'm so sorry. Nothing turned up.
Me: And there is no way I can get this bed?
Kay: No, I'm really sorry.
Me: There's no one I can talk to convince them to make one tiny exception and make me this bed.
Kay: No. I spoke with the owner of the company and she told me that the only way was through the wish list. Would you want to get the white bed instead?
Me: No. I really need the chocolate bed. (If I wanted the white bed, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we? Sometimes I have to tell the thoughts in my head to be more polite.)

The conversation continued for a little while. But you've probably heard enough.

So here's why I am frustrated. When I was first interested in this bed, no one could show me a picture of it in the finish I wanted. Why? Because I was told that they were made as they were ordered. That would mean that they take the pieces of the bed and finish them in the ORDERED finish; then ship them to be assembled in your home.

Now, they still manufacture the Emma bed. They still finish other beds in the chocolate finish. Why can't they make one more Emma bed in chocolate? Would it really be so difficult? I would be willing to pay a little more for whatever inconvenience it might be. Because now I have one bed that I love that won't match whatever new bed that I find. And my vision for my daughters' room has these matching beds.

What are the chances that two months after Ethan Allen makes this decision is when I think to "check" up on the bed for Madeleine? Seriously. I guess I should have called the day she was born.

You should see the vision I have for this room. It's really beautiful. I would really love to show you a picture. But I can't. Now, if you or anyone you know has this bed...and for some crazy reason no longer wants it...well, make sure to get in touch with me! And if anyone knows the owner of Ethan Allen and could put in a good word or two about just one more chocolate Emma bed...I would be deeply grateful.

In the mood for fresh fruit

It seems like I always have a craving for fresh fruit right around this time of year. The casseroles and soups that I love in the cooler months seem a bit heavy; I am ready for crisp, light, refreshing spring and summer food. Fruit, especially.

I'm looking forward to my new kitchen. Every day, Hadleigh seems to say, "Let's make strawberry oatmeal cookies...in our new kitchen. I can't wait to eat chicken enchiladas...in our new kitchen. Let's make lemonade tea muffins...in our new kitchen." (She's also very into creating new (and interesting) food items...because I have never actually made lemonade tea muffins, nor do I have a recipe for it. But I love hearing her creativity!)

As I was saying, I am very eager to cook once we get moved in...and these following recipes sound perfect for inviting new friends over for a "thank you for making my life easier these last few months" lunch and play date. Sounds like I've got a plan and a menu! Yay! (Wish I could invite all of you who are far away that have been SO very encouraging to me also. You know who you are...I appreciate you so much!) The recipes below are ones that I have not tried yet (with the exception of the chicken salad--yum!)...but come from some of my favorite recipe sources...Southern Living and Cooking Light.

So here's my menu, so far...

Blackberry Spritzer

fresh blackberries (or other berries of choice)

sparkling water (my favorites are Perrier and San Pellegrino)

corn syrup

grated lime rind

fresh mint

wooden skewers

1. Thread fresh blackberries on a 6-inch wooden skewer. Freeze one hour.

2. Pour a few tablespoons of corn syrup in a shallow dish and dip the rims of glasses in the syrup. Then roll the edge of each glass in the lime rind. Place one frozen skewers in each glass. Pour sparkling water over skewer and garnish with mint.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Nutmeg-Cinnamon Syrup

2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about one large apple)

2 cups thinly sliced ripe pear (about one large pear)

1 cup sliced strawberries

1/2 cup orange sections (about one orange)

1/2 cup sliced banana (about one medium-sized banana)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; drizzle with lemon juice and toss gently.

2. Combine syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon over fruit, and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Yields: 8 1/2 cup servings

Chicken Salad

Served on a bed of lettuce rather than sandwiches.

Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Berries

Cheesecake:

4 cups (2 pounds) Homemade Ricotta Cheese (recipe below)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Topping:

2 cups quartered strawberries

1 pint fresh raspberries

1 pint fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Mint sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cheesecake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Pour batter into a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around the outside edge of cheesecake. Cool slightly; remove outer ring from pan. Sprinkle cheesecake evenly with powdered sugar.

4. To prepare topping, combine berries, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and juice; toss gently to combine. Let stand 5 minutes.

5. Serve berry mixture with cheesecake. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

1 gallon 2% reduced-fat milk

5 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Line a large colander or sieve with 5 layers of dampened cheesecloth, allowing the cheesecloth to extend over outside edges of colander; place colander in a large bowl.
2. Combine milk and buttermilk in a large, heavy stockpot. Attach a candy thermometer to edge of pan so that thermometer extends at least 2 inches into milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until candy thermometer registers 170° (about 20 minutes), gently stirring occasionally. As soon as milk mixture reaches 170°, stop stirring (whey and curds will begin separating at this point). Continue to cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 190°. (Be sure not to stir, or curds that have formed will break apart.) Immediately remove pan from heat. (Bottom of pan may be slightly scorched.)
3. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon curds into cheesecloth-lined colander; discard whey, or reserve it for another use. Drain over bowl for 5 minutes. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely. Hang cheesecloth bundle from kitchen faucet; drain 15 minutes or until whey stops dripping. Scrape ricotta into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt; toss gently with a fork to combine. Cool to room temperature.
Note: Store in refrigerator up to 4 days.
Yields about 3 cups.

Where does the time go?

Tomorrow, this precious little girl will be six months old. These months have passed so quickly.
Too quickly.

This is such a fun age that I enjoy so much...but I love every stage that I have experienced with my children, and it is hard to believe that we are done with the "little baby" stage already. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. But time goes by and they grow so quickly...and bring such delight with every new day.

• Madeleine sucks her thumb and I just love how cozy she looks when she does it...she'll take either one but seems to prefer her right one.
• she pulls on her ear when she's sleepy.
• she's working on getting her two bottom teeth right now (she seems to be bothered by them more than I remember either of her siblings being...but she still is so so pleasant and mild-mannered!)
• she loves sitting in her bumbo seat on the table during lunch.
• her face lights up when either Hadleigh or Nathanael give her the least bit of attention--she grins and talks right back at them.
• she can say "da da da" and yesterday said "ma" for the first time.
• we love kissing those precious cheeks and her pudgy little tummy.
• she loves blowing bubbles
• she is delighted with the sounds she can make (especially during church).

She bring such joy to our family. She is a delight...our angel baby.

Spring tiptoes in

Last night we had a terrific storm. The kind that keeps you up with lightning, thunder, wind, hail, and prayers that the tornadoes will stay away. But what a glorious morning followed today.

The sun is bright and I was amazed at how many trees are in bloom...the Bradford Pears, Oklahoma Redbuds, and Tulip Magnolias are just beautiful. I'll have to take some pictures soon. And there are daffodils and tulips bursting with color. No matter how much I love the winter, spring never fails to amaze me. And now I'm missing the dogwoods and azaleas which will be blooming in Asheville soon...

So today is a laundry day...which I guess is good since I can't really do any productive "spring cleaning". I think I'll share my laundry journey while we've been "in transition".

I discovered the best thing about doing laundry in the TLF (temporary living facility on base) while we were there. If you have a laundry room with four full-size washers and dryers, you can do all your family's clothes at once. And then it's done. So I asked Brent if we could increase the size of our laundry room to add at least another washer and dryer. He laughed at me. But I think it's a great idea. ;)

When we moved into this apartment, I was so happy to have a washer & dryer in the unit, because as much as I love getting it all done at once, it was a little difficult to transport laundry and three children to the laundry area down the breezeway of the TLF during the day. So I saved laundry for an evening or weekend when Brent was around. (But who likes spending evening/weekend time on laundry? Not me.)

So now my challenge is the opposite. I can spend all day Monday (our laundry day) doing laundry. And I mean all day long. (And I'm not even letting time lapse between loads due to being preoccupied with other stuff.) The machines here are the stacked kind and they are teensy tiny. (I think they are probably similar to the kind my college roomies and I had in our first apartment sophomore year. But I don't remember having to do tons of loads then.) I have to split Brent's clothes and my clothes into two or three loads each...and then each child's separately. Normally, I do the children's clothes together. But the dryer takes forever. Forever. Which is the reason it takes all day long.

If I had a clothesline in the back yard, I might just hang some sheets on it right now...because between the wind here and the gorgeous sunshine today, I think the outdoors might just beat this dryer.

It's a day for taking a nap outside under a flowering tree. Is spring arriving where you are yet?