dinner at my house...

Yesterday was a bitter-sweet day...I was grocery shopping and cooking literally all day...

I was having a little dinner at my house and chose some of my favorite recipes...all from people I love...so I was thinking about my friends and family all day and I have to admit...I was sad and lonely. (yes...I said it). But on a happy note: I had lots of calls and texts yesterday from friends and family ... like everyone somehow knew I was having a hard day. happy.

some of my cooking/baking highlights...

my grandma's recipe of strawberry jam coupled with rhodes rolls---as homemade as it gets in my casa.

my aunt sheri's chinese chicken salad

my buddy stephanie's rainbow jello, Bunko Salad, and...Buttermilk Brownies. (yum!!!)

my mother's zucchini casserole. tear.

missing my family and friends. so...while I was making candied almonds, toasting roman noodles, watching rolls rise, crushing strawberries, chopping a zillion veggies, shaking up salad dressings, and making brownies from scratch (lots of firsts for me) ... it was nice to reflect on fun times all in the past. ALRIGHTY getting to poetic for me. haha. lets just sum it up...I was in a tiny, hot, kitchen...my kiddos were amazing at entertaining themselves yesterday and I enjoyed my day of cooking and reflection. haha.

i can still be sad and lonely but happy here...right?!! good days and bad days can co-exist in my happy world. busy being happy happy being busy...that's my motto and I'm sticking to it.