Pistachio and Cranberry Holiday Cookies

Part two of Holiday cookie baking. Tonight I made shortbread cookies with a lemon glaze, pistachios and cranberries. I used the recipe below as pinterest inspiration.

Step 1: Bake your favorite shortbread or sugar cookies (I made shortbread)
Step 2: Mix powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest for a glaze (top the cookies once cooled)
Step 3: Sprinkle chopped pistachios and cranberries on top

That is it!

Now let cool and package for a great gift. I did put them on a cardboard square and then wrapped them up since they are delicate and need to be on a sturdy base.

http://www.marthastewart.com/354123/lemon-pistachio-wreaths

Christmas Turtles

For the Holidays I usually make peppermint bark, peanut butter blossoms, and sugar cookies but most of those are just because of tradition. This year I am adding a few new ones that I can't wait to taste. I found a recipe for Turtles and then adapted it to my own taste buds.

Ingredients:
20 Camels- I bought the ones from trader joe's
Bag of pecan halves
1/2 bag dark chocolate chips- I used Ghirardelli
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
Sea salt

Cut the camels in half and mold the half carmel on top of  two pecan halves. Put them in the oven at 325  until carmel melts around the pecans. Melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch in the microwave. Place a spoonful of chocolate over the camels (don't worry about making them perfect- turtles should look traditionally rustic). Sprinkle with sea salt.

Let sit for at least and hour then package them up for a beautiful Holiday gift.

Making Christmas a little greener

This weekend we went shopping for new furniture and strolled the isles of Room and Board, Home Furniture and Schneiderman's. HOME was Dan's favorite because they had a cookie cafe but I was most excited about my recycled fabric find. Schneiderman's had a big bin of fabric samples with a sign that said "Free samples great for quilters".

No, I did not attempt to pick up quilting since I do NOT sew but I did grab a stack knowing I would find some random holiday project idea. I think Dan was a tad embarrassed walking out with me and my handful of fabrics but I had no shame!

http://www.wholeliving.com/133668/read-wrap-recycle-make-bows-magazines?czone=holiday/workshop-christmas/quick-and-easy-ideas&center=307034&gallery=856466&slide=276003

I was planning on using it for wrapping paper but instead decided to make bows. I found a blog on how to make bows and just used the fabric instead of paper. Now I will have a unique way to decorate my grocery bag wrapped gifts. And yes, I do buy real gifts- not recycled re-gifts!

Sunday Berries!

It was time to seize the berry season! Somehow I missed June strawberry and blueberry PYO (pick your own) seasons and had to settle for farmers market and grocery store berries. Not the same! Yes, I know they are sometimes cheaper and even juicer at the store but they are filled with chemicals and completely removed from the dirt and land that nurtures them.

So today we went to Apple Jacks Orchard in Delano and picked some golden and red raspberries. We definity ate our share of juicy berries and sampled some of the almost-ready-to-pick apples lining the rows of berry bushes.

After picking, we visited the store and cafe filled with amazing baked goods and seasonal foods. I was tempted to buy the apple breads but convinced myself baking with my own berries would be more rewarding. We also toured the little crafty boutique and Dan said it reminded him of his mom's home boutique show they hosted when he was a kid.

On the drive home we stopped to get a raspberry shake from the famous Peppermint Twist Delano shop. I will let the picture speak for itself but TRUST me, the shake was AMAZING but the place is suspect.

After getting home to wash off the dirt and a few ants from the berries, I found a delicious recipe on pinterst to make good use out of our berries. I saved some for my spinach salads and froze a few, but the rest I turned into raspberry breakfast bars (more like raspberry crisp). It was a great way to end the berry Sunday as we enjoyed them from harvest - to the mixer- to the oven- to our mouths! Dan licked the crumbs from his plate so I guess he liked it too.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/09/raspberry-breakfast-bars/
Recipe for the berry bars (I used half wheat flour and cut the butter down to 1 stick)

My Career Journey

Time to reconnect with my blog.  I almost forgot my password it has been so long since my last post. No big news or adventurous vacation pictures. Just some some random (probably non-blog worthy) thoughts.

For the past six months now I have been working as a Health Educator coordinating nutrition, physical activity and tobacco cessation efforts across the county. It was the first job offer I received and if you know me, you know I get impatient with too much downtime and a lack of structure. So, I took the position eager to start building my new resume but a little worried about how I would adapt to county work! Yes, we all have our stereotypes about county employees and usually it doesn't involve cutting edge sexy entrepreneurial projects like the international development work I was previous providing.

My original logic behind getting my MBA was to strengthen my skills and portfolio in order to bring corporate logic models and structures into the nonprofit arena. My long term goal was to eventually start or direct a nonprofit organization with a specific focus on woman's health and/or immigrant health. I thought I would be bringing business into the nonprofit sector leveraging resources and maximizing philanthropic funds.

I still maintain those long-term goals and often peruse MCN for nonprofit leadership positions. I also occasionally find myself drawn toward big corporate career pages searching for ways to bring my community engagement values into the business world. Corporate social responsibility is typically viewed as a publicity effort to build positive brand recognition and maybe that is true, but the reality is that businesses do have money and usually nonprofits do not! Therefore, CSR work has a huge untapped potential to make a strong positive impact for underserved communities.

However, for now I will continue learning from my current temporary (but finally full-time with benefits!) health consulting position and networking with other like-minded people. My intention is to remind myself to think creatively about my future, never to be complacent with having unrealized goals and to always make the most of what I do between the hours of 9-5pm.

After all, maybe creating healthy eating and vending policies, improving safe walking routes to school, providing breastfeeding support for working mothers and promoting physical activity in the schools doesn't sound all that revolutionary to you but...I think its pretty cool!

My awesome co-worker promoting active commuting to work

Encouraging biking to work and healthy eating! 

For those women who want it all...

These last few months of transition and job hunting have caused me to over think just about every topic. I tried to stay busy by filling my mornings with great friend-filled workout routines and organized so many random cold-call networking coffee dates, phone chats and LinkedIn connections that it started to feel a tad incestuous as my contacts began to overlap. And of course, I cooked to stay busy! Cake pops, granola, soups, empanadas and the list goes on. I managed to un-earmark most of the recipes I had been drooling over and I can now report that I actually crafted a handful of Pinterest ideas. And, most invaluably, I spent extra time with friends, family and made up for those lost months away from Dan when I was living in Georgia.

Now....its time to go to work!

I accepted a temporary 30 hour a week position with Anoka County working as a Health Educator providing strategic planning and technical assistance with the State Health Improvement Program. I had applied for the full-time position but was only offered the part-time consulting job. However, considering my eagerness to get working and the attractiveness of the nature of the work...I accepted. I will continue to look for a full time offer and hope this position leads to further opportunities. I am looking forward to learning about the preschool nutrition initiatives and hope to report healthy findings even though as a child I loved long-dog roll-ups and chicken patty day!

It's funny how time works. We value it most when we don't have it and when we do, we feel lost with how to fill it up. For the most part, I was constantly job hunting so it didn't exactly feel like vacation but sleeping in and going to the gym at noon for yoga was pretty nice!

This "free" time also made me think a lot about time on a larger scale. I just turned 29 and feel as if some things in my life are just beginning. As an unmarried, transitional student to career female, I must say this is a very strange and yet exciting time in my life. I am not immune to those societal whispers reminding me that my eggs are not getting any younger and that my window of motherhood is shrinking. I also see the career ladder and know that what I am lacking most is time and experience when really, I just want to jump to the point where I am doing my dream job! On occasion, I see those far away international dream jobs pop up tempting me to hop on a plane to Africa and join USAID or the Garmeen bank but then the idea of giving up all the joys and love of my Minnesota life trump the temptation. Yep, I am one of those who wants it all. A career, a family, an adventure and stability!

When I start to feel this bidirectional pull, I reflect back on this lesson a rabbi once told me. He said you can be good at many things but only great at one thing at a time. I also think of my mom's wise words comforting my "oh my god I am almost 30" panic by telling me that sometimes you make certain sacrifices in life depending on your circumstances but that life is cyclical and just like careers evolve and kids grow up, new life opportunities arise in time as if it was part of the plan all along. I guess I translate that to mean for me, I had my global adventure and now its time to focus on a career. I know I need to surrender control and reject some of those outside pressures telling me that life has to go in a certain order or that there is a time clock ticking away. If there is anything I hate more, its worry about things I can't control and missing out on the life I am currently living.

So, my intention for my last few days of unemployment are to do some more of those "if only I had time" kinda activities. I will stop worry or feeling like I am wasting time and see this down time as an opportunity to be filled with gratitude for my current blessings. With all these exciting life changes happening, I don't want to miss a thing so my commitment is to do my best to stop analyzing time, life milestones and societal (or personal) expectations and just have faith that I am living the life I am meant to live. A life of purpose, gratitude, patience and opportunity.

And if you think I was exaggerating about the cooking... check out the pile of healthy (no butter, no flour) cookies and granola tubs I prepared today. They will be perfect healthy treats for my first day of work promoting healthy eating!!

This should last awhile!

Printable calendar

http://www.cottage-industrialist.com/storage/2012-PRINTABLE.pdf

Adorable printable fresh food calendar. It looks great in a frame!

Pinterest projects!

Yes, I am one of the many in love with Pinterest! I have made multiple recipes and a few DIY projects but this weekend I also created my own pin-worthy bike art. Well, sorta...I got the design screen print idea online and then decided to create a replicate with art tape, spray paint and a canvas.

http://designspiration.net/image/53286//
Screen print by Jason Munn

I also finally converted a mason jar into a kitchen dish soap dispenser (Pinterest idea).

Lastly, we added a shelf above the laundry machine and a few more on the opposite wall in the laundry room. I love the organized space! I also strung the tp rolls on a hanger because I had no where else to put them! Next is to mount the drying rack.

Shoe boxes covered in wrapping paper

TP hanger (just lift up and grab a roll!)

Phasing out parabens...

I have a modest shoe collection (other than running shoes), wardrobe and tech accessories but when it comes to random cosmetic supplies...I am a bit of a hoarder! I have always been into testing new products and feel its almost a necessity to rotate shampoos, styling products and cleansers. I remember my first time going to Ulta with my mom as a teenage girl and was overwhelmed with all the products I still hadn't sampled. Strange I know! Its not like I really believe most of them actually make my hair shinier or my skin softer but there is just something soothing about pampering yourself with products. Who needs a spa when you can retreat into your own bathroom!?!

However, within the last few years I started to worry a little bit about all of the parabens and unknown chemicals I was bathing in. Not to mention the cost and space this habit was wasting. I also had developed some skin sensitivity partly due to my frequent climate changes from Honduras to MSP to GA. I tried multiple solutions but one thing I really enjoyed was making my own facial toner sprays. So, after multiple co-op visits, online research and various blogging, I discovered a few essential oils that replaced some of my old toxic cleansers. I just thought I would share a few of my favorite spa night recipes. And be prepared...some are strange!!

Combination skin
2 oz spring/distilled water
1 tsp vodka (prevents oils from separating)
5 drops Lavender (organic always!)
4 drops Tea Tree Oil
3 drops Frankincense

Dry (water and vodka plus...)
2 oz spring water
5 drops Rose Water or Rose Otto
5 drops Lavender

Other oils for oily skin (sometimes they come blended in jojoba oil)

• Cedarwood
• Geranium
• Lemongrass
• Witch hazel (not an oil)

*I also like sandalwood for dehydrated irritated skin as well as for assistance with scars and healing.

HAIR

For my hair I like to mix egg yolk (whites for oily hair and yolk for dry) with mayo. Then I wrap a hot towel steamed in the microwave around my head for 20 minutes. Yep, a little strange to have egg salad on your head but its WAY cheaper, healthier and more natural than infusing your hair with keratin treatments or Brazilian blowouts.

**Note- I only use these oils topically even though some people ingest certain oils. I like to use them to clean off my yoga mat and for aromatherapy.  Lavender is great for spraying on a pillow as a sleep aid too. Also, I buy ORGANIC oils when possible to prevent unwanted chemicals.

Enjoy testing some new oils and avoid using unnecessary chemicals!

Namaste! 

Give back the color pink!

Pink stands for beauty, strength, love, youthfulness and kindness. It is an iconic symbol for girls, femininity, and motherhood. Susan G marketed the color as the fight for the cure and battle against breast cancer. 

Now, I can't help but see the political red in those pink little ribbons. The color was hijacked, turned into green dollar signs and the mission to save lives was lost. Why is it all good things become so political? Isn't the goal to prevent breast cancer and wasn't Planned Parenthood doing exactly that? "Komen's funding helped pay for 170,000 of the more than 4 million clinical breast exams the group had performed over the past five years, as well as more than 6,400 of the 70,000 mammogram referrals it has made during that time."  That's an incredible number of mothers and daughters saved due to a logical donor-provider relationship.

Planned Parenthood isn't just about abortions and in fact abortions make up only 3% of services. NO FEDERAL funding is used to fund abortions and the Komen money went toward cancer screening!

One in five women go to Planned Parenthood during their lifetime because they have accessible clinics with excellent affordable services. I have used their services in times of unemployment and loved them so much I stuck with them through employment with full benefits. With that being said, if Susan G is really trying to prevent breast cancer and they don't have their own clinics across the globe servicing low income women, then they should be partnering with nonprofits that do. PP has rapport with their patients and now their funding to provide these services is at risk. It’s a sad situation that is becoming political rather than preventative.

Currently, thirty-four percent of abortion providers are hospitals. Is Susan G. going to boycott funding and research toward these hospitals? Not unless boycotting them would mean more money!?!?

SOOO frustrating to see this horrible disease being lost in politics. The people making these decisions are so far removed from reality and so out of touch with the needs of low income women. I worked with many young girls in great need of these services and can’t imagine telling them sorry- we are out of funding for your cancer screening because some people are afraid we will use the money for abortions. Come on and take off those rose colored glasses and see the repercussions of this funding decision. Blahhh.

More facts on Planned Parenthood

Our Clients

•  Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, and information to nearly five million women, men, and adolescents worldwide each year.
• Nearly three million women and men in the United States annually visit Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers for trusted health care services and information.
•  Eighty percent of Planned Parenthood health care clients in the U.S. are age 20 and older.
• One in five women in the U.S. has visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in her life.

Our Work

• Planned Parenthood health centers focus on prevention: 76 percent of our clients receive services to prevent unintended pregnancy.
• Planned Parenthood services help prevent more than 584,000 unintended pregnancies each year.
• Planned Parenthood provides nearly 770,000 Pap tests and nearly750,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer.
• Planned Parenthood provides more than four million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
• Three percent of all Planned Parenthood health services are abortion services.
• Planned Parenthood affiliates provide educational programs to more than1.1 million young people and adults each year.
•  Planned Parenthood has more than six million activists, supporters, and donors working for women's health and safety and our fundamental reproductive rights.

Forget tomorrow, live today

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished project, time still to be served, a debt to be paid and degree to achieve, a job to land. Then my life would begin.

Then it dawned on me that these obstacles were life and that I couldn't wait for the perfect moment for everything to just click (adopted from Alfred D. Souza).

We are always transitioning, changing and growing...but we must appreciate and accept where we are at the present moment.

Today I will accept my flaws and honor my strengths. I will tell my support network I love them and thank god for all his blessings. I will try and make the day a bit easier for someone else and put my job sulking aside! Most importantly, I will get out of this house, away from the job search engines and go have fun playing broomball! Yep, its the little things in life that make us smile!!

Oh, and I today I got an interview! Not an offer, not a dream job proposal, just an interview. But I will take it and celebrate it!

I think it was due to Rebecca's sunny flowers she gifted me! It provided the optimism I needed!!

Christmas blog in January!

Well, I guess I was too busy celebrating the holidays to write about them and the past few weeks I have spent sooo much time on the computer searching for a job, that I couldn't get myself to sit and blog.

So- quick recap of the Czerwinski holiday celebration....
Christmas eve we usually begin at my dad's house since I have 3 younger brothers and we like to still pretend Santa is coming. Lets admit- its just more fun for everyone that way! During the day we took advantage of the snow-less Christmas and played some ice hockey on the perfectly smooth lake. I mostly just skate around which was I guess obvious based on the fact that people told me I was holding the stick the wrong way!

In the evening we went to a candlelight church service followed by a nice dinner of beef sandwiches.These past few years my dad and I have gone to Costco beforehand to plan out the menu. We were quite proud of how well the crock-pot beef sandwiches went over this year considering we have a large spectrum of picky eaters. We also didn't wait until the last minute to shop this year and since I am unemployed, I offered to wrap all the gifts (that was before I really realized how big of a commitment that was!) so everything came together pretty well in the end.  Overall, especially compared to a few previous holidays spent in the hospital for random events, this Christmas was calm and relaxing.

The morning is always my favorite because we have our traditional homemade cinnamon rolls (which turned out only mediocre this year so I need to stick with the old recipe) and multiple cups of coffee while slowly opening gifts from each other and Santa.

Later in the afternoon we usually go to my mom's for a big dinner and we open gifts later in the night. My mom went way overboard with food (as usual) and made a turkey, ham, twice baked potatoes, famous tequillaberry salad, rolls, and of course dessert. This year we had brandy cake and cookies. She even told us to bring Tupperware for leftovers and we brought home food that lasted a week! My mom truly creates a Christmas wonderland with tasteful, elegant and well coordinated festive decor. The presents are perfectly wrapped with matching shiny bows! Everyone gets PJs to wear and way too many gifts (even though we are all adults now). I guess she needs some grandkids to spoil. This year I got a mixer and a handmade apron. It was by far the most relaxing Christmas ever and so wonderful to know I didn't have to rush back to Georgia after for school. I felt so blessed with a healthy happy family holiday!

After Christmas, the family time continued as we drove up to Michigan's UP for a ski trip at Indianhead. We all love skiing and its a great way to spend a family vacation since none of us can really sit still.

Dave and Dan

Bill and Matt

 We were so grateful to have been invited to stay with the Andrews at their cabin. They invited my dad but we still aren't sure they realized we were a family of 7!?!? I have four brothers and Dan came along too. When we arrived they were all quietly reading by the fire and then our spitfire family took over the quietness.

Lots of fire-cooked s'mores

Jessie the cutest cabin dog! 

Bill, John and Krista

David and Elizabeth 

The Andrews cooked every night so we ate well on chili, breakfast burritos, spaghetti, ice cream, cookies, s'mores... and the list goes on. After skiing we had appetizers, played cards or games, had some cocktails and warmed up by the fire. It was like vacationing in a winter holiday greeting card! They were amazing gracious hosts and I especially enjoyed having women around too since I am always way out numbered.

Cabin Trivia 

Tequillaberry Salad recipe

http://www.food.com/recipe/Tequillaberry-Salad-68042

Gustafson Christmas

I think the Holiday extravaganza is coming to an end after weeks of celebrating with all sides of the family. A few days after I arrived in Minnesota, we had our first Christmas celebration with the Gustafson family. Both Dan's sister and brother's family were there so the house was filled with little kid laughter and Santa excitement.

Before the gift opening, the kids dressed up and acted out the Christmas Pageant as Maria (Dan's sister) read aloud. Abby, the oldest of the little ones, ran the show with her memorized lines and angel animation! 

Teresa- our little sheep! 

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=25837fe51f737c2a2f762628e38c6d8e&sid=0AaN3Lhi5YsWKibC

Post pageant we opened gifts. This year, Cars, Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear and American Girls appeared to be the hot trends. I was glad to be this years elf and loved shopping for the kidos- especially Abby since it meant a trip to MOA and the American Girl store. I have more doll stuff than I should admit to and I probably appreciate them even more as an adult! 

After gift opening we had a nice dinner, dessert and then worked it off with a "Let's Dance Wii" marathon. Its harder than it looks but watching the kids dance along and hearing their giggles was the highlight of the day. I think we repeated the hamster dance well over 10 times! 

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=04267af1078037cdf12f12eb75ef82b5&sid=0MbtGzlmyZukg

It was a great Christmas celebration and I was so thankful to be here this year knowing I didn't have to rush back to Atlanta. Minnesota has always been home but its finally starting to feel like one again after years of rushed holiday visits and school breaks. 

Fiona posing for Lisa

Dan reading to Timothy and Fiona