Hey hey, happy Thursday! The sun is out again, both metaphorically and in the actual sky, and it’s all gorgeous. Our week started out kinda rough with some difficult family news, but we have pulled out of the tailspin. Deep breaths. Big smiles.

I am in fact having a really great week of running and gardening. The prairie winds are strong and full of big, stormy ideas for the weekend. And my kitchen smells like heaven for two reasons.

First, I am boiling up a triple batch of sugar-syrup for our honeybees, which this time is infused delicately with a mix called “Honey Bee Healthy,” an essential oils-based product meant to bolster the bees’ immune systems and other fun stuff. It smells like lemon, wintergreen, and something else I can’t quite place.

Also, I just pulled out of the oven a half batch of my favorite cookies. I’m going to share with you guys the basic cookie dough recipe we use here at the farm. It’s fantastically versatile and easy to memorize, and it freezes well. In case you are the cookie dough freezing type? Oh let’s just eat it raw. Much more fun.

Something I groove so hard about this cookie dough method is that, since you are browning the butter, you can make it in a flash. No advance notice needed to soften the butter to room temperature. Because that’s annoying, right? This way, you can have cookies mixed, baked, and cooling on a tray in under half an hour total. I like that. Keep the unassuming ingredients on hand, and you are prepared at all times for sweet tooth emergencies.

Side note: Become an avid runner and you don’t have to call this a “sugar indulgence.” From now on you can call it “carb loading,” or “replacing your glycogen stores,” right? Okay. Onward.

Base Dough for 20 large, thick cookies:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• generous splash vanilla
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (better results in my opinion than using a tsp of soda)
• heaping teaspoon sea salt (my personal fave, you do YOU)
• 2 cups quick oats
• 2+ cups add-ins

Possible Delicious Additions, use a total of about two cups for a full recipe:

• walnuts, pecans, or almonds (I add cinnamon & nutmeg when I use nuts)
• chocolate chips, your fave level of sweet or bitter (Handsome likes only milk chocolate, weirdo)
• dried cranberries or dried cherries (try adding almond extract with either of these, so good!)
• bits of toffee, peanut butter chips, or even chopped up candy bars
• flaked coconut!!
• pistachios & white chocolate chips (idea from Sandy the Reluctant Entertainer)
• a combo of nuts, some seeds, & dried fruit would make it like granola
• hazelnuts…xoxo
• powdered malted milk along with chopped up Whopper candies (not usually my cup of tea, so more for you)
• The possibilities and combinations are endless!! Like drinks at Sonic but better!!

Method:

• brown the butter in a small pan and let it begin cooling while you gather the other stuff
• mix (slightly cooled) butter with shortening, eggs, vanilla, and both sugars
• stir together then add in flour, baking powder, and salt
• use a wooden spoon to fully incorporate oats, achieving a consistent dough that will be neither sticky or dry and therefore infinitely taste-testable
• stir in your delicious add-ins of choice
• use an ice cream scoop sprayed with non-stick spray to get uniform balls of dough onto a prepared sheet pan
• bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, cool afterwards (Today I let the cookies sit beneath the broiler on low for about 90 seconds, because sometimes I like that cooked top look and crunch. Otherwise they come out pale more tender, more gently browned. Also yum! But pale cookies are delicate and need longer to cool.)

See? Simple basic pantry ingredients, total freedom with add-ins, fast to pull together, and easy to memorize. The best features of an everyday cookie recipe. And the cookies always come out perfectly tender with little crispy edges everywhere, which make them great for dunking in cold milk.

Since my husband and I like different add-ins, and he is currently not wanting many sweets, today I made only a half batch loaded with walnut pieces. One of my top three choices for this base. Quite against my nature I packed up the other half of the dough to freeze for him to enjoy at a moment’s notice, probably with weirdo milk chocolate chips. 

He does eat kale now though, so we’ve got that going for us. And while oats in his cookies is not his most favorite thing in the universe, he has learned to accept it as a nod to heart healthy eating, ha.

Oh! This a great time to mention that if you want the flavor of the oats but not that much texture, feel free to grind them up in a coffee grinder first. It gives your cookies that chewiness you taste in a Double Tree hotel cookie!

Okay, time to feed this perfumed syrup to the bees, do some ironing, get showered for a fun date night, and edit a really cool project I still have not stopped to tell you guys about! Soon. Soon.

Have a most beautiful Thursday, whatever remains of it. Thanks for stopping.

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world,
had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon
and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”
~Barbara Jordan
XOXOXO

What a weekend. What a week! What a week before that, all wrapping up a pretty incredible December. Christmas 2016 has been particularly magical and exhausting in the best ways.

Truth? It’s been that kind of year for us. One mammoth joy after another, one long stream of hard labor following a workload we had though might break us (but didn’t), then more. Plenty of surprises, some steadiness, lots of prayers answered and trust fulfilled. All of it loosely French-braided into a beautiful, hopeful, satisfying, thrilling, humbling life. This has been a year for the books, and at the same time it feels a lot like a really great warm up. We are happily poised for the new year and cannot wait to share some exciting stuff with you guys.

But first, some Christmas notes. It was so amazing.

We have become acquainted with a local group called “Jedi OKC” who organizes not just fun social events but also some heart-warming charity efforts, too. Our early winter has been full of excellent time with these folks. Below is a good part of them dressed up for a local theater premier of Rogue One. My husband is Kylo Ren. I love this photo so much, haha! In the coming months I’ll share more about his new part of our life. We are pretty excited.

I told you that Jocelyn surprised us, right? That she just pulled up to the farm one day, ready to celebrate Christmas a whole week early, and basically made my heart explode? She spent less than a week in Oklahoma but visited the farm (including one fun coffee-and-shopping trip) several times. We opened gifts, ate lots of homemade food, made Tiger Butter together, enjoyed technicolor sunsets and horse time, caught up with each other, met a couple more of her friends, and just gave thanks day and night for her happiness and strength.

Then she made it back “home” to Colorado and has since been caring for an injured friend, working triple shifts, and feeding and loving her dog Bridget like a pro. We are so very proud of her. We miss her, and we miss her little sister so much for different reasons, but we are happy and thankful.

Side note: Klaus thought that week was all about him and Bridget.

Then we had a few quiet days at the farm to finish apron orders (thank you to everyone who made this sewing season amazing!!), do some low-key partying with friends, add sparkling farm decorations, and shop for final gifts. 

Klaus going for a stick fetch on our frozen pond.

Handsome and Klaus and I all traded surprises here and there, cleaned the house one final time, then prepared for another very special visitor…

Genevieve!!

My baby sister spent an extra long Christmas weekend at the farm, and all of the Lazy W residents thoroughly enjoyed every second of her being here. During her stay we ate well and frequently (two recipes coming soon!), talked long and late about things both important and not so, and laughed a lot. Gen and I went running together a few times and compared all kinds of opinions on workout gear and healthy eating. Handsome and I once again gave thanks for the happiness and strength of another precious young woman in our life. 

The three of us visited our Grandpa Stubbs and drove to the City for a double dose of family fun. Our sister Angela’s kids were all together and provided the clan with a gorgeous Christmas carol music concert. Dante plays the trumpet, and the little girls are both learning the violin. It made me cry.

Have you heard of the board game called “Telestrations?” Yeah. Find it and purchase ASAP. You’re welcome.

It’s like a cross between pictionary and the old-fashioned telephone rumors game. Genius.

We hosted a spontaneous slumber party for all the local siblings and our sister Angela’s kiddos, and it was perfect. It was the first time in many years that so many of us slept under the same roof. Pretty cool. Then Mom, Dad, and Grandpa Stubbs joined us at the farm for brunch the next day. I loved it.

Shenanigans, basically. 

Side note: Klaus thought this past week was all about him and either Gen or the nieces or maybe him and my Dad and Grandpa Stubbs. 

He’s not wrong, he’s just self-centered in the sweetest way, ok? This dog has lots of love to give and needs as much in return.

Our long holiday weekend with Gen was awesome. Truly. We miss her a lot.

As I said before, the whole month of December has been one for the books. Magical and meaningful, love-filled and happy.

So we are luxuriating now, soaking up all the good vibrations of a December well spent. A holiday season that rewarded and nourished us. We feel well fed and strong, ready to face the end of the calendar year with fresh energy for January. 

Thank you for being here, Gen! Thank you, Mom and Dad, and Angela, and Jocelyn. Thank you to our friends and Jedi OKC and everyone who contributed to the feeling of joy and lightness lately. We cherish you.

“What is making that meow sound?”
~Genevieve Michelle Dunaway, age 33
XOXOXOXO

Six minutes. Ten questions. Infinite dorkiness. Welcome to the New Year’s Eve (-ish) Vlogging response, Lazy W style.

This is harder than it looks and also more fun. I worked really hard on being hilarious so I hope you guys laugh so hard you have cookies and milk coming out of your noses, but let’s be laughing WITH ME, ok? Not AT ME. Okay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muG9VtAk14Y#action=share

Happy New Year to Kat Bouska in particular! Big hugs from Oklahoma!

XOXOXOXO

Hello! How was your Monday? Are you off to a great start for the week, whatever it holds for you? I’m checking in for the second time today to talk a little about end of summer fitness and health. I have spent the last few months kind of following my own groove, doing whatever exercises feel good that week and eating what works in harmony with our easy-breezy summer schedule here at the farm. Not surprisingly, this has meant a few skipped miles and more than one bowl of ice cream. It’s no big deal; this approach has also meant lots of new HIIT workouts, extra very yummy yoga, and delicious, healthy meals in between those ice cream bowls, haha! I still feel really great and have maintained my stamina, maybe even gaining a tiny little bit of speed. But now? Now it’s time to focus. I am giving my mind and body six weeks of TLC for these reasons:

1. I’ll be running a half marathon the first Sunday in October, and while finishing it is not a worry, I want to finish it really strong, like maybe under two hour. This may not seem so amazing to more experienced runners, but for me it would be quite an accomplishment. Also, I want to feel comfortable running it race in shorts, haha! Personal vanity, yes, but it’s a goal that will require some discipline.
2. The next three weeks will be HECKA busy here at the farm. We have Handsome’s fortieth birthday, yay! I’m not sure yet what we’re doing but it should be a fun and busy week. Plus, he has some car-related projects upcoming that may require extra time and energy. We have our niece’s wedding here on Labor Day weekend (over the moon excited!) and possibly some lovely overnight guests thrown into the mix. It’s also time to transition the gardens. So clearly my to-do lists are beautiful and filled with loving things, but they keep growing and gaining density. So, yeah, keeping my energy up and my nutrition really vibrant will help everything go well.
3. Accountability. Some close friends, mostly here locally, have joined forces with me to encourage each other toward healthier living. We chat pretty regularly and share hurdles and ideas. I love it. Everyone is in a different boat health-wise, but we all motivate each other. In a recent conversation on Facebook I jumped in with Mysti (also a book club buddy!) and joined a challenge to meet any personal goal by October first. Perfect, right? For my race date? So my October 1st goal is two-fold: Trim down my legs enough to break a weird 7-pound yo-yo cycle I’ve been on since April., and get my mile pace to a comfortable and sustainable 7 or 8 minutes.

The cool thing about making cleanish eating and challenging exercises part of your normal life routine is that everything else you do is then made so much better. Our energy levels skyrocket. Our appetites tend to adjust to crave fuel foods more often than bad habit foods. Our thinking and concentration is easier, swifter. Our complexions clear up. Our moods are lifted. And, oh yeah, if we stick with it, slowly but surely, our clothes fit better and better or maybe even not at all.  : )

So those are the three reasons I am focusing sharply for the next six weeks. Here is my plan, against which I invite you to hold me for even more accountability:

Increase running mileage starting this week. Over the weekend Handsome bought me a treadmill, which I broke in today. Yay, I love it! No more driving to either Harrah or Midwest City and not feeling safe while running at public parks or golf courses. Things were getting pretty sketchy in recent weeks, but I just didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t stand the thought of not running long anymore, and looping the quarter-mile in our back field for two hours, well, we went through that last year. The treadmill is repetitive, sure, but the speed work is controllable. A huge plus. And the treadmill of course is impervious to our weather fluctuations. Anyway! Much more running starting today. Kicked off the new week with 5 miles plus strength and an elliptical cool down.

Shake up the variety in my miles. Short runs will be all about speed work. Most longer runs will be intervals, like first a warm up, then a lightning fast half mile, then a slower one, then fast, etc. There is a cool workout called lassos that makes a lot of sense to me. The treadmill timer should help me tackle that. Very excited. Also, the HIIT nature of this workout is supposed to be great for fat burning.

Slash the foods that always trip me up, just for six weeks. Tortilla chips, late night bowls of cereal, and excessive scoops of peanut butter. I will enjoy birthday parties and the wedding reception, and depending on the day I might have a controlled portion of tortilla chips, but these things will not be the endless summer treats they have been lately.

Continue good habits like drinking seven thousand gallons of water, taking iron and vitamins, and doing strength and yoga on off days. Yes, for sure, the foam roller feels great and makes a difference. Doing more of that.

Just daily stuff, you know?

On Saturday Handsome and I went to an invitational car show that was partnered up with the One Healthy Bod fitness expo in downtown OKC. We had a ton of fun! The cars were all gorgeous, of course, and we chatted with several people with special Smokey and the Bandit memories. Fun fun fun!

The fitness expo part of the day was a great mix of stuff, and overall it was all super inspiring. The men and women who do Crossfit are a whole other breed. WOW! So strong! And those who compete in bodybuilding? Well, my friends, this is how I feel about it…

Okay, thanks so much for checking in twice today! I wish you the healthiest, happiest, most trailblazing week you’ve had in a very long time. Treat yourself well, okay?

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
~Mahatma Gandhi
XOXOXOXO