It’s the middle of January in Southeast Michigan and we’ve traded in our usual snowfall for a grey, cold and blustery thunderstorm. That can only mean one thing: staying cozy. Who doesn’t love staying cozy? (And thank you anonymous for capturing the essence of my indoor warmth while the world is wet outside.) I won’t pretend being a stay-at-home mom is an easy job, but it does allot me this: the opportunity to stay in my pajamas and ridiculously oversized socks. I’ll take it. Am I turning my back on the mounting laundry and stack of dishes to blog? Yes. I am also daydreaming about my perfect kitchen. It might look something like this from French Garden House:

Or this from loombrand.com:

I love the simple French charm of the first, but I’m kind of Bohemian at heart.

And speaking of hearts, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. So naturally I have to gather ideas for the holiday. How cute are this donuts from Frau Zuckerstein? Ich spreche kein Deutsch, aber ich danke Ihnen Frau Zuckerstein!

 

But really, before I can get to Valentine’s Day, I have to get to my daughter’s birthday. She’s feeling the “Shopkins” theme this year. Nothing screams “Shopkins” like Chuck E. Cheese. Er, wait. Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out. It would just be easier if the person who made these cookies lived next-door. I would love to know you, My Girls Lolly Bouquets.

In other news, I made Pork Schnitzel with a Beer-Mustard Sauce last night. So, I can scratch that off the bucket list. I really think I got the whole schnitzel thing right out of my system. That’s a lot of pounding. I might be a wimp, but my arm is sore. And if I may… just pan fry those pork chops.

But I have to try things, it’s just my nature; like this “Life-Changing 30 Masala Sauce” from Pinch of Yum. I love Indian food. And in 30 minutes? Yes! And why is it “life-changing”? I HAVE to know!

If that’s not your thing, here’s one for you: Sticky Apple Cider BBQ Chicken from How Sweet Eats. Yeah baby, put it on the list.

And how fun would it be to eat that food in this kitchen from ink361.com?

Let’s just think about that on a day like today. Because outside it’s like this:

(Thanks for the pic Zeutch.com) And we need to stay cozy… even if it’s a state of mind.