Happy 2011!!!

Happy New Year my friends! Another year came and went and the one thing I wish I had done more was to post on this blog. I am so thankful for the friends I made through the blog that I totally miss the comments and happy thoughts people leave here when I post - you all always make me smile!

2010 was a busy year, but it was a good one!

The biggest accomplishment for me last year was gathering my courage and going back to school! It was something I have been wanting for so long, and in 2010 I finally gathered the courage to apply to grad school, at the ripe age of 31. And all I can tell you is that it was the best thing I did. Being a mom and a student wasn’t easy, but I was able to do it all and more!

Time just flew by, it was a busy year for me, but more than that 2010 was a year when I finally started to figure out who I really am. I dispensed much more attention to myself, learning more about me, learning to listen to my body and to respect myself. Even more than that, I learned to love me just as I am, and that my friends, is the best thing ever!

We also went to Italy in July, it was my first time there and it was a super nice trip, which I still want to blog about someday. The best thing in Italy you ask? It was actually seeing my sister there! She was studying abroad in Denmark and took some time to spend a few days with us in Italy: fun, fun fun!!

We didn’t go to Brazil this year though, but I also saw my mom when she came to visit us in May, for Matheu’s first communion!

Seeing my mom and my sister were some of the highlights of last year for sure!

We (me, Matheus and the husband) also went to Pennsylvania during Thanksgiving break, it was a nice trip where we visited the Hershey chocolate factory, the Crayola factory in Easton, and spent a couple of days in Philadelphia – just to register here: it was way too cold there and whenever we decide to travel during Thanksgiving again we promised to ourselves we will hit the south! ;-) I was definitely not made for winter weather, I tell ya.

Last year Matheus turned 8, and also did his First Communion. As always I am the proudest mom ever and I love him more and more each second of my life. Being a mom is amazing and every day I am thankful for this blessing, I love seeing him grow!

Right now I am happy that the New Year is here, even though I now this means the craziness of school + life will soon start all over again. But I am pretty excited with the classes I am taking this semester and I actually can’t wait to start! (nerd, I know...!)

I am loving grad school, I did great last semester and I am as proud of myself as I could ever be. I was amazed by how much I was able to accomplish last year and looking back and realizing that gives me the strength to face what is to come!

I will try to post here more frequently and share more about what is going on in my life, this space means a lot to me and I don’t want to let it so behind as I did in 2010.

As far as what I expect from this next year, all I want is to be happy, to continue to do well in grad school, to be the best mom I can for Matheus, to be more organized with everything that is going on, and to keep with the healthy habits I/we have. Among everything I had to do, last year I managed to exercise weekly and to cook healthy meals for my family on a daily basis, and I want to keep up with that for sure!

Hope everyone had a nice 2010 and I wish us all a wonderful 2011!

And since this is a food/cooking blog, here are two recipes I made last year that I really enjoyed:

The fabulous and delicious Vegan Apple Cake that I created! (Couldn’t be more proud!), and Giada’s Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups, one savory and one sweet. Both recipes have been made many times here at our house, so if you haven’t tried yet then it is something to do in 2011!

Ohhhh, and how could I forget, another foodie fact of 2010: I met Alton Brown!! (Nerd again, I know!!!)

Happy New Year!!

Ana