Gotta have Paninis

I'm sorry - I hate winter.  I don't know if that's wrong to say, but I do.  Ok, it could snow a bunch on Christmas day just for novelty's sake...but I'm over it.  I don't like snow, I don't like cold, I don't like windchills, I don't like warming up the car, scraping ice, dirty cars, sand and salt tracked in the house, the heat bill, the closed windows, the "cooped up" feeling, the hassle of parking in a lot full of snow, pushing carts through snow, coats, scarves, boots, schlepping children in and out with all their coats, blankets, hats and puffiness, short days and long nights, dry skin....get my point?
Winter is cool (pun intended) for about a week around Christmas, but other than that - I have no need for a Winter Wonderland.  Sorry, Iowa.

I will just mention that I do LOVE Christmas.  I mean LOOOOOVE Christmas - I'm really just talking about the season of winter. I guess that many other people feel this way....but here are a few things that help me cope:

• Paninis....I'm addicted.  Can't live without 'em these days.  So easy, so warm and comforting, so yummy and scrumdiddlyumptious.

So, here's the secret to making the best paninis in the world:  melt a few tablespoons of butter, add parmesan cheese (grated) until a thick paste consistency, sprinkle in some garlic salt.  Spread on one side of bread.  Load your panini with whatever you want.  Grill slowly on a panini maker (we use our Foreman grill) until spread is brownish and crispy.  Sourdough bread is best.

My happy list continued:

• Hot chocolate - every single night.  Yes, with marshmallows.
• Shaklee hand lotion.
• Candles - especially Gold Canyon baking or coffe line - yummy.  I'm normally a candle hoarder, have tons, don't like to burn them...but something about winter makes me BURN BURN BURN
• My new remote start on my van.  I can start it from unbelivable distances.  For example, I was parked at the mall by Scheels and I started my car from the second floor of Barnes & Noble.  Woot woot!  I'm guessing that's 200 yards?
• Paraffin hand wax (got one for free with my haircut) - almost as yummy as the paninis.  That will probably be the only hand wax I ever get.  I have no idea how much this would cost to "buy".  hmmmmm.
• I laugh every time Ryan says "cold".  He says it "tolc"....no matter how hard we try, he cannot say "cold".  I'll even say, "Ryan, are you TOLC" and he'll say "no, mommy, not TOLC,  it's TOLC!" "Ryan, do you mean COLD?" "Yeah Mommy, TOLC".  Just one of those things......