Online Bake Sale

We have all been touched by the tragedy in Japan and so many of us have wanted to help but have been at a loss on what to do.   Well, now we have a way to help.  Sabrina from The Tomato Tart has organized an online bake sale.  Over 90 bloggers from all over the world are contributing goods to help raise money including yours truly. All pro­ceeds will be donated to Sec­ond Har­vest Japan, that nation’s first food bank.

I am not a very skilled baker, but there is one thing I can make - Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Actually, they were the first thing I thought of when I decided to participate in the bake sale.

When I lived in Japan I would fly back to the States twice a year to visit friends and family.  I would always ask my Japanese family what they wanted me to bring back and they always said, "Homemade chocolate chip cookies."  Not having an oven in Japan, the only chance I had to make them was when I was back in the States.  The last night before I was returning to Japan I would make up a big batch of chocolate chip cookies to take back with me.  These are completely organic with the best ingredients.  They ship well staying both crispy and chewy.  I am including the basket as well as a little touch of Japan.

So bidding starts at $20 and begins tomorrow morning on 9 am eastern time!  Be sure to check it out at The Tomato Tart!

Older, Wiser & Fatter

Today is my birthday and for the first time in a very long time I am actually excited about it.  I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am getting older.  Of course I have always known I am getting older, but now I am okay with it. I think it really hit me last week when we were celebrating March birthdays at work and I asked the girl next to me what year she was born in and it was the same year I graduated from college.  I am old enough to be her dad!  When did that happen?!!  I don't feel like a dad!  Then I thought, what am I supposed to feel like?  The answer is just the way I do.  I am never going to wake up and suddenly be interested in the stock market or talking about whatever it was I thought people my age should talk about.  I still want to dance around my house, giggling and singing at the top of my lungs; shows like "Glee" and "Gossip Girl" will always be my favorites; I will always see wonder in life; and, I will always sleep with a teddy bear when Joey's not here.  I will always just be me.  A new and better version of me, but still me down deep.

I have learned a lot in my years and for that I am grateful.  Some things came naturally over time, like being happy feels a lot better than being a grouch; and, some things came through a lot of trail and error, like knowing that no matter what my intentions, I am never going to be good at drinking alcohol.  (I can drink it, just like everyone "can" sing - I am just not good at it.) I know I am a lot wiser than I was ten years ago and that I will be even wiser in ten more.  I like the person I have become and am becoming with one glaring exception - I am getting fat.  Not chubby, FAT.

Now, I have nothing against fat per se, but when my big boy pants are starting to get tight, I know there is a problem.  They say, "you are what you eat," and I am becoming a big bean burrito with sour cream and extra cheese.  So, with that in mind, my goal for this year it to lose weight and learn to live a healthy lifestyle. How I am going to do this is up for debate, but however I do, I have decided to make it an adventure.

I am lucky to have Joey with me to take on this journey.  Right now we are weighing our options.  There are a lot of diets out there and everyone has an opinion on what works best.  However, we need to find what works best for us.  For the next couple of weeks Joey and I are going to be looking at different plans and will make our decision by mid-April. I thought this would be a good topic to blog about, so I am happy to say I am waking up Cooking With Sean & Joey to document this journey. I am hoping that I can prove you can always teach an old dog new tricks even an old dog like me.