Wow. Busy holiday for me:
Christmas Day: I left at 8 a.m. and drove to my uncle's house in Janesville, WI. I had a nice time, hanging out with the fam. I especially had fun playing "Life" and hanging out with my two cousins, who I haven't seen much these past couple of years. That evening, my immediate family opened presents. New snowpants and mittens for me! Wahoo!
26th: My parents had an open house from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. We spent most of the morning preparing for the party, and the rest of the evening cleaning up from the party. It was a nice party, but an exhausing day.
27th: My family went out for breakfast, and then I dove home. (Uneventful drive again. Lucky, lucky, luck!) Then I went to the grocery store and made a pan of lasagna.
28th: I spent the day in Elk River with Chelsea and Olivia. I always have so much fun hanging out with those two! We went consignment store shopping, and I bought three shirts for a total of $12.50. Score. Then that evening I went to the choir Christmas party. (That's what I needed the lasagna for.) The food was good. I didn't stay long -- I was tired.
29th: I watched a movie in the morning and did not much else. I went for a walk in the afternoon, and also had my hairs cut. Quite drastic. Very short. Friends like it, but I'm still not entirely sure about it. That evening, Ann and I went out for dinner and exploring at the co-op. Hooray!
Today: Christine and I went shopping, after I sold some books, cds, and movies at Half Priced Books. We started at H&M at the Megamall/Black Hole of Death. I tried on 7 things, and none of them fit properly. (Well, actually there was this really cute black tank top . . . but I couldn't justify spending twenty bucks on a black tank top in December.) We saw both Michelle and Steve, which was nice, and both commented on my drastic hair. Then Christine and I attempted several other stores, (oh -- our shopping goals were to find Christine new shoes for work and me a shirt to wear out tomorrow night,) before ending up at the petite department at Macy's. I should know better by now to just START there -- I ended up finding a really cute white sparkly button up for not too much money that actually fit properly. SCORE! I'm really becoming disgusted with clothing -- nothing seems to fit any more. Then I came home and watched a movie and took down my Christmas tree. Sheesh!
Tomorrow will be busy as well. I have lots and lots and lots of things to do around the apartment, and then Christine and I are going out tomorrow night! I've never been "out" on New Year's Eve before. (We're seeing a few local bands play at the Hyatt, which is just a few blocks from my apartment.) I'm looking forward to it!
If you are planning on going out tomorrow night, have fun and stay safe. If you are staying in, enjoy your night off and Happy New Year Everyone!
Friday, December 30, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
upcoming lack of recipes
Merry Christmas Eve!
Just wanted to alert you all to an upcoming lack of recipe posting on my part. Why, you ask? Well . . . I'm in the process of writing and perfecting recipes for the cookbook. So I'm going to keep them top-secret, (well, not really top-secret . . . if you want one of my recipes, just ask -- I need testers, bad!), until further notice. I will still continue to post about the other aspects of my life, however, and will tell stories of things I've cooked, just to spite. :) (Well, not to spite, but perhaps to whet your appetite for the cookbook??)
I made the best pasta for lunch . . . spaghetti with garlic butter and artichokes. Mmmm. This one's going in the cookbook, with a few other additions, methinks!
And, one of the kids in my class gave me a big bag of old-school hard candies as part of a holiday gift. I LOVE THEM! Ribbon candies, candies shaped like fish, weird little knobs of sugary goodness. And they all have these really crazy, unexpected flavors like wintergreen and anise. (As an example, I put a yellow and white striped piece in my mouth a few moments ago and it tastes like . . . anise!)
For some reason, I thought of Harry Potter and his Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. You never can tell . . . .
Happy travels if you are travelling, and if you are in the area and have nothing better to do this evening around 10:30, come to my church for a music-filled, candle-lit Christmas Eve service. I'll be driving back to WI EARLY tomorrow morning to meet up with the fam around noon. Wish me luck and wakefulness at 6 a.m. tomorrow!
Just wanted to alert you all to an upcoming lack of recipe posting on my part. Why, you ask? Well . . . I'm in the process of writing and perfecting recipes for the cookbook. So I'm going to keep them top-secret, (well, not really top-secret . . . if you want one of my recipes, just ask -- I need testers, bad!), until further notice. I will still continue to post about the other aspects of my life, however, and will tell stories of things I've cooked, just to spite. :) (Well, not to spite, but perhaps to whet your appetite for the cookbook??)
I made the best pasta for lunch . . . spaghetti with garlic butter and artichokes. Mmmm. This one's going in the cookbook, with a few other additions, methinks!
And, one of the kids in my class gave me a big bag of old-school hard candies as part of a holiday gift. I LOVE THEM! Ribbon candies, candies shaped like fish, weird little knobs of sugary goodness. And they all have these really crazy, unexpected flavors like wintergreen and anise. (As an example, I put a yellow and white striped piece in my mouth a few moments ago and it tastes like . . . anise!)
For some reason, I thought of Harry Potter and his Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. You never can tell . . . .
Happy travels if you are travelling, and if you are in the area and have nothing better to do this evening around 10:30, come to my church for a music-filled, candle-lit Christmas Eve service. I'll be driving back to WI EARLY tomorrow morning to meet up with the fam around noon. Wish me luck and wakefulness at 6 a.m. tomorrow!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Turf Club and Nina's Coffee Cafe
Ann, Michelle, and I went out to the Turf Club last night to see the TV Sound play -- the guys did an awesome show, and we also found a new local band to listen to: White Light Riot. They were babies (three of the four of them are still under 21 -- they had big, black "X"s on the backs of both hands -- very rock and roll -- ha!) but very very talented. Steve told us that they (meaning the TV Sound) are planning a show at the Varsity (one of my favorite venues EVER!) with White Light Riot and This World Fair, who I've also seen before and who I also think rocks! Hooray! I can't wait.
And man, I had never been to the Turf Club before. Overall, it's an awesome place -- one of those hip dive bars that draws a really awesome crowd. Cheap drinks, too, according to Michelle. (I rarely, if ever, drink when I go out just because I'm so darn poor!) My only complaint is that, since it's in Saint Paul, the smoking ban doesn't count for them -- I'm still working on Febreezing the jeans I wore there last night, because they STINK! But I'd go back there again in a heartbeat. Neat place.
Oh -- and I was really glad I had earplugs with me. They like things L O U D at the Turf Club!
I'm starting to realize how much I really, really love local music. It's amazing, though -- you can play about three degrees to any local musician in this town. They all know each other! As an example, I found out that White Light Riot's album was produced by Erik Applewick of Viscious Vicious and the Hopefuls; Darren Jackson is also in the Hopefuls and Kid Dakota, and also plays in a band called The Attics, which my coworker Dan drums for. Sheesh! Tight community.
I had fun shopping with Lauren today -- we walked around Saint Paul while she finished up her Christmas shopping and had some soup at a little coffee shop called Nina's Coffee Cafe . Really good soup and neat atmosphere. (Three of the four soup choices were vegetarian! Yay!) I was sad that they stopped serving breakfast at 11 -- I really wanted an egg sandwich. I'll just have to go back another time!
And man, I had never been to the Turf Club before. Overall, it's an awesome place -- one of those hip dive bars that draws a really awesome crowd. Cheap drinks, too, according to Michelle. (I rarely, if ever, drink when I go out just because I'm so darn poor!) My only complaint is that, since it's in Saint Paul, the smoking ban doesn't count for them -- I'm still working on Febreezing the jeans I wore there last night, because they STINK! But I'd go back there again in a heartbeat. Neat place.
Oh -- and I was really glad I had earplugs with me. They like things L O U D at the Turf Club!
I'm starting to realize how much I really, really love local music. It's amazing, though -- you can play about three degrees to any local musician in this town. They all know each other! As an example, I found out that White Light Riot's album was produced by Erik Applewick of Viscious Vicious and the Hopefuls; Darren Jackson is also in the Hopefuls and Kid Dakota, and also plays in a band called The Attics, which my coworker Dan drums for. Sheesh! Tight community.
I had fun shopping with Lauren today -- we walked around Saint Paul while she finished up her Christmas shopping and had some soup at a little coffee shop called Nina's Coffee Cafe . Really good soup and neat atmosphere. (Three of the four soup choices were vegetarian! Yay!) I was sad that they stopped serving breakfast at 11 -- I really wanted an egg sandwich. I'll just have to go back another time!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
today I . . . did very little!
I love those vacation days when you consider taking a shower and doing a load of laundry accomplishments. :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
whoops.
Yeah. I just now realized I forgot to post my gingerbread cookie and butter cookie recipes. Sorry.
As an aside, I DID use white sugar and white flour in my holiday baking this year, as well as real whole eggs. But I used Earth Balance buttery sticks whenever butter or shortening were called for. (Except in the chocolate drizzles and dips that the other two cookies called for . . . the small amount of water in the EB made my first batch of chocolate drizzle seize up. Bah. So I did use horrible trans-fat-full shortening. I should really just throw that can o' stuff out, shouldn't I?)
Gingerbread Cookies courtesy of Betty Crocker . . .
I did not, however, use their frosting. I piped little features onto the "guys" using a ziploc I had snipped the corner off, full of this icing:
Beat on high speed 5 minutes:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
(Yes . . . it uses a raw egg white . . . how many times have I eaten raw cookie dough and survived? More times than I can count. But I wouldn't feed this icing to a child under 5, or an elderly person. Just a wee disclaimer.)
Here's the recipe for my Grandma Weber's butter Christmas Cookies:
(I hesitate to call them sugar coookies, because they're not terribly sweet, which makes them excellent candidates for a coating of the frosting of your choice. Don't forget the sprinkles.)
Combine:
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cut in:
1 cup butter
Stir in:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill overnight before rolling out and cutting. Bake at 325 degrees until edges just begin to brown. Cool and frost.
Now, I didn't use a peppermint frosting recipe -- I just made it up. But I do have a peppermint cream frosting recipe I'll share with you if you need it!
Peppermint Cream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 to 1/3 cups milk
Beat until smooth. Divide among small bowls or custard cups and tint with food coloing.
Happy Christmas!
As an aside, I DID use white sugar and white flour in my holiday baking this year, as well as real whole eggs. But I used Earth Balance buttery sticks whenever butter or shortening were called for. (Except in the chocolate drizzles and dips that the other two cookies called for . . . the small amount of water in the EB made my first batch of chocolate drizzle seize up. Bah. So I did use horrible trans-fat-full shortening. I should really just throw that can o' stuff out, shouldn't I?)
Gingerbread Cookies courtesy of Betty Crocker . . .
I did not, however, use their frosting. I piped little features onto the "guys" using a ziploc I had snipped the corner off, full of this icing:
Beat on high speed 5 minutes:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
(Yes . . . it uses a raw egg white . . . how many times have I eaten raw cookie dough and survived? More times than I can count. But I wouldn't feed this icing to a child under 5, or an elderly person. Just a wee disclaimer.)
Here's the recipe for my Grandma Weber's butter Christmas Cookies:
(I hesitate to call them sugar coookies, because they're not terribly sweet, which makes them excellent candidates for a coating of the frosting of your choice. Don't forget the sprinkles.)
Combine:
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cut in:
1 cup butter
Stir in:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill overnight before rolling out and cutting. Bake at 325 degrees until edges just begin to brown. Cool and frost.
Now, I didn't use a peppermint frosting recipe -- I just made it up. But I do have a peppermint cream frosting recipe I'll share with you if you need it!
Peppermint Cream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 to 1/3 cups milk
Beat until smooth. Divide among small bowls or custard cups and tint with food coloing.
Happy Christmas!
more on the perfect purse
Inspired by Chelsea's post, I thought I'd post a link to a picture of my perfect purse! I believe the color I bought is called "garden green." And I have lengthened the strap so I can wear it "Indiana Jones" style. And I have put all of my tiny buttons across the front.
Speaking of tiny buttons, Chris Koza, one of my new favorite local artists, has tiny buttons. I want one. I think more bands should make tiny buttons.
Speaking of tiny buttons, Chris Koza, one of my new favorite local artists, has tiny buttons. I want one. I think more bands should make tiny buttons.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
busy buzzard
I have been incredibly productive these first four days of my vacation, and I just can't believe how much stuff I've gotten done . . . but I also can't believe how many movies I've watched so far! I believe I told you about Christine's and my shopping adventures Saturday . . . and my tag-along shopping adventures with Ann on Sunday. I've taken care of laundry and a mountain of dishes and a few other miscellaneous errands, (including taking Marie's Christmas gift to the post office -- watch for it, dearest!), and have officially begun work on the cookbook I've been talking about writing for ages now.
The cookbook is a little difficult to describe . . . it's mostly about why and how young/single people should/can cook healthfully for themselves. I have written the introductory chapter, (which, even after two edits on my part, is still 6 pages long. I think I need to cut it further, although I attempt to set up the reasoning behind creation of the cookbook, as well as explain my loose interpretation of healthful eating practices,) and the "Plan of Attack" chapter, where I give advice on kitchen hardware and software, grocery shopping, and meal planning. I have also chosen the recipes to be included in the following chapters: "Daily Bread," "The MOST IMPORTANT meal of your day," "Sack it," "Snacks -- your new best friend," "Mom, what's for dinner?", and "A treat a day keeps the psychologist away?" I, however, have a LOT of recipe tweaking, formulation, and testing to accomplish now. (I think this part will take me months and months and months.) Since I don't want to plagiarize and many of the recipes have come from magazines, cookbooks, or websites, I need to tweak them significantly in order to make them my own. I also need to make things I've made up again and carefully document measurements. And I'd like to include Nutrition Facts for each recipe, and I hear you can find calculators for these kinds of things on the internet. Sheesh.
I also need a title.
And eventually, I'll need recipe testers. Let me know if you'd be interested in helping with this. Once I get a recipe looking and feeling the way I want it to look and feel, I'm going to need family and friends to test these and make sure the ingredients are easy enough to find, the directions make sense, and everything is consistent.
I also need a publisher, eventually. Anyone know someone who works in the publishing business?
Wish me luck. Who knows if I'll ever get to the point where I want to publish this, let alone find someone who's interested enough in this idea to print up a few copies. But it's worth a shot, right?
The cookbook is a little difficult to describe . . . it's mostly about why and how young/single people should/can cook healthfully for themselves. I have written the introductory chapter, (which, even after two edits on my part, is still 6 pages long. I think I need to cut it further, although I attempt to set up the reasoning behind creation of the cookbook, as well as explain my loose interpretation of healthful eating practices,) and the "Plan of Attack" chapter, where I give advice on kitchen hardware and software, grocery shopping, and meal planning. I have also chosen the recipes to be included in the following chapters: "Daily Bread," "The MOST IMPORTANT meal of your day," "Sack it," "Snacks -- your new best friend," "Mom, what's for dinner?", and "A treat a day keeps the psychologist away?" I, however, have a LOT of recipe tweaking, formulation, and testing to accomplish now. (I think this part will take me months and months and months.) Since I don't want to plagiarize and many of the recipes have come from magazines, cookbooks, or websites, I need to tweak them significantly in order to make them my own. I also need to make things I've made up again and carefully document measurements. And I'd like to include Nutrition Facts for each recipe, and I hear you can find calculators for these kinds of things on the internet. Sheesh.
I also need a title.
And eventually, I'll need recipe testers. Let me know if you'd be interested in helping with this. Once I get a recipe looking and feeling the way I want it to look and feel, I'm going to need family and friends to test these and make sure the ingredients are easy enough to find, the directions make sense, and everything is consistent.
I also need a publisher, eventually. Anyone know someone who works in the publishing business?
Wish me luck. Who knows if I'll ever get to the point where I want to publish this, let alone find someone who's interested enough in this idea to print up a few copies. But it's worth a shot, right?
Monday, December 19, 2005
Cappuccino Biscotti
Beat 30 seconds:
1/3 cup butter, softened
Beat in:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Beat in:
2 tablespoons strong-brewed coffee
1 tablespoon finely ground coffee beans
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Beat in:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
Shape dough into two 9-inch long loaves on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 25 minutes or until tests done. Cool on cookie sheet 1 hour.
Cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch slices using serrated knife. Place cut-side up on dry cookie sheets and bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Flip biscotti and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until dry and crisp. Cool completely.
Melt together:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening
Dip bottoms of cookies in chocolate and let cool until set on parchment paper.
Melt together:
2 ounces white chocolate
2 tsp shortening.
Drizzle tops of cookies with white chocolate mixture. Let cool until set on parchment paper.
Transfer to airtight container and store in fridge.
1/3 cup butter, softened
Beat in:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Beat in:
2 tablespoons strong-brewed coffee
1 tablespoon finely ground coffee beans
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Beat in:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
Shape dough into two 9-inch long loaves on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 25 minutes or until tests done. Cool on cookie sheet 1 hour.
Cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch slices using serrated knife. Place cut-side up on dry cookie sheets and bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Flip biscotti and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until dry and crisp. Cool completely.
Melt together:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening
Dip bottoms of cookies in chocolate and let cool until set on parchment paper.
Melt together:
2 ounces white chocolate
2 tsp shortening.
Drizzle tops of cookies with white chocolate mixture. Let cool until set on parchment paper.
Transfer to airtight container and store in fridge.
Irish Cream Truffle Coookies
Stir together:
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup light cooking oil
Sift together, then stir into above:
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour. Roll dough into 1/2-inch balls and bake at 375 for 6 to 7 minutes. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar.
Beat together:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon Irish Cream liqueur
Fill cookies sandwich-style.
Melt together:
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tsp shortening
Drizzle over cookies. Cool until set, then store cookies in airtight container in fridge.
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup light cooking oil
Sift together, then stir into above:
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour. Roll dough into 1/2-inch balls and bake at 375 for 6 to 7 minutes. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar.
Beat together:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon Irish Cream liqueur
Fill cookies sandwich-style.
Melt together:
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tsp shortening
Drizzle over cookies. Cool until set, then store cookies in airtight container in fridge.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Shop 'til I drop, then shop some more.
It's so nice, being on vacation. Sunday night, and I have nowhere to go tomorrow! I can stay up as late as I want to, and sleep until I wake up tomorrow morning. (I will probably go to bed fairly soon, however, because I got up EARLY this morning to take Christine to the airport.)
I have very little to report. I went Christmas shopping yesterday with Christine, (I'm DONE!), came home and wrapped everything that still needed to be wrapped, and spent the evening hanging out with Ann and Michelle. (Why is it that when women get together, we inevitably end up sitting around the kitchen table? One of life's great mysteries.) Today, after my uneventful adventure to the airport, I watched a movie, then provided Ann with moral support while she finished her Christmas shopping. I also purchased a fire extinguisher for my apartment -- until today, I didn't have one! Also,
I THINK I MAY HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT PURSE.
Yes indeed, I think I have. It's from the Electric Fetus's gift department. It's green corduroy, not too big but not too small, has an adjustable strap that can go "Indiana Jones" style OR over-the-shoulder, and very well constructed. (It's by "Dickies.") I haven't had much time to test it out yet, but I am feeling confident that this may, indeed, be my perfect purse. I didn't, up until now, know that such a thing existed. I had hopes, of course, but false ones, I thought.
ALL HAIL THE PURSE GODS FOR SENDING THE PERFECT PURSE MY WAY! It only took 26.5 years!
And I promise tomorrow I will begin posting Christmas Cookie recipes. For now, I'll tell you what I made:
gingerbread people
cutout butter cookies with peppermint icing and sprinkles
Irish Cream Truffle Cookies
Cappuccino Biscotti
Nighty night, folks, and I apologize if you have to go to work tomorrow. I don't!
AND . . .
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y C H E L S E A ! ! !
Go check out Chels's new and improved blog -- link's on the right hand side of this here bloggie.
I have very little to report. I went Christmas shopping yesterday with Christine, (I'm DONE!), came home and wrapped everything that still needed to be wrapped, and spent the evening hanging out with Ann and Michelle. (Why is it that when women get together, we inevitably end up sitting around the kitchen table? One of life's great mysteries.) Today, after my uneventful adventure to the airport, I watched a movie, then provided Ann with moral support while she finished her Christmas shopping. I also purchased a fire extinguisher for my apartment -- until today, I didn't have one! Also,
I THINK I MAY HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT PURSE.
Yes indeed, I think I have. It's from the Electric Fetus's gift department. It's green corduroy, not too big but not too small, has an adjustable strap that can go "Indiana Jones" style OR over-the-shoulder, and very well constructed. (It's by "Dickies.") I haven't had much time to test it out yet, but I am feeling confident that this may, indeed, be my perfect purse. I didn't, up until now, know that such a thing existed. I had hopes, of course, but false ones, I thought.
ALL HAIL THE PURSE GODS FOR SENDING THE PERFECT PURSE MY WAY! It only took 26.5 years!
And I promise tomorrow I will begin posting Christmas Cookie recipes. For now, I'll tell you what I made:
gingerbread people
cutout butter cookies with peppermint icing and sprinkles
Irish Cream Truffle Cookies
Cappuccino Biscotti
Nighty night, folks, and I apologize if you have to go to work tomorrow. I don't!
AND . . .
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y C H E L S E A ! ! !
Go check out Chels's new and improved blog -- link's on the right hand side of this here bloggie.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
best . . . cornbread . . . ever!
Yeah, baby. I made one fantastic pan of cornbread today, to go with my black-eyed peas. Here's the recipe:
Whisk together:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Whisk together, then gently stir into above just until moistened:
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup light cooking oil
Pour into a greased 8-inch pan and bake at 425 for about 25 minutes, or until GBD and tests done.
(Gotta be all that sugar, fat, and white flour that makes it taste sooooo good!)
I also baked 4 different kinds of Christmas cookies this weekend. I'm tired of mixing rolling and baking and frosting and decorating and especially washing dishes, but they are all done and all delicious! I'll post recipes AFTER the party!
I also made marshmallows. An unusual thing happened. They ended up much stickier than they usually do -- I think it's something to do with the dry heat in my apartment coupled with the slower time I took to bring the syrup to the 244 degrees it needed to be at before I combined it with the gelatin -- I think cooked off too much of the water. Oh well -- they still taste fantastic!
And our concert this morning was great. I almost missed it though, because my alarm didn't go off! (I arrived at church five minutes before service started. Completely missed warm-ups.) I was smart enough to set my alarm for 8:00. And dumb enough to set it for 8 p.m., instead of 8 a.m. Sheesh!
Whisk together:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Whisk together, then gently stir into above just until moistened:
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup light cooking oil
Pour into a greased 8-inch pan and bake at 425 for about 25 minutes, or until GBD and tests done.
(Gotta be all that sugar, fat, and white flour that makes it taste sooooo good!)
I also baked 4 different kinds of Christmas cookies this weekend. I'm tired of mixing rolling and baking and frosting and decorating and especially washing dishes, but they are all done and all delicious! I'll post recipes AFTER the party!
I also made marshmallows. An unusual thing happened. They ended up much stickier than they usually do -- I think it's something to do with the dry heat in my apartment coupled with the slower time I took to bring the syrup to the 244 degrees it needed to be at before I combined it with the gelatin -- I think cooked off too much of the water. Oh well -- they still taste fantastic!
And our concert this morning was great. I almost missed it though, because my alarm didn't go off! (I arrived at church five minutes before service started. Completely missed warm-ups.) I was smart enough to set my alarm for 8:00. And dumb enough to set it for 8 p.m., instead of 8 a.m. Sheesh!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
so . . . tired . . .
Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!
Today at work, Dan, Sarah, the kids, and I hauled 16 bales of straw from the farm to the preschool.
Why?
We have a swingset at the bottom of our sledding hill, and we need to protect the kiddies from the posts, and also from tree trunks. Hay bales are nice and soft and bouncy if one runs a sled into it!
Also, I ran to Target at lunchtime for cat food and litter, (there is a new Super Target near work,) and then hit the co-op after work for groceries. And then ran back and forth from the car to the apartment, unloading 5 bags of groceries, and the bags of food and litter. I'm trying to run errands during the week and stay on top of the dishes so when the weekends roll around, I don't have quite so much to do, and can spend more time relaxing. We'll see how it works out!
Two notes about this upcoming weekend:
1. I may begin baking for the cocoa and cookies party I'm having on the 13th (if you haven't received your invitation yet and you live near me, you probably will soon!) and I'll try to post recipes . . . AFTER the party, so I don't spoil the surprises for the friendlets!
2. If you have Sunday morning free, come see me sing at my church at 9:30 a.m. We are performing Haydn's Mass for Saint Nicholas. It's happy and fun, we've hired a small orchestra, and it's free!
I have to call Christine. I'm not sure how much longer I can wait to see the new Harry Potter movie!
Today at work, Dan, Sarah, the kids, and I hauled 16 bales of straw from the farm to the preschool.
Why?
We have a swingset at the bottom of our sledding hill, and we need to protect the kiddies from the posts, and also from tree trunks. Hay bales are nice and soft and bouncy if one runs a sled into it!
Also, I ran to Target at lunchtime for cat food and litter, (there is a new Super Target near work,) and then hit the co-op after work for groceries. And then ran back and forth from the car to the apartment, unloading 5 bags of groceries, and the bags of food and litter. I'm trying to run errands during the week and stay on top of the dishes so when the weekends roll around, I don't have quite so much to do, and can spend more time relaxing. We'll see how it works out!
Two notes about this upcoming weekend:
1. I may begin baking for the cocoa and cookies party I'm having on the 13th (if you haven't received your invitation yet and you live near me, you probably will soon!) and I'll try to post recipes . . . AFTER the party, so I don't spoil the surprises for the friendlets!
2. If you have Sunday morning free, come see me sing at my church at 9:30 a.m. We are performing Haydn's Mass for Saint Nicholas. It's happy and fun, we've hired a small orchestra, and it's free!
I have to call Christine. I'm not sure how much longer I can wait to see the new Harry Potter movie!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Weird Wild Rice
Sometimes, things that sound a little odd at first turn out to be just fantastic. Here's what I threw together for dinner:
Combine in a medium saucepot, cooking for 5 minutes:
2 tablespoons light cooking oil
1/2 cup cracked wild rice
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (the shelled kind, obviously)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
Add:
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
I love the way my apartment smells after cooking wild rice -- all earthy and nutty and yummy!
Combine in a medium saucepot, cooking for 5 minutes:
2 tablespoons light cooking oil
1/2 cup cracked wild rice
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (the shelled kind, obviously)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
Add:
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
I love the way my apartment smells after cooking wild rice -- all earthy and nutty and yummy!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
weekends stink, all of a sudden
I am a little confused about a recent phenomenon I've been experiencing. I haven't been looking forward to my weekends! I'm not entirely sure why, except that I feel like I haven't been getting nearly enough time to rest, relax, and recharge. Why? Probably a number of factors:
~ Friday night babysitting jobs
~ Lots of plans with friends (which I love . . .)
~ Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, and other general house maintenance stuff
~ Church on Sunday mornings
~ A recent inability to sleep past 7:00 a.m. (7:30 if I'm really lucky)
~ Errands
~ Work that has been following me home (newsletters, computer maintenance, conference forms, etc.)
The upcoming weekend probably won't be very relaxing either, with family plans and travel involved. Bah.
All I can say is, I am very much looking forward to winter break. Four weeks and counting! And then . . . two weeks of nearly nothing to do. I can't wait.
~ Friday night babysitting jobs
~ Lots of plans with friends (which I love . . .)
~ Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, and other general house maintenance stuff
~ Church on Sunday mornings
~ A recent inability to sleep past 7:00 a.m. (7:30 if I'm really lucky)
~ Errands
~ Work that has been following me home (newsletters, computer maintenance, conference forms, etc.)
The upcoming weekend probably won't be very relaxing either, with family plans and travel involved. Bah.
All I can say is, I am very much looking forward to winter break. Four weeks and counting! And then . . . two weeks of nearly nothing to do. I can't wait.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
golly, it's cold.
Now, I love living in Minnesota. I love the seasons. But I don't love how the seasons change overnight. For example:
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
WINTER NOW.
We reached our high of 25 degrees today before I ever got out of bed. The wind was fast and furious, and about 4 degrees.
I better run and shower so my hair has some time to dry before I leave for choir practice -- otherwise, it will probably freeze. Bah!
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
balmy fall,
WINTER NOW.
We reached our high of 25 degrees today before I ever got out of bed. The wind was fast and furious, and about 4 degrees.
I better run and shower so my hair has some time to dry before I leave for choir practice -- otherwise, it will probably freeze. Bah!
Monday, November 14, 2005
YUM.
Souhwestern Black-Eyed Peas (Courtesy of Betty Crocker's New Cookbook)
1. Cook 3/4 cup dried black-eyed peas. Drain.
2. Cook 1 cup sliced okra, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce in 1 tbsp oil 5 minutes, or until onion is soft.
3. Stir in black-eyed peas, 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped. Heat through, adding a little water if necessary.
Now . . . spill a bunch of that over a piece of cornbread, and you've got a mighty tasty dinner.
1. Cook 3/4 cup dried black-eyed peas. Drain.
2. Cook 1 cup sliced okra, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce in 1 tbsp oil 5 minutes, or until onion is soft.
3. Stir in black-eyed peas, 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped. Heat through, adding a little water if necessary.
Now . . . spill a bunch of that over a piece of cornbread, and you've got a mighty tasty dinner.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
caramel nut brownies
I updated an old brownie recipe to make these goodies . . . enjoy!
Whisk together:
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
4 tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
Stir in:
5 tbsp baking cocoa
10 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
Pour batter into greased 8 inch pan, then top with a good drizzle of caramel ice cream topping and a big handfull of chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until they test done. Cool before cutting into 16 squares!
(You could possibly reduce the amount of sugar to half a cup -- if you do, let me know how they turn out!)
Whisk together:
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
4 tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
Stir in:
5 tbsp baking cocoa
10 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
Pour batter into greased 8 inch pan, then top with a good drizzle of caramel ice cream topping and a big handfull of chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until they test done. Cool before cutting into 16 squares!
(You could possibly reduce the amount of sugar to half a cup -- if you do, let me know how they turn out!)
nutter.
What is with all of the nutters in my neighborhood lately? I was just getting home from Ann and Michelle's, and parked my car just outside the hospital across the street from my apartment building. I get out of my car and some dude pulls his monstrosity of an SUV over near the curb and yells out his window how I can't park there and I need to park at a meter. I look at him with the "interested, don't have any idea what you're saying because I'm pretending I can't speak English" look, and he then says, "the cops are gonna tow your car, IDIOT!" and then drove off. I felt somewhat taken aback. So, like a smart girl, I high tail it into my apartment building, drop off my purse, wait to see his car pull away, and go back and check on my car. As I had originally thought, I was completely parked in a meter spot. (You only have to put money in from 8 am to 6 pm M-F.) Perhaps he didn't see the meter sitting there on its lovely little silver post.
Somehow, I don't think yelling "idiot!" after someone out your car window is an effective way of helping them out.
Perhaps he had been drinking. I am doubly glad my car is safely tucked away for the evening! Sheesh.
Like I said earlier, nutter. Just plain nutter.
Somehow, I don't think yelling "idiot!" after someone out your car window is an effective way of helping them out.
Perhaps he had been drinking. I am doubly glad my car is safely tucked away for the evening! Sheesh.
Like I said earlier, nutter. Just plain nutter.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Blue Skies smiling at me
An unusual title, given the especially rainy weather today.
HOWEVER, we are currently selling Blue Sky guides at work right now, as a fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Let me know if you want one -- they are twenty bucks. (The preschool makes $10 off each guide sold.)
In unrelated news, I am nearly done with my Christmas shopping. It feels a little strange going Christmas shopping when it's still 60 degrees outside. But, when your mom asks you for a Christmas list in early October, it gets one to thinking. Also, unless I buy early, all the good stuff is gone off people's lists. Kind of like waiting until the last minute to get a wedding present, and then all that's left on the registry is a garlic press, one napkin, and a soap dish.
HOWEVER, we are currently selling Blue Sky guides at work right now, as a fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Let me know if you want one -- they are twenty bucks. (The preschool makes $10 off each guide sold.)
In unrelated news, I am nearly done with my Christmas shopping. It feels a little strange going Christmas shopping when it's still 60 degrees outside. But, when your mom asks you for a Christmas list in early October, it gets one to thinking. Also, unless I buy early, all the good stuff is gone off people's lists. Kind of like waiting until the last minute to get a wedding present, and then all that's left on the registry is a garlic press, one napkin, and a soap dish.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Cookie Monster is banging my door down.
So, I made killer, fabulous, awesome chocolate chip cookies yesterday. (They are actually vegan, because I made them for this week's staff meeting, and I have one coworker who is vegan and several coworkers who have severe dairy intolerances.) They aren't incredibly healthy . . . but they still have a bit less sugar, are whole grain, and have no trans fat and very little saturated fat. And I can't stop eating them! (Some may end up going to Michelle's on Saturday night, if there are any left, so I can get them out of the house!)
Here's the recipe:
Cream together:
1 cup Earth Balance spread
1/2 cup natural/raw sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Whisk together, then stir in:
1 tablespoon commercial egg replacer (such as Ener-G)
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla
Combine, then stir in:
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Stir in:
2 cups chocolate chips (check the label if you are actually trying to make these vegan -- some may have dairy)
1 cup chopped pecans
Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls (you may want to slightly smush them flat, since these don't spread quite as much as traditional CCCs do,) onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10 or so minutes.
(I've found it's best to slightly underbake goodies made with whole wheat flour, as opposed to overbaking them -- they get tough if they get too brown. You want to pull them out just as they are completely set and are a light golden brown color.)
Something you could do to cut down on some of the fat would be to replace half the Earth Balance with an equal amount of soy or regular yogurt, (stir the yogurt when you stir in the egg replacer,) and then use 1 cup of mini chocolate chips, instead of the 2 cups of regular chips.
Hey, so all of this talk of CCCs . . . I may have to go have another. Although I made fabulous homemade pizza for dinner tonight, and am still a little full from that . . . decisions!
Happy Monday, folks!
Here's the recipe:
Cream together:
1 cup Earth Balance spread
1/2 cup natural/raw sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Whisk together, then stir in:
1 tablespoon commercial egg replacer (such as Ener-G)
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla
Combine, then stir in:
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Stir in:
2 cups chocolate chips (check the label if you are actually trying to make these vegan -- some may have dairy)
1 cup chopped pecans
Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls (you may want to slightly smush them flat, since these don't spread quite as much as traditional CCCs do,) onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10 or so minutes.
(I've found it's best to slightly underbake goodies made with whole wheat flour, as opposed to overbaking them -- they get tough if they get too brown. You want to pull them out just as they are completely set and are a light golden brown color.)
Something you could do to cut down on some of the fat would be to replace half the Earth Balance with an equal amount of soy or regular yogurt, (stir the yogurt when you stir in the egg replacer,) and then use 1 cup of mini chocolate chips, instead of the 2 cups of regular chips.
Hey, so all of this talk of CCCs . . . I may have to go have another. Although I made fabulous homemade pizza for dinner tonight, and am still a little full from that . . . decisions!
Happy Monday, folks!
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