The blog I found the birthday cake recipe has some really great ones that I really think should be tried out, I'm just not sure if I'm good enough to do it.
Smitten Kitchen it is called. There are desserts, salads, meats. Simple and difficult. All kinds of things. She even posts pictures all along the way.
This neopolitan cake looks really good, but it's way above my difficulty level.
These lemon mint granitas make me want to go make them right now!
And this is my recipe!!!! Not really, but I've been dreaming these up since we had apple stuffing for Thanksgiving years ago!
Anyway, shamelessly promoting here. I love food blogs, have any suggestions for me?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Troops are home!
Last year about this time, troops from my local National Gaurd Armory shipped out. I remember being pregnant, was babysitting my neice Neiley, we went outside and watched them ship out.
They just came home, all safe and sound. Makes me feel a little patriotic.
I just found out a cousin that was my idol as a kid is shipping out to Afghanistan in the near future. It's scary. I can only hope to see pictures of the parade of his homecoming!
Sorry, the pic is kind of lame, my 16 year old nephew was more interested in taking pics of his friends than the parade, this was the best one. (He's the one in the top hat.)
They just came home, all safe and sound. Makes me feel a little patriotic.
I just found out a cousin that was my idol as a kid is shipping out to Afghanistan in the near future. It's scary. I can only hope to see pictures of the parade of his homecoming!
Sorry, the pic is kind of lame, my 16 year old nephew was more interested in taking pics of his friends than the parade, this was the best one. (He's the one in the top hat.)
To school or not to school?
Chance asked last night if I wanted to go back to school.
I wanted to say, yeah! But instead we just talked about funding, etc.
Looking online today, I'm wondering if it's even feasible. It's there a good enough reason to spend money on furthering my education when it hasn't gotten me anywhere thus far.
I would love to be a principal or a counselor or a special ed director. But, do I want to spend a ton of money on going to school and chance not ever finding a job? We're pretty stationary, we own this house, it's paid for. I don't really want to move to a new town or area, and I know Chance doesn't. If we're gonna move it's gonna be out of state. : )
Man being a grownup is hard work.
I wanted to say, yeah! But instead we just talked about funding, etc.
Looking online today, I'm wondering if it's even feasible. It's there a good enough reason to spend money on furthering my education when it hasn't gotten me anywhere thus far.
I would love to be a principal or a counselor or a special ed director. But, do I want to spend a ton of money on going to school and chance not ever finding a job? We're pretty stationary, we own this house, it's paid for. I don't really want to move to a new town or area, and I know Chance doesn't. If we're gonna move it's gonna be out of state. : )
Man being a grownup is hard work.
Why I refuse to grill on my own
Every time I have ever lit the grill and cooked on my own, something super scary has happened. We use propane, and it just scares the shit out of me to have fire blazing, hooked up to a giant container of gas that's feeding it. It just seems rampantly unsafe.
1st incident: 9 months pregnant, grilling steaks. Go out side, push the light button, flames blow out the sides, a little fire is burning on top of the propane take. On the handle. I called the fire department, they tell me to turn it off. I say, I can't, the handle is on fire. 15 minutes later they come, full gear and spray it down with giant fire hoses.
2nd incident: 5 months or so ago, the packs of hickory wood in tin foil chance incorporated to give the food flavor caught on fire. It's like flaming up to the top of the lid. Freaking me completely out! I throw it out on the ground (we have a little cement step area that I tossed it to) and ran for the hose.
3rd incident: 1 Month ago, I was grilling steaks, the grill hasn't been cleaned apparently, by my husband who does 99% of the grilling. The middle drip plate thing catches on FIRE.
4th and final incident: Last week, I go out, light the grill. The flames shoot out like incident 1, and burn all the hairs 5 inches up my arm. They are all curled up and mangled. : (
1st incident: 9 months pregnant, grilling steaks. Go out side, push the light button, flames blow out the sides, a little fire is burning on top of the propane take. On the handle. I called the fire department, they tell me to turn it off. I say, I can't, the handle is on fire. 15 minutes later they come, full gear and spray it down with giant fire hoses.
2nd incident: 5 months or so ago, the packs of hickory wood in tin foil chance incorporated to give the food flavor caught on fire. It's like flaming up to the top of the lid. Freaking me completely out! I throw it out on the ground (we have a little cement step area that I tossed it to) and ran for the hose.
3rd incident: 1 Month ago, I was grilling steaks, the grill hasn't been cleaned apparently, by my husband who does 99% of the grilling. The middle drip plate thing catches on FIRE.
4th and final incident: Last week, I go out, light the grill. The flames shoot out like incident 1, and burn all the hairs 5 inches up my arm. They are all curled up and mangled. : (
Medicine for my mood
I went and woke Chance up last night and told him I was sick of him sitting around and moping. I told him all kinds of things he needed to hear.
He said he was being all shitty because the house was messy when he came home from work, he was tired, and I was bugging him about doing things.
Reality: I did 2 loads of laudry, all but the skillet and pots in the sink from my and Arch's lunch, and I asked him to start the grill as soon as he came in because I knew he would be hungry and wanted to get supper started. (I don't grill)
He came to the living room where I was watching TV and asked me to come to bed. I said no I was still mad. He said he was sorry.
I didn't really believe him. I told him I was going to bed, and when he went back to the bedroom, I started cleaning. At 1 am. Twenty minutes later, he comes in and starts cleaning too. Says he can't go back to sleep for work (He gets up at 430).
So between the two of us and cleaning and talking mildly, we worked everything out.
Then we went outside and watched for meteors. Only saw 2.
He said he was being all shitty because the house was messy when he came home from work, he was tired, and I was bugging him about doing things.
Reality: I did 2 loads of laudry, all but the skillet and pots in the sink from my and Arch's lunch, and I asked him to start the grill as soon as he came in because I knew he would be hungry and wanted to get supper started. (I don't grill)
He came to the living room where I was watching TV and asked me to come to bed. I said no I was still mad. He said he was sorry.
I didn't really believe him. I told him I was going to bed, and when he went back to the bedroom, I started cleaning. At 1 am. Twenty minutes later, he comes in and starts cleaning too. Says he can't go back to sleep for work (He gets up at 430).
So between the two of us and cleaning and talking mildly, we worked everything out.
Then we went outside and watched for meteors. Only saw 2.
Facelift
There ya go folks, the old blog has a pretty new face!
I'm not generally a pink kind of person, but I really love this. It's classic, it's simple, it's elegant.
I'm not generally a pink kind of person, but I really love this. It's classic, it's simple, it's elegant.
Children say the darndest things
While I'm grumbling and fighting with blogger to find a new background and banner that I am truly in love with, Archer is sitting next to me on the couch watching photos of himself from the flash drive. There are like 200 and he just sits and watches like a little Narcissus incarnate.
What made me literally laugh out loud was when he reached over, touched my leg, looked me in the eye as I turned and says, "Ma" and then looks back at the TV to tell me the picture show has ended.
Gotta love him.
Ps, I really don't think he's vain. I think it's past midnight and he's worn out tired. He's been zoning in the same spot for 20 minutes but refuses to go to sleep.
What made me literally laugh out loud was when he reached over, touched my leg, looked me in the eye as I turned and says, "Ma" and then looks back at the TV to tell me the picture show has ended.
Gotta love him.
Ps, I really don't think he's vain. I think it's past midnight and he's worn out tired. He's been zoning in the same spot for 20 minutes but refuses to go to sleep.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
So frustrated
Ok, so it's mid August, and I have no job. I have spent months scrambling trying to get my certification finished before August, got it done last week of July and have no job to show for it.
I'm crestfallen. We don't "need" the money, but honestly it's gonna be a long hard winter otherwise.
When I say we don't need, I mean it in the way like: we don't need internet and unlimited long distance, so that's $80 we could be saving and we don't need 200 channels, so that's another $60. We don't need a motorcycle that I have been trying to sell for months, so there's $200.
Chance is so stressed and hasn't been in a good mood in days. He just mopes around the house whining about how we don't have money to go and do things, but he just bought a $200 stereo system with some extra money he made on a side job. Did we go out on a date? No, he bought a stereo. Whatever. I could hear the tv fine before. It's nice, I won't say it isn't, but it's so far from unneccessary, it's almost ubsurd.
It's bittersweet for me. Do I want a job that causes me to be away from my baby, hell no. Do I want to live paycheck to paycheck and never see an improvement in our savings accounts? Hell NO.
I'm so frustrated though because stressing about it isn't going to get him anywhere. We've been arguing and ignoring each other so much lately and I hate it.
My HS biology teacher had the balls to stand up in front of our entire class and say he believes stress is something that has been made up by psychiatrists. That stress is just a failure to cope with situations.
His example, a big test and you didn't study. What do you do the night before? Study as hard as you can and do as well as you can? Or get all worked up and stressed about it? Either you deal with the situation or you don't. Failure to deal is just stress.
I thought he was insane. I thought he was trying to piss people off. I know think he was on to something. I think there are true situations that people get worked up, but never is it needed. Either you deal or you don't.
I'm sick of being the one who has to deal.
I'm crestfallen. We don't "need" the money, but honestly it's gonna be a long hard winter otherwise.
When I say we don't need, I mean it in the way like: we don't need internet and unlimited long distance, so that's $80 we could be saving and we don't need 200 channels, so that's another $60. We don't need a motorcycle that I have been trying to sell for months, so there's $200.
Chance is so stressed and hasn't been in a good mood in days. He just mopes around the house whining about how we don't have money to go and do things, but he just bought a $200 stereo system with some extra money he made on a side job. Did we go out on a date? No, he bought a stereo. Whatever. I could hear the tv fine before. It's nice, I won't say it isn't, but it's so far from unneccessary, it's almost ubsurd.
It's bittersweet for me. Do I want a job that causes me to be away from my baby, hell no. Do I want to live paycheck to paycheck and never see an improvement in our savings accounts? Hell NO.
I'm so frustrated though because stressing about it isn't going to get him anywhere. We've been arguing and ignoring each other so much lately and I hate it.
My HS biology teacher had the balls to stand up in front of our entire class and say he believes stress is something that has been made up by psychiatrists. That stress is just a failure to cope with situations.
His example, a big test and you didn't study. What do you do the night before? Study as hard as you can and do as well as you can? Or get all worked up and stressed about it? Either you deal with the situation or you don't. Failure to deal is just stress.
I thought he was insane. I thought he was trying to piss people off. I know think he was on to something. I think there are true situations that people get worked up, but never is it needed. Either you deal or you don't.
I'm sick of being the one who has to deal.
Something funny to start with
Chance got home kind of late from work. He came in, I asked him to start the grill. He changed his clothes, grabbed something to drink and headed outside.
I go out, put the food on; but before I went out, I put some water on to boil for mac and cheese. We sit outside a while longer, and I ask him to put some noodles in the water. I didn't say macaroni because he bought the shells and cheese kind, but I was having a word finding issue and couldn't think of shells.
He goes to take a bath while I finish cooking. I stir the noodles a few times and when they are done I drain them. I go to the bathroom to ask where the cheese is, and he looks at me like I'm insane.
Then he laughs. Oh, for macaroni and cheese he says. My turn for the why are you so dumb look.
He just poured in regular noodles. Not sure what I thought I was making.
I go out, put the food on; but before I went out, I put some water on to boil for mac and cheese. We sit outside a while longer, and I ask him to put some noodles in the water. I didn't say macaroni because he bought the shells and cheese kind, but I was having a word finding issue and couldn't think of shells.
He goes to take a bath while I finish cooking. I stir the noodles a few times and when they are done I drain them. I go to the bathroom to ask where the cheese is, and he looks at me like I'm insane.
Then he laughs. Oh, for macaroni and cheese he says. My turn for the why are you so dumb look.
He just poured in regular noodles. Not sure what I thought I was making.
Time Traveler's Wife Book Review, Part Deux (Spoilers!!!!)
Don't continue if you don't want to read my whining words about this book, the plot and why I'm pissed about everything that happens from beginning to end. (Well not really everything, but I need something to get the point across that this is a spoiler disclaimer without really having to use those words)
Ok, the more I have pondered this book, the more I feel as though I really am pissed at it.
Basically, I feel robbed. I hate that ending. Hate it. We know from the letter that they do in fact see each other again. That's amazing. I love it, I HATE that she's freaking 82. WTF?!
That tells me one thing, Clare spent the rest of her life not living, waiting on Henry to come back to her. I HATE that. I hate that for her, for her family watching her meager existance, for her daughter. She was slightly more involved I'm sure than Henry's dad, but there's no way she was much more so. She became Henry's dad. She wallowed.
As a parent, I know, I take that back, I don't know. I can only imagine and I pray that I never know what it's like to loose the man I love with every ounce of my soul. But I can only imagine how hard it must be to go on living, but you must. If Chance were to die, I would fight with every sad, depressed melancholy cell in my body to ensure that Archer didn't loose both parents.
I think Clare was being selfish. And not just in that aspect. She doesn't feel like she can date, but she can let Gomez sex her up on his kitchen table while her BEST friend, Gomez' wife, takes the kids out? Not ok with that. That's so hurtful to so many people. Gomez for one, who's been in love with her since 1990. Her best friend, who in the next scene is having milkshakes with her. She's obviously not oblivious and definitely not faultless. She knew her husband was in love with Clare, yet she had 3 kids with him. That's her own fault, but she deserves more than that from Clare.
I think my least favorite thing is that she doesn't marry current Henry, but future Henry. I just don't like that. She's obviously very partial to him, he's the Henry of her childhood, and it feels like she's choosing him over current Henry.
Henry's selfish too. I mean, My goodness, having sex with Clare from the future with yourself in bed next to her. And, what exactly is he doing with "himself" when his dad catches him? At 15? I mean, I'm gonna think it's weird no matter what, but 15 is pretty old to be doing things like that, no?
Anyway, I liked the book. I liked the story most of the time. I hate the ending. I hate everything that happens from the point that Alba is born and Henry knows he's going to die. Well, I don't hate it, but I'm just not happy with it. I like happily ever afters.
Oh, and I love that Alba gets to spend time and learn from Henry, but I hate that Clare never gets to be there.
Now I'm done!
Ok, the more I have pondered this book, the more I feel as though I really am pissed at it.
Basically, I feel robbed. I hate that ending. Hate it. We know from the letter that they do in fact see each other again. That's amazing. I love it, I HATE that she's freaking 82. WTF?!
That tells me one thing, Clare spent the rest of her life not living, waiting on Henry to come back to her. I HATE that. I hate that for her, for her family watching her meager existance, for her daughter. She was slightly more involved I'm sure than Henry's dad, but there's no way she was much more so. She became Henry's dad. She wallowed.
As a parent, I know, I take that back, I don't know. I can only imagine and I pray that I never know what it's like to loose the man I love with every ounce of my soul. But I can only imagine how hard it must be to go on living, but you must. If Chance were to die, I would fight with every sad, depressed melancholy cell in my body to ensure that Archer didn't loose both parents.
I think Clare was being selfish. And not just in that aspect. She doesn't feel like she can date, but she can let Gomez sex her up on his kitchen table while her BEST friend, Gomez' wife, takes the kids out? Not ok with that. That's so hurtful to so many people. Gomez for one, who's been in love with her since 1990. Her best friend, who in the next scene is having milkshakes with her. She's obviously not oblivious and definitely not faultless. She knew her husband was in love with Clare, yet she had 3 kids with him. That's her own fault, but she deserves more than that from Clare.
I think my least favorite thing is that she doesn't marry current Henry, but future Henry. I just don't like that. She's obviously very partial to him, he's the Henry of her childhood, and it feels like she's choosing him over current Henry.
Henry's selfish too. I mean, My goodness, having sex with Clare from the future with yourself in bed next to her. And, what exactly is he doing with "himself" when his dad catches him? At 15? I mean, I'm gonna think it's weird no matter what, but 15 is pretty old to be doing things like that, no?
Anyway, I liked the book. I liked the story most of the time. I hate the ending. I hate everything that happens from the point that Alba is born and Henry knows he's going to die. Well, I don't hate it, but I'm just not happy with it. I like happily ever afters.
Oh, and I love that Alba gets to spend time and learn from Henry, but I hate that Clare never gets to be there.
Now I'm done!
Time Traveler's Wife
I just finished the book, moments ago.
I'm just not thrilled with it. I don't think it was a bad book, it just kept going to places I'm not ok with, and now I feel let down.
Hoping the movie is better. (How sad is that?)
I'm just not thrilled with it. I don't think it was a bad book, it just kept going to places I'm not ok with, and now I feel let down.
Hoping the movie is better. (How sad is that?)
Bad Neighbor
A few months ago, I had a knock at the door. I opened it to find a very governmental looking man standing there with a clipboard in hand. He was interviewing my neighbor's neighbors. He had been promoted from his job of BIA officer to federal detective. Apparently he had moved to Montana. We didn't really notice they had been gone.
A few weeks after that, she comes back. I see her in the yard and ask when they are leaving, she says in July. They will be renting their house to a friend of her's with no children. Nice people she says.
Well she ended up needing surgery and they just left 2 weeks ago. She told me the first time we talked that they would be leaving behind their tom cat. He just wanders the neighborhood. He's like 15 or something.
When we first moved in I had to ask my grandpa (who took care of the house the 20 years it was vacant) whose cat it was because it was always laying on the porch of my house.
Yesterday Chance and I were sitting out front when here walks this deathly, ghostly looking cat. It's sides are sunk in, it hardly has the energy to walk. It didn't have enough energy to meow.
I ran in and grabbed some left over mashed potatoes and hamburger patties and put them in a bowl for it. Death cat ate some of the meat but seemed to be having a hard time with it so I went back in and got some 1/2 and 1/2. It loved that and drank almost all of what I put out instantly. After that it got up and walked over to it's own yard and laid in the sun.
Makes me want to send them a letter and tell them I think they are bad people for leaving that cat to starve.
A few weeks after that, she comes back. I see her in the yard and ask when they are leaving, she says in July. They will be renting their house to a friend of her's with no children. Nice people she says.
Well she ended up needing surgery and they just left 2 weeks ago. She told me the first time we talked that they would be leaving behind their tom cat. He just wanders the neighborhood. He's like 15 or something.
When we first moved in I had to ask my grandpa (who took care of the house the 20 years it was vacant) whose cat it was because it was always laying on the porch of my house.
Yesterday Chance and I were sitting out front when here walks this deathly, ghostly looking cat. It's sides are sunk in, it hardly has the energy to walk. It didn't have enough energy to meow.
I ran in and grabbed some left over mashed potatoes and hamburger patties and put them in a bowl for it. Death cat ate some of the meat but seemed to be having a hard time with it so I went back in and got some 1/2 and 1/2. It loved that and drank almost all of what I put out instantly. After that it got up and walked over to it's own yard and laid in the sun.
Makes me want to send them a letter and tell them I think they are bad people for leaving that cat to starve.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Warning: Sugar Coma!!!
Just finished the test cupcakes, and am about to die. I really and truly feel sick.
Oh, did I mention I used HALF the sugar called for in the frosting?
Other than that, I am super impressed with myself. The cake is so soft and moist. The frosting (while sweet as hell) is rich and creamy, and just perfect.
I put one on a plate, and couldn't finish it. I made 24. Luckily, I am going to
weekly family dinner at my grandpa's house. When I was a kid, he would always make a cake every Sunday. He's out of that habit now, so I'll take these to him.
One might think, that with all the cake he had left over and the fact that he ate on it all week he might be slightly over weight. NOPE, he struggles to weigh 125 at 5 feet 10 inches. Sickens me. My only male first cousin is just like this. Punks.
Oh, did I mention I used HALF the sugar called for in the frosting?
Other than that, I am super impressed with myself. The cake is so soft and moist. The frosting (while sweet as hell) is rich and creamy, and just perfect.
I put one on a plate, and couldn't finish it. I made 24. Luckily, I am going toweekly family dinner at my grandpa's house. When I was a kid, he would always make a cake every Sunday. He's out of that habit now, so I'll take these to him.
One might think, that with all the cake he had left over and the fact that he ate on it all week he might be slightly over weight. NOPE, he struggles to weigh 125 at 5 feet 10 inches. Sickens me. My only male first cousin is just like this. Punks.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Archer's birthday cake!!
So, I'm totally not a baker, at all. However, Chance's boyfriend had a peanut butter grooms cake. Oh. My. Goodness. It was the best cake ever. It was a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, but still. Awesome. I've been thinking that I wanted to have that same lady make me one, but now I'm thinking I should just make one myself. So, that is the plan.
I found this recipe and a really cool blog and I'm going to try it out this weekend. Here's the cake:
And here is the recipe and blog.
I found this recipe and a really cool blog and I'm going to try it out this weekend. Here's the cake:
And here is the recipe and blog.
Not around as much.
Sorry all, have been cutting back on internet usage. I'm trying to spend as much time with my baby as I can before I have to go back to work!
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