The thoughts of a certain someone will not leave my head. I know it's been a tough day and I should just go to bed and let sleep sort everything out but instead I'm still awake. I keep praying that God will send me the person I am supposed to be most happy with and where it hasn't bothered me being single for all this time, it is weighing on me pretty good now. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow so I've got to get this out now or it might keep me from sleeping all through the night.
I fell in love with someone who left. Someone who never liked me as much as I liked him. It broke me. I see him and my heart freaks out.. beats violently in my chest till I distract myself with someone else less important. It's been some time since the accidental heartbreak and where my heart still aches for the love I thought I'd found, I'm doing alright. Well for some reason, during last sunday's sermon, it hit me like something fierce. I just want to love and be loved in return. I should have already used that four letter word but I haven't. I've heard it but never felt the same way towards the person. That hurts too btw.. not being able to use those three little words. God I am very grateful that you have helped me get a job and get accepted into the Culinary Management program. I love being able to say, "I'm a culinary student" and that "I have work." If I'm not busy enough, you'd think I wouldn't wish to find someone who would take up the rest of my free time, but that's not the case apparently. Maybe I don't know what I'm wishing for but I obviously don't care.
I'm hoping that having a job will bring new people into my life and then when I start school, I will be put together with other people who share my passion. Staying home all this time hasn't helped me meet people.. even with the occasional trip to the bookstore.. ;)
Okay.. apparently watching the previews for Lisa Kudrow's new show has turned my frown completely right side up. :) Going to bed.. this may be deleted soon.. need to stay positive.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Little Working Girl..
Ha! Sounds funny when I say that but I am now employed.. just sounds boring. I love that I have a job now. I will be able to contribute at home and save money for school. Publix seems like a great place to work and the other cashiers I worked with today are very very cool. :)
I started cashiering last tuesday afternoon after my computer training and then did 5 hours on the register Wednesday which was pretty tough. I haven't spent that long on my feet in a while.. at least not with out periodical trip from my kitchen to the couch for a break. My feet were a little tired but after an Advil and some of grandma's cooking and I was good as new. Got to spend the night with my cousins and then get some sun the next day. Great day off.
Today was my second full day of cashiering and it was a breeze. My lower back hurt a little around 4 but I pushed through it. I didn't give anyone wrong change and I only forgot to give someone a bag once but I caught him before he was out the day so it was all in all a great day. We have good baggers that show up out of no where when you need them and good managers that can always be reached when there's a problem.
Tomorrow I will be training with the Meal Specialist trainer for Apron's all day. I'll be at the store from 8:30am to 5pm. I am told that the woman is nice but a little demanding so I'm hoping she will be in a good mood tomorrow for me. :) I'm going to get in bed early enough tonight so I can be fully awake in the morning.. and I will be definitely setting the coffee maker up tonight so I can be alert along with awake. ;)
I met the weekday Apron's woman today. Her name is Lisa and she is very nice. She told me a little bit about how she works and how the meals are prepared. I found out that every Publix store makes the same meals day to day. I wish they made desserts but I'm sure they don't. There is a convection/ microwave oven, mini fridge and sink in the Apron's station and you do everything in the station.. including all the prep work. I'm pretty excited to get started.
On a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being the best. I was at a 8.75 when I got home at 5:15pm. That was mainly due to being hungry but after having a snack/ small meal I'm feeling pretty good. Just relaxing on my awesome oversized chair, watching the news and checking my stuff online.
I'm waiting to hear from FSCJ about my Culinary application. I heard from a woman last Friday. I hadn't changed my major to Culinary Management so I went and handled that immediately. I really hope they contact me early next week. Classes will start next month! Please be praying that I get good news from them this weekend or next week. I really don't know what I'll do if I don't get into the program this semester. I can't think about that though. I need to keep a positive attitude and hopefully it will all work out. :)
Well that's what been happening lately. My garden is over growing.. lol. The ground hornets scare the crap out of me every time I go out the door. I made Cake Balls Monday afternoon in anticipation of my Aunt Dee's birthday dinner Wednesday. They were extra yummy for my first try. I'm excited to try different cake/ frosting/ and chocolate combinations next time. My dad's birthday is coming up so maybe I'll make him his favorite next time. :)
I can't wait for my first check to be deposited! I'm going to go watch Wheel of Fortune now and think about making something for dinner. :)
I started cashiering last tuesday afternoon after my computer training and then did 5 hours on the register Wednesday which was pretty tough. I haven't spent that long on my feet in a while.. at least not with out periodical trip from my kitchen to the couch for a break. My feet were a little tired but after an Advil and some of grandma's cooking and I was good as new. Got to spend the night with my cousins and then get some sun the next day. Great day off.
Today was my second full day of cashiering and it was a breeze. My lower back hurt a little around 4 but I pushed through it. I didn't give anyone wrong change and I only forgot to give someone a bag once but I caught him before he was out the day so it was all in all a great day. We have good baggers that show up out of no where when you need them and good managers that can always be reached when there's a problem.
Tomorrow I will be training with the Meal Specialist trainer for Apron's all day. I'll be at the store from 8:30am to 5pm. I am told that the woman is nice but a little demanding so I'm hoping she will be in a good mood tomorrow for me. :) I'm going to get in bed early enough tonight so I can be fully awake in the morning.. and I will be definitely setting the coffee maker up tonight so I can be alert along with awake. ;)
I met the weekday Apron's woman today. Her name is Lisa and she is very nice. She told me a little bit about how she works and how the meals are prepared. I found out that every Publix store makes the same meals day to day. I wish they made desserts but I'm sure they don't. There is a convection/ microwave oven, mini fridge and sink in the Apron's station and you do everything in the station.. including all the prep work. I'm pretty excited to get started.
On a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being the best. I was at a 8.75 when I got home at 5:15pm. That was mainly due to being hungry but after having a snack/ small meal I'm feeling pretty good. Just relaxing on my awesome oversized chair, watching the news and checking my stuff online.
I'm waiting to hear from FSCJ about my Culinary application. I heard from a woman last Friday. I hadn't changed my major to Culinary Management so I went and handled that immediately. I really hope they contact me early next week. Classes will start next month! Please be praying that I get good news from them this weekend or next week. I really don't know what I'll do if I don't get into the program this semester. I can't think about that though. I need to keep a positive attitude and hopefully it will all work out. :)
Well that's what been happening lately. My garden is over growing.. lol. The ground hornets scare the crap out of me every time I go out the door. I made Cake Balls Monday afternoon in anticipation of my Aunt Dee's birthday dinner Wednesday. They were extra yummy for my first try. I'm excited to try different cake/ frosting/ and chocolate combinations next time. My dad's birthday is coming up so maybe I'll make him his favorite next time. :)
I can't wait for my first check to be deposited! I'm going to go watch Wheel of Fortune now and think about making something for dinner. :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Waiting Game..
I'm waiting on something to stop and something to begin. My patience is limited but I'm praying God will replenish my patience and peace before the weekend gets here. I really need all the patience I can get right now. Waiting to start a job is so frustrating. I wish this world wasn't so unclean and drug testing weren't necessary.. but it keeps us honest.. so I guess it's for the better. So with that said, I went in for my drug test yesterday and it was an in-store mouth swab test. I've never done one like that before but it seemed very efficient. I hope the test gets shipped early and I hear back from them before Monday.. which is the day Bonnie said I'd hear from them.
After I get the go ahead, I'll go Tuesday and Wednesday for a Introduction to Publix seminar like thingie. I'm still not quite sure of what it will really be about but I was told it was sort of like a welcoming to Publix. THEN, I'll get trained as a cashier in-store and hopefully be working as soon as possible. Jayne said I'd probably get trained in cashiering before the Meal Specialist could come in to train me in the Apron's which is completely fine cause I'll be cashiering more than working in the Apron's station.
Today I just tried to read up on Publix via the Publix website and it was really helpful. I learned a lot about all that the Apron's employee's do. I mean my responsibilities will be awesome and hopefully not a job at all. I learned that Publix originated in Florida, in 1930 and it is mostly a south east grocery store. BUT it is a Fortune 500 company and on Fortune's top 100 best places to work so I'm extra excited to make my own opinion. I already love to shop there and the Publix located a few blocks from me has stocked their store so I can have lunch meats, and sausages without MSG and sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite which I am allergic to. They have also brought in more Gaterade flavors since they had only 5 when they opened which was simply UNCOOL! :)
Oh! I had purchased Bistro Crocs for work/school which have the slip resistant bottoms and no holes on top, but when Jayne was going over the uniform she said no Crocs. I know I can still wear them for school though so they will not go unworn. After my dad's doctor appointment Tuesday afternoon, we went shopping and decided to give Rack Room Shoes another chance. I tried on ALL the solid black shoes in the women's department and when nothing felt or looked nice, I ventured over into the men's section and found a pair of Nike's that I liked but the smallest size they went down to was a 7 1/2. I thought I was going to leave empty handed until my dad disappeared and came back with what I thought was a smaller size from the back but turned out to be the boy's version in my size! It was practically the shoe and I loved it. It made my foot look so narrow and cute. Ha! I wore them today for a few hours and while making dinner and my feet don't hurt at all. :)
The real test will be that first day. I don't expect to feel fine and dandy considering how long it's been since I've worked but I certainly hope I can feel my toes by the end of my shift. :)
I guess I'm the new "Waitie Katie". But even since I started writing this blog, I feel a little less restless so I can foresee some relief soon. I can see the light. :)
I pray these fires and this smoke subsides soon. I know some people with awful asthma and it is really affecting them. Rain is all I can think about when I look outside these days. My flowers really prefer the rain to water from the hose.. ;)
God bless all!
After I get the go ahead, I'll go Tuesday and Wednesday for a Introduction to Publix seminar like thingie. I'm still not quite sure of what it will really be about but I was told it was sort of like a welcoming to Publix. THEN, I'll get trained as a cashier in-store and hopefully be working as soon as possible. Jayne said I'd probably get trained in cashiering before the Meal Specialist could come in to train me in the Apron's which is completely fine cause I'll be cashiering more than working in the Apron's station.
Today I just tried to read up on Publix via the Publix website and it was really helpful. I learned a lot about all that the Apron's employee's do. I mean my responsibilities will be awesome and hopefully not a job at all. I learned that Publix originated in Florida, in 1930 and it is mostly a south east grocery store. BUT it is a Fortune 500 company and on Fortune's top 100 best places to work so I'm extra excited to make my own opinion. I already love to shop there and the Publix located a few blocks from me has stocked their store so I can have lunch meats, and sausages without MSG and sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite which I am allergic to. They have also brought in more Gaterade flavors since they had only 5 when they opened which was simply UNCOOL! :)
Oh! I had purchased Bistro Crocs for work/school which have the slip resistant bottoms and no holes on top, but when Jayne was going over the uniform she said no Crocs. I know I can still wear them for school though so they will not go unworn. After my dad's doctor appointment Tuesday afternoon, we went shopping and decided to give Rack Room Shoes another chance. I tried on ALL the solid black shoes in the women's department and when nothing felt or looked nice, I ventured over into the men's section and found a pair of Nike's that I liked but the smallest size they went down to was a 7 1/2. I thought I was going to leave empty handed until my dad disappeared and came back with what I thought was a smaller size from the back but turned out to be the boy's version in my size! It was practically the shoe and I loved it. It made my foot look so narrow and cute. Ha! I wore them today for a few hours and while making dinner and my feet don't hurt at all. :)
The real test will be that first day. I don't expect to feel fine and dandy considering how long it's been since I've worked but I certainly hope I can feel my toes by the end of my shift. :)
I guess I'm the new "Waitie Katie". But even since I started writing this blog, I feel a little less restless so I can foresee some relief soon. I can see the light. :)
I pray these fires and this smoke subsides soon. I know some people with awful asthma and it is really affecting them. Rain is all I can think about when I look outside these days. My flowers really prefer the rain to water from the hose.. ;)
God bless all!
Monday, June 13, 2011
I saw the future and it opened my eyes I saw the future..
Today might have been more monumental than I thought. To be honest it's kind of unbelievable.
Let me start at the beginning.. After waiting all week long with no word, no calls and no emails, I broke down. This was Friday night and I thought I was going to have to wait till the next week before I maybe heard something. Well to my surprise Saturday afternoon around 2 (which was the time I predicted they'd call..) a very nice woman called me to ask if I could come in for an interview Monday. You know my answer. Of course in my moody state, I went through about 4 different emotions in less than 10 minutes. I called the people who had been getting me through the waiting period and then just started praying. God seriously opened a door and all I had to do was walk through it at 2pm on Monday.. and I certainly did.
Well I got up early this morning as usual and proceeded to make breakfast and watch Kathy & Hoda and then I went into I'm-on-a-mission mode so I could get ready in time for my interview.
Nerves kicked in about halfway through curling my hair so I sent out a few texts hoping to get some encouraging words back. Well of course my grandma responded and the lovely Tansy sent great words and I calmed down quite a bit. I got out of the house with just enough time to get there with a few minutes to spare. I felt so comfortable as soon as I walked in and after being handed off to the manager, I was just fine. I felt like I was talking with friends. The manager was super nice and pretty much just asked me what department I wanted to work in. It was awesome to say the least. The bakery was full but I wasn't expecting to just get right in so I was more than happy to start with cashiering or anything really.
So the interview was a success. But wait it gets better.. I was walking to my car, about halfway there and I hear my name. I turn around and the manager is asking(yelling) me to come back in and meet someone. I go back in having no idea who I'm going to meet and it turns out to be another manager. She heard that I was trying to get into culinary school and she has been looking for someone to work in the Aprons station a few days a week and wants me to do it. I said a solid YES and will be getting trained very soon hopefully. :) It felt great to be needed. I'll be helping them while doing something I love and getting paid! :)
It was a great day. I keep having say out loud, "I got a job!" to make it feel real..
Well it is real.. I'll be getting up earlier than usual to be ready for when they call tomorrow. I'm suppose to go back in to fill out paperwork I'm guessing and discuss training. That should make it even more real.
Thanks for all the prayers everyone. I appreciate them more than you know.
God bless!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
God give me the strength and patience to get through this month..
I want to know for sure but I can't know for a whole month. It's torture. I want to be excited and know that when I'm telling people about my "good news" that it's actually going to happen and I'm not going to have to tell everyone that I won't be starting till the following semester if things don't go as planned. I guess I'm just being cautious by not allowing myself to get too excited but I wish I could be. I want to get excited and start planning and gathering all that I'm going to need come August.
I feel very stir crazy these days. I'm just waiting and waiting. Waiting for my Spanish class to start in a week and waiting for the book store to get the book in I need. It's just so frustrating not to know what the future holds. I know I'm supposed to start this program and I would like to start as soon as possible but knowing and saying that doesn't change the fact that it's not in my hands. It's in the colleges hands and Gods if he thinks I'm ready to start now. I just keep praying that my friends brother in law does actually have some say at the college and that I get put on the list for the Fall term. ----------------------------
Well I started this blog yesterday and some new stuff has come up since then. I found out today that the instructor for my Spanish class has backed out and a new instructor has taken his place. She has no reviews on ratemyprofessor.com and with less than a week before the class starts, still hasn't given her book preference to the campus bookstore. It just makes me sad. I was looking forward to meeting the original teacher I signed up for. He was so highly rated and the class was shortened so it was perfect. I could take it and it would be over in time for my first semester of culinary management. But I'm just going to let it go. I'm not going to stress over it. I already told my dad and I'm going to call my Grandma later to tell her.
I was researching last night about slip resistant shoes and uniforms. Fun! I found some shoes that I like and I think that the money from the Spanish class can be used to buy knives, a uniform, shoes, and probably a book so it's good that I'm withdrawing from the class. The money can be used for something way more important. :)
So with that little news said, I have Beta tonight and I hope more people show up. Last week only one other person besides myself came. I like my thursday night bible study group. My mom was supposed to come out to have lunch and get hair cuts but she wasn't feeling good that has been postponed till tomorrow. It's fine. I have plenty of chores I can do today. I'm already working on washing all of our new towels that FB brought us. It was so nice of him. NOW we can throw all of our old towels into the rag bin or at least use a few for dog towels only. :) Dad's going to be in rag heaven. haha.
I plan to give Haley a bath later today too. The shampoo we have for her smells like pineapple and makes her feel extremely soft. Something tells me she will love having her very own towel from now on. lol. What ever. Dogs could care less. She does love getting baths though. She's even gone and jumped in the tub all by herself before. I love watching her run around like crazy while rubbing on everything in her path when she gets out. It's almost as cute as when she plays with her food. :)
I hope everyone is enjoying this awesome weather we are having.. and those who are not down here in sunning Florida and may not be having that greatest weather, don't let it get you down. I'm sure you will have a sunny day soon. :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
New Beginnings for Two Beautiful Girls..
Tomorrow afternoon my cousins are having a joined graduation party. They are expecting 70 people to come! Seems like a lot huh? Well they are that loved. The oldest graduated from JU a few weekends ago and the younger will be graduating next weekend from high school. I'm so proud of them both. Lindsey is the valedictorian of her 2011 class and she totally deserves it. There is talk of Lauren traveling to NYC to audition somewhere and she's been working really hard to get the money together for her trips. Determination is definitely a prominent character trait that radiates through this entire family. I know they both have amazing futures ahead of them. Or that's what I've been praying for at least.
The future is always a little scary, a little exciting and a little hard to think about but lately I see the future of my family rising higher and higher. It seems like a lot is falling right into place.
In my last blog I told y'all about my trip to north campus to sit through an information seminar about the culinary management program they offer, and took a tour and filled out an application that I figured I'd have to wait to hear anything about till July. Well, just one day after I went to the seminar, my dad's friend called to see how our visit was. We knew his brother in law was a chef teacher at the college but we weren't thinking about trying to use that angle. My dad's friend asked if we wanted him to give his brother in law a call and well.. he did. He told him about me and how I wasn't going to quit half way through and that this was definitely what I wanted to do with my life. So.. if those of you Facebook readers saw my post about the voicemail that could have quite possibly changed my life, this is the news I got around noon yesterday, "You can tell her that he said he would get her on the list." I don't know if that means I'm on the list for next semester or what but it didn't stop from shedding a few happy tears and then calling my family, from my living room floor where I was sprawled out, to tell them the good news. I probably thanked god 30 times in the 2 or 3 hours after I got off the phone with my dad. Come August I could very well be on my way to becoming a chef. Just the idea alone is still hard to fulling handle. I was so giddy and happy the rest of the day. I even got to go to a friends and celebrate a little bit even though it was pretty uneventful, I had fun.
So to continue in the culinary theme, I will be making some pretty interesting but fun desserts for my cousins party tomorrow. I still need pretzels and coconut m&m's and cream cheese. Hopefully I can get my dad to pick all that stuff up on his way home so I don't have to leave my house. I think I am going to making spaghetti from scratch tonight. The recipe is one I got from some other really good cooks in my family. :)
- Okay, for really good homemade spaghetti sauce, cut up a medium sized onion and 1 shallot. Saute them in olive oil till the onions are soft. Add about 5 cloves of garlic and cook a few more minutes. At this point I add my seasonings.... salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and just any other spice/seasoning you want (I kind of play around with it). Stir it all around and distribute all the seasonings. At this point, add some red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook out the alcohol and then add a can of tomato paste. Stir that around and then add a can or 2 of Tomato sauce (if you like chunky sauce, you can add fresh tomatoes or canned), stir to incorporate and then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar and then let that simmer for a while (I usually let it cook for about 30 minutes, minimum). After everything's cooked together for a while, taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking. After that... enjoy! - Thanks Jessie! :)
I will post pictures of my creations later.
Hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. :)
The future is always a little scary, a little exciting and a little hard to think about but lately I see the future of my family rising higher and higher. It seems like a lot is falling right into place.
In my last blog I told y'all about my trip to north campus to sit through an information seminar about the culinary management program they offer, and took a tour and filled out an application that I figured I'd have to wait to hear anything about till July. Well, just one day after I went to the seminar, my dad's friend called to see how our visit was. We knew his brother in law was a chef teacher at the college but we weren't thinking about trying to use that angle. My dad's friend asked if we wanted him to give his brother in law a call and well.. he did. He told him about me and how I wasn't going to quit half way through and that this was definitely what I wanted to do with my life. So.. if those of you Facebook readers saw my post about the voicemail that could have quite possibly changed my life, this is the news I got around noon yesterday, "You can tell her that he said he would get her on the list." I don't know if that means I'm on the list for next semester or what but it didn't stop from shedding a few happy tears and then calling my family, from my living room floor where I was sprawled out, to tell them the good news. I probably thanked god 30 times in the 2 or 3 hours after I got off the phone with my dad. Come August I could very well be on my way to becoming a chef. Just the idea alone is still hard to fulling handle. I was so giddy and happy the rest of the day. I even got to go to a friends and celebrate a little bit even though it was pretty uneventful, I had fun.
So to continue in the culinary theme, I will be making some pretty interesting but fun desserts for my cousins party tomorrow. I still need pretzels and coconut m&m's and cream cheese. Hopefully I can get my dad to pick all that stuff up on his way home so I don't have to leave my house. I think I am going to making spaghetti from scratch tonight. The recipe is one I got from some other really good cooks in my family. :)
- Okay, for really good homemade spaghetti sauce, cut up a medium sized onion and 1 shallot. Saute them in olive oil till the onions are soft. Add about 5 cloves of garlic and cook a few more minutes. At this point I add my seasonings.... salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and just any other spice/seasoning you want (I kind of play around with it). Stir it all around and distribute all the seasonings. At this point, add some red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook out the alcohol and then add a can of tomato paste. Stir that around and then add a can or 2 of Tomato sauce (if you like chunky sauce, you can add fresh tomatoes or canned), stir to incorporate and then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar and then let that simmer for a while (I usually let it cook for about 30 minutes, minimum). After everything's cooked together for a while, taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking. After that... enjoy! - Thanks Jessie! :)
I will post pictures of my creations later.
Hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. :)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Future!
Today was pretty amazing. I went to an Information Seminar on the culinary programs offered at a campus I had never been to. I was thoroughly impressed. My dad even took the day off to go with me to act as a second pair of eyes and ears. I'm just glad he got excited right along with me. Often I don't know if he is on board with my passions.
After a very detailed description of the courses and costs and other requirements, the department head took us on a tour of the labs. It was really cool to see students at work in the kitchen and I really just liked the whole setup. Open windows, spacious work stations, and really happy smiling students.
It made this dream a reality. I got to see what the uniforms look like and a lecture classroom, along with a food class in progress, that I later saw tasting the food they had been making when I came back through on the tour.
The internships are to die for. The list of places I could go work for seems endless and very upscale. One caught my eye but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. You have to be accepted into the program and only some 35 people are chosen each semester. I did fill out an application after the tour. It was actually pretty short. Just a checklist to see where you are in the enrollment process, your prior experience, your goals and how you came to know about the program. Very simple and I threw in "passion", "perfect fit" and wonderful timing to try and emphasize the importance of getting selected to start in August. I'll probably jump up and down if I get that acceptance letter in the mail in July.. like literally jumping and screaming and uncontrollable laughter. :) Pray I get in cause I really want to start as soon as possible. I don't want to waste any more time just going part time, not knowing if the classes I'm taking are going to get me anywhere in life. THIS IS WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO! I just know it. I love food, I love to create knew dishes and entertain people. I love the presentation side of it and the hospitality side. I can't wait to fill my brain with all kinds of new information.
I was being serious about praying for me though. I'm not sure how they pick people. All I know is that I will be following up with the department head that talked with us today. I want to be heard and show him I truly want and need to start this next semester. Hopefully he sees my determination and doesn't see a young girl, who is off on another venture that won't get seen through to the finish. Not the case here. :)
I'm going to bed a happy girl.
Night loves!
After a very detailed description of the courses and costs and other requirements, the department head took us on a tour of the labs. It was really cool to see students at work in the kitchen and I really just liked the whole setup. Open windows, spacious work stations, and really happy smiling students.
It made this dream a reality. I got to see what the uniforms look like and a lecture classroom, along with a food class in progress, that I later saw tasting the food they had been making when I came back through on the tour.
The internships are to die for. The list of places I could go work for seems endless and very upscale. One caught my eye but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. You have to be accepted into the program and only some 35 people are chosen each semester. I did fill out an application after the tour. It was actually pretty short. Just a checklist to see where you are in the enrollment process, your prior experience, your goals and how you came to know about the program. Very simple and I threw in "passion", "perfect fit" and wonderful timing to try and emphasize the importance of getting selected to start in August. I'll probably jump up and down if I get that acceptance letter in the mail in July.. like literally jumping and screaming and uncontrollable laughter. :) Pray I get in cause I really want to start as soon as possible. I don't want to waste any more time just going part time, not knowing if the classes I'm taking are going to get me anywhere in life. THIS IS WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO! I just know it. I love food, I love to create knew dishes and entertain people. I love the presentation side of it and the hospitality side. I can't wait to fill my brain with all kinds of new information.
I was being serious about praying for me though. I'm not sure how they pick people. All I know is that I will be following up with the department head that talked with us today. I want to be heard and show him I truly want and need to start this next semester. Hopefully he sees my determination and doesn't see a young girl, who is off on another venture that won't get seen through to the finish. Not the case here. :)
I'm going to bed a happy girl.
Night loves!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tea for One..
My grandmother bought me a box of various tea flavors and so far I've tried Black Current and Chai. They both are really good. I was never a big hot tea drinker but since I bought my first tea cup and saucer set a few weeks ago I've taken an interest in it. We buy Gevalia Black Tea to make iced tea with but I tried it hot one day and found it to be almost better than cold. Of course I tell my grandma about my purchase and she comes up with the most beautiful tea set and tea for my baptism gift. It was a really nice surprise. I didn't know she was going to bring me a gift. :)
The past two days I have enjoyed trying the tea. This morning instead of coffee I tried the Chai again, while I watch Kathy Lee and Hoda. I've become quite a creature of habit lately. I get up at 9:30am and have coffee or tea, watch the morning news and Kathy and Hoda and then make something for breakfast. I got hooked on The Days of Our Lives when the real Rave was in the convent with amnesia.. but that seems to be the slowest going part.. and I'm getting bored after only a week and a half.
I'm always in search of new recipes, but lately I've been looking for something wonderful to make for my cousins graduation party next weekend. I know I've got some time but I want to make something really great and it has to be enough for 30 to 40 people.
I still have company but he leaves during the day so I have to get most of my research done during the day since there is so much conversation when both him and my dad get home. No big deal.. just less room to spread out on the couch in quiet. lol.
I started Letters to Juliet yesterday but it was pretty close to dinner time and I was going to make crepes so I needed to start the prep work so I plan on watching the end of it today after my dad leaves. He came home for lunch and I guess to check if the part for our washer came in but it hasn't yet. I hope it comes cause I need to do laundry bad.
It's only 8 days till I go take the tour of the culinary department and get more detailed information about the classes. I'm so excited. My dad is going to take the morning off to go with me. I just know this is going to be great. I just keep cooking and learning new things and reading about different cultures and where certain dishes originated and most importantly asking god to keep me motivated and headed down a path that will lead me to a prosperous future.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. Last night I made chicken crepes and warmed pear sauce that I served over frozen yogurt. It was delicious and my dad and FB agreed and talked restaurants afterward. I believe I will go have my afternoon tea now. :)
The past two days I have enjoyed trying the tea. This morning instead of coffee I tried the Chai again, while I watch Kathy Lee and Hoda. I've become quite a creature of habit lately. I get up at 9:30am and have coffee or tea, watch the morning news and Kathy and Hoda and then make something for breakfast. I got hooked on The Days of Our Lives when the real Rave was in the convent with amnesia.. but that seems to be the slowest going part.. and I'm getting bored after only a week and a half.
I'm always in search of new recipes, but lately I've been looking for something wonderful to make for my cousins graduation party next weekend. I know I've got some time but I want to make something really great and it has to be enough for 30 to 40 people.
I still have company but he leaves during the day so I have to get most of my research done during the day since there is so much conversation when both him and my dad get home. No big deal.. just less room to spread out on the couch in quiet. lol.
I started Letters to Juliet yesterday but it was pretty close to dinner time and I was going to make crepes so I needed to start the prep work so I plan on watching the end of it today after my dad leaves. He came home for lunch and I guess to check if the part for our washer came in but it hasn't yet. I hope it comes cause I need to do laundry bad.
It's only 8 days till I go take the tour of the culinary department and get more detailed information about the classes. I'm so excited. My dad is going to take the morning off to go with me. I just know this is going to be great. I just keep cooking and learning new things and reading about different cultures and where certain dishes originated and most importantly asking god to keep me motivated and headed down a path that will lead me to a prosperous future.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. Last night I made chicken crepes and warmed pear sauce that I served over frozen yogurt. It was delicious and my dad and FB agreed and talked restaurants afterward. I believe I will go have my afternoon tea now. :)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Pizza pizza..
I attempted to make my first pizza tonight and it turned out pretty darn good for my first try. I used a bisquick recipe I found online to make the dough and then added garlic powder, red pepper, and a pinch of salt to the dough. I topped it with some tomato sauce and then onion slices. I spread cheese out over most of the top and then put ham on top. Added some more mozzarella cheese and popped the beautiful masterpiece in the oven to bake.
It really did turn out good. I will be trying to perfect pizza soon. :)
Some recent news: this past Sunday, just yesterday, after church, with my parents and grandparents, and other members of my church gathered at the beach to get baptized and I am proud to say I was one of them. :) I cried, which made both my mom and grandma cry. It was a great day all around. :) After we got back to the house, my grandma gave me a beyond pretty tea set and tea, and a beautiful new silver cross necklace. I.had a cup of tea today in my new cups and wore my necklace later in the day.
We had a small cookout of hamburgers, grilled veggies, beans, and macaroni salad. I made a spiced pear upside-down cake the night before which we paired frozen yogurt. YUM! So glad my mom spent the afternoon with us. :)
Did I mention my dad and his friend cleaned off the front porch?! WELL THEY DID! Can you tell how excited I am. :) It was awesome to be able to sit on the porch and enjoy the amazing day we had. :)
Pictures from baptism will follow later. I'm having issues getting them out of an email but ill figure it out. :)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
I beat the kitchen 2 - 0..
I just to start off by saying, I love baking! Well of course y'all know that but I love it even more every time I make something new and it turns out flippin fantastic. This afternoon I made Chocolate and Almond Cake with Chocolate butter icing. YUM!
The process was time consuming and my egg whites gave me a little trouble but I got it made. It was a little thinner than I expected but I believe it will be rich. As you can see below I made a design around the edge and in the middle with almond slivers. Fun stuff! :)
While the cake was cooling, I made divinity. The recipe is in the prior post. It's wonderful. When I was finished with the sticky mess I told my dad to check out my beautiful clouds of sweet heaven. He laughed and tried one. :)
Tomorrow I'll be going to church with my dad and then out to my Gma's for mother's day lunch. It should be fun. I should probably figure out how I'm going to wrap her present..
For all those mothers out there, I hope you have an awesome day tomorrow. Good night!
Lots of Baking Going on Today!
Mother's Day might be kind of bittersweet this year. My mother and I have been distant for a few months and where I've been trying to bring our relationship back to life, she's not even meeting me a 1/4 of the way. I'm dealing with it but sometimes I wonder what's going on inside that woman's brain.
Of course I'm going to use this holiday as an excuse to try out new recipes and hopefully wow my family all over again, like with the Carrot Cupcakes. On today's list of baking plans, I will be making a Julia Childs recipe for Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing, Mama's Divinity Recipe from Paula Dean's website and Hummingbird Cake from JoyofBaking.com. I'm pretty excited and nervous to get started. I don't really know what to make first.. Well first I have to get my Dad home so we can go to the grocery store to get a few things I know we don't have.. like white corn syrup and unsalted butter and crushed pineapple and almonds and CHOCOLATE! :)
I know I can go shopping by myself but I know we need a lot more for just us so he needs to come pay for all that. ;) I've got my many lists ready to go just need daddy'd wallet. lol.
I went to visit my mother Wednesday and stopped to get McDonald's on the way cause she wasn't picking up and I knew she'd be mad when I got done banging on the front door. Well I was right but we had a good visit after I opened the curtains and turned some lights on. It was like a tomb in there. lol. I got a stain glass window hanging to go in my kitchen window and the 1989 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book from her. Seemed perfect. A cookbook from the year I was born just sitting at my moms, collecting dust. She says it's on loan but more than likely I'm going to just keep it and try to make as much as I can from it before I start the program at my college. It's a great learning book. It has tools for measuring and how long to cook things, and conversions all throughout it. If I don't use the recipe for Paula's divinity, I might use the one in this cookbook cause that's where I got the idea in the first place. Oh and I got a candy thermometer from her to use so I know I'll be making my Grandma's favorite candy for her for Mother's Day. :)
I guess I can clean up the kitchen some in the mean time. My Dad called me back a little bit ago and said he was getting close to heading home. I will post pictures as soon as there's something to take pictures of. :)
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! I've had my stereo turned up playing feel good music for the past hour so I'm feeling pretty wonderful right now. :)
Of course I'm going to use this holiday as an excuse to try out new recipes and hopefully wow my family all over again, like with the Carrot Cupcakes. On today's list of baking plans, I will be making a Julia Childs recipe for Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing, Mama's Divinity Recipe from Paula Dean's website and Hummingbird Cake from JoyofBaking.com. I'm pretty excited and nervous to get started. I don't really know what to make first.. Well first I have to get my Dad home so we can go to the grocery store to get a few things I know we don't have.. like white corn syrup and unsalted butter and crushed pineapple and almonds and CHOCOLATE! :)
I know I can go shopping by myself but I know we need a lot more for just us so he needs to come pay for all that. ;) I've got my many lists ready to go just need daddy'd wallet. lol.
I went to visit my mother Wednesday and stopped to get McDonald's on the way cause she wasn't picking up and I knew she'd be mad when I got done banging on the front door. Well I was right but we had a good visit after I opened the curtains and turned some lights on. It was like a tomb in there. lol. I got a stain glass window hanging to go in my kitchen window and the 1989 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book from her. Seemed perfect. A cookbook from the year I was born just sitting at my moms, collecting dust. She says it's on loan but more than likely I'm going to just keep it and try to make as much as I can from it before I start the program at my college. It's a great learning book. It has tools for measuring and how long to cook things, and conversions all throughout it. If I don't use the recipe for Paula's divinity, I might use the one in this cookbook cause that's where I got the idea in the first place. Oh and I got a candy thermometer from her to use so I know I'll be making my Grandma's favorite candy for her for Mother's Day. :)
I guess I can clean up the kitchen some in the mean time. My Dad called me back a little bit ago and said he was getting close to heading home. I will post pictures as soon as there's something to take pictures of. :)
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! I've had my stereo turned up playing feel good music for the past hour so I'm feeling pretty wonderful right now. :)
Friday, May 6, 2011
Just right for me.. :)
Okay so I've got ten minutes to waste while I let this facial mask do its work.
Over the last two days I have done some pretty extensive research on the subject of college and I was pretty surprised at what I found. A few scams, a lawsuit, and respect for these really really smart people. My search began with just a simple google search for the knife brand that my college prefers for their culinary students but while I found out that Henkels are amazing and expensive, I also found out that Le Cordon Blue college in Pasadena, California has a lawsuit out against them for taking close to $45,000 from a student and then didn't help him(as they promised they would) find a good paying job. He was left in serious debt, trying to live on a hourly pay of $10 an hour. They keep calling him to see if he's got a job, but every time they follow up with payment talk. His parents are furious that they lied and told his son he would be a sous chef right out of college and he could barely get a job as a dishwasher.. or something like that.
I was taken back by this story and by all the people who commented on it. Over a thousand comments if my memory serves me right. An ex-recruiter at another Art Institute/ Culinary Institute/ Le Cordon Blue location commented, saying that she would get reprimanded if she didn't meet a quota of new enrolled students and if she tried to warn the students and was found out, she could be fired. OH! and the recruiters are making more than the teachers! I can't believe that.
Le Cordon Blue colleges around the US are 90% fake. They hike up the tuition 60% more than the original and the Art Institute seems to be following in the same foot steps. It also sounded like as long as you are paying, you pass your classes but if you're late or miss a payment, they start messing with your education.. It kind of made me sad but also glad that I don't have the money to throw away. I have no problem going to a community college where I can take almost all the same classes, get the same certificates and if I decide to go to another college to further my education, my credits will transfer. NOT the case with AI or LCB.
My dad has a friend who completed the culinary program at my college and is now working in a nice restaurant in our community but he started in a respectful entry level position and worked his way up. I certainly don't expect to get out of college and get an amazing paying job. I want to learn what people below the chef have to do. I will also be picking his brain soon.
Did I mention the money..? Oh yah, that really high number up there. Well, at my community college where the curriculum is about the same, it's somewhere around 35-40,000 less. I refuse to pay for a name. It doesn't help you get a job any better than the one of a community college, specially in these times. It's about your skill level and what you know.
I know most of my posts are pleasant and bubbly and I'm sorry this one is not but I'm still amped up about all the people getting ripped off. It makes me really sad that so many have and will be taken advantage of. This is a time to read every bit of the fine print and have the president do a background check. ;)
I'm very happy with my decision to stick with my college, I'll be driving just as far as I would to the Ai campus even, since I'll be taking most of my courses at a different campus and I think that is exciting as well. I love exploring the different campuses. This will be the 4th for me. There's just so much to look forward to. I feel this is finally the path I'm supposed to be on. I knew that asking god for guidance would eventually work. He would show me in time. :)
After this negative talk of those two schools, I want to say that the information was not provided by a completely reliable source. It was past students, a few that in the programs now, a few ex-recruiters and the information they sent me just today. I understand that there are a lot of students that are in school to learn something they are really passionate about, but then there are a those who just pick the trade with the highest estimated yearly income. I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just want to learn to be a better baker and maybe become a pastry chef in time and I think I can achieve those goals where I'm at.
Okay. I'm done. It's been longer than ten minutes and I know my eyes are probably red from looking at this screen in bad light again for the third night in a row. :(
Over the last two days I have done some pretty extensive research on the subject of college and I was pretty surprised at what I found. A few scams, a lawsuit, and respect for these really really smart people. My search began with just a simple google search for the knife brand that my college prefers for their culinary students but while I found out that Henkels are amazing and expensive, I also found out that Le Cordon Blue college in Pasadena, California has a lawsuit out against them for taking close to $45,000 from a student and then didn't help him(as they promised they would) find a good paying job. He was left in serious debt, trying to live on a hourly pay of $10 an hour. They keep calling him to see if he's got a job, but every time they follow up with payment talk. His parents are furious that they lied and told his son he would be a sous chef right out of college and he could barely get a job as a dishwasher.. or something like that.
I was taken back by this story and by all the people who commented on it. Over a thousand comments if my memory serves me right. An ex-recruiter at another Art Institute/ Culinary Institute/ Le Cordon Blue location commented, saying that she would get reprimanded if she didn't meet a quota of new enrolled students and if she tried to warn the students and was found out, she could be fired. OH! and the recruiters are making more than the teachers! I can't believe that.
Le Cordon Blue colleges around the US are 90% fake. They hike up the tuition 60% more than the original and the Art Institute seems to be following in the same foot steps. It also sounded like as long as you are paying, you pass your classes but if you're late or miss a payment, they start messing with your education.. It kind of made me sad but also glad that I don't have the money to throw away. I have no problem going to a community college where I can take almost all the same classes, get the same certificates and if I decide to go to another college to further my education, my credits will transfer. NOT the case with AI or LCB.
My dad has a friend who completed the culinary program at my college and is now working in a nice restaurant in our community but he started in a respectful entry level position and worked his way up. I certainly don't expect to get out of college and get an amazing paying job. I want to learn what people below the chef have to do. I will also be picking his brain soon.
Did I mention the money..? Oh yah, that really high number up there. Well, at my community college where the curriculum is about the same, it's somewhere around 35-40,000 less. I refuse to pay for a name. It doesn't help you get a job any better than the one of a community college, specially in these times. It's about your skill level and what you know.
I know most of my posts are pleasant and bubbly and I'm sorry this one is not but I'm still amped up about all the people getting ripped off. It makes me really sad that so many have and will be taken advantage of. This is a time to read every bit of the fine print and have the president do a background check. ;)
I'm very happy with my decision to stick with my college, I'll be driving just as far as I would to the Ai campus even, since I'll be taking most of my courses at a different campus and I think that is exciting as well. I love exploring the different campuses. This will be the 4th for me. There's just so much to look forward to. I feel this is finally the path I'm supposed to be on. I knew that asking god for guidance would eventually work. He would show me in time. :)
After this negative talk of those two schools, I want to say that the information was not provided by a completely reliable source. It was past students, a few that in the programs now, a few ex-recruiters and the information they sent me just today. I understand that there are a lot of students that are in school to learn something they are really passionate about, but then there are a those who just pick the trade with the highest estimated yearly income. I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just want to learn to be a better baker and maybe become a pastry chef in time and I think I can achieve those goals where I'm at.
Okay. I'm done. It's been longer than ten minutes and I know my eyes are probably red from looking at this screen in bad light again for the third night in a row. :(
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Call from Art Institute..
I filled out some information just yesterday afternoon on the Ai website hoping to get an information packet in the mail in a week or so, but to my surprise, around 2pm today I got a call from Marcel. He wanted to ask me a little bit about why I contacted them and where I was in my college education. It was a very pleasant phone call. He had a lovely voice and I will be receiving an information packet on their culinary program soon. He wanted me to come in this friday for a tour and short interview to see if I would be a good fit for the school but this is all so new that I had to tell him that I needed to speak with a few family members first. It had me giddy though. I really need to get a job soon so I can be saving money. Even if I don't switch schools I need to be saving money for when my Dad finally comes to his senses and sends me out into the real world. ;)
Motivation has been key lately. I needed to see others succeeding to feel like I needed to get up and do something productive myself. But, now I can just get up and make a plan for the day in the amount of time it takes me go to kitchen, pour a cup of coffee and sit down to watch Kathy and Hoda. Today's plan was to simply sign up for a beginners Spanish class. I figure that I need to take a class while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do about my major dilemma. Taking another language seemed really practical. It will be a great addition to my resume and may help when applying for jobs that would prefer someone who is bilingual. I've noticed more and more job adds that want Spanish/ English speaking applicants. I've got to give a lot of credit to my Dad for that idea but I had already let the idea roll around in my head a few weeks back.
I did find a spanish class with a professor that got great reviews on ratemyprofessor.com, so I'm excited to get started next month. Not my ideal time to take class since I'll be driving on a busy highway in lunch traffic but I'll be fine. Not the first time I've taken a class where I had to drive through bad traffic areas. I am just glad to be taking a class that should actually get me somewhere in the career world. I can't say the same for many of the other classes I've taken.
I wanna leave you with this amazing quote I heard today on the Nate Berkus show. It was said on December 17th, 2010 during his show by Maya Angelou.
Home is my refuge. Not only from the world but a refuge from my worries and all my terrible concerns.
Motivation has been key lately. I needed to see others succeeding to feel like I needed to get up and do something productive myself. But, now I can just get up and make a plan for the day in the amount of time it takes me go to kitchen, pour a cup of coffee and sit down to watch Kathy and Hoda. Today's plan was to simply sign up for a beginners Spanish class. I figure that I need to take a class while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do about my major dilemma. Taking another language seemed really practical. It will be a great addition to my resume and may help when applying for jobs that would prefer someone who is bilingual. I've noticed more and more job adds that want Spanish/ English speaking applicants. I've got to give a lot of credit to my Dad for that idea but I had already let the idea roll around in my head a few weeks back.
I did find a spanish class with a professor that got great reviews on ratemyprofessor.com, so I'm excited to get started next month. Not my ideal time to take class since I'll be driving on a busy highway in lunch traffic but I'll be fine. Not the first time I've taken a class where I had to drive through bad traffic areas. I am just glad to be taking a class that should actually get me somewhere in the career world. I can't say the same for many of the other classes I've taken.
I wanna leave you with this amazing quote I heard today on the Nate Berkus show. It was said on December 17th, 2010 during his show by Maya Angelou.
Home is my refuge. Not only from the world but a refuge from my worries and all my terrible concerns.
I like beautiful things around me. I like it to be beautiful because it delights my eyes and my soul is lifted
up. - Maya Angelou
Monday, May 2, 2011
What to do? Where to go?
I have been exploring food and baking more and more lately and I've always had a passion for food but with all the discouraging news about the job market I'm starting to think a change in majors might be a smart move. I remember helping my grandmother make biscuits when I was still to short to reach the countertop and had to use a step stool. My dad helped fuel my passion as well by making the best desserts for the holidays. Prune Cake, Sweet Potato Pie and Rum Cake were just a few of my favorites. Still are.
After letting our Easter lunch settle, my Aunt, cousin Lauren and my aforementioned Grandma were sitting around the kitchen discussing my cousins upcoming graduation. Of course my schooling was brought up since we are the same age and started college at the same time. Not really a big deal. We had different backgrounds and financial circumstances. And, I have so many passions that I still don't know which one I would excel in the best. First it was fashion, then I just focused on my general education, then Digital Media Technologies and now I exploring the idea of a culinary program.
Sitting around the table with my lovely Carrot Cupcakes almost half eaten, I was so excited about how well they turned out, I couldn't help but talk about how I made them. People online have been telling me for weeks that I should do something in the cooking department but until my family mentioned going to school for it, I hadn't really thought about it. A friend of my middle cousin, apparently went down to Disney and is working there while taking their culinary courses but when I came home and did a little research on my own, I found out that they are not really accredited and even though they pay you while you are going to school there, you still have to shell out a pretty large amount. It still sounds cool but it would only be something I'd do after I got a year or so of credited courses under my belt. After the Disney idea was shut down, I went on to see where else in my city they offered a culinary program and so far I've found that the college I'm already attending offers one and the Art Institute as well.
It's kind of scary looking at the tuition costs though so I'm hesitant to tell anyone about my wants to change my major. I have been very lucky over the years, that my grandparents have helped with books and other things and my Dad has done what he could when spare money was available. I've never had to ask for the money and have covered the cost of books and art supplies almost every semester.
Something else that's bothering me is the fact that every time I get on my college website, it either shuts down or wont do anything I want it to do. Part of me thinks that's a sign that I'm not supposed start back yet. I still pray that I get a job so I can at least be bringing in some money while I'm deciding what I want to be when I grow up. ;) Like today I got on the site to see when the next semester started and to see what the course list was the culinary program and that's as far as it would let me go. After finding the course list, I tried to do a class search to see the available classes and it wouldn't even load the class search. :( As usual, I closed the tab and went on to something else. The next semester starts May 9th. I wonder if I'll be taking classes or not.
On a better note, just because my school future is unsure doesn't mean that my future dinner is. Tonight we will be having the left over pork chops but I will be making roasted new potatoes like I have done before. I'm pretty excited. AND if I'm feeling extra special in the kitchen, I'll be making something that involves cocoa powder. I'll let you know what I come up with if I do in fact make something chocolatey.
It was a pretty uneventful Monday but I'm glad it didn't rain. I got some small chores done. Dusting, I cleaned wax off some candle holders, rearranged some knick-knacks onto the new bookcase by the door and a load of laundry. Happy and content here in my domain. :)
Picture below is of my awesome lunch. Hormel black pepper turkey slices on Italian 5 Grain deli baguette from Publix, with mayo, mustard and pickles. Cape Cod Sweet Barbecue chips on the side. My favorite! :)
After letting our Easter lunch settle, my Aunt, cousin Lauren and my aforementioned Grandma were sitting around the kitchen discussing my cousins upcoming graduation. Of course my schooling was brought up since we are the same age and started college at the same time. Not really a big deal. We had different backgrounds and financial circumstances. And, I have so many passions that I still don't know which one I would excel in the best. First it was fashion, then I just focused on my general education, then Digital Media Technologies and now I exploring the idea of a culinary program.
Sitting around the table with my lovely Carrot Cupcakes almost half eaten, I was so excited about how well they turned out, I couldn't help but talk about how I made them. People online have been telling me for weeks that I should do something in the cooking department but until my family mentioned going to school for it, I hadn't really thought about it. A friend of my middle cousin, apparently went down to Disney and is working there while taking their culinary courses but when I came home and did a little research on my own, I found out that they are not really accredited and even though they pay you while you are going to school there, you still have to shell out a pretty large amount. It still sounds cool but it would only be something I'd do after I got a year or so of credited courses under my belt. After the Disney idea was shut down, I went on to see where else in my city they offered a culinary program and so far I've found that the college I'm already attending offers one and the Art Institute as well.
It's kind of scary looking at the tuition costs though so I'm hesitant to tell anyone about my wants to change my major. I have been very lucky over the years, that my grandparents have helped with books and other things and my Dad has done what he could when spare money was available. I've never had to ask for the money and have covered the cost of books and art supplies almost every semester.
Something else that's bothering me is the fact that every time I get on my college website, it either shuts down or wont do anything I want it to do. Part of me thinks that's a sign that I'm not supposed start back yet. I still pray that I get a job so I can at least be bringing in some money while I'm deciding what I want to be when I grow up. ;) Like today I got on the site to see when the next semester started and to see what the course list was the culinary program and that's as far as it would let me go. After finding the course list, I tried to do a class search to see the available classes and it wouldn't even load the class search. :( As usual, I closed the tab and went on to something else. The next semester starts May 9th. I wonder if I'll be taking classes or not.
On a better note, just because my school future is unsure doesn't mean that my future dinner is. Tonight we will be having the left over pork chops but I will be making roasted new potatoes like I have done before. I'm pretty excited. AND if I'm feeling extra special in the kitchen, I'll be making something that involves cocoa powder. I'll let you know what I come up with if I do in fact make something chocolatey.
It was a pretty uneventful Monday but I'm glad it didn't rain. I got some small chores done. Dusting, I cleaned wax off some candle holders, rearranged some knick-knacks onto the new bookcase by the door and a load of laundry. Happy and content here in my domain. :)
Picture below is of my awesome lunch. Hormel black pepper turkey slices on Italian 5 Grain deli baguette from Publix, with mayo, mustard and pickles. Cape Cod Sweet Barbecue chips on the side. My favorite! :)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Rite Spot Pork Chops..
About a year ago one of our favorite restaurants at the beach closed after the new owners couldn't afford the upkeep. It was unfortunate but we did get one of our favorite recipes before they shut their doors for good.
One of the best, and there were many, meals served there was marinated center cut pork chops. I used to get a side salad with ginger dressing and green beans or cabbage for sides. Soo good.
The recipe is pretty simple.. and tonight we marinated 5 center cut pork chops in:
1 cup low sodium soy
1 cup Apple juice
1/3 cup honey
For an hour as the least but the longer the better. Brown both sides and then set off to the side, not on top of the fire. Then cook with a water pan for 15 minutes.. then if you have a piece of hickory wood then place that on the coals for 2-3 minutes more.
We soaked squash in water for an hour and then paired it with zucchini and cooked in water with onions and salt. The sweetest white corn boiled as well. Dinner was awesome and I'm stuffed and I didn't even eat that much. :) Scones for dessert. :)
Hope everyone had an wonderful weekend. Tomorrow I will be rearranging furniture since we acquired two new bookcases Friday and they have yet to be put in their places. :) I may just have this house visitor ready by thanksgiving. :D
Friday, April 29, 2011
Scrumptious Scones.. yeah for Biquick!
Today started so early I feel like two days have pasted and tomorrow is Sunday and I have to get up extra early for church.. but that's not the case. I didn't get to take a nap but I also didn't work at full speed. But for a full day I made a lot. Coffee twice, belgium waffles, cut grapefruits, made egg salad and cut cucumbers for the sandwiches, made awesome orange black tea, and last but not least.. the scones. I split the dough in half and added cheddar cheese to half and Craisins to the other half. They both turned out awesome. Im very happy with them, for my first time.
Scone Recipe
2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
2-3 TBSP of butter
2 TBSP of sugar
1/2 cup of cream or milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine sugar and Bisquick. Cut butter in small pieces and mix into dry ingredients until it looks crumbly. Then add the cream but be sure to not make it soupy. You want it to look like biscuit dough. Move the dough to a flat surface you've sprinkled with more Bisquick or flour and need it just a little to create a nice round 1/2 in. mound. Use a 2-3 in. cookie cutter to cut the dough.. place on a pam sprayed cookie sheet. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
You can see where I cut the cheese scones differently. I cut it like a pizza before I put it in the oven and it took a little longer since it was closer together. If you make a whole batch of cheese scones, I would recommend using less sugar.. and half a cup of cheese.
And you can just spoon them onto the cookie sheet without using a cookie cutter for a rougher top. They seemed to rise better that way too.
Top with a little pat of butter and keep warm wrapped in a kitchen towel in a bowl. :)
Traditionally scones are served with a cream butter but I was too tired to make some and they tasted wonderful by themselves. :)
I'm going to bed a happy girl. Going to a graduation in the morning. I'll be up around 7am. :( I'm glad I'll have scones to have for breakfast in the morning instead of having to make something in a rush.
I hope that all you ladies out there dream of your very own fairytale tonight and remember your standards and that dreams can come true. :)
I hope that all you ladies out there dream of your very own fairytale tonight and remember your standards and that dreams can come true. :)
A Day to Remember..
Today a common girl became a Princess. It was just magical to watch history being made. The ceremony, the venue, and well come on.. the dress. I woke up at 3:55am to insure that I wouldn't miss anything. To my surprise I found out that I could have slept in another hour and still caught Katherine entering Westminster Abbey, but I had coffee set to come on at 4am so I decided to just get up and be excited and watch the real life fairytale instead of dreaming of one. I thought it was important to watch and make the idea of having my own fairytale one day more tangible. A friend of mine's child brought something else important into view, that everyone who watched this morning also in a way went to church. I loved one part of the mass when the priest said something along the lines of, "When two people come together in marriage they make a work of art with each other." If you didn't hear it, it might not sound as amazing but it really touched me. I had to write it down. :)
I will admit that in my giddy excitement, I decided that I wanted to capture the royal memory with my camera phone and I will post pictures to follow. :) I just kept thinking that I would get to remember this day and where I was and who I spent it with forever. Maybe one day I'll get to see them become King and Queen and think back on the morning where I got up and watched the wedding with my Dad and then later had a lovely breakfast with my friend Stevi. We had grapefruit, fresh waffles with syrup and powdered sugar sprinkled on top, and coffee of course. Got to have the coffee when 4am wake up times are involved. All was very delicious and I got to spend a pretty morning with a good friend. :)
We were greeted with cooler weather this morning and a nice breeze which lead me to turn my A/C off and open the windows. My wind chime is adding awesome background music to the day.
I have an informal menu planned for lunch/ dinner today. I will be making tea sandwiches of the egg and cucumber variety, along with cranberry and cheese scones. Of course I will be making my own tea. I plan to make a hot black tea to serve and also a cold tea full of orange slices and maybe lime slices also. I have cordially invited my mother to join me for Afternoon Tea and I pray she excepts my invitation but it will not be the end of the world if she does not.
My table has been set and used and reset to be used again when my next guests arrive. I loved decorating and digging through my cabinets for serving pieces and arranging everything specially for the day. Everything is a little mix-match with a vintage feel but fun. I found pretty smoke colored glass goblets yesterday while out and the main color showcased is red. The red is probably the only thing royal in my whole set up but I'm about as south as you can get and a southerner first and foremost.
Even though the love filled Royal Wedding and processional is over, my day will be full of love and food and thanks to God for the beautiful day. Cheers! everyone. :)
I will admit that in my giddy excitement, I decided that I wanted to capture the royal memory with my camera phone and I will post pictures to follow. :) I just kept thinking that I would get to remember this day and where I was and who I spent it with forever. Maybe one day I'll get to see them become King and Queen and think back on the morning where I got up and watched the wedding with my Dad and then later had a lovely breakfast with my friend Stevi. We had grapefruit, fresh waffles with syrup and powdered sugar sprinkled on top, and coffee of course. Got to have the coffee when 4am wake up times are involved. All was very delicious and I got to spend a pretty morning with a good friend. :)
I have an informal menu planned for lunch/ dinner today. I will be making tea sandwiches of the egg and cucumber variety, along with cranberry and cheese scones. Of course I will be making my own tea. I plan to make a hot black tea to serve and also a cold tea full of orange slices and maybe lime slices also. I have cordially invited my mother to join me for Afternoon Tea and I pray she excepts my invitation but it will not be the end of the world if she does not.
My table has been set and used and reset to be used again when my next guests arrive. I loved decorating and digging through my cabinets for serving pieces and arranging everything specially for the day. Everything is a little mix-match with a vintage feel but fun. I found pretty smoke colored glass goblets yesterday while out and the main color showcased is red. The red is probably the only thing royal in my whole set up but I'm about as south as you can get and a southerner first and foremost.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
How will you be spending your Friday.. around 4am..
Unless you are living under a rock, most of you know that this Friday, Prince William and Kate Middleton will be getting married. Well for those of us "Yanks" who want to watch the whole affair, we will have to get up at 4am and hope that our tea is caffeinated. I guess there are those who shell out the money for special recording services but I do not so I will be going to bed extra early tomorrow night and setting my alarm. :)
I hadn't come to the decision to watch the Royal Wedding till after watching The Nate Berkus Show today where they talked about everything royal and british. It got me thinking about how this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the event live and see what all the fuss has been about. I got the idea from Nate to plan a special menu for Friday. I'll will unfortunately be alone most of the day but that will give me time to prepare something fun and appropriate for the special day.
Brief History Lesson: Afternoon tea was started by a young duchess in the 19th century who would get hungry long before the very late 9 o'clock dinners. She asked for tea and some bread with butter and little cakes to tide her over and that is where afternoon tea seems to have originated from. Later it became a social event and now it is simply a way of life for many English and Scottish who call it High Tea instead.
Nate had a man on today who showed how to make his mothers recipe for scones which had cheddar cheese in them and Pimm's Cup which is a fun sounding liquor drink. SO after watching I got online to find the recipe and them started thinking I could find a sweeter version and I think after talking with a cousin of mine, I've found the one I want to use. I will also be making egg salad and cucumber sandwiches on white bread cut in cute triangles. Revised recipes will probably follow cause I always change my mind last minute or make my own variations.
BUT.. here are the links and recipes where I'm taking ideas from. :)
http://www.thenateshow.com/tipsandtools/detail/colin-cowies-royal-recipes
http://britishfood.about.com/od/cakesandbaking/r/scones.htm
I actually have a cousin who will be braving the crowds Friday to catch a glimpse of the royal family and the trendy, soon-to-be Princess Kate. I really hope she posts pictures on Facebook. I am genuinely excited as of now and I'm sure she is too.
Good night and God Bless. I hope I might have inspired some of you to make something special for the day or maybe just made you rethink getting enough sleep thursday night. :)
I hadn't come to the decision to watch the Royal Wedding till after watching The Nate Berkus Show today where they talked about everything royal and british. It got me thinking about how this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the event live and see what all the fuss has been about. I got the idea from Nate to plan a special menu for Friday. I'll will unfortunately be alone most of the day but that will give me time to prepare something fun and appropriate for the special day.
Brief History Lesson: Afternoon tea was started by a young duchess in the 19th century who would get hungry long before the very late 9 o'clock dinners. She asked for tea and some bread with butter and little cakes to tide her over and that is where afternoon tea seems to have originated from. Later it became a social event and now it is simply a way of life for many English and Scottish who call it High Tea instead.
Nate had a man on today who showed how to make his mothers recipe for scones which had cheddar cheese in them and Pimm's Cup which is a fun sounding liquor drink. SO after watching I got online to find the recipe and them started thinking I could find a sweeter version and I think after talking with a cousin of mine, I've found the one I want to use. I will also be making egg salad and cucumber sandwiches on white bread cut in cute triangles. Revised recipes will probably follow cause I always change my mind last minute or make my own variations.
BUT.. here are the links and recipes where I'm taking ideas from. :)
http://www.thenateshow.com/tipsandtools/detail/colin-cowies-royal-recipes
http://britishfood.about.com/od/cakesandbaking/r/scones.htm
I actually have a cousin who will be braving the crowds Friday to catch a glimpse of the royal family and the trendy, soon-to-be Princess Kate. I really hope she posts pictures on Facebook. I am genuinely excited as of now and I'm sure she is too.
Good night and God Bless. I hope I might have inspired some of you to make something special for the day or maybe just made you rethink getting enough sleep thursday night. :)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday isn't just another day..
Today didn't start with boom like last night ended. Gotta love when your neighbours stay up late playing awfully loud music with an open window facing your house. :(
But I did wake up with a mission. I was going to make some wonderfully sweet dessert that will wow my family and select friends. On the dessert menu for tomorrow will be Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. All from scratch!.. and grated by hand. I know. I'm amazing. ;)
***Finished Product***
Here is the link to the Carrot Cupcake recipe!!! :)
carrot cake with maple-cream cheese frosting
Here is the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!!! :)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar (I say taste it after 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar because mine turned out almost too sweet)
1/4. t. vanilla extract
dash ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
Use an electric hand mixer to mix the cream cheese and butter together. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mix until all lumps are gone. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix till evenly dispersed. Taste to see if it is sweet enough for your liking and then chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
I used a plastic baggie to decorate the cupcakes. I cut the tip off of one corner and had more fun than I thought I would considering how tired I was from all the work. My dad was laughing at how giggly I was. :) Might have been the beginning of the deliriousness.. :)
I highly recommend you all try this recipe! It is delicious. The cake turns out moist and just looks awesome! Oh and I added some raisins but not the full suggested amount and no nuts. :) ENJOY!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tonight dinner pictures..
It was pretty darn delicious for frozen fish if I do say so myself. I was out of white rice so I made some Uncle Bens long grain rice and it was so good. The green beans were good but I already knew they would be.
Lili and lexi are fast asleep with Peter Pan on low volume. UNFORTUNATELY the cable is out so no Vampire Diaries tonight. :( I'm just going to ask for guidance in my little problem and read my bible.
It was really nice out today. I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy it. Tomorrow is Good Friday and my dad is off work. I hope we get to spend part of it together. :)
Lili and lexi are fast asleep with Peter Pan on low volume. UNFORTUNATELY the cable is out so no Vampire Diaries tonight. :( I'm just going to ask for guidance in my little problem and read my bible.
It was really nice out today. I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy it. Tomorrow is Good Friday and my dad is off work. I hope we get to spend part of it together. :)
Hello world..
I was awake pretty late last night reading.. the bible and I kept finding awesome verses that related to what's going on and I just couldn't stop flipping through it. :)
Dad came home for a little break this afternoon which was nice. Nice for him to get to take a break from work in the middle of the day and me to get some interaction. I get so stir crazy during the day sometimes.
I did plan dinner for tonight though. I will be making Lemon-Baked Cod with green beans and rice. THis plate is going to look awesome! I can't wait to post pictures! I'm going to put Panko bread crumbs on the fish and add Rotel to the green beans(just a little trick I came up with to make green beans not so bland.) I think I'll leave the rice alone except for some butter just cause there has to be one simple part to the plate.
I've been listening to my Christian radio station on Pandora Radio for the past couple hours. I feel so content. :) I should probably watch last weeks Vampire Diaries before I go to Erica's but more than likely their TV still isn't picking up channels. Oh well. Im going to get started on dinner here in a little bit so watching a show probably isn't the smartest thing to start doing now.
Dad forgot to water the garden this morning so I just watered the edges and my potted plants since I could pull them out of the sun. I'll be leaving him a note to water them when he gets home if he doesn't get here before I leave for Erica's.
Song of the moment is: Glorious Day(Living he love me) by Casting Crowns :)
Dad came home for a little break this afternoon which was nice. Nice for him to get to take a break from work in the middle of the day and me to get some interaction. I get so stir crazy during the day sometimes.
I did plan dinner for tonight though. I will be making Lemon-Baked Cod with green beans and rice. THis plate is going to look awesome! I can't wait to post pictures! I'm going to put Panko bread crumbs on the fish and add Rotel to the green beans(just a little trick I came up with to make green beans not so bland.) I think I'll leave the rice alone except for some butter just cause there has to be one simple part to the plate.
I've been listening to my Christian radio station on Pandora Radio for the past couple hours. I feel so content. :) I should probably watch last weeks Vampire Diaries before I go to Erica's but more than likely their TV still isn't picking up channels. Oh well. Im going to get started on dinner here in a little bit so watching a show probably isn't the smartest thing to start doing now.
Dad forgot to water the garden this morning so I just watered the edges and my potted plants since I could pull them out of the sun. I'll be leaving him a note to water them when he gets home if he doesn't get here before I leave for Erica's.
Song of the moment is: Glorious Day(Living he love me) by Casting Crowns :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Garden update..
Garden is doing just fine. I picked dead buds out yesterday and pulled a few baby weeds. Loving it. :) I bought a new garden stake with a humming bird on it. Soo cute. :)
Jesus take the wheel..
I don't think there's any better way to say it. I've decided to let Jesus take the hypothetical wheel of my life. I'm ready to let him in and start to guide me down my intended pathway. I'm ready to see myself as he sees me. I'm done worrying about stuff because I know I'm in his arms and that's the safest place I could ever be.
Tansy dear, you are my peace and joy warrior and without you I don't think I would have made it as far as I've come in this journey to find Jesus and faith. So thank you. You are a light in my life. You're smile is contagious and you radiate love and what I can only guess is the holy spirit. Thanks for lunch today. I had know idea that it would have gone the way it did but I feel like it was right.
I was soo high on the holy spirit earlier. I could barely keep composure and now I've had time to calm down and read some. I bought some stuff at the dollar store. All but one thing was for other people. :)
I'm ready to do great things and become a peace warrior for someone else.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Saturday Sunday tuesday..
So Saturday was lovely. A bit too windy for my hairs liking but still lovely none-the-less. I had a wonderful breakfast with my dad early early and then hit up an estate sale back by Mayo. My dad found a nice newer TV for his room for pretty cheap so we loaded it up and brought it home. I had been invited to go to Huguenot beach with a friend so I got my beach bag together and went to go get burned. Ha! No one actually wants to get burned at the beach but it always seems to happen at least once in a summer. Mine was on Saturday. That means I will be purchasing moisturizer with SPF in it and a big bottle of sunscreen for the remainder of the summer. I've been using aloe lotion everyday twice a day since saturday night and my face decided to start peeling this morning after my shower. My forehead and nose are so silly looking right now. :( Im dealing with it for now but I learned my lesson. Sunscreen or no sun!!!
As for Sunday, I had decided to go to church and see my new friends Tansy, Tara, Tasha and Jenny and Erica of course. And Erica's little sister came too which was a treat since I haven't seen her in a while. I knew I was going to be getting a surprise form Tansy but I didn't really know what it was going to be. Turns out she had bought me my own bible with my name on it. I LOVE it. It's a New International Version Study Bible and I've already started reading through it. I found a section near the back that tells you where different talking points are in the bible. It's in an A - Z set up and it made it easy to go find topics I wanted to read more about. :)
Church was great. I really enjoyed the Youth Minister that spoke. He spoke kind of fast but he spoke with clarity and with a young mind so that everyone could really understand the message he was trying to get across. Being cute to look at was nice too. ;)
Today seems like it's going to be great. My dads new TV is being installed. I'm going to meet up with Miss Tara to go Easter dress shopping in a little while and then Alpha at 6:30. :) I've got my windows open and the fans running and the wind is bringing the Ligustrum smell into the house. Probably will aggravate my allergies later but it smells great right now.
I'm so glad that I am excited about Easter this year. I can finally appreciate the meaning of the holiday and share it with the people I've become friends with. I'm trying to talk my Dad into coming to the Eater service at the Vineyard but I'm not sure I'm going to have much luck. I'm already nervous about exposing him to this contemporary church but I think he needs to see where I'm going so he can be more comfortable.
In conclusion to this recap of the last couple days and my feelings of this weekend coming up, I am feeling wonderful and hope that everyone else is. I love the feeling of finding my faith. :)
As for Sunday, I had decided to go to church and see my new friends Tansy, Tara, Tasha and Jenny and Erica of course. And Erica's little sister came too which was a treat since I haven't seen her in a while. I knew I was going to be getting a surprise form Tansy but I didn't really know what it was going to be. Turns out she had bought me my own bible with my name on it. I LOVE it. It's a New International Version Study Bible and I've already started reading through it. I found a section near the back that tells you where different talking points are in the bible. It's in an A - Z set up and it made it easy to go find topics I wanted to read more about. :)
Church was great. I really enjoyed the Youth Minister that spoke. He spoke kind of fast but he spoke with clarity and with a young mind so that everyone could really understand the message he was trying to get across. Being cute to look at was nice too. ;)
Today seems like it's going to be great. My dads new TV is being installed. I'm going to meet up with Miss Tara to go Easter dress shopping in a little while and then Alpha at 6:30. :) I've got my windows open and the fans running and the wind is bringing the Ligustrum smell into the house. Probably will aggravate my allergies later but it smells great right now.
I'm so glad that I am excited about Easter this year. I can finally appreciate the meaning of the holiday and share it with the people I've become friends with. I'm trying to talk my Dad into coming to the Eater service at the Vineyard but I'm not sure I'm going to have much luck. I'm already nervous about exposing him to this contemporary church but I think he needs to see where I'm going so he can be more comfortable.
In conclusion to this recap of the last couple days and my feelings of this weekend coming up, I am feeling wonderful and hope that everyone else is. I love the feeling of finding my faith. :)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Blog Name Change
The way my blog is headed it seems like I'll be writing more about finding myself and my little loves in life so I figured I should change the title so it's more open ended and then added my original title as the blog description. Hope it's not confusing for those who are reading along. :)
Great weekend ahead! Early breakfast and then beach tomorrow!
Love!
Great weekend ahead! Early breakfast and then beach tomorrow!
Love!
Light and Love are filling me up..
Of those of you that have watched me grow up or even just those who have known me since high school, you know that religion was never something that I talked about or wanted to explore. I would go to church with my Marmar aka Gramma aka Grandma when I was still too small to see past my hands reach but it was more about getting all dressed up and wearing some pretty necklace of hers and drawing on the back of the bulletin. Never about creating a relationship with Jesus. I've asked both my parents many questions about why they never took me to church growing up and the answers just fell short with several bad excuses. Being from a divorced family and never at the same house on Sundays was one.
After starting Alpha, a beginners study group at a local church, I realized that I didn't even know that the 10 commandments were from the Bible and on top of that.. I didn't know what they all were. My dad apologized for that one.
I was very unsure about church and praying in the beginning but now it's something I talk about everyday. I pray for things throughout the days and even people I don't have in my life anymore. I thank God for little things in my life, like my flowers growing and the sun shining and the wind blowing my new wind chime around. I've found that focusing on these little things alone can bring me so much joy. Sometimes I can sit by myself on the couch and stare out the window and just smile. And a little bit joy goes a long way. Everyone needs joy. I like to think I've met some joy warriors in the past few months.
With all that said, I want to let everyone how happy I am with my life right now. I'm so full of love and appreciation for everything and everyone around me. Lately I've been going over some unsettling things from my past that I need to let go of and everyday I ask got to show me the person he sees and everyday I see myself a little clearer. I was sitting here making a list of things I want to do this weekend, and my eyes were just.. open. Open soo wide. I know I'm experiencing some serious joy and peace when my eyes open up and I feel like I'm letting something wonderful in. Something bright that I don't get to see often.
I feel very light and full of love today, and I wanted to look and see if there were any verses in the Bible describing what I feel. I went to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and searched "life light" and this verse below came up. Not exactly what I was looking for but I think it's pretty and meaningful just the same.
John 1:3-5 (Contemporary English Version)
3And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.
I pray that everyone experiences some light and joy in there life today whether they recognize it as a gift from god or simply as a good day.
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.
I pray that everyone experiences some light and joy in there life today whether they recognize it as a gift from god or simply as a good day.
Breaking through the clutter..
Today seems to be going in slow motion. There's a task that I want to begin but I'm nervous to start it because of how large it is. Can you guess what it is?.. or what room it is rather?..
If you guessed my laundry/ computer room then you are the winner.. wanna come help me? I'm only joking of course. This room is a disaster and I would never subject anyone to it. I had a friend that would always enter it at her own risk to use the computer. Never made much sense. I have a lovely lightweight laptop that can sit with you in any room and she always wanted to go in there. :)
If I can put this room in perspective for you(those who haven't already seen it), it is a little 8x9 room with the washer and dryer and a built in corner desk. Doesn't sound scary till I tell you that it has my old wooden doll house, my childhood high chair, 4 storage tubs full of Christmas stuff, and all of my dads clothes. It just makes me ill!
The room has no A/C either so starting it means I'l probably be down to my bathing suit, sweating profusely by the time make a small dent in it. Okay, it's not that bad but it is stuffy and will need some incense or spray when I finally find the floor. ;)
I think I just realized that I am working myself up to get started. Aww. This blog is doing me some good (even though I feel as if no one is reading it since I CAN'T get any comments).
I think I am going to lay a sheet down on my living room floor cause it's the largest place to work in and start pulling stuff out. Then do a little organizing and moving. Thank god there isn't anything extra heavy so I should be able to do this all on my own.
Oh and just to keep with my blog topics, my flowers are doing great and I see a few more little green leafs popping up every day. :) AND how do you get the smell of Marigold's off your hands? I was picking the wilted flowers off this morning and I can't get the smell off even after washing with scented soap. :(
TIME TO GO BE PRODUCTIVE! :)
God give me the strength to break through the clutter if anything falls on me in the cleaning process.
If you guessed my laundry/ computer room then you are the winner.. wanna come help me? I'm only joking of course. This room is a disaster and I would never subject anyone to it. I had a friend that would always enter it at her own risk to use the computer. Never made much sense. I have a lovely lightweight laptop that can sit with you in any room and she always wanted to go in there. :)
If I can put this room in perspective for you(those who haven't already seen it), it is a little 8x9 room with the washer and dryer and a built in corner desk. Doesn't sound scary till I tell you that it has my old wooden doll house, my childhood high chair, 4 storage tubs full of Christmas stuff, and all of my dads clothes. It just makes me ill!
The room has no A/C either so starting it means I'l probably be down to my bathing suit, sweating profusely by the time make a small dent in it. Okay, it's not that bad but it is stuffy and will need some incense or spray when I finally find the floor. ;)
I think I just realized that I am working myself up to get started. Aww. This blog is doing me some good (even though I feel as if no one is reading it since I CAN'T get any comments).
I think I am going to lay a sheet down on my living room floor cause it's the largest place to work in and start pulling stuff out. Then do a little organizing and moving. Thank god there isn't anything extra heavy so I should be able to do this all on my own.
Oh and just to keep with my blog topics, my flowers are doing great and I see a few more little green leafs popping up every day. :) AND how do you get the smell of Marigold's off your hands? I was picking the wilted flowers off this morning and I can't get the smell off even after washing with scented soap. :(
TIME TO GO BE PRODUCTIVE! :)
God give me the strength to break through the clutter if anything falls on me in the cleaning process.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe for easter!
- Found this recipe while searching for something special to make for Easter and I think I will be making these for sure come Easter Egg hunting time. :)
Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
photo courtesy of emmyboop
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles) or 4 oz beet juice (if you use unprocessed light cocoa you can leave out the food dyes and you'll get a warm red/brown color)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins or silicone pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful as it will fizz so don't do it in a shallow bowl. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Fill cupcake cups with cake batter until they are a little under 3/4 full. I ended up with 20 cupcakes. Place muffin tins in your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20, rotating pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when you are able to pat the tops and the cake springs back up. If it sinks down they are not yet complete. Or you can insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the center of the tin and if it comes out clean they are done!
5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.
I don't think I've ever been this excited for Easter in all the years I've known what it was. Even in the years where I couldn't wait to dye eggs or go easter egg hunting. I feel like something in me has gotten a little bit older, more mature. The crafty person inside me still wants to dye eggs in some creative way and I'm sure I will be posting some crazy Martha Stewart craft as we get closer to the day but I definitely know that something has changed and for the better. :)
I will with out a doubt NOT forget to let you all know when I finally get around to making these. In fact I'm sure you'll find out as soon as I get all the ingredients and then the day before I actually make them. :) OH and I already have the cupcake tins which will get their moment in the spotlight.
I will with out a doubt NOT forget to let you all know when I finally get around to making these. In fact I'm sure you'll find out as soon as I get all the ingredients and then the day before I actually make them. :) OH and I already have the cupcake tins which will get their moment in the spotlight.
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