No TWD (again)

I am not going to be able to make the TWD Cheesecake today. And I know I said I wouldn't be blogging, but plans have changed. What was originally going to be a leisurely week at my house. Turned into house sitting at my parent's house.
They live in the middle of nowhere...
...surrounded by corn fields
...and wide open spaces (did i just hear someone belt out some Dixie Chicks?)
...and lots of animals. LOTS. horses and dogs and cats Oh my!

So I will be reading and knitting, (one hat done!) and just chillaxin'.

I will be back next week, with stories about my winter break that will put hair on your chest. I don't know if that is true, but maybe I am enticing you to come back and visit my blog next week. :)

Happy New Year and Auld Lang Syne your little hearts out...

Merry Christmas

****disclaimer: this is not a picture of my tree... I have a tree similar to this, but this was my inspiration. I'm not that cool.****This is my tree, but it's taken from last year, with my Marius under the tree.

No TWD

I am taking a break from my regular TWD posting. I'm not a huge fan of butterscotch pudding, and I will be baking other things for Christmas. I won't be making the cheese cake next week either. So I will see you all in January!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Blog Worthy Return! I Repeat, Blog Worthy Return!

I know I said I wouldn't be blogging for 2 weeks, unless something totally amazing happened. Well something totally awesome and amazing did happen! Today I received a package from my secret Elfster pal. Tuesdays With Dorie did a card exchange through Elfster and I happily decided to join in the fun. Well.... The nicest thing happened today, I received a very cool care package, and not only is it just special because I got a flippin' rad package it was from one of my FAVORITE foodie bloggers, Michelle!!!! THANKS MICHELLE! Check out her amazing cooking\baking abilities at Sweet Sensations.
Oh did she give me the goodies! Christmas Sugar Cookie Set, Fun Socks, Christmas Pot Scrubbers (she must have seen my dishes piled high!) and a really yummy smelling lotion\bath\body set!! I feel like I just have won the lottery! Awwww!!! And the really funny thing was, when she posted that she sent her Elfter package, I thought to myself, Wouldn't it be so cool if she was sending it to me! Really, I thought (and hoped) it would be me!
Michelle is the best! She also has busy days coming up with a move to Texas where she will be at Fort Bliss to serve with the 1st Armored Division AND her hubby Malu is currently serving in Iraq. Be thinking of Michelle during this time, especially during Christmas when I'm sure she will be missing Malu!
I would take a picture of all my wonderfully awesome gifts, but alas, i lent my camera to my cousin Kelly, (who is currently on a plane to Cambodia as I type this!). BUT... I'm glad she did have my camera because:
a) she doesn't have to lug around her big monster camera
b) she called me from LAX today to tell me she got her picture taken with someone totally famous and awesome!
I won't give away who it was, but when she gets back it is going to be a sweet blog post!
Also as I am snowed in today with no thoughts of going out in this crazy weather!! Ick! I got a really funny phone call from Heather of the EO laughing and giggling and inviting me out to join her and friend celebrate being snowed in at a place called Grumpy's. (Isn't it ironic, don't you think?) I'm so happy that she is able to get out of the house, have some laughs and just have silly fun! 3 cheers for Heather!
And as much as I would love to join her, i am a big baby about driving in the snow. Plus I'm still in my pajamas and it's 6:30pm! HA!
So I will watch White Christmas, eat some chocolate and smile lots cause there are such wonderful people in my life! Merry Christmas!
And thanks again Michelle!!!! Big cyber hug to you!

A Reprieve

Today is the last day of school, for the kids and for the staff. We all need a break, from each other mostly. A true benefit of working at a school is that you get these ridiculously awesome breaks. For two weeks I will be doing whatever my little heart desires. Okay maybe not WHATEVER, because if that were the case I would be on plane to Cambodia with my cousin Kelly. (I miss you already!)
I will however be doing a lot of local activities, family gatherings, friendly competitions over Wii, reunions with old friends, and going to see Irving Berlin's White Christmas Holiday Show!
There will also be sleeping in, reading (maybe I will finally read Harry Potter, maybe), cooking, baking and just taking a break.
I want to spend as much time with my family and friends and also take time to breathe.
But most importantly I want to really sit and reflect on what this time of year means. What is Christmas and the profound effect it has had on my life. I don't want it to pass by in a flurry of wrapping paper, come and gone like it was just another day.
I am also going to take a two week break from blogging. Unless of course something truly amazing happens. I really want to spend as little as possible time at the computer. I sit at a computer all day and I need a break from that.
Have a wonderful, safe and meaningful Holiday season! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!
May God's love and peace be all around you...

And here is a little gift to you, a pretty little song that is currently my favorite seasonal song. Winter Song - Sara Bareilles/Ingrid Michaelson (the video footage is tres cheesy BTW)

TWD~Buttery Jam Cookies (not!) AND A GIVE AWAY!!!

(those don't look like buttery jam cookies to me!)

Oooooops!!!! Have you ever got something so stuck in your head that no matter how many times you see the real thing, the thought that got stuck in your head wins!? This week for TWD I was supposed to make Buttery Jam Cookies. But instead i had it in my head for weeks that i needed to make Thumbprint cookies! I even sat at work reading the TWD website where it says BUTTERY JAM COOKIES and i still thought I was supposed to make Thumbprints. Der!

And on top of that, I thought I would be all inventive and make chocolate thumbprints with vanilla filling and Andes mints crumbled on top. I set to work, tweaking Dorie's recipe, omitting nuts and upping the flour and adding cocoa powder. Whoo whee, yum-a-riffic!

And while i took a break and headed over to the TWD website to just browse, there it was staring me in the face BUTTERY JAM COOKIES.

For real? How did I mess that up?

But then I thought, NO problemo, i can still make the buttery jam cookies. easy.

wrong.

No i can not because i just used the last of the flour and sugar.

And so you say, Why doesn't she just run to the store that is 3 blocks from her house?

Because people, it is 30 degrees below zero here in Minnesota! You could lose all your appendages in seconds to frost bite. And everyone knows that appendages and mistletoe help to make the season bright.

So I resigned to sticking with my thumbprint cookies and making the best of it. Please don't shun me. I mean really, just the other day Martha Stewart was saying, I just had it in my head to make tuna noodle casserole with condensed cream of mushroom soup when all along i was supposed to make wine-poached salmon with black truffles. (see we all make mistakes)

So without further ado, here they are, Thumbprint Cookies! yay!!!!...

Have a wonderful, safe, and meaningful holiday!

Oh and if you read this far... (you like me, you really like me!) I have a give away for you! A book came into my possession that I really don't need.

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

I do not have children, and I like veggies, so I do not have to hide them in anything. But you my friend might have children or a significant other that needs a little food deception. So.....

I want to give this book away as a token of my gratitude... for you!

Just leave me a comment about one veggie you wish you could hide cause you hate it so much and a winner will be drawn on Christmas Eve.

Cookie Weekend

This weekend was all about the cookies. Shannon came over Saturday night to bake cookies, so Sunday we would have cookies for Kelly's Cookie exchange and gift wrapping party.

Shannon and i totally cut corners and bought a tub of sugar cookie dough instead of making homemade sugar cookies. But we had fun decorating and pigging out on really bad junk food. It wasn't my idea to buy squirt cheese in a can!

Here are some of our creations:

Sunday afternoon we packed up our cookies and headed to my cousin Kelly's house for her party. We had oh so much fun with some of our swell friends, wrapping SoS Megan's presents,
gorging ourselves on delish goodies and me showing Heather of the EO my special moves to Last Christmas by George Micheal.
Kelly's place was festive as always, sans tree... you didn't even need one my dear! Loved it all!
I still can't believe she leaves this week to be with our beloved Erin in Cambodia! This will be the 2nd time in 31 Christmases that i haven't spent it with Kelly... and i will really miss her. But I'm glad she can be with her sis on Christmas in 90 degree tropical weather (sigh).

(Heather and Kelly discussing the pros and cons of being friends with me)

(hi my name is Sarah and I'm going to be the newest Bachlorette!)

(Ellen who knows where her keys are at ALL times, just like me!)

(Megan the slave driver!)

All the cookies i brought home and some that Shannon and I made will be going to a very special soldier. Operation Baking Gals is on it's 5th round and I am on Team Clarkson hosted by the sensational chef Shelby (say that 10 times!!!) Aka HoneyB! yay!


Hopefully I can make it to the post office tomorrow in the FREEZING weather! ick!

M to the Merry Mraz

I can't take credit for that title... that would be Heather of the EO. She sent me an email with a link to one my favorite performances by my boyfriend Jason. Thanks Heather.

TWD~Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

Just to clarify, this is not my Grandma's sugar cookie recipe. This is Dorie's Grandma's Sugar Cookie recipe. This is a great recipe. Taste just like store bought sugar cookies. mmmmm.

Anyway, I had fun with these. I made cookie cutter shapes and then circle ones. All using the icing, sprinkles and glitter gel from a recent care package from my aunt Lori. Thanks Auntie Lori!

What is better than making your own icing, well using Wilton's finest. I really love their stuff. I used to take cake decorating classes at my local Micheal's craft store. There I would spend ooodles of my dollars on cake decorating equipment to make a cake that looked like this:

and this:

And funnily enough, when i made that cake I ended up giving it to a girl for her birthday, who not too long after that my then boyfriend would end up marrying. So she really did get to have her cake and eat it too. See, I can joke about it now, so it's all good.

Back to the sugar cookies. They were super easy to make, but I had to watch them carefully so they didn't brown around the edges. Oh and if you think that people don't secretly envy our TWD cool club, oh they are out there. Including my friend Megan who is so insanely jealous that she created her own TWD... you can read about it here.

Happy Baking.

Farewell my friend....

Tonight I said goodbye to my cat Marius. After watching him deteriorate so rapidly, I knew that it was time to let him go. He was my sweet baby and I already miss him so much. But he had 16 good years. Including wandering the farm, knocking up every cat in a 5 mile radius, and surviving a coyote attack! He was the amazing Marius. Named after none other than the character from Les Miserables.

It's really strange sitting here and not hearing the tinkling of his collar and id tag moving throughout the house. I keep expecting him to walk in any moment. sigh....

I really miss him. :(

Lucky!

Kyle of the other half of K and\or K aka Waiting for a Little Vlachster, sent me a text today saying he was at a food demonstration with cool foodie awesome person extraordinaire Andrew Zimmern! If you have ever watched Bizarre Foods on the Travel Chanel, you will know who I am talking about. Andrew Z. is a local celebrity. I got to see him once with Kelly, he was at a movie premiere we were at. It's neat to feel so connected to someone so kinda famous.

Here is a picture that Kyle snapped of Mr. Z... Love the ginormous cucumber. It resembles his head! Twins!

Bored

Yes... I am bored with blogging. Does everyone go through a blogging slump? I just feel like I have nothing mildly interesting to say anymore. Or maybe it is interesting, but I am just too bored to write it down.
Does anyone else feel that way?
I really like blogging though... So I don't want to stop completely, but I don't want to write just to write either. I'm not going to stop blogging, Im just being honest in saying I'm bored with it.
In the mean time I will write 3 good things that have happened recently.

1. I got a new car! Toyota Camry baby! It's a spectacularly wonderful car that I got for a steal! I feel like i won the lottery!

2. I cleaned my kitchen! Okay maybe that is not a big deal, but I hate doing dishes, so sometimes they pile up. But i spent yesterday cleaning and now i feel all fresh and clean and sparkly and ready for Holiday Baking Madness

3. I am wearing a sweater I haven't worn in about 4 years! I gained some of my childhood baby fat back a few years ago. I guess I was being really immature and acting like a baby, so when that happens the baby fat fairy shows up and presto chango... you get the chubs! (or was it going out to eat almost every other night with my boyfriend that did it????)
Anyway, I am wearing the sweater today. And boy oh boy does that make me feel like 1 in 6 billion!!!

Tubular! (my new favorite word, im bringing back)

Would you like to swing on a star....

I woke up singing that song. Remember that show from the 80's, Out of This World? I woke up singing the theme song. Maybe because there are moments when I would like to freeze time like alien Evie Ethel Garland did. This past week i think having freeze power would've come in quite handy.

Really though wouldn't you get bored with that power? What could you do besides push people over and steal things?

If I could have a super power I would erase people's memories. That way whenever i said something inappropriate or weird or potentially offensive, I could just rewind and erase! Viola!

What would be your super power of choice?

A winner and prayer....

Awhile back I held a contest. Guess the number of bags it would take to get up all the leaves in my backyard. Well, after leaving one big pile on my patio because I'm too lazy to rake the rest, I have a total number of bags. 23.
Heather of the EO guessed on the dot. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
This is a perfect day for Heather to win something. Today her little baby boy goes into surgery to have a shunt put in to drain excess fluid on his brain. You can read her wonderful blog here.
And also please pray for little baby Asher... And for the family. I can't even imagine just how scary this is for them. I have got to personally know Heather over this past year and she has been a wonderful and kind friend. And I have also got to know her two little sweet boys... And I just want them to be healthy and happy.
Sending out the love, prayers and lots of peace to you today Heather!
Big Hugs!

TWD~Linzer Sables

I know, I know the name Linzer Sables sounds so frou frou shi shi, but really these were really easy easy. And although I do not like roll-out cookies, because they are more time consuming, these ones didn't seem to bad.

I chose to use ground almonds for the nut. I thought that it might give the cookies a more lighter taste then ground walnuts. Rolling it out was a breeze and into the freezer the disks went.

So while waiting for my dough to get nice and chilled, I watched Gossip Girl, and knitted a scarf and read Twilight! Oh i know, some are saying 'bout time! while others (ahem, kristina p) are saying "Oh great, not another convert!"

But tonight at book club all we talked about was Twilight... Only a few had read the book we were supposed to be reading, because they were all obsessing over Twilight!!! Including our token male who acts all cool like, its just an "alright" book, but has now devoured each book from what i have heard! whatevs...

I am now reading it, just to see what all the fuss is about... I digress.

The cookies came out great. Although i didn't watch one batch close enough and the edges were burnt. I threw those babies out.

I made cute stars, with the cut outs. I made three different types too. Chocolate, Black Raspberry and Lemon Cheese! Okay fine, we would call it Lemon Curd here, but my parents got me a jar in England and on the bottle it says Lemon Cheese.

See...

and my Christmas Table setting that i call Reindeer Chic...

I love cookies and Christmas!

The best of times, the worst of times...

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Family time was really fun! No stress, just laughs and crazy family frivolity. My cousin Kelly tells some of it here.
Now the days before Christmas are fast upon us. Time to decorate and get ready for the blessed holiday!
But first i do have to get some not so happy stuff out of the way.
My car is dying... or is dead? It depends on if my dad wants to fix it or not, or can?... My old crappy Subaru that i actually really do love is coming to an end. boo hoo.
and
My beloved cat Marius is on his last legs, literally... since he is having trouble walking. I've had Mr. Marius now for 16 years and I'm already mourning the loss. But I think it might be time to say goodbye, his body just can't carry him around and his kidneys just don't function the same.
I know he is just a cat, but I do love him a lot. And I'm sad to eventually let him go. (cue the water works)

On the brighter side... Because of the car fiasco I've been able to spend a bit more time with my family and I am just thankful that they are there to help me when I need it. I am more blessed then I want to admit, because sometimes I just don't feel worthy of all the good things i currently have in my life. My life is cake compared to what so many people have to endure.

Has anyone thought about their New Years resolutions? Me neither... because I think they are silly. I just want to set some goals and stick to them. One being that I am going to start running again. I used to run, which means I used to be a runner (gasp)!
After a bad let down at a marathon involving a stress fracture and not being able to finish a race, I put running on the back burner. My goal is a 10k some time this spring. Wish me luck! The last time i ran a race was 6 years ago! eeeeeeeeeeeek!

Giving of Thanks

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
— John Fitzgerald Kennedy

For The Beauty Of The Earth Hymn

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above,

Pleasures pure and undefiled,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,

To our race so freely given,

Graces human and divine,

Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise

Happy Thanksgiving!

TWD~Twofer Thanksgiving Pie

I am just going to be totally honest and say... sorry Charlie, not making this one.
I have my reasons, I'm really not trying to be a stick in the mud.
I could make it for my work pot-luck, but i decided to make something i could share a little easier, like chocolate chip pumpkin bars and pinwheels.
I could make this for Thanksgiving but my family just wants plain pumpkin pie. Elitists!
Hey what do you get when you put a Libertarian, a Socialist, A few Democrats and a couple of right wing Republicans in a room?
My family.
What, were you expecting something funnier?
And finally, I don't like pumpkin pie, and I don't like pecan pie, the thought of the two together scare me... So why would I, two weeks in a row, make something I don't like? Life is too short. Enjoy what you make and make what you enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving my fellow TWD pals! Have a beautiful and thanks filled day of blessings, mirth and good food!!!

Nature Chic

This is a special interruption: I just saw a preview for my mostest favorite show: LOST!!! It's back!! January 21st... 4 days after my birthday! Best Birthday Present EVAH!!!! Kate! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!! (giddy! I am giddy with glee and mirth!)

Soooo....I spent the day today at my parent's house. I thought I was going to go out there to help them decorate for Christmas. But I realized that once I was there that I would be decorating the outside of their house. Which was just fine because it was a nice balmy 40 degrees. So sad that 40 is considered "nice" weather this time of year. But we Minne-soh-tans take anything we can get.
My mission was to take nature and create something winter magical. My folks live in the country in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature and woods.
While out gathering near the woods... I kept thinking, Oh Edward when are you going to come and sweep me away and make me into a Vampire so I can be with you forever. (oh puke)

But instead all I stumbled upon was my friend Sterling

and then later Cinder... whose poor tongue is too big to fit in her mouth.

So back to magic the gathering of twigs and branches... I said, I can out do anything that Country Living, Cottage Living and Martha Stewart can throw at me!

My mom said, Wow, I like it! What do you call it? I didn't have to think twice:

Nature Chic

Twilight, The Epidemic

Last night I was forced so happy to go see Twilight with Kelly and Kyle, Heather of the EO and Mackenzie. I had not read the book. I was on the fence about reading the book. But heck, why not go see the movie. WOAH.

All I can say that this was the most insane movie experience of my life. Imagine about 75, pre-teen girls, SCREAMING! every time Edward would appear on screen, Or Jacob, or James... you name it, they would SCREAM!! It was so amusing and surreal that it made up for one of the lamest movies i had ever seen. Sorry if you liked it, i was not impressed. This did however make me want to read the book, so i could compare the two. I think I might like the book better. Maybe.

So onto bigger and better things, like Christmas and decorating and my Rosanna Inc.'s 12 Days of Christmas Plates! I am so excited because this year I have a real live dining room in my real live house, that i really bought all by myself! Anyway, I am not much of a collector, but I have fallen in love with the Rosanna Bowles, a tableware designer who makes the CUTEST dishes, plates, cups, bowls, etc., that you could sink your little chic teeth into. (twilight pun)

A few years ago I was able to get my hands on the 12 Days of Christmas Plates, at Macy's for 75% off!!!

And thus, this year I will proudly be displaying my plates for all to see and marvel and drool over.

Nosey Friday

Over at one of my favorite baking sites Chocolatechic, who by the way is not only a phenomenal cook but an amazing photographer, she posted a question:

If you had a house fire and all your loved ones and pets were out of the house, what 3 things would you then save?

My three things would be the following:

1. My journals... 11 years worth of memories, boyfriends, moves, job changes, heart joys, heart breaks, celebrations and pity parties. I would be so sad to lose these memories. Because if someday I am blessed with a daughter I would give her these journals and say, Its okay to be imperfect and question life, and take risks and love and be loved and make mistakes...

2. My photos... years and years worth of memories that are irreplaceable.

3. My purse... I've had my purse stolen 2x now and it is a pain in the you know what to try and cancel credit cards and get a new driver's licence and replace all 500 tubes of lip gloss that litter my purse. Plus i always carry my camera in my purse and cell phone. So its like two for one gone mad!

Now, do tell me what 3 things you would save?

I still like Jason Mraz...

I just wrote up this whole thing about the Jason Mraz concert... and then decided to chuck it.

The important thing is that I got to see MR. A-Z live, I went with my posse that I love, and we had fun! I won't complain about all the bad stuff. (Jason was great, the venue was HORRIBLE!) Or maybe I'm just getting too old for this?

Anyway, let's just say, We Sang, We Danced and We Stole Things...

Pound Cake

Today at work, I pleaded, I begged, you do not have to eat the rice pudding!!! Don't even do it to be nice. And if you do eat it, if you think it is barf-o-rama, I won't be offended.

They liked it. They devoured both flavors! I even heard over someone's walkie-talkie, Please bring your bowl back so we can give it back to Sabrina.

Weird. I guess my pudding made the rounds?

My cousin Kelly was so repulsed by the rice pudding that she wouldn't even comment.

I even spared you guys the really gross picture of the chocolate rice pudding.

Until now...

But you don't think I would be so heartless as to leave you with that nasty picture? What kind of freak-azoid do you think I am? Nope, I am way too nice for that. After the Rice Pudding Hoopla, there was a request for Pound Cake! Now there is something I can really sink my teeth into unlike Twilight, (pun intended), that Cousin K is making me go see with her this Friday, along with Heather of the EO. I'm only going because it would be fun to hang out with them on a Friday. But the thing is, I haven't even read the book! I don't know if I will. Is that bad? I just had to be honest. I'm too busy reading about dragons and computer hackers. Which are both way cooler than vampires! Right?

Back to Pound Cake. I used a Dorie recipe, it turned out lovely.

I wish I could eat it, but it's not for me. But you know what is better than Pound Cake?

Going to see Jason Mraz Wednesday night!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

TWD~Arborio Rice Pudding

disclaimer****There is not really a good way to photog rice pudding... it just looks kinda gross.

I had no intentions of making this recipe. First of all I do not like rice in liquid, and especially not in pudding (ick) and second of all it is a lot harder to bring rice pudding into work than it is to bring oh lets say, Cupcakes.

But when I told my taste testers that I would be taking a break this week they had a complete cow man! bart simpson. moo.

They said, But we will eat anything you make.

Oh really? Fine then you can get icky rice pudding.

I read on the TWD website today where Ms. Dorie Greenspan herself! said, The recipe is wrong! Cook the pudding for 55 minutes not 30 like the book says.

I completely ignored her and followed the recipe in the book. She said it would look soupy, mine looked soupy. So i put in the fridge that way. Left for the evening. When I got home and I said, This still looks like disgusting rice soup! So i dumped it back into the pot and then it thickened rightup. And I realized that I should've listened to Internet Dorie. Not Cookbook Dorie.

Now the rice pudding is resting in the fridge all nice and thick.

I made 2 flavors too.

The first one is with vanilla, raisins and a few cinnamon chips.

The second batch is Chocolate and vanilla.

I doubt I will try them.

I will save eating Arborio Rice when it's in some delicious Risotto!

Tiny Dancer

1. Put your iPod or other Mp3 player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!



IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Christmas Time is Here (Sarah McLachlan) so true!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Everloving (Moby)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? A Lack of Color (Death Cab for Cutie)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Redemption (Switchfoot) amen!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Tangled Up In Blue (Indigo Girls)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Lost Ones (Lauryn Hill) woah..deep.

SERIOUSLY!!!WHAT IS 2+2? Ocean Breathes Salty (Modest Mouse)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Lilac Wine (Jeff Buckley)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Jackson (Johnny Cash)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Expectations (Belle & Sebastion) if you only knew...

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? The Scientist (Coldplay) ugh no!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Bus Driver (Caedmon's Call) take me away...

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Hey There Delilah (Plain Whote Ts) they never could remember my name!

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? White Trash Wedding!!! (Dixie Chicks) I swear that was the song that came up! how fitting!!!!

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?t Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) So perfect!!!!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Natural Anthem (The Postal Service)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Which Will (Nick Drake)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Trading My Sorrows ...awwww

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? The Quiet Wonder (Waterdeep)

HOW WILL YOU DIE? Rocket Man (Elton John) Brilliant!!!!

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?Pull up the People (M.I.A.)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Everyday Down (Joan Jones)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? When Can I See You (Babyface) that song does make me sad!

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? A Lifetime (Better than Ezra) what does that mean???

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? The Holly and the Ivy (George Winston) nightmares!

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? White Ladder (David Gray)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Anyone else but you (Juno soundtrack) truth hurts.

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Try a Little Tenderness (Otis Redding) yes, please do.

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Tiny Dancer! (Elton John)

Old Spinster Stew

I made real, homemade, beef stew today. Not the kind in the can, not the kind in plastic packaging that has fake meat, but the whole sha-bang meaty beefy stew.

I also made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

And did dishes

and laundry.

Just call me domesticated. I'm practicing. Because according to Mary and her comments on her blog today, women that are librarians are naturally old spinsters. Hello, It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite movie of all time. I know what happens if George was never born, no one was there to save Mary from being an old spinster.

So in spite of the fact that I am one who works in a library, I'm practicing my domestic skills so I do not end up an old spinster.

Then again, I do just fine on my own. Thank you very much. Actually, now that I come to think of it, Old Spinsters are bringing sexy back. I think that is what J.T. was singing about. Yes! I think it was!

Shabby Chic for the Bathroom

If you don't know it by now I am Ms. Shabby Chic... third after Joolee, who is second after Rachel Ashwell.

I found these framed prints that i oh so badly want for my bathroom... So when you are doing your bizzness you can read this:

These can be found here at the Shabby Chic store. Where I can afford nothing.

Yippy! Skippy! Christmas Movies!

Shannon Someone said to me, "Last night I went home and listened to Christmas music." What! Christmas is light years away. Until it hit me... By Golly its almost a month away! Hurray!
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Actually July is because:

a) It's finally HOT in Minnesota
b) I get the whole month off from work



But I do like Christmas time for realizies. One of my FAVORITE Sabro holiday traditions is watching a Christmas themed movie every weekend starting the weekend after Thanksgiving, all the way up until the night before Christmas....

So here is my Christmas movie countdown list:



Family Stone (SJP is uptight hot tranny mess, family is dysfunctional! love love love the feel of it all)

ELF (Could Zooey Deschanel get any cuter as Jovie! What a voice too! Will Ferrel is hilarious. Love that his name is Buddy, just like by Bro Buddy!)

Miracle of 34th Street (Santa+Macy's+crabby Maureen O'Hara+Natalie Woods+Christmas Spirit=I BELIEVE!

White Christmas (The singing, the dancing, the costumes, vermont, the General, Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, the other lady who was way too thin, plus snow snow snow, marvelous!)

It's a Wonderful Life (where do i begin~ball my eyes out every time! Jimmy Stewart THE BEST! Donna Reed, gorgeous! friends and angels and bells and happy endings!)



Runners up:

Love Actually and Little Women (Winona Ryder version) it's not really a Christmas movie is it? well kinda.



What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Twilight

Overheard in the Media Center today between a girl and boy:

G: Have you read Twilight?
B: No.
G: But its such a good book!
B: It's not a book, its an epidemic.


so true. so very very true.

TWD~Kugelhopf

I have a love hate relationship with yeast! It all started when I worked in a kitchen at a crisis care facility in the mountains of New Hampshire. Almost everyday at one point in the day I had to make some sort of dinner rolls, and they all used yeast. Some days the yeast would rise beautifully. Other days it just fell flat. My friend Rachel always seemed to have the worst time with yeast. Go Pull Bread! Anyway, once i got the hang of using yeast, I could make just about any kind of dinner rolls and they were scrumpdilicious! That was over 10 years ago. Once i didn't have to make dinner rolls everyday, I stopped using yeast.

So here I am faced with the challenge of making Kugelhopf and I seem to be failing miserably. My dough is not rising. UGH!!!!! I lost my magic touch.

The one thing that got my undies in a bunch was that the recipe didn't call for me to proof the yeast first. That is all I've ever done and now, no proofing. I feel strange inside.
I do not own a Kugelhopf pan. I am using a bundt pan. I did not put raisins in the mix. I put dried currants and cinnamon chips. I'm still sitting here waiting for my dough to rise. I am going to go watch Gossip Girl. I'll be back. Gosh I hope i didn't just sound like the Terminator. But I do sometimes have an Austrian accent. And I love to Govern my kitchen.

So while I was watching GG I got inspired. To take pictures of myself artfully pretend sleeping and my cute pink shoes. And I broke one of my favorite pepper shakers. What is that they say, A broken bird in the hand is... well it's just that... a broken bird in the hand.

All while my Kugelhopf was doing this:

And then when that was done it looked like this:




And tasted like this:

Oh well, I tried. No more Kugelhopf for me.
I take that back, it didn't taste like cardboard. It was buttery and brioche-y. I just was expecting it to be sweeter. Like me, on a really good day.

Rock Stars, Wiiing & Birthday Partying

This all started Wednesday night when I made 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies for my co-workers housewarming party that would be taking place on Friday. But before I could get to Friday, Thursday night was spent at a china buffet with soon to be less wise Shannon. Shannon had her wisdom teeth out Friday and I elected to spend the day with her while she recovered. Um okay not fair... total rock star! I was in pain for weeks, puffy and bruised and oozing for a month. But oh no! Ms. Shannon has perfect recovery. I was so impressed.

Friday night I went to co-worker TST's housewarming party. For the first time in my life i played the magical Nintendo Wii... Boxing, bowling, baseball, tennis, riding cows. Super duper fun. Hooked and addicted I now want my own. Party was rad. House was nice. Co-workers are crazy.

Saturday night was a former co-worker's birthday party. Ms. Janine had a dinner party. Her amazing husband Jason cooked up one heck of a meal. Goat cheese and mushroom bruchetta appetizers, Beet salad, and pork with curry sauce... Then fondue with chocolate and fruit. The best part was just sitting around for hours, laughing, talking and no topics were off limits; Religion, Politics, That's What She Said.

Now it's time to host my own dinner party. It's been awhile. And i have yet to have one in my new house. The question is: Who will make the guest list????