The Best!

I have to say that I have the best cousins in the world! A total blessing just arrived at my door... a new AC unit! My cousins decided to buy me a new one and surprise me! And surprised and thankful and happy I was! I had a window AC, but when my ex returned it to me a few months ago, low and behold it didn't work anymore! :( Being that Minnesota can be cruelly hot in the summer... I was not looking forward to sweating my self into oblivion from June to September! Kyle & Kelly are my heroes!!! MEOW to infinity!

Cakes in a Cup

I've spent the last 2 days making cupcakes for different gatherings I would be attending\hosting. Thankfully it wasn't too hot in my kitchen, nor did my oven leak too much gas... (sometimes it's really strong!)

I made 2 different cupcakes, well technically 3...

Mojito Cupcakes and Chocolate Cinnamon Chipotle Cupcakes, some with powdered sugar & Cinnamon on top and some with Raspberry Jelly with Hot peppers...

Hopefully they are enjoyable.

I'm off soon to a party. Some of these people I haven't seen in months... should be interesting and fun all at the same time....

Seperated at Birth

I don't know what it is lately, but my cousin and I have been thinking the same thing at almost the same time! For example, yesterday I am reading a cook book on appetizers. At that same time I get a text message from Kelly saying, "I need some killer appetizer recipes." Strange? Then I tell her that I have something in the mail for her, which was a bumper sticker that I created. Low and behold when I was out with Bonnie last night, Kelly texts me and says "Check your e-mail as soon as you can." So when Bonnie and I got back to her place I checked my e-mail and Kelly had sent me a picture of something she made for me and was coming in the mail. Can you guess what it was??? The very same bumper sticker I had created for her!SHOULD=SHAME=PUKE!

She also made this cute little one about Jell-o and Kitties... She said that she is "afraid to park at church now" Like I said before, church potlucks and Jell-o go hand in hand. And although there is a 9 month seperation between me and Kelly, we really do sometimes share the same brain! You would think we were related, or at least shared the same grandparents!

A quick shout-out to Bonnie, who is my partner in crime! Another great night of laughter and pro-girl power!

Here's one for you Kelly: Tuna Delight Jello

Summer Solstice

Awww Summer is officially here! I love summer so much, it is my favorite season... July is my favorite month of all, and it is right around the corner. Louis Armstrong once sang, "You go to my head with a smile that makes my temperature rise, Like a summer with a thousand Julys." Oh to have a summer with a thousand Julys!! Oh what bliss!
Sadly there was a moment earlier this year when I began to dread the thought of summer. Probably because I was sad to enter it without the one person I always looked forward to doing summer with... but as time has passed and hearts begin to heal, I am very excited for the summer to begin! It doesn't hurt either that I have a job that gives me the entire month of July off... I am looking forward to reading, relaxing, traveling, sunning and swimming, art fairs and good friends... This is going to be the best summer yet!
To celebrate I am making two very unique cupcakes for an upcoming party:
Chocolate Cinnamon Chipotle Cupcakes and Mojito Cupcakes.... Yum! and Meow!

I must mention too, that last night Sarah stopped by and we walked over to John's Pizza. We had calzones and talked for quite awhile. I am beginning to see the deep power and value of friendship and long talks over meals. Being in a place where there is no rush or urgency but just the beauty of conversation. I think Europeans have it figured out, that eating a good meal with loved ones should never be done hastily. So often in American culture we go out to eat to just eat, but not so much to enjoy both food and friendship. I hope to always make time for long lingering meals...

“A man is not an orange. You can't eat the fruit and throw the peel away."
~Arthur Miller

Meat Jello

Sometimes I get a bit bored at work and since I work in a library I have the world at my fingertips, literally. So lately I have really been into reading cookbooks and finding unique recipes. Which is not too strange since I really enjoy cooking and eating delicious foods.

Recently I was paging through a Better Homes & Gardens Gourmet Recipes Made Easy from 1980. Many of the recipes found in this book are very gourmet and yet seem simple enough to make for a dinner for friends. However, I came across a recipe for Chicken Aspic. Now if you don't know what aspic is, it is basically a dish which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from meat stock. So let me put it this way it's like eating meat Jello! Now I am not the biggest Jello fan unless it is simple plain Jello. But growing up in Minnesota, no one ever made basic Jello. At every church potluck on any given Sunday you could find two things: Goulash and Jello with fruit chunks! And my mom always made Jello with cottage cheese & bananas! PUKE! (sorry mom! but true)... So you can imagine my complete disgust when I came across a recipe for chicken aspic. Now this is taking Jello to a whole new level!

Tina & Tina back together again!

Tonight I went out with my sweet friend Michelle (Tina)! We call each other Tina and I don't know where that came from??? Oh Yeah, I remember now, it comes from the llama "Tina" on Napoleon Dynamite! We were so crazy back in our CHOICE days, so many fun memories of working there!

So the "Tinas" met at our favorite restaurant Sawatdee in Uptown. We talked for hours over Pad Thai and a half price bottle of wine. It's amazing all the stuff that has happened in our lives in the past few years, and it was great to chat and reminisce about our crazy times together!

"Don't Panic, I'm not manic!!" Love ya Tina!

Yea for Liz!

A huge shout-out to my friend Liz who just got engaged!!! I can't wait for the wedding!!! I wonder where it is going to be? Palm Springs? San Antonio? Vegas? Italy? Congratulations Liz!!! Chonies Forever!!!!!