Cookie time!

This year I knew that I'd need to make a boatload of cookies...between the holidays with my family and the in-laws, we all eat our fair share of cookies.  For the past few weeks, I've been thinking about what cookies would make my list.  This year I narrowed down the choices to four (after all, I would like to avoid gaining 10 pounds over the next month):

• Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
• Peppermint Bark Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Toffee Bars

I chose 2 sentimental recipes, 1 classic, and one newby!  We've had the Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies ever since I could remember. A good family friend used to make these every year and bring our family a few dozen. The cookies are crispy and light, and the almond-flavored frosting is delicious. I generally avoid using Crisco - - but I know that's why the cookies are so great! The toffee bars are my grandmother's recipe. (I've shared the recipe previously) My mom, aunts, and grandmother used to get together a few weeks before Christmas and bake all sorts of cookies, bars, and fudge - and this is one of her recipes.

As for the other recipes - I could spend 3 hours making a very elaborate dessert or fancy cookies - and my husband would rather have homemade chocolate chip cookies.  So I made those for him. :)  My last cookie selection was featured on the Pioneer Woman Cooks - and these are a new holiday tradition. Peppermint bark bars - heavenly!

Friday night, Randy went out to have a boy's night - and I stayed home to make cookies! I finished icing the last cookie at about 3:30 a.m. But it was worth it to have it all done.  So now our freezer is stocked...let's see if we make it 'til Christmas.

I wish...

I wish that I could run a cooking blog.  I LOVE to cook!  I LOVE to try new recipes!  Sounds simple, right?  Well, I lack a few of the skills necessary to be good at it, mainly diligence and mad photography skills.  (Plus I lack the willpower to take pictures of my masterpiece before taking a big bite out of it).  So I live vicariously through my foodie blogs and Cooking Light magazine.  Well maybe not 'vicariously' because I find some great recipes that I work into my repitoire.

Take this week for example...my meal plans include:

• Mushroom Stew with Spetzle (a la Cooking Light) - I tweaked this and made mine a beef and mushroom stew with a double batch of spetzle. MMMMM!
• Fiesta Turkey Pie (from Cake Batter and Bowl) - like the love child of stuffed peppers and my Auntie Mary's baked mashed potatoes.
• Asian Foil Baked Chicken (from a friend of a friend's blog)

Unfortunately, I don't get to cook dinner on Tuesday/Thursdays, but I make enough to tie us over until another "cooking night"

While I'm on the topic of foodie blogs...I am also totally obsessed with Sweet Pea's Kitchen blog. SOO many good recipes!  (I actually made her pumpkin scones on Sunday also)

oh wow.

I am ashamed of myself.  I promised to make October the best blogging month to date - and didn't deliver.  In some respects, the month flew by - but mostly I'm glad to be done with the month.

I got a promotion at work, so now I'm the leader of my department.  I have been enjoying it so far, but it's been a lot of work.  But being so busy makes the day fly by - and here it is, almost Friday, and I don't remember where the week went.  My new role at work (and hiring/training 5 new employees) kept me busy all month.

The most notable piece about October is that Randy was out of the country for the entire month (hence the reason I was anticipating having so much free time on my hands).  He worked in our company's London office for four weeks - and he had a great time.  But in that respect the month crawled by because I missed my hubby like crazy.  I'm SOOO happy that he's back!

I had an entire "to-do" list mapped out - and projects penciled in here and there.  I didn't really have the chance to follow through on many of the things I wanted to try.  I attempted pierogies, but the dough was disasterous.  I did get some of my Cooking Light binder organized, but didn't get too far. 

But I did get the chance to decorate my house a bit more (my Mom came down for a weekend, more on that later) - and it's really coming along.  I only wish we had more house guests around these parts.

So my apologies to all of you who were settling in for an exciting month of blogging.  I let you down.  I've learned my lesson, though - being busy can creep up on you when you least expect it.

A perk ...

...of having a lot of free time is getting to try recipes that I've always wanted to try.  I LOVE Bakerella's blog - and her red velvet cake balls are something that I've wanted to try.  (I really would like to make her cake pops but I know myself well enough to know that I don't have a knack for being that detailed).  I had the day off on Tuesday and I thought that it'd be the perfect opportunity to try them out!

So on Wednesday I brought them in to work and they were gone in less than 3 hours (and the recipe makes 50!!).  People were coming out of the woodwork to try one of these.  SOO good!

You can really use any combination of cake mix/frosting and these would still be a winner - I'm thinking that carrot cake with cream cheese cake balls dipped in white chocolate would be divine!  AND I'm also trying to think of a way to make them with the mint/chocolate combination...which is totally my fave.



**This is the only picture I have.  Randy has the camera so my iPhone is all I've got.  But you get the point** 

On pierogies

You might call me a late bloomer.  It was only about a year ago that I had my first pierogie.  Randy's mom makes them quite frequently as a side dish - sauteed with onions and butter.  Lots and lots of butter.  It was love at first bite.

Since having them for the first time, I've made them probably 2 times a month.  Of course, I've used only the frozen kind and dressed them up and they've gotten the job done.

But then I went to J. Betsky's.  It's a German restaurant in Raleigh that makes everything - from sausage to spetzle - from scratch.  The added perk is that they use all locally-grown ingredients too, so it's super fresh.  The fresh pierogies were out of this world.  Seriously, heaven on a plate.

So I've added pierogies to the list of foods that I want to make homemade.  My mother-in-law, speaking from experience, says that they are an ordeal to make, but I think the effort will be worth it.  Maybe it will be a food that I will just make once in my life.  But I can make one half as good as J. Betsky's, I may need to work pierogie making into my schedule.

And I'm planning on making these sometime this month.  So I'll report back on that.  (Hopefully I don't get butter on my keyboard. That can't be good.)

Oktoberfest

I will be celebrating Oktoberfest on my blog.  Not with schnitzel, lagers, or pierogies.  But I've made a goal to be a blogging fiend in October and to be better about documenting the things I'm doing. 

So consider this your teaser...the goodness starts in one week.

From the fly on the wall

Today's posting is brought to you by a fly on the wall in our household...

Beth: Randy, if you were building a football team and had to put me in a position, what would it be?

Randy: [without hesitation] Waterboy.

under the weather

I've been feeling under the weather since Sunday - and now I've gone & got the hubby sick...

I'll resume blogging activities after I am recuperated.

The back yard

One of the aspects about buying a house that worried us a bit was the back yard.  Admittedly, we were a bit starry-eyed when selecting our home lot, and the sales office "only had 2 lots available" for us to choose from at the time.  We really wanted to make sure that we could take advantage of the tax credit (this was before the credit was extended) - so we chose the lot that didn't have a lot premium tacked on.  What this means is that we got a lot that wasn't completely flat, it actually is backed up on a steep hill.  Of course, since then other lots have become available...but that is neither here nor there.  We, in our innocence, didn't think that having a hill for a back yard would be a big deal.  And honestly, it hasn't been an issue yet.

The builder did a good job of adding a retaining wall and drainage system to make sure that our back yard isn't a giant puddle.  We are happy with that work.  That being said, the landscapers planted a fescue that we were told did not require any maintenance.  He said that the grass would grow about knee-high, and that it could just be left without doing any mowing or trimming.  Boy was he wrong.

We got a notice from the homeowners association that our back yard was "too unkept", and we were asked to maintain the hill.  It is a steep grade, and there is no way we'd be able to mow the hill.  And the grass is too thick to go at it with a weed whacker (we learned that the hard way).  So the only remaining option was to go up with hedge clippers and trim the grass.  Especially around the retaining wall, where it was looking sloppy and overgrown.

When the spring comes, we are planning on getting rid of the pesky fescue and putting in some landscaping.  Something that literally requires little maintenance.  But until then, we'll have to keep trimming and pulling weeds.  And we don't have to worry about the rest of the yard yet, the hot Carolina summer killed what little grass we did have in the back yard!

The back yard, when the house was still under construction (aka the point in time when we were worried about how things would turn out)

Me, trimming and pulling weeds along the retaining wall.  Looks like the perfect way to spend your weekend, right?

We do have a nice little backyard area - a covered patio that gives you the right amount of shade, a grill, and a nice place to hang out.  We have plans to improve the back yard, but for now, our little piece of earth is perfect. :)

The list

It started out quite simple, really.  I was 12, away for a month at church camp.  Our counselor gave us a pen, a piece of paper, and a mission: to think about the man that we would marry one day.  The counselor told us to write down any details about our future husbands - and to focus on the characteristics that we thought were the most important.  I closed my eyes and tried to picture him - and wrote down a list of 30 things that the 12-year-old me valued. 

After church camp ended, I tucked the list away and forgot about it. 15 years later, my mom somehow happened to find the folded up piece of paper and sent it to me shortly after Randy & I got married.  Looking over my list, I saw there are some things that, in my childish innocence, just don't matter today.  I'd love Randy if he had crooked teeth or had stinky breath (and he doesn't have dimples by the way).  But most of the things on my list came true - I married an honest, smart, and handsome man who has a firm set of beliefs and moral fiber.  And I love him very much.

I've been his wife for six months now, and nearly every day I could add things to the list about things that I love about him.  I love that he makes up silly songs or limericks out of nowhere and the look that he gives me when I tell a joke that isn't funny.  I see how he cares for me when I'm sick, hugs me when I'm sad, and sees right through me when I'm trying to hide my true feelings.  And I have seen his devotion and ability to remain firm in his beliefs regardless of the consequences. 

I am a very blessed and fortunate woman to have met Randy.  And although he doesn't meet every criteria that the 12-year-old-me set forth on paper so many years ago, I have to say that my life with him is better than I could have imagined.

Help me, Betty Crocker!

The first 2 days of the work week have been a blur - and I needed something to bring me back to earth.  I needed a bit of chocolate chip therapy.

So tonight I set out to make my stand-by chocolate chip cookie recipe.  This was the 2nd time I've made the cookies since moving into the new house (and we all know that adjusting to a new oven is an ordeal) - and the last time I made them, the cookies turned out perfect.  They were dense and thick - they did not spread out too much, but they were golden brown and delicious right out of the oven.  They looked similar to the cookies below...



I thought that maybe baking in a gas oven (instead of electric, like all of my previous attempts) had made my cookies turn out perfect-o.  I did everything the same tonight, but the cookies turned out to be flat and wide. (Like below)

I know that a cookie is a cookie and that those made by one recipe will taste the same.  But does anyone have any advice on how to get my cookies to turn out like the first batch?  And please, for goodness sakes, tell me what I'm doing wrong that they never turn out the same way twice in a row!

And so it begins...

Growing up, playing a sport never really appealed to me. (Unless you can count the soccer league I was in when I was in Kindergarten or the time I played basketball in middle school for approximately one week before I decided that it wasn't for me.) I wasn't ever big on watching them either (In college, I went to maybe 3 football games, and one basketball game - only staying to watch my roommate sing the national anthem). Nor was my family big on sports. The only time I can remember having a sporting event on TV was on Thanksgiving - but admittedly, I went and took a nap while the sports fans watched the bowl game.

Given my background, it is pretty surprising that I would fall in love and marry someone whose life has revolved around sports. Randy was Mr. Sports all throughout school. He was the star pitcher, the starting quarterback, and the basketball star. And although he no longer plays competitively, his love for sports has carried over into his adult life. The man loves his sports. College football, professional football, and hockey are his biggest interests. So it's not surprising that ESPN and Sports Center are perpetually on our tv.

I will fully admit, I enjoy hockey. Especially when we go see a game live. I've only seen the Penguins 2 or 3 times, and I am able to enjoy the games because I understand the rules for the most part. But the moment a football game comes on the tv, I am lost. What's the difference between a tight end and a wide receiver? Does the kicker do anything else but kick a field goal? What's the difference between a true freshman and a freshman? These are questions I really want to know the answer to, but I know these simple questions can be quite annoying for a man who knows the game inside and out.

So I try my best to keep to myself, and suddenly I find myself thinking more about how awesome Troy Palimalu's hair is, wondering what flavor of Gatorade the guys are drinking, or pondering why the person who designed the uniforms decided to put orange and green together.

Now that football season has officially started, and it's a pretty fair bet that football will be on the TV 5 days a week...I will smile and nod, knowing that my husband is in his element. But I realize now that I took for granted the summer months where I could watch HGTV at 7:00 p.m. on a Monday night and get away with it.

What do these places have in common ...

...Riviera Maya, Mexico...

...Hawaii...

...Los Cabos, Mexico...


...and Italy?

They're the 4 finalists for our 2011 vacation!! A relative gave us the opportunity to stay in a time share for a week anywhere in the world and we narrowed it down to these 4 spots. Where do you think we picked?

Hint #1: I'm especially excited about this vacation because it's in a Spanish-speaking country.

Hint #2: It's not the first place on the list above.

YES!! WE'RE GOING TO CABO!!! The resort is in San Juan del Cabo, which is about 20 min from Cabo St. Lucas ... From what we have researched, our resort is in a more chill, low-key area that isn't a prime "spring breaker" destination. I already can't wait, although we're about 6 months away.

Is it too soon to start a "xx days til vacation" countdown?

fast forward...

3 months! I'm going to try to be better at blogging - - but, first things first, let's catch up!

We're in the house now and we LOVE it. Being a homeowner has been great so far. We were very fortunate that our home was move-in ready and all we had to do was a little painting and sprucing up. It's a good thing too because Randy & I have discovered that we have very different "working styles" - - he is stubborn and wants to figure things out on his own...while I first start with the directions, if I feel overwhelmed or that it will be too difficult, I give up and want to hire a handyman. So you can imagine, those 2 mentalities don't work too well together. So we made it through putting up 2 ceiling fans & painting a wall - that's about it.

Work has been going well - I had the summer off from teaching and I got used to having a free schedule during the week. But since classes started up 2 weeks ago, I have to admit it's been a difficult adjustment. I have one class that is relatively small (12 students) - so it's not too unbearable. The "day job" has been keeping me on my toes as well!

A few weeks ago, Randy & I ventured to IL for our "family party" to celebrate our wedding. We had one with his family in April - but it required a bit of coordination to get all of the family there - - so this was a bit delayed. :) All of my siblings, their spouses, and children were all together for the event - 17 people all under one roof! We also got to meet the newest 2 little additions to the family - 2 nephews. My nieces and nephews are a hoot and we had so much fun watching them and laughing at what came out of their mouths. My mom went all out for our party - it was a pretty low-key event that my extended family members came in for. We had quite a spread of yummy food and 3 cakes that we noshed on all day. We also had some neighbors and family friends come in for the event. It was a great weekend and it was the perfect way to celebrate and welcome Randy into the family!

The whole clan: Caleb, Brett, Laurie & Samuel; Matea, Chris, Janelle, Bethanie & Carissa; Mom & Dad; Jenny, Jeff, Roman & Mia; Randy & me

That is the summer in a nutshell...maybe fall will be a good season to start up with blogging again.

We have some exciting news for the next post ... may make you a wee bit jealous though. Just warning you.

In just a few weeks time

We are currently in the process of building a house. We were very fortunate to find a great community that has some great houses that were in our budget. We weren't planning on building, but we just love with the idea that we were able to pick out each and every detail in our new home. The builder lets us be very involved, and we went in this week to check out the progress. They got so much done in just 2 weeks.

For example, we went from this ...

To this ...

Arguably, I am the most excited about our kitchen!! I am looking forward to the refrigerator with an ice dispenser AND a freezer that behaves. I'm looking forward to cooking on a gas range AND the new pots and pans (that have been sitting in a box, calling out to me to use them!) for my new cooking adventures. I am stoked about having a pantry. Plus, it's just going to be pretty.

We are moving in just over 2 weeks. So you can guess what I'll be doing this weekend.

Packing.

Snips & snaps

I thought I'd "pull a Lindsay" and write today about a few random things going on in my life. . .

- We have another exciting tidbit of news - - we're buying a house! We signed the papers in January and the house should be move-in ready by the end of May (hopefully!!) It's about 15 minutes from where we live now and we are really really excited about being homeowners. We got to pick out literally everything for the house (from paint color and flooring to peepholes and the width of the floor trim!), so it is exactly what we want in a home and we're going to be spoiled! You know, it's the small things in life that get me excited - I'm pumped about having a brand new house, but I have to admit that I am most revved up about the drawer thingee that pulls out with a trash can & recycling bin next to the kitchen sink.

- I am going to try my best to be a couponer. My boss came into work yesterday and said that she got $70 worth of groceries for $11. There are a few other girls in my department that are big into bargain grocery shopping and I am really surprised that I've not jumped on this before. I mean, I love a good deal (and I have the tendency to be a cheap skate!). This weekend will be my maiden voyage ... I will let you all know how it goes. Right now I feel like I do pretty good on the grocery budget - around $60 per week for the two of us, but I know there's room for improvement there. Plus, when Saturday rolls around (I shop on Sundays) we are literally like Old Mother Hubbard because there is nothing at all in the pantry or fridge! Randy will be happy to get more bang for our grocery buck!

- While we're on the subject of food, I am really into Vitatops right now. As of late, my breakfast has consisted of a toasted Vitatop muffin and a banana. Well, the rinky-dink Kroger where I do most of my shopping only has the Chocolate and the Cornbread varities, so I got on the website to check out what else was out there. I got really excited about a deal they were having - and plus I wanted to try a few other of the flavors...so I made an online muffin purchase. The muffins arrived today today and I got quite a strange reaction from my hubby when I revealed to him that I bought $30 of muffins and was having them delivered to our home. (In my defense, they are stored in the freezer, so they'll stay fresh til I get through them all!) I got the apple berry, chocolate mint and chocolate pommegranite varities. YUM!

- It was a beautiful day here in Carolina - near 70 degrees and mostly sunny. Along with spring, here comes another season that I lovingly refer to as "baby season." I personally know 6 ladies who are giving birth within the next few months. Roommates from college, childhood friends, siblings - it's crazy! And the funny thing is that all but one are having boys. Don't worry ... I didn't mention babies as a segway into spring any more news on yall. I've done that already this month!

- I have to run to class now, but hopefully I'll get around to posting more pictures and tidbits behind our wedding!

Our getaway wedding

I'm not quite sure how we did this, but Randy and I managed to keep our wedding a secret for the most part. Back in November, we decided that we wanted to take the plunge (and honestly, marriage had been a topic of conversation for months prior to that). But the idea of having a big wedding was very complicated, since he is from PA and I'm from IL and we both have friends scattered across the States. Even having a wedding out in NC would be complicated, since literally everyone would have to travel. So after considering all of our options, we decided that we wanted to get married - just the two of us - on a beach.

We settled on the Sandals resort in Nassau, Bahamas. We booked our tickets just before Thanksgiving and it was honestly very difficult to not make the big announcement to our friends and family over the holidays. But we knew that keeping it to ourselves was the best way to do it - not only would it be super fun to tell everyone after we have done it (which it has been, by the way) but we also wanted to eliminate hurt feelings over not being there to spend the day with us.

Well, I do have to make a clarification. Our parents knew. We thought it was important to include them in the plans - and they all gave their blessings and were very excited about our marriage. Not that they were surprised (after being together over three years!), but they were very supportive of us "running away together".

Our wedding took place on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. We were married on a gorgeous, sunny day under a gazebo overlooking the beach. Island music (actually it was a Bob Marley song) was playing in the background as we went down the aisle. It was a perfect day.

So when I say that we "eloped" that may sound misleading. We weren't running from anything or anyone - we weren't doing something rash or last-minute. We had thought a lot about this decision and it had been in the works for months. But it was absolutely beautiful and romantic and the perfect way for us to say "I do."

Our trip has given me some items to post about and lots of pictures to post, so look for those soon!

El tiempo vuela ...

That is Spanish for "Time Flies!" I simply can't believe that it is MARCH already. Seriously.

Hopefully soon I'll have more amusing and/or entertaining stuff to share...but for now here are few tidbits...

Randy & I joined Gold's Gym this weekend. Since moving to Raleigh almost 2 years ago we have been members of three different gyms. The first one was great - it was close to home, reasonably-priced AND I was so excited to have some classes. (Somehow I feel more motivated to go to the gym consistently when I have a class waiting for me). Well, then that gym went bankrupt - so then we joined another gym just down the road to the first one. However, this gym didn't really "fit" either, because although it was only $10/month, there were no classes and it was always very crowded. Well, last week our employer announced that they'd worked out an enrollment deal with Gold's Gym - and we jumped at the chance to join the gym. It isn't particularly close to home - but it is less than 5 minutes from work. So we went for the first time yesterday and it is rediculously nice. It even boasts an indoor pool, a sauna, and a steam room. Did I mention CLASSES?! I did the spinning class last night and I'm really excited for it again tomorrow. So excited that I'm getting up at 5:45 a.m. to get there! (I figured if I blogged about it, somehow it would hold me to getting up that early!!)

It's almost SPRING BREAK already. My students have their oral interviews this week - which makes for an easy week for me. Thursday is the last day before break - then I have a week of freedom. WOOO!!

Last year Lindsay & I made a pact to not cut our hair for the last 3 months of 2009. Well I've not had a "real" haircut in 6 months (I've only had "dustings") and while I don't think I'm going to go super duper short (or get bangs again) I am feeling an itch to get a new coiff. I do like having long-ish hair, but I think I need some more layers in there to give it more oomph. Does anyone have any ideas?

Last tidbit - tonight is total comfort food night. Meatloaf and macaroni & cheese, anyone?

Live for Haiti

Ever since the earthquake in Haiti, people around the world have come together to bring aid to the people there.

Today I learned about a super cool effort by someone from my hometown. Seriously, people, this is rediculous.

In an effort to raise money for his cause, he is not only fasting for 30 days, but he is also living in a tent in D.C. Must I remind you that over the past 2 weeks, Washington D.C. has been hit by 2 major snow storms? He is raising money to bring shelter to those who lost their homes in the earthquake.

I thought I'd share a link to his blog in case you'd like to follow him as he does this very heroic thing for the people of Haiti.

http://jessesullivan.blogspot.com

Near death experience

Last weekend, Randy met up with his BFF to go see "Avatar" and grab some dinner afterwards. He left pretty early so I decided to get a head start on my superbowl cooking and make the Pioneer Woman's sheet cake. I also had a BIG textbook editing project to work on before I met a friend for dinner. So I was admittedly distracted by the looming deadline on my side project when I made the cake. But I iced it and a few minutes later I had to sprint out the door so I wouldn't be late.

I got home around 10:00 and the cake was calling my name.

"Bethy...you know you want a piece of me".

The cake looked dang good.

So I got myself a big ole piece of cake and went into the living room to enjoy it. The thick layer of icing was calling my name and I knew that a little bite wouldn't do. I took a HUGE bite of the cake.

The first thing I noticed that the consistency of the cake was odd. It was definitely more dense and gel-like than I thought it would be. So I took a moment to ponder what I had done wrong.

I made the mistake of taking a big breath in while deep in thought about the thick spongey cake. (Apparently I can't do 2 things at once) Maybe it was a mixture of my lack of attention or the odd texture and the super sweet icing - but the cake got stuck in my throat. My first reaction was to take a drink of my water, but then I realized that couldn't breathe. For a good 5-10 seconds my windpipe was clogged.

There I was with my life hanging in the balance, and I thought to myself, "I can't believe I'm going to be that girl who was killed by a piece of cake."

I tried to stay calm. I stood up and finally the air came back to me. And so did the realization that I forgot to put the baking soda in the cake.

Double whammy.

Moments after recovering I went back into the kitchen and remade the cake. (And I remembered the baking soda.)

I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?

HeLa & Elfaba

For the past YEAR (yes, I regret to use the word "year" in the same word as "read"...shows just how much of a slacker I am) I have been reading the book, Wicked. I have heard rants & raves about the musical, and when I was selecting some beach reading last summer I picked it up. I really want to see the musical when it comes to my area in a few months so I have been chipping away at it. I know if I don't finish it before then, I never will since I'll know what happens. Then again I already know what happens ... good witch, bad witch ... you know the drill.

However, I have put the book aside briefly to read this new book that I got last night.

Somehow I ended up on smithsonian.com and read an article about this book.** It's a non-fiction (which I don't usually go for ... the escapist inside of me goes for the fiction books) book about the life of Henrietta Lacks, the woman who has the most famous cells in the world. In 1951, a doctor biopsied her ovarian cancer and was able to replicate those cells in a laboratory. Since then, her cells (dubbed "HeLa cells" or "immortal cells") have been used in the development of the polio vaccine, for developing in vetro fertilization - heck, her cells were even sent to space to test how zero-gravity affects human cells. The thing is, she was a poor farmer's wife living in the segregated South, and her cells were taken without her knowledge or consent. It wasn't until the 1970s when her children found out about their mother's "immortal cells" being used in scientific experiments. Her family has continued to live in poverty while others have literally made millions on the HeLa cells.

The book is not only a biography about Henrietta Lacks and her family, but also a description of how her cells have been so influencial in the world of science. I have to admit, I am only about 20 pages into the book but I am very intrigued about this story - this woman. I am really looking forward to reading it because I can already tell that it's going to be a "thinker." This book is probably going to blow my mind, because cellular research isn't something that I think about every day...

So I am going to attempt to read 2 books at once. One is a book about a green woman in a mythical world, and the other is about how one very real woman unknowingly has changed the world as we know it. I hope I don't get them jumbled in my brain.

**If you are interested in reading a better synopsis of the book, here's the link to the article that made me want to read it in the first place.

REE-diculous!

I have been wanting the Pioneer Woman's cookbook for awhile now. It came out back in October, but it was a twinkle in my eye when I saw it on her blog. I ordered it on B&N last week and it came on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I was sick last Tuesday and I didn't really thumb through it, knowing that I wouldn't fully enjoy it in my sickened state. So I patiently waited until I felt better to look though it. It was worth the wait!

In my life I had never sat down and read a cookbook from cover to cover - until now! The cookbook is filled with her original photography and anecdotes (and OF COURSE her great recipes!) I love her style of taking shot-by-shot photos of each step in the process, it makes things as easy as pie!

Speaking of pie, there were LOTS of recipes that I want to try. One of the reviewers on B&N.com said "if you have a man to feed, this is the cookbook for you." I have already picked out several recipes that I think the man in my life will enjoy ...

BBQ meatballs (these aren't your typical crockpot meatballs served on a toothpick!)

Cinnamon rolls (ok, these are more for me...yummy maple frosting!!)

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich (We had these tonight for dinner. I make Philly sandwiches every once in awhile, and I've never thought to use cube steak - I'm a convert!)

Penne a la Betsy (this kind of looks like a pasta dish from Gratziano's in Waco - except they made it with chicken. I'm excited to try it out & see if it's similar)

Brisket (I may not be a real Texan, but my six years living there have definitely given me an appreciation for it!)

And there are a few recipes in her book that aren't on her blog - Burgandy Mushrooms and some pretty fabulous looking brownies. (Although, I just want to say that my Bethy brownies are pretty much unbeatable...)

Seriously all you foodies out there, you need to get this cookbook. You will not be disappointed!

Grown-up snow day

Snow days just aren't the same when you're an adult. As a kid, I loved snow days - and growing up in Illinois we had 4 or 5 days built into our school schedule - it was just assumed that we'd have a day off or two due to snow. Well now I live in North Carolina, where snow just doesn't happen too often. And when it does, everything shuts down. The weatherman was calling for a huge snow a few weeks ago - and we didn't even get a flurry. So that's why I was a bit sceptical when the weather report was calling for snow this weekend.

Just to be safe, I decided to go to the grocery store Friday night after work. Just as I was leaving, the snow started falling. Then I got to the store and realized that it was a mistake. It was as though everyone in the whole city was in this particular grocery store. And there was not a lot to choose from on the shelves. No chicken, no ground beef, no pork chops - not even any roaster chickens! Then there was a shortage of milk and bread. I wandered around for at least 30 minutes, trying to think of creative things to make with the ingredients I could find. I have to say that I was not thinking out of the box too much, I ended up with Chex Mix, tortilla chips, cheese, salsa, eggs, and bacon. Oh and ingredients for chocolate chip cookies (after all, I had to break in my new mixer this weekend!). So we had "breakfast for dinner" last night and nachos tonight.

To make matters worse, I had to work yesterday. I was out sick on Tuesday with strep throat (ICK!) and I don't have PTO at work yet, so my boss was going to let me make up some time on Saturday. Well, the snow turned to sleet, which then turned to ice - and the roads were treacherous. Randy ended up driving me in to work and I was only there for about 2 hours or so before we decided to leave. It snowed / sleeted up until yesterday afternoon. So we spent the day playing cards, watching movies, and generally being bums. I also made the chocolate chip cookies and thumbed through my Pioneer Woman cookbook that I ordered off Barnes & Noble AND did a whole mess of cleaning & laundry.

As an adult, snow days are more of a hassle then a fun event, but it was still nice to stay comfie and cozy (and get soem stuff done!) inside when the weather was nasty.

It's mine ... all mine ...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen ... I am now the proud owner of a Kitchenaid mixer. I'm SO excited! My parents knew just how much I wanted one and got me one. And the pasta attachment is also on its way. I am soo excited. And I think Randy is too, since I'll surely be making lots of goodies with it (after all, I'll need an excuse or two to use it)

Now if only I could decide what my first creation will be with it...

I am seriously so excited. Have I mentioned how excited I am?

are you kidding me?!

i just spent 20 minutes writing an awesome post ... then it disappeared. Figures...

TRES!

During this lazy Sunday afternoon (mostly spent recuperating from the weekend with Randy's parents), I remembered that tomorrow is MLK day. (A fact that I nearly forgot, since I don't have the day off work!) And that means that it's Randy & my "unofficial" anniversary...THREE YEARS!

We met three years ago during a weekend trip to NC. My last semester of grad school was just starting and just about the LAST thing I ever expected was to meet "someone". But that is just what happened. My friend and I spontaneously decided to invite a guy she was kind of seeing to come to the movies with us, and he brought his roommate along (for those of you who don't know this story, Randy was the roommate). Little did I know just how much that chance decision would affect my life!

Here we are, three years later...after the long-distance dating, the cross-country move, and all the ups and downs in between...my, how quickly time flies! All I can say is that I am so happy and so blessed. Oh and that I'm one lucky chica.

This was taken during that first weekend out in Carolina. I was (and still am!) one smitten kitten!

Grandma's Pecan Bars

There's nothing like coming home from the gym and heading straight to the kitchen to whip up something sweet. In my defense, I wanted to make a tasty treat for the weekend, since Randy's parents are coming into town and I don't think I'll have time to whip them up tomorrow. So what to do? I turned to my Grandma Drake's pecan bars - a Christmastime favorite in my household. They are rediculously easy and I even had everything on hand!

Gramma's original recipe

Toffee Squares:

2 sticks of butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Melt vanilla over low heat. Mix butter and sugar well. Blend in other ingredients in order given. The dough will be very stiff. Use non-greased cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper) and bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.

Now the other ingredients come into play ... chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

Immediately after taking out of the oven, spread the chocolate chips over the top until they melt. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

And - VOILA! - there you have it. A tasty treat that is not only delish, but it takes literally no time at all! (I just hope there are some left when our company comes into town!)

Craziness

It's funny, the last day of teaching last semester I thought to myself, "what am I going to do with all the time I'll have on my hands?" After all, I had over a month's break from teaching. The first Tuesday after finals rolled around and I felt like I was wandering around the apartment aimlessly trying to find something to do to fill the time. Well, I got used to the time off REALLY quickly and instead of having oodles of free time, I found myself feeling busier than I had been all semester.


All this to say, I know I've been a bad blogger. A very bad blogger indeed. In general I've been pretty MIA - and so we could add "bad corresponder" to the list. But I'm back - or at least I'll try to be.


Work has been going great. One of the aspects I like most about my new job is that the days FLY by because I am geninuely SO busy ALL day. When I first started, my mind was numb at the end of the day because of all the new information I had to absorb - but now I'm getting into the groove of things. We had our holiday party the weekend before Christmas at an art gallery here in town and it was soo fun! The bossman goes around with a bag full of gift cards & all the employees get to pick one. Randy and I used our gift cards to buy a new TV and a new (and very needed) digital camera.



Obviously this picture was taken with the camera whose flash doesn't work ... hence the off lighting. Just so ya know our new one is awesome.


Fast forward a week, and Mr. Randy & I parted ways for the holidays. Each of us went home to spend it with our families, and it was the first time we'd been apart for that long in over 2 years. It's crazy how "used" you get to someone. Anyway, it was great to be home! It was kind of late notice, so I wasn't able to see all the 'sibs. But I did get to see Laurie and little Caleb - he is such a little muffin. Seriously...don't you want to just gobble him up?


When I was at home I also got to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins that I'd not seen in over a year. The night before Christmas eve, I ran into 2 of them at a bar, which felt a bit odd at the time, and I had to remind myself that kids grow up, even when I don't see them.

Since I've been back I have been running around like a madwoman. I have been doing a lot of cooking, too! I need to post some of the yummy recipes that I've made over the past month or so. I had told Randy's mom that I would bring some Christmas cookies up for the holiday, to spare her from undue time in the kitchen. Even though I didn't make it up there, I sent them with Randy and they got great reviews. I tried a new recipe for peppermint drop cookies (mint cookies dipped in mint chocolate!) and also made the sugar cookie recipe that I make every year. So sugary sweet, but so good. Although I didn't take any pictures when I was making them I will stil have to post the recipe.


I've been really into making homemade bread, too. When I lived in Nashville I took cooking classes, and one that I took was a breads class. I've not been able to locate the recipe for my starter, but I've made focaccia, ciabatta, and whole wheat French bread. It's super yummy with soup!


Well that's about all the updates I have right now, the kitchen timer is beckoning me. I have some other updates, I'm sure ... but all in due time.