Swedish Teacakes

Make a Smilebox recipe

Pondering

About a year ago at this time, I had some big plans in the works. Looking back today, I can only remember two of them off the top of my head. I was going to move and I was going to start school again. Well, I started school in September and I still find myself here. When I made the decision to stay here, keep my job, and do school part time, it really felt like the right thing to do at the time. It was just a couple of months ago, but I've started wondering how long it will continue to be the right thing to do.
I feel this longing in my heart for something more, and I don't know quite how to achieve it. Is it just a funk that, after a few days, I'll get over or is it something deeper than that? If I look back over my life in 5, 10, or 50 years, will I regret staying here longer? Would I regret it more if I leave? Should I be looking to do something different than what I am doing now? Should I stay and ride it out? It seems like such a vicious cycle. I'm not looking for any specific answer, just putting it out there.

On a much lighter note, Christmas has come to our house. The tree is up and decorated, there are lights and extra candles; it now 'feels' like Christmas. When I was younger, Christmas seemed to be all about me and what I could get out of it. As I've gotten older, and this year in particular, I am seeing opportunities to share and give. I think it's important to keep Christ at the center of Christmas and I personally hope to maintain that attitude, not only through this season, but all year long.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! Today has been filled with lots of yummy food, good times spent with family and friends, and reflection. I have been reflecting a lot on what I am grateful for (thought it was a good time for it), so I decided to share some of that list here.
In no particular order, I am thankful for...
Family who loves me unconditionally
Friends who accept me and my quirks, and there are a few
Music that brings joy to my heart
Sunshine that helps keep me sane
Daylight Saving Time which helps me appreciate the sun
Snow that occasionally causes a day off and lots of adventure
A place to call home
A job that allows me to make money
Children who let me be a kid myself; I L-O-V-E being around them
Opportunities to serve
Laughter

The one thing that I am most grateful for is the knowledge that my Father in Heaven loves me and has a plan for my life. I love knowing that I am not alone in this life and that He is aware of me at all times, regardless of how I feel. I am glad that he has sent me family, friends, and sometimes complete strangers, to help me figure out all life has to offer.

Have a happy day thinking about the things you are grateful for. Hopefully we don't just do it one day a year.

Life

I LLLLLIVE! (think "Mushu", from Mulan). Two days in a row without my head in a fog, a nagging cough, no headache or muscleache - I feel awesome! And, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Medical vacation

Swine flu...check
Sinus infection...check
Bronchitis...check
Lots of naps...check

We have all been out for the count for over 10 days (except for the 2 when I foolishly pretended I wasn't sick and jumped back into work at full force...probably what brought on the sinus infection). We are so ready for this all to be over with. The silver lining here is that since we are all sick, we are spending almost all of our time together, whether we are in a state of consciousness or not. And for that, I am grateful.

My Creation

A couple of weeks ago we went to our wards Trunk-or-Treat/Halloween party. Every year there is a scary cake contest but for one reason or another, I've never really been tempted to make a scary cake. This year, however, I did. I got this idea in my head and couldn't let it go. See what you think...
Bloody Eye-Ball Soup.

I've already made my 'what I'd do differently' list for next time because there will be a next time!

In the kitchen

At the recommendation of Jenny from Picky-Palate I went in search of Pumpkin Spice Kisses from Hershey. I finally found them at Target in the Halloween section. On a whim, and in a moment of weakness/desperation (take your pick), I purchased 4 bags. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much I truly love this wonderful creation from Hershey's.

Today, while waking up from a much needed Sunday afternoon nap, I had a moment of inspriration. I got up and ran into the kitchen to put this together before the thought left me completely.

I am calling it...Toasted Coconut Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats. You will need:

Toasted Coconut Marshmallows - have you tried these. Please, go get some of these ASAP!
A few of these, and then if you are unsure if you have enough, add a few more.

You will obviously need Rice Krispies cereal, or other cereal of your choice. Melt the marshmallows, a small bit of butter and the Kisses together in a microwave-safe bowl. Do this in short intervals so as not to overcook the marshmallows. Once the mixture is smooth and melty, stir in the cereal; combine well. Place on a pan lined with aluminum foil (easy clean up).

It may not look like much in this picture, but it is definitely one of the best treats I have had in a while. I'm not a huge fan of Rice Krispies treats in the first place, but I think it is safe to say that these will not last long (luckily - I only made 1/6 of a batch).

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I don't actually have recipes for the next few things, but I was having fun and was feeling a bit creative. This is what can happen when you're hungry and have some extra time on your hands.

Pasta and veggie dish....thing

Fruit Kabobs

Boiled peanuts - not my creation, or idea. When my parents came back from Georgia they brought back A LOT of peanuts. Boiled peanuts are one of those things - you either love 'em or hate 'em.

There is one more creation in the works, but I won't post about it until after Tuesday - the Trunk or Treat activity at church...

Playing catch up

So I'm getting my daily dose of blog-surfing in and came across this blog which hadn't had any sort of an update in over a month! Then I realized it was MY blog. I can't even use the excuse that nothing has been going on, because, let's face it - a ton of things have happened.
This past month I...(in no particular order):
-went to the fair for the first time (thanks Jenny). We went to see the Jeff Corwin show at the Topsfield fair which means we got to see some animals that were, um, not your typical farm-type animals. I enjoyed walking around, looking at the GINORMOUS pumpkin, watching silly goats try to attack each other from separate pens (thank goodness they were separated by a fence), and most of all - eating yummy fair food.
-ate clams for the first time; realized that I am not missing A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G! I imagine if you went to the bottom of the ocean floor and licked it, they would taste something like that - YUCK!! It was also the first time ever in my memory that we ordered a fish platter at a restaurant to share - no chicken to be found. It wasn't half bad...except for the clams.
-have been doing homework - surprisingly I enjoy it. I haven't completely worked out organizing my time yet - but it's getting better every week.
-have been practicing the piano. I figured that I wasn't a very good piano teacher if I assigned homework to my students and didn't make myself really practice. I have been learning new songs outside of the necessary requirements of 'songs I have to know to play in church'.
-went to Boston and, for a little while, new exactly where I was.
-went fishing in the dark (wow, that sounds like a song), didn't catch a thing
-experimented with several varieties of microwavable Chinese noodles. My suggestion - find a good take out place; they were disgusting!
-went to Smolak Farm on what may have been their busiest day ever. It was fun though and I got THE most awesome cookbook ever!
- watched it snow for the first time this season in our town on Sunday. It was the best kind of snow - no cleanup!
-had a conference call for work with our Corporate office in the middle of a power outage. Picture it - my boss and I in her office, door closed, in the dark on her cell phone. It was working great until the wind and rain really picked up and I totally freaked out. Worked out for the best though, I didn't really want to be on that call.
There have been other things going on, but I'll spare you the details...for now.
I'm totally getting excited about Halloween coming! I have a costume, a reason/place to wear it, and have recently discovered all sorts of Halloween/fall crafts, recipes and other randomness that will be invading our house in the coming week or so.

Excuses

It all started exactly one week ago today. My parents went out of town on a wonderful vacation to Georgia. I didn't go because 1 - I had no vacation time left, 2 - I just got back from a vacation, 3 - someone had to watch the dog.
On Saturday I was going to clean the house and go for a bike ride. Well, I woke up and it was pouring rain (actually, it started Friday and just never stopped). That caused the whole 'go for a bike ride' idea to be washed away (clever, huh?). So, I decided that I would do some baking to fill in the gaps of time. I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and came home. I started cooking/baking at 2:00 pm; I didn't finish until 9:something. I was completely exhausted when I finished and decided that the dishes could most definitely wait until morning; there goes the cleaning part of my day.
Sunday came, I went to church, was invited to dinner and agreed to attend a meeting. After church, I went home to do the dishes (okay, so I missed morning entirely on that one), made lunch, sat down to work on some ideas for primary, finished up my dessert and left. In the mix of everything and a great time, I lost all track of time and I missed the meeting I'd agreed to.
Monday morning I started a bit behind schedule because of the dog. At the end of the day I rushed home because it was the first day of school - I had to return a movie to the store, make dinner, feed the dog and take him for a walk and make it to school - all in an hour. My class started at 6:30 - I think I walked in at 6:30:30 (that's seconds, not a typo). I got out an hour early and was excited because I could get home and do my homework first thing. But when I got home the dog needed me. So, being the good human that I am (he trained me to be this way), I put my books away and played with him before retiring to bed.
Tuesday morning turned out to be the almost the exact same schedule, but instead of class at night I had another meeting (which I made it to, still not sure how; perhaps because it made it into my planner). I came home to an interesting situation (a post for another time) which caused me to not be able to 1 - do my homework, again; 2 - clean up the ongoing mess I'd made; 3 - work out (and I needed my workout for my sanity after the craziness of those few days).
Wednesday finally arrived - the homecoming day! I made it home at lunch to put dinner on in the crock pot (whoever invented the crock pot...genius!). It was a good thing I did too, because I had to go straight to the airport after work. We got everybody home and fed and started to reorganize our lives, slowly but surely. Mom and dad brought back two big bags of fresh peanuts which we boiled that night. I haven't had boiled peanuts in years and boy were they good! While we were waiting for the peanuts to finish I realized that I had some free time on my hands, so I sat down to do my homework. I should have known that it would never happen if I sat down in the living room, but I sat, and no homework was accomplished; and trust me, there is a great excuse for that, too.
Luckily, Thursday rolled around and, would you believe it? I got almost everything done that I planned. Homework - check. Clean up - check. Work out - check.
And my excuse?? R-O-U-T-I-N-E!!!

09.09.09

I am going to write this as many times today as humanly possible (without being totally obnoxious, of course).

I also figured I had better recap the most amazing weekend of my life to this point. Last Tuesday I hatched the most brilliant of plans; I was going to go to Utah to surprise my sister for the long, Labor Day, weekend. I started looking at plane tickets, asking people to sub for me at church, and trying to organize everything to make this happen. Then reality sort of kicked in and the cost for the ticket, and the rental car and the fact that I would only be on the ground for 2 days kind of overwhelmed me. I decided that it would probably be better to not go and save the money for another trip where I could spend more time.
On Thursday we had our company outing (gorgeous day, by the way). My General Manager came over and he asked me about my plans for the weekend. I told him that I had been trying to take this trip but that I had backed out because the cost was ridiculous. He agreed that it would be a huge trip but great surprise and totally backed the idea, which kind of bummed me out because, with someone else support, I wanted to go even more.
All the way home I was trying to figure out how I could possibly make it work, but to no avail. I tried my best to put it out of my mind because I was making myself really depressed and saying things like, "I wish I had never had this idea". While I was sitting at home on the couch, trying to keep 'the trip' off of my mind my cell phone buzzed; I had a text message. I thought it may have been Lori because I tried calling her and I expected her to be telling me she was in class, or to call at another time. I opened the phone and it was a message from my GM asking if I had purchased my tickets yet. I told him I hadn't and then, the most incredible thing of all time, he texted back and said that he wanted to use his frequent flyer miles to purchase my ticket!! I couldn't believe it. I reacted like they do on TV when they show commercials for the Publisher's Clearing House winners - there was laughing, crying, jumping, screaming, more crying, lots of smiling. Within 24 hours, all plans were made and I was on a plane and heading to Utah.
Lori had no idea I was coming and, thanks to her roommates and friends, was still awake when I got there. I had been planning the whole time how I wanted to surprise her but when it came right down to it, I just went and stood in front of her window(I didn't want her running down the stairs and falling, or something like that). It was probably kind of weird, but it worked. She then had the same type of reaction I had; tears, laughing, crying. It was the most awesome feeling ever! We had an amazing weekend together; it was laid back and fun.
The trip went very fast but I am SO glad that I was able to go! I firmly believe that the most important relationships you have in life should be with your family. This weekend we...reconnected, for lack of a better term. This trip was unbelievably good; it couldn't have been any better! Truly a miracle!

Light Blue

I have a new addiction...perfume. A week or so ago I went to Sephora to by a perfume. I knew which one I wanted; it was the same one Lori had when she came home (I know, I'm so unoriginal). That didn't stop me from testing a million others (or 7). I squirted, sprayed and sniffed until I had a headache and my eyes were watering. I made my purchase and left, quite pleased with my purchase. As I left and walked outside into the fresh air, I could smell something - something wonderful. It was at that moment that I thought I may have made the wrong choice because what I smelled was not what I had purchased.
I went home and told my mom about 'the other' perfume and I think she may have laughed at me for walking out of the store without getting the one I wanted. In my defense though, I could hardly see straight after testing so many others - I wasn't even entirely sure which one it was that I could still smell. Well, last Thursday I came home after being in the woods all day (ah, the good ol' days). I sat down to dinner and my mom asked if I was ready for a surprise. She handed me a bag, a Sephora bag. Inside was a new body wash; Chocolate Fudge Cake - I crave chocolate every morning now, and a perfume. Not just any perfume...

Light Blue by Dolce Gabbana

I am in love with this perfume! I love to put it on in the morning, I love to smell it throughout the day. I think I should have done this a long time ago!

The end

We went sailing tonight - again. It's seriously like the third time in a month; I am so totally addicted. Tonight, however, was a bit unlke the other trips. Our captains wife and son came along and it couldn't have been more fun! We have been looking forward to going out with all of them for so long and it didn't disappoint. It was a splendid evening; the perfect end to a great day!

Monday

I'm back at work, white (and blue, but mostly white) walls and terrible fluorescent lights. My desk looks like a bomb dropped on it or a tornado whipped through. I look at my calendar to make sure I haven't missed anything (or won't miss anything in the next 24 hours). I glance to next week and see that we have our company outing, which I know is coming and I'm relieved that I have almost 2 whole weeks before it even happens. I'm calm and know that if I can have just a couple of hours in the morning, my desk will get organized, I can listen to my voice mails and everything will be fine.
5 minutes later - good feeling gone. NEWSFLASH! The company outing has been moved to Thursday - only 2 1/2 days away now. The desk and messages will have to wait.

Okay, so it's not that bad. Out of all of the things I do, this is one of the easiest. The timing is just a bit off, but I guess it's a good adjustment to being back in the office after last week.
My resolve - I will not panic or stress. I will remain calm and organized (whatever that is) and, my famous last words, everything will be fine.

Dessert for breakfast, or vice versa?

I made cinnamon rolls yesterday - a double batch, some for friends and some for us. I knew I would have left overs and they would be perfect for freezing. It all worked out well, except for the fact that there would be extra for freezing. The dough turned out perfect and when they came out of the oven, I knew I wanted to do something special with the extras. I knew exactly what to do.

I took a regular cinnamon roll - unfrosted (don't get too anxious).

Make a batch of french toast dip (egg/milk combo, a little s&p). Dip the cinnamon roll in the egg mixture; soak as desired. I have texture issues, so I don't like letting the bread I use for french toast very long, however, my mother likes a very soft french toast, so she soaks for a long time. It's totally your call. If you are one of the people who likes a soft french toast, you may need to cut the cinnamon roll in half when you soak so it can get all the way through and you won't have to worry about burning it trying to get all of the egg in the center cooked.

Be aware - put the less sugary side down first. I would assume this would always be the bottom, but if you've found a way to get all of the sugar on top, well, then put it down - face up (is that right?) Anyway, cook it all on one side first and then flip it over. The second side down (the sugary side) will definitely cook faster (aka - it will burn). I also rotated the cinnamon roll on all four sides to make sure it was cooked all the way through.

When you are done you will have a crusty, sweet and tasty cinnamon roll.

I topped the cinnamon roll with an awesome Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (so light - perfect) and blueberries.

Go indulge and ask yourself this - is it breakfast for dessert or dessert for breakfast?

A busy week

This week has been the culmination of 6 months of thinking, planning and preparing. We have been planning this GM meeting for 30 people from our company, people from all over the world. We have people here right now from Australia, England, France, Germany, South Africa, Korea, China, Mexico, and India. I have been lucky enough to help participate in all of the planning of this event and, because of that, I get to hang out in the woods for most of the day. It totally beats sitting in the office. I think there is a big possibility that I may not be able to go back to that. Yesterday we divided everyone up into teams for the Build-A-Boat competition. Everyone was given the same number of sheets of cardboard (I think it was 8) and 1,000 ft of duct tape. They then had to construct a water-worthy craft and then float it. Each team had an hour to complete the task. As an added bonus, each team was able to answer some brain teasers and if answered correctly, they got to have their boats wrapped in bubble wrap. Surprisingly, 2 of the boats made it to the buoy and back (about 25 feet), 1 made it to the buoy but started taking on water on the way back. Needless to say they ended up in the water. The fourth team had an incredibly buoyant boat, too buoyant in fact. They were able to paddle about two times and then the boat flipped them. Below are some pics of the event.

Saturday's; cont...

Well, I did it! I got to cook again and I loved it. I have been into trying new things (sort of, there are still limits) so I chose to make Red Pepper Risotto as seen on The Pioneer Woman's site. I was a bit skeptical because I didn't really know what Risotto was, and I didn't think I liked red peppers. Risotto is actually really easy to make, mostly time intensive. You also want to be able to serve it immediately because, as it sits, the rice starts to get really soft and almost mushy, but the flavor it awesome. I'm already planning ways to make it differently next time. I'm thinking spicy - chipotle powder, chopped jalapenos, and some chicken, but I'm still thinking.
Now, I'm off for the crafting part of my evening...

Saturday's

I have a plan today: cooking, crafting and cleaning! I haven't been into cooking/baking in the past month or so - very weird for me, but I made dinner last night and I'm totally back. I'm working on my menu for tonight, it should be pretty good. My mouth is already watering.
I went to the craft store yesterday and found this really great pattern for a new bag - I can't wait to find some fabric to try it.
As for cleaning - well, after I do everything else, it just may not happen. That's what Monday's are for, right?

Girl's Camp

Last year at this time I was up at Girl's Camp cooking up a storm. We had a blast! It was a ton of work but was so worth it. I don't think there are many things that I have enjoyed more. This year, though, I didn't go for three reasons.
1) I used all of my vacation time to go and see Lori
2) I wasn't actually planning on still being in this state
3) I have a H-U-G-E work meeting next week that I am organizing
(There is sort of a 4th and that is, I wasn't sure I could tempt fate enough to get cool weather - it's been a hot week; we had gorgeous cool weather last year)
So, even though I had 3 fairly valid reasons (and 1 not entirely valid but totally truthful reason) I still felt like I was missing out. I never, ever, ever liked going to girl's camp when I was 'supposed' to go, so to be missing it is a pretty big deal. I did, however, take some time yesterday (and a half day off work, hehe) and go up for the afternoon. I couldn't believe how much I missed it; I didn't want to leave. These young women and their leaders are AWESOME! So, needless to say, I am already making plans now to somehow be involved again next year - I refuse to miss it!

Counting

3 weeks until my first class starts! I can't wait!

Confession

I just spent an hour trying out new blog backgrounds. It was an agonizing decision, but I like the one I have now. This is almost as painful as picking paint for real walls. Thankfully, though, it's a lot less permanent and can be easily changed. If this continues though, I will spend more time trying out backgrounds and buttons than actually updating it. I guess there could be worse things, right? Anyone?

Lessons

Do you ever have those moments when you do something, and then have the thought 'maybe I shouldn't have done that'? Well, I did yesterday. I had a dentist appointment (yuck! ouch!) and they gave me a lot of Novocaine (pretty good stuff - sort of). I came home after an hour and a half in the hot seat and collapsed on the couch, certain that I was going to sleep it off. Then the phone rang. It was our home teacher, the sailor, inviting us to go out for a couple of hours - my father has been plotting a fishing trip on the boat and it was the perfect night. I originally decided I wasn't going to go because, let's face it, I was totally out of it. At the last minute I decided to go along for the ride. I was doing good, and then we got on the shuttle boat. Being in the boat wasn't that bad, it was standing up and trying to move on the water that was a problem. I have trouble standing up straight and walking on dry ground; I don't need any help in that department. Luckily, I got to sit still most of the evening and it was a most enjoyable trip!
In other news, today is my birthday and I gave myself a birthday present! I am officially a college student again and I couldn't be happier! Granted, writing out that check was not as memorable, but ultimately worth it. The other perfect gift is that 15 of my credits from BYU-Idaho transferred - so I am down a full semester of work. Yippee!

Sailing

We got to go sailing for the first time ever on Saturday with our wonderful friend and home teacher. The day couldn't have been better! The sun was out, it wasn't too windy (but not too still either; that may have been a problem) and the water was perfect! I was a little nervous about getting on the boat, but after the hassle of getting out to the boat, it was no big deal (we had to kayak out to the dock where the boat was and get from the kayak UP to the dock - not fun or graceful by any stretch of the imagination and I will N-E-V-E-R try that again.)
My absolute favorite part was being on the front of the boat and trying to lay in the sun. I say trying because every time I thought I would have a great stretch of light and warmth, we would turn and the sail would be on the wrong side - but it was completely relaxing anyway. One of Lori's friends came down for the day and we had a blast hanging out and giggling like a bunch of little girls. It was truly perfect! I wouldn't have traded it for anything! Pictures will follow one day...maybe!

Announcement!!!

So, over the past several months I have been up and down and everywhere in between. I have been toying with the idea of going back to school. In February, I was planning on going to LDS Business College, then it was BYU-Idaho, then it was North Shore Community College and everywhere in between. I would get nervous and excited and then extremely confused. I have people all over the place confused and it's no wonder when I'm the source of the information. Well, it's time to announce that I have come to a decision and it is all happening a lot faster than I ever anticipated.
I will be starting classes on September 9 at .......North Shore Community College. I didn't think that I would even be able to get everything together in time, but I have spent this week doing paperwork and taking placement tests and I have orientation and registration next week, so it seems like it is really going to happen. I am going to be taking night classes to finish up my Associates Degree and then will work on transferring somewhere to finish my Bachelor's, but only one thing at a time.
So, I don't know if it's good news to anyone else, but I am officially staying here. I love my life and the positive things that I have going on right now. And even though I was so excited to leave to do something else - I am now excited and feel the need to stay here until further notice.

Gray

11:15 am
I usually feel bright and cheerful, like a bright pink, or orange, or bright blue. I like to think that I am optimistic by nature and, though I definitely have some down times, I can see things in a positive light. Today, though, I feel gray. I feel like the color of my world has been washed out. I feel lost inside this bubble that I live, and I don’t know exactly how to get out.
My boss is out of town this week which means I sit in a corner of the office by myself, with no one to talk to, with no break in the monotony. I work as hard as I can, for as long as I can, but then I hit a wall and have no one to bounce ideas off of, so I start to think and before long, I feel…blech.
I think that must have been exactly what happened. I had an awesome day yesterday and then, on my way home from work, I allowed myself to wander into the crevices of my mind where doubt, regret and mischief live. Because that’s where I allowed my mind to go, I have to bring it back out again and shut the door on this dark place.
As I’m writing this, the color feels like it is coming back, there is a smile creeping onto my face, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll survive (how about a little drama for the day?).

1:20 pm
I spent my lunch break in an empty office that has a double window that overlooks the small airport behind our building. I brought a book to read today and, as I was reading, I could watch the planes take off and land as I glanced up. It felt good to sit and see outside without having to feel the heat of the day (my computer says 86 degrees right now and the humidity is killer today AND I wore black, so there was no way I was actually going to sit out in the sun, so this was the next best thing).
I frustrate myself with feelings like I had earlier, which I hesitated to actually post but that I did include, mostly for my own reference. Maybe I’ll give it to my boss and tell her it would be better for 1 – her not to go out of town, or 2 – give me a week off while she’s gone, or 3 - let me bring a friend to work for a week (anyone want to volunteer?) I guess in some weird, cyber way, blogging is my friend at work. I got to talk out my feelings, come to a realization of the problem(s), came up with a solution, and lived to tell the tale.

1:35 pm
Now that I have gotten over the gloom and doom stuff, I finally remembered some of the really good things that have happened and I feel this obligation to compensate you in some way for actually having to read this post, so, this is for you- 10 good things
1-Lori and Tausha came to visit
2-Lori and Tausha and I roamed around Boston
3-I parallel parked in Boston
4-We all, parents included, went to the aquarium
5-I got sunburned which may not actually seem good, but I am no longer pasty white!
6-I judged a dessert competition
7-I ate ice cream the next day – don’t judge me J
8-I watched a movie with my parents that we all laughed out loud to!
9-I got one of those mood charts (you know, the ones that have a square over the face/emotion you’re feeling). I have ALWAYS wanted one, so it was pretty awesome!
10-I tried Strawberry Peanut Butter M&M’s. I may or may not have abandoned my search for a new outfit to get them. I may or may not have gone to two different stores on my lunch break to find them. I may or may not have eaten 1/3 of the bag on my way back to work.

I feel better now; I'm feeling pink again! What color are you?

Home

I was watching a movie last night and the girl was told to go home. When she said she wanted to but wasn't sure where that was, her father told her that 'home is where you have been the happiest'. (If you can name that movie on such a vague description, you get 3 points)
It reaffirmed to me that the decisions that I am making now are leading me 'home' in more ways than one.

A letter

Dear Lori and Tausha,
Only 5 days until you come to Boston; I'm so excited! Only one question - can you get here sooner and stay longer???
Cristy

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Last week we had our Relief Society Enrichment Activity. The theme of the evening was a 'Chocolate Festival'. Everyone who wanted to could bring something to eat, but of course, it had to contain chocolate. I have been concocting this idea for quite some time and, while it didn't turn out quite the way I had anticipated, considering the circumstances it was great. So, as painful as it may be, here's how it went down in pictures.

I decided that Milano cookies would make a good crust. (If you have an outlet store, go there. Buy cheap - you're going to crush them up anyway)

I put the cookies in the food processor until finely chopped. I then added some melted butter. Stir until it looks like all of the crumbs have had a butter bath (no, you do not want it soaking wet, but you want it to stick together once you get it in the pan)

Dump the crumb/butter mixture into a spring form pan (I line the bottom disc in foil so it is less messy and SOOOO much easier to clean) and press down. I have issues with getting things on my hands so I use a plastic bag. Beside, you leave more cookies in the pan and none on your hands.

Bake in the oven until the crust is set (about 10 minutes...I think).

While the crust was baking/cooling I made the cheesecake batter. I melted a white chocolate Lindt bar and added it to the batter.

While the cheesecake baked I made the chocolate mousse. It was turning into a very long night and the pictures started to become fewer and further between.

While everything was baking, cooling and setting, I also decided to melt some more white chocolate and added pink food coloring to make swirls to top the whole thing of with. At this point my wonderful mother came to my rescue at 10:30 pm and helped me with everything.

We made lots and lots of swirls....

Here is the before and after shot of the cheesecakes.

Before.....After.....

I was a little concerned how the mixture of textures would work out, but personally, I loved it (and that, in my mind, is all that matters).

I think I dream in chocolate...

Cows

I've been having all sorts of fun lately, some of it real fun, some of it sarcastic 'fun', but all in all, things are great and I am really happy. I am happy that today is the holiday known as Tuesday and that my work week is now half over. Today I got an added boost of excitement as I drove into the parking lot at work. There are two doors on the loading dock side of the building; the first is ours and the second is primarily for the company we share with upstairs. As I was making the turn to the back of the building, I saw what I thought was a cow - wait, could that be??? This is not farm country, nor is this a farm. What on earth would a cow be doing here? And if it was a cow, what was it doing going into our building? The only option would be to put it in the elevator or make it take the stairs and I really couldn't imagine either option. So, I ran inside (seriously, I don't think I have ever been so anxious to get to work) and asked one of the people that sits near me if he saw a cow this morning. He said he had but that it was parked out back. I told him that, in fact, the cow was in the building. Of course, nobody believed that the cow could be in the building, basically because of the elevator/stairs dilema. A few moments passed and my manager walked into the office and I asked if she had seen the cow because I knew she arrived before I did. She looked at me like I had six heads, 'a cow, here?' she asked. 'Are you sure it was a cow?' So, being the smart woman she is, she said, 'let's go for a walk'. We went to the offices on the other side of the building and the property manager was there and asked if we had seen the cow; I was right! He explained that it was their bosses 50th birthday and that he is obsessed with cows (no joke, the man has those gi-normous Cow Parade cows (life-size) in his office, as well as one in their main lobby), so they rented him one for the morning! They set up a pen right in his office and put her in it (and if you're wondering, there were tarps on the floor, just in case...) We got to go in and see her; it made me incredibly happy and I've been smiling ever since. What a classic idea! I'm going to have to do that one day... If nothing else good happens today, it doesn't really matter - I'm all set.

Grateful

Have you ever had those moments when, amidst whatever you're doing, everything in the world seems so much clearer and out of the blue you understand something, or maybe you know what you want to do, or something like that. I have been having a week like that. I don't know what it is exactly, but I feel incredibly empowered, like I'm really on the right track with my life. I know what I want to do, who I want to be. I know mostly how I am going to accomplish it and I have some really big lifelong goals that I'm working on. I have some really positive things going on that truly outweigh the negative and I just feel good. That isn't to say that I don't think about things too much and confuse myself, but when I can clear my mind and focus a little bit better, everything makes sense and I know that what I'm doing is right for me. Oh, how I wish I could remember that 24/7.
I have a whiteboard behind my door in my bedroom that I put quotes and reminders on, things that make me smile, and some that just remind me to do something. I recently updated it with some new statements and now, every time I shut my door, I see these new phrases that give my life purpose and meaning. So, I guess that at this very moment, despite the turmoil of the workplace and the weird world in which we live, I personally have peace and for that, I am GRATEFUL.

Needing a laugh

I was watching America's Funniest Home Video's last night. There were two little kids - a brother and sister doing karate (rather, pretending they were doing karate). The little boy keeps looking at the camera and saying "Do you want a piece of me??" The little girl steps in front of him after some of his bantering and, in the cutest little voice, says "Yeah, do you want a piece of ham?" So she heard, do you want a piece of meat? I laughed so hard!!! Hope it brightens your day.

Therapy

I just saw this quote on my sidebar; it's by C.S. Lewis and I absolutely love it! It is now my therapy quote - you know, that one eye opening comment that helps to either define or solidify your position/belief in, well, whatever.

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad."

It's been almost 3 weeks since I started 'the project' in my room. It has changed a lot since we finished the painting but I think everything has made it to a more permanent arrangement. I have been clearing out all the old junk and the fun memories and now, to my amazement, I have open spaces in my room and I don't know what to do with them exactly. I still have stuff that needs to be put away but I am having trouble thinking of redistributing the stuff in my clean space. I guess I'll just have to get over that one. The good news is that I have almost all of my stuff out of Lori's room - it looks almost liveable again, so COME HOME LORI!! Oh, and if you haven't heard, she is coming home in just over a month. She and her roommate Tausha (hi Tausha) will be visiting for a week and I just can't wait!!! It's going to be a party here. (Pretty sure I might be 'sick' (cough, cough) one day, but I would never really do that).

If you're wondering what she is doing this summer, take a look at these...

Lori didn't come home this summer so she could stay and work as a cake decorator. This is what she gets to do everyday. This cake, however, was not for work. She made this cake FOR FUN after she got home from work. What can I say? She is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

So here we are again, on the edge of another fun and exciting week. I hope yours is great, too.

Promises

As promised - here are some pictures...

This is the quilt

It took just under a month to do, thanks to a wonderful mother who devoted herself to its completion

It is so bright and cheery.

I absolutely love it!!!

Next is the everchanging bedroom.

This is the before shot - I almost forgot to take one!

This is what I saw when I woke up every morning

Bye bye clouds. It's too late to turn back now.

Fortunately I haven't looked back and I don't regret any of it.

This is the new color!!!

This was one of the last pictures I took last night after rearranging the furniture. It looks as though the dog doesn't mind this a bit. (This is the much more calm side of Paco - he spent the day following me around, absolutely freaking out about all of the extra commotion. I think we took a year off of his poor little life) This is him, completely calm and ready to settle in for the night.

Of course we had to try the quilt on. It looks so great with the new color scheme.

That concludes our photo tour. Unfortunately I don't have the completly finished product, mostly because it isn't quite complete yet. I have already rearranged the furniture twice since the above pic was taken, so who knows how it will ultimately end up. If you want to see it though, in its entirety, you'll just have to stop by.

Funny thought

I have a ton of friends who have recently had babies and it has been so much fun reading everyone's posts about how quickly their children are growing up. Today as I was reading though, I was struck with a thought that literally made me laugh out loud. On every blog I have read today, there was an update of height and weight, all the new things the baby can do and some funny stories about having children. As I was reading the stats on some of these children - I thought how incredibly funny if parents did that for their teenage/adult children. Can you just imagine..."At 25 year-old check up, Scott was 6'2" and 190 lbs", all followed by what new ability he has discovered and a picture of a funny face. All I can say is that I'm glad that my parents DON'T do that.
In other news, the quilt is completely complete and I will be posting pictures soon.
Have you ever read the book "If you give a mouse a cookie"? Basically, if you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to need a glass of milk, and it continues a chain reaction of needs based on what you gave him. Well, if you give me (or let me help you make) a new quilt, I'm going to need a new color on the walls, and once that is done, I will have to rearrange the furniture. So, we spent yesterday, Memorial Day, painting my bedroom (I will also be posting before/after pics...one day). It went from a beautiful sky blue color with clouds on the ceiling to a bright, summery yellow. The furniture has also been moved - I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but luckily, that is a lot easier to change than say, repainting because I didn't like the color, right?

Bubbles

I found out (or more correctly, was reminded) how much I love bubbles. We found 12-16 inch tubes of bubbles at Wal-Mart for - brace yourself - $1!!!! That's a whole lot of fun for a buck. Needless to say we bought several tubes and have been enjoying them immensely. So what are you still doing here? Go buy some - you won't regret it!

You've had a birthday..

Shout HOORAY!!! Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister Lori! I hope you had a wonderful birthday and that this year will be the best yet.
Her birthday was yesterday and I am still bummed that I didn't get to celebrate with her. Oh well, I guess that's the way life is.

I have a spreadsheet at work that I put together about a year and a half ago. I update it every once in a while. One page has events that I am looking forward to and the other is full of quotes (confession: I am a quote freak!). I haven't opened it in a while, I seriously mean months. I came across a quote that, in the past day and a half, has brought me a lot of peace, confidence and encouragement. One day I hope to know who said it.
"It's not who you think you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not"

And with that, I'm ready to conquer my future...

It 1:00 pm...

and it is 88 degrees outside! Someone please check for me, what month is it? Did we skip spring??? In all seriousness, it is quite a welcome change from the snow and bitter cold of winter and I'm glad the heat isn't sticking around for much longer - back to the 60's tomorrow. I really want to enjoy spring just a bit before taking the hot plunge.
I may not like the heat, but it is absolutely creating a beautiful day. Oh, and I get to leave work in 2 1/2 hours, so I get to go and enjoy it. Thank goodness for the orthodontist (I never thought I'd think that)
Carpe diem!

Pondering

I've been doing some thinking - which, if you know me, is a very dangerous thing. In my pondering over the past several weeks and months, I have made plans and changed plans so many times and so quickly that it is quite difficult for me to keep up - I don't expect anyone else to either. First I was leaving, then I was staying, then I was leaving later, then not going at all. Today I'm back to feeling like I should go, I want to go. Logic keeps intruding into my thoughts and makes me think that it may be a foolish decision to drop everything good that I have going here. I have been making lists of all kinds; pros and cons of every aspect of staying or going, or waiting, or whatever else may have slipped into my mind at the time.
During General Conference I really began thinking about life and the decisions that I was/am facing. It was Elder Steven E. Snow's talk that really got me going and got me incredibly excited, even confident in my decision that indeed, it is time for me to get on with my life. I haven't remained at home out of pure convenience, although it has helped enormously (thanks mom and dad!), or out of fear of doing something else (well, maybe a little), the timing has just been right. I needed to be at home to figure some things out, to figure out who I am and what I want out of my life. I have had some incredible experiences here, I love my job and have received a great education in the work force. The time has come though, to get on with my life, to do something. I still don't know what the right decision for me is. I have applications in and I'm making plans as if I were doing both and I hope that whatever is holding me back from making the decision that I want/need will either disappear, or I'll know how to conquer it. This may be one of those times that I take a step in the dark, that leap of faith, and proceed with my life.
Until I get my thoughts sorted, I feel I must escape from my thoughts, at least for a bit, and resume the current life and responsibilities that I have. Besides, I have a conference call in an hour, lunch to eat, and work to do. Duty calls - thank goodness!
Happy Friday! I hope you have some great weekend plans.

I'm learning...

The list is long of the things I currently don't know how to do, although I am trying. Monday was Patriot's Day in New England (yay!!! for random days off) so my wonderful mother helped me learn to....SEW! I made an apron! For some of you, you may be thinking "hello?!?!, doesn't everyone", or, "you're just now learning", or "sewing - why do you need to learn that?". At any rate - the mission was successful. It didn't take me very long at all. I learned (or maybe just realized again) how much of a perfectionist I am when it comes to craft projects, or any project really. I like to follow patterns (if I can figure them out), recipes, rules, whatever you've got - and I DON'T like to stray from said instructions. I finally realized while making my apron that - this was MY project, it was MY apron, on I would be wearing it - so who cares? Once I realized that it was smooth sailing - I actually got into it A LOT!!
After I finished my apron we pulled out the quilt we started a couple of months ago and finished sewing the top layer together. At this moment there is a quilting frame in our living room just waiting to be sewn up - our lives for the next few days, uh - weeks?, I mean months?? Sure hope not! Pictures of both projects coming soon.

Jon Schmidt Music Video - Love Story meets Viva la Vida

Jon Schmidt Music Video - Love Story meets Viva la Vida

Check this out - inspiring!

Spring - a new start

This has been the best week or so, ever. I was going through a really rough spell, lots of questions and concerns, but I've gotten through most of everything (or at least said it out loud - that helps a lot), and now life is just FANTASTIC! I feel like I am finally back to my normal, happy-go-lucky self. I have been coming home extremely giddy and happy. I have been on a couple of shopping sprees (okay, so that doesn't really help my savings account, but I claim 'I needed it', and I think I did). When I was in Utah, Lori and I went dress shopping and I had in mind the type of dress I was looking for. I wanted something with both pink and white, I wanted it to look spring-like, and something just cute and fun. We looked all over the store and I never found 'the dress'. On Friday, I actually left the office at lunch time and went to the little shopping center about 2 miles from work. I went in and was looking spefically for a new shirt to wear with a skirt that I have had for a while when it happened. I got drawn into the dress area when I saw one with polka dots on it and then I saw it - MY SPRING DRESS!! It was like they knew I was coming. They had my size on the end of the rack even. I went and tried it on and fell completely in love. Of course, I had to go buy a new pair of shoes to match my dress, but it was all completely worth it. I am already planning on wearing it on Thursday and I plan on having pics taken of it. Happy Spring to me! (Wow - how self-centered; note to self - work on self-centeredness)
Anyway, the world is once again good and I am looking forward to everything that is coming my way.

April 11th recap

I wanted to recap my 'celebration' of April 11th - just because I can! I got to sleep in (okay, it was 7:30, but still, 45 minutes is better than nothing). Then we (in no particular order)...had the missionaries over for breakfast, cleaned up, made cupcakes, painted my nails, got french braid pigtails, walked 2 miles, went to the store, listened to a movie while baking, ordered pizza for dinner, took some pictures and played the piano. I loved yesterday. I think that it is important to have days just to celebrate for no good reason. It gives life...a little something extra. So, my challenge to you - pick a day (or days) and celebrate. It doesn't have to be huge - just make it your own special day, make it special to you.

The BEST day ever!

So I commonly use the phrase 'best day ever', but today truly is the best day ever, every time it comes around. Today is April 11th, and for no good reason I celebrate it every year. I wanted to have a special 'holiday' that meant nothing and had no other significant meaning. I try to do something special, even if it is just painting my nails, to celebrate.

Today I made cupcakes - lots of cupcakes.

I made a batch of cherry chip and a batch of yellow cakes. Then I decided to top them with flowers that I piped out of colored white chocolate. I had a blast baking and piping and piping and baking. They turned out to be the perfect springtime cupcakes, Easter cakes, and April 11th cakes!!

Enjoy the day!