Okay, so we are actually at hour 12.5 and I must admit to taking about a 3 hour nap. That being said I just finished my first book and have read approximately 1/2 of this week's People magazine.
The book I read is Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. It is about 4 Smith alum's who are finding out that life is always what we planned. I really enjoyed this book by first time novelist Sullivan. Check out her website and see if this is a book you would be interested in. I will admit tha I was a little scared that I might find the book a little too feminist but I appreciate that the author seems to understand that all of us see womanhood differently.
**note-Commencement is 320 pages
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Goal Number 93 Begins-The 24 hour Read-A-Thon
Beginning at 10:30pm I will begin my 24 hours of reading. I will be taking a couple of breaks and maybe a catnap or two but for the most part the next 24 hours I will be getting my reading on. I plan on updating you at hour 12 and then again when I am finished. Good times! I plan on giving you a quick review on the book(s) read. This is going to be a great weekend!!
Goal Number 37-New Recipe #5
In honor of William and Kate I am making a special English breakfast this morning. I woke up at 2am this morning just to watch the wedding. I truly am a crazy romantic at heart!
Strawberries and Cream Mini Muffins
{Recipe taken from People Magazine via Nigella Lawson}
(makes 24 mini muffins)
1 cup strawberries diced into quarter-inch pieces
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper baking cups.
2. Put diced strawberries into a bowl, spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder.
4. In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon. Fold in strawberries.
5. Divide batter evenly among the paper cups in the mini-muffin tin. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Place tin on a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes. Take out the muffins and continue cooling them in the paper cups on the wire rack. When muffins are completely cool, place the powdered sugar in a small sieve. Shake sieve lightly to dust the muffins with sugar. Serve.
Note: If making regular sized muffins it makes 12 and will have to bake for about 17 minutes.
Yummy!! I would highly recommend this recipe. Best wishes to the happy couple!
Strawberries and Cream Mini Muffins
{Recipe taken from People Magazine via Nigella Lawson}
(makes 24 mini muffins)
1 cup strawberries diced into quarter-inch pieces
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper baking cups.
2. Put diced strawberries into a bowl, spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder.
4. In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon. Fold in strawberries.
5. Divide batter evenly among the paper cups in the mini-muffin tin. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Place tin on a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes. Take out the muffins and continue cooling them in the paper cups on the wire rack. When muffins are completely cool, place the powdered sugar in a small sieve. Shake sieve lightly to dust the muffins with sugar. Serve.
Note: If making regular sized muffins it makes 12 and will have to bake for about 17 minutes.
 |
| Just before going into the oven. They smell yummy already!! |
 |
| The final product! |
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Goal Number 37-New Recipes 3 &4
This year for Easter dinner I was assigned a potato side dish and a punch. They both turned out super yummy. Give them a try. I dare you!!
Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
recipe courtesty of allrecipes.com
Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3.Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4.When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5.Bake for another 15 minutes.
Aunt Cindy's (originally Aunt Judy's) Party Punch
recipe courtesy of drinksmixer.com
2 cans pineapple orange juice
1 literdiet 7-Up® soda
1 liter strawberry soda
1 quart raspberry Sorbet
In a punch bowl empty 1 can pineapple-orange juice, 1/2 liter diet 7-up, 1/2 liter strawberry soda. When ready to serve float scoops of raspberry sherbert on top. (Any flavor of sherbert can be used.) Yield: 2 batches
I enjoyed spending this Easter holiday with my family. It is always a joy to have good food and spend time with the ones you love.
Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
recipe courtesty of allrecipes.com
Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3.Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4.When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5.Bake for another 15 minutes.
Aunt Cindy's (originally Aunt Judy's) Party Punch
recipe courtesy of drinksmixer.com
2 cans pineapple orange juice
1 literdiet 7-Up® soda
1 liter strawberry soda
1 quart raspberry Sorbet
In a punch bowl empty 1 can pineapple-orange juice, 1/2 liter diet 7-up, 1/2 liter strawberry soda. When ready to serve float scoops of raspberry sherbert on top. (Any flavor of sherbert can be used.) Yield: 2 batches
I enjoyed spending this Easter holiday with my family. It is always a joy to have good food and spend time with the ones you love.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
I truly do know that my Redeemer lives and I am so grateful for the blessing that knowledge brings. Happy Easter to all!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Keep on trucking...
I am going to just say up front that I absolutely hate dating!!! I am no good at it. Now that I have said that let me tell you about my most recent experience. About 3 weeks ago I decided that I was tired of moping around and feeling sorry for myself so I told my friends that I was ready to start dating and they were charged with finding me the perfect man. Turns out I should have given them a bit of direction. I really didn’t think I was that picky of a girl but turns out even I have standards.
Several days after putting myself on the “market” I answered the phone call which would set my ego back several years. They had found me a 42 year old divorcee who was employed and LDS. What a coup! I agreed to let them give him my email address and Facebook information and that very day I received a friend request from a 47 year old, unemployed, 2 week divorced man (the LDS part was accurate, kinda…) Would that the story ended there and for about a week I thought it would. After “friending” me he took an entire week to contact me because he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to me. So, after his initial reluctance things took off at a rapid rate that had me alternating between panic and nausea. After several days of exchanging emails and phone calls it was decided that we would get together on a Saturday night (also his birthday) for dinner and a movie. Here is the part that is embarrassing, I offered to cook him dinner which means I gave him my address. Ugh! A mere 18 hours after giving out my address he was at my doorstep with only a 5 minute heads up. Really? It was 9pm and I was in my pj’s and glasses and certainly not looking my finest. Nevertheless, not being one to stand up for myself, I let him in and so began the nightmare. That very night I found out that he was in fact unemployed, had only been divorced for 2 weeks AND still lived with his ex-wife (I later found out she was a lesbian. Why wouldn’t you lead with that information?) I am not going to give you a blow by blow account of this experience but I do want to highlight some choice moments. As I think about them I realize that while they showcase a man who clearly is not ready to be dating they also showcase a very timid woman who needs to stand up for herself more. The following are not in chronological order I am just writing them as they come to mind…
1. The man wears women’s socks. He says that men’s socks are too big and little boy’s socks are too little. Really?
2. Did I mention he still lives with his ex-wife with no plans for either of them to move out?
3. Right before the divorce he declared bankruptcy. **Just a note to single men everywhere…most women do not need you to be rich but we do need you to live within your means and take care of your responsibilities.
4. He is old and it has nothing to do with the numbers. He thinks acts and dresses like an old man.
5. When asked what he was looking for in a woman the answers were all physical in nature and none of them described me in the least. He actually looked at my boobs, asked what size I was and when I answered that I was a C cup he called me a liar and said I looked more like a D. Now for most men that wouldn’t be a problem but he actually told me they were too big. (Why the hell was he wasting time with me?)
6. He is into couponing. Now I am all about saving a buck (see number 3) but he is one of those couponer who has binders and subscribes to 5 Sunday papers. I know I shouldn’t stereotype but it seriously sounds like a bored housewife hobby.
7. The man doesn't like baseball. In fact, “doesn't like”, doesn’t even come close. He knows absolutely nothing about the sport. I actually didn’t think it was possible to be an American and have never heard the name Derek Jeter but the man told me the only baseball player he knew was Babe Ruth. How old did you say you were old man?!?
8. He wore pleated pants and white (women’s) sweat socks with dress shoes.
Okay, I could keep going but this list is starting to depress me. It all ended in a fiery crash when he mentioned that his mother check out my profile on Facebook (his mother is in her 80’s what the hell is she doing on FB??) and that she found me to be neither pretty enough nor thin enough for him. The best part? He defended her by saying she is shallow. Awesome! That was followed up with him asking me where I saw our relationship going long term. Bye bye crazy man. You will not be missed.
Several days after putting myself on the “market” I answered the phone call which would set my ego back several years. They had found me a 42 year old divorcee who was employed and LDS. What a coup! I agreed to let them give him my email address and Facebook information and that very day I received a friend request from a 47 year old, unemployed, 2 week divorced man (the LDS part was accurate, kinda…) Would that the story ended there and for about a week I thought it would. After “friending” me he took an entire week to contact me because he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to me. So, after his initial reluctance things took off at a rapid rate that had me alternating between panic and nausea. After several days of exchanging emails and phone calls it was decided that we would get together on a Saturday night (also his birthday) for dinner and a movie. Here is the part that is embarrassing, I offered to cook him dinner which means I gave him my address. Ugh! A mere 18 hours after giving out my address he was at my doorstep with only a 5 minute heads up. Really? It was 9pm and I was in my pj’s and glasses and certainly not looking my finest. Nevertheless, not being one to stand up for myself, I let him in and so began the nightmare. That very night I found out that he was in fact unemployed, had only been divorced for 2 weeks AND still lived with his ex-wife (I later found out she was a lesbian. Why wouldn’t you lead with that information?) I am not going to give you a blow by blow account of this experience but I do want to highlight some choice moments. As I think about them I realize that while they showcase a man who clearly is not ready to be dating they also showcase a very timid woman who needs to stand up for herself more. The following are not in chronological order I am just writing them as they come to mind…
1. The man wears women’s socks. He says that men’s socks are too big and little boy’s socks are too little. Really?
2. Did I mention he still lives with his ex-wife with no plans for either of them to move out?
3. Right before the divorce he declared bankruptcy. **Just a note to single men everywhere…most women do not need you to be rich but we do need you to live within your means and take care of your responsibilities.
4. He is old and it has nothing to do with the numbers. He thinks acts and dresses like an old man.
5. When asked what he was looking for in a woman the answers were all physical in nature and none of them described me in the least. He actually looked at my boobs, asked what size I was and when I answered that I was a C cup he called me a liar and said I looked more like a D. Now for most men that wouldn’t be a problem but he actually told me they were too big. (Why the hell was he wasting time with me?)
6. He is into couponing. Now I am all about saving a buck (see number 3) but he is one of those couponer who has binders and subscribes to 5 Sunday papers. I know I shouldn’t stereotype but it seriously sounds like a bored housewife hobby.
7. The man doesn't like baseball. In fact, “doesn't like”, doesn’t even come close. He knows absolutely nothing about the sport. I actually didn’t think it was possible to be an American and have never heard the name Derek Jeter but the man told me the only baseball player he knew was Babe Ruth. How old did you say you were old man?!?
8. He wore pleated pants and white (women’s) sweat socks with dress shoes.
Okay, I could keep going but this list is starting to depress me. It all ended in a fiery crash when he mentioned that his mother check out my profile on Facebook (his mother is in her 80’s what the hell is she doing on FB??) and that she found me to be neither pretty enough nor thin enough for him. The best part? He defended her by saying she is shallow. Awesome! That was followed up with him asking me where I saw our relationship going long term. Bye bye crazy man. You will not be missed.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Back on Track!
Okay, I have gotten a bit side tracked over the last couple of weeks but this short post is a recommitment is my blog and my goals! Look for updates in the coming days!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Goal Number Number 38-Make a Quilt
Okay team, let's just say that I am not a girl who spends much time sewing so this goal is a bit of a challenge. Thanks to my sister I was introduced to the idea of a "quilt along" and I found a lovely blog online that is helping me accomplish this task. Below I have laid out my blocks. Each square represents the column. I am almost finished with the cutting and will be moving onto the piecing of the blocks later this week. Go me!!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Unrequited Love
I have been thinking a lot about love and how desperate most of us are to have it in our lives. As a teenager I prayed that, even if I never married, I would at least experience love. Seems even then that I wasn't much of an optimist . As an adult I have to acknowledge that the Lord has answered my prayers. I have know love in its deepest form but I now realize that I left something out of my prayer...I want someone to love me in return. There is nothing more painful than knowing that your very deep and real feelings are not returned unless it is knowing that the person for whom you have these feelings pities you. And so my new prayer begins, I want to fall in love and have that person love me in return. It doesn't seem like too much to ask. Millions of people accomplish it every day.
**In happier news I have been putting working on some of my goals and am hoping to spend some time this weekend updating my blog. Check back for details. You will be amazed at what I have accomplished!
**In happier news I have been putting working on some of my goals and am hoping to spend some time this weekend updating my blog. Check back for details. You will be amazed at what I have accomplished!
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