So I forgot the flour in ANOTHER recipe that I made on Saturday. Seriously?! What the eff is wrong with my cooking abilities lately? Now, granted this was in a casserole and the flour was just to thicken up the sauce. It tastes just as good without (well, maybe not seeing as though I've never made it before so I don't really know what it was supposed to taste like... but good nonetheless). Way better to forget the flour in a casserole than in cookies. I'm going to just go ahead and blame the economy again.
Other news and notes from the past week... how proud am I of Miami football? Okay, the Hurricanes didn't win their bowl game, but generally speaking I thought they looked A LOT better than Cal did. And with as many young players on the team, I'm already getting excited for next season. I think we may be on our way back. But the Dolphins?! Oh man, now that's something to get excited about (assuming you like the Dolphins). Going from 1-15 last year to making the playoffs and winning the division this year? Amazing turn around. I'm gonna be rooting for them all the way.
Christmas was good. I got some really nice things and loved spending time with my family... even if me and my younger brother did have a virus. He got it way worse than I. Stomach issues are just no fun, especially at the holidays. But all in all it was a good time. It always seems to go by too fast though.
And finally, what exactly defines a "fling"? I think I may be having one (no, not with a married man, which is what usually pops into my brain when I hear the term fling). Or maybe it's already been flung...?
Just some random tidbits for your Monday. My brain is still on vacation. Clearly.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Another Cooking Disaster
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here. I blame the economy.
Anyway, I thought I'd share with you another story from kitchen. Some of you may recall the disaster that was my Thanksgiving side dish and the meltdown that ensued. Luckily there was no meltdown, but it was somewhat of a disaster.
So, I was invited to a cookie exchange that took place yesterday. I decided to try a new recipe (found here) and wanted to make a batch ahead of time to make sure I liked it. So Thursday after work I set out to the store to get the ingredients I needed, which was a little hard to determine since I didn't really have a great concept of what I already had at home. This led me to buy things I didn't really need, but that's neither here nor there in this story. When I finally get around to making the cookies I discover that it's kinda hard to make an entire batch of cookies with just a handheld mixer (leading me to think that maybe I should have asked for a mixer for Christmas...).
While I'm making said cookies, I'm having an entire conversation with a certain somebody over text message. This "certain somebody" is also a story for another day... or maybe not at all. I'll decide later. This led me to maybe not be as focused on the cookies as I should have been. I get all done making them and think "Well there's no way this dough is going to form into balls... it's too runny." So I just plop some batter on the cookie sheet and shove it in the oven. While they're baking I call my mom to tell her about the runny batter. She asks if maybe I forgot something. I look at the recipe again and discover, oh yes I did. Flour is somewhat a major ingredient, not something that should be forgotten!
When all was said and done, the cookies did turn out to be absolutely delicious. I've heard nothing but rave reviews. Maybe I should just stay away from the kitchen for a while!
Anyway, I thought I'd share with you another story from kitchen. Some of you may recall the disaster that was my Thanksgiving side dish and the meltdown that ensued. Luckily there was no meltdown, but it was somewhat of a disaster.
So, I was invited to a cookie exchange that took place yesterday. I decided to try a new recipe (found here) and wanted to make a batch ahead of time to make sure I liked it. So Thursday after work I set out to the store to get the ingredients I needed, which was a little hard to determine since I didn't really have a great concept of what I already had at home. This led me to buy things I didn't really need, but that's neither here nor there in this story. When I finally get around to making the cookies I discover that it's kinda hard to make an entire batch of cookies with just a handheld mixer (leading me to think that maybe I should have asked for a mixer for Christmas...).
While I'm making said cookies, I'm having an entire conversation with a certain somebody over text message. This "certain somebody" is also a story for another day... or maybe not at all. I'll decide later. This led me to maybe not be as focused on the cookies as I should have been. I get all done making them and think "Well there's no way this dough is going to form into balls... it's too runny." So I just plop some batter on the cookie sheet and shove it in the oven. While they're baking I call my mom to tell her about the runny batter. She asks if maybe I forgot something. I look at the recipe again and discover, oh yes I did. Flour is somewhat a major ingredient, not something that should be forgotten!
When all was said and done, the cookies did turn out to be absolutely delicious. I've heard nothing but rave reviews. Maybe I should just stay away from the kitchen for a while!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Random Thoughts
I haven't had much to write about lately it seems. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm leaning towards bad. True, I mostly just end up writing about my crazy love life and the stupid boys I can't seem to get out of my head. Which means that I mostly write when I'm upset about something that's happened. So since I haven't blogged in a while, nothing upsetting has happened and no boys are being stupid (well, not proactively being stupid at least). But that also means that the past few days have been kinda boring. Since my Thanksgiving meltdown, I've just been very quietly going about my life. Day in and day out. Which is fine. But like I said, doesn't give me much to discuss. So, for you I now present random thoughts swirling through my head:
- It seems like every weekend is the same thing. I go out with friends to a bar, I meet a guy who seems interested, we exchange numbers, I don't go home with him, and then I never hear from him again. It doesn't really bug me that I don't hear from them, because clearly if they were worth anything I would. I just find it fascinating that so many men just want the one-night thing. I don't expect to find Mr. Right at a bar (although I know that happens on occasion), but they shouldn't expect that I'm gonna sleep with them right after meeting them.
- I can't figure out what I want for Christmas, let alone what to get anyone else! And I only have c ouple more weeks to do shopping, which normally would be plenty of time. But I normally at least have a couple good ideas. Or a day at work that I'm not too busy that I can take off to go to the mall and look around to gain inspiration. But the past few weeks I've been so busy at work that I don't have a day I can do that, and I'm not getting out of work most days until 7 so by that time I'm not in the mood to go shopping. Hopefully I'll come up with great ideas quickly, before time runs out.
- Sometimes I feel a little anti-social. Last night I got home from work, did the treadmill (for the second time yesterday), worked on a report for work, made and ate dinner, and then took my dog for a walk. While I was taking my dog for a walk, I got a call from a friend I haven't spoken to in months (on my cell, which I had forgotten at home). When I got the message, I thought, "I really want to talk to her, but I don't really feel like talking to anyone right now." So I didn't call her back. Does that make me a bad friend?
- I really hate driving in snow. With a passion. To the point that if it's snowing, even slightly, and I don't have to drive anywhere, I won't. Maybe that makes me a wimp.
- The holidays are usually my favorite time of the year. I just wish I had someone to share them with. To go look at Christmas lights with, decorate a tree with, sit by a fire and drink hot chocolate with. So I'm trying to embrace my singleness (I'm aware that's not a word) and do these things by myself. Decorate a tree? Check. Sit by a fire? Check. Drink hot chocolate? Check. Next up, Christmas lights.
That's all I got. With any luck some boy will do something stupid soon so I have a more interesting life and story to tell!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Brought to You by the Letter B
(Sidenote: does anyone have any advice to linking. I used to be able to link just fine, and now when I try to insert a link, it puts in the actual HTML language instead of linking. So for now, I'm just going to put in the website name instead of trying to link. Apparently this also happens when trying to bold words. Boo! And thanks in advance for anyone who knows how to help.)
Thanks goes out to rialeilani at & that's the way life goes (www.rialeilani.com) who has given me the letter B. Here are the rules:
If you leave a comment on this post, I will assign you a letter. You then write about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your post, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on.
1.) BRUNO - Bruno is my dog. He is so adorable sweet and makes me laugh all the time. He always kisses away my tears when I'm sad and is so, so excited to see me whenever I get home. I tell him every day that he's the only man I need in my life.
2.) BROTHERS - I have two wonderful brothers (whose names actually also both start with the letter B). We didn't always get along growing up, although I'd say we probably had a better than average sibling relationship even then, but now I'd consider them both among my best friends. I see my older brother almost every weekend, when we get together to go out or watch football. My younger brother lives in NYC, so it's not as easy to see him often, but when we do we have so much fun. He's always been one who I can talk to about anything and the same goes for him.
3.) BOOKS and BLOGS - I'm combining these two, since I came up with so many B things I love and they are somewhat similar. I like to read a lot. I've read every night before I go to bed probably since I began reading at the age of 4. It helps me relax and get lost in another world when mine isn't working out the way I want it to. So I would absolutely be lost without my books. Now blogs serve a similar purpose. I enjoy reading about other people's lives in their own words. They help me realize that I'm not the only one out there who feels the way I do sometimes.
4.) BOYS - I mean, seriously?! If you read my blog on a regular basis you know I'm always talking about one boy or another. Could I leave them off my list of B things? I think not! The sweet things they do (at times!). They way they smell. They way the compete over everything with one another. And the way they treat a woman they are truly in love with.
5.) BOOZE - For when the boys drive me crazy! Ha ha. No, I'm not an alcoholic, but there's something about the way a nice cold beer tastes while watching football. Or having a glass of good wine after a long day at work. Or going out with your girlfriends for margaritas. It's not something I need, but something I definitely enjoy.
6.) BED - I sometimes think I'm infatuated with my bed. It is seriously the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Nice and soft, with usually good sheets and a nice warm blanket. It makes it seriously difficult to get up in the morning, even when I'm fully awake and ready to go. It's a good thing I don't have a television in my bedroom or I might live in my bed during the weekends.
7.) BEACHES - Not the movie, although I like that too. It's no wonder I ended up going to school in Miami. Shockingly though, I didn't spend as much time on the beach as I would have liked during my time there. But I've always loved the beach. Growing up, my family always went to Ft. Myers Beach twice a year. There's nothing better than lying in the sun, with the waves crashing in the background.
8.) BUBBLE BATHS - One of my favorite things growing up was taking a bubble bath in the jacuzzi-type tub at my parent's house. I would turn up the radio and just let the warm water melt all my cares away. My current bathtub isn't as conducive to a relaxing bath... given how short I am and the way the tub is shaped, I have to sit straight up or lay with my head at an awkward angle. So I don't take as many baths as I would like to nowadays. I'm trying to save money to remodel my bathroom and get a jacuzzi-type tub there so I can go back to my glory days of long relaxing baths.
9.) BONO - Okay, so my favorite band of all time is U2 (dancing with a crush at my brother's wedding to "With or Without You" still remains one of my favorite memories). And I find Bono to be incredibly sexy. He's inteliigent, a humanitarian, and a rock star. Who could ask for more?!
10.) BLISS - Actual, true, 100% bliss. Happiness seems so fleeting sometimes that moments when you feel completely at peace with everything going on in your life is so wonderful. When everything is going right and you don't seem to have a care in the world. This is bliss to me and fits perfectly in with my favorite B items.
Thanks goes out to rialeilani at & that's the way life goes (www.rialeilani.com) who has given me the letter B. Here are the rules:
If you leave a comment on this post, I will assign you a letter. You then write about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your post, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on.
1.) BRUNO - Bruno is my dog. He is so adorable sweet and makes me laugh all the time. He always kisses away my tears when I'm sad and is so, so excited to see me whenever I get home. I tell him every day that he's the only man I need in my life.
2.) BROTHERS - I have two wonderful brothers (whose names actually also both start with the letter B). We didn't always get along growing up, although I'd say we probably had a better than average sibling relationship even then, but now I'd consider them both among my best friends. I see my older brother almost every weekend, when we get together to go out or watch football. My younger brother lives in NYC, so it's not as easy to see him often, but when we do we have so much fun. He's always been one who I can talk to about anything and the same goes for him.
3.) BOOKS and BLOGS - I'm combining these two, since I came up with so many B things I love and they are somewhat similar. I like to read a lot. I've read every night before I go to bed probably since I began reading at the age of 4. It helps me relax and get lost in another world when mine isn't working out the way I want it to. So I would absolutely be lost without my books. Now blogs serve a similar purpose. I enjoy reading about other people's lives in their own words. They help me realize that I'm not the only one out there who feels the way I do sometimes.
4.) BOYS - I mean, seriously?! If you read my blog on a regular basis you know I'm always talking about one boy or another. Could I leave them off my list of B things? I think not! The sweet things they do (at times!). They way they smell. They way the compete over everything with one another. And the way they treat a woman they are truly in love with.
5.) BOOZE - For when the boys drive me crazy! Ha ha. No, I'm not an alcoholic, but there's something about the way a nice cold beer tastes while watching football. Or having a glass of good wine after a long day at work. Or going out with your girlfriends for margaritas. It's not something I need, but something I definitely enjoy.
6.) BED - I sometimes think I'm infatuated with my bed. It is seriously the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Nice and soft, with usually good sheets and a nice warm blanket. It makes it seriously difficult to get up in the morning, even when I'm fully awake and ready to go. It's a good thing I don't have a television in my bedroom or I might live in my bed during the weekends.
7.) BEACHES - Not the movie, although I like that too. It's no wonder I ended up going to school in Miami. Shockingly though, I didn't spend as much time on the beach as I would have liked during my time there. But I've always loved the beach. Growing up, my family always went to Ft. Myers Beach twice a year. There's nothing better than lying in the sun, with the waves crashing in the background.
8.) BUBBLE BATHS - One of my favorite things growing up was taking a bubble bath in the jacuzzi-type tub at my parent's house. I would turn up the radio and just let the warm water melt all my cares away. My current bathtub isn't as conducive to a relaxing bath... given how short I am and the way the tub is shaped, I have to sit straight up or lay with my head at an awkward angle. So I don't take as many baths as I would like to nowadays. I'm trying to save money to remodel my bathroom and get a jacuzzi-type tub there so I can go back to my glory days of long relaxing baths.
9.) BONO - Okay, so my favorite band of all time is U2 (dancing with a crush at my brother's wedding to "With or Without You" still remains one of my favorite memories). And I find Bono to be incredibly sexy. He's inteliigent, a humanitarian, and a rock star. Who could ask for more?!
10.) BLISS - Actual, true, 100% bliss. Happiness seems so fleeting sometimes that moments when you feel completely at peace with everything going on in your life is so wonderful. When everything is going right and you don't seem to have a care in the world. This is bliss to me and fits perfectly in with my favorite B items.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
My Thanksgiving Meltdown
I had a complete and utter meltdown on Thanksgiving. If I'm being completely honest, I should have seen it coming.
It started innocently enough... I was trying a new recipe to bring to our family's Thanksgiving meal, a roasted butternut squash puree. I was supposed to roast the squash for 45 minutes. About 15 minutes in, my kitchen was filled with smoke as the butter and honey were running onto the bottom of the oven and burning. Nothing was on fire, just lots and lots of smoke. Smoke detector was going off, I couldn't breathe, and I had to open my back door and screen to my front door to get a draft through to air it out... and let the 30 degree weather inside my house. I left the oven on for another 15 minutes and then turned it off and left the squash in the oven, hoping that another 15 minutes with the oven off but still warm would be good enough.
Well, no surprise, it wasn't good enough and the squash was still pretty hard. By this time I'm on the phone with my mom and upset about the recipe not working, but not wanting to show up without anything. And so even though it's not her fault, I start yelling at her and saying I'm not coming to Thanksgiving dinner and they should just go without me. We get into a huge fight and then my mind really goes dark. I just keep thinking to myself, "I'm such a failure. I fail at everything. I failed out of school (not really, just didn't finish my Ph.D. after I received my master's, but that was little solace to the way I was feeling right then), I fail at all my relationships, I fail at being a good friend since I'm more jealous than happy for S and her engagement, I fail as a daughter since I just yelled at my mom for no reason, I fail at cooking, I fail at keeping my house clean..." Just on and on in my mind.
I finally opted to nuke the squash and it turned out pretty good, although I think more people didn't like it than liked it (mostly because I have a fairly close-minded family about trying new things). But we were about 45 minutes late for dinner and everyone had to wait for us. And truthfully I was in a funk the rest of the day.
As I said, I shouldn't have been surprised really. I had been in somewhat of a funk since the weekend before with the whole Juice thing and fighting with S. I had really closed in on myself. Hadn't really been eating and in fact lost like 5 pounds in as many days because of it. I think sometimes I fake being happy for too long and don't allow myself to really feel the pain of whatever I'm feeling and then when it finally bubbles to the surface it unleashes this whirlwind that I can't stop.
I really am better now. Having been a pysch major I know the signs of depression and I'm really not. It seems like it sometimes. Last week I was. This week, I'm better. I'm eating again and getting excited about Christmas. I'm determined not to have another meltdown during that day!
I'm not sure there's a point to this post. Just needed to get it out there I guess.
It started innocently enough... I was trying a new recipe to bring to our family's Thanksgiving meal, a roasted butternut squash puree. I was supposed to roast the squash for 45 minutes. About 15 minutes in, my kitchen was filled with smoke as the butter and honey were running onto the bottom of the oven and burning. Nothing was on fire, just lots and lots of smoke. Smoke detector was going off, I couldn't breathe, and I had to open my back door and screen to my front door to get a draft through to air it out... and let the 30 degree weather inside my house. I left the oven on for another 15 minutes and then turned it off and left the squash in the oven, hoping that another 15 minutes with the oven off but still warm would be good enough.
Well, no surprise, it wasn't good enough and the squash was still pretty hard. By this time I'm on the phone with my mom and upset about the recipe not working, but not wanting to show up without anything. And so even though it's not her fault, I start yelling at her and saying I'm not coming to Thanksgiving dinner and they should just go without me. We get into a huge fight and then my mind really goes dark. I just keep thinking to myself, "I'm such a failure. I fail at everything. I failed out of school (not really, just didn't finish my Ph.D. after I received my master's, but that was little solace to the way I was feeling right then), I fail at all my relationships, I fail at being a good friend since I'm more jealous than happy for S and her engagement, I fail as a daughter since I just yelled at my mom for no reason, I fail at cooking, I fail at keeping my house clean..." Just on and on in my mind.
I finally opted to nuke the squash and it turned out pretty good, although I think more people didn't like it than liked it (mostly because I have a fairly close-minded family about trying new things). But we were about 45 minutes late for dinner and everyone had to wait for us. And truthfully I was in a funk the rest of the day.
As I said, I shouldn't have been surprised really. I had been in somewhat of a funk since the weekend before with the whole Juice thing and fighting with S. I had really closed in on myself. Hadn't really been eating and in fact lost like 5 pounds in as many days because of it. I think sometimes I fake being happy for too long and don't allow myself to really feel the pain of whatever I'm feeling and then when it finally bubbles to the surface it unleashes this whirlwind that I can't stop.
I really am better now. Having been a pysch major I know the signs of depression and I'm really not. It seems like it sometimes. Last week I was. This week, I'm better. I'm eating again and getting excited about Christmas. I'm determined not to have another meltdown during that day!
I'm not sure there's a point to this post. Just needed to get it out there I guess.
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