Bohemian Cupcake

Decorating

2010-03-10T12:55:00.002-07:00

I'm moving again and it's got me thinking about decorating. I have a color scheme of sorts but what I'm really looking for is a look that allows me to add or change out the things in my room without destroying the look.

I've spent hours searching sites for ideas. I've looked at almost every bedding available and nothing has interested me. I think of my furniture and I just can't imagine it all working together. I'm really just getting frustrated and depressed about it.

Too bad I can't hire a decorator who can read my mind and put together a plan for me.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T14:35:00.001-06:00

New Beginnings

2009-09-08T12:19:00.009-06:00

"It take's courage to grow up and be who you really are."
~ e.e. cummings

I haven't written a post in over 2 months. I know some of you hang on my every word and have probably been having panic attacks due to my absence. Too those people, I'm sorry. To the rest of you, deal with it!

Actually, a lot has happened in the last 2 months. I moved to a condo in S. Provo where I only have one roommate and I'm pretty much allowed to be myself and do what I want (boo to BYU approved housing!!). I've started classes again and by the end of the semester I'll be a few steps closer to an associates degree. It's not much but it's a move in the right direction.

And last but not least, after much thought and consideration and trust in my instincts, I've left the LDS church. I know that's a big thing to put in a blog, especially one that's read by family and friends, many of who are LDS. So far, my family and friends who know (both LDS and non-LDS) have been supportive. I didn't jump into this lightly. I've been thinking about this for about 3 years and I had to be honest with myself about how I felt about the church and my beliefs. My befliefs about lots of issues differ greatly from those of the church. I still think the church teaches some good values and I know many great and wonderful people who are memebers. I want you to know that I don't hate the church or it's memebers. And I understand if it's hard from some people to understand why I left, but I hope that doesn't change any of my relationships with any of my friends or family.

I was going to write a whole lot more but once I started it sounded all weird so I decided to stop for today. But I'll try to write more, especially about some recipes I'll be trying out and some new projects I'll be getting into.

Vegan and Raw Food

2009-06-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

This video is from THS Investigates: Diet Fads.
A very brief overview of vegan ism and raw food eating.

Magazines Go Green

2009-06-26T12:05:00.000-06:00

In honor of Earth Day, Yoga Journal made
it's May issue free online through Zinio Digital Magazines.

Zinio Digital Magazines is an online service where you can get subscriptions or download individual issues of magazines. The subscriptions are cheaper (since there isn't the cost of paper, etc), but the individual issues can be a few dollars more than what you would pay at the store. The subscriptions or issues you pay for can be download and read at a later time.

There isn't a huge selection, especially for things I'd want (Martha Stewart, etc), but there are common beauty magazines and of course, Yoga Journal.

If you're looking for a way to cut back on the amount of paper you use, this is a great way to do so. And if more people use Zinio, then you'll probably be seeing more magazines offered.

Coming Alive

2009-06-25T13:08:00.000-06:00

Wherever we may come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual. - David Steindl-Rast

I've had a lot on my mind for the last month
(actually for quite some time but it came to a head in the past month).
I've been thinking about where I'm going, who I am, what I want out of life, etc.

My spirituality is something that keeps coming up. I've gotten back into yoga and have spent a lot of time reading about yoga, but not just the actual poses or yoga as an exercise. I've always felt that yoga was more for my mind than it was for my body.
When I do it I feel at peace and relaxed. My further study into yoga has gotten me thinking about peace and relaxation in my life, not just when I'm doing yoga.

I have a feeling that finding peace will mean changes in many parts of my life, but a big one that I've decided on is in my eating habits. I've decided to become a vegetarian and slowly ease into veganism. At first I thought I would still eat animal meat, but VERY, VERY rarely, and only if it was organic and if I knew that the animals had lives a humane life, but now I'm not sure if I'll do even that. It is something that I'll have to give more thought.

I don't think that being a vegetarian will be too difficult for me because I already eat animal meat so rarely, and when I do it's chicken and fish. I will be cutting out ALL meat from my diet, from here on out (well, today is actually day 2 for me). I'm looking forward to trying new recipes full of flavor and my new 4 main food groups: whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes.

So far, most people have been really supportive of this decision. I'm not expecting others to make the same decision, cause it's a personal choice. My reasons have more to do with saving the earth than with my love of animals, but the treatment of animals in slaughter houses is something that isn't ok with me, and me not eating meat is a small sacrifice compared to the treatment the animals I would be eating would have endured.

I'm sorry if this sounds preachy, that's not my intent. I just want to let people to know what is going on with me and the path my life is taking. My food choices tie in with my new views on spirituality and on who I want to be.

Again, I'm very grateful for all the support from my friends and family!

Getting Off The Couch...

2009-06-05T11:18:00.000-06:00

...right after I finish this cupcake!

I'm very, how should I word this, plush right now.

Every since my sophomore year in high school I've been gaining weight. I've gained at least 70 lbs but probably closer to 85. That's 8.5 lbs every year for the last ten years.

When I think about that, 8.5 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, but when I look at the big picture, 85 lbs IS A LOT! I'm not very happy with my weight right now. Exercise is constantly on my list of things I'll do tomorrow and clothes shopping is just plain depressing.

I don't lose weight often and I don't really fluctuate, I mainly just slowly gain. The only times where I experiences weight loss were times I was really sick or recovering from surgery.

In short, this sucks. It's not fun being fat. So if I don't want to be fat I have to make some changes in my eating and exercise habits. My biggest problems are calorie intake, portion control and lack of exercise.

Over the course of the next year I want to adopt new, healthier habits, exercise regularly and lose 70-80 lbs.

I'm going to be tracking my progress, trying new recipes and ideas and tracking it all here!

I'm going to leave you with a couple of sites of inspiration!

Cook Yourself Thin

My All Natural Weight Loss

100 Things About Me

2009-04-23T17:45:00.000-06:00

1. Last beverage→ Fruit Punch Gatorade
2. Last phone call→The nurse at UVU
3. Last text message→ Clarissa
4. Last song you listened to→ Let Me Kiss You - Morrissey
5. Last time you cried→ About 2 months ago

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice → Sort of. We broke up and then tried to make it work again but it didn't.
7. Been cheated on? → No
8. Kissed someone & regretted it?→ Yes.
9. Lost someone special?→ No
10. Been depressed?→ Yes
11. Been drunk? – Yes

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Pink
13. Orange
14. Purple

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made new friends→ No
16. Fallen out of love → I wouldn't call it love but but yeah.
17. Laughed until you cried → Yes
18. Met someone who changed you→ No
19. Found out who your true friends were→ Yes
20. Found out someone was talking about you→ No
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list→ No

TRUTH:
23. How many kids do you want to have → 2
24. Do you have any pets → No
25. Do you want to change your name→ Been there, done that
26. What did you do for your last birthday→ Went to lunch with some friends and worked.
27. What time did you wake up today? 6:45
28. What were you doing at midnight last night→ Sleeping
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for → To move to Washington
30. Last time you saw your father→ Maybe 2 months ago, but he's been traveling ever since.
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life → Skinnier and out of debt
32. What are you listening to right now → Depeche Mode's new album, Sounds of the Universe
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom → lol, yeah. He's really funny.
34. What's getting on your nerves right now? → People on the phone who don't come out and say what they want.
36. What's your real name → If you're reading this and you know me, you know what it is. If you don't know me, too bad.
37. Relationship Status → Single
38. Zodiac sign → Aquarius
39. Male or female→ Female
40. Grade School→ Forbes, Dupree and Grandview Elementaries
42. High school → Provo High School
43. Hair color → Brown but usually died dark brown or red
44. Long or short → Short, but getting longer
45. Height → 5'8"
46. Do you have a crush on someone? → Sort of
47. What do you like about yourself? → How goofy I can be. And sometimes I'm super witty.
48. Piercings → Nose and ears
49. Tattoos → Cupcake on my left foot
50. Righty or lefty → Righty

FIRSTS :
51. First surgery → Wisdom Teeth
52. First piercing → Ears when I was only a few months old
53. First tattoo → The cupcake on my foot
54. First best friend → Andrew who lived on the corner
55. First sport you joined → Is ballet a sport?
56. First pet → A crazy wolf/husky mix that bit me and was totally scary.
57. First vacation → The Peppermill (I think) in Reno (I think) or Disneyland.
58. First concert → Damien Rice
59. First crush → I can't remember the first but there has been hundreds since. Maybe thousands.
60. First alcoholic drink→ Jager Bomb

RIGHT NOW:
61. Eating → Nothing. I'm hungry. (I'm always hungry)
62. Drink → Nothing. I'm thirsty.
63. I'm about to → Smack a sales guy, just for the fun of it.
64. Listening to → Adam Lambert singing Tears for Fears' Mad World.
65. Waiting for → Work to be over
66. Want kids? → Someday
67. Want to get married? Yes
68. Careers in mind? → Something to do with video editing. But I've always liked the idea of Anthropology.

WHICH IS BETTER
69. Lips or eyes → On me? My eyes. I love the color of them.
70. Hugs or kisses → Kisses
71. Shorter or taller → Taller
72. Older or Younger → Older
73. Romantic or spontaneous → Romantic. Sometimes I'm too uptight for spontaneous.
74. Nice stomach or nice arms → Nice arms
75. Tattoos or piercings? If it's on a guy, tattoos. But if it's just in general, I can admire both.
76. Sensitive or loud → In relation to what? Sensitive I guess.
77. Hook-up or relationship → Relationship
78. Trouble maker or hesitant→ Trouble maker in theory, hesitant in real situations.

HAVE YOU EVER :
79. Kissed a stranger → Yes
80. Drank hard liquor → Yes
81. Lost glasses/contacts → Yes
82. Kissed on first date → Yes
83. Broken someone's heart → Yes
84. Had your own heart broken → Yes
85. Been arrested → No
86. Turned someone down → Yes
87. Cried when someone died → No
88. Liked a friend more then just a friend: Yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself - Sometimes. A lot more lately.
90. Miracles → Yes
91. Love at first sight → No. But love during first conversation, yes.
92. Heaven → Not sure.
93. Santa Claus → No, but I love the idea of him.
94. Kissing on the first date → Depends on the situation, but overall, yes.
95. Angels → Not really. Plus I think angels are tacky. But I like wings.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? → Yes
97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? → No
98. Do you believe it’s possible to remain faithful forever?→Yes
99. What's the one thing you cannot live without?→ Food and apparently drama
100. One thing that most people don’t know about you → I feel like I don't fit my life.

Common People Ft. William Shatner, Ben Folds, and Joe Jackson

2009-04-16T18:42:00.000-06:00

Variation on the theme of Common People. My friend Tom sent me the link to this video. Ben Folds and Joe Jackson make this video!

Joe Jackson & William Shatner-Common People
Uploaded by Zemeo

Common People

2009-04-15T19:12:00.000-06:00

I want to present this video to you with one eyebrow cocked and a classic William Shatner face and pose.

Out in the world, there is a dude who is cute in a looks-sort-of-like-my-ex-and-makes-similar-facial-expressions way. He is into making random "music videos" where he lip syncs to different random songs. This video, is by far, his best.

Duffy and Dusty

2009-04-14T19:41:00.001-06:00

Duffy/Dusty

Dead & Bloated Part 2 (hahahaha)

2009-04-09T16:22:00.000-06:00

I stole this off the blog of a coworker. I'm not ashamed to admit that I LOVE stuff like this!

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag whoever you want including me
5. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY....?
Nightspots - The Cars

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You - James Taylor

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
All She Wants To Do Is Dance - Don Henley

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
I Walk The Line - Joaquin Phoenix

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Wake Up - Arcade fire

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Downtown - Peaches

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
(I Got That) Boom Boom - Britney Spears Feat. Ying Yang Twins

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I Love You (Joffa Bond - We Miss Ya) - H.I.M.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Harder To Breath - Maroon 5

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR FIRST KISS?
Dangerous and Sweet - Lenka (LOL, that makes it sound better than it was.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I Could Show You How - Naked Eyes

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Make Me Over - Hole (So true!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Perfect Girl - Sarah McLachlan

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
No One Mourns The Wicked - Wicked Soundtrack

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Trevor - U2

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Got Me Under Pressure - ZZ Top

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I Don't Love You - My Chemical Romance (I feel like I say that a lot...maybe so much so that it's becoming a hobby!)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Personal Holloway - Bush

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Sweet Tangerine - The Hush S

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Reason Why - Rachel Yamagata

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Dead & Bloated Part 2 - Stone Temple Pilots

Food Failures

2009-04-05T17:41:00.001-06:00

This weekend I did a fair bit of cooking, but none of the dishes were anything to get excited about (except for the buttermilk chicken, but more on that later). I made strawberry lime hand pies, 2 different roasts that both ended up in a Shepherd's pie, a loaf of bread, and buttermilk and panko chicken tenders.

The pies weren't too bad, they were just missing something. I mixed about a cup of chopped strawberries with the juice and the zest of one lime and 2 tablespoons of sugar. I used some ginger crust my sister gave me. Next time I'll probably use more juice and zest.

The bread was very close to a complete loss. I don't know how much of it was my fault and how much of it is the recipe's fault. About a year ago I tried making bread for the first time. I used this same recipe and the bread came out of the oven smelling good and tasting like crap, not to mention it was shaped like a flat brick.

This time I felt like I was armed with a wider knowledge of baking (since I've been baking for about 2 weeks!) and I was going to use some buttermilk to give it some added flavor. Well, it came out slightly taller than a brick and was too dense to truly enjoy. But I decided to have a warm slice slathered with butter because I feel that even crappy bread can taste decent when you have a slice as soon as it comes out. Imagine a commercial where someone is having their first bite of something good...their eyes are closed and you can see pure joy when they finally taste it. That was me, until we get to the part where I tasted the bread. Why did it taste like it needed salt? I called my sister so I could complain about the recipe. I was explaining all this when I realized that the recipe had called for salt, I just forgot to add it. Oops.I had a large London broil that I wanted to use to make more steak sandwiches. I cut the roast in half and browned both pieces, then used 2 different cooking methods just to see what the results would be. One roast went into the slow cooker with some soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a can of cream of mushroom soup, broth and onions. The second roast went into my Rachel Ray dutch oven with broth, onions and smothered in horseradish. The slow cooker roast had more flavor, but was tougher. The dutch oven roast didn't have much flavor, except for horseradish, and it was dry, but it was more tender than the slow cooker roast. To get the roasts ready for the Shepherd's pie, I chopped them into cubes and then simmered the cubes in a couple of cups of water with a little salt for a few hours.

While all that was simmering away I decided I'd make Shepherd's pie (notice how I didn't even know what I was going to do with this cubed steak broth mixture until it was done cooking). I added some leeks and carrots and while those cooked I started cooking the potatoes. Long story short, I have a Shepherd's pie I just pulled out of the fridge. I didn't take care with it so it looks a little (VERY) sad. But I know it tastes super good and I'm the only one eating it so it's ok.Now I'm super worn out and only have a few hours of weekend left. Maybe I'll try making something else before I head to bed. :)

Journal Wrecking Update

2009-04-05T00:06:00.000-06:00

I'm painting an idea not an ideal. ~Euan Uglow

Let me ask you something, what is not art? ~Author Unknown

I've had my journal for a few days and have done a couple of the assignments. Some were easy and some were hard. Some went against what I was always told about books (don't get them wet, don't burn them, etc.) and some of the assignments tested my ability to create. My journal is already getting worn and I'm keeping it closed and together with a rubber band.

Tonight, I probably did the hardest assignment...I SHOWERED with the journal! I kid you not. I casually tossed it onto the floor of the shower and with a weird sense of freedom, I took a shower. I was laughing most of the time and I couldn't believe I was actually letting a book get soaked in the shower!
After the shower I did the burn page. At first I burned a hole through the page with a lighter but then I thought it would be fun to use the stove to burn it. It ended up leaving scorch marks through a few pages, but oh well!
Earlier in the day I watched some season 1 of Buffy and colored this page. The shower ruined some of the drawing but the eggplant portion of the drawing stayed in tact.

I have a few pages that are being worked on as I write this. I have a page buried in the flower bed, decomposing. I have a page that I wrote a note on, left on a bus for someone to find. Last but not least, I have a page folded up and stuck in the back pocket of some jeans I'm going to wash tomorrow. And as strange as this may sound, I'm really pleased by all this!

Destruction and Perfection

2009-04-02T13:35:00.000-06:00

I woke up needing a little cup of comfort. That can be many things for many people but for me, that is a cup of Chai Tea. After getting off the bus, I moseyed on over to Borders to pick up a cup of perfection.

As I was heading back to the cafe I saw "Wreck This Journal". Funny thing was, I was thinking about this book just this morning. This was fate! I had to have it!

For those of you who aren't familiar with this book, it's a journal that is meant to be destroyed. Actually, destroyed in the wrong word. Really, this book is a creative outlet, but helps you be creative in unusual ways. Some pages makes you draw, other you rip the pages, some you color, some you write on, some you just throw away. Click here to see someone else's journal. The hardest part is deciding if I should do a page a day or do a ton of pages at once.

I picked up the book and I also got my Chai Tea. I took my first sip of what I expected to be perfection but what I got was a strong taste of pepper. I'm not sure what brand Borders uses but it's too spicy. I was a little bummed but I drank as much as I could. This got me thinking about what makes a perfect Chai Tea. I'd like to tell you that I'm going to start playing chemist in my kitchen and spend hours crushing cardamom and cloves with my mortar and pestle, but I'm too lazy for that. I'll probably go out and buy different brands and hundreds of dollars later I'd tell you that the best kind I found was something like Oregon Chai. lol, I'll let you know.

Love Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry

2009-03-31T19:15:00.000-06:00

I'm not actually a fan of Love Story, but I came across a remix of the song "Where Do I Begin" on the show The L Word. I loved this mix so much that I wanted to share it with everyone!

Citrus Salad and No-Knead Bread Recipes

2009-03-31T09:55:00.005-06:00

I've had a few requests to post some recipes. I'm always happy to provide these, considering I get most of mine from other people who in turn, got it from someone else. I suggest (and I've learned from experience) that you read the recipes all the way through before you start cooking. For example, if you're going to make the Citrus Salad and Vinaigrette, you can get the zest and the juice you need for the vinaigrette from the oranges you'll be using in the salad. Reading all the way through will help you save time, ingredients and sometimes money. It will also stop you from making a mistake that might ruin the whole dish (trust me, I've done that before). If you have any questions on these recipes, let me know!

I'm also considering having a dinner party that will also double as a cooking class. If people are interested in this, I'll give it some serious thought.

RECIPES

Citrus Vinaigrette (Thanks to Caitlin for providing this recipe)
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (collect the zest from the 2 oranges used in the salad)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (see the note about orange segments in the salad recipe)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the Citrus Vinaigrette in a jar or a tight-sealing plastic container. Shake to blend.
Caitlin said she didn't put in all the salt the recipe called for or all the EVOO, she just eye balled it and tasted it. I followed the recipe exactly and I can say that when Caitlin made it, it tasted WAY better, so next time I'll follow her suggestions.

Spinach Salad
1 (10-ounce) bag of spinach (about 6 cups)
2 oranges, cut into segments *
1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the spinach, orange segments, almonds, red onion, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss with the Citrus Vinaigrette and serve.
* If you would like to see how to segment an orange, click here. Also, if you segment the oranges over a bowl and then squeeze the pulp over the bowl after all the segments are removed, you'll have the tablespoon of orange juice that the vinaigrette calls for.

No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey at the Sullivan Street Bakery via Mark Bittman at New York Times and SmittenKitchen.com

Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/3 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I didn't use any so you don't need to unless you want to)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30-35 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Don't skimp on these cooking times because they're very acturate and shortening of these times will result in an undercooked bread. Cool on a rack. Store wrapped in towel or in a ziplock bag , depending on how hard or soft you like your bread.

Update on Bread 4/1/2009 - This bread (as I'm sure is the case with most homemade breads) doesn't keep well after a couple of days. Today I made a sandwich and the bread had strange dry/moist texture and had an unpleasant taste. I recommend using the bread up within two days of making it.

Sunday's Cooking

2009-03-29T18:47:00.000-06:00

No-Knead Bread and Chocolate Mousse

2009-03-28T18:13:00.000-06:00

Have you ever tried your hand at something and it didn't quite turn out, despite your best efforts?

THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM TODAY! I am SO excited because my second ever bread making try came out AMAZING! I also made so very decedent chocolate mousse that goes straight to the hips.

My mom and sister make the best chocolate mousse. It's got a light texture and a heavy taste. A few spoonfuls are all you need to be satisfied. It's what a chocolate mousse should be. I found this recipe that seemed to be similar to my families and it gave my an excuse to use my IKEA scale for the first time. The texture that this recipe produced wasn't ideal because it was a little too thick, but when I make this again I'll incorporate more whipped cream and I'll make the whipped cream a touch stiffer. I also learned there is a right way (slowly) and a wrong way (rushing) to put the mousse into cups. Can you guess which is the wrong way? Now on to the pièce de résistance!

I've already sang the praises of Smitten Kitchen, but I have to mention this site again because it's where I ran into this bread recipe. Making this bread couldn't be any easier, and I loved that I could make the dough and forget about it for 18 hours! Plus, there didn't seem a way I could mess this loaf up. I actually did mess it up a teeny tiny bit because it was ever so slightly doughy, but the perfect crust made up for any error on my part. I think the doughiness came from me not going the full 30 minutes on the first half of the baking and then I only did the second half of cooking for 15 minutes. Honestly, I almost cried while cutting into the warm loaf. Last time I tried bread it came out as a tasteless brick. This is the complete opposite and I feel like I can impress almost anymore with this bread! On a side note, I followed her note on using active yeast if you don't have instant. You just use 1/3 of the active in place of the instant. I feel like I've cooked so much this weekend! And there is still more to come. I'm unthawing some steaks for steak sandwiches (on this delicious bread of course!), fruit hand pies, citrus and arugula salad, and anything else I have the energy for. Now I just need to find a guy to help me eat this all!

Chicken and Dill Dumplings

2009-03-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

Necessity is the mother of invention

~Plato

In this case, necessity was the mother of me reinvention. The last couple of months I've been cutting back on expenses and food was an area that saw some cutbacks. This led to some creative meals with my almost non-existent food storage. But I was getting sick of tomato bean stews and wimpy pasta dishes. I needed something more satisfying, and not just for my stomach, but also my soul!

That's when I fully became addicted to food porn. I'd dabbled in it before, when I'd been down for two weeks after a surgery, but once I got busy with school and work, the addiction seemed to vanish.

Hindsight is 20/20 and now I know that it didn't vanish. It was only lying dormant, waiting for the perfect time to get me back into it's delicious clutches. The sleeping beast was woken, mainly due to the photos provided by Deb of SmittenKitchen.com. Yes, Nigella, Martha and Bobby had all kept a my food passion at a low simmer ever since the surgery, but nothing got the fire stoked like Deb's pictures of soft pretzels.

To truly understand the impact these pretzels had one me you have to understand two things:1. I am NOT a pretzel person and 2. Pretzels from scratch call for yeast. Ever since my first and last experience with a yeast bread, I do NOT do yeast.

Long story short, it's been less than 2 weeks and in that amount of time I've gone from Hot Pocket girl to domestic goddess! I'm not just baking, I'm making dishes and meals that are mouthwatering and wholesome and seriously soul feeding. I'm experimenting with ingredients that I previously didn't like and trying out new ingredients and new recipes.

I wasn't planning on my post to be about how I've gone from a dabbling foodie to someone who is rapidly descending into food obsession (and for those of you who know me and thought I was already addicted, all I can say is that isn't only going to get worse). I was only planning on posting some pics and comments about the Chicken and Dill Dumplings I made this evening.
I use to ask my mom to make chicken and dumplings. I don't remember her original version because I'd always ask her to make me the kind like you'd buy at the store. I'm not really sure what kind you buy at the store, but I know how I love my chicken and dumplings. The sauce has to be creamy, the chicken has to be really tender, the dumplings have to be extra flavorful and there must be an abundance of peas.

Martha Stewart's show, Everyday Food, had an episode featuring one pot meals. This recipe jumped out at me because of it's simplicity and it's simple, yet oh-so-perfect-together flavors. And if I'm being 100% honest, it is that time of the year when I have my chicken and dumpling cravings.

I didn't read the directions thoroughly, so when I was making the rue I put in the whole cup of flour, instead of keeping 3/4 out for the dumplings. I was really tired and I was a little discouraged by the thought of having to start all over, but my craving kept me going and in the end it was worth all the extra time. For being as tired as I was/am, I did a lot of cooking in the last 24 hours. I made crepes, chicken and dumplings, chocolate mousse and started a bread dough.
I'd also like to mention that I think my photography is getting better. The lighting in my kitchen is still a problem but I'm working on it. I'll try posting pics of some of the other things that are coming out of my kitchen this weekend. :)

Paved with good intentions...

2009-03-23T23:31:00.000-06:00

I had good intentions, I promise!

While making pretzels I ran out of flour, so I made a mental note to stop by the grocery store right after work, but only for flour. Then I found a Martha Stewart chocolate mousse recipe. Ok, just some cream and the flour. But my shopping list grew even more when I saw an episode of The Cooking Loft where they made a really yummy mac and cheese. Long story short, I bought a LOT more than flour. I got some great lettuce, a few cheeses, a few herbs, eggs, steaks and 2 different yeasts.

But I have plans for all this food. :)Here are a few things I'll be making in the next week:

Steak and onion sandwiches

Fish with an arugala and herb salad

Chicken with dill dumplings

Chocolate Mousse

Hummus and homemade pitas

Homemade bread

Peanut butter cookies

Tonight I settled for a simple dinner of artichokes.

Normally I just trim the stem, boil and eat, but while looking online for the cooking time I found some suggestions on

adding additional flavor to the artichokes. It demonstrated trimming the tips, which I had never done before, and now after doing so I can't say it was worth it. It is prettier though.

I added a tablespoon of garlic, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a bay leaf to the boiling water.

I made a simple dip of 2/3 part mayo and 1/3 part lemon juice.

It's simple and delicious and well worth the burned fingers I seem to always get!

Cooking From Scratch: Pretzels

2009-03-21T23:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight I realized that almost 1/4 of the year is already gone! Where does time go? Sadly, I waste a lot of time doing nothing, but this weekend I was a little more productive. I've been cleaning, listening/watching a concert with Ray Davies from the Kinks and doing a little cooking.

Since I've been trying to spend less money and not make as many shopping trips I've been doing a lot of random cooking, but slowly that random cooking is turning into cooking from scratch. I've also been frequenting the blog Smitten Kitchen. This lady is one of my cooking idols. She makes cooking look so easy and she has an amazing talent at taking pics of food that look like they came straight out of Gourmet magazine.

A couple of her posts were about pretzels. I thought back to the times I've had cravings for soft pretzels with pizza sauce or a sweet dip. Instantly I was having another of those cravings and I knew I should make these pretzels. Here's the recipe!

The only problem: it involved yeast and I have a fear of yeast. My first attempt at bread making ended with a brick of bread and I blame the yeast, or at least my lack of knowledge on how to handle yeast. This time I figured I'd
give this a try and if it failed I'd stop trying to use yeast.

I also failed to read the recipe fully before I started. Let's just say, I had NO idea that

pretzels involved steps that seemed like something out of science lab!

Making the pretzel shape wasn't too hard...

but when it came to boiling the pretzels in water and baking soda, I was a little suprised...

but I guess it was all worth it in the end.

I put too much flour in the dough and that made it difficult to roll the dough into long strands. The boiling also cause a few problems because some of them didn't hold the pretzel shape, but I reshaped them when I pulled them out of the water. I shaped some of the dough into little balls and insead of salt, I put decorating sugar. Those ones turned out the best...not too much pretzel and the sugar made them even better.

Overall, this took me about 2 hours but it was worth it and I didn't even noticed it took that long because each step took only a few minutes, then I'd go do something else while I waited for the next step. I'll be making these again, and next time making some great sauces to go with them, maybe for a party!

Shopping Savings!

2009-03-17T22:48:00.000-06:00

I just got home from my first shopping trip where I used coupons I've been clipping.

Retail Value: $60.09

Paid: $36.36

Total Savings: $23.73

The best deal was probably the free gum (I had a coupon for a free gum and then I used an Albertson's matching coupong so I got both packs for free).

I was a little annoyed because I had 2 coupons that didn't get scanned, or at least that's what I'm guessing happened, because the savings didn't show up on the coupong. :(

But overall it was a good experience and I can't wait to keep learning more and saving more!

German Pancakes

2009-03-12T22:22:00.000-06:00

I made my first German Pancake!

1/2 stick of butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While it's heating put the butter in a pirex dish and then place the dish in the oven to melt the butter.

Beat the eggs well with a whisk then ad the remaining ingredients until mixed thoroughly.

When butter is melted, take dish out of the oven, pour in the batter and replace the dish in the oven.

I baked mine for 21 mintues but anywhere from 20-25 should be fine. Serve with syrup or fruit or anything you want really.

This is mine. It didn't get as pouffy as some of them get but it tasted well. The pic looks weird because I had cut it in half before I remembered to take a picture.

It tastes a lot like a thicker crepe. Don't let the crazy shape scare you!

Lastest cooking endeavors

2009-03-11T22:57:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been trying to cut back on the money I spend on groceries which means I've been trying to only buy basics and then make creative meals with what I have. Sometimes this turns out OK but usually it turns out kind of nasty because I've just been throwing things together, not really following a recipe.

But this last week hasn't been too bad. I made a chicken and vegetable soup that was pretty tasty and then I made an Asian lettuce wrap filling but I mixed it with pasta instead of putting it on lettuce. It turned out really well.

My next plan is for a chicken, tomato and pasta soup. Last time I made a tomato soup it was AMAZING so I'm hoping this one will be the same.

I also found 3 additional recipes that I'm going to try in the next week.

German Pancakes

http://www.blisstree.com/articles/german-pancakes-97/

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2009/03/slow-cooker-cassoulet-nablopomo-day-6.html

Reuben Sandwich

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=204&sid=5803349

For this last recipe, I don't plan on making it a Reuben because I hate sauerkraut, but the basic concept for this baked sandwich can be used with lots of different fillings such as pesto and chicken and mozzarella.

Now I can't finish this post without mentioning my new favorite pasta.

http://www.barillaus.com/Home/Pages/PLUS_information.aspx

This pasta is healthier than regular pasta and has a much better taste and texture than whole wheat pasta. It has a slightly thicker texture than regular pasta but not the gritty texture of whole wheat. It has a lot of protien and fiber in just a single serving and it's very filling. It's worth the slightly higher cost because of the multiple benefits.

I'll try to post pictures if I cook anything really good. :)

Tennis

2009-03-08T21:11:00.000-06:00

A week ago I started a tennis class. Before the class, the only tennis I took was a week long section in 9th grade PE.

The class is really small and I met a girl in the class who is basically the same skill level as me and is fun so I'm enjoying myself. The teacher knows how to play tennis but doesn't teach us that much about it. It's more like I'm teaching myself but I'm loving it and I plan on taking more classes after this one.

I've also had this urge to start running. Maybe if I start running I'll lose some weight and I can buy a super cute tennis outfit. You better believe that when my legs looks a little better I'll be wearing some of those short tennis skirts!

Personal Hilary?

2009-02-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I was listening to Marilyn Manson's cover of

Personal Jesus and I thought to myself, "A girl should cover this".

Well when I thought that I did NOT mean Hilary Duff!

I turned on Rachel Ray this morning and Hilary was on Rachel Ray and they showed a sample of her music video "Reach Out" which is Personal Jesus with

new Hilary lyrics and a skanky video to match.

NOT COOL!

ROBOTWALRUS

2009-02-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

I found a great blog called RobotWalrus.

It's a blog about art posters and prints but I came across it while looking for Decemberist poster ideas. The blog features some great posters and makes me realize that I've missed out on some shows that would have been amazing, like Damien Rice and The Swell Season playing together at the Tower Theater (where ever that is).

Too Bad, So Sad

2009-02-19T17:39:00.001-07:00

Oh La La Cupcake!

2009-02-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

I finally created my own header instead of using a generic one. Overall I'm happy for it. Some parts turned out better than I thought they would and others not as well. What do you think?

My Name is John Daker

2009-01-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

I want to share with everyone a few of my favorite things to watch on the web!

First is John Daker. He's a lovely singer who clearly practiced long and hard before his perormance!

I loved the baseball scene from Twilight, mainly because of the Muse song and because of Jasper looking oh so yummy while swinging that bat around.
twilight baseball scene -

It turns out that Justin Timberlake is pretty funny. He's also pretty good at dancing like Beyonce. "Dance Biscuts!"

Single Ladies Parody [LIVE] Saturday Night Live - Beyonce & Justin Timberlake

Don't watch this video if you're easily offended, but I couldn't stop laughing. Does it make me weird that I could listen to this over and over? "Clean up on isle three!"

JIMP - Andy Samberg

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-01-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and when I got to work my desk was covered with cupcakes!

They also gave my some super delicious gourmet cupcakes!!!

There was coconut, cookies and creme, strawberries and creme and orange creme (I had already eaten the orange one when I took this pic).

Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday and thanks to the girls I work with for making my birthday at work special!!!

You Sexy Thing

2009-01-19T15:23:00.001-07:00

For some reason I wanted to dress a little sexier than normal.
Now keep in mind that I had to go to work in this outfit, that's why it's still a "tame" sexy.

My sexy outfit!

My sexy boots!

My sexy face to go along with it all!

Out with the old....in with the new!

2009-01-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to start the year out right by making a few changes!

New haircut! This pic doesn't show how blonde my hair really is. It's a pretty drastic change that I'm still getting use to, but it's just paving the way for me to put even more blonde in next time.

After 5 years with T-Mobile I switched to Verizon and got a new phone. My Sidekick was dying and losing parts along the way. My new phone is the LG Dare. I love it cause it's touch screen. Yes, I think I'm super cool.

And then there is the area of change that I'm not excited about...

Weight Gain! The holiday weight gain has finally caught up with me. So like tons of other people, I've made some resolutions to lose to weight. More about my resolutions next time.

New Years and Snow

2009-01-06T23:02:00.001-07:00

I know it's a little late but I'm finally posting my pics from New Years! For some reason they're only showing up super duper huge. Sorry about that!

My friend Missie won tickets to see Pink in Vegas!

This was my first trip to Vegas and I'll admit that I wanted to take pictures of everything...like me with the m&m! (I don't know why I was sticking my butt out like that. hahaha) Be prepared for a few boring trip photos! But after those you can see all the good Pink ones!

Here we are in front of the Bellagio. Brad Pitt and George Clooney stood here during a few scenes in the Oceans movies!

I liked the Bellagio gardens but it wasn't as cool as everyone said they were. It was in a Christmas theme that was kind of cool. They had these giant presents that were covered in mirrors.

I loved the Paris casino, even though I didn't get lucky there. We ate at Mon Ami Gabi on the deck facing the strip. It was great for people watching and the food was amazing!

I LOVE Bobby Flay so I was excited to see one of his restaurants. We didn't eat there but being close to where Bobby stood was good enough for me (totally joking).

We sent a lot of time at the Hard Rock since that's where Pink's show was at. I was so excited to see the Depeche Mode stuff!

Ok...on to the big night!

Missie and Me before heading out. Don't worry, I did wear shoes.

After waiting hours in line and then hours in the club, Pink started her show with the countdown at Midnight. What a great way to spend the first hours of 2009!

The show was at Wasted Space at the Hard Rock. WS is owned by her ex, Carey Hart. I had a bit of a crush on him so I was really excited when I saw him at the club. We shook hands and he asked how I was doing. I was pretty excited about that!

We only stayed one day, but it was fun and I can't wait to go back.

Vegas was sunny and warm and I came back to snow :(

Here is a pic I took a few days ago. I walk past this on my way to work, so I guess I can't complain too much about the snow since it's so pretty!

Party like it's 2009!

2009-01-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this while driving back from Vegas. I'm tired and just want to go to bed but New Year's eve was really fun! I went to see Pink perform at Carey Hart's club, Wasted Space in the Hard Rock. This was my first trip to Vegas and I loved it. I even got to meet Carey, which was a big deal since I have a huge crush on him!
I'll be writing more about the trip and posting cheesy pics of me at some vegas sites plus cool pics of Pink's show.

Happy New Years!!

Let it Snow?

2008-12-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Where is the snow? It's the Christmas season and all that but it looks like fall! The temperatures are in the 50's and a lot of the leaves are still around. How am I suppose to feel the Christmas spirit without a little snow?

Cover Up!

2008-11-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

To follow on the theme of covers...

What makes a good cover? Who should do covers? The best covered songs are ones that the cover artist makes their own. Some artists should cover certain songs because they have a similar style to the original (think Ben Folds covering Tiny Dancer), and some should cover certain songs because they have totally different styles (think Aretha Franklin singing Nessun Dorma).

A conversation at work led me to really ponder this. What are my favorite songs? Who are my favorite artists? What songs should be covered by whom?

So here is my list...songs and artists that should be paired together. This is just my personal opinion and if you totally disagree, too bad. But let me know why because I'm interested in your opinion.

Also, I provided links to the originals and to some other songs from the artists, but I did it all through the site Imeem. You might have to sign up for a free account to listen but it takes less than a minute to do so and it is well worth it...Imeem rules!

Scissor Sisters: Bee Gee's - Stayin' Alive

My friend Clarissa and I were having a discussion about the Scissor Sisters and Clarissa said that she thought that Jake Shears' voice reminds her of Barry Gibb's voice. That led us to decide that Scissor Sisters needs to cover Stayin' Alive. I might be basing this solely on their song I Don't Feel Like Dancing and the fact that I'm a little bit in love with Jake, but I think there is some serious potential for a great cover.

My Chemical Romance: The Doors - Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)

From the very first moment my dad played me Alabama Song on the way back from a camping trip (he prefaced it with "I probably shouldn't be letting you listen to this"), I have been in love with it. Same goes for the first time I heard the My Chemical Romance song Momma. The styles are similar, and since it's pretty unrealistic to think that the remaining Doors members are going to get together to cover Momma, I picked MCR to cover Alabama Song. They'd be able to make a grittier/darker version (for some reason A Clockwork Orange comes to mind).

The Darkness: Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town

I have a soft place in my heart for this Thin Lizzy song and I listen to it at least 3 times a week. I thought long and hard on this one and at first I was trying to think of artists who had completely different styles from the original. Then I thought of Belle & Sebastian. The more I thought about it the better I thought it sounded...until I found out that they already covered it. I found the cover and let me tell you, it is NOT good. So I had to start from square one and that's when I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness started playing on my ipod. And that's when I decided they'd make a great cover of The Boys Are Back in Town. :)

The Bravery: New Order - Vanishing Point

Let me start by saying that The Bravery's The Sun and The Moon Complete album is awesome. I love the both the originals and the remixes. It was because of this album that I wanted to have them do a cover. I also knew that I wanted to have some Joy Division or New Order song covered, but it wasn't until I was listening Vanishing Point again that I paired the two together. Maybe they could cover it in a similar style to their song Above and Below (The Sun).

Arcade Fire: Morrissey -I Will See You in Far Off Places or Let Me Kiss You

Even though I'm not a "real" Morrissey fan, like some other people, I feel like I can still appreciate his music. Tom Gatti from The Times said "His songs, too, were dramatic: bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home." Now, I'm not saying Arcade Fire is all that, but sometimes a cover is good because it captures the essence of the original. I believe that Arcade Fire songs like Intervention and My Body is a Cage show that Arcade Fire has potential to capture that Morrissey essence.

Annie Lennox: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay

On the original American Idol: Idol Gives Back, Annie Lennox sang a beautiful version of Bridge Over Troubled Water that was so moving. She also sang Into The West for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and that song never fails to make me teary. Now I wouldn't consider Lay Lady Lay to be a particularly emotionally moving song, but I think Annie would be able to pull off a moving cover of it.

Killers: Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart or Psychedelic Furs - Pretty in Pink

The Killers have already covered Joy Division's Shadowplay and Dire Straits' Romeo and Juliet, neither cover veering too far from the original, yet bringing The Killers own special touch. They just need to bring that special touch to Total Eclipse of the Heart and Pretty in Pink.

Ben Folds: The Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You

There is a deliciously creepy cover of this song on the soundtrack of Mirrormask, but I'd like to hear a cover from Ben. Perhaps with some awesome piano action. Come on Ben, what do you say?

Oh, the things I could do.

2008-11-24T00:23:00.001-07:00

Henry Rollins said, "Life is full of choices, if you have the guts to go for it." He also goes on to say that he hates people who complain how boring their life is. I think it's safe to say he'd hate me. I'm slowly realizing that if I want my life to be interesting, I need to make it that way and not wait around for someone else to make it interesting for me.

This week I thought about ways I could make my life more interesting and then that got me thinking about things I want to do. Which brings us to MY LIST. There is a great website called 43things. There you can make a list of up to 43 things you want to do. They also have the companion sites 43places and 43people. It's great to see what people want to do. I use to have a list on there and one of the things I wanted to do was get a tattoo and I did that. :) Now here are 5 things that were also on my list (in no particular order).

p.s. The spacing may all be jacked. Blogspot is being weird. And if you can't see everything on the list as well as a pic to go with each one, just refresh and it should work.

1. Learn how to make Chinese Dumplings

These little bundles of joy are a favorite of mine. Purses of Perfection. I have a favorite frozen brand I buy but I'd love to make my own. I know they involve a lot of skill and time, but that would make them even more satisfying in the end.

2. Learn how to silk screen

Nothing would be cooler than designing something and then making my own t-shirts with that design.

3. Hike the Appalacian Trail

Probably the most unrealistic on my list, but ever since I've seen a documentary on it, I've wanted to hike it. It's a 2175 trail from Maine to Georgia (even though I'd probably hike it backwards). Depending on your skills it can take anywhere from 3 months to 6 to hike. Sometimes there are places you can rent a space to sleep and sometimes there are wooden decks built to sleep on, but sometimes you're sleeping on the ground, day in and day out. If you start your hike to early you'll have a little (or a lot of) snow. But the scenery is beautiful and for me I could see it being a very personal, getting to know myself experience.

4. Practice yoga for 30 days in a row

I use to do yoga almost everyday (it helped a lot that it was a college class so I HAD to go). I was in better shape and I felt good, mentally and physically. I'd love to get back to that. Yoga was hard as hell but relaxing at the same time. It would be a rewarding challenge to do it for 30 days in a row.

5. Travel to Istanbul

I don't remember when I first became interested in Istandbul, but it's a place that I've always wanted to visit. It seems like this past year as been enforcing that desire since it seems that Istanbul keeps popping up everywhere for me, in books, magazines, tv, random pictures of Hagia Sofia. It is very beautiful and has a feel that appeals to me.

Green With Envy

2008-11-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Meet my new blog obsession, KRISATOMIC.

http://www.krisatomic.com/blog/

Kris is so talented and lives a lifestyle I'm 100% jealous of. She travels all over Europe, she has her own quirky art style, she has a job in fashion, she's a great photographer, has a so-ugly-it's-cute cat, owns some adorable shoes...the list goes on and on!

AND, she seems to have a love of all that is edible and takes pictures of food she eats. Icing on the cake.

Here are a few fun pictures from her site.

Hey there, Cupcake!

2008-11-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

I finally took the plunge and got my first tattoo. If you know me at all you know I love cupcakes, so of course I got a cupcake tattoo.

Ronnie, the guy who did the tattoo, but very nice because I took so long to settle on a design. He did a great job and I'm really happy with it. I got sick the very next day with the stomach flu so I didn't take care of it like I should but I hope it all works out in the end.

I got it done on my foot and it hurt SOOOO badly, but I think the foot was a fun place to get it. Here are some of the pics and the video is an acurate description of my face the whole time.

Cover Songs That Have Got You Covered!

2008-11-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

I totally stole that title, lol. But if you know me at all you know I love cover songs. There's something great about new versions of my favorite songs and I'm not going to lie, I get warm fuzzies from them. I found this playlist of covers on www.imeem.com. It's pretty good because it caught some of my favorites (like William Shatner singing Lucy in the Sky) but it missed some others (like Scissor Sisters cover of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out).

What other covers do people like? I'm always looking for new ones for my collection so give me some suggestions.

Got You Covered - Cover Songs

Say it! Say it out loud!

2008-10-30T14:07:00.000-06:00

Here's the newest Twilight trailer! It's the best one so far, but I still find myself laughing when I watch it. Kind of like when I laugh in Batman when Christian Bale talks in his Batman voice. LOL.

Twilight Trailer -

It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.

2008-09-14T18:44:00.000-06:00

I have a confession...I live like a total slob! I can't believe I'm admiting this, but the first step is admiting you have a problem.

But I'm here to let you know I've made progress! I have kept my room relatively clean for 2 weeks in a row. I'll admit that it has gotten a little messy during the week but I've made a point to clean it the last three weekends. Now some of you may be wondering why is this a big deal and why can't I just clean my room like a normal adult, but for some reason this has always been a problem for me. My dad is a clean freak and I swear he wonders sometimes if I'm really his daughter because in this area we are complete oposits. But he'd be proud of my progress! :)

Here are some before shots of my bedroom...

And here are some after pics....

Maybe age is helping improve me...or maybe God knows that my life would be better if I could just stay organized and He's in the mood to throw me a bone, lol. Either way, it's been nice to not be so messy for a few weeks. Hopefully, this becomes a habit for me.

Suprise treats revealed!

2008-08-20T21:02:00.000-06:00

Here they are! My secret treats! Cake and frosting and chocolate. What's not to love! And they're SOOOO cute! I love them and I can't wait to try many flavor combos.

Here is my sister Celeste helping with the wrapping.

Here is the cake cooling. I couldn't resist eating the yummy edges. :)

This is the cake, completely crumbled and the frosting being added.

The cake/frosting rolled into balls and freezing.

After the balls are shaped they're dipped in chocolate and the stick is inserted.

Then they're dipped into pink chocolate.

And sprinkles are added along with an upside down red m&m.

Then wrapped all pretty. Thanks Celeste!

These are time consuming but the response for people who ate them made them worth it. People loved them!

I have plans to make some tasty cupcakes and good food. Plenty of pictures to come in the future!

Tonsils and Treats!

2008-08-15T20:46:00.001-06:00

My tonsils are finally out! No more tonsillitis or strep for me.

The first picture is of my mouth, tonsil free and the second one is me at my mom's house, following surgery. I like to pretend that my face isn't really that chubby and that it's just from surgery swelling. LOL

Since surgery I have spent my time sleeping, popping pills (with the doctor's approval of course), eating soft foods and watching Food Network. I can't count how many hours I've spent watching Bobby, Alton, Giada, Paula and others. And then there are the cookbooks. I've poured through dozens of cookbooks and food magazines. It was sort of torture, not being able to eat good foods but watch meal after tasty meal being prepared. But it was also a good thing because it sparked my interest in cooking again. I've always loved food, you could even call me a foodie, but lately I've slacked when it comes to cooking and baking.

But not anymore! I have so many ideas and can't wait to get started. I also have a new goal for my cooking and this blog. Once school starts I'm going to be very busy and won't have any time to cook except for the weekends. But I don't want to let my lack of time get in the way of my new cooking enthusiasm. So every weekend I'm going to cook a full meal including a dessert. I hope I'll have time to cook more than just one meal, that way I'll have good food for the rest of the week, but I want to only commit to one full meal at this point. I'll record my meals, recipes and ideas here on my blog and hopefully those of you who read it will get ideas of your own.

I'm not planning on cooking a full meal this weekend but I do have a food project planned. What could it be you ask.

Well it's a suprise and you'll just have to wait!

To Be Continued...

Tasha, will you accept this rose?

2008-07-29T19:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, Matt! I will!

Sadly, Matt Grant and Shayne "Monkey" Lamas of The Bachelor are no longer engaged. I know it's mean, but I can't help but be a little happy about that, mainly because I'm in love with him (and his oh so sexy British accent). Not that I didn't like Shayne (ditzy girls of the world unite!) but her and Matt just weren't meant to be. Plus, she was a tad fake and probably in it for the fame (not that anyone on The Bachelor gets lots of fame). Matt, I'm here to help you through this difficult time in your life! lol

I'm very pleased with itunes right now. My music is set to random and it's been playing some great songs such as:

You Cause As Much Sorrow - Sinead O'Connor
A Question Of Lust - Depeche Mode
Lovesong - The Cure
Etc.

Good stuff. :)

The Spirit

2008-07-22T20:06:00.000-06:00

I just saw a trailer for "The Spirit". Sexy women, a sex leading man, what's not to love!

A resurrected cop does battle with a villain whose quest for immortality threatens an entire metropolis in Sin City creator Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's acclaimed graphic novel. When a rookie cop is brutally killed and mysteriously brought back to life, he assumes the guise of The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) -- a masked crime fighter who prowls the shadows of Central City on a supernatural mission to keep the urban landscape safe. Upon discovering that his arch nemesis, The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), is determined to live forever even if it means wiping out the entire population of Central City, The Spirit must race to stop the diabolical villain from achieving his cold-blooded plan. But even with his unique powers, the brave masked crusader will face a series of deadly challenges as a bevy of treacherous beauties including deceptively sweet girl next door Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson), spitfire secretary Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), wraithlike siren Lorelei (Jaime King), seductive policewoman Morgenstern (Stana Katic), and French black widow Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega) set out to seduce or consume him at every turn; even The Spirit's one true love, a volatile jewel thief named Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), could ultimately destroy our hero before he accomplishes his mission of saving Central City.

A Book For Missie

2008-07-21T17:28:00.000-06:00

Here is my newest book that I made for my friend Missie. I wish I had kept track of how many hours it took me to make this, but I'm going to guess that on average it took me an hour per page. I also go yelled at by the girls who live on the floor below me because I had to pound out the holes on each page for the binding. They sent one of them up to yell at me about it. It was all very awkward! But the book is done now! Let me know what you think!

Hello Mr. Heartache

2008-07-15T17:59:00.000-06:00

Why can't relationships be easier? Why can't two people just tell each other exactly what they're feeling instead of playing games. And WHY does someone who broke your heart all of the sudden decide to text you after months of not talking. And when you ask them why now all they say is "cause i was thinking about u, that's all".

I think, unless you have a legit reason to reason to talk to them, don't open old wounds just because you want to say "hey". GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Bite Me....PLEASE!

2008-07-13T20:40:00.000-06:00

Hunky, sexy, drool-worthy Vamps. Thank God for Joss Whedon!!!

Joss has brought many sexy men into my life through the shows Buffy, Angel and Firefly (for those of you who don't LOVE Firefly, all I can say is: WHY THE HELL NOT???). But out of all of his shows and characters, my deepest and truest love belongs to Angel and Spike. Obviously, I wouldn't love them so much if they weren't so damn hot, but both vampires have qualities that I'm drawn to. Angel is uber broody and Spike is way too cocky, but I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for guys like that.

Ok, enough gushing about these gods among men...but as a parting gift:

Girls, get on board!

2008-07-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

I have decided that I'm going to learn how to longboard. I said that before I realized I'm going to be shelling out about $300 for everything I need! But that's how hobbies usually go for me.

I'm not very good at things that involve me rolling or skating around.

PAST INJURIES BECAUSE OF ANY FORM OF SKATING:
-Roller Skating: broke my left arm and sprained my right, all in the same accident
-Roller Blading: didn't even try (see roller skating above)
-Ice Skating: sprained right ankle
-Skateboarding: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, yeah right
-Longboarding: stood on a random guys longboard in a kitchen on the 4th. I almost fell down and couldn't even make it from one end of the kitchen to the other, which leads me to....

ME WANTING TO LEARN HOW TO LONGBOARD!!!!

I know this could end very badly or maybe I'll just chicken out and never really try (the pic below didn't help), but I like to imagine myself cruising up to campus on a board, looking oh so cute, not to punkish, with a super cool or girlie looking board. :) We shall see!

I had an accident by ~kly on deviant ART

For love of the redheads

2008-07-06T10:36:00.000-06:00

I was watching Mythbusters and thinking about my attraction to nerdy redheads, such as Adam Savage. Danny Elfman and Anthony Rapp fall into this catagory as well. There is something very attractive about these men. :)

Deja Vu

2008-07-05T19:42:00.001-06:00

So here I am again...SICK with crazy growths in my throat! I went to Urgent Care and found out it's not strep, but it is some sort of infection. The doctor said I have to go to a nose, throat and ear specialist (all one specialist) and that there was a change I'm going to have to have my tonsils removed. Yay for me!

So in my weakened I was flipping through the channels when I came across the Princess Bride. It was just starting and I haven't seen it for awhile so I'm watching it now.

Wesley is SOOO yum. I remember being so in love with him when I was young. Men dressed in black with masks and little ponytails are very attractive (oooh! Zorro!).

I've finally came up with an idea for the newest card party. I hope it'll all come together in the end and will be the highlight of the party (hey, I can dream big).

Ok...back to sleeping/eating/watching tv/being lazy/getting better!

I Used To Get High On Life, But Then I Developed A Tolerence

2008-07-01T20:07:00.000-06:00

Does it make me an alcoholic if I can't stop thinking about fruit beer and rum and cokes?

Today was sort of a crappy day, the kind of days where I want to be in rainy Seattle.

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to move to Washington state. I want to be serious about school and if I'm honest, Utah is probably the best place for me to focus on the schooling, but I really want to get out of here. My family lives here but I don't see them that much, we mainly talk on the phone. I can talk on the phone in Washington!

I want to live in or around Olympia. And Mt. Rainier is the only mountain I need. I love the mountains but I would give up all the mountains for the trees and rain and green in Washington.

Plus, Washington doesn't have the liqour laws that Utah has! That's always a plus.

Ok...back to Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood! (Yes, I know how pathetic I am, you don't need to rub it in.)

Cupcake Tattoos

2008-06-24T18:36:00.000-06:00

I'm still searching for the ultimate tattoo (well, ultimate to me) and I keep coming back to the idea of a cupcake tattoo. Sadly, I haven't found any online that I really like. If I only could convince one of my friends to design on (you know who you are).

Also, on a random note, I can no longer view my blog at work because of this post. My work blocks sites that have tattoos in them. Grrrrrrr >: (

Here are some that are pretty cool (just not cool enough for me):

Altered Book Project

2008-05-17T22:05:00.000-06:00

Here are pics from a book I made. I only used vintage pictures.

Card Swap

2008-05-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

Here is the card I made for a card swap I went to. Everyone had great cards and I'm already coming up with ideas for my next card.

My friend, Missie, and I are thinking of starting up a recipe/scrapbook page swap. I also want to start an ATC (artist trading card) swap.

I also made cupcakes this week. I tried out a new butter frosting recipe but it wasn't good at all. So I threw it away and made my tried and true Martha Stewart butter frosting recipe. Go Martha!

Sick! Sick! Sick!

2008-04-13T16:10:00.000-06:00

I'm one sick cookie. I self-diagnosed myself (way to go Tasha) with tonsillitis. Can we say NASTY!! I was tempted to post a pic of what tonsillitis looks like but decided not to make you sick so I'll just let you imagine. It's not pretty.

Why do I keep getting sick!? :( Sad day for me.

IRON MAN!!!

2008-03-31T20:32:00.000-06:00

I can't stop watching the Iron Man trailers. I love the editing of the trailers, plus I think the movie is going to be awesome.

2008-03-22T14:23:00.000-06:00

Today I made a tasty breakfast of Eggs in a Basket with tomatoes and basil.

I cut a hole in the middle of 2 slices of sourdough bread with a cup. Then I fried 1 side of the bread in butter. When that was brown I flipped it over and cracked the egg into the hole. Then I added some fresh cracked pepper and salt. I let that cook for a minute or two then flipped it all over again. When the eggs where cooked I put it on a plate.

I layered one egg in a basket then some sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper and then some basil. Then I added the other egg in a basket, put on more tomatoes and then more salt and pepper and basil.

It was SOOOOOO good! I couldn't believe how amazing it was and it took only minutes to make.

I can wait for summer when there will be tons of fresh veggies and fruits to cook with. I went to Pizzeria 712 again recently. I need to try more foods there because I keep getting the braised beef on polenta with horseradish whipped cream and beef consume. It's amazing and I can't seem to get enough but I really want to try their macaroni and cheese sometime. I have some asparagus and some leftover blackened salmon from CPK so I might mix that with pasta and cream tonight.

I have plans for some tasty cupcakes that will be baked tomorrow: white cupcakes with cherry frosting and maybe more strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing. Both options sound so good. :) I also have plans for reorganizing my kitchen space. Since I share with 3 other girls, I really only get a small amount of space...but since I'm a notoriously messy person, I am always needing to reorganize my area so everything can fit.

Sunday is one of my favorite days because the Food Network shows episodes of Nigella Lawson's cooking shows (Nigella Bites and Nigella Feasts). I wish that show was on more often because she cooks food I want to eat.

Ok, it's back to my spring cleaning projects!

MMMMM.......

2008-03-13T21:30:00.001-06:00

Now those are some sexy cupcakes. Look at that icing running down the sides! ;)

I made strawberry cupcake with cream cheese icing. I had never made icing before but now I'm a fan. And the light taste of the icing with the strawberry cupcakes was just amazing! I also made some carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, but I didn't take any pics of those.

My next cupcake endeavor will be white cake cupcakes with cherry frosting. I bought the frosting at the store. I never use store bought icing but last year my cousin used this frosting on cookies and it was amazing. I think I might also drizzle on some dark chocolate. I'll for sure take pics of that!

Right now I am blaring some music (drowning out the roommates) and craving Pizzaria 712 and wishing I went there tonight, instead of Red Lobster (gag).

What a gripping life I do lead!

My blog a.k.a my next "won't last very long" thing...

2008-03-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Because, inevitably, I will lose interest. Let us remember the numerous failed journal keeping attempts. And what is a blog but a spiffy, online journal.

Some people focus their blog on one subject and that seems to work well for them. But I don't know what to focus on. My title suggests that cupcakes should be my theme, but while there will be cupcakes, I don't know if it should be my MAIN theme. I'll let you know when I decided.

I found my sister's blog. She's very talented, not only in art and cooking, but apparently in blog writing as well. Oh, and poetry. So I was inspired to start my own. My feeble attempts at sibling rivalry.

Speaking o f my sister....it's a funny thing to find someones blog, especially when you're pretty sure they didn't plan for you to read it. She only has a few posts so far, and nothing about me, but it was definitely a new side of her that I'd never seen before. She's a very interesting person. I look forward to secretly reading her blog in the future. ;)

So now we come to the end of this, my very first post. It is a day that shall live in infamy. Ok, not really.