2011. You were an interesting year to say the least. I never say if a year is good or bad, as I am more of a shades of gray kind of gal, but this year was what they call in hockey a restructuring year. There were highs and lows, with the lows being just as valuable as the highs. As my dad always told us (and still does) “you have to have the bad days in order to recognize the good ones”. This year I amazed myself by turning my black thumb into a shade of green, growing a little farm out on my patio. And of course winning $1000 because people liked my farm best was pretty darn awesome. I still look at the photos and can’t believe I got stuff to grow…and grow well! Soil is the key. The state of Washington decided I had jumped through enough of their hoops to give me a teaching certificate. Interestingly enough the tests I took apparently a lot of people don’t pass them (all the people sitting around me at both test were all retaking it). Many, like when taking the SAT, … [Read more...]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night…
This is where I say a goodbye to many of you. Oh it’s not a permanent goodbye for most of you, as you tend to all come back around Valentine’s Day, but many of you flee this time of year. Many people write or comment that you won’t be coming to my site for a while, that it’s too much temptation while you make your “lifestyle change”. Let me be the first to assure you that if you can’t look at photos of food without setting off some sort of trigger, than you are not on a lifestyle change, you are on a diet. If you can’t figure out how to fit in a brownie once in a while then you aren’t going to last. If you have always had a sweet tooth, which if you come to this site you probably do; it is quite unrealistic I hate to tell you to give up sugar for the rest of your life. I should know, on a dare I once did Sugar Busters for a year. Did I lose weight? No, in fact I gained 12 pounds. Why, because I never lost my sugar craving. I lost my craving for bread, but never … [Read more...]
Cake. It’s what’s for breakfast….
Christmas: *Good. Santa was super-duper kind to me and got me a Kitchen Aid 13 cup Food Processor. My old one is 16 years old and while the motor was fine all the plastic parts were not. *Had this yummy cinnamon coffee cake that is easy and an overnight cake (see the recipe below). Went non-traditional for dinner and had steak and a seafood gratin. Followed with a brownie tart with hot chocolate and marshmallow ice cream (recipe later this week). *As usual Crazy Cocker Spaniel made out the best. Which is why we are mean and play Deck the Dog with her. :P In good news though you can all see that I picked up a date for New Year’s Eve. ;) What did you end up getting? Was Santa kind to you as well? Cinnamon Coffee Cake 2/3 cup unsalted butter ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup buttermilk Topping: 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon … [Read more...]
Non-tradition….
Nothing says Christmas like football? Well they do thank God a lot when they get a touchdown. I spent most of my day at the Seahawks game. It was my first NFL game ever. It was…interesting. We had been given free tickets and said what the heck. It’s the only sport that I have had to been pat down and go through a metal detector, that was the first bad sign. Then there was drunken peanut guy. He was so drunk he couldn’t keep his head up and kept throwing peanut shells at people…he was escorted out. Then you have the extra coaches in the stands that let the team know what they should be doing. :) Keep in mind most of the people “coaching” them couldn’t run half way down the field without coming close to dying. Four dollars for a diet coke? $30 to park…and that wasn’t the highest amount…some wanted $50! And my favorite is that they aren’t allowed to swear in the stands so when a ref makes a bad call instead of saying bullsh!t they shout out “pitch it”. :P I … [Read more...]
