Love

These are the 2 people I love most in this world.  I don't often say it, but I don't think I could ever thank them enough for everything they've done for me.  Their generosity and love always astound me. I'd very much like them to know how thankful I am to have them in my life and how I will never be able to repay them for the life they've given me.  Though I will continue to try.  I am so fortunate to have them and am better for it.

I only hope I can be half as amazing as they are when I "grow up".  I love you guys!

Drab to Fab

Considering I'm usually a bit of a Debbie Downer, I don't often have weeks where I can say that everything is going my way.  And I'm sure now that I'm actually saying it, I'll jinx myself and things will go back to drab. But for the most part this week has been fantastic.  Last night's adventure in cooking went well.  I received an awesome offer on Monday (still not ready to talk about that quite yet...) I was able to knock out the writing I had hoped to do.  And today, even though I was convinced I was going to have to pay back my entire net worth in taxes, I found out that I'm getting a refund, which all but confirms that I can take the trip I've been planning (which since I'm a Debbie Downer was beginning to disappear from my dreams, the more I became convinced I was going to have to pay)

Like I said, it could all go to heck in a hand basket tomorrow, but for now things are looking up.

Chinese Food Feast

I happen to love Chinese food.  It's delicious and for the most part it's fairly simple to whip up in a hurry.  So when I found this and this on Pinterest, I was pretty excited.  Since I was cooking, I thought for sure they wouldn't turn out as well, but I had high hopes anyway.  Well, even if I do say so myself, they turned out amazing! 

I used pork for the egg rolls instead of mushrooms (no fungus for me!).  I love the crisp on egg rolls so I was worried these wouldn't have the same texture as fried versions, but they were perfect and much less greasy than the original.  I even went out on a limb and tried duck sauce which I'd never had before and found that egg rolls and duck sauce are the perfect combo.

The only substitution I made for the Sesame Chicken, was the use of molasses instead of brown sugar since my brown sugar was harder than a rock. Other than being a bit lighter in color than the picture, it was yummy too.  It didn't taste like the sesame chicken you usually order in Chinese restaurants, but it had great flavor and was perfect over rice.

Overall, I'd rate tonight's feast Yum with a capital Y : ) 

Please note: A food photographer, I am not...

Not What I Ordered

As an aspiring foodie and an Anglophile, this whole horse meat story has really caught my attention in the last few weeks.  What seemed to start as a small accident has blossomed into a huge controversy.  Though, what I don't fully understand is how something like this happens.  I know that in the US we have federal regulators that (are supposed to) keep an eye on what's going into our food and what's happening in the butcher houses.  Personally, that's a job that you couldn't pay me well enough to do, but that's an entirely different story.

So aren't those same regulators doing something close to that job in Europe? When the "cows" they are inspecting are lean and not speckled, and neigh instead of moo, doesn't it send up a few warning signs? Though, what I'm most horrified about is that this isn't much of an issue in France, as they are still consuming horse meat there...on purpose. 

Now I'm most definitely a meat eater, and I could never be a vegetarian in a million years.  I try not to think about the cute little cows and pigs that give their lives to fill my dinner plate each day.  But it's hard not to be horrified at the thought of a horse being on that same plate.  How can they eat them willingly?  While I'm not the biggest fan of horses in general (they're a little too big and unpredictable for my liking), they're beautiful and brilliant animals.  I understand that it's something the French has always done, but it's just a terrible thought.

Each day, there seems to be a new product that the horse DNA has been found in.  Between IKEA meatballs today, and Nestle packaged Lasagna last week, I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before something reaches our shores.  At the risk of sounding like a big old ninny, I will most definitely be sticking to home made for the time being...

Sunday Loves

1. Kristin Chenoweth's Oscar Dress: My absolute favorite of the evening, Gorgeous!

2. George Clooney at the Oscars: Even with his Paul Bunyan-esque beard, he's the handsomest man in the room.  Though I'm slightly biased, he can do no wrong in my book : )

3. My new tea shelf in the kitchen.

4. Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes courtesy of Chef Dad.

5. Lazy Sundays.

I am Woman, Hear me Roar

 

 

I know that an Ikea bookshelf is not necessarily rocket science, but seriously, all by myself.  I even used tools and stuff, and didn't break ANYthing.  That has to count for something : )

Friday Five

1. I'm not sure which paper this was in so I can't link the story but it's a good one.  The Westboro Baptist "church" (the imbeciles that picket military funerals) filed a petition to picket Vassar college next week for some reason only known to the crazies in the church.  When the campus found out, an enterprising student decided to take to twitter and counter-fundraise in honor of the Trevor Project.  She had hoped to raise $100 for each of the 48 minutes that Westboro would be at the school.  At this time, they've raised over $40,000!  I love that it seems that the hate these people are spewing, is seemingly always drowned out by love and compassion.

2. Matt Birk:  He's not a Ravens name you hear quite often but he's most definitely one of my favorites.  He's a Harvard grad, a dad to 6 kids and a huge influence on children's charities.  He's a fantastic human being and was an inspiring Raven.  He announced his retirement today after 15 seasons in the NFL.  As much as I'll miss him on the team, I can only imagine what amazing things he's going to do with his charity. 

3. Primo Pasta Kitchen: Gotta love new restaurants!  And when it's in my area, it makes me even happier.  This place was a complete shock.  For such a small place, it packs a big punch.  The food was delicious and the service spectacular.  I will most definitely be back soon.

4. Characters Unite: I absolutely love this campaign.  It promotes differences and what makes us all unique, while focusing on what we should never stand for.

5. Pinterest find:  Too too cute!

Yay Me!

After being a bit of a Grumpy Gus for the last week or so, today's events were a fantastic change of pace.  Today was the first big event at the new job that was completely left up to me.  I worked with others of course but it was my responsibility to make us look good in front of this high-level visitor.  And (even though I do say so myself) I nailed it!  I was worried because I'm not so good at the making small talk thing, especially with new, much more important people than me.  But it helped that our visitor was sweet as can be and she was very interested in all the things she was learning. 

Every meeting, tech accessory, and even lunch, where I was able to take back my awesome front-row parking spot when I returned to the office instead of having to park in Siberia, went completely smoothly.  After something goes so well, it's funny to look back and wonder what the heck you were worried about in the first place.  I assume I'll most likely be just as nervous the next time we have a visitor, but one can hope those nerves and anticipation, creates another flawless performance!

Much Ado About Something

*For the record, I'm not sure where I'm going with this post.

 All I know is that I've been thinking about this for the last few days.  I was watching "Much Ado About Nothing" on YouTube (as one as nerdy as I am does...) and I came across a quote I'd never paid attention to before.  Beatrice is asking Benedick what she should do in the wake of her cousin's misfortune.  Benedick says "Serve God. Love me and mend."  I'm not sure why but it struck me as beautiful.  Though it's not one of his more well-known, I think it's up there with "To be, or not to be..." or the St. Crispin's day speech, not to mention much easier to remember fully.

Another line that's been circling my head has been from "Carry On" by Fun:

"May your past be the sound/of your feet upon the ground." 

 I think it may all have to do with this turning 30 (ugh, this number will never be ok) and still not being completely where I want to be.  I know where I want to go, but getting there is difficult.  I know what I want to be, but it's hard to make it happen.  And I know what I want to do, but it's complicated.  These lines though, seem to suggest that this life thing is easy.  That by being the way we are, and continually pushing forward, we're already "living." Maybe we make things so complicated in our heads that we need a poet from 400 years ago or a rock band to shake us up.

 

Like I said, I wasn't sure where I was going, and I'm still not entirely sure I arrived...

Currently

~I've been racking my brain for the last 2 hours, trying to come up with something vaguely interesting to say.  That's the problem with not having a thrill-a-minute life.

~I'm perplexed.  The company I work for chose to send all of the employees a company-specific Monopoly game.  While cute, I really would have preffered a few dollars instead...

~I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open.  Another side-effect of not living very out loud.

~I'm craving a bowl of Curious George ice cream covered in Hot Fudge but I can't have any because I gave it up for Lent.

~I'm a little grumpy which you can probably deduce based on the negativity, but I'm not exactly sure why.

~I'm really very sorry for not being the least bit interesting this evening : )

Very Important Question

How does one visit an Ikea needing absolutely nothing but walk out with armfuls of stuff?  I believe that it's impossible to walk out item-less.  But it's certainly fun to try : )

Sunday Sweets

After spending pretty much the entire day in the kitchen, I've had some hits and misses.  I'm not sure where the drive to bake and cook my day away  came from but it was quite fun.  Had I had more misses than hits, I'm sure I'd feel differently but it turned out pretty well.

Dish #1: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: Yum!  My plan was to only make a few since it was just me but then I thought I'd make the whole recipe for breakfasts this week.  So glad I did, because they were delicious!

 

Dish #2: Honey Roasted Peanut Butter: Easiest recipe ever!  It was good but not nearly as sweet as I had hoped.  But definitely yummy!

Dish #3: Red Velvet Macarons from this book:  The second time was most definitely not the charm for these gosh darn treats.  I was worried about trying them the first time, and they worked out fairly well with just a few tweaks.  However this time, they weren't nearly as good.  They didn't look like macarons (as you can see, the "Red" velvet didn't go so well...), and they certainly didn't have the consistency of macarons.  But the filling was yummy.

Dish #4: Ham and Dumplings: The highlight of the day thanks to my chef of a dad. Yum Yum Yum!  The perfect meal for a cold and sometimes snowy day.



Writer Love

The first thing I always notice when watching movies, television or reading is the style of writing.  I'm far from a connoisseur and I've never taken a writing class, so I don't know tricks or styles.  But I'm fairly certain everyone knows good writing when they hear it.  Because of this there are certain writers that are in the upper echelons of writing in my book.  I would give my right arm to turn a phrase or make snide comments like they do.  My list currently includes:

- Anthony Bourdain: I wish I was brave enough to be as open with my thoughts as he is. "A Cook's Tour" will always be to me, one of the best books ever written.

-Stephen Fry: Probably one of the smartest men on earth while never lording that fact over your head and a race-car quick wit.

-Bill Bryson: He sets a stage like no other.  Whatever country or place he's visiting, you feel as if you're standing next to him about to fall into the same ludicrous situation he is. 

-Mark Gatiss/Steven Moffat: Both are unbelievable screenwriters individually but when writing as a team, their work just leaps off the screen.  I'm positive that, aside from the dreamboat status Benedict Cumberbatch has, the reason there's so much Sherlock on Pinterest is the beautiful words these men write. There are too many scenes to choose from, but this one never ceases to make me laugh out loud.

 

Are you sensing a pattern here?  If you can't tell or you've never read any of these guys, I tend to lean toward sarcasm and wit.  If you're able to write a great pun or deliver a one-liner, you're pretty much guaranteed to make it onto my list. As someone who reads quite a bit, there are of course others: Shakespeare, Tolkien, John Rogers,  Jeff Eastin, and J.K. Rowling, etc. but I won't bore you with all the why's. If you've read or watched anything, I'm sure you have your own lists and my reasons will most likely differ from yours.

 

After rambling for the last few minutes, I should most likely get to my original point.  All of this was actually to say, I've discovered a new writer to add to my list: Neil Gaiman.  I know, he's been around forever and he's always kind of floating out there in the universe to read but I'd never really gotten around to it.  Mostly, I was a being a bit of a wimp. The covers of his books always say something along the lines of "master of horror" and I like my fantasy mundane, not terrifying.  But, I had heard the BBC was doing a radio recording of "Neverwhere" and the cover of the book has Big Ben on it, so I dove in.  How horrifying could it be if the BBC was recording it.  Thank goodness my assumptions were correct.  He's completely brilliant and I'm not sure why I waited so long.  The story was fantastic but the writing was magic.  He's sarcastic and funny and uses big, beautiful words (yes, I'm a English nerd...)  And I will most certainly be jumping into another sooner rather than later, that is when the stack that's staring at me now gets a little smaller.

Now, I'm waiting with baited breath for the premiere of the radio version.  I'm not sure it will live up to the book (do most things ever live up to the book?) but seeing the cast list, I'm sure it will come very, very close.

Friday Five

1.  I believe it's the newest Volkswagen commercial but it could be another car company.  However, it's about the cutest ad I've ever seen.  I had hoped to include a YouTube video of this however I can't seem to find it.  The ad shows a brand new baby in his car seat placed in a car.  When the new dad starts to take off, another car narrowly misses them and the little baby's life passes before his eyes, which is everything we've just seen since his life has just started.  It's hard to explain but it's absolutely adorable and I wish I could show it to you.  Keep an eye out for it while you're watching TV.  You're sure to love it!

2.  The multiple fabulous headlines that came out of the Pope's resignation this week.  My favorites were from Huffington Post "Ex-Benedict" and The Guardian "Holy Wait and See".  I'd love to know how late the writers stayed up trying to crack those nuts.

3. The rounds that the Ravens are making to the late night talk shows.  Between Harbaugh appearing on Letterman, Jacoby Jones on Kimmel and Flacco appearing everywhere, there's been quite a bit of purple on the talk show circuit.  My favorite so far has been the Coach on Letterman.  He just seems so likable, which pretty much sums up how he seems all the time.

4. "Unchain my Heart" by Hugh Laurie: I only found out about this today because I follow Stephen Fry on Twitter (yes, I've become one of "those" people that say things like that...) I've loved his other music and this one is just as fab.  Though, I have to say my favorite part was the British-y self-deprecating bit in the beginning.  Another one of those guys, like Coach, that you just can't help but like.

5.  The "Churchill Arms" in Notting Hill.  I can't believe I never happened upon this gorgeous pub the last time I was in England, especially since I was actually staying in Notting Hill.  But it's most certainly on my itinerary this time around.  I haven't even looked at the menu yet but the outside looks as blooming gorgeous as their website says.

Valentine's Thoughts

I'm not usually the lovey-dovey, let's watch a Nicholas Sparks movie and cry into my wine type of girl.  Oh, I'll cry if someone dies unexpectedly in a movie or show but I don't seek sad movies out.  They're just not my thing.  So will someone please explain to me how I've teared up twice in the last week?  Both times with a radio show online? Radio?!  I mean who in the world besides me actually goes teary-eyed over a story they can't even see?

It has to be this gosh darn holiday.  At least that's what I'm blaming it on! It's a fabulous day full of love, and flowers and chocolates...that is if you have a Valentine.  If not it's still full of chocolate, but usually in slightly larger quantities.  So what do I do?  I break a cardinal rule and listen to the lovey dovey "Every Seventh Wave" on BBC iRadio.  For the first 20 minutes, it's sappy and sad and definitely not a Valentine-y pick-me up. But then it takes a turn and it's sweet and hopeful and wonderful.  The perfect modern love story!  And so I teared up.  But just a bit and not in a depressed, blubbery way.  More in the "I definitely want a love like that" way.

So that's my special day in a nutshell.  Teary-eyed and Chocolate high.  But hopefully this will be the last spent like this.  I have high hopes (which I do every year, but that's beside the point) that Prince Charming is right around the corner.  So come on already dude, I'm waiting!

Happy Heart Day!

Off the Top of my Head

1. It's snowing outside and all I can think about is blizzard conditions keeping me from work tomorrow.  It's literally just started and it's not even laying but the elementary schooler in me is just begging for a snow day!

2. It's Valentine's day tomorrow and I once again have to deal with the fact that I do not have a Valentine aside from a very adorable niece.  This whole 30th year thing hasn't exactly started as I had hoped...

3. I've gone weeks without having any ice cream whatsoever but now that Lent has started and I've given it up, it's all that I'm craving. 

4. I'd really like to enter this travel contest but having to put myself on film is an absolutely terrifying thought.  I'm sure I'm not interesting enough to fill a 3 minute video. But oh my goodness I'd give my right arm to travel to the places this trip promises!

Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler!

Well, Shrove Tuesday is once again upon us which means Mardi Gras time is here again.  Don't get me wrong, I happen to love the pancakes I have for dinner each year to celebrate the holiday.  However, what I've always wanted to do to celebrate Fat Tuesday is party like crazy in New Orleans. 

I'm not entirely sure why.  It's pretty much the antithesis of my scene.  There are LOTS of drunken disorderly people going off the deep end.  There are parties at all hours of the night.  But there's also food, food, food and music and sites galore.  I'd probably have a panic attack in the swarms and crowds but that's never stopped me from dreaming about a quick trip to the Big Easy, if only to gorge on Cafe du Monde beignets...

Papal Ponderings

I'm fascinated by the news that the Pope is resigning.  I've been Catholic all my life and this is not something I've experienced before nor has anyone else in the last 600 or so years.  The last time a Papal conclave was held, I was glued to the television waiting for whatever color smoke meant that the Cardinals had chosen a Pope.  Only last time, Pope John Paul had passed away.  This time it's slightly different and I just keep pondering new questions. 

Why exactly is he stepping down? And why now just as Lent is starting?

Where does the Pope go when he's no longer the Pope?  Does he get kicked out of the Vatican like the President gets kicked out of the White House when his term is complete? 

What exactly do you call a former Pope?  Will he still be Pope Benedict much like our previous presidents are always called Mr. President? (I'm certain it won't be Ex-Benedict like the Huffington Post posited this morning, though major props to whomever dreamed up that headline...) 

What happens to the Papal Twitter account that made international news just a few months ago?  Will it be handed down to the next Pope? Or will the next Pope get a Twitter handle of his own?

Will the Vatican name a library after him like they do with ex-presidents?

Can he take the Pope-mobile with him?  After all, if he's anything like ex-presidents he'll be playing a lot of golf...

And most importantly what does that mean for us as Catholics?  I've not hidden the fact that I think the Catholic church needs to make changes for the better.  In a lot of ways the church is still living in the dark ages.  With such a conservative as Pope Benedict resigning, will the Cardinals make a bold choice and choose a more progressive Pope or will they continue on in their ultra-conservative ways?

Regardless, I hope that his resignation is truly because of age and not because of any illness.  And I wish him, as I'm sure most of my fellow Catholics do as well, a restful and relaxing retirement.

I Must Confess...

 

Honestly, it was just a quick trip to Barnes & Noble.  I needed to waste some time before the mall opened.  I swear I just needed the next Scotland street book. Well, maybe need is too strong a word.  I really just wanted it to be ready when I finish the book I'm in the middle of ("Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman, by the way.  AMAZING!)  One minute I was walking to checkout with 1 small book in my hand and the next I had a stack. 

 

Oh well, at least it's a healthy addiction.

London Dreaming

Before I begin I must mention that I've been to London exactly once; a 4 day trip, 5 years ago.  However, those 4 days showed me a city that I've fallen in love with and hope to return to one day as a citizen.  After all, how can you dislike a city with so much to offer?  There's historical venues, the West End, world-renowned restaurants, and shopping like you wouldn't believe.

Though shopping is my usual favorite past time, I wasn't given much time to indulge in the full shop 'til you drop experience as I had hoped.  But there are a few venues I would most definitely add on to my dream shopping extravaganza, if only to get back that same sense of discovery and wonder as I experienced the first time around. 

First up, though Londoners may roll their eyes and groan, is Portobello Road Market.  It may not be extravagant or even a must-see, but it's always screamed quintessential London to me.  There's something about the thrill of the search.  There may be no crown jewels but if you take the time to dig through the vendors' "stock", you may just find a diamond in the rough.  Not to mention, I've been on a never ending search for pieces of a discontinued china pattern for more than a decade, and I like to think one day I'll find those pieces amongst the other treasures.

The next stop on my tour de stores would be Fortnum & Mason.  Let's be honest here, I could most likely eat my way through their beautifully arranged hampers and baskets and die happy. The unfortunate part is getting food back to the states is an utter pain in the neck.  So my only splurge are boxes upon boxes of Royal Blend tea.  The only blend I've ever tasted that has made my tea-totalling heart sing.  There are, of course, thousands of blends in England, all claiming to be the best but I've never had the pleasure of trying those.  I was given the chance to enjoy High Tea with cups upon cups of this perfectly created blend and felt I was in heaven.  Recreating that event again, would be icing on the cake of my shopping trip.

Next up, is not so much a shopping destination but there is a shop on premises so I suppose it still counts: Shakespeare's Globe.  There's just something about purchasing the Bard's works in the "Mecca" for all Shakespeare fans.  This may sound a bit cheesy but what can I say?  I'm a sucker for Will.

Aside from these 3 very distinctive and different places, I think I'd rather the surprise of discovering something new than following a strict itinerary.  The streets of London are full of noise, and kitsch and high-end and low-brow owned by a colorful cast of characters.  My first trip to London I was completely clueless as to what to expect, and the trip was fabulous.  This time around, lightning may just strike twice.  After all, that feeling of new excitement is always the best part of travel, not to mention also, if you're me; shopping 'til you drop!

*If you're interested in joining in on the fun too, check out the VisitBritain site for more information.

Friday Five

1. "Carry On" by Fun: This song woke me up 3 days this week (my radio station of choice is nothing if not consistent).  Each time I heard only the chorus and loved it.  I knew I had to get to iTunes to download it immediately.  It was no real surprise that the artist was Fun.  It's pretty much a given that I'll fall in love with anything new they release.  Since I downloaded, I think I've played it about 20 times.  Fantastic!

2. What Ellen had to say about the Boy Scouts this week.  She's just one of those people that you can't help but love.  She's always honest and speaks from the heart.  She's never too preachy or over the top.  She delivered just about the most perfect message to those at the top of the Boy Scouts and I only wish they'd take it into consideration, if for no other reason than to show their members what it is to accept people for who they are.

3. VisitBritain.com:  Aside from having a truly awesome twitter feed full of pictures and ideas, they also have a fairly helpful website.  It's no surprise really that I love a website promoting visiting Britain, but this one is a one stop shop for all things British Travel.  Not to mention they hold contests, which may explain why you'll be reading a fairly extensive post on London Shopping tomorrow.

4.  Ravens madness.  Yes I said it before but I'll say it again, the Ravens are SuperBowl Champions!!!  And the entire city of Baltimore has contracted purple fever.  It was truly awesome to see the thousands of fans that attended the parade on Tuesday as well as the multiple players and coaches that have been making the talk-show rounds this week.  It's about time that our guys get the recognition they deserve. 

5. Book Arts. (Ok, this is a weird one so hear me out)  I read an article on a new center opening in London (where else?) called the London Centre for Book Arts.  Apparently Book Arts is a thing, how did I not know this?!  It's gone a bit by the wayside in the last few years due to the rise of eReaders but there are still some art schools and centers offering lectures and instruction.  You focus on typography, book binding, paper, graphics, etc.  I looked for a center here that offered something close to the amazing one in London, but Maryland only has a small art center in Silver Spring that holds occasional lectures.  On the upside the London centre conducts many different lectures and seminars and I'll be there in October so I'll finally get the goods.

Crochet Queen...Not So Much

 

 

I finally attended my crochet class that I've been waiting months to take this evening.  As you can see the results were less than positive.  I deciphered the code for the single stitch a few months ago.  However, I never quite figured out how to add on.  I thought that a class would help.  Not so much.  Each time I thought I was mastering the darn stitch, the teacher would come over and fill me in on the fact that I really hadn't been doing it correctly all along.  My ultimate goal is something like this.  How long to I have to toil at this crap until I get that far because I'm a just a bit impatient?

Disney Does it Again

I've been seeing this little video pop up on Pinterest all week.  I've finally taken a few minutes to see what the hoopla has been about and I'm so glad I did.  It's about the sweetest little love story I've ever seen!  I'm not sure how animators can convey such emotion and heart with absolutely no voices but they certainly pulled it off.  I can only hope that my eventual love story will be as sweet...better start wearing lipstick now, just in case.

A King Has Been Found

*Getty Images

He's no George Clooney, but he's not Frankestein either.

 

I have to admit, since the story started to break late last week, I've been a little too preoccupied with the tale of Richard III.  At first I was skeptical to say the least.  How could a king's body have possibly been hidden for 500 years, and for a bit of that time 2 feet under a car park?  It was unthinkable to me.  But when word broke yesterday that it had been discovered that the remains were actually the past King of England's, I became a believer.

Not only is it astounding that they were able to make this discovery, though I still haven't figured out how they decided to dig up that particular car park,  it's unbelievable how they were able to reach the confirmation.  There are 2 long lost relatives of Anne of York still living in Canada.  The researchers somehow found these 2 people and were able to compare their DNA to that of the remains.  I've heard that one of the relatives wished not to be named.  I have to admit, I'm no royal lover but if it turned out that I was descended from royalty, I'd be shouting it from my palace in my tiara.

Then comes the really interesting part, due in part to the King's injuries he sustained, they were able to decipher how he spent his last few hours.  Unfortunately, these hours weren't pleasant, as he was brutally beaten over the head and his body desecrated by soldiers that wanted to prove the "evil" king was dead.  Terrible, yes, but it turns out that Richard III may have gotten a bad rap due in part to good old Shakespeare.  In the history play The Tragedy of Richard III, he was portrayed as a monster with a disfigured hand and a hunchback.  But aside from some scoliosis which would have hunched him a bit, he's not that monsterish looking in the reconstructions.  There's also a whole society in Britain, that is working for further research into the King in hopes of changing his reputation.

Not really being a follower of British royalty (no more than what I learn at the Renaissance Festival each year), I have to say that the only thing I knew about Richard, I learned from Shakespeare and how he was portrayed in stagings of the work.  And as a bit of a fan of good old Will, this play was never on my favorites list.  But now, I find the man fascinating.  I've been reading each and every article I've found on this story this week.  He may have been as evil as his subjects once thought, but it's comforting to know that he still has a bit of a following and people that still care about him and his memory. 

It's also pretty darn awesome what some science  and a lot of digging can accomplish!

You May Have Heard...

I LOVE this picture! It is by far my favorite shot of the whole Super Bowl!

* Pictures: BuzzFeed

 

The Ravens won the Super Bowl!

 

If you were a Ravens fan, it was a very long evening and a real nail-biter. (Although, I'm sure if you were a Niners fan, it was an even longer evening without the happy ending)  By the last 2 minutes (where I still haven't the foggiest as to what occurred), my head was under the blanket with my ears covered.  I couldn't bear to watch us possibly lose after such an amazing start to the game.  The Niners fought hard and very nearly eked out a win after such a rough start.  They deserve a great deal of credit!  But after a few minutes of random-ness, our boys pulled it out and caused an uproar and utter chaos in the state of Maryland.

 

Going into this game, the stories were too good to be true.  The Harbaugh brothers facing off against each other.  Ray Lewis' last game.  A quarterback who surprisingly admitted he WAS the best quarterback in the league before the season even started.  And the purple birds being called the underdogs for the the hundredth time this season even after pummeling arguably the 2 best quarterbacks in the league.  After the festivities and fun, winning would have just been icing on the cake.  And boy is it ever!  I'm fairly sure the entire state is still partying and plans to until the 2013-14 season starts.

Way to go guys!  You pulled it off with class!

 

* And while most people were watching the pre-game festivities, I was watching the other awesome feat of sportsmanship that occurred yesterday. (I'm a bit of a golf fan, if I haven't mentioned that before...)

* Picture: Sports Illustrated

 

I watched Phil Mickelson pull out his first win of the season with some truly magical shots and his usual class and humor in tact.  He may not get the accolades or as much screen time as the NFL, but he's every bit the athlete and most often an even better person.  Way to go Lefty!

It Happened!

The Ravens are Super Bowl Champions!!!

Way to Go Guys!

Try, Try Again

 

Ever since I tried my first macaron in November, I've been dying to figure them out.  In most recipes and books they are described as the most annoying and stressful cookie to make.  It's their simplicity  that makes them so difficult.  There are only a few ingredients but loads of intricacies to perfect.  While mine are far from perfect, I'm content to call them a successful attempt numero uno.  Based on the horror stories I've read I would have been content even if they just looked like macarons.   Not only did my little disks look like (bumpy) little dreams,  they actually tasted like them as well, right down to the little snap the shell makes when you bite into it.  Not bad! 

 

What's even better, is that I don't just know that things need to be fixed, I know what actually needs to be fixed.  The almond meal needs to be ground better.  I need to work on my thickness of the cookies when piping (and apparently my circle making as a few were quite lopsided...).  And maybe cook them a smidge less.  But all in all this is progress and I'm actually excited for attempt number 2.

 

Maybe this French baking thing isn't so scary after all!  Look out Julia Child, here I come! : )

Friday Fun

Instead of working on my Friday Five for this week, I decided to have some Friday fun instead.  I attended this with some wonderful alumnae friends (for the record we are INDians and not Mercy Magicians if you'd like to know) and had a fabulous time catching up despite the embarrassing loss.  As I'm up way later than my little granny head is used to, I'll make this post short and say good night.

I'll return tomorrow (well actually today on the east coast) with your regularly scheduled programming.