A Maryland Tradition

Since 1990, Kennedy Krieger's (KKI) Festival of Trees has been a Maryland tradition.  KKI is a group of schools, medical centers and a research hospital for children with all sorts of behavioral or health issues.  They do some truly amazing work for and with children and each year they hold their Festival of Trees at Timonium Fairgrounds and are able to raise thousands of dollars for their research and care.  However, for some unknown reason, I had never been...until this year of course.  And I'm hear to say, it's AWESOME!  

Individuals, groups or businesses can choose to sponsor and decorate a Christmas Tree in any theme they like with all sorts of ornaments, hand made accessories or anything else the mind can dream up.  Then those trees are put on exhibit and you can buy the whole kit and caboodle, with all money going to KKI.  So you can imagine the amount of work that goes into making each tree a success.  But it was so inspiring just to see the creativity and craftiness of all the tree designers.  There were tons of different themes and ideas; many of them having handmade ornaments and accessories.  

Now that I've been, I have to say I'm hooked.  I may even decide to decorate a tree next year.  Is it sad that I already have a working idea in my head?  I'm a sucker for creativity... 

 Snowheads!

Friday Five: Christmas Season

1. Of course this goes without saying, but Thanksgiving dinner.  I ate and ate and ate turkey, dressing, (LOTS of dressing), green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy.  And it was delicious! I know that I eat turkey and dressing all throughout the year, however, it's just so much better when you have it on Turkey day surrounded by family after watching the parade and before lapsing into a food coma.  It makes the perfect beginner to the Christmas season.

2. Christmas Music!  I tend to be slightly grouchy over when the Christmas music starts. Usually, I'm complaining that it's started on the radio at least a week before Thanksgiving. But this year, I went looking for it a few weeks ago, since Thanksgiving was so late and when I couldn't find it, I broke out the iPhone Christmas playlist.  But now that it's begun, it's won't be ending until at least New Years. 

            

This is my absolute favorite and will be on a constant loop throughout the next month. 

3. Black Friday Shopping: I'd like to say this right now, I'm not one of the crazy ones that finish their turkey and run out the door to stand in line for the next 10 hours waiting for a $99 X-box.  I've NEVER seen the appeal of doing that.  Also usually, it's much too cold and I'm a big old ninny.  But, even though I whine about all the people in all the stores and not being able to navigate through the hordes, it's quite fun to be in the scrum with everyone else.  I'm never really one to find the great deals on perfect presents, since I do a lot of shopping before hand, but it's always nice to pick up a few things I've been coveting while the sales are great.

4. Christmas Lights: I love seeing the first few houses decorated before you start to see them everywhere.  There's something about seeing that Christmas tree lit up in someone's front window, that really says Christmas to me.

5. Christmas Crafting:  Pinterest is all to blame for this.  If I didn't have enough to do with all the wrapping, buying, card making and baking, now I also have to create the 15 different crafts I've pinned and planned to give as gifts.  Yes, I stress out about them all but giving homemade gifts is just so much more fun than giving store bought (not that store bought isn't good too because I love me some Barnes & Noble : )

Happy Thanksgiving!

So much to be thankful this year and these are just a few.  Hoping you and yours are enjoying the holiday with family and friends and everything that matters to you most.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh and PS: Go Ravens! : )

In Defense of Auto

Because today was the day before Thanksgiving, and there wasn't anyone at work so therefore nothing was going on, I used my time productively: by browsing Pinterest of course.  While surfing, I read quite a few articles on Manual Photography since my ultimate goal is to get there...eventually.  However, I'd like to take this time to advocate for the complete opposite: Let's hear it for Auto!  After test shot after terrible test shot, I've investigated what I've taken.  

It turns out that just having a good camera is the beginning to some pretty great pictures. Yes, you'll not be called a real photographer and you're not getting the chance to really get creative and crafty.  But those shots you do get, are pretty awesome!  Even if I do say so myself.  So if you're like me and can't really get the hang of all the bells and whistles just yet, don't worry.  The pre-programmed bells and whistles will have you feeling like Annie Liebovitz in no time.

Manual

Auto

I rest my case... : )

Thankful

If you have a Facebook account, you've no doubt seen some of your friends participating in the whole 30 days of thanks thing where they say one thing they're thankful for each day in November.  While that is a lovely idea, and while I probably could fill up 30 days worth of all the things I'm thankful for, I have a terrible time remembering to update it each day.  So I'll just share a few now and won't bore you with the whole list.

~ I'm thankful for a loving and supportive family who are funny, and kind, and more than I deserve.  They mean the world to me and I'm not sure what I would do without them in my life.

~ I'm thankful for friends who I've known for years and years but are still close to.

~ I'm thankful to be crafty.  Creativity keeps me sane in my mundane cubicle-dwelling existence.

~ I'm thankful for Etsy, without which none of my Christmas shopping would be done this year.

~ I'm thankful I've discovered this love for all things Great Britain.  While it's just annoying that I'm not there, it gives me something to strive for and something to obsess about (we all need something we're crazy for!)

~ I'm thankful for all the books cluttering my shelves.  While not always a social activity, reading is a great conversation starter.  Book people are the best kind of people afterall.  

Bigger, Better and in 3D

I was hoping to see TARDIS-es in Fezzes wearing converse pointing Sonic Screwdrivers, possibly eating jelly babies.  What I got wasn't Comic Con level of geekdom but it was still pretty cool nonetheless.  There were a few TARDIS-es, a great deal of bow ties and brainy specs, even some super long scarves.  It was, in a word, awesome!  

Going into the 3D screening of The Day of the Doctor, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I've seen all sorts of crazy fandom celebrating in all sorts of ways over the weekend, but Columbia MD, isn't really the sort of place that happens.  So I was cautiously optimistic that we wouldn't be the only ones in the theatre.  Turns out I needn't have worried.  The production was completely Sold Out and there were lines everywhere full of costumes and people cracking geeky jokes just waiting to see the film.

During the movie was even better.  Everyone gasped at the same time, and laughed at the same things and even hooted and hollered for the same reasons.  It was unlike any movie experience I've ever had before. Everyone in that theatre really wanted to be there and were filled with the exact same excitement as everyone else.  It was fun to be a part of that community for a short time.  It's much different than watching it on my own, on my couch.  It was brilliant and fantastic on Saturday but everything surrounding it this go around made it 10 times better.

This time around there were extras as well.  Strax doing the rules and regulations for the film watching experience was genius.  The joke in the Doctor's (or should I say Doctors'?) introduction was brilliant and pure Steven Moffat.  And the behind the scenes featurette narrated by yet another doctor was fun and the perfect ending to a perfect evening.  

All I have to say is they really need to make this birthday thing a yearly event.  We all celebrate ours yearly, the doctor should too, if only for our enjoyment!  

Warm and Cozy Sunday

A Ravens win (finally!) and Easy Peasy Cheese Strudel for dessert - Gotta love a warm cozy Sunday!  Especially when it feels about 25 degrees outside.

Wibbly-Wobbly Wonderful & Timey-Wimey Terrific!

If you've seen Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or pretty much any media this week, you've noticed that today is the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who.  As such the entire world got the chance to watch the special episode together.  You could say I was pretty excited about seeing it.  I've been waiting for months since they announced who would be coming back.  After all the previews that were released this week, I was sure it would be a bit of a letdown seeing as most of the episode had been released already.  

Well, I'm delighted to report that it was most definitely not a let down and will stand as the best hour and a half of television I've ever seen. I've been smiling from ear to ear since it went off and I'm not quite sure I breathed through the whole darn thing ; ) It was magical and fantastic and brilliant and perfect in every way!  And even with all the buzz surrounding it, they managed to jam pack it with surprises and easter eggs a plenty.  I'm amazed that these stayed hidden until today.  Here in America, if we ever would have attempted something so huge, these details would have been leaked weeks ago.  

The writing of the episode was spot on; weaving all sorts of funny little side comments with allusions to the past doctors.  The story was straight forward for a change and I therefore understood everything that was happening.  The acting as always was superb.  Seeing Matt Smith (who I've admittedly never been a big fan of as the doctor - He seems perfectly lovely in real life), interact with the Tenth Doctor was a dream come true. Adding John Hurt into the mix, which I thought would bring it down a bit, only added more spark and fun to Doctor-iness of it.  And the fact that they were able to bring so many of the old faces and some new (I almost fell off the sofa when Peter Capaldi's eyes showed up) was such a tribute to what started 50 years ago and the people that made it happen.  I'm sure the die hard fans surely appreciated the care that went into quite a fitting tribute to an utterly brilliant, unique and un-matchable character.

Bravo Doctor Who!  Everyone involved should be very proud of what they've accomplished!


 

Friday Five

1. Etsy: Oh my goodness!  I've always known Etsy was the best idea in the history of ideas and I've never been shy about expressing my undying love for the site.  But today I realized just how much it affects my gift buying habits.  In a matter of a few hours, I managed to knock about 3/4 of my Christmas shopping out with creative and unique gifts for almost everyone on my list.  You can buy EVERYthing on Etsy and in fact, I believe I did...

2. All of the genuine fun that's surrounding the Doctor's 50th Anniversary.  It's just a television program, and I really don't think we'd be having this many events here for one of ours, but in the UK this is big business.  There are fan outings, live broadcasts, a movie premiere with real celebrities, and even a Google Doodle (which in case you were wondering is the coolest Google doodle ever!)  I know Geek is chic all of a sudden but it's fun to see the geeks and nerds and everyone else having a blast and thoroughly enjoying the milestone (I'm counting myself in that category just so you know).

3. Being warm and cozy in flannel pjs and flannel sheets and 3 blankets on a Friday night.  It's not even that cold outside (60s still even at midnight) but I've been at a friend's house all evening and have frozen my tail off so finally being cozy is a pretty darn good feeling.  I think I may actually be getting the feeling back in my toes and nose...

4. Finally feeling crafty and creative with the camera.  I haven't gone off manual yet but I'm still having some fun.

5. "The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris" I don't usually go for tear jerkers but I loved this book!  It wasn't too terrible; my eyes only went misty a few times but it was fantastic anyway!  

Cute and Cuter

You know it's a good entertainment week when the new Muppets trailer comes out during the 50th Anniversary celebrations for Doctor Who.  Yes, I have to say that I've been spending a bit too much on the Pinterest Geek boards and YouTube this week.  Enjoy!

1 For 2 in the Kitchen

As I said last week, I've been trying a bit harder with cooking and baking lately.  Pinterest has been a big inspiration and I've loved trying to find new and interesting recipes to try out.  Sometimes these recipes are big hits and other times unfortunately they are huge misses. Today I went 50:50 on the hit miss scale - One was most definitely a hit and one was most definitely a HUGE miss.

 

First up in the miss department we have Chocolate Cream Cheesecake.  At first glance, it's the perfect recipe: Dove Dark Chocolate Squares and Cream Cheese. Yum!  It even looked pretty coming out of the oven.  But after letting it cool and having a taste, I decided looks were deceiving.  It had a weird non-cheesecakey texture and the 24 squares of chocolate I was told to add, was much too much chocolate even for a chocolate lover like me. After throwing it out, I decided to delete the recipe from my Pinterest as well - Don't want to make that mistake again.

In the hit department we have Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Pie.  It was everything it promised to be and much, much more.  I thought the batter over the chicken would get gloopy and heavy but it wasn't at all.  Also, I decided to change it a bit and leave out the disgusting cilantro it called for and added instead, green onions - it worked perfectly! The only problem I had was the tortilla on the bottom was a bit difficult to cut through after they baked.  Aside from that, with a little salsa, it was the perfect dinner!  Ironically: I was more worried about this dish being terrible than I was the dessert - Shows what I know : )

Breezy and Bright Books

A few months ago I wrote about the annoyance I had with the lack of British writers being published here in the States.  Luckily, as much as this still bugs me, I was in Great Britain just about a month ago and I was able to remedy this situation by purchasing about a million books that I'd been coveting on Amazon UK.  Most of those books were written by Jenny Colgan. I'd like you to notice that while she's written about a dozen books, only one is available currently on our Amazon. 

After devouring not only Meet Me at the Cupcake Café, which was the first of hers that I had read and the reason I scooped up so many in England, Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams, West End Girls & The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, I'm officially hooked and will read pretty much anything this lovely writer churns out.  I also have Christmas at the Cupcake Café currently resting on my book case - it's being rationed until we get a little closer to Christmas. 

What first drew me to the stories were the recipes.  I'm a sucker for a story that includes the perfect recipe for Chocolate Cake.  The fact that she's able to weave these tales together with some seriously delicious (sounding that is - I haven't been as adventurous yet to actually try them) recipes is pretty impressive.  The other thing she has going for her are the characters.  In most Chick Lit series, if you'll excuse the term, the girls are always flighty, blonde and grumpy until they've met Mr. Right and then they're brilliant, blonde and far from grumpy.  In these stories, each main character is completely different than the last.  They're all flawed and really remind me of me as a 29+1 single person trying to find her Prince Charming.

Of course, all these characters have found their Prince Charming by the end (Spoiler Alert!), so that makes me hate them the tiniest bit, but I can actually see myself being friends with them. (Is that weird?  Do other people think about characters in books like this?  I hope so...) Lastly, it's the England tie-ins that do it for me.  How can you not like a book that takes place in your most favorite place in the whole world?  But she's not content to stick to the same part of the island each time: she moves around to the lesser seen, but no less beautiful places - Chelsea (ok so not lesser seen but you get the idea), a small working town up North, Stoke Newington, and Paris (also not really lesser seen).

Like most things do, seeing parts of England through their eyes, made me all the more envious and  grumpy that I'm here in the States - but in a good way, I promise ; )  Her books are wonderful, funny, breezy and sometimes sad (just finished tearing up over the end of The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - so don't say I didn't warn you.) and I promise you will love every last page if you are an avid reader or just a sucker for a happy ending!  And if you figure out how to obtain the rest of her canon, please let me know.  It's at least a few months until I get back there and I could really use some more books to add to my reading list.

Worst Mayor...EVER

For everyone who's been following the news lately, the story of Rob Ford aka Worst Mayor in the History of Mayors has been riveting to say the least.  He's seemingly done every single bad thing someone can do and yet still remains Mayor of Toronto.  The man has smoked crack ON VIDEO, used racial slurs ON VIDEO, threatened to kill someone ON A RECORDING and today knocked over a fellow council member ON VIDEO while attempting to defend himself, but all the city of Toronto has done is stripped him of his powers.

Don't get me wrong, stripping him of his powers is the right idea obviously.  I'm thinking someone smoking crack and assuming they won't be caught shouldn't be making important, possible life-altering decisions.  But we have a way to kick terrible politicians out of office. Why don't they?  More importantly, why doesn't he just step down?  Obviously, his tenure isn't going the way he'd hoped when the mayor's office was just a glint in his eye.  But he can't stand behind his pride anymore.  That's been pretty much thrown out the window in the midst of every terrible recording the press is playing each day.  He can't be proud of what he's done so do the honorable thing and just step down already!  At least keep a shred of your dignity and gain some respect.  Now he's completely powerless and what?  He's just going to hang around the mayor's house until his term is over?  It's senseless!

But I suppose the one small, teeny-tiny bright spot in this whole mess: the fact that this embarrassing bit of drama isn't on the Americans for a change.  We've got all sorts of other things to be embarrassed by.  At least, we can feel a bit superior in this aspect - that is of course, until Anthony Weiner starts Twittering again...

Diary of a Sunday

 A beautiful and sunny fall day in Maryland despite...

 

Iced Tea and Yummy Mexican (Pulled Pork Quesadillas and homemade salsa) for the game

 Pinterest to bide the time during the rain delay

So then this happened...YUCK!

 Brand new kitchen drawer knobs to replace the broken one...finally

And an evening of tea and reading to round out the day

Happy Sunday!

Happy Saturday!

Good Food,

Good Friends,

Good Time,

Good Saturday!

Happy Weekend!

Friday Five

1. Paragon China on Etsy: I've been craving this pattern ever since my dad brought the tea set back from England in this beautiful pattern.  It's always been my dream to have it as my wedding china.  Unfortunately, Paragon china went out of business years ago so the only way to find the set is in pieces on Ebay, and apparently now Etsy; which makes me very, very happy!  

2. Children in Need special sneak peak:  You're just going to have to get used to seeing the 50th anniversary be mentioned every few days at least until November 23rd.  



3. These gorgeous minimalist posters that show the differences between Paris and New York.  They are absolutely perfect!  Now if she'd just create some London ones I'd be pretty darn happy!

4. Smitten by Britain: My new favorite website.  I spent hours on it the other day.  Who knew there were others out there as crazy as I am about all things England and Britain?

5. Usually I'm grumpy about the whole Christmas time coming before Thanksgiving but this year, I'm totally up for it.  I already have my Christmas tree up at work and I've made some pretty good head way on the shopping.  And you all might think it crazy, but I was actually listening to Christmas music last weekend.  Bring it on Santa!  I'm ready this year!

Pros and Cons

In the land of cooking and baking there are lists upon lists of pros and cons.  I may be the only one but I simultaneously love to cook and hate to cook.  I'm hoping this is true of others and I'm not the only one that's torn when someone asks "oh you like to cook, huh?"  On the one hand, I have cookbooks, and Pinterest and family recipes to draw from.  All of these, I'm partial to and feel no need to venture too far out of the comfort zone.  Why mess with a good thing when you've eaten all sorts of yumminess for your entire life?  On the other hand, I'm rubbish at actually making these recipes.  There's something about it that I just can't master.  
I'm ok with following the recipe and usually can master all the ingredients but it's the whole combining thing I have a problem with.  Portions and cooking times and stirring for specific numbers of seconds  or making sure all 3 items are timed perfectly to wind up on the table at the same time always put me off, which is frustrating. Don't even get me started on cooking times and being expected to be the bringer of good things for the office when you're having an off night.  (If you haven't noticed based on the tone of this blog - tomorrow is an office party and tonight was an off night.  Gosh darn cooking times!) 

While not as difficult for me for some reason, baking also has its ups and downs. Even though they say baking is an exact science, I'm much better and find it so much more fun.  For one thing I love sweets but on the other hand, there's no eyeing or estimating.  As long as you follow the recipe you're good.  I get a little worried when attempting to go off book, unlike some people.  Even in the baking land, I can master the good stuff.  The kitchen may look like a cyclone, but the recipe has been completed and the sweets are on the table and they actually taste delicious (most of the time - there have been some doozies).  The problem there is that it's never ever as pretty as it should be.  I know in my head that as long as it's delicious, I shouldn't care what it looks like but it doesn't help.  

All that being said, there's a certain rush finding a new recipe that sounds delicious and whipping it up perfectly for family and friends.  And finally having it come out just as you'd hoped and adding that recipe to the recipe book you keep of your favorites.   It may be messy, and torturous, and I may be terrible at it at times, but it's fun and challenging and if I could just make myself do it more often, I think I'd be much happier and better at it...but much larger in the waist : )  It must be the influence of that fantastic and patient teacher I had cooking all the yumminess that I've eaten all my life.  I may not be the best cook, but I know without him I'd be a whole lot worse, not to mention a lot less happy.   So I suppose, in the end, it is an easy question afterall: Yes I do love to cook and bake!  I just won't be signing up for Top Chef any time soon.

Now that we've come to this conclusion, maybe I could get him to realize a restaurant kitchen of our own would be even more fun...

Currently...

~I am quite curious about this helicopter flying around outside my window...

~I am much (much!) too excited about this happening.  Yes it's geeky.  Yes it may sound ridiculous.  Yes it's probably why I'm single but I don't care.  50 years is a big deal and it looks pretty darn amazing!

~I'm quite chilly which may have something to do with these unseasonably cold temperatures we're having OR might just be the fact I'm always cold!

~I'm trying to figure out which book to read after I finish "Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams" tomorrow.  I have 2 Christmas books that I'd like to read near Christmas but I can't decide if they'll take me the next 6 weeks or if I can fit another in first.  (Yes, this may also be a reason for me being single...)

~I'm feeling ahead of the game in terms of Christmas shopping but far too behind in the Christmas card making department.

~I'm seriously contemplating joining eHarmony due to the whims of friends at work.  Quite honestly a 400 question questionnaire is not my cup of tea but maybe, just maybe...

I Hate Technology!

Serious internet issues this evening.  I'll be back tomorrow after a serious discussion with this ridiculous cable company...

Always Remember...

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid.  They have earned our undying gratitude.  America will never forget their sacrifices.

 ***

President Harry S. Truman

Thank you Veterans!

It's About Darn Time!

After a ridiculously long, and painful season, the Ravens have finally pulled out a win in an overtime nailbiter that was pretty ugly and could have been a lot worse had it not been for Justin Tucker's right foot. From the highs of last season's Super Bowl win, this season has been nothing but a letdown.  We here in Baltimore have surely been feeling the Post Super Bowl slump.  Here's hoping that finally those darn purple birds will start their comeback.  If not, there will be some very unhappy Baltimoreans! 

Go Ravens!

Geek Out!

Doing my happy little geeky dance today now that this has become available.  It's pretty amazing for about a million reasons, most of which include seeing the Tenth back in his pinstripes, brainy specs and Tardis.  Can't wait for November 23!

Friday Five: Etsy Edition

What's great about Etsy, beside the fact that it showcases just how creative people can get, is that you can find just about anything at the drop of a single search word.  When I get bored with Pinterest (which admittedly, doesn't happen that often) I usually jump on over to Etsy to see what I can find.  It's helpful especially around this time, because I'm able to find unique Christmas gifts that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.  However, when I'm in a crafting mood, it's a great place to scraplift project ideas.  It really is the one stop shop for all things crafty.  Seeing as I was in a Christmas shopping mood today, I spent a great deal of time there, so here are just a few of my favorite things.  Oh and by the way, that favorite button they have on all their items?  It'll be the death of me.  I click that darn thing a little too often.  My favorites page is beginning to look like the entirety of Etsy.

1. Gemini Studio: I went looking for Great Britain things and for some reason these little Air Dales kept appearing.  When I checked out his shop, I couldn't believe all the different prints he had; each one cuter than the last.  I wish I had lots of dog people on my Christmas list, because these little guys are irresistible!

2. Tag Team Tompkins: In this case I was searching on "Shakespeare" (what can I say? I'm nothing if not predictable.) A few of these letterpress cards contain Shakespeare quotes but they also have lots of other quotes as well, most of which are literary.  Anyone creating with bookish quotes, is more than ok with me.

3. Be Wild and Free: Based on the picture below, I'm sure you can figure out what I was searching on.  This print is gorgeous and I'm currently contemplating the best place for it in my house right now.  Though her other prints are super cute and girly as well.

4. Ringostone: This fell into the Christmas present category.  I thought it would make a perfect mother daughter necklace for a friend.  It's most definitely something I don't think I could find anywhere but Etsy - you gotta love that!

5. When Guinea Pigs Fly: I don't exactly get the guinea pig thing myself.  I happen to think they're rodents.  But I do know people who think they're about the coolest animal ever and can't get enough of guinea pig everything.  So I suppose this store would most definitely be their cup of tea.  On the other hand, these little pictures are pretty darn cute even with thinking guinea pigs are icky...

Off to Bed...

Feeling a bit under the weather, hope to be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Good Night!

Bully Pulpit

The headline of the Baltimore Sun today states, and I quote "The Ravens say they don't believe in hazing."  Seriously?  Isn't it a bit sad that an organization like the NFL that employs hundreds of grown men has to come out to state something that shouldn't have to be said?  Shouldn't hazing and bullying not be the norm? The case of Richie Incognito (which totally sounds like a superhero but is so not) in Florida is truly disgusting.  Who knows if it was a hate crime or hazing, but in either case he should be dismissed immediately from the NFL and not be allowed to return.  And if it is a hate crime, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the hate crime law.

The case, however does show that anyone can be bullied and hazed, even if you are a grown man in an industry praised for toughness.  While this experience does smudge a black mark on the league, it gives them a chance to reform.  They can use it as a learning tool, to get into schools and show kids who are bullied  that it can happen to anyone, and that they're not alone.  And by prosecuting the case, they can show bullies that their behavior will not be tolerated even in an industry where hitting on a daily basis is just part of a day's work.

As I said, it's ridiculous that the Ravens have had to state the obvious, but I also applaud them for taking the situation head on.  While we've had our issues on and off the field, it's never been said the team has anything but respect for each other.  Job well done guys! Maybe you can stand as role models for players who think they're above their teammates.

On A Roll

I'm beginning to think that I should do all of my menu planning on Pinterest.  After last night's yummy dessert, I gave 2 more recipes a shot and went 2 for 2 in the delicious department.  The first, as much as I hate to admit it, was a Pioneer Woman recipe.  No offense to Ree Drummond and her little self-made empire, but she and her brood drive me up a wall.  Listening to her life on the ranch stories while she's holed up in her ginormous house, makes my skin crawl.  But that's all beside the point.  What I wanted to say is that I attempted her Sesame Noodles, and realized she could actually cook.  Those darn things were delicious!  With just a few ingredients and a few minutes, I had exactly what I was craving. Unfortunately I was so excited to scarf them down, I forgot to take a picture, so you'll just have to rely on Ree's.  Oh and if you're planning to give these a shot too, take the advice of a friend of mine.  She told me to definitely not forgot the green onions and boy was she right.  They're delicious in the sauce!

As a side dish to accompany my pork chops and Sesame Noodles, I wanted something different than the usual green beans or corn.  And for some reason, I always equate bananas with Asian food so I tried these sweet bananas with honey and cinnamon.  They were good, just not nearly as pretty as the ones in the picture below (once again, I was hungry and the iPhone was just too far away...)  Even though they were a bit mushy, they were sweet and banana-y and delicious.  They may not have been the perfect accompaniment for pork and noodles, but they certainly hit the spot! 

Autumn Deliciousness

A few years ago I discovered Almost Better Than Anything Cake and fell in love.  The recipe can be found on the box of (I think...) Pillsbury Chocolate Cake mix.  I wasn't sure of it at first.  Poking holes in a perfectly good cake and ruining it with super sweet condensed milk? It just seemed unnatural.   But then I tasted it and I swear I could hear angels sing.  They'd chosen the perfect name for this dream of a dessert.

Now with Pinterest, I see nothing but knockoffs of this perfect dessert.  There are mint variations, and banana pudding variations.  And for fall there just so happens to be a Pumpkin variation.  So, of course, I had to give it a shot.  I must admit, I wasn't feeling optimistic when it smelled funny baking and still looked uncooked when I took it from the oven.  But after some serious doctoring with the condensed milk and caramel and Cool Whip, and the best part: toffee, it all seemed to work out wonderfully.

I must admit, the chocolate is and will always be my favorite - there's just nothing better than a cold fudgey cake oozing caramel and toffee. However, the pumpkin for the fall is a pretty darn delicious alternative; same consistency, just a bit more cinnamon-y.  My guinea pigs weren't too sure about it though, so it seems I have quite a few left-overs - I really don't think I mind...