the "catch-all" post

I've been so busy. And I haven't gotten a thing done.

Don't you hate that?

I've created about a million projects for myself--then I get on these kicks where I can't stop working on something that I know isn't going to turn out, but I just can't stop until I've tried everything. Case in point:


Yes. I made a dress. As in, bought fabric, cut it and attempted to combine it with stitches into something I could actually wear.

*insert gasp here*

I've had my mom's old sewing machine ever since I left for college. I've used it here or there to make some really really make shift curtains, but I've wanted to get into making dresses/bags/other things that prove to be useful.

I've had a few patterns lying around, but I really wanted a sewing/scrapbooking corner in the extra bedroom I've turned into my music room. Well, this past Saturday when Adam and I were bumming around, I bought actual materials to make this dress:


And, I convinced Adam to invest in a fold-up table that I could use to set up shop in my new music/sewing/crafting room:


That's where I spent the weekend. Literally. Adam brought me food and soda today so that I could sustain myself. And, to be honest, I was fairly impressed with myself. For not sewing seriously since 4H in elementary school (not an experience I remember fondly...), I did pretty well.

And I could totally wear it if my hips weren't so darn huge. Unfortunately, this pattern happens to be for a dress that I would fall in love with on the rack and would fit funny.

Or, you know, one that would have a super jank stitch job and turn out maybe a little lopsided??

Regardless, I'm pretty proud :)

The rest of the weekend consisted of some time with friends, grocery shopping, and a lot of pizza--which unfortunately for my new "health goals" was the pattern of hubby and my eating habits this weekend.

Thursday night we were so good though! We had a super yummy homemade meal:


I whipped up some Tortellini and salad and we totally vegged out.

Cheese Tortellini with Basil Pesto Sauce (adapted from cooks.com)
1 pkg store-bought basil pesto
1 pkg tortellini
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup white wine

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions.

2. In a sauce-pan, add wine to basil pesto and simmer.

3. Pour yourself some wine. Because you deserve it and it's delicious :)


4. Add cream to pan and let reduce. Toss in the tortellini and serve!

This is one of my favorite new go-to meals :)

I didn't slack on the dessert front this weekend either... By request:


Apple Crisp (adapted from Better Homes and Garden)

approx 5 cups peeled, cored, chopped apples
2-4 tbsp of sugar (I make it up...)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup butter

1. Place apples in dish, mix in sugar.

2. in separate bowl combine all other ingredients, cutting in butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs (I get messy with my fingers!)

3. Pour over apples and bake @ 350 for 30-35 min.

On a completely unrelated note, look how big Gus is getting!!


This cat is going to be huge.

Last thing: This past week in one of my classes, an improv group gave a lecture/recital. They were great, but it reminded me how much I love Time For Three. They were artists in residence for a little bit when I was @ Michigan, and I absolutely am addicted to their music. Check it out, especially if you're into bluegrass!

Whew. That was a long, random one :) Have a great week!!

Book Review: The Naked Mole Rat Letters

I joined In2Books a few weeks (months?) ago and am loving it. The program started with an initial application and a background check (I think the coupon code I have is still valid to wave the fee, if you're interested!) Then, the real fun began.

After I was matched with my student, I wrote an introductory letter telling him/her a little about myself. I tried not to sound too much like an adult, because, let's be honest, when I'm teaching 3 year olds I don't have to put on a facade, let alone a 10-12 year old!

I got my first letter back from my new friend, and I was ecstatic. Not only is he taking violin lessons (right up my ally!) he also loves his Nintendo wii. Jackpot.

I wrote back a few responses to his letter, and he kept writing. We are only required to have 6 letters to each other throughout the school year (1 intro and 1 for each book) and we've already passed the quota. I read on the website that once you sign up, it's very important to keep writing since the kids look forward to it so much. How could anyone not keep writing? This kid was cool. (editor's note: I've always been obsessed with penpals. I used to write a weekly letter to my cousin. who lived 2 hours away.)



But I digress. I received my first book assignment maybe two weeks ago. I couldn't find the book in any book store around town, so I just ran to amazon and ordered it.

I absolutely loved The Naked Mole-Rat Letters. The day it was delivered, I sat down and read it cover to cover. Granted, it's a book that's intended for kids, but it was still so clever.

The story is told as a series of diary entries and emails by a young girl named Frankie. Frankie's father returns home from Washington D.C. where he ran into a zoo keeper from the National Zoo and just happened to fall in love. Frankie finds the emails and starts a banter with the "Rat Lady" who looks after naked mole rats. Frankie initially tries to deter the woman from contacting her father, but throughout the story they become friends... and a whole lot of other stuff happens.

Cute, heart warming, and teaches a lesson.

But have you ever seen a naked mole rat?

not exactly the cutest guy...

Aside from the books that I'm reading through the program, I absolutely love Roald Dahl and Amelia Bedelia Books!

What's your favorite book from childhood??

chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Good Morning!! I can't believe we're already half way through November!! Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and Christmas season will be in full swing!! Holy crap I can't wait!!

(can you tell with all the "!!"?? My HS English teacher would be mortified... he said we only get 3 exclamation points our whole life...)

The other day I mentioned how excited I was to try these. I whipped them up on Monday afternoon to take to class that night. Rave reviews people. Raves.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (from Annie's Eats)

For the Filling:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cake:
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. To make filling, combine the confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 in balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.


3. To make the cake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 min. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.


4. Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 min then transfer to a wire rack to cool.


5. To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

yum.

These cupcakes weren't too rich, but they were really dense. I remember thinking that the batter was pretty thick (more than usual for cake batter) and the peanut butter balls didn't really form balls. But, they definitely were delicious.

The only thing I was unsure about was the frosting--I think I broke the cooling rule and didn't wait long enough to frost because it got super melty!! I refridgerated a couple after the fact so that it would firm up a bit, and that worked better. Also, I used Cool Whip as my whipped topping, and it may have been too light. Whoops!

Regardless, total hit. Enjoy :)

Check out your weekend survival guide via sparkpeople. "Stay Healthy and Still Have Fun!"

What are you most excited for about the upcoming holidays??

healthy fiesta?? eat right bites?? fitness frenzi??

okay, so every title for this post that I can think of sounds totally lame. Allow me to explain.

Lameness continues by the fact that that just rhymed.

I'm really interested in nutrition and fitness. However, I am not the poster child for either one. I think I've mentioned before that I follow a few healthy living blogs. They are some major inspiration, and the reasons I try "healthy" things like POM and almond butter and soy milk, etc. Right now, that's all a little too extreme for me.

After all, I love to bake.

But that doesn't mean that there aren't little things I can do along the way to get into shape/live healthier. And it's all about baby steps.

I've mentioned before that I adore sparkpeople... that is, when I actually remember to use it. All of their free resources are the same things you would pay dollars upon dollars for through another diet program. Plus, it teaches you how to make a lifestyle change. And to be honest, that's what it has to be.

So my new plan is to offer a weekly goal that I am making myself accountable for. And if I share here, maybe it'll force me that much more to stay on track.

This week's goal: Only eat when I'm hungry.

Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. I'm a major emotional eater. I crave, I find, I conquer. But, I have a strategy.

I read somewhere (Self, perhaps?) that you should split up your calories this way:
Breakfast: 400
Snack: 150
Lunch: 400
Snack: 150
Dinner: 500
Total: 1600 calories for the day (*if you're trying to lose weight)

Fill that up with good, healthy choices (i.e. fruits and veggies) and it ends up being a ton of food. Not only that, but things that will keep you full. I've read several places that (1) sometimes your body confuses hunger with thirst--so drink some H2O and (2) if you eat an apple before a meal, you'll consume less calories. Makes sense, right?

I still don't know what to call this post, so until I come up with something more clever it's going to be short and sweet: "Health Goals". Consider this week 1 :)

How do you keep portions in check??

my wallet feels a little lighter...

... and does every week after I go to the grocery store! When I noticed our grocery bills were getting higher and higher (and too much so, especially for just two people) that's when I decided it was time to start meal planning. Much to my dismay--I'm not doing a great job. The menu planning, yes I'm sticking to it, but we're not saving money.

Okay, so it could be that since I shop at SuperTarget (LOVE THEM) a lot of the extra expenses come in with extra things we need around the house. Shampoo, garbage bags, gladware--all that stuff adds up quick. Like too quick. But regardless, too much is being spent on groceries alone.

I blame 1 thing--too much food.

Every recipe makes enough to serve four+ people. The amount of food we're forced to throw out is atrocious, and frankly, embarrassing.

Therefore, I'm going to take a survey every night before dinner time. If there's more than enough for us to eat off of leftovers, it's happening--something we rarely do, mostly because Adam likes to take them for lunch. And then forgets, or KFC calls his name, etc.

Also, if the meal is freezable, we'll do that.

Or, I could just reduce the amount I cook in the first place. Goal #1.

Regardless, here's the menu for this week:

1. Chicken Parm Bundles (experimental--will report back!)
2. Homemade Pizza (trying with a premade crust this time rather than our trusty pillsbury)
3. Ham and Green Bean Casserole
4. Tortellini with Basil Pesto Sauce
5. Crockpot Chili (freezing leftovers!!)
6. Leftovers (see, we're doing it!)
7. Grilled Cheese/Tomato Soup (we are SUCH big fans of this)

We'll see how things go. My strange hope is that one of these bigger meals will be left to next week, since we'll be so good about eating leftovers. It's possible right?

One more interjection about the grocery bill and I'll stop. The depressing thing is that when I add up all the fruits and veggies that I buy each week, it's only around $10. For A LOT. We need to eat more of the good stuff, right?

Speaking of eating the "good" stuff, I bought soy milk to try out. Denied. I just don't think I'll ever be one of those organic/vegan/superfood people. I can't do it. Although I did pick up some almond butter. And it's good. But not as good as peanut butter.

Most random post ever right??

Keep a look out for a post about whipping up these yummy things:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes via Annie's Eats

I got tons of work done this morning and am giving myself a fun afternoon project!! I know my friends will love me at class tonight!!

1 more thing to check out: 12 Tips for a Good Night's Sleep from Everyday Health

Surprise! Exercising is on there! And I can total vouch that you sleep so much better when you're consistently working out. Just one more reason to get my booty back to the gym :)

What do you do to keep your grocery bill low??

holy cuteness

Bakerella, I love you. This is why:

teach me your ways??

found: cheddar biscuit copy cat

Red Lobster is infinitely famous for their cheddar biscuits. And around here, we love them for just that reason. Imagine my total joy and excitement when Food Network Magazine had a recipe that they created based off of those favs! Adam made them once before, and asked for them with dinner tonight again. We didn't have any cheddar cheese, but these babies with mozzarella are still pretty tasty :)

Almost-Famous Cheddar Biscuits (from Food Network Magazine)

For the Biscuits:
Cooking Spray
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces grated yellow cheddar cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
3/4 cup whole milk

For the Garlic Butter:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed (I may have used two...)
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley (we didn't have any)

*note: the recipe calls for a food processor, which we don't have (insert sad face here). I used my kitchen aid mixer, and then realized that I could have over mixed. Luckily, it worked out just fine, but it's something to be aware of!!

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat to 425. Lightly mist baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Pulse flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in food processor. Add shortening and pulse until combined. Add butter, pulse until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the cheese, pulse. Add milk and pulse until just moistened. Turn out on clean surface and gently knead.

3. Drop dough onto baking sheet in 1/4 cup portions, 2 in apart, and bake until golden 15-20 minutes.

4. Melt butter with garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Brush biscuits with butter and serve warm.


uh, my picture is super blurry, but they were yummy!!

After dinner, I got some work done and then gave into my craving for some no bake cookies...

No Bake Cookies (my mom's recipe!)
3/4 stick margarine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

1. Bring margarine, sugar, cocoa and milk to a rolling boil on the stove. Combine peanut butter, vanilla and rolled oats in a separate bowl (or measuring cup to save a dish!)


2. Boil for 1 minute (timing is crucial!! If they don't boil long enough they don't set up, if too long they are ooey gooey--but still delicious :) )


3. Add remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and stir. Drop by tablespoons on waxed paper and allow set up time.

Mmmmm. Yum.

And with that I'm off to relax w/ the hubby! Happy Sunday.