Woohoo!

I just took my last test for the semester.

Thank goodness.

A celebration is now in order.

Strawberry Shortcake

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  I love dressing up.  Its fun to be someone else for a day. However, I am very particular about authentic costumes.  I don't want to just be a generic character of some sort.  If I'm going to be a witch, I'm going to be Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus or The Wicked Witch of the West.  Don't just be a doctor, be Doctor House, you know?  Also, I think that you should dress as closely to the actual character as possible - meaning I quite disagree with women distorting the classic costume of Alice In Wonderland to be some sort of a whorish outfit.  It appears that dressing up for Halloween has now somehow come to mean dressing like a slut.  I find it fascinating that all these women allow Halloween to degrade themselves - unless they are glad to have an excuse to let their true colors shine...I'm just sayin'....

This Halloween  I decided to borrow my friend's costume from last year.  I tried it on and found that unfortunately the main dress didn't fit.  The hat and the apron would be perfect, but I asked my wonderful mother to make a new main dress for me, which she did.  She also made some super cute bloomers and a fluffy slip to add some whimsy to the costume.  I found some perfect green and white striped tights at the Halloween store and did my hair in pin curls to look as much like the character as possible. 

The result was me as the adorable Strawberry Shortcake.

I decided to celebrate the festivities and dress up not only for the actual event or for parties, but for work (at both jobs). I had many compliments and even won a costume contest.  But what I loved most was when little girls would see me and ask to have their picture taken with me!  "Strawberry Shortcake!" they would exclaim!  "Can I take a picture with you!?" It made my day!  I felt like a Disney princess in Disneyland!  Oh, there is nothing better.  A few years ago I was Snow White, which was also a hit with the little ones. Its so fun to see their little eyes brighten and the smiles break across their faces.  Oh, I'm so glad I decided to be Strawberry Shortcake.

Temptation

I'm tempted.  Should I?

Started

School started this past Thursday.  I'm taking two classes this semester; US History to 1877 and Microeconomics.  Taking only a couple of classes each semester is slowly marking off my lower division classes on my way to my teaching degree, but I'm making progress at least.

Wish me well!

Rosemary Focaccia Rolls - Recipe

So I've had a few requests for the recipe of these delicious rolls.  I got the recipe from www.ourbestbites.com.  You can find the recipe and other DELICIOUS ones here.
Or you can see below.  Though their website has better directions! 

Rosemary Focaccia Rolls

1 c. warm (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit) water
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp rosemary (dried or fresh), divided
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, oregano and garlic powder.

Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough--try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You want a soft, wet dough.
 
Cover and allow to rise 45 min- 1 hour or until double in size.

Lightly flour your work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide into balls for rolls and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining tablespoon of olive oil to brush over tops of rolls, discarding excess if you have any. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and some Kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown. Serve immediately (if you can) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy...I did.

Rosemary Focaccia Rolls

My visiting teacher, Vanessa, brought me a loaf of this fantastic bread once, and both Husband and I keep wishing we had more, so I asked her for the recipe.  And I didn't have it for more than 48 hours until I broke down and made them (more like was bursting at the seams to make it).  And we enjoyed them with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Yum.  It was heavenly!

The Sprained Ankle

Two blogs ago I listed all the races I am wanting to participate in this year.  And even though I never did find a spot for the Utah Valley Half Marathon, and the Park City Half Marathon is full, I am still planning on the rest....hopefully.

Last Saturday I was doing my weekly run, with 5 miles to go and I was trying to figure out my ipod whilst running - and I wasn't paying much attention to where I was running and I stepped off the asphalt where it dropped 3 inches to the gravel and sprained my left ankle something fierce.  I kept walking on it thinking that if I just walked for a few minutes it would be okay.  So when I got to the point where I wasn't necessarily limping I started running again...and continued to run for the remaining miles.  Afterwards my ankle wasn't so bad...until I sat down and didn't walk on it for an hour, and then I really couldn't walk on it.  It wouldn't support any weight whatsoever.  I even had to pull out Husband's hiking stick to support my lack of left leg, at which time he so lovingly began to refer to me as "Gandolf".  Needless to say I ditched the "staff" as soon as I could, the next day. 

I found that once I iced the ankle on and off for 15 minutes, it started to get better immediately.  Though better is not best.  With today marking a week after the bad sprain, I can walk okay, but running is not yet an option.  All week I've been missing being able to run.  I'd get home from work and think, "boy its a great day, I wish I could go running" instead I've made my way through 2 seasons of Gilmore Girls.  Quite pathetic.  I'm hoping this coming week the ability to walk will turn into the ability to run.  Cross your fingers!

My First

Yesterday I decorated, really decorated my first cake.

We learned how to level, fill, frost, smooth and decorate a cake.

For the class I had to bake a 8 in. x 3 in. cake, bring all my supplies, and a batch of decorator's frosting (which when made from the recipe isn't too bad...but if you were to buy the actual Wilton's Frosting from the store, its quite disgusting, so recommend making it yourself or no one will eat your cake once they taste your frosting).

At class we learned to level the cake (cut it in half), then fill it (which I did with Nutella), then we learned the right way to frost a cake without getting crumbs in the frosting and then how to smooth out the cake.

We learned about adding coloring to frosting, how the color affects it, how to make different consistencies of frosting and when to use them.

We then decorated the cakes using a piper gel pattern transfer, I decided to decorated a the cake with a tie because I was making it for Father's Day.

I learned a lot and I must say, my first cake turned out pretty good....for a first.

Races in 2010

My upcoming 2010 Races:

June: Utah Valley Half Marathon (if I can get someone to give me their spot)

July: SpudmanTriathlon

August: Park City Half Marathon

September: Disneyland Half Marathon

Top of Utah Full Marathon

October: None as we didn't get into the St. George Marathon (stupid raffle) - but we are guaranteed for next year!  Woo hoo!

Spring has arrived...well, kinda.  The cold weather is hanging on in Utah, but I am done with allowing it to confine me to a treadmill.

That said, it is time for training to being!  Well, almost.

I was going to run the Ogden Marathon this weekend.  I wasn't as trained as I should have been, but I was ready - except then my ankle decided otherwise. 

When I was a sophomore in high school, during basketball season my left ankle started to hurt so bad, sometimes I couldn't walk on it.  I went to a podiatrist and found that I had what appeared to be a cyst on my ankle.  We first did an MRI on it, which thankfully let us know that it was nothing scary but a "ganglion cyst".  So the podiatrist drained it.  My ankle stopped hurting, I was able to continue my sports.

Two years ago however, while in a play at a local theatre, my ankle started to hurt again. 

I went to another podiatrist (who happens to be my best friend's father).  He determined the same thing, a ganglion cyst.  So he also drained it.  I had to miss a couple of nights of the play for it to heal. 

And now it is back. 

My ankle started hurting about 2 months ago.  I wrapped it with an Ace Bandage and tried to ignore it, but it was too much.  So again, I went back to the doctor.  I want it removed, but if I did it now, I would be "in recovery" for about 2 months, which would completely disrupt my training schedules.  Not cool.

So I decided that it was best to miss out on this weekend's marathon (which I haven't paid for as I was taking another girl's spot), and get the cyst drained yet again. 

So now I have to give my foot time to recover for another week, but then I can start my training.

Bring it on!

Baking

Ever since I was little I have loved baking. I loved every Sunday afternoon when my momma and me would make cookies or other fantastic baked goods.  I loved the smell of her fresh baked breads and the Viennabrood (Danish Pastry) that she would make that would be gone nearly instantaneously.

Today I still try to find time to bake things.  Sunday afternoons are filled with making sugar cookies or other tasty delights, which, I think our neighbors quite love, as we always give them a plate of whatever I've made.

For the last several weeks there has been a re-occuring baking theme in my life - cakes.

• My friend, Christie, and I decided we wanted to take a cake decorating class together.
• My aunt emailed us all to let us know that my cousin, Chef Tess, is coming to teach some classes at Gygi's (one of which is making cake flowers) in June.
• One of the girls I work with just took a cake decorating class at Gygi's - with fondant.
• My brother got married and there was the focus of the beautiful wedding cake.
• My friend, Heidi, is making the groom's cake for her sister's wedding and has brought in sample cupcakes and told me about making marshmellow fondant last night.
• My aunt taught a few of us cousins how to make marshmellow fondant tonight.

See!  Lot's of cake!

Is the Universe trying to tell me something?  Are cakes in my future?

Yes.  Yes they are.

I've always wanted to learn to make and decorate fantastic cakes (though for birthdays I have always preferred birthday brownies as I have always preferred them over cake), and now I think that I will have to actually learn to be fantastic at this art.

I have some of the fondant that we made tonight.  I plan to make a cake for when Husband's family comes in town.  And I will have to try to be fancy.

Mark my words, in the near future, I will take a class.  I will make a fantastically delicious cake.  And I will be a cake lady.  Wait.  Scratch the "cake lady" part.  I'll just be famous for my amazing cakes.

*Grin*

Book Club

Barefoot and I decided that we wanted to have a book club, so we invited friends to join us! I've never been in a book club before, so I was pretty excited!

Our first book was The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase. Its an historical fiction about a girl who is possibly Elizabeth I's daughter .

I had a difficult time getting into the book at first. The author likes to get carried away describing things and at times and I got bored and stopped paying attention to what I was reading.

Also, there weren't specific breaks in the paragraph etc. that would "hint" that she was changing the topic, or that it took place a little later. Sometimes the sentence would end with a period during one event, and begin with a different event with the next sentence. I had to learn to recognize the change in conversation/what was happening so I wouldn't get confused and bored.

I also got confused about some of the characters in the book, but I don't think that was her fault, historically its confusing which monarch ruled when or how, who the succeeded, killed whom, and gave birth to what child.

After re-reading the first few pages several times, I started to get into it and really enjoy it . It was woven with interesting factual tidbits and the fictitious story that had a basis of rumors from back in the day. I had a hard time putting the book down after a little while. And when I finished the book, I was glad to know what had happened, but I was sad that the story was over.

That happens to me a lot with books. Sometimes I start to feel like I get to know the characters so well and then the story ends, and I miss them. Does that happen to you?

We met as a book club this past Saturday and met for tea downtown and talked about the book and just had fun! I loved my first book club meeting!

Our next book, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I hope its good!

Yum!

Husband and I are trying to be really healthy. And even though I have discovered a ton of awesome healthy recipes, some days I just want to eat something sweet, fattening and completely NOT good for me.

Something like these:

HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 Devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix the cake mix with the eggs and oil until smooth
2. Roll dough into round balls about the size of a golf ball
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes
4. Let cookies cool to room temperature
5. Mix all frosting ingredients together
6. Frost backs of cookies and place together to make a cookie sandwich

Oh man....just the directions are making me hungry.

Why don't you make them and enjoy them for me.

One day, you, Homemade Oreo Cookies, and I - will be together again.

Notices

Over a month ago I said I would write about our cruise. I will still do so, however, you will need to go here to read about it as I have started to blog about it there. I will commit to having it posted by the end of the month...I think that is do-able.

However, now for the important part:
If I can draw your attention to the right side of this page, to my blog links. You will notice that there is one titled "Black Iris Photos". I recommend you click on it and behold the great artwork of my brother, Eric, and his super-soon-to-be-wife, Carlee.

They are attempting to break into the photography business and they are looking for more opportunities to build their portfolio. They are currently doing some "pro bono" shoots, so if you have any photo ops that you are in need of, Easter, family pictures, new babies, children, engagements, bridals, etc. Check out their blog and contact them and they will get you taken care of!

Here is a map of where we cruised. Details to come.

Anticipation

Here in a short while Husband and I will be going on a cruise in the Caribbean. This is my first cruise and I am SOOOO excited, I can hardly contain myself. The only other times that stand out in my mind that I have had this much anticipation for an event was when I was coming home from my mission and when I was getting married.

I have purchased a new swimsuit, have pulled out the suitcases and am planning on what I am going to take (though one of my brothers is already PACKED...wish I would've thought of that). I have a count down chain at work and a very obviously marked calendar of the days that I will be gone....obviously, I can't wait.