Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Welcome Back! (to me?)

I realize I've neglected to post for a while! And for that I apologize. But it was just too difficult to work 23+ hours at the Cupcakery, 35+ hours at the Outfitters, cook 3 meals a day (2 of those in the morning...breakfast and a pack lunch), and then actually have time to blog.
I've cut down my hours significantly at the Cupcakery, and I am finally feeling like I can breathe again, though I do miss seeing the Cupcakery ladies everyday.

Some updates about me!

- I've recently purchased some embroidery digitizing software! With this software (and my steadily progressing digitizing skillllz), I will be able to digitize any design/logo for embroidery. I only have a couple of clients right now, but in the next couple of years I hope to become entirely self sufficient in running a small digitizing business.

-Our puppy dog Gershwin is going to be a daddy (again)! He mated with a beautiful Maltese (he's a Yorkie) and their puppies are due just after Christmas! We're going to keep one of the girls, and her name will be Busby (after Busby Berkeley) and she'll be so soft and cuddly! And she will be best friends with Gershwin forever and ever. :)

-Chase has almost finished this semester at UT. He has several finals this week, and several next - then it's time for a break! He has decided to major in history and minor in secondary education. That means he can teach! He'll be such a good teacher.

-Thanksgiving was fun, albeit very busy. We had four get-togethers to attend on Thanksgiving day! It was endlessly tiring. But it was good to see family. I made an espresso cake (delicious and wonderful!), blondies (after my second try, they turned out pretty darn good), and apple cobbler (there are a couple of things I will change about this recipe in the future.)

-I am exercising! 6 days a week - 30 minutes a day. This is HUGE for me. I have n-e-v-e-r made exercise a habit. I'm sure it will make me considerably more healthy (that's my goal too!). I missed a couple of days there around Thanksgiving, but I've got my nose to the grindstone again. Hopefully I can make this a habit in 6 weeks (I'm currently ending Week 2, and beginning Week 3. Wish me luck!)

-I've finally taken the leap and joined the Daring Bakers blogroll! I absolutely cannot wait! I'm not very good at photoblogging, well, at least not very experienced, but I hope to change that.

This past month the Daring Bakers made Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting. Check foodgawker.com and search for "Caramel Cake" and you can spot some of the amazing bakers that take part in the Daring Bakers challenges.

Well, it's bedtime for me now - but you'll hear from me soon!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Omnivore's Hundred from the "Very Good Taste" blog

I found this list via a blog I frequent: http://howtoeatacupcake.net/ (This wonderful blogger is also how I came to find out about the Daring Bakers!)


SHE found it on this blog - which I've never read before...but will probably start reading now that I know about it...
http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ (the entry with the Omnivore's Hundred is here.)


so without further ado...



The Omnivore's Hundred


[(Quoted from "Very Good Taste" blog) "Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers."]

My palette is more adventurous than it used to be...but it's still pretty "Americanized", unfortunately. At least this list will give me some things to work towards (or hide from!)


The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

(Bolded Items are foods I've had, Underlined items are links to Wikipedia!)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
10. Baba ghanoush (My friend Crystal makes the BEST baba ghanoush.)
11. Calamari (My dad introduced me to Calamari when I was very small...)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich (Of course!)
14. Aloo gobi (Indian food is my favorite!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns (I had these while I was in Hong Kong - but I can't say I was very fond of them.)
20. Pistachio ice cream
22. Fresh wild berries
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
28. Oysters
29. Baklava (I made (and ate) my first baklava in 9th grade! What a task!)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo (Boy do I have a good gumbo recipe...if anyone wants it...just let me know!)
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
48. Eel (Eel is verrrrry good)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
54. Paneer (oh. my. gosh. Paneer is my absolute favorite!!!!!!!)
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I just had my first Big Mac this year...guess I'm a little behind the times...)
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
60. Carob chips
63. Kaolin
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake!
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (I had awesome fried plantain at Taste of Havana...but I don't know if they're still around...)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong (Good gosh...this tea tastes exactly like a campfire - smoke and all...)
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
86. Hare
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
100. Snake


wow - at only 29/100 (I think I counted right) - I've still got lots left to taste out there!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Say what?

So, every now and then, Chase says (or does) something that just blows my mind. Thought I'd share the wonder that is Chase Doane.

Chase
: "I put gel in my hair. Do you like it?"
Me: "It looks like you're from the eighties."
Chase: "Exactly."
Me: "What?"
Chase: (shoots me a look reminiscent of the movie Zoolander) "I want to maximize the potential that is Chase Doane's hair."



yeah.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

An Introduction

Well, I've decided that it's time for me to stop taking from the blogging community and to start giving a little!

I don't have much of a purpose in starting this other than to share my experiences and the things I love. (and also to join the Daring Bakers Blogroll!!!) I'm going to post this more for me than for you...but here are some things that I hope to post about in the future!

baking/cooking!
film
my dog (Gershwin! he's really fluffy!)
religion/spirituality
music
mine and Chase's art endeavors (with him drawing and me painting we work better as a pair than we ever would alone)


Now for a real introduction...a little about me!

I'm 24. I've been married to my husband Chase since December 2005 - so we're healthily and happily on our way to 3 years of marriage! And it sure is an adventure!

Right now, I work two jobs -

1.) In the mornings I bake cupcakes for the uber cute Cities Cupcake Boutique. I absolutely adore the staff there! They are unbelievably nice, sincere, and heartfelt people. Get to know them!

2.) The rest of the day I'm the embroidery manager/graphic designer for Educational Outfitters....a school uniform store. While sometimes the experience there is less than exciting, I get to embark on wonderful projects that involve publishing, digitizing, and photography! (thanks Brad & Steph!)

I know- I know...crazy to work two jobs like that right? (at 50+ hours a week, I sometimes feel like I'm crazy too!) But hubby is in school! And for us to be comfortable while he's in school...this is just how it must be. This is his first semester at the University of Tennessee and I couldn't be more proud of him. He made a 4.0 his last two semesters at Pellissippi and I have high hopes for this coming semester.


I guess that's about it for me right now...more to come in later posts of course!