Peace of Cake

cue the sun

2011-06-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to help chaperone a trip to the King Center with a group of students from school. I was really excited because, even though I've lived near Atlanta my whole life, I had never made it to the King Center (and I also particularly love this specific group of students). Many of the students had never been to Atlanta before and they even got to ride MARTA-what kid doesn't love that!? They had a great time and we even managed to get all of them home safe and sound (no small feat I assure you). I thoroughly enjoyed myself as well, although I was beat by the end of the day. Once I got home, I used all the energy I could muster to throw together what most wouldn't even consider a dinner and passed out on the couch before the 6 o'clock news.

I was asked to make thank-you gifts for the volunteers that came along (and was given free reign to make whatever my sugar-filled heart desired). I needed to make something that could travel well and had recently noticed a trend of 'desserts in a jar'- what a perfect occasion! Okay, and I'm a sucker for anything served in a Mason jar.

I layered chocolate cake with a cookies and cream filling topped off with buttercream and chocolate sprinkles (duh). I used this recipe for "the best chocolate cake" and buttercream, and have come to the conclusion that anything titled "the best chocolate cake" is in fact not. I found it a tad dry for my liking. The buttercream on the other hand, DELICIOUS! I used salted butter so the frosting was on the salty side, which I loved paired with the chocolate. For the filling I used a recipe out of the Whimsical Bakehouse cookbook.

I wonder what other desserts I can squeeze into a jar...

from a distance

2011-05-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

{{ehem...}}

Hello. How 'bout that ride in?

...only kidding. But seriously...

I'm going to pretend that I'm not offended that no one has bothered to check on my health or where-abouts since I have been MIA since January.

Now, I know you're dying to know whats been going on for the past four months. Please, there's no need for begging.

First off, I've been spending time with my really important friends.

Pharmacist of the Year and Teacher of the Year

Nothing says 'professional of the year' quite like a stuffed sidekick, oversized glitter button, and burger king crowns. Yeah, they're kind of a big deal.

_____________

Then there's work.

What? Doesn't everyone demonstrate the phases of the moon with oreos at work?

No?

Huh. That's too bad. You should definitely try it. You'll love going to work.

_____________

Next, there was Master T's (T simply doesn't sound official enough for a teacher of the year) dad's birthday. He was surprised with a puppy, so for his cake I tried to envision their future.

Sorry for the poor picture quality. It was the best that could be done before the children in attendance climbed me like a ladder in attempt to get as close to the cake as possible. Once they realized I was responsible for bringing cake we instantly became besties.

_____________

It was about that same time that Master T and I headed west.

Western Caribbean that is. We biked through the jungle, ate too much food, got too much sun, made two new friends, and got felt up by a sting ray. An all around awesome vacay.

_____________

While in Mexico, I picked up a few souvenirs. This one was for me.

Remember when you were little and you got new shoes -they always made you run faster and jump higher right? Yeah, that totally happened with this vanilla.
Everything I've baked since that trip tastes 97 times better.

The other souvenirs I bought also came in bottles, but apparently were better matched with salt and a lime than flour and sugar.

_____________

For Master T's birthday, a group of our friends volunteered at our local Day Of Hope.

We helped bag groceries for families in need in the community. It was a beautiful day spent with wonderful friends!

_____________

Since our birthdays are only a couple weeks apart, Master T and I invited our family and friends to a local park on the river to celebrate. Our families provided us with great food and I brought dessert.

One of T's favorite desserts is red velvet cheesecake. For these cupcakes I used silicon liners to make chocolate shells and filled them with layers of red velvet cake and cheesecake topped with cream cheese icing. They were decadent and delicious.

_____________

I also made a cake for a baby shower even though the mom-to-be was having to "watch her sweets." Please never let that happen to me. ever. please!

It was a white chocolate cake with raspberry whipped cream filling and whipped buttercream frosting.

_____________

Finally, I got my mom some flowers for mothers day.

They were filled with cheesecake. I challenge anyone to find flowers that are better than ones filled with cheesecake. It cannot be done. Unless of course they were filled with brownies. Or ice cream. Or banana pudding.

For the cheesecake I used the New York Style cheesecake recipe from The Joy of Cooking. It cooked beautifully (no cracking!) and got rave reviews. I have made it three times in two months. Mark that one DG and call it a keeper!

_____________

Whew.

I think that about covers it.

Now to that laundry I've been avoiding...

sunday morning

2011-01-15T00:54:00.000-08:00

As a teacher, winter always holds a touch of excitement. When just the right combination of temperature and precipitation join together a magical thing happens: snow flurries-every southern child's dream! The threat of a "wintery mix" is all that is needed for the powers-that-be to cancel school. Children of all ages can be seen high-fiving and 'chest bumping' as they watch their school system's name scroll across the closings banner at the bottom of their television.

This winter we had received more than our usual 'allotment' of snow-twice in one season, and a white Christmas to top it off! Over time, I have learned to appreciate Georgia's short, cold winters, but after two snow sightings, I was ready for spring to be just around the corner.

That's when it happened.

Snowmageddon 2011.

The news had reported that we should expect and prepare for some 'extreme winter weather.'
**sidenote: In GA that translates to 'rush to the nearest grocery store and buy all of the milk, bread, and bottled water you can find in the event that you are trapped in your home for 24 hours.'**
So, like the level headed, responsible adults we are (who may at times march to the beat of a different, more awkward, drummer), we stocked up in the essentials [read: lucky charms and grape juice that may or may not have been aged in an oak barrel].

And then the snow fell...and fell...and fell. And it piled higher...and higher...and higher. When it finally stopped, there were no roads, no yards, no side walks. Just snow; six inches deep. School was canceled Monday. We did our best to enjoy it by lounging around in our pajamas, watching the last college football game of the season, and enjoying our 'essentials.' But the 'fun' didn't end there. School was canceled again on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday. Unbelievable! Everyday we woke up and it felt like Sunday again-like we should be going to work the following day. But 'Monday' never came. At this point I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Wow, how wonderful! A whole week off of work-like a vacation!" NO. NOT like a vacation. The snow was holding us captive. Around hour 60 of being confined to the same 2400 sq. ft., the cabin fever really began to set in.

I thought that I would combat the fever by trying a new recipe. I found a recipe for cinnamon roll cake and, with much enthusiasm from T, decided it would be a wonderful 'snowed-in-day-4 breakfast.' Now, before you start with the judgment...adults eat cake for breakfast all the time. For example: coffee cake, tea cakes, pancakes, etc. etc. Besides, we get to make the rules at our house and rule number one is 'let them eat cake!' The combination of simple ingredients, simple instructions, and plenty of butter made this recipe a winner in my book. The cake is lighter than a typical cinnamon roll and tastes best fresh from the oven. (I omitted the pecans only because I didn't have any on hand, and wanted to avoid the skating rink formerly known as my driveway.)

Our friends who lived in the area had also caught 'the fever,' and by Thursday night, the roads had cleared up just enough for them to make the treacherous journey to our house. (I think they may have also caught wind that there might be some cinnamon roll cake left over, but that is purely speculation)

I'm not a fan of cold weather, and I hate snow; but that night, as I sat in at a table surrounded by wonderful people, I was grateful. I was grateful for six inches of snow and ice, and being captive in my own home, and cabin fever. But, most of all I was grateful that I have friends that make my stomach hurt with laughter, make my eyes tear with joy, and fill my life with moments unforgettable. I'm lucky. But, every now and then, I just need a little 'inclement weather' in my life to remind me.

christmas like a child

2011-01-02T23:54:00.000-08:00

Every year my students decorate gingerbread and sugar cookies for their holiday party. They take this as an opportunity [read: challenge] to load their cookie with as much sugar as possible while maintaining an ounce of artistic creativity.

This year they threw artistic creativity out the window.

Yes. There is a cookie under those sprinkles.

I've also been busy crafting this holiday season. These were some brownie bites I made for a co-worker.

And some ornaments I made for friends.

And the stockings I made for T, Bella, and me.

I was clearly feeling a little less than traditional this year.

Who says Christmas can't be psychedelic?

what's been going on

2010-12-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been busy.

Thankfully, I have 32 precious, silly, eccentric students to make me laugh.

Every year, a local business asks our students to submit holiday drawings. One of the drawings will be chosen as their company's holiday card. This year, students were asked to incorporate "fitness and wellness" in their holiday pictures. I always love getting to see the final product each student turns in, but this year was especially amusing.

This was one of the first pictures turned in. Adorable. Sweet. (look at the carrots left for Santa instead of cookies- too cute!)

I laughed out loud when I saw this one. There are no words...

Before checking out this last picture, I should probably mention that this student is an excellent artist and just moved to the United States a few months ago.

He speaks very little English.

Looking back, I probably should have clarified a few things...

Yeeaaahhhh.

You're welcome.

hey soul sister

2010-10-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.

It's been a while since I've updated you on my ever-so-interesting life.

I'm sorry.

There, I apologized. Moving on...

A few months ago, a discussion with friends took a rather serious turn when the topic of child trafficking was brought up. Before that conversation, I was unaware of what a huge problem this is just 30 minutes from where I live! Atlanta is one of the largest hubs for child trafficking in the U.S., and it is a 32 billion dollar a year industry worldwide.

As most of you know, I have a hard time 'letting things go.' This was one of those things.

I went home and began doing some research.

I came across an organization based out of New York called Stop Child Trafficking Now. They are set up to raise awareness and help stop child trafficking in the U.S.

This year, on October 2, SCTNow held a 'walk day' in communities across the country. Although we weren't able to walk because of prior engagements, we were still able to create a team and raise money.

T and I came up with Cupcakes in the Crosswalk. Each week one of us would bring baked goods in to work in exchange for donations to SCTNow. This was a perfect opportunity to try out some new recipes.

I have read about whoopie pies in blogs for quite a while now but had never even eaten one before. Apparently, they are more common in the north, but I thought I'd give them a try anyways ;)

I found a recipe in Betty Crocker's Fall Baking (the Bakerella issue!) for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. After several test batches and a few minor adjustments, my co-workers (and my fellow tailgaters) were able to welcome fall with this delicious pumpkin creation.

Now, I must give credit where credit is due...

Thank you Pennsylvania Amish women. Your contribution to the baking world is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to my generous co-workers and anonymous donors. Because of your donations, we were able to raise $205! Enough money to support 8 Special Operative Teams! Y'all are awesome! I cannot thank you enough!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (my substitutions in red)
1 pouch/box sugar cookie mix
1 tbsp flour (1 tbsp Pumpkin Spice pudding mix)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
1 egg

filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar (1 3/4 cups powdered sugar)

1. Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, stir together cookie mix and flour. Add remaining cookie ingredients; stir until stiff dough forms.
2. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart. Lightly press tops with floured fingertips to flatten slightly.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely (about 15 minutes).
4. In a medium bowl, beat 1/4 cup butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with electric mixture until blended. Gradually add in powdered sugar on low speed until smooth.
5. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of filling on bottom of one cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down. Gently press together. Store covered in refrigerator.

times they are a changin'

2010-08-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I was born in the wrong decade.

Because of some sort of cosmic glitch, there was a 40 year delay and I was born in the 80's instead the 40's as was meant to be.

Can't you just imagine it? ....{entering la-la land}...

...growing up in the mist of WWII with gas rationing and Rosie the Riveter
...wearing bobby socks and saddle oxfords while watching Disney's Fantasia
...fawning over men like Frank Sinatra and listening to Bing Crosby sing to-be Christmas classics
...watching sports legends like Jackie Robinson and Sugar Ray Robinson
...going to the drive-in to see Humphrey Bogart star in Casablanca *sigh*
...marveling at inventions such as velcro, the microwave, and tupperware

A few other facts about 1940:

average annual income- $1,900
average cost of a home- $6,550
average cost of a car- $800
a gallon of gas- $0.18
minimum wage-$0.30

So, I wasn't lucky enough to experience the 40's first hand (thank goodness for Casablanca on DVD!) but, my mawmaw was.
There are a few things you should know about my mawmaw.
She:

is from a tiny town just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.
has 2 daughters, 1 son, and 2 step-sons.
was my weekend sleepover partner when I was little. We would stay up late watching moves, sing along to Dolly Parton's greatest hits, and eat breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.
makes the best pecan pie. ever.
is a retired Delta flight attendant.
currently resides in small town Florida.
has restored a historic home.
enjoys gardening.
loves sweets.
volunteers her time protecting sea turtles and tracking wolves (no, that is not a typo. She actually tracks wolves).
loves scary, creepy, grotesque movies.
has a sense of humor that would probably make you blush.
is not your average mawmaw.
turned 70 this month.

Minus the gory movies and rather odd sense of humor, my mother is practically the same person. And apparently Mawmaw has pretty strong genes. It's only a matter of time until I too am tracking red wolves through the forests of a wildlife refuge.

3 generations
(like I said....strong genes)

For her birthday, we gathered at my aunt's home to celebrate. Per her request for chocolate ganache, I made a chocolate fudge cake with white chocolate whipped cream filling and poured chocolate ganache over the top. It got rave reviews from the family (and my taste-testers who got to try the 'make-sure-it's-not-a-total-flop' trial run). The cake was deliciously moist and the whipped cream filling was a perfect match for the rich layer of ganache.

Happy Birthday Mawmaw!

*Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe adapted from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes

sweetest goodbye

2010-07-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

This week, T and I were invited over to a friend's house for dinner and I was asked to bring dessert. I always like occasions like these because I get to try out new recipes. I decided to go with Paula Deen's Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake that I found on Bakerella (where I get lots of recipes...I trust her. She knows dessert. And lets be real, so does Paula). The cake is a flourless chocolate cake-something I hadn 't ever tried before, and it was super easy to make.

After baking, the cake has to be cooled in the fridge for a few hours. Since I hate cold cake, I decided to take it out of the fridge a few mins before we ate it so that it would be room temperature. T and I decided to serve it with ice cream, because, well, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

The cake was ok...just so so. When I left that night I had decided that I wouldn't use that recipe again. It wasn't that it was bad, just not really worth the effort. Honestly, I would have preferred a boxed brownie mix (which I appreciate on any and all occasions). I can't lie--I was disappointed.

But, since I'm such a forgiving person (and have little self-control against anything chocolate) I decided to give it a second chance. This time right out of the fridge...straight from the pan...for breakfast. Cause thats just the kinda girl I am.

Now, I'm mature enough to admit there are ~~a few~~ numerous times that giving second chances did not have desired results.
Hindsight is 20/20.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Give me a break. Geez.

This was not one of those times. This was one of those times when you thank your lucky stars that you gave it another try because you're pretty sure that you were just given a glimpse of what Heaven might be like. Cold is the key for this cake. It isn't a cake, but not quite a brownie. It lies somewhere in the delicious chocolaty in between.

I will spare you all the gory details, but once the secret was out (i.e. T was informed of its greatness)...well, lets just say we're not proud of the decisions we made. Thank goodness for things like mercy, grace, and forgiveness...and a strapping young man who kicks our hineys twice a week :)

she will be loved

2010-06-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a whirlwind of activities. From a step show (life changing, btw), to an engagement party, to a baby shower, and finally fathers' day, it seemed that the only down time I had was the time to took to drive from location to location. It's a good thing that I have all week off to recover from the weekends ;)

The baby shower was for a friend's niece and she had asked if I would do some baking for the occasion. She had a cute idea to make the cake a onesie and also requested cake balls (side note: i'm working on a new name for those things. Something that sounds a little more...appetizing--let me know if you have any suggestions kthanks!). The cake was a white chocolate cake with a strawberry filling and strawberry frosting. The cake balls were strawberry cake, and just to go with the pink and brown color scheme, I made devils food cupcakes with strawberry frosting. The shower was beautiful and the mommy-to-be recieved lots of goodies for her little bundle of joy!

dixieland delight

2010-06-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

because....

it is summer

I live in the south

it was 92 degrees outside

I hadn't used my ice cream maker yet this year

I had some very ripe bananas

Joy the Baker planted this fabulous idea in my head

...and mostly because being a good southern girl means I never need an excuse to make a dessert (yes, that is a fact-you can check the handbook), I did just that.

It is with great pleasure I introduce to you:

Banana Pudding Frozen Yogurt

(I'll give you a moment to regain your composure...)

Joy actually made Banana Pudding Ice Cream, which lets be honest, is probably much more tasty.
But since I already had some yogurt on hand (and for the sake of not having to pay for it this week when I meet with my ~~tyrannical~~ zealous trainer), I went with frozen yogurt.

It was fan-freakin-tastic! With chunks of banana and nilla wafers mixed in the batter, it was everything a girl could hope for.
(not to mention super easy--yogurt, banana instant pudding mix, a banana, crushed nilla wafers) Yum!

life is a highway

2010-06-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm old.

Memorial Day weekend my little brother graduated from high school. It was a wonderful, long weekend spent with family- my parents' home was nearly busting at the seams with guests. I hope that John knows how proud we all are of him!

It was a night that he won't soon forget. Storm clouds threatened rain all day, and after checking the weather roughly 482 times, we all loaded up and headed to the football field. After an hour rain delay, the sky cleared and the ceremony began. The stadium was brimming with spectators as the graduates filed onto the field. The speakers gave their rousing accounts of past-present-future living, and then it was time. Time to call the name of approximately 400 students. Apparently, as we were listening to the speeches (feeling as if we had really dodged a bullet), the clouds had snuck up on us. At the call of the first student's name it started raining-buckets! Like a choreographed dance, umbrellas were raised and people huddled under whatever makeshift cover they could find. We were the lucky ones though. The graduates just had to sit there. In their full-length polyester robes, and their cardboard caps, with their chairs sinking into the soggy ground, for the other 399 names to be called.

Oh well, it makes for a good story I guess. Years from now it will be one of those days he will be able to laugh about when he runs into fellow classmates as they reminisce about "the good ol' days."

Because my brother is of the rare breed who don't like cake (...or brownies, or cookies-yeah i know, weird. I don't get it either, but those people actually exist!), I ventured from traditional cake. With the help of my 9 year old cousin, Sam, I made dirt cake. He was really a team player and took on the challenge of making sure that it was safe for everyone else to eat {read: licked the bowl} ;). The cake was fun to make and everyone seemed to enjoy it--even John ate it (talk about a feat)!

Senior Day 2010

times like these

2010-05-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Before reading this post, you must know two things:
1. Today is Friday.
2. There are 5, count 'em 5, days of school left before summer vacation (and until my sweet, precious, loving fourth graders become too-big-for-their-britches fifth graders)

In addition, today we had a special program led by man who goes by the name of 'Scientist C.' He brought in lots of hands-on activities for my friends to "explore space" with.
For those of you who haven't been in elementary school in a while here is a little math equation for ya...

                                                      Friday
             summer so close you can taste it
+ a change your routine for even 5 minutes
                                     one tired teacher!

Needless to say, my students were (almost literally at one point) bouncing off the walls today.

Feeling a bit defeated after school, I mustered up all the strength I could to drag myself down the hall to the parking lot and into my car so that I could pick up a nutrient-rich, low-calorie, health conscious (**read-something flavorful and fried**) dinner on the way home.
During my drive I had one of those 'why didn't I choose a desk job?' conversations with myself and tried to calculate if I have enough 'sick/personal' days left to start summer vacation a week early.

Once home, I sat down to watch the local news (which never happens-but I was too tired to care, or change the channel), and began to feel even worse.

"local college student being deported for being an illegal immigrant...

crazy, ex-employee demanding job back wielding a machete...

corruption in the police department..."

and just when I was about to change the channel to something a little more, well, upbeat, a story came on about high school students.

Today, hundreds of high school students across metro Atlanta held (mostly) peaceful protests because of the teacher RIF.

In social studies, my 10 year-old friends and I have been learning about reform. We were just discussing how people/leaders from our past have helped to encourage people of today to 'fight' for what they believe in.

It was inspirational to see students standing up for their teachers--on a Friday afternoon no less!
Student after student was interviewed about why they were there. Everyone of them talked about how much their teachers had influenced them and made learning fun.

Amazing.

Sometimes I'm reminded why I don't have 'one of those desk jobs.'

peaceful easy feeling

2010-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

I recently got to make dessert for a little girl's birthday party. The party had a spa theme, so the party planner...ok, her mom...asked me to make fingernail polish brownies. I was a bit nervous, but up for the challenge. I love fun projects like this-they make baking so much more fun!

changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

2010-04-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

Each year, just about the time everything in the southeastern United States is covered in a yellow-green haze, teenagers around the country throw their arms in the air and joyfully scream "SPRING BREAK '_(insert year here)_".

Ok, and maybe a few over-zealous twenty-somethings who brilliantly chose the best career ever do too.

And yes, I know what you're thinking.

Those of you who have been stuck in an office for the past week are cursing my name for reminding you that I have spent the last week basking in the sun on a radiantly white sand beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore, while sipping a deliciously refreshing frozen concoction that has relaxing powers enough to make you forget your own first name...(so, I may exaggerate...a little...)

To you I only have one thing to say. Life is all about choices. Sorry yours aren't as well thought out as mine.

Now that we have that out of the way...

This year I got to share a part of my childhood with two of my favorite people: T, and our other gifted-decision-making, teacher friend, Shanna. With their over-stuffed luggage in tow, the three of us made the 7 hour drive south to Apalachacola. Years ago, my grandparents bought and restored a historic home in the small town. Being a historic home, the walls preserve memories of the distant and not-so-distant past, from military housing to wedding receptions. My family has made this piece of "forgotten coast" our vacation home every summer for as long as I can remember. Once both of my grandparents retired, they packed up their home in Atlanta and made Apalach their permanent residence.

In a town of just under 2,500 people (and limited cell phone reception), time seems to move a little slower. In fact, after a few days in the "small drinking town with a big fishing problem," you realize you have no idea what time it is, little recollection of what day it is, and quite frankly, you like it better that way.

I throughly enjoyed showing the girls around town and getting some much needed days of relaxation. I'm also glad that I was able to spend time with my grandparents, who did everything they could to help us feel at home. We spent a day at the beach, explored some interesting shops in town, ate fantastic seafood, took the boat up the river (after a few failed attempts and with the help of a determined Pawpaw), and even attend an exclusive 'Deacon's meeting.' I only hope that T and S enjoyed themselves as much as I did--and their little glimpse into the small town life of an oysterman.

The preacher man himself

this man

2010-04-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

For Easter, a co-worker asked me to make some cake pops for her and her family. She always gives me fun projects to try-I baked for her son's bar mitzvah too. This time she requested cheesecake and brownie pops (my personal favorite). After a quick search of Bakerella's site for ideas, I decided to make chicks and Easter eggs. Here's the final product.

je t'aime

2010-04-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Yes my friends, wedding season is upon us! And, with all of those weddings, you're going to have lots of showers. And with all of those showers, you're going to ~~need~~ eat lots of cake! [think If You Give a Mouse a Cookie] That's usually where I come in. I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to anything wedding/shower related, but sugary goodness-that's right up my alley!

This time the shower was for my best friend/college roommate. Her wedding is in June, so this was the first of her long line of showers. For her cake I decided to try Pioneer Woman's chocolate cake recipe. I think it was our mutual love of chocolate and belief in its magical healing powers that tied us as roommates for four years (and could possibly be responsible for a few extra pounds...jury's still out on that one though). Thanks to the help of our very own resident design major, the shower was beautiful! It was a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends, and with 18 years of memories, there were lots of stories to share!

bad moon rising

2010-03-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

The signs were all so clear.

I should have seen it coming.

Last night, on our ride home, T and I marveled at the moon. It was big, bright, and....terrifying!
Ok, so at the time it wasn't terrifying. It was actually quite beautiful. One of those 'beautifuls' that assures you of God's presence and reminds you that you are but a speck in the vast universe.

...or maybe that was just the Bible study talking....

Either way, it was only foreshadowing what was to come. Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that until it was too late. It's like in those horror movies when the young, beautiful, unsuspecting girl is about to open the door and you keep yelling at her not to, but she doesn't realize that opening a door that leads to a dark basement, in an empty house, with creaky floors, in the middle of the woods, during a thunderstorm was probably a bad idea until its all over and done with.

Yeah.
Today was just like that.

It had all the makings of a good horror story: 31 32 students, 6 instructional days until CRCT, the week before spring break, a fire drill, and a full moon. I'll save you all the gory details, and quite honestly, it could have been worse--there were no casualties (although it was touch and go there for a second). But, today I needed the patience of Job and all I could seem to muster up more resembled Ursula from The Little Mermaid (I'll give you a second to visualize that.....got it? Good.) Oh well, in the words of Scarlett, tomorrow is another day. Thankfully there are only 64 hours standing between myself and a week of work-free, sunny (fingers crossed) bliss. Just enough time to recharge my patience for the last 6 weeks ;)

stir it up

2010-03-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

For the past several months Tiffany and I have stayed after school twice a week to work with small groups of students who need a little extra help with reading and math. Today was the final session, so we decided to combine our groups and celebrate. Tiffany made her famous brownies and I decided to take this opportunity to try something I probably wouldn't get the chance to make again for a while. I ran across this cake a while ago on a blog and have wanted to try it ever since, but there are few occasions that a tie-dyed cake is needed. The cake is just a mix and is divided up and dyed. Then layer the colors, bake, and voilà-you have wonderfully rainbow colored creation!

Now...what will we do with all of those free afternoons?

have i told you lately

2010-03-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick game of catch up...

In December the girls and I took a trip to Chattanooga, TN for Ashleigh's bachelorette weekend. This is her cake...and more importantly, the newest addition to our group, Omar.

For our class holiday party my students decorated gingerbread cookies. Everyone brought in something to decorate with and they had a great time designing their cookie creations. They also went home with sugar comas ;)

This is a cake that I made for a co-worker's baby shower. The cake had to be gender neutral because the mommy-to-be isn't a control freak like myself and thinks that a surprise sounds like fun.

something for cat

2010-01-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

This past summer, while browsing through Blue Frog Imports on my way home from a morning run (oh, how I miss summer and morning runs), I fell in love. There, stacked on top of cinder blocks among a multitude of lawn ornaments, sat a cast iron tub with the front side cut off. It was old, rusty, and avacado green. It was perfect. At the time I couldn't justify such a nonsensical purchase-I mean a sofa tub, really? Months passed and with nothing on my Christmas list (yes, my parents still insist on me having a Christmas list-some things never change), the tub became mine. Here are some before and after pictures of my Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired new furniture!

Before...

and after...

nothing short of thankful

2009-11-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Of all the reasons throughout the year that we have to celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love everything about it. There is no concern of cards or gifts or wrapping paper, or midnight visits from mystical creatures, only of family, friends, and of course good food. This year I was able to spend it with family that I don't get to see quite as often as I would like-yet another thing to be thankful for. The food, as well as the company, was wonderful. Taking time to relax and enjoy family, food, and football was the doctor ordered after a few rather stressful weeks at work.
This year I made pumpkin cakes for dessert. I saw them on the cover of the Southern Living and thought they were too cute! I didn't use the recipe in the magazine, but instead somewhat made up my own (although, the recipes in the magazine look oh so appealing. I will probably have to try them in the near future!) I made these twice; once for friends and once for family. The first time I didn't follow the mags suggestion of using caramel for the stem and leaves and used frosting instead...they turned out looking more like Christmas wreaths. The second time I decided to take SL's advice-apparently they know what they are talking about ;)

celebrate

2009-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend I baked for a co-worker. It was her son's Bar Mitzvah and she and her husband threw a huge reception after the ceremony. The reception had an NFL theme and the guest of honor is a Green Bay Packer's fan so I made him a cake of the Packer's field and cake pops in the shape of 'cheeseheads'. From what I hear, the reception was a blast and the kids there loved the pops!

baby's on the way

2009-11-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

About a month ago T asked me to bake a cake for a baby shower she and some friends were throwing for a co-worker. The shower had a Dr. Seuss theme so I was super excited (not to mention nervous) about making the cake. After scouring Google images for ideas from other bakers' creations, I came up with my own sketch of something I thought I would be capable of producing. That idea changed a bit after I found these cute Dr. Seuss alphabet flash cards while shopping one day. T and I were a bit worried that there wouldn't be enough cake to go around (...we were wrong by the way) so she whipped up some delicious cake pops to accompany the cake. The shower was amazingly successful and the guest of honor loved her desserts. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of her special day...now we just have to wait on baby :)

great balls of [brownie]

2009-11-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

A friend from work recently asked me to make a dessert for her. She was having some friends over for a game night and just wouldn't have enough time to prepare something. As always, I was excited to make something new, and being the laid back person she is, she let me decide what to make. I had a few other baking projects going on the same weekend so I needed something that would be easy, but still fun for her guests. I decided to make cake pops and brownie pops. I used red velvet cake for the cake balls and covered them in milk chocolate and used white chocolate to cover the brownies. They were amazingly easy and fun to make. I hope that she and her guests enjoy eating them as much as I enjoyed making them! As a 'thank you' for the dessert she went above and beyond reason and bought me a beautiful covered glass cake plate has several other uses. The gift was worth far more than the desserts, but I am thankful to have such thoughtful friends and can't wait to see it put to good use!

thunder rolls

2009-11-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

For over a month now my students have been begging me to make Thunder Cake. (for those of you who aren't up on your children's literature, it is a recipe that Patricia Polacco includes in a story about her childhood titled after the dessert) I read the book aloud to my students to show how sensory images are used in writing. With such a high demand for the treat, of course I decided to make it...but it didn't come without a price. If I was going to make it, I was going to make it work for me of course ;) We have a classroom economy where students earn tickets (money) for completing their homework and classroom jobs. And if you give a child a ticket, they are going to need to spend it. So, once a month we have a class store. I try to keep the store limited to things that cost me little to no money (pencils, erasers, hw passes, computer time, etc), but there is always a food treat as well. This month my treat was Thunder Cake. I was a bit concerned about how these cakes would turn out since the "secret ingredient" is pureed tomatos. The cakes weren't as sweet as I would like, but slap a little frosting on them and they were just fine. 'Traditionally' Thunder Cake is served with buttercream icing and garnished with a strawberry, but I just couldn't resist using chocolate icing and sprinkles--lets just say I know my customers (what 10 year old doesn't love sprinkles?) Although it isn't my new favorite recipe, the kids didn't seem to notice. And thats all that mattered :)

a pirate looks at forty (seven)

2009-11-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make a pirate ship cake for a while now and with my father being the parrot-head that he is I thought there would be no better occasion than his birthday. I played off of Buffet's song "A Pirate looks at Forty" as my theme and came up with a pretty fun cake. It was a cake of firsts for me--this was my first shaped and chocolate cake that I've made. It was a lot of fun to make and didn't take nearly the time I thought it would. To personalize it a bit I added Dad's favorite candies: Runts and Twizzlers for treasure and rope. I was quite happy with the end result and think that Dad will be pretty surprised :)

every dawg

2009-11-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Halloween always falls near another special day for my UGA family: the GA/FL game. Because of the holidays (yes, GA/FL is a holiday), and the fact that the whole family was going to be in attendance, we decided to make it a Festivus occasion as well. Our Festivus does not resemble the ever famous Sinfeld holiday. Ours is a day where age rules are thrown out the window and we are able to let out our inner child--anything goes, everyone brings their 'A game', and it is a guarenteed good time :) For this celebration I decided to try cupcake bites from Bakerella's blog. Once I got the hang of it they were super easy and too cute! I went with GA colors, but I can't wait to use other color variations. Molly had a beautiful (not to mention delicious) spread waiting for our arrival, and the costumes were quite creative. Although the game was quite a disappointment, it wasn't able to put a damper our Festivus fun. In the words of Corey Smith "every dawg has his day." Happy Festivus everyone!

The Hanson's Beautiful Home

Ms. Cathy and college Molly

Monopoly pieces

Knowshon and "The Ginger Ninja"

Taylor Swift and Kanye West

The Ninja Turtles, a lobster, and Captain Jack Sparrow

welcome to the future

2009-10-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much of a reason to bake recently...and lets face it, I just don't have the self control not to eat every last cupcake in the house if there isn't anyone else to do it ;) But, all of that is about to change. Luckily for me, I have lots of people who trust me to make their desserts so I will be busy until roughly January. This past weekend was the beginning of my baking marathon. T's good friend, and a co-worker of mine is getting hitched. Taste-tester decided to throw her a shower and asked if I'd make a cake. Knowing better than to turn down a taste-tester's request, I of course accepted. The shower was fall themed. I decided to try a design inspired by a cake I had seen on My Sweet & Saucy (check her out- her stuff is amazing!). Here's the final product:

laughed until we cried

2009-09-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love fall Saturdays? Once or twice? Ok, well just in case you missed it, I love college football Saturdays, and this weekend was no different. Because Saturday was my little brother's 18th birthday, and one of our friends had recently moved back to our hometown, we packed our things and headed south.

I decided to combine JT's birthday 'cake' with our tailgate dessert (in order to not have ungodly amounts of desserts to consume). A while back I had seen bakerella make the cutest cupcake 'sliders' with sugar cookie fries. This seemed like the perfect time to try those out. These were surprisingly easy to make--mainly because I used box mixes for everything--cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and icing. The 'sliders' and fries looked great, and my taste-testers all agreed that they tasted even better!

We made plans for everyone to meet at my parents' house to watch the game, then we would 'hit the (small) town.' I don't think anyone could have expected how much fun we would actually have. I literally laughed until I cried (during commercial breaks of course) at moments, and loved yet another Saturday watching my favorite team with my favorite people. After the unbelievably long game-for the second week in a row-we went to the 'local hangout.' The night continued to be one to remember when we ran into people we hadn't seen since high school. "Ah, memories."

feels like home

2009-09-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last week was the first home game of the season for Georgia and it felt great to be back in Athens again. Thanks to our football fanatic, we had a great tailgating spot, and his trusty companion made sure that we were well fed while we were there. We stuffed ourselves with veggie burgers, pulled pork, mac'n cheese, dips galore and cupcake kabobs. A 7 o'clock kick off also gave at least nine hours of pre-gaming for most people on campus and ensured that there was plenty of entertainment for onlookers ;) Saturday was a perfect time to catch up with old friends that I haven't seen in awhile- if one thing can bring us all together its Georgia football! We had a great time and I can't wait 'til next week!

party in the usa

2009-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite activities of the school year combines teaching and baking: cookie geography. My students have been studying the regions of North America so as a little assessment we create U.S. regional maps using cookies and candy. (yes, I know right now you are reminiscing about how easy life was at age 9- may I interject here that I have the best job ever!) The students are divided into groups and each group has a set of supplies and directions that they use to create their maps. I was really impressed at how well they worked in teams this year and the maps turned out great. The kids love creating their maps but after intense observation, I can state with full confidence that their favorite part is devouring the final product!

i want to hold your hand

2009-09-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Although I've fallen quite behind on posting--and baking :(--I hope that the beginning-of-the-school-year-madness will come to an end soon and I will be back in the kitchen! My mother's birthday was at the end of August and that provided me with a no-excuses reason to bake. This one was really 'out-there' as far as flavors go, but turned out to be pretty good. I made an orange cake with a coconut filling and a lime buttercream frosting. The frosting was AMAZING (if I do say so my self). It actually paired quite well with the orange cake, but next time I would skip coconut filling. I would love to try the frosting again on another type of cake--maybe something margarita inspired? (yum!) This was also one of my first attempts decorating with fondant. I made my own marshmallow fondant (because I can't stand the taste of the other) and it turned out to be easier to work with than I had anticipated. The shapes were pretty basic, but I'm taking babysteps. Mom loved her cake-although she did request something smaller and chocolaty for next time ;).

Now its college football season- let the tailgate baking begin!

three little birds

2009-08-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

"...and when your stomach is empty and your mind is full its hard to sleep. But eventually, sleep and Wilbur found each other."

It's nearing 11 o'clock on a school night, two and a half weeks into the year. I've been lying in bed for the past 45 minutes hoping that, by some miracle, I would fall asleep. Instead I lay here reviewing the day in my head, my mind unable to focus on anything else but my students- present and past.

Today I had my students create timelines of their lives. We are going to use them as starters for writing autobiographies. The kids were really excited. I was a bit worried that they wouldn't know what to include (expecting to hear a thousand "I don't have anything to put"s) so I gave a few of my own examples- the birth of my brother, graduating high school, going to college, a family vacation- just to get their ideas flowing. They didn't need my help. My little worker bees got right to it; recording every wonderful (and less-than-wonderful) event they could remember from births to 'fiestas' and everything in between. I was impressed by how well they were doing. I myself had had a difficult time coming up with momentous occasions to include on my own timeline. After taking a closer look at each student's work, I realized they had an advantage over me--they have experienced far more life in their nine years than I have in 23.

Scattered among the cheery memories of birthday celebrations and first pets were those of sibling death and family upheaval. It isn't that I forget that my students are different than most students living in the surrounding areas. Many are from single parents homes, and almost all are economically disadvantaged, but my knowledge on those topics is often from paperwork, not observation. On the surface, they don't 'go without.' For the most part they are all fed, clothed, and clean; but, underneath the Hannah Montana and WWE t-shirts are hearts that are marred with hurt. Now don't get me wrong, our school is filled with smiling, happy children who love life and thirst for knowlege, but I will never know what it is like to live in their shoes. I have never experienced the pain of leaving all I've ever known (family, friends, my native language and country) for a so-called 'better life.' Nor do I know the grief of loosing my older brother to gun shot. I don't know what it is like to "apartment jump" or be bounced around to which ever family member is the most stable at the time. I especially don't know what it is like to brush my sholders off and move on afterwards.

I am amazed at the things my students have experenced at such a young age, but even more, I am amazed at the twenty-six fantastic little people who show up in my classroom Monday-Friday with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts, ready to take on the day. They look adversity in the face, give it the proverbial finger, and keep going. I don't know how they do it, but I hope that one day they realize what outstanding people they are-even at age nine.

can't help falling in love

2009-08-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

I love any occasion that gives me the opportunity to bake. I especially love it when there is an engagement involved! On July 24 family and friends of Kristen and Micah headed to Toccoa for a surprise engagement party (graciously organized by Tiff). It was perfect and, although I don't know how, everyone managed to keep it a secret. The happy couple were glowing when they arrived. We had a delicious spread of food including hamburgers-two black bean burgers ;)-, potato salad, veggies, and of course, my favorite, cupcakes! I decided to make white chocolate cupcakes (a new recipe since I wasn't thrilled with the last one I'd used) with a peach whipped cream icing. The critics gave them two thumbs up. The cupcakes were quite sweet, but the whipped cream icing was a nice match (instead of a more sugary choice). Now I can't wait for the taste testings and wedding! (Did I mention that Kristen asked me to make her wedding cake!?!)

livin' la vida loca

2009-07-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to a friends house for dinner. It had been a while since I had seen these ladies and I was super excited to see them all! On the menu was margaritas and quesadillas so when I was asked to bring a dessert I thought this would be a perfect time to try out my recipe for tres leches cupcakes! Tres Leches is one of my favorite desserts, so I had high expectations for this recipe. I was a bit disappointed by the cake--a little too grainy and cornbread like for my taste--but overall I liked the recipe. The combination of evaporated milk, sweetened condenced milk, and half and half was a delicious glaze, and homemade whipped cream topped this cake off perfectly!

don't stop believin'

2009-07-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

I once vowed to never cover a cake in fondant. I love almost anything that has sugar as a main ingredient, but store-bought fondant never made the cut as far as I was concerned. I was intrigued however when I heard about marshmallow fondant. I didn't have a cake to bake, but I couldn't resist the urge to try this new recipe. The recipe was simple and only called for marshmallows, water, confectioners sugar and shortening (the latter of which was needed to grease your hands and work surface). It was easy and, due to its messiness, very fun to make! Melt the marshmallows, add the sugar, kneed into a dough and voila! It was also surprisingly good-for fondant of course. I am still not a complete fondant convert, but for that 'clean and smooth' look it is definitely the best contender that I have tasted.

everyday america

2009-07-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

July fourth has been one of my favorite holidays for as long as I can remember. It's a holiday strictly for enjoying life. There are no presents, no 'big expectations', no week long preparation; it is simply a time for friends, family, food and-the most important part ;)-fireworks! This year we had several friends over to celebrate with a day of relaxing (three of whom started the day with a 10k run-we were so proud!) With the help of our guests we had a smorgasbord of delicious food and wonderful company to share it with. A little time at the pool and a fabulous fireworks show (2 actually-lucky me!) made the day complete. This year we decided to do something a little different though. Since this is a holiday to celebrate our freedom, we decided to send a token of our appreciation to our men overseas. Let me take this time to tell you that I am friends with some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. They completely floored me with the care they took to pick out items to donate to our soldiers and how much they gave! I am proud and thankful to have such amazing people as a part of my life. With their generosity, we were able to make small care packages for 18 soldiers!! These men and their families have sacrificed much of their own lives for us to continue with life as 'normal.' Hopefully these little bags will help to bring a smile to their faces and let them know that we appreciate all that they are doing. The holiday also gave me an opportunity to try out a few new recipes-something I'm always excited about! As I searched for recipes I happened upon a recipe for s'more bars-perfect! It doesn't get much more American than that (graham cracker+chocolate+marshmallow=yes please)! The recipe was easy to make (if you haven't noticed yet, that's a major factor in my cooking) and got rave reviews from guests! They tasted great, were less messy to eat than the original (although some may find that more of a con than pro), and saved well. They were the perfect treat for our all-American celebration.For an additional dessert I tried out a white chocolate cupcake and made a raspberry whipped cream frosting to go with it. The cake recipe was very good but quite sweet and the white chocolate flavor didn't come through as much as I had hoped. When I use this recipe in the future I think that I will omit the chocolate and use it as a white almond cake mix.

...That's how it goes in everyday America,
a little town and a great big life...

sweet southern comfort

2009-07-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

I was having some friends over and wanted to try out a new recipe. As most of my friends know, I'm a sucker for strawberry cake so when I found this recipe on ilovecuppycakes blog I had to try it. Instead of a strawberry flavored cake, this is a butter cake with real strawberries mixed into the batter. The result is delicious! I was a bit concerned about what it would be like to bite into a chunk of strawberry, but it was actually quite good! They weren't as sweet as most cupcakes, but almost like a mixture between a muffin and a cake. My trusty taste-tester gave it a 'DG'-translation- I will be using this recipe again ;)

another try

2009-06-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Since my last attempt at cookies had failed, I had to try again. This time I used a recipe that I had clipped from a magazine (can't remember which one) a while back for Lemon Sugar Cookies. I stuck to the recipe this time, but since I had little need for 7 dozen cookies I did half the recipe. It was a simple recipe to follow without too many ingredients. The dough was intended to be a 'cut out' dough, so I did have to refrigerate it for an hour before I could roll it out and bake them. However, even after it was chilled, the dough was no match for the Georgia heat. It was near impossible to roll out, so instead I rolled the dough into balls and used the bottom of a glass to press them flat. I also found that the cook time was a bit long. The cookies hardened once they cooled and were a bit too crunchy for my (and more specifically my taste tester's) liking, so I shortened the time. I made a glaze out of confectioners sugar, milk, and a bit of lemon juice to decorate the cookies--in the words of my oh-so-wise roommate "everything taste better with frosting and sprinkles ;) Although the lemon flavor was a bit muted for my liking, overall I'll count them a success.

almost doesn't count

2009-06-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls on a blog the other day. I had (almost) all of the ingredients already and the recipe was quite simple so I decided to make them myself. I did want to tweak the recipe a bit though. I substituted Splenda for sugar and only added half of the butter it called for (I just couldn't put in a whole stick-as a baker i'm going to have to get over that ;) To add moisture (from the lack of butter) I put in a few teaspoons of applesauce. The recipe also called for peanut butter and I only had natural peanut butter (a little different consistency and not quite as sweet as regular). The recipe was very simple to make and took little prep time. The longest part was letting the cookies cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. With my substitutions they only had about 40 calories each, but I wasn't impressed with finished product. They weren't bad, but they didn't have much flavor (probably because they were lacking the good stuff-fat!). Below I'm posting the original recipe incase anyone would like to try the 'real thing.' Oh well, can't win 'em all ;)

No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls
adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cocoa. With clean hands, mix in the water, vanilla, butter and peanut butter to form a dough.

Wash hands, then roll the dough into balls 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll balls in confectioners' sugar until thickly coated.

Chill 20 minutes before serving.

how sweet it is

2009-06-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

I have recently developed a new hobby-baking. I have always enjoyed cooking shows and the newly popular cake-decorating shows really sparked my interest. My DVR is overloaded now with shows like Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss, and Amazing Wedding Cakes. I love being in the kitchen and have began trying my hand at baking as well. It is not as easy as they make it look on TV (nothing ever is I guess). And there has been more than one occasion that I sounded like a sailor had taken over the kitchen ;) but the end result is always worth it. Here are a few of my creations thus far.

Bachelorette

Birthday

Baby Shower

Also, this week we were off to see the beautiful new baby Lily and her proud parents. Tiff whipped up some of her homemade mac'n cheese and I tried out a recipe for lemon bars I got from Bakerella's blog. They were very easy to make and tasted great. Next time I might use some of the crust mixture to sprinkle over the top. Here is the recipe if you'd like to try them yourself!

Lemon Bars
Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
• Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
• Press mixture into bottom of pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:
• While crust is baking, prepare topping.
• In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
• Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
• Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate.
• Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

meet virginia

2009-06-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

For the past several years I have been dying to take a trip to D.C. So, when Molly said she was going and could use a driving buddy, I jumped at the chance! Catching up on gossip and books-on-tape helped the 10 hour drive north seem much more bearable. Saturday morning was spent touring the Capitol and then headed to Baltimore for the Braves v. Orioles game at Camden Yards. Sunday we visited Arlington and got to see the Changing of the Guards. Then we went to Georgetown for lunch at Sweet Green, a green restaurant that was fabulous! The next stop on our tour was a few of the Smithsonian museums and then off to the White House!! After dinner we took a night tour of the monuments which was amazing! In the short time we were there I was able to see so much of the city, and many of the metro areas. I would love to move there one day--or at least go back for another visit --and I can't wait to tell my students about my adventure!

that's amore'

2009-06-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

When all of your friends are in the working world it is often difficult to find time to get together. Luckily, there have been several 'must attend' events that we were all able to make it to-the most recent of which was the Hanson wedding. I hope that Molly and Bryan enjoyed themselves as much as the rest of us did!! The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was perfect! Now we are anxiously waiting for the next wedding we all get to attend-although that may be awhile since I caught the bouquet! Hopefully the next one can live up to the standard that has been set ;)

maybe next year

2009-06-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

My freshman year in the real world was a bit of a whirl-wind. Between juggling friends, family, and a new career, little time was left for my own sanity. I didn't realize that my rather normal-even at times mundane-life could be so hectic. Instead of being concentrated in one town, my friends were now spread out across much of the north-metro area, family was in the opposite direction, fall Saturdays booked up quickly, and I won't even begin to talk about the time spent on work outside the hours of 7-3. Needless to say there was very little time left for me-and more importantly, for enjoying life. I spread myself pretty thin and constantly felt like I was just 'getting by.' I'm adding quality vs. quantity to my 'life's lessons' list. One of the many great perks of my job though is summer break-time to make up for all that I missed throughout the past 10 months. Traveling, , catching up with friends, and-most importantly-finding my inner Susie Homemaker, is just what the doctor ordered :)

summer of '69

2009-06-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

The ages of 18 to 22 are typically referred to as the 'best years of your life.' After some 'research' of my own, I can agree that there is never another time in life quite like the college years. The lack of responsibility and rules, paired with a yet-to-be-fully-developed frontal lobe (responsible for self-control and judgment), make for an interesting time in themselves. Throw in 70-some-odd bars in a 2 mile radius and you are in for quite a ride. While many 18 year-olds waste no time 'finding themselves' (often on bathroom floors, hugging less than sanitary porcelain) and enjoying their new found freedom right away, it took me a little longer to ease out of my sheltered-small-town-bubble and into the self-searching mind of a college kid. It wasn't until the ripe age of 21 that I 'let go' and allowed my environment to begin to have an impact on the person I was becoming. I opened my world to new friends, new beliefs, and new ways of life, all different from my own. I made friends with people with completely different lifestyles and belief systems than my own and experienced tremendous personal growth because of it. I had once been afraid of the influence of others; thinking I would no longer be me if I surround myself with people so...different. Little did I know at the time, they were a gift from God challenging me in ways I never realized I was weak, and helping me to find strength I never knew I had. Because of this, they are some of the most precious people in my life. Without their influence I would not be the person I am today, and for that I am grateful. The one most important thing I learned in college did not come from highly educated professors, but from numerous twenty-somethings on soul-searching missions of their own. They taught me how to love people. I don't mean how to make friends, or be happy, I mean truly love people-for who they are, not for how they fit into my life.
Up to this point I had always been a happy person with a good life, but college taught me how to enjoy it. The things I would remember wouldn't be how many times I made the dean's list, or the grade I got for that 10-page paper on the importance of being a 'reflective teacher.' The things I would remember was the time spent-good or bad ;)- with the people I love. From 'big easy' road trips to 'nuclear' birthdays, Saturdays in athens to nights downtown, and all the times in between, college was the 'best years of my life' to date. However, I hope that Bryan Adams was wrong. I'm a firm believer that 'life is what we make it' and with the knowledge gained over the past four years-not to mention a little help from a developed frontal lobe ;)- I think the 'best is yet to come.' Here's to life after the 'best days of my life'...

feet first

2009-06-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

After following friends blogs for the past year, I have decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon and join them. This is something new for me (I have never been one to journal or blog in the past) but hopefully I will learn to use this as a new creative outlet for myself, and a bit of entertainment for others ;)