i once received a marvelous martha stewart magazine with all sorts of crazy christmas confection recipes in it and thought "hmm, i can do that!". and so i did. and it was sooo good. of course now the whole christmas candy idea has snowballed, as most of my little side projects tend to do, and this year we're adding a few new recipes to the mix and doing everything in larger quantities. because quadrupling recipes is fun! :)
i've started stocking up on the ingredients and i simply cannot wait to start cooking (baking? what the heck is it called when you're making candy?!).
this sugar bag cracked me up. truth be told i only need about 15 lbs of sugar (ha, yea ONLY), but really, how on earth could i pass up a bag that had a handle and was labeled "25 pounder"?! pretty proud to walk around the store with that puppy.
only about 7 pounds of chocolate there...N.B.D! totally scored by getting everything on sale, at a wholesale store or at The Christmas Tree Shop.
i'll keep you posted as everything starts to boil down to a christmas full of cavities!!
11.30.2010
11.23.2010
a word on airport security + ri
this past weekend i ventured home to rhode island for a quick visit with the family before all of the holiday hubbub got under way. haha seeing "hubbub" in writing just made me giggle! we decided to fly instead of making the trek by car. the decision to take the 6:50 flight on friday morning made a lot more sense before my 4:30AM alarm went off! ugh.
flash forward to the phila airport, worst place on earth...second only to the detroit airport. the security line at 5:45 was HORRENDOUS!! people winding all over the terminal, sweating, freaking out about missing flights, getting angry. if it was like that first thing on a friday morning, i can only imagine how unbearable it will be for holiday travel...good luck if that includes you! the line took 45 stinkin' minutes. you'd think that with all that time and all of the tsa public service announcements and signs that people would know what do to when they got to the front of the line. nah, not so much. dude in front of me had to go through the scanner 3 times...last time? for keys in his pocket. really? REALLY?! it seems practically impossible that you wouldn't know better. sheesh.
luckily there wasn't any full body scanning going on, nor was i subjected to any potentially inappropriate pat-downs.
know what the best part of early morning travel is...breakfast upon arrival!! went to a little diner with the 'rents where of course we discussed the wonders of tsa. my dad, who seems to be constantly traveling the world - no joke, had this to share on the new pat-down rules they're putting into place:
flash forward to the phila airport, worst place on earth...second only to the detroit airport. the security line at 5:45 was HORRENDOUS!! people winding all over the terminal, sweating, freaking out about missing flights, getting angry. if it was like that first thing on a friday morning, i can only imagine how unbearable it will be for holiday travel...good luck if that includes you! the line took 45 stinkin' minutes. you'd think that with all that time and all of the tsa public service announcements and signs that people would know what do to when they got to the front of the line. nah, not so much. dude in front of me had to go through the scanner 3 times...last time? for keys in his pocket. really? REALLY?! it seems practically impossible that you wouldn't know better. sheesh.
luckily there wasn't any full body scanning going on, nor was i subjected to any potentially inappropriate pat-downs.
know what the best part of early morning travel is...breakfast upon arrival!! went to a little diner with the 'rents where of course we discussed the wonders of tsa. my dad, who seems to be constantly traveling the world - no joke, had this to share on the new pat-down rules they're putting into place:
"hey, if they want to touch that, that's their problem.
pervs."
not sure why, but to me, that was beyond hysterical. it took all of my might to not spit out my hot chocolate all over the table...too bad that by trying so hard to not choke from laughter, i am 98% certain that i actually aspirated the hot chocolate. haha :).
some pics from walking around rhody:
11.15.2010
stuffed to the gills
the past few weekends i've had very little on the to-do list, so there's been plenty of time to cook. since most recipes don't take too much extra effort to make in larger portion, i've been doubling (or quadrupling in some cases!) the recipes and freezing the extra so there's something tasty to eat on the nights that yoga's keeping me out of the house until 9pm.
i think i may have over done it...
a million gallons of butternut squash soup and a gazillion pounds of shepherd's pie (pictured pre-mashed potato topping). thank goodness we have a second freezer!
oh yea, and don't forget the guinness chocolate pudding which i finally made!
i'm going to be full forever!
i think i may have over done it...
a million gallons of butternut squash soup and a gazillion pounds of shepherd's pie (pictured pre-mashed potato topping). thank goodness we have a second freezer!
oh yea, and don't forget the guinness chocolate pudding which i finally made!
i'm going to be full forever!
11.12.2010
double (downward facing) dog dare ya!
not sure why, but after last night's bikram class (with Leo, my absolute fave teacher, seriously can't miss his class!), i kinda decided that i wanted to try a double on friday (today).
so today, as the day went on, i bought into the idea of the 'dreaded double'...two back to back 90 minute classes in that wonderfully hot room. again, why i decided this, i have no idea. chances are i should have been committed to a mental institution rather than mentally committing to this wackadoodle idea!
earlier in the week i felt like death in class, dizzy, headache, ick. i realize i actually over hydrated. mainly because i was in 8 hour training meetings for work and drank water non-stop to keep me awake. but all that water and no electrolytes = trouble. today i paid far more attention to keeping my electrolyte level in check. i started the morning with my usual tea, had some cheerios (milk hydrates too!), 2 nuun drinks (so much better than gatorade or other sport drinks), and about 60 oz of plain ol' H2O.
that was enough to get me through the first class and i felt really great. good enough for round two, but unfortunately i underestimated the amount i could/needed to drink in between classes. One 100% coconut water and 12 oz of water did not do the trick. i started feeling a little dizzy during the second session...but Leo to the rescue! he brought me an ice cold apple juice (which usually i would never drink - love cider, dislike juice). i chugged that little juice and it was magic, brought me back to life immediately. told ya he's my fave. the second class was over so quickly, seemed so short but so incredibly powerful, just might have to try the double again!
probably gonna feel like death tomorrow morning when i wake up for the 8:30 class but i pushed my self way beyond what i thought were my limits and therefore it was all worthwhile. :)
yup, it's official, i'm completely obsessed with bikram yoga. can't get enough!
buy yourself some sanity this christmas...join bikram!!
DO IT, you know you want to!! come on, i dare ya!
*disclaimer, there is absolutely no 'downward facing dog' posture in bikram yoga, i'm well aware. but it gets the yoga theme across and it goes nicely with the rest of the d's and the dog thing...so that's that!
so today, as the day went on, i bought into the idea of the 'dreaded double'...two back to back 90 minute classes in that wonderfully hot room. again, why i decided this, i have no idea. chances are i should have been committed to a mental institution rather than mentally committing to this wackadoodle idea!
earlier in the week i felt like death in class, dizzy, headache, ick. i realize i actually over hydrated. mainly because i was in 8 hour training meetings for work and drank water non-stop to keep me awake. but all that water and no electrolytes = trouble. today i paid far more attention to keeping my electrolyte level in check. i started the morning with my usual tea, had some cheerios (milk hydrates too!), 2 nuun drinks (so much better than gatorade or other sport drinks), and about 60 oz of plain ol' H2O.
that was enough to get me through the first class and i felt really great. good enough for round two, but unfortunately i underestimated the amount i could/needed to drink in between classes. One 100% coconut water and 12 oz of water did not do the trick. i started feeling a little dizzy during the second session...but Leo to the rescue! he brought me an ice cold apple juice (which usually i would never drink - love cider, dislike juice). i chugged that little juice and it was magic, brought me back to life immediately. told ya he's my fave. the second class was over so quickly, seemed so short but so incredibly powerful, just might have to try the double again!
probably gonna feel like death tomorrow morning when i wake up for the 8:30 class but i pushed my self way beyond what i thought were my limits and therefore it was all worthwhile. :)
yup, it's official, i'm completely obsessed with bikram yoga. can't get enough!
buy yourself some sanity this christmas...join bikram!!
DO IT, you know you want to!! come on, i dare ya!
*disclaimer, there is absolutely no 'downward facing dog' posture in bikram yoga, i'm well aware. but it gets the yoga theme across and it goes nicely with the rest of the d's and the dog thing...so that's that!
grab a pen: twloha
today's"to write love on her arms" day...
or is it tomorrow?
getting conflicting information,
but who cares,
one day, two...or the whole week, like i did last year...
TWLOHA is a day to appreciate
love & life
and to encourage and remind others
of these values because it matters.
and it helps get through
everything from the small stresses of every day life
to the big issues that drag us down into those deep, dark places.
so write love on your arm.
and leave it there as a reminder to love yourself a little extra
and love those around you enough that they feel it.
You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.
The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.
The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.
The vision is hope, and hope is real.
The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.
The vision is hope, and hope is real.
11.09.2010
merry early christmas to me: DC in AC!
as much as i do not want to rush the whole holiday season hoopla,
i'm pretty excited that an early present (which i purchased for myself and others) came in the mail today!!
last week at work i was about to run out of pandora listening hours and
was in the mood to listen to some old tunes.
so i hopped over to the dashboard confessional website, because you used to be able to listen to full albums on their site, and instead was greeted by a 10 year anniversary welcome page with tour dates.
imagine my surprise!! one that their first mainstream cd was released 10 years ago (ugh, that makes me WICKED old) and two that i randomly happened upon their tour...and three that they no longer allowed me to listen to music for free on their site, boo.
approximately a million years ago, my sister came down to PA and attended her first ever concert at the Electric Factory. history's pretty much repeating itself...except this time we'll be in atlantic city...and we have seats, because we're way too old to stand for a whole concert in a sea of tweens :).
the countdown to holiday fun is ON!
i'm pretty excited that an early present (which i purchased for myself and others) came in the mail today!!
last week at work i was about to run out of pandora listening hours and
was in the mood to listen to some old tunes.
so i hopped over to the dashboard confessional website, because you used to be able to listen to full albums on their site, and instead was greeted by a 10 year anniversary welcome page with tour dates.
imagine my surprise!! one that their first mainstream cd was released 10 years ago (ugh, that makes me WICKED old) and two that i randomly happened upon their tour...and three that they no longer allowed me to listen to music for free on their site, boo.
approximately a million years ago, my sister came down to PA and attended her first ever concert at the Electric Factory. history's pretty much repeating itself...except this time we'll be in atlantic city...and we have seats, because we're way too old to stand for a whole concert in a sea of tweens :).
the countdown to holiday fun is ON!
11.07.2010
a handful of heaven.
it does not get any better than a recipe with
dark brown sugar
+
pumpkin
+
cream cheese frosting.
heavenly.
especially when you swap out the maple cream cheese recipe
for a version of cider cream cheese recipe
(which i've used a few times with martha's apple cupcake recipe...also amazing)
basically used 1/4 cup reduced cider for the maple syrup and vanilla.
de.lic.ious.
to the millionth degree.
this is what a 'lazy sunday' means to me.
fyi's:
if you do go with the cider recipe instead of the maple, make sure you chill it before piping.
also, i halved cake/cookie/pie the recipe and made them slightly larger than suggested and
it still made 16 assembled whoopie pies.
gonna pretend that 16's too many for 2 people to eat before they go bad,
but let's be serious...they're bite size which means i could easily justify eating 3 at once.
11.04.2010
watch this!
my sis just shared this with me.
i think it's pretty flippin' amazing, so i'm spreading the love...
fab song and pretty sick apple promo!
i think it's pretty flippin' amazing, so i'm spreading the love...
fab song and pretty sick apple promo!
11.01.2010
rant, rave + a new fave: bad bikram + s'more cupcakes
oh.
my.
goodness.
never. ever. EVER take over a week off from bikram and expect to go back without feeling like complete death. i went back tonight and signed up for a 3 month unlimited membership. i've been waiting for this day, i was so excited - i've been wanting to go back since intro week but have had a bit of a hectic schedule so figured November 1 was a good day to start back.it was 100% times worse than my first class ever. i could barely stay standing without getting incredibly dizzy. it felt pretty embarrassed. and discouraged. and disgusted with my poor showing. but i'm still determined that i can get back to where i was after intro week and have a better class tomorrow night. fingers crossed!!
but now on to something that only makes me smile...
tried a new recipe for a friend's bday on friday and i thought they were fantastic! definitely going to make these again thanks martha!
some notes to anyone who's tempted to try their hand at these tasty treats:
- i seemed to have a good amount of the cake batter left over (enough to make 2 teensy cakes). these cupcakes rose really well so i think i would try filling up the cups a little higher than recommended the next go-round.
- use a food processor.
- use a food processor. yea i wrote it twice....cuz i used it twice, duh ;-). once for the grahams and once for the chocolate...easy peasy.
- the frosting makes a TON - more of a warning than anything, but don't feel bad about swirling that stuff nice and high, trust me it will get all over the eater's face no matter what so might as well pile it on!
- if you're making them a day in advance they store very well in an airtight container. if you absolutely must make the frosting in advance too, your best bet is to frost and fire them (not frost the night before and then fire the next day).
- i used a kitchen torch and that stuff ignites REALLY fast, so you might want to practice on some of that extra frosting!! and get ready to blow out any paper fires! the recipe comments say you can put it under the broiler but i'm superbly skeptical, try it if you dare!!
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