I'm having lunch with my friend Annie on Thursday, which rules, because I haven't seen her in about six months!

In an effort to save some money, the groceries I buy this week are going to be far less interesting. This means, of course, that the dinners I cook will be far less interesting. Bummer, n'est pas? Oh well. I spent about two years with Nic (early in our relationship) eating various "helpers" so I'm sure I can handle another two weeks. Besides, some of the money saved is going toward our trip to Leavenworth next week for our third anniversary. Definitely worth it!

I find myself sitting here, wishing it was Christmas. Hello, random?

I wish mayo and Miracle Whip would stop feuding- I love them both!

I really can't believe that I am planning my daughter's first birthday party. What?! I've had a child. . . for a whole year?! It is seriously bizarre. It's way too hard not to spout cliches like, "time goes so fast" and "I never thought this is where I'd be at 24." But I certainly thank God that I am here. "I wouldn't trade it for anything." ;)

I recommend: Kashi Go-Lean Crunch cereal. Yummy and healthy, and that's hard to beat.

So, first things first: if, in fact, anyone was disappointed by my lack of entries over the last few months, I apologize. Let's just say I was in a coma of sorts.

Here is a quick update, so you know what you've been missing:
Ella is 11 months old. Ahh!
I am obsessed with Gilmore Girls on dvd and I highly suggest everyone watch
and love it.
I am still cooking a lot and I have a strong desire to write and publish a
cookbook.

That's it. Okay, not really, of course, but I think you can now understand why I haven't been updating- there hasn't been much to say! But I suppose that excuse only goes so far. I am going to try and make an effort to post more. Even if all I have to say is that I wish I lived in the fictional town of Stars Hollow.

Oh yeah- listen to these songs:
"Mad World" Tears for Fears
"Hard to Concentrate" Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Not About Love" Fiona Apple
"Walk on the Ocean" Toad the Wet Sproket
"Tornado" Sara Groves
Anything by Belle and Sebastian
Anything by Imogen Heap

Ella update anyone? ( Read more... )

Why am I so tired? I got 14 hours of sleep!

Always looking to add some killer tv shows and movies to your watching schedule? I know I am! If you have the time, the channels, the Netflix/Video store, and the interest, I suggest the following:

"O'Grady" airs on The N network, which for me is channel 120. New eps air on Fridays, I think at 6:30 pm (because of it's east coast 9:30 time). It's an animated show about a group of high school kids in the town of O'Grady, which is a town famous for it's weird goings-on. Strange things happen all the time, like for example, tv remotes suddenly stop working on tvs and start working on people. They simply call it "the weirdness," and it's absolutely hilarious! Go to www.the-n.com to check it out.


"Glorious" and "Dress to Kill" which are stand up comedy routines by Eddie Izzard. He is BRILLIANT.


"Food Network Challenge" airs on the Food Network on Sunday nights. It features various culinary challenges, such as elaborate cake decorating and fancy burger building. Very fun and interesting to watch.


"Walk the Line" Johnny Cash fan or not, this movie is both moving and charming. Reese deserves her Oscar. . . she makes a fab June.


Also, if you haven't yet, see The 40-Year Old Virgin and Crash.

We painted three walls- two of them the same color, which is called "Toasted Wheat" and the small wall over the fireplace is a bit of a darker color called "Burnt Almond." Hungry, anyone? In the pics, they look kinda pink, but just take my word for it that the walls are, in fact, light brownish colors that look much like their names would have you imagine.

New furniture so far includes: arm chair, coffee table, square bookshelf, and tv stand. Most of the stuff on my walls is new too. . . I love the topiary pics. They look so fresh or clean, or something. We have ordered our couch online, but it will be a few weeks before it arrives.

So anyway, here are the pics taken with my lame-ass crappy camera. (Just to be clear, the captions refer to the pic above them) ( Read more... )

My walls are painted and decorated, my new coffee table, bookshelf, and tv stand are assembled and in place. I am about half a day away from living room bliss. Thank God for Ikea! I'll update with pictures later.

Here is a recipe about which I feel compelled to spread the word, as it is quite tasty and pretty easy. Bon appetit!

IRISH CREAM TRUFFLES
1 pkg choc chips (any kind you want, I like the new semi-sweet & white swirl ones)
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
Irish Cream Liqueur to taste (Bailey's is the best, but Saint Brendan's is cheaper and will do just fine)
1 cup Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar, adding sugar slowly, one cup at a time. Blend until smooth. Melt choc chips either in double boiler or microwave (if you use the microwave, do 30 sec at a time, stirring between, until totally melted. It's tedious, but it is likely to burn otherwise). Add melted choc to cream cheese and sugar mixture, blend well until smooth. Begin adding liqueur. Basically, you can add as much as you want up to 2 oz (any more than that and the mix will not set properly). Put mixture in fridge for several hours (at least 2 1/2) until it is firm enough to roll. When firm, roll into balls (of desired size), then roll each ball in cocoa powder until coated. Put balls back in the fridge for at least another hour. Then, enjoy! (Yields about 5 dozen)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Sorry I haven't been writing much lately, but things are slow. Just bear with me. . .