Chocolate chip pound cake, filled with whipped chocolate ganache... and glazed with semisweet chocolate. Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY "O"!![get your fill -- more cake photos over at BURP!]
Tuesday
Yay for Cake!
There's nothing bigger than celebrating your ninth birthday. Which is why Peef and Lo set to work creating the most amazing cake they could dream up.
Chocolate chip pound cake, filled with whipped chocolate ganache... and glazed with semisweet chocolate. Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY "O"!!
[get your fill -- more cake photos over at BURP!]
Chocolate chip pound cake, filled with whipped chocolate ganache... and glazed with semisweet chocolate. Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY "O"!![get your fill -- more cake photos over at BURP!]
Pontifications on Honest Work
Today was a Bad Day at work.
I won't go into everything that means -- except to say that today I was having a very difficult time being grateful for my employment. And that gave me a bit of pause.
Being grateful is something that I've committed to ever since Peef's job was whisked away in late November (many thanks to the Benevolent Dictator who left us with this gasping economy). After all, it seems I shouldn't have much to complain about when I'm making a fair wage for honest work. It can be remarkably fulfilling to leave WORK AT WORK at night and enjoy my passions AT HOME. Plus, I've always been adament that I'm NOT a careerist who needs her work to define her.
So, rather than dwelling on the BADness of my day, I'm going to take a moment to reflect. And I am going to recommit myself. To good, honest work.
In this time. In this place.
I have NO right to complain.
Maybe Todd Rundgren said it best?
That said, if any curious business owners are reading this and want to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to pontificate (or better yet, write marketing copy), I still have seven cell minutes left before we go over our allotment for the month.
I won't go into everything that means -- except to say that today I was having a very difficult time being grateful for my employment. And that gave me a bit of pause.
Being grateful is something that I've committed to ever since Peef's job was whisked away in late November (many thanks to the Benevolent Dictator who left us with this gasping economy). After all, it seems I shouldn't have much to complain about when I'm making a fair wage for honest work. It can be remarkably fulfilling to leave WORK AT WORK at night and enjoy my passions AT HOME. Plus, I've always been adament that I'm NOT a careerist who needs her work to define her.
So, rather than dwelling on the BADness of my day, I'm going to take a moment to reflect. And I am going to recommit myself. To good, honest work.
In this time. In this place.
I have NO right to complain.
Maybe Todd Rundgren said it best?
That said, if any curious business owners are reading this and want to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to pontificate (or better yet, write marketing copy), I still have seven cell minutes left before we go over our allotment for the month.
Thursday
From the Ears of Your Favorite Peef: New Music for the New Year
I've been blessed with an unusual amount of spare time lately...ok. NOT REALLY. I have actually been busting my hump trying to find a job, but I've also managed to spend a little bit of time staying current with the music scene.
Today I bring you a group of bands that you may have already heard of but who all have something very special in common. EVERY ONE OF THEM has an odd band name. And we aren't talking Phish or Dead Milkmen odd, we are talking about bands that simply chose names that have little relation to their musical sound.
Band names always seem to conjure a specific mental image for me... and I can't be the only one who wonders what the heck they were thinking when the look and feel of said band and the mental image conjured by the band name simply DO NOT mesh.
This Christmas, my sis dubbed me with a handy-dandy little gift card to iTunes. This much appreciated gift went to good use just as the year (that shall no longer be mentioned) was coming to a close. Because there was a limit on the card, I found it necessary to spend my budget wisely.
The first thing I did was to make a list. Unfortunately, that did NOT help. The list grew and grew and grew. One evening, I showed it to Lo and she looked upon the lengthy list with a great deal of amazement.
"I have never heard of half of these bands" she said to me. "Are you sure you want ALL of these?" she continued.
"Of course I want them" I responded, "They are ALL the best and most talked about new bands that came to mind in the past twelve hours."
"I think you should start narrowing it down," she suggested, "Maybe start with the ones whose CD's you could live without. After all, these are DOWNLOADS."
I have to interject here. I am still a bit "old school" and like to have the physical CD, rather than just an audio file. It's not that I don't enjoy the inst-o-matic approach to downloading music, I just want to have a hard copy of it for posterity. I want a MUSIC COLLECTION. For me, a CD collection is immediately revealing. The ability to browse through the collection of CD's in my friend's living room is far less invasive than hopping on their personal computer to snoop around in their audio files.
Lo did not feel any great amount of compassion for my plight.
"Well, good luck with that," she smirked, and she sauntered away.
After weeding out all of the bands I decided I needed to possess physical evidence of... and then the ones that for whom owning a single song would do, I narrowed my selections down to two.
The Airborne Toxic Event was a band recommended to me a few months back by a good friend in Seattle. I trust her recommendations, and after taking a listen on myspace, I decided they made the cut.
Vampire Weekend is not ONLY one of the most press-worthy bands of 2008, but they were also recommended (and hence, VALIDATED) by our VERY hip friends in Fargo, ND. Seriously, folks. Fargo IS the Promised Land, after all. And, if you don't believe me, just take a listen for yourselves. Thanks to sattelite raido, these Fargo-nians have great taste in music.
Another animal altogether is Girl Talk (Check it out at www.illegalart.net). Don't be fooled by the "pay what you like" mentality on his Web site, Gregg Gillis is seriously good. And so is his laptop, which he has affectionately named Girl Talk. King of mash-up (the art of taking rap/hip-hop and mashing it with top40/alternative/classic rock tunes), Girl Talk puts together some funky tunes -- things that will make you want to get up off the couch and do some serious grooving. Sensitive souls might be wary of a bit of the foul language that leaks in, thanks to liberal sampling of rappers like Too Short (don't ask). But, if you can overlook that, it's all golden. The New York Times Magazine has called his music "a lawsuit waiting to happen"... and bloggers everywhere have discussed whether his blatant "rip offs" are worth getting uptight about. Personally, I'm not getting my undies in a bundle. Gregg is just FAR too fun. Interested? Check out more at the Future of Music Coalition.
Now, I've rambled on for quite some time already. But, I have one last thing to share with those of you who've kept with me this far... I'd also like to give a shout-out to Neko Case, who happens to be featured in the February issue of Paste Magazine, where you can read all about the piano orchestra that she threw together in her barn. Since I'm a big fan of The New Pornographers (again, what's WITH these odd band names??!!), Neko is a natural pick for me. Her last solo album, Fox Confessor, showcases smart vocals and haunting instrumentation. But, she's also got a new album coming out. Middle Cyclone releases on March 3rd, and I'm totally looking forward to it.
You've made it this far, which is a serious accomplishment.
AND it just so happens that I can offer you something for your trouble.
Take a listen to "People Got a Lot of Nerve" -- Neko's new single.
In exchange, Neko Case will make a $5 donation to Best Friends Animal Society. Isn't that nice of her??
Enjoy!
Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve
Today I bring you a group of bands that you may have already heard of but who all have something very special in common. EVERY ONE OF THEM has an odd band name. And we aren't talking Phish or Dead Milkmen odd, we are talking about bands that simply chose names that have little relation to their musical sound.
Band names always seem to conjure a specific mental image for me... and I can't be the only one who wonders what the heck they were thinking when the look and feel of said band and the mental image conjured by the band name simply DO NOT mesh.
This Christmas, my sis dubbed me with a handy-dandy little gift card to iTunes. This much appreciated gift went to good use just as the year (that shall no longer be mentioned) was coming to a close. Because there was a limit on the card, I found it necessary to spend my budget wisely.
The first thing I did was to make a list. Unfortunately, that did NOT help. The list grew and grew and grew. One evening, I showed it to Lo and she looked upon the lengthy list with a great deal of amazement.
"I have never heard of half of these bands" she said to me. "Are you sure you want ALL of these?" she continued.
"Of course I want them" I responded, "They are ALL the best and most talked about new bands that came to mind in the past twelve hours."
"I think you should start narrowing it down," she suggested, "Maybe start with the ones whose CD's you could live without. After all, these are DOWNLOADS."
I have to interject here. I am still a bit "old school" and like to have the physical CD, rather than just an audio file. It's not that I don't enjoy the inst-o-matic approach to downloading music, I just want to have a hard copy of it for posterity. I want a MUSIC COLLECTION. For me, a CD collection is immediately revealing. The ability to browse through the collection of CD's in my friend's living room is far less invasive than hopping on their personal computer to snoop around in their audio files.
Lo did not feel any great amount of compassion for my plight.
"Well, good luck with that," she smirked, and she sauntered away.
After weeding out all of the bands I decided I needed to possess physical evidence of... and then the ones that for whom owning a single song would do, I narrowed my selections down to two.
The Airborne Toxic Event was a band recommended to me a few months back by a good friend in Seattle. I trust her recommendations, and after taking a listen on myspace, I decided they made the cut.
Vampire Weekend is not ONLY one of the most press-worthy bands of 2008, but they were also recommended (and hence, VALIDATED) by our VERY hip friends in Fargo, ND. Seriously, folks. Fargo IS the Promised Land, after all. And, if you don't believe me, just take a listen for yourselves. Thanks to sattelite raido, these Fargo-nians have great taste in music.
Another animal altogether is Girl Talk (Check it out at www.illegalart.net). Don't be fooled by the "pay what you like" mentality on his Web site, Gregg Gillis is seriously good. And so is his laptop, which he has affectionately named Girl Talk. King of mash-up (the art of taking rap/hip-hop and mashing it with top40/alternative/classic rock tunes), Girl Talk puts together some funky tunes -- things that will make you want to get up off the couch and do some serious grooving. Sensitive souls might be wary of a bit of the foul language that leaks in, thanks to liberal sampling of rappers like Too Short (don't ask). But, if you can overlook that, it's all golden. The New York Times Magazine has called his music "a lawsuit waiting to happen"... and bloggers everywhere have discussed whether his blatant "rip offs" are worth getting uptight about. Personally, I'm not getting my undies in a bundle. Gregg is just FAR too fun. Interested? Check out more at the Future of Music Coalition.
Now, I've rambled on for quite some time already. But, I have one last thing to share with those of you who've kept with me this far... I'd also like to give a shout-out to Neko Case, who happens to be featured in the February issue of Paste Magazine, where you can read all about the piano orchestra that she threw together in her barn. Since I'm a big fan of The New Pornographers (again, what's WITH these odd band names??!!), Neko is a natural pick for me. Her last solo album, Fox Confessor, showcases smart vocals and haunting instrumentation. But, she's also got a new album coming out. Middle Cyclone releases on March 3rd, and I'm totally looking forward to it.
You've made it this far, which is a serious accomplishment.
AND it just so happens that I can offer you something for your trouble.
Take a listen to "People Got a Lot of Nerve" -- Neko's new single.
In exchange, Neko Case will make a $5 donation to Best Friends Animal Society. Isn't that nice of her??
Enjoy!
Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve
This week's list of GOOD things
It always helps to make a list!
- Interviews (of the job getting persuasion)
- A working computer (mine has been down for much of the afternoon, so I'm feeling this pretty intimately)
- Tamale pie
- Ripe avocadoes
- Coffee on a cold morning
- Sunshine when it's -15ºF
- The prospect of good news
- Hand-made dish cloths
- Roll-over minutes (We went over our cell minutes for the first time ever last month, and now I'm thinking these are pretty keen)
- Healthy kitties (Elmo gave us a good scare this week, but we're pleased to say that he seems to be feeling better)
Tuesday
Happy 2009!
Alright, we're signing on to 2009 a bit late... but we wanted to make sure it was really real before we spread false hope.
So now that we have officially slammed the door of 2008 shut tight and secured the deadbolt and threw away the key...Lo and I can forge ahead with 2009. Because we have put 2008 under locks, there is no point in reviewing the year and all of its...I just can't.
OK. The Nastiness of 2008 is done. Let's move on.
Here's to 2009!!
We have a new outlook on life. Prospects of a new job. Maybe a new car? Maybe a new city to live in? Who knows? Anything is possible when you're standing on the cusp.
The job hunt has been very successful -- considering the economic factor and the holiday factor. I've had a number of interviews, and new things crop up all the time. Things aren't moving QUITE as quickly as I would like, but you've gotta take what you can get. Indubitably, the job search will continue to wear on ... until that glorious day when a written offer is finally in my hands. Let's pray for that moment, shall we?
Lo is back at work after a nice long time away during the holidays. "Work is work," as she says; but, these days she's thankful to be working in a relatively recession-proof industry. Her job has been a bit "stressy," but she's off and running with her recruitment activities, and hopes to get a cohort together for summer 2009.
Elmo, Zoe, Izzie and Yoyo don't seem to realize that we've made the transition to a new year. But, they did get excited when we took down the Krimmus tree and gave them back their beautiful, sunny turret. Now, they're free to lie about, all lazy-like, in between their regular eating and poo-ing.
The house... is still standing.
The snow... is still falling.
And the music... is still playing.
Thank God for the music.
So now that we have officially slammed the door of 2008 shut tight and secured the deadbolt and threw away the key...Lo and I can forge ahead with 2009. Because we have put 2008 under locks, there is no point in reviewing the year and all of its...I just can't.
OK. The Nastiness of 2008 is done. Let's move on.
Here's to 2009!!
We have a new outlook on life. Prospects of a new job. Maybe a new car? Maybe a new city to live in? Who knows? Anything is possible when you're standing on the cusp.
The job hunt has been very successful -- considering the economic factor and the holiday factor. I've had a number of interviews, and new things crop up all the time. Things aren't moving QUITE as quickly as I would like, but you've gotta take what you can get. Indubitably, the job search will continue to wear on ... until that glorious day when a written offer is finally in my hands. Let's pray for that moment, shall we?
Lo is back at work after a nice long time away during the holidays. "Work is work," as she says; but, these days she's thankful to be working in a relatively recession-proof industry. Her job has been a bit "stressy," but she's off and running with her recruitment activities, and hopes to get a cohort together for summer 2009.
Elmo, Zoe, Izzie and Yoyo don't seem to realize that we've made the transition to a new year. But, they did get excited when we took down the Krimmus tree and gave them back their beautiful, sunny turret. Now, they're free to lie about, all lazy-like, in between their regular eating and poo-ing.
The house... is still standing.
The snow... is still falling.
And the music... is still playing.
Thank God for the music.
Sunday
Telling Truths from Lies
While we weren't looking, an award was bestowed upon us by Rachel over at Rachel's Ramblings.
I met Rachel way back in college, during my very short stint at Cornell College in Iowa. She lived across the hall from me, and we developed quite the bond. One of my favorite things about her is that she's always been a promulgator of truth, so it seems appropriate that an Honest Scrap award would be bestowed to her. By the same token, I'm flattered that she sees us in the same light.
Of course, the acceptance of this award has a few rules attached. The honorees are to: a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! B) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.
1. I suffer from a bit of social anxiety. I'm fairly certain that it's not clinical; however, I find myself dreading social outings. My fear is particularly acute when the gathering is 1) large (I find I do best in smaller groups) AND 2) comprised of people who I don't already know (As enjoyable as it can be, I tend to find the process of getting to know new people exhausting).
2. I love reading and writing and learning; but, I've decided that school isn't for me. Right now, at least. I tried to go back for my master's degree this past fall... but, it felt all wrong. For as much as I enjoyed the challenge, and the intellectual dialog, and the brain exercise, I found myself resenting every moment I spent working on my homework. After some really tough soul-searching, I've decided that it's not the right time for me to go on for my degree. Tough decision to make. But, I think it's all good.
3. I am hopelessly addicted to cooking. And entertaining. Some people relieve stress by working out. I wind down at the end of a long day by cooking dinner. There is something seriously "zen" about chopping vegetables and setting things to saute in a bit of hot oil at the end of a long day. It's gotten to the point where I can't think of much I'd rather do after a nasty day at work than roast a chicken. Entertaining people at our house is a close second. I can't think of much that's more enjoyable than having a few people over for dinner... unless I haven't had time to plan everything out (which is the only point at which entertaining feels like a chore).
4. Cooking has made me into a "gadget girl". I always swore that you only needed a few things in the kitchen -- a few good knives, some good pots & pans... the basics. And for years, I got along quite well with the bare minimum. However, in the past few years, I have managed to accumulate a variety of (very useful) gadgets. A panini press. A waffle iron. A cherry/olive pitter. A tomato knife. A pasta roller. A variety of cake decorating supplies, including a turn-table, 3 offset spatulas, and a cake leveler. Silpats. A cookie press. An outdoor convection cooker. And for Christmas -- a Le Creuset Dutch oven (yay!).
5. I sometimes lose my cool. My mother was a yeller. I always swore I would never follow in her footsteps. Unfortunately, frustration brings out the worst in me. And my vocal decibels rise. It's something I always mean to work on, but not something I've not been terribly successful in abolishing.
6. I am 100% certain that my marriage is meant to be. Peef and I have a pretty good marriage. Most of the time, it's a partnership of equals to which we both contribute our finest qualities. But, sometimes I wonder how Peef puts up with me. There are times when I KNOW I'd drive myself up a wall... and most of the time, he acts pretty unphazed. Even after ten years, we seem to be discovering new things about one another. Thank God for that.
7. I have never been thin. In fact, I have absolutely NO IDEA what it would be like to be thin. There is positively NO doubt that I could be thinner than I am -- but I am quite positive that it would be impossible for me to ever become truly THIN. I recognize this most easily when I try on clothing from the Vera Wang collection at Kohls. Some things will never hang properly on a girl who is 5'4" and curvy.
8. I am not the easiest person to get to know. Someone at work who I've been getting to know for a couple of years pointed this out to me just before Christmas. It's not something of which I was completely unaware; but, I dont' think that anyone had ever come right out and said it to me before. It's true that I'm more introvert than extrovert. I like people, and I have quite number of very close friends. However, I don't feel that it's vital for most people really to know a whole lot about my inner workings. Thinking back on examples of how this works, it occurred to me that I'd worked at Marquette for almost two years when a colleague who worked in my office asked me if I had any children... I guess that illustrates my point.
9. Hallmark cards sometimes make me cry. This is a fairly recent development. I used to be made of steel when it came to sappy movies and touchy feely birthday cards. But, these days, I can stir myself up into a whorl of emotion just by taking a walk down the greeting card aisle. Sometimes, it's a useful form of catharsis. I'd highly recommend it.
10. I am a bit of a control freak. For people who know me well, this is no mystery. I love overseeing the big picture and putting all the pieces in place. I don't need to control what everyone else does, but I like having jurisdiction over my own life. It used to be that I had every moment planned out to a "tee". Marriage has helped me to relax a little bit. The lemons that life has thrown us of late have also helped me to revamp my perspectives. These days, I'm working on letting go a little bit more. But, I'm still not perfectly comfortable letting someone else take the wheel.
And now, for the tagging! I don't think I'll quite make seven, but here goes my best shot.
I met Rachel way back in college, during my very short stint at Cornell College in Iowa. She lived across the hall from me, and we developed quite the bond. One of my favorite things about her is that she's always been a promulgator of truth, so it seems appropriate that an Honest Scrap award would be bestowed to her. By the same token, I'm flattered that she sees us in the same light.Of course, the acceptance of this award has a few rules attached. The honorees are to: a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! B) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.
1. I suffer from a bit of social anxiety. I'm fairly certain that it's not clinical; however, I find myself dreading social outings. My fear is particularly acute when the gathering is 1) large (I find I do best in smaller groups) AND 2) comprised of people who I don't already know (As enjoyable as it can be, I tend to find the process of getting to know new people exhausting).
2. I love reading and writing and learning; but, I've decided that school isn't for me. Right now, at least. I tried to go back for my master's degree this past fall... but, it felt all wrong. For as much as I enjoyed the challenge, and the intellectual dialog, and the brain exercise, I found myself resenting every moment I spent working on my homework. After some really tough soul-searching, I've decided that it's not the right time for me to go on for my degree. Tough decision to make. But, I think it's all good.
3. I am hopelessly addicted to cooking. And entertaining. Some people relieve stress by working out. I wind down at the end of a long day by cooking dinner. There is something seriously "zen" about chopping vegetables and setting things to saute in a bit of hot oil at the end of a long day. It's gotten to the point where I can't think of much I'd rather do after a nasty day at work than roast a chicken. Entertaining people at our house is a close second. I can't think of much that's more enjoyable than having a few people over for dinner... unless I haven't had time to plan everything out (which is the only point at which entertaining feels like a chore).
4. Cooking has made me into a "gadget girl". I always swore that you only needed a few things in the kitchen -- a few good knives, some good pots & pans... the basics. And for years, I got along quite well with the bare minimum. However, in the past few years, I have managed to accumulate a variety of (very useful) gadgets. A panini press. A waffle iron. A cherry/olive pitter. A tomato knife. A pasta roller. A variety of cake decorating supplies, including a turn-table, 3 offset spatulas, and a cake leveler. Silpats. A cookie press. An outdoor convection cooker. And for Christmas -- a Le Creuset Dutch oven (yay!).
5. I sometimes lose my cool. My mother was a yeller. I always swore I would never follow in her footsteps. Unfortunately, frustration brings out the worst in me. And my vocal decibels rise. It's something I always mean to work on, but not something I've not been terribly successful in abolishing.
6. I am 100% certain that my marriage is meant to be. Peef and I have a pretty good marriage. Most of the time, it's a partnership of equals to which we both contribute our finest qualities. But, sometimes I wonder how Peef puts up with me. There are times when I KNOW I'd drive myself up a wall... and most of the time, he acts pretty unphazed. Even after ten years, we seem to be discovering new things about one another. Thank God for that.
7. I have never been thin. In fact, I have absolutely NO IDEA what it would be like to be thin. There is positively NO doubt that I could be thinner than I am -- but I am quite positive that it would be impossible for me to ever become truly THIN. I recognize this most easily when I try on clothing from the Vera Wang collection at Kohls. Some things will never hang properly on a girl who is 5'4" and curvy.
8. I am not the easiest person to get to know. Someone at work who I've been getting to know for a couple of years pointed this out to me just before Christmas. It's not something of which I was completely unaware; but, I dont' think that anyone had ever come right out and said it to me before. It's true that I'm more introvert than extrovert. I like people, and I have quite number of very close friends. However, I don't feel that it's vital for most people really to know a whole lot about my inner workings. Thinking back on examples of how this works, it occurred to me that I'd worked at Marquette for almost two years when a colleague who worked in my office asked me if I had any children... I guess that illustrates my point.
9. Hallmark cards sometimes make me cry. This is a fairly recent development. I used to be made of steel when it came to sappy movies and touchy feely birthday cards. But, these days, I can stir myself up into a whorl of emotion just by taking a walk down the greeting card aisle. Sometimes, it's a useful form of catharsis. I'd highly recommend it.
10. I am a bit of a control freak. For people who know me well, this is no mystery. I love overseeing the big picture and putting all the pieces in place. I don't need to control what everyone else does, but I like having jurisdiction over my own life. It used to be that I had every moment planned out to a "tee". Marriage has helped me to relax a little bit. The lemons that life has thrown us of late have also helped me to revamp my perspectives. These days, I'm working on letting go a little bit more. But, I'm still not perfectly comfortable letting someone else take the wheel.
And now, for the tagging! I don't think I'll quite make seven, but here goes my best shot.
- Jess (at Floor 22) - who is a kindred spirit in the quest for honesty
- Cheryl (at Free Range Living) - whose adventures always seem to ring true
- Adam (from Baking with Dynamite) - whose insights on life (and dessert) are always worth reading
- Paula (at It's All Gouda) - whose storytelling and cooking are an inspiration
- Amanda (from Daily Diner) - who is a constant reminder that cooking healthy, wholesome food doesn't have to be costly or time consuming
Thursday
Merry Christmas!!
We've been busy lately with all the preparations that go along with the holidays.
Like baking cookies!
And decorating our Christmas tree!
However, we haven't forgotten about friends and family -- who truly make our lives worth living.
Here's hoping that each and every one of you has a very Blessed Christmas... and that 2009 follows with more good things than any of you can imagine.
Like baking cookies!
And decorating our Christmas tree!
However, we haven't forgotten about friends and family -- who truly make our lives worth living.Here's hoping that each and every one of you has a very Blessed Christmas... and that 2009 follows with more good things than any of you can imagine.
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