Most of you know that David and I have a little over a month left in Hawaii. (Hallelujah!) And, like 95% of the people I've talked to in the last month, you're probably wondering how the packing is going. I really wish people would stop asking me that question for many reasons: 1) The military movers come in and pack everything for you. In fact, they do not want you to pack up anything yourself for inventory and insurance purposes and I'm totally cool with them doing all the heavy work, 2) Because I'm lazy and don't want to do it, and 3) I am insanely talented at deluded myself into thinking that I have lots more time to get everything done. Hence, no packing of any kind has been done.
The most difficult part of the packing process is determining what items we want to keep with us for the two months that we'll be separated from our belongings. (Our stuff will be packed up on May 22nd. It will not arrive in South Korea until July 27th, over a month and a half after we arrive in Korea. Fun times!) I also want to do a complete inventory of everything we own because the military has this really wonderful habit of losing your stuff along the way. I don't have much stuff (most of our poundage comes in the form of books) but I'm rather attached to the stuff I do have. And there are those items (childhood trinkets, journals, and photo albums) that are simply irreplaceable should they be lost.
So, you may be wondering what I've been doing with myself instead of doing all the inventorying and packing and arranging. I would draw your attention back to item number 3. Aside from watching all five seasons of Babylon 5, refinancing our condo so we can rent it out, working, and playing with Suyom (I need to post some photos of her), I haven't really been doing much. But now that I've finally convinced myself that we do not have much time left for such frivolities, here's a list of the fun (and not so fun) things I need to do in the next month.
1) Organize like I've never organized before.
2) Inventory everything we own and take pictures of said items.
3) Clean out the refrigerator and kitchen cupboards, determine what can be shipped and what must be eaten, used or given away before we leave.
4) Scan photos. Back up any files (possibly on an external hard-drive).
5) Go to Kauai. Trip planned for next week, Monday through Thursday. Will write a charming blog post about our many wonderful adventures on the Garden Island.
6) Figure out what to do with Suyom. Take her to the vet for a health inspection.
7) Get appointment with eye doctor and get new pair of glasses since adorable nephew broke my old ones. Which are still functional, just slightly wonky.
8) See other medical professionals as needed.
9) Visit my dentist for the VERY last time. Sing songs of praise.
10) Pack.
11) Make endless number of lists. Like this one.
12) Gather and organize very important documents which must travel with us.
13) Finalize all travel plans and details.
14) Freak out. Just a little.
15) Go to Maui. Trip tentatively planned for second week of May. (Might as well see all the islands before we go!)
16) Go shopping and buy new clothes as I will not be able to find anything my size in Korea, the land of tiny Asian women.
17) Put in forwarding mail address at Post Office. To somewhere....
18) Make minor repairs to our condo including changing light fixtures and outlets, door knobs, painting and deep carpet clean.
19) Find a renter for our condo.
20) Look into Vonage, so we can still call people in America.
21) Say good-bye to friends.
22) Write farewell talk for church, scheduled May 10th. Mother's Day!
23) Remember to call my mom on Mother's Day. And send a card if really ambitious.
Yes, it's becoming all to real to me now. Maybe I should get started on it right now. Or maybe, I'll just keep reading my book and promise to get started tomorrow. Yeah, that'll work.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Obsession of the Week
In an attempt to be more prolific on this blog, I've been trying to think of different topics I could talk about on a weekly basis, in addition to little random updates about our life. My book reviews earlier this month were one such attempt but since the books I've been currently reading look suspiciously like the reading list for a twelve-year old girl, I think I'll suspend that for now until I read something worth mentioning. Right now, I'm reading a lot of "mind candy" which the librarian at my local library calls those mindless pieces of fluffy, fun literature. I think that's an apt description of my current literary tastes.
Back in January, I talked about obsessions and so I'm rolling out Liz's weekly obsessions. It may be bi-weekly. I like a lot of stuff and I think you should like it too.
One of my favorite TV shows that has not been unceremoniously cancelled (stupid ABC) is NBC's Chuck (which is currently in danger of not being renewed even though it's pretty much awesome). It, more than any other show, is able to mix heavy plots with light-heartedness and moments of tenderness. The titular character, Chuck, is adorably goofy and immensely charming and funny. But one of the best things about the show is that it has the best soundtrack and I always find awesome new bands. A month or two ago, the show featured this song, "Freeze and Explode" by Cassettes Won't Listen and I can't stop listening to it on repeat. I don't know why.
This week's episode had a lot of great music, but they haven't posted the set list yet. I can't wait to find more good music.
I really hope they don't cancel this show. That would be a big bummer. And mean one less obsession for me.
Back in January, I talked about obsessions and so I'm rolling out Liz's weekly obsessions. It may be bi-weekly. I like a lot of stuff and I think you should like it too.
One of my favorite TV shows that has not been unceremoniously cancelled (stupid ABC) is NBC's Chuck (which is currently in danger of not being renewed even though it's pretty much awesome). It, more than any other show, is able to mix heavy plots with light-heartedness and moments of tenderness. The titular character, Chuck, is adorably goofy and immensely charming and funny. But one of the best things about the show is that it has the best soundtrack and I always find awesome new bands. A month or two ago, the show featured this song, "Freeze and Explode" by Cassettes Won't Listen and I can't stop listening to it on repeat. I don't know why.
This week's episode had a lot of great music, but they haven't posted the set list yet. I can't wait to find more good music.
I really hope they don't cancel this show. That would be a big bummer. And mean one less obsession for me.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
New Blog!
Well, it's the same blog, just a different layout and design. I'm still debating whether or not I want to keep this as you see it now (it does have a certain charm) but for now, I'm leaving it as it is because it allows the videos I've posted below to be shown in their full frames, and not cut off like they were before.
I think I need to play around with my blog a lot more. There's all sorts of fun things you can do with a blog to customize it. Of course, I wish I knew enough about HTML to do exactly what I wanted with my blog and it's design, but for now, I'm satisfied mooching off of other people.
What do ya'll think? (About the new look, not mooching off of people.)
I think I need to play around with my blog a lot more. There's all sorts of fun things you can do with a blog to customize it. Of course, I wish I knew enough about HTML to do exactly what I wanted with my blog and it's design, but for now, I'm satisfied mooching off of other people.
What do ya'll think? (About the new look, not mooching off of people.)
The Music of Movies
One of my favorite parts of going to the movies, which I don't do much anymore because a) it's expensive and b) there's absolutely nothing worth seeing, is to see the previews. I love movie trailers because they either let you know that a movie you've never heard of before is worth seeing (or not) or they make you even more excited for a movie that you have been anticipating for quite some time. I've noticed that some of my favorite bands (Sigur Ros, Band of Horses and Arcade Fire) have more and more of their music showing up in movie trailers, commercials and TV shows which always makes me want to see the movie if only because of somebody's good taste of music.
Sigur Ros is this wonderfully eclectic and poetic Icelandic band who compose beautiful six minute musical masterpieces....and you can never understand a single word that they sing. Most of the time, they sing in Icelandic, but, as I've recently discovered, they've also created their own language which sounds fantastic set in musical form, almost like the sound of humpback whales. Which is rather appropriate that their music was first featured in Wes Anderson's quirky The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou during one of the most pivotal underwater scenes.
(This song is entitled "Starálfur," off their second album Ágætis byrjun . My favorite song from this album is "Svefn-g-englar" which I swore was used in this movie too, but it's been 4 years since I've seen it so I could be wrong....)
After seeing Life Aquatic, I borrowed all their CDs from my friend Danny (who had insisted we see the movie in the first place) and have since fallen in love with them. And you've heard them too. I hear them everywhere now, in commercials, TV shows, and especially, movie trailers. And everytime a movie trailer uses music by Sigur Ros, I'm instantly drawn to the movie. Because if they pick Sigur Ros' hauntingly poignant music to represent their music, then there might be something in it that will touch my heart as well.
You've most likely heard the song "Hoppípolla" off their fourth album Takk (my second favorite) in these movie trailers:
Disney Earth (during the second half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qicARYcTe6w
(Sorry, I can't imbed everything anymore.)
Baby animals! This song was also used extensively in the BBC's mini-series, Planet Earth.
Slumdog Millionaire (halfway through)
Children of Men (again at the end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NikEQy1XxDE
It's also used in several movies, including Penelope, in the final scene. Actually, Penelope is a repeat offender because they also use Band of Horses "The Funeral' at the end of their trailer.
And just today, I saw the trailer for Spike Jones' Where the Wild Things Are which features a re-recorded version of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," one of my absolute favorite songs off their Funeral album.
P.S. If you like Sigur Ros, you should check out their music video for "Glósóli," again off Takk, which is an absolute stunning music video for a beautiful song....
...or the real music video for "Hoppipolla" (which means, I believe, puddle jumpers) which sees senior citizens behaving like children.
Excuse me while I go tear up just a little.
Sigur Ros is this wonderfully eclectic and poetic Icelandic band who compose beautiful six minute musical masterpieces....and you can never understand a single word that they sing. Most of the time, they sing in Icelandic, but, as I've recently discovered, they've also created their own language which sounds fantastic set in musical form, almost like the sound of humpback whales. Which is rather appropriate that their music was first featured in Wes Anderson's quirky The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou during one of the most pivotal underwater scenes.
(This song is entitled "Starálfur," off their second album Ágætis byrjun . My favorite song from this album is "Svefn-g-englar" which I swore was used in this movie too, but it's been 4 years since I've seen it so I could be wrong....)
After seeing Life Aquatic, I borrowed all their CDs from my friend Danny (who had insisted we see the movie in the first place) and have since fallen in love with them. And you've heard them too. I hear them everywhere now, in commercials, TV shows, and especially, movie trailers. And everytime a movie trailer uses music by Sigur Ros, I'm instantly drawn to the movie. Because if they pick Sigur Ros' hauntingly poignant music to represent their music, then there might be something in it that will touch my heart as well.
You've most likely heard the song "Hoppípolla" off their fourth album Takk (my second favorite) in these movie trailers:
Disney Earth (during the second half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qicARYcTe6w
(Sorry, I can't imbed everything anymore.)
Baby animals! This song was also used extensively in the BBC's mini-series, Planet Earth.
Slumdog Millionaire (halfway through)
Children of Men (again at the end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NikEQy1XxDE
It's also used in several movies, including Penelope, in the final scene. Actually, Penelope is a repeat offender because they also use Band of Horses "The Funeral' at the end of their trailer.
And just today, I saw the trailer for Spike Jones' Where the Wild Things Are which features a re-recorded version of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," one of my absolute favorite songs off their Funeral album.
P.S. If you like Sigur Ros, you should check out their music video for "Glósóli," again off Takk, which is an absolute stunning music video for a beautiful song....
...or the real music video for "Hoppipolla" (which means, I believe, puddle jumpers) which sees senior citizens behaving like children.
Excuse me while I go tear up just a little.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Reason #254 Why I'm Glad to Leave Hawaii
I was almost eaten alive by a centipede last night. It was a very harrowing experience.
Two nights ago, David woke up around 5:30 a.m. in a panic. He'd felt something crawling on his arm and he leapt out of bed, grabbed the flashlight and went off to search for whatever creature had been messing with him. I thought he had just dreamed the whole thing and so I remained in bed, only half aware of what David was doing. He swore he felt something, but I thought he was just crazy.
I'm a very supportive wife, aren't I?
Anyway, last night I fell asleep on the couch while reading. I often stay up later than David to read or work on last minute things, but I've never fallen alseep on the couch. I'm generally very good at determining when I'm finally tired enough to put the book down and crawl into bed next to David. Last night, I just closed my eyes for a second and I was out.
But then, around 2:30 a.m., I was suddenly wide awake and saw a centipede crawling up my blanket towards my head. It was going to eat me! So I quickly threw my blanket off, attempting to catch the centipede inside and flew off the couch and went into the bedroom to wake David up.
There was no way I was going after this centipede alone. Actually, there was no way I was going after the centipede at all.
So once David was awake, we shook out the blanket, but the centipede had already shuffled off, as they do so well with all their little legs. We searched all around the living room and eventually found the sucker hiding underneath the couch. David promptly killed the centipede three times: he sprayed it with bug spray, stomped on it, and then flushed it down the toilet to prove that it was properly dead.
Even still, I had a very hard time falling asleep again. I kept feeling something crawl on me all night.
Granted, it was a very small centipede (maybe 2-3 incheslong, which is very small for the centipedes around here) and maybe it's intent was not to kill me (though they are venomous), but I hope to never see another disgusting centipede crawling towards my face ever, ever again.
I sure hope there aren't any bugs in Korea.
Two nights ago, David woke up around 5:30 a.m. in a panic. He'd felt something crawling on his arm and he leapt out of bed, grabbed the flashlight and went off to search for whatever creature had been messing with him. I thought he had just dreamed the whole thing and so I remained in bed, only half aware of what David was doing. He swore he felt something, but I thought he was just crazy.
I'm a very supportive wife, aren't I?
Anyway, last night I fell asleep on the couch while reading. I often stay up later than David to read or work on last minute things, but I've never fallen alseep on the couch. I'm generally very good at determining when I'm finally tired enough to put the book down and crawl into bed next to David. Last night, I just closed my eyes for a second and I was out.
But then, around 2:30 a.m., I was suddenly wide awake and saw a centipede crawling up my blanket towards my head. It was going to eat me! So I quickly threw my blanket off, attempting to catch the centipede inside and flew off the couch and went into the bedroom to wake David up.
There was no way I was going after this centipede alone. Actually, there was no way I was going after the centipede at all.
So once David was awake, we shook out the blanket, but the centipede had already shuffled off, as they do so well with all their little legs. We searched all around the living room and eventually found the sucker hiding underneath the couch. David promptly killed the centipede three times: he sprayed it with bug spray, stomped on it, and then flushed it down the toilet to prove that it was properly dead.
Even still, I had a very hard time falling asleep again. I kept feeling something crawl on me all night.
Granted, it was a very small centipede (maybe 2-3 incheslong, which is very small for the centipedes around here) and maybe it's intent was not to kill me (though they are venomous), but I hope to never see another disgusting centipede crawling towards my face ever, ever again.
I sure hope there aren't any bugs in Korea.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Bucket List
You all know that I have a weakness for random surveys. I can't help myself. I'm typically a very private person but surveys make me want to confess all my sins. I don't know why. I saw this on a friend's Facebook page and I enjoyed the list. I also realized, in the process of marking my Xs, that I've lived a very cool and interesting life thus far. I've gotten to live all over the U.S., in Italy and soon Korea. I've gotten to travel and visit places few people see. I've had random moments of sheer insanity and I've had moments that I can't help but remember and laugh. I tend to think, now that I'm out of school and married that I've really achieved nothing in my life. I have no children, I have no career. I've done nothing that makes me think I've succeeded at something and yet, apparently, I am. I'm succeeding at life....in some small way, at least.
The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone on a blind date -Why is it that every married person wants to set up their non-married friends? My one blind date does make for a good story though despite the fact that he never asked me out again. Not that I blame him.
(X) Skipped school - It's called early admission and what's the point when you're about to graduate?
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been to Hawaii - Um, ya think?
(X) Been on a plane - How do you think I got to Hawaii?
( ) Been on a helicopter - They scare me just a little.
(X) Been lost - Physically, emotionally, mentally? Um, who hasn't?
(X) Gone to Washington, DC - I know this town upside and down. Go on, ask me.
( ) Met a president of the U.S. - But my best friend has. Does that count? I've been to the Oval Office.
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke - If Rockband counts...
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch - I have vague recollections of this....I was only seven.
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - More times than I can count.
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans - I went to New Orleans when I was seven. I have no recollection of what streets we walked down, but I bet this was on the list.
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(X) Driven across the United States - Road trip, age 7. I understandably didn't actually do any of the driving myself.
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country - Soon to be one more
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser - Love Yellowstone and the Tetons
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train - I actually really enjoy riding trains.
(X) Traveled by motorcycle - I was part of a motorcycle gang once. I just rode on the back of other boys' bikes.
(X) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World - Both, though Disneyland WAY more times, obviously.
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins - We were going to! But it's dang expensive.
(X) Been to the Olympics - Salt Lake, 2002. Hahaha. I've got some good stories from here too. Did you know that I rode in the backseat of a car with half of the Australian speed skating team and one very drunk gold medalist who would not stop rubbing my legs? True story.
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China - No, but soooooon. I hope.
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf - I don't even know what this means....?
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing-Does it count if I was never able to stand up?
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Louvre
(X) Swam in the Mediterranean - Many times. Ahhh, bliss.
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game - More than I can possibly count.
( ) Been to a National Football League game - I don't do football. Now, soccer on the other hand....I've been to several professional soccer matches and lived to tell the tale.
It's a good start, sure, but there are so many other things I want to do and see. Life is pretty cool sometimes, when it's not kicking your butt.
The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone on a blind date -Why is it that every married person wants to set up their non-married friends? My one blind date does make for a good story though despite the fact that he never asked me out again. Not that I blame him.
(X) Skipped school - It's called early admission and what's the point when you're about to graduate?
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been to Hawaii - Um, ya think?
(X) Been on a plane - How do you think I got to Hawaii?
( ) Been on a helicopter - They scare me just a little.
(X) Been lost - Physically, emotionally, mentally? Um, who hasn't?
(X) Gone to Washington, DC - I know this town upside and down. Go on, ask me.
( ) Met a president of the U.S. - But my best friend has. Does that count? I've been to the Oval Office.
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke - If Rockband counts...
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch - I have vague recollections of this....I was only seven.
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - More times than I can count.
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans - I went to New Orleans when I was seven. I have no recollection of what streets we walked down, but I bet this was on the list.
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(X) Driven across the United States - Road trip, age 7. I understandably didn't actually do any of the driving myself.
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country - Soon to be one more
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser - Love Yellowstone and the Tetons
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train - I actually really enjoy riding trains.
(X) Traveled by motorcycle - I was part of a motorcycle gang once. I just rode on the back of other boys' bikes.
(X) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World - Both, though Disneyland WAY more times, obviously.
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins - We were going to! But it's dang expensive.
(X) Been to the Olympics - Salt Lake, 2002. Hahaha. I've got some good stories from here too. Did you know that I rode in the backseat of a car with half of the Australian speed skating team and one very drunk gold medalist who would not stop rubbing my legs? True story.
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China - No, but soooooon. I hope.
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf - I don't even know what this means....?
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing-Does it count if I was never able to stand up?
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Louvre
(X) Swam in the Mediterranean - Many times. Ahhh, bliss.
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game - More than I can possibly count.
( ) Been to a National Football League game - I don't do football. Now, soccer on the other hand....I've been to several professional soccer matches and lived to tell the tale.
It's a good start, sure, but there are so many other things I want to do and see. Life is pretty cool sometimes, when it's not kicking your butt.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Mimi Was Here
This is Mimi. Don't be fooled by her angelic face. She's a monster. A gecko-hunting, hyper-active, spastic ball of fur with a kinked-up tail. And she's got a little bit of a belly. Just don't tell her that. She's a bit sensitive.
Oh sure, she's got that cute little mottled look going for her. And the loudest purr on the island of Oahu. It sounds like a broken carburetor. If, of course, I knew what a broken carburetor sounded like....
Sure, she has moments of absolute adorableness that make you forget what a truly horrific monster she is. Until she starts using the litter box as her personal playground and spreads the cat litter (and its unsavory contents) all around the bathroom floor. And then she started the truly baffling habit of actually peeing straight down the drain in our bathtub. I didn't know whether to applaud her, laugh or cry in frustration.
Our poor Suyom (who I've taken to calling Su-ey) was none too happy when this little bundle of fur came to stay with us only a few days after we took Suyom in. I'd promised Mimi's mother months ago that we'd cat-sit for her little kitten while she was away during the month of March and I wasn't about to refuse her now that we had a new cat of our own.
And while Mimi was an....interesting addition to our home (which now has a significantly lowered gecko population), I was a little bit relieved to see her go this week. Suyom has had enough stress already without a kitten to deal with. She doesn't know that a move to South Korea lies in her future. I bet she'll love us for that.
And though I'm glad to be down to just one cat again, I can't help miss Mimi just a little.
I mean, c'mon! Who doesn't love a little kitty face like that?
Except for the geckos, of course.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
In honor of the completion of my root canal procedure (I had my permanent crown fitted and cemented today, hooray!) I bring you the ooey gooey goodness of these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. Because nothing screams root canal better than a lot of sugar.
I snagged the recipe off of Bakerella's blog. She, in turn, snagged the recipe from another site. (Links to recipes are inside the comments. My computer is acting funky today. Sorry.) It's meant to be a regular two layer cake recipe with a dark chocolate ganache, but I decided to make cupcakes instead.
One thing about this recipe that I really liked was how easy it was. Plus, I liked that it used a regular cake mix as its foundation. I've made a lot of cakes from scratch and I'm still not sure that they're any better than cakes from a box. 
One thing I have discovered is that a cake recipe should always include either buttermilk or sour cream. Either of these ingredients will make your cake moist and delicious. And don't worry about buying actual buttermilk. You can make your own by pouring in one tablespoon of lemon juice into a one cup measure and then filling the rest of the cup with whatever milk you have on hand. If you let it sit for 5 minutes, it turns into a very close approximation of buttermilk.
There are a lot of peanut butter cups used in this recipe. Not only did I put chopped peanut butter cups on top of the ganache, but there's also two cups of peanut butter cups in the batter itself. Talk about decadent. Peanut butter and chocolate is such a heavenly combination.
In addition to my 2 dozen cupcakes, I also make this little mini-cake for my friend Gaby whose birthday was last Wednesday. The chocolate ganache did start to melt rather quickly (it's best to throw the cupcakes in the refrigerator for an hour to harden the chocolate) but it still turned out pretty well, if only slightly lopsided. I'm working on the pretty part still.
I snagged the recipe off of Bakerella's blog. She, in turn, snagged the recipe from another site. (Links to recipes are inside the comments. My computer is acting funky today. Sorry.) It's meant to be a regular two layer cake recipe with a dark chocolate ganache, but I decided to make cupcakes instead.
One thing about this recipe that I really liked was how easy it was. Plus, I liked that it used a regular cake mix as its foundation. I've made a lot of cakes from scratch and I'm still not sure that they're any better than cakes from a box. But maybe I just haven't found the right cake recipe yet.
One thing I have discovered is that a cake recipe should always include either buttermilk or sour cream. Either of these ingredients will make your cake moist and delicious. And don't worry about buying actual buttermilk. You can make your own by pouring in one tablespoon of lemon juice into a one cup measure and then filling the rest of the cup with whatever milk you have on hand. If you let it sit for 5 minutes, it turns into a very close approximation of buttermilk.
There are a lot of peanut butter cups used in this recipe. Not only did I put chopped peanut butter cups on top of the ganache, but there's also two cups of peanut butter cups in the batter itself. Talk about decadent. Peanut butter and chocolate is such a heavenly combination.
In addition to my 2 dozen cupcakes, I also make this little mini-cake for my friend Gaby whose birthday was last Wednesday. The chocolate ganache did start to melt rather quickly (it's best to throw the cupcakes in the refrigerator for an hour to harden the chocolate) but it still turned out pretty well, if only slightly lopsided. I'm working on the pretty part still. But they still tasted divine.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
More Books, Week Two
So. Last week, I read a lot of Shannon Hale. In addition to the two books I mentioned last week, I also read Enna Burning which I did not enjoy as much as the others. I still have River Secrets sitting on my bookshelf, and perhaps I'll get to it later. This week I've continued on my YA kick and turned to a new author, Meg Cabot. I was talking to a co-worker of sorts about my new YA fiction addiction (hah! that rhymes!) and she mentioned that I should read Meg Cabot. I'd heard of her, of course, so the next day I went to the library and picked up the first two volumes of the Princess Diaries.
A brief interlude. I must at this point admit my particular fondness for Disney movies and/or "tween girl movies" like What a Girl Wants, A Cinderella Story, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and yes, even The Princess Diaries starring Anne Hathaway. What can I say? I've got a sixteen year old girl living inside me somewhere. (Though if the YA books I've read lately are any indication, my 16 year old self has a much better vocabulary than most.) I loved the movie, so I should love the book, right?
Usually, I always say that the book is better. Well, I've recently read a string of books that have made me recount that statement. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, necessarily, since the book and the movie often end up being very different creatures and are hardly comparable. (Take, for instance, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, which I love, and the movie starring Jim Caveziel, which I also love and which have absolutely nothing in common except for France and the characters' names.) I wonder, also, if seeing the movie first prevents me from liking the book as much as I would have if I hadn't had the movie to compare it to. For the record, movies I liked more than the books: Stardust, The Devil Wears Prada, Confessions of a Shopaholic and now, The Princess Diaries (TPD). But I can also safely put TPD in the category of books and movies which have very little in common.
This leads me to another brief detour: I like Disney. I like that Disney takes sometimes unpleasant and gruesome fairy tales and makes them happy. I like that they sugarcoat the world and create a feel-good environment. Sure, I'm normally on the side of strict literary integrity when it comes to movie adaptations but sometimes, you just want something upbeat and Disney can provide that. I like TPD movie for this reason. It's cute, it's charming, it's funny. There are no Sidecar drinking, cigarette smoking, domineering grandmothers in Disney's version of the Princess Diaries. Which is exactly the kind of grandmother (the ostensible queen of Genovia) that makes an appearance in the book. In Disney movies, this type of woman would be on the bad side.
Before I get ahead of myself, I should probably explain the brief plot points of the book for those who are not familiar with it or the movie. Mia Thermopolis, a freshmen at a private school in New York City (the movie is set in San Francisco), discovers that her father (who is still alive, but in the movie is quite dead), is actually not a minor politician in a small European country called Genovia, but is, in fact, it's ruler. And, Mia, his illegitimate daughter with an American painter, is now his sole heir since he can longer sire any children after a battle with cancer. Mia must now endure "princess lessons" with her domineering grandmere (the lovable Julie Andrews in the movie is not a single thing like this grandmother). Mia must deal with her new position in life and her title, all the while battling high school stereotypes, mean girls, and unrequited crushes....and the fact that her mother is now dating her algebra teacher.
The book is, like it's title su
ggests, written from Mia's point of view, as if she were writing in her journal. Mia is at times selfish, self-aware, whiny, intelligent, frustrating, annoying, and delightful. Cabot's writing is, I think, very true to teenage girls but still leaves the reader a bit frustrated. (I kept thinking, "Did I REALLY do and say such stupid things when I was 14?") Despite its shortcomings, the Diaries is an entertaining and fast read. It's like a soap opera you can't stop watching. Which is why, against my better judgment, I read the second volume.
Once again, Mia writes about her struggles to accept her position as a princess, while dealing with her mother's unexpected pregnancy and marriage to her algebra teacher, a secret admirer, a primetime television interview and her still formidable grandmother. As usual, Mia's inner thoughts are a mixture of whining and whimsy as she deals with all this. But the more annoying thing is how quickly you can read these books and how instantaneously you fall right into the characters' worlds. I'm not kidding when I say it's like a soap opera you can't stop watching. And there are NINE volumes so far. Someone please stop me soon.
After reading the first two books in TPD series, I turned to another Meg Cabot book that my friend had recommended: Avalon High. Elaine "Ellie" Harrison moves with her parents (a pair of medieval scholars) from Minnesota to Annapolis, Maryland while her parents take a year long sabbatical to continue their studies in nearby DC. Her new high school, Avalon High, seems like a typical high school with the stereotypical students: Lance the jock, Jennifer the cheerleader, Marco, the bad boy/desperado, and Will, the senior class president, quarterback, and all around good guy. Eventually, it becomes apparent that Avalon High is a place where the ancient Arthurian legend is repeating itself. Will, Jennifer, Lance, Marco, and Mr. Morton all correspond to King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Knight Lancelot, Mordred, and Merlin, respectively. If this is the case, then Will (as Arthur) is in danger of being killed by his half-brother, Marco. Ellie decides to take matters into her own hands and help Will and in the process, discovers something about herself that she never knew before.
Looking back, I realize it's a pretty shaky premise with a weak plot, but I still really enjoyed it, far more The Princess Diaries, in fact. The characters are fun and Ellie has a very distinctive voice (if similar to Mia's). I'd read it again. Then again, I'm a sucker for Arthur legends.
Now, lest you think I've completely abandoned adult works, I'm in the process of reading a biography of John Steinbeck, since I realized that I know very little about my favorite American author. It's a massive book (over a thousand pages) so it will probably be a few weeks before I come back with my review of that book.
But in the meantime, I'm wondering, are there other movies out there that you enjoyed more than the books? Do you like Disney movies? Do you have a secret love of YA books and films like me? It's okay....don't feel bad if you do. We can start a support group.
A brief interlude. I must at this point admit my particular fondness for Disney movies and/or "tween girl movies" like What a Girl Wants, A Cinderella Story, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and yes, even The Princess Diaries starring Anne Hathaway. What can I say? I've got a sixteen year old girl living inside me somewhere. (Though if the YA books I've read lately are any indication, my 16 year old self has a much better vocabulary than most.) I loved the movie, so I should love the book, right?
Usually, I always say that the book is better. Well, I've recently read a string of books that have made me recount that statement. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, necessarily, since the book and the movie often end up being very different creatures and are hardly comparable. (Take, for instance, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, which I love, and the movie starring Jim Caveziel, which I also love and which have absolutely nothing in common except for France and the characters' names.) I wonder, also, if seeing the movie first prevents me from liking the book as much as I would have if I hadn't had the movie to compare it to. For the record, movies I liked more than the books: Stardust, The Devil Wears Prada, Confessions of a Shopaholic and now, The Princess Diaries (TPD). But I can also safely put TPD in the category of books and movies which have very little in common.
This leads me to another brief detour: I like Disney. I like that Disney takes sometimes unpleasant and gruesome fairy tales and makes them happy. I like that they sugarcoat the world and create a feel-good environment. Sure, I'm normally on the side of strict literary integrity when it comes to movie adaptations but sometimes, you just want something upbeat and Disney can provide that. I like TPD movie for this reason. It's cute, it's charming, it's funny. There are no Sidecar drinking, cigarette smoking, domineering grandmothers in Disney's version of the Princess Diaries. Which is exactly the kind of grandmother (the ostensible queen of Genovia) that makes an appearance in the book. In Disney movies, this type of woman would be on the bad side.
Before I get ahead of myself, I should probably explain the brief plot points of the book for those who are not familiar with it or the movie. Mia Thermopolis, a freshmen at a private school in New York City (the movie is set in San Francisco), discovers that her father (who is still alive, but in the movie is quite dead), is actually not a minor politician in a small European country called Genovia, but is, in fact, it's ruler. And, Mia, his illegitimate daughter with an American painter, is now his sole heir since he can longer sire any children after a battle with cancer. Mia must now endure "princess lessons" with her domineering grandmere (the lovable Julie Andrews in the movie is not a single thing like this grandmother). Mia must deal with her new position in life and her title, all the while battling high school stereotypes, mean girls, and unrequited crushes....and the fact that her mother is now dating her algebra teacher.
The book is, like it's title su
ggests, written from Mia's point of view, as if she were writing in her journal. Mia is at times selfish, self-aware, whiny, intelligent, frustrating, annoying, and delightful. Cabot's writing is, I think, very true to teenage girls but still leaves the reader a bit frustrated. (I kept thinking, "Did I REALLY do and say such stupid things when I was 14?") Despite its shortcomings, the Diaries is an entertaining and fast read. It's like a soap opera you can't stop watching. Which is why, against my better judgment, I read the second volume.Once again, Mia writes about her struggles to accept her position as a princess, while dealing with her mother's unexpected pregnancy and marriage to her algebra teacher, a secret admirer, a primetime television interview and her still formidable grandmother. As usual, Mia's inner thoughts are a mixture of whining and whimsy as she deals with all this. But the more annoying thing is how quickly you can read these books and how instantaneously you fall right into the characters' worlds. I'm not kidding when I say it's like a soap opera you can't stop watching. And there are NINE volumes so far. Someone please stop me soon.
After reading the first two books in TPD series, I turned to another Meg Cabot book that my friend had recommended: Avalon High. Elaine "Ellie" Harrison moves with her parents (a pair of medieval scholars) from Minnesota to Annapolis, Maryland while her parents take a year long sabbatical to continue their studies in nearby DC. Her new high school, Avalon High, seems like a typical high school with the stereotypical students: Lance the jock, Jennifer the cheerleader, Marco, the bad boy/desperado, and Will, the senior class president, quarterback, and all around good guy. Eventually, it becomes apparent that Avalon High is a place where the ancient Arthurian legend is repeating itself. Will, Jennifer, Lance, Marco, and Mr. Morton all correspond to King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Knight Lancelot, Mordred, and Merlin, respectively. If this is the case, then Will (as Arthur) is in danger of being killed by his half-brother, Marco. Ellie decides to take matters into her own hands and help Will and in the process, discovers something about herself that she never knew before.
Looking back, I realize it's a pretty shaky premise with a weak plot, but I still really enjoyed it, far more The Princess Diaries, in fact. The characters are fun and Ellie has a very distinctive voice (if similar to Mia's). I'd read it again. Then again, I'm a sucker for Arthur legends.
Now, lest you think I've completely abandoned adult works, I'm in the process of reading a biography of John Steinbeck, since I realized that I know very little about my favorite American author. It's a massive book (over a thousand pages) so it will probably be a few weeks before I come back with my review of that book.
But in the meantime, I'm wondering, are there other movies out there that you enjoyed more than the books? Do you like Disney movies? Do you have a secret love of YA books and films like me? It's okay....don't feel bad if you do. We can start a support group.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!
I'm feeling rather magnanimous today so I'm going to share my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with my loyal blog readers. Only they're not just chocolate chip cookies. They're so much more. And since a good number of you lived at the Enclave during our BYU days, I'm going to let you in on another secret. I got this recipe from none other than the Culter brothers--Quinn and Drew. In fact, I call them Cutler cookies for lack of a better name since "awesome chocolate chip toffee oatmeal cookies" is quite a mouthful and I'd rather that my mouth were full of these delicious morsels.
Another secret? I LOVE cookies. I used to think that cake was my favorite thing ever, but I've recently determined that cookies quite literally take the cake (pun intended.....another sad example of how David has rubbed off on me). So without further ado, here's the recipe:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal, powdered
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
12 oz. chocolate chips (See below)
Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter and sugar. Blend eggs. Add powdered oatmeal and mix. Sift together salt, baking powder, soda, vanilla and flour. Add in batches to creamed ingredients. Batter will be very stiff—you might need to use a spoon or your hands. Mix in chips. Place gold-ball sized pieces of dought 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Do not mash flat. Bake 8 minutes
And because I like toffee so much, I often pour in some extra heapings of Heath's toffee bits.
It adds some more crunch and bite to the cookies. Trust me, it's worth it.
Mix everything up real good.
Now, another word of advice when baking, especially cookies: use parchment paper. The parchment paper prevents the need of using Pam or other sprays to prevent your cookies from sticking to the cookie sheet, it reduces the mess left on the cookie sheet after baking and helps keep your cookie from burning on the bottom. It's an all-around good idea.
I like to put big globs of dough on the cookie sheet because I like my cookies to come out fat and delicious. When the Cutlers made these cookies, they were always big and round and never flattened out. I think they forgot to put in the baking powder/baking soda. I've never figured out why my cookies turn out so differently than the cookies they used to always make for open houses....
....but either way, after 8 minutes, they come out golden and absolutely delicious. I promise. These cookies will ruin all other chocolate chip cookies for you.
Another secret? I LOVE cookies. I used to think that cake was my favorite thing ever, but I've recently determined that cookies quite literally take the cake (pun intended.....another sad example of how David has rubbed off on me). So without further ado, here's the recipe:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal, powdered
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
12 oz. chocolate chips (See below)
Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter and sugar. Blend eggs. Add powdered oatmeal and mix. Sift together salt, baking powder, soda, vanilla and flour. Add in batches to creamed ingredients. Batter will be very stiff—you might need to use a spoon or your hands. Mix in chips. Place gold-ball sized pieces of dought 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Do not mash flat. Bake 8 minutes
While the sugars, butter, and eggs are blending up in my Kitchenaid mixer, I powder the 2 cups of oatmeal. I use my food processor for this, but you can use a blender if you don't own a food processor. For the record, I love my food processor. It was my Christmas present from David. He felt a little guilty buying me a kitchen appliance as a gift, but I totally loved it. I love kitchen gadgets. Now, I just need a new blender. Anyway, back to the powdered oatmeal. You don't necessarily have to powder the oatmeal, you could just pour it in as is, but I like that the powder makes the oatmeal less obvious (and less chewy) and helps cut down on the need for more flour.
Once all the ingredients have been mixed together, you should have a nice stiff dough. I'll let you in on another secret. I've discovered that any baked good is only as good as the chocolate you put in it. The better the chocolate, the better the cookie--or brownie, or cake or frosting--will taste. You can use regular old chocolate chips and these cookies will still taste just fine, but I prefer to use a special chocolate bar for these cookies. It adds something extra double special.
I use Hersey's Symphony bars with toffee and almonds bits. The tiny bits of toffee and almonds really add something extra to the cookies themselves and the chocolate is very rich and delicious. Far better than some run-of-the-mill semi-sweet chocolate chip. I chop up between one to two Symphony bars (depending on size) or whatever other quality chocolate I have and dump that into the dough, like so.
And because I like toffee so much, I often pour in some extra heapings of Heath's toffee bits.
It adds some more crunch and bite to the cookies. Trust me, it's worth it.
Mix everything up real good.
Now, another word of advice when baking, especially cookies: use parchment paper. The parchment paper prevents the need of using Pam or other sprays to prevent your cookies from sticking to the cookie sheet, it reduces the mess left on the cookie sheet after baking and helps keep your cookie from burning on the bottom. It's an all-around good idea.
I like to put big globs of dough on the cookie sheet because I like my cookies to come out fat and delicious. When the Cutlers made these cookies, they were always big and round and never flattened out. I think they forgot to put in the baking powder/baking soda. I've never figured out why my cookies turn out so differently than the cookies they used to always make for open houses....
....but either way, after 8 minutes, they come out golden and absolutely delicious. I promise. These cookies will ruin all other chocolate chip cookies for you.
They're just that good.
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