pumpkin!

So, it's the season for pumpkins. Winter squash, etc. I made this pretty good cake the other day. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-spice-cake-with-honey-frosting?autonomy_kw=pumpkin%20cake
The icing was tasty- now i'll use it for all kinds of cake. Honey is way better than confectioner's sugar.
I also made some good pumpkin cupcakes- complete with marzipan pumpkins. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Spice-Bundt-Cake-with-Buttermilk-Icing-233011
Next, pumpkin cheesecake!

Baking

So, I've decided I'm gonna focus this blog mostly on baking. Maybe tomorrow I'll even buy a wireless router and discover how to use it. (So I can post pics of my creations.) Oh, and find my camera. Living in a construction zone has made me more organized but I still can't find anything. It's probably in the basement- a sentence Amy and I say on a daily basis. So, last week, I made amazing cupcakes for a baby shower. Maybe 2 weeks ago. Maple with maple buttercream and candied walnuts. Carrot ginger with cream cheese frosting and marzipan carrots. Coconut chocolate chip with cream cheese frosting and coconut decorations. Pretty fancy shit. Delicious all around. Coconut chocolate chip were tasty but not impressive. And not worth the extra trouble. They were an epicurious recipe. The other two were Martha. Turned out just like the pictures and absolutely awesome. The baby shower was impressed. Yesterday, I made apple crumble. Low fat recipe. Tasted pretty delicious. Here's the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/old-fashioned-apple-nut-crisp-recipe/index.html
Totally easy, cheap, delicious. And not bad for you.
Tonight, I'm making pumpkin spice cupcakes for Halloween. I... changed the recipe. I know, I know, Alicia doesn't believe me. But I did it, I read the other reviews at epicurious. And I followed some of their directions, but not totally. I added more spice, less sugar! And I made my own pumpkin puree. Mostly, so Amy can eat the seeds.
Here's the original: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/PUMPKIN-SPICE-BUNDT-CAKE-WITH-BUTTERMILK-ICING-233011
And I'm going to use a cream cheese icing instead of the buttermilk. Cuz ain't nobody wanna eat sugary buttermilk on their cupcake. Also, my obsession with marzipan continues. I will make marzipan pumpkins complete with little stems and leaves. That's how crazy I am.
And how much I don't want to think about going back to work on Friday.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I joined an informal group of friends doing pseudo Weight Watchers. So far, 7 lb weight loss. More about lifestyle change for me. Another reason to go to the gym, take the dog for a hike, etc. Eat better. Less sugar, less carbs, less fat. We'll see how it goes. So, now I'm on a mission to bake food that tastes as good, but is better for you. I don't like the idea of eating food made out of gross stuff that ends up not tasting good. Might as well have an apple. But, there is an art in low fat cheesecake that tastes good. Chocolate mousse made with tofu is delicous. Soy milk, sour cream, yogurt, applesauce. These are all good things. We'll see. The apple crisp is delicious. So is the fat free frozen yogurt that goes with it.

red bull doesn't taste good

just an fyi, full throttle tastes better than red bull. so, renovation/remodeling started monday. very loud. and exciting. the guys worked this week, before the rain set in on ripping apart the attic and putting down floor and studs for walls. the backyard is a pile of debris. chomondeley is not happy with these changes. but we do give him more leeway than normal. i think he'll settle down. he's not being bad, he just keeps following me around. katie and i took him out to sauvie island to run around at the beach. he loved it. made cookies- forgot to bring them to work. dammit. going to the gym- i'm gonna try for daily. if just for a little while with the bonus of the hot tub at the end, it might just work. started weight watchers too. not officially, just unofficially. those peeps don't need my money, but i'll take their principles. weekly weigh ins, couple of friends, just enough pressure. we'll see. work's very helpful with this- just getting lunch break now. so hungry i'm not hungry anymore. carrot sticks are yummy.

tom kha gai

yup, i made thai chicken coconut milk soup. it's pretty good. i'll make adjustments for next time, but totally edible. had fun yesterday. not to say that soup making isn't thrilling good fun. swam with a bunch of people and their kids at a pool. a country club pool. shades of the mclean hamlet pool. then went out to the woods with the boys. fished, hunted pbr cans with a bb gun, swam in the muck and cold to a submerged petrified log. did you know that full beer cans float? empty ones do not. got a bitchin' scratch from the debris. i shot a hole in the can, first shot, dead center. watch out, world. back to work tomorrow. oh, can't find the cat.

damn cat

thought he was a goner but the cat came back.
dammit, i thought i would have good news for amy when she came home... guess what, I lost the cat!
then he came back. dammit.
one more day of work and then i promise to post.
and maybe even get my computer in running order
and find my new contacts so i can get them checked out on friday
just to give you an idea of how exhausted/stupid i am, i paid rent yesterday. i live with my landlord, i have money and the bank is to and from work; i zipped my lip into my zipper; it took me 30 minutes to take out the trash.
i'm going to bed. almost immediately

South Pacific

Go watch it! Okay, go rent it as it's from 1958. Best movie ever. I never knew it was more than "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair" It's racist and derogatory. It's got short shorts, island dancing, GI's doing horrible things, outdoor showering, ridiculous plot lines, bad rhymes. Oh, and nurses, lots of nurses. It's pretty freakin' amazing.

Jam and early morning rambling thoughts

So, made jam. Yup, it's what's ya gotta do when you have a box full of peaches quickly rotting. Made a fuck-ton of jam. (sorry mom) Six batches, 25 lbs of sugar, lots of lemons, stick of butter. end result: 72 jars of jam. Jars are various sizes. It's to make up for my complete jam laziness so far this year. And peach jam is my favorite. Luckily, it was very cool today. And if you don't start jamming until, let's say for instance 6 pm, it's cool outside. Franklin is very confused. Why are you doing this, now? He says with his beady devil eyes. Right before he takes a chunk out of my wrist. It was all my fault; I pet him. I petted? Pat? Help me, please.
Now for something completely different. Hmm- is that monty python? Whatever, Shania Twain, that is my next topic. I think the python boys were being sarcastic, but I am not. So, for those intelligent, well-read people out there, lemme explain. Shania Twain is a country music star from Canada. Break out hit years and years ago was Whose Bed Have your Boots been under? I'm not making this up. Seriously, I remember hearing it at Six Flags Over Atlanta in 6th grade. First time I ever heard country music. So, this is not a song that gets heavy country music play. Maybe once a month I'll hear it. But, recently, I've been hearing it alot. Like 3 times this week. And I'm thinking it might have a little something to do with Shania's dirtbag husband cheating on her with her assistant, and older, uglier, skankier (yes, skankier than a woman named Shania). Oh, and the husband's name is Mutt. No joke. So, I think Clear Channel or whoever is being a little nasty.
No luck uploading pics from camera to computer. It keeps shutting down and crying. Like an old man on life support. So, I'll ask Matt for help next time I see him. And probably just bring it to the friendly boys at Mac world or Mac town or Mac heaven. Whatever dumb name they've come up with for the place where mac nerds hang out and do lame things. For money, like the little mac sluts they are.
Dammit, I ended a sentence with a preposition. I realize that my grammatical errors are many. And I often do them on purpose, but how am I supposed to contrast that sentence?

Copy Cat

Alicia just posted something similar, but I think at least she will appreciate the following list of rules. Which I truly, truly, madly, deeply believe should be posted in triage. And in ER rooms. And the hallway. Maybe the trauma bays too. Just in case we let a trauma pt move their neck.
Here are some tips to those who may end up in an ER (or with a family member.)
*If it requires the ambulance team and entire truck of firefighters to transport you and safely place you on a hospital stretcher it is time to go on a diet.
*When you present to the triage nurse, do not tell him/her that your doctor called ahead. If you survey our waiting area, probably 50% of the people waiting said the same thing and the other 50% use the ER as their regular doctor.
*Never start out by saying, "I was searching the Internet....." or "I called Telehealth and they told me..."
*When asked how much you weigh, please do not give the deer in the headlights look, and tell us you really don't know. It's a simple question, simple answer.
*Just because you have a phone and know how to call 911, we are not impressed by your arrival on an ambulance stretcher. You had better be sick.
*If you came escorted via EMS for multiple complaints that started more than one week ago and your entire family followed the ambulance to the hospital, you will be labeled a pussy (or Muffin in Distress – MID) and treated like one, enjoy the waiting area with your family. One complaint/ailment per visit, please.
*Just because you came in by ambulance, doesn't mean you're going home by one. You better start making arrangements, now. I am not driving you home, or figuring out how to get you home. Cab vouchers are not an option.
*If you have one of these four, go to your own doctor in the morning: a migraine; the flu; a stomach virus; or a stuffy nose.
*Do not ask us how long it will be. We don't know. I don't know what is coming through my door 30 seconds from now and so I sure as hell don't know when you're getting a room.
*We have priorities. We understand that you have been waiting for two hours in the waiting room. If you don't want to wait, make an appointment with a doctor. The little old lady that just walked in looking OK to you is probably having a massive heart attack. That is why she goes first.
*If your mother/sister/boyfriend etc. is a patient and we ask them a question, let them answer it.
*If your child has a fever, you had damn well better give it Tylenol before coming in. DO NOT let the fever remain high just so I will believe the child has a fever. Do you want your child to have a seizure? Do you?
*If you are well enough to complain about the wait, you are well enough to go home.
*Do not utter the words "it is in my chart", I don't have your chart, and I don't have the time to wade through it. Just tell me.
*We know how many times you've been to an ER. We can usually tell if you are faking it during the first 5 seconds of talking to you.
*Do not lie to us. If you lie about one thing, we will assume you are lying about everything. You don't want that.
*If you have diabetes and do not control it, you are committing slow suicide.
*If you are a female between 16 and 42 and your last period was between 28-35 days ago, please don't waste our time if you are here for abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. Guess what!!?? You got your period --- AGAIN!
*Do not bring your entire posse with you. One person at the bedside is all you need. It is really difficult to get around seven people in the event that you are really sick.
*Every time I ask you a question, I learn more about what is wrong with you. I don't care if I asked you what day it is four different times. Each time I ask, it is for a reason. Just answer the questions, regardless whether you have answered them before.
*If you want something, be nice. I will go out of my way to piss off rude people.
*Our definition of sick is not your definition of sick. If a member of the ER staff says that someone is sick, it means that they are in the process of DYING. They have had a massive stroke, are bleeding out, having a heart attack, or shot. We don't consider a kidney stone sick. Painful, yes. Sick, no.
*At any given time, one nurse has at least 4 patients. One doctor has at least 15. There is a law (similar to Murphy's) in the ER. If you have four patients: one of them will be sick (see above for definition); one of them will be whining constantly; one of them will be homeless; and one of them will a delightful patient. (Don't be the whiner). Please.
*If you see someone pushing a big cart down the hall at full speed and you hear bells going off, do not ask for a cup of coffee. Someone is dying, you inconsiderate asshole.
*In the ER, bells don't ring for nothing (unless it's your $#@$ call bell, again). Sit down, shut up, and let us work.
*If you can bitch about the blood pressure cuff being too tight, or the IV hurting, you are not in that much pain.
*Physicians and nurses are not waiters. This is not McDonalds, and you very well may NOT have it your way. Our job is to save your life, or at least make you feel better. If you want a pillow, two blankets and the lights dimmed, go to the Ramada.
*If you have any sort of stomach pain and you ask for something to eat, you are not sick.
*Do not talk shit about the other members of staff I work with. The doctor that you hate? I work with them every day, and I know that they know what they are doing. I trust them a lot more that I trust you. I am not here to be your friend, and neither are they. I will tell them what you said, and we will laugh about it. If you want a buddy, go somewhere else.
*Please don't tell us how to do our job. Do we go to your place of business and tell you how to do your job?
*Please don't bring in a show and tell. If you have to fish it out of the toilet, it's really not necessary to bring it in; we will take your word.
*If you did fish something out of the toilet, you may not use my pen.

Dinner

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/POTATO-CORN-CHOWDER-242862
it's delicious. i cut back the cream like the reviewers suggested. didn't measure the pepper- maybe i should have, it's a little sparky. but very very delicious. i'm proud of myself.

Peaches!!

So, I'm a Georgia girl. I hate to admit it, but I kinda am. But only kinda. Georgia is famous for it's peaches. Which is strange, in a way, as it produces significantly fewer peaches than California and Washington. Idaho, Oregon, NY, South Carolina produce about as many peaches as Georgia. And this year, the Georgia crop was small and over with by like June. Peaches just showed up here a couple of weeks ago and are expected to last for 3-4 more weeks. I'm off to my favorite place, Sauvie Island to pick peaches, maybe some corn and dahlias. I don't need corn or dahlias. But, they're just fun to pick. And I think I'll make a corn potato chowder. I've got to start actually cooking. One cannot live on root beer floats alone. Though one could/should try.

Thunder!!

Awesome thunderstorms yesterday and today. Heat wave broke, thank goodness. Thunder scared the bejesus out of the dog. Poor thing. Cat was pretty freaked out too. Meant to pick peaches today but having trouble with the sleeping. Maybe tomorrow. Porch is done. Roses are still blooming. Watched the Olympics at Matt's yesterday. Started out outside watching on the big screen. Rain sent us running inside. Ceiling is the best flat white surface around, so we laid on the floor to watch. Running, gymnastics, diving. Very nice. Feels even lazier than sitting around watching athletics.

Day 14

Drove to Lincoln City to visit with Maryann, Clint and Davyn. Chowder, outlets and the beach. They're crazy. We're crazy. Drive was beautiful. Oh, the night before we watched a movie the night before that I can't disclose. It's gotta be a secret. Sorry. Then Tuesday night we hung out in Matt's treehouse watching the Olympics. Running to work, Mom's gotta be a little more patient.

Day 13: Monday

Yah, caitlin keeps sleeping. Maybe we'll eat dinner. Maybe we'll go out. Maybe we'll make chocolate mousse. Maybe watch the Olympics. Caitlin has a muscle spasm/pull/strain that's making life difficult. Colleen is reading.

Day 12

Yup, serene lake it was. Reports differ wildly. Apparently there was fun. Beauty. Cold. Ice water lake. Gorgeous scenery. And sheer cliffs of danger. The princess survived. Somehow. Pictures will be forthcoming. Caitlin slept more. And worked. Work was okay. People are dumb. That's what I have to say about work.

Day 11

Caitlin slept more. Lazy good for nothing. Work was fairly boring. Kay was delivered to the airport without difficulty. Colleen was thrown a sleeping bag and some long underwear. Hopefully she went camping with Matt. Kristin. Heather. Jonathan. And the cutest smartest best baby in the world. Ian. Serene Lake was the plan. Who knows what actually happened.

Day 10

Caitlin slept. Colleen drove around getting lost in Caitlin's car. Seriously lost. Car was returned in one piece, thankfully. Shopping and eating were done. Then movie watching with Matt and Kristin. Then the princess made me food. Yay! Buffalo spaghetti. Which sounds like a song.

Day 9

Wine tasting!! Went out to Dundee for some tasty wine tastings. Hit the big favorite spots. Said hi to all of Matt's old buddies. Maresh, Bela Vida, Torii Mor, Lange. I think that was it. But that was more than enough. Then Pineapple Express, which one, despite my misgivings and my complete lack of pot smoking, very good. Fall out of one's chair, knee slapping hilarious. Much better than that shit movie Mamma Mia that my sister dragged me to. Then we sat on the half done porch dreaming of the day when it will be complete. Tomorrow. Yay!

Day 8

Birthday! Went to breakfast at mother's. Ate too much. Had cake. Mimosas. Delicious. Met the Collegenet crew for baseball. And drinks, naturally. Beavers lost, but way fun to watch from a more open seating arrangement. And with PGE park bucks to spend. Especially after we discovered the margaritas. Jakes for dinner/happy hour. Home for a nap. Over to NoPo for more drinks. Ended up at the Alibi for more drinks and karoake. Not a bad day.

Day 7: reality

So, Oneonta was amazing. Colleen and Kristin went all bad-ass and swam in the frigid glacier fed waterfall pool. Feet go numb with the bitter cold. Gorgeous greens. Tiny fish. Slippery rocks. Got there in time for the sun to be shining directly in so it was fantastic. Ate ice cream. Picked up Kay. Went on a scenic driving tour of the gorge, etc. Missed Maryhill. Went home.

Day 7

Today we have planned a walk through the Oneanta gorge to the glacier fed waterfall and pool at the end. Then a pickup at the airport, followed by a real stonehenge and some albino peacocks.

Day 6

Colleen still not feeling well. Hung out in a park, reading books. Then joined Vonnie and Kristin for downtown fun. Art museum closed, so we wandered around the Pearl. Gelato, art galleries, awesome stores, coffee carts, fountains, pizza. Then back home for dog duty, read some more. Beautiful day, clear skies, hot. Fountain was amazing.

Day 5

Breakfast out, very delicious. Damn well better be after an hour wait. Then off to raft/float down the Sandy River. In a leaky raft. At max occupancy. Day turned out to be gorgeous. Eventually. Very cold August. Didn't get warm till 3 ish. And we're talking 75. But very sunny. And fun.

Day 4

Yesterday, plan was for camping. Camping did not occur. Very cold here in the NW. Everyone just a little hungover from Friday night. Saw the FlugTag instead. Had a little lunch, hung out a little in the backyard of Matt's. Watched Blade Runner on the big screen. Not a bad movie. Harrison Ford was so much hotter 20 some years ago. But back to the FlugTag. Grown men dress up, make flying machine, do a silly dance, jump in the craft and jump off this 30 foot pier into the Willamete. No joke. Often times, they don't get much loft. Maybe 10 feet. I think 26 was the longest. 5 the shortest. And that craft was a banana canoe that fell apart before lift off. Best was the Lego men doing a synchronized beer dance and taking off in their lego plane.

Day 3: part 2

After the movie, Colleen went to sleep. I went out drinking. Funs times were had by all.

Day 3: part 1

Colleen feels ill. Caitlin called in sick to play on sauvie island. Then it rained and was cold. Sasha also feels ill. And Kristin is anti- cold weather picnics. :( So, we are going to go to a movie. A secret, shameful movie. Time to prepare the snacks to sneak in.

Day 2

Woke up, ate tasty cinnamon rolls and drank coffee. Had amazing pedicures. Colleen's toes with heretofore be referred to as "Tequila Toes". Raced across town in time for Colleen's hair appointment. Met Matt for drinks and crosswords. Kristin joined us and we all went to Forest Park/Arboreteum. How do you spell it? Arboretum? Arborteum? Help. Well we ate dinner and drank wine and saw an amazing owl. And learned all about dwarf something arother trees. From China. Inappropriate footwear was worn by all. Then we watched amy play with prom photos from 1988. And went to bed. Oh, and there were cookies. Chocolate chip cookies.

City of Roses

So, a month or so ago, Mom and I went to the International Rose Test Garden. Yes, ma'm. I went to a rose garden. And took a shit-ton of pictures. One turned out pretty well. According to me. And here it is now, on the blog. to the left. Tell me what you think.

Day 1

Day 1: Bought pretty flowers for the princess's arrival. Well, I was at the farmer's market, disappointed by exhorbitant fruit prices and bought flowers instead. There was this one dahlia that was as big as my head, so I had to. She's gonna need to help me arrange said flowers, though. No flower arranging class in my past. I'm a no-good southern lady. Chic-Fil-A nuggets were enjoyed, approximately 8 nuggets survived the trip. And now I have polynesian sauce to enjoy with any Portland nuggets I might find. Concoct yo' own dessert at Pix Patisserie http://www.pixpatisserie.com/pages/news-events was a ton of fun. Messy, sticky and delicious. Probably should leave it to the professionals in the future. Colleen's dessert might have caught on fire during the creme brulee portion. Turns out, nestling your creme brulee in a pastry shell is a bad idea. But exciting! A very nice man set it on fire for us and then got Colleen a new shell. Then we stopped by the keg, I mean Matt and Kristin's, to say hi. Then to bed to prepare for Day 2.

don't worry

i fixed the brakes. okay, i know no one will believe that. but i drove to beaverton and the boys at saturn fixed my brakes. or some malfunctioning sensor. and the best part... they washed and vaccumed the dirty dirty vehicle. yay! still on the hunt for the missing kidney bean earring. missing since june 14th. i've been lost and alone without out it for one whole month now. that's the last time i get completely wasted at a friends wedding and sleep in the car. must remember to pitch the tent before drinking. okay, off for a haircut. still haven't decided what will happen to the hair. short, color? hmmm. sasha will do something amazing to it.

adventures in ram

My mother/personal assistant figured out some things for me. My computer is a mac mini which is currently disconnected, sitting in my arm chair. Okay, floor. I bought it in 2003 or 2004, whenever i lived at Going St and haven't done anything to it since. It was briefly hooked up to the internet a year ago, but I think that man may have been a genius. And attractive if memory serves me right. I think I gave him cookies. So, now, I think it might be time to actually utilize this device. Which, currently doesn't have enough memory to burn photos onto a cd. Sad little old computer. Which is why no photos on blog, I generally use Amy's computer. So, my mother was adorable this morning. She implied that I was capable of this: http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/tutorials/macmini-ram/index.shtml
Seriously, check it out. And that's just to increase memory. We haven't even gotten to the discussion about wireless routers and ethernet cards. Btw, mom, i have a vague memory of me and the boys at mac attack or the mac store putting in a dealy bob for the internet. Maybe I should talk to them again.
But, my brake light is on, a baby threw my glasses to the floor and cracked them and I've got roots. Thank god for the stimulus check, but I wanted to buy the scooter with that. Dammit.
So, brakes. I realize their importance in the list of problems. Though, they seem to work okay so far. Then glasses. And I can probably sneek the haircut in.

produce!!!

Amy and I have signed up for something pretty exciting... organics to you!
http://www.organicstoyou.org/home/index.html
So, these guys drop food off every other week. Eggs, too; which is awesome cuz I was already looking for a organic egg supplier. Gotta wait awhile, though. Which is actually fine, because by the time next Monday rolls around, I'll have already forgotten about it. And we might actually have a front porch by then. :)
Also, it's blueberry season. YAY! My favorite fruit, extremely easy to pick, tasty when jammed, hardy as far as summer fruits go, and good in pancakes.

strawberry margarita in a pie?

yes ma'm. it's freakin' delicious. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/FROZEN-STRAWBERRY-MARGARITA-PIE-235487
i've got to try it again with some yogurt to reduce the fattiness.
it's delicious

cake!!!

seriously delicous: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_16080,00.html
if i make it again, some changes. would like the custard a little more flavor, little less fat. chocolate was awesome. cake was brittle. might actually bake two layers not just one cut in half. probably a different cake altogether.
and tonight, i'm gonna make something delicious involving cheesecake, marshmallow and chocolate.
it's gonna be amazing. i need a kitchen torch now. says i can just use the broiler, but i wanna torch.

scoot scoot

http://www.scooterstation.com/scootershots/1284.jpg
how cute is this?
and this gives you a better idea, actually: http://www.scooterstation.com/viewscooter.php?scooterId=94
so, now i just have to save 1800 dollars :) and however much a helmet cost. and i will take the motorcycle safety course, even though i don't technically need to, which frightens me.

zac brown band

so, my new favorite band is the zac brown band. http://www.zacbrownband.com/
colleen (baby sister) and i saw them at jazz fest this year and they were awesome. they're actually getting some mainstream country radio play here. can't find the cd for sale. i guess i'll have to search the dreaded itunes for it. dammit.

The beginning, unedited version

So, I've been saying, I need a better way to communicate with my peeps. I think I want to blog. How does one do this? Matt sets the standard too high with his own personally designed website run off his server. I don't even know what those words mean. So, just yesterday I was watching the office and creed has a blog. Well, creed has a word document that he updates. And I said to Amy, I'm going to make a blog. tomorrow. And then I get this email from Alicia this morning with her blog. Dammit, she's always two steps ahead of me. But it was helpful, I could just click on the little button in the corner that says, create blog. I love google. As I type, I realize, I'm going to like this. I just get to ramble on for as long as I want.