I'm Not Sure Where To Go From Here

So I started this blog because I really enjoy reading other people's blogs. I read them daily, and feel a connection to people that don't even know who I am. Because I'm a creep and rarely comment. But I don't really know what I want this space, my space, to be. I don't know what I want to share, and what people will find interesting. I think I just need to wait until we move out and I get out of this life stasis that I'm in right now in order to be more inspired. And honestly, more exciting. There's only so much I can write about working at the library. I'm thrilled to be able to move to a city where there will be so much going on, particularly coming from this tiny college town that I'm in right now. This period in my life is just me looking forward to the next stage, because I'm so ready for it. But I have so many exciting things coming up in the next couple of months, including weddings and family vacations that are sure to be a blast. So I can't guarantee that I'll keep this blog up during the next few months, but when I get inspired, I'll write. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Stella in a fez.

What Am I Going To Do With This Dog?

So this is my dog, Stella.  She is licking my leg to make up for being such a terrible dog. It's a good thing she's so adorable. She's gotten in the habit of asking to go out then not doing anything once we're out there. She will then proceed to do her business in the hallway outside our apartment. Chris sends me angry texts about wanting to get rid of the dog every day now. But then she comes up and is so cute and wants to cuddle and play and all is forgiven.

Thank Goodness for Leftovers

So since Chris and I are only going to be in town for two nights this week, I decided it wasn't worth it to grocery shop and just got creative with what I had. I ended up making a Rotel/Velveeta pasta with leftover taco meat.  Not super healthy but definitely tasty.

Puppy Friends

Being at home this weekend means that I got to bring Stella up to play with my parents' dogs.  Our little dog, Winnie, hates Stella and runs away from her every time she tries to play. But our bigger dog, Bella, likes it when Stella comes since I always take them out and play ball. Stella isn't quite fast enough to get the balls before Bella, but she still loves being able to get out and run around for once. One of the reasons I'm ready to get out of our town is so that Stella will have a yard to play in and we won't have to take her down three flights of stairs to take her outside. Yay!

Oops...I forgot

So I totally forgot to post something yesterday. I even took pictures for it an everything. But I only didn't post since I was having such a good time, so I'll give myself a pass. I spent the morning making cookies because it was dreary and rainy and basically a perfect cookie day. Then we ended up at Jaspersfest, which is a big Memorial Day party that involves a lot of food, beer (or hard cider for me) and a big crawfish boil. I ended up with a lot of blurry pictures but some great memories. And a bit of a headache today.

A Vegetarian Dinner

I was driving all day today so I didn't end up taking a picture. But I do have an extra from yesterday to share.

I made this for dinner yesterday and it was seriously so tasty and filling that I didn't even care it was vegetarian.
Chris did though. But even he agreed with me that it was good enough to make again.

Stelly Bean

The weather was beautiful today so I took Stella for a walk to go visit Chris while he studied. Mostly I walk and Stella stops and sniffs things, but it's still fun. 

 

Someone brought in a puppy to the library today that I seriously almost brought home as a friend for Stella. She was a chihuahua/beagle mix and she was just a tiny tiny puppy and I loved her. So if anyone wants a puppy, let me know!
 

Also, Stella made a friend on our walk today. She has no fear. 

Box Brownies Are Always A Good Choice

Today was kind of rough. Pretty sure I'm getting a sinus infection (yum) and just was grumpy with a headache all day. So after work I came straight home and made these bad boys.  Duncan Hines Fudge Brownies. I've tried to make homemade brownies before and they've always just ended up as expensive failures. Box brownies never fail me though.  Add all the right ingredients and they're always there to comfort you. So here's to you, box brownies. Thank you for making my life easy and delicious. 

I clearly couldn't wait to eat these until after I got a nice picture. Oops. 

My New Phone

Ok I'm seriously kind of obsessed with my new phone. Having gone so long without a smartphone, I am all kinds of excited about it. What makes me happy about my phone today? 

THIS. 

That is a remote. That I can use to control my tv. Seriously. I'm in love. Why do I need to control the tv from my phone? I don't. I already have a remote. But I can and that's the important thing. It's the little things in life, right? And that's what this whole 365 Project is about. Celebrating the little things.

365 Project Starts Today

So a lot of the other blogs that I read talk about doing 365 projects, which is basically taking a picture per day. I've decided to start. I'm going to take a picture everyday of something that makes me happy.  It's probably going to be a lot of pictures of my dog.  But that's ok. I want to do this for myself because I've been feeling really uninspired lately. Just kind of stuck in the same old town doing the same thing every day. I want to do this to remind myself that there should be at least one thing every day that makes me happy. Also, I just got myself a fancy new smartphone that takes awesome pictures and I want to utilize that.

Today, that thing is Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.  Her voice is just so calming. And Chris isn't here watching baseball so I actually get to watch her today. And that makes me happy :)

Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg  

 

I checked this book out to listen to on my ride back home to see my brother in a play (which he was fabulous in) and have been listening to it ever since. I have been finding it incredibly interesting. I honestly don’t know if I would have made it through reading it though. It gets boring and repetitive at times, as non-fiction can do. It also jumps back and forth between examples a lot, which I find annoying. Just finish one story at a time. Seriously. 

However, the perspective of looking at business through the lens of habits is a stimulating exercise. I will never shop at Target the same after listening to this. They’re a bunch of data-collecting creepers. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and is incredibly helpful for their business, but the idea of how much they know is a little disturbing. I'd actually heard the story of the pregnant teenager before, but listening to it from this perspective was new and insightful.

The insight into history is fascinating and definitely makes the book worth a read. I'm currently at the section about the civil rights movement, and how to change the habits of societies. And while I'm not a church goer, the idea of the habits of weak-ties that is discussed in a section about religion makes a lot of sense to me. It's like a lesser version of peer pressure, without any actual pressure attached. Just the idea of it is enough to make people change their wants and habits.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who has any sort of business backround. Hearing about Target made me think about all of the case studies I did during business school and made me look at them from a different perspective. The insight into changing habits and the human brain is also appealing to anyone looking to change something about themselves. To really change, the book says you have to overwrite one habit with another that fulfills the same need. I found a lot of the book really thought provoking and think that it would appeal to a lot of people once it gets going.

What I've Been Reading

I haven't been really keeping up with my lovely blog lately. I think it's because I follow so many blogs that post every day, and then I get really intimidated by how little I post. But I'm back at it now, mostly because I've been reading some great books that I wanted to share. 

1 & 2. In The Woods by Tana French and The Likeness by Tana French 

I liked both of these books, although I much preferred The Likeness. I kind of hated the main character in In The Woods, which made it hard to like the book even though I appreciated the writing style. I also didn't love the ending to In The Woods, but I'm not sure how else I would have ended it. It didn't wrap up nicely like a normal story does, which was unsettling. I would still recommend both of these books to anyone who enjoys mystery books.

3. The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson

This book was surprisingly captivating to me, even though it's set in a high school and is very male oriented. It's a great example of science fiction without being too isolating or out there. I'm always able to identify and empathize with an outsider, which is exactly who Darren and Eric were. The ending was a point of contention in a lot of reviews that I read, but I think it's exactly where the book needed to go. What else were they going to do with a boy who never sleeps? This does seem like much more of a teen book, which a lot of science fiction these days is. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, just that I felt a little old while I was reading it.

4. Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered was a quick read, and had an interesting idea, but was very teen oriented, which drew me out of the story at times. I'm sorry, but I really don't need a description of what kind of striped leggings Alyssa was wearing. But I always love a revamped fairy tale, and the new take on the Alice in Wonderland world was entertaining. The darker side of Wonderland really drew me in, but the awkward love triangle between Morpheus, Jeb, and Alyssa was very teen-angsty and kind of expected. There would have been enough conflict in the story without having to bring that aspect in. I still liked the book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has roots in the Alice world, but it's probably not something I would read again.

5. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

This story is a great example of a teen book that doesn't isolate it's older readers. John Green is basically amazing at that, and I would really recommend any of his books. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is set in high school and deals with teenage homosexuality in a funny and musical way. I even laughed out loud at some of the songs in the book, and that's rare when I read. Usually only funny dog pictures or stupid autocorrects can make me do that. I read this book to see if I should get it as a present for someone, and I pretty much went straight to Amazon and purchased it as soon as I finished.

It's The Thought That Counts, Right?

I haven't done a sugar update in awhile, but I promise there's a really good reason:

Meet Stella! We adopted a dog about a month ago, and have been busy taking care of this little munchkin. Unfortunately, this means that my exercise has kind of taken a break, as well as my sugar diet. But I still think about how I should be working out and eating healthy, so that counts? And I take the dog up and down three flights of stairs about eight times every day, so she's making me get some physical activity.

Could you resist cuddling with this? I think not.

I still have been trying to eat healthier, and have tried some really great new recipes. My favorite is this new spin on No-Bake Cookies, which are a childhood favorite of mine. Replacing the butter and half the sugar with a banana really helped cut down on some calories out of these. They don't set up quite the same, but I'd say they're still pretty tasty.

I just started working out again this morning with some yoga, and I'm hoping to actually keep that up this time. I've also been drinking a lot of tea lately, which makes me feel awesome. I'm not a coffee drinker, so waking up and having a nice mug of green tea has really helped start my day out better. Hopefully this time I can keep myself on track and actually set up a workout schedule. Wish me luck!

Happy Pi Day! Mint Chocolate Pie

I really enjoy making themed desserts. So when I was reminded that today was Pi Day, I knew I had to make a pie. Never having made any sort of pie before, I wanted something easy. Also, since I get off work at 8, I wanted something fast that I didn't have to bake. In honor of St. Patrick's Day on Monday, I went with a Mint Chocolate Pie. Celebrating two holidays with one dessert: effective.

Ingredients:
(I was in a rush and forgot a picture...oops)

24 Cool Mint Creme Oreo cookies
1/4 cup  butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
8 oz  thawed whipped topping
1/4 - 1/2 tsp mint extract
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup Andes Mints Creme de Menth Baking Chips, divided (or 1 cup chopped Andes Mints)

Directions:
1. Make the cookie crust by crushing the mint Oreos into a fine crumb. I would recommend using a food processor or blender, because while banging them with a rolling pin is a stress reliever, you end up with a more rough crumb. But if you need to get a little aggression out, throw those Oreos in a ziplock bag and bang away. 
2. Using your hands, mix the crushed Oreo crumbs and melted butter together. I was lazy, and just did this in the pie pan. Saving the environment, one unused dish at a time.
3. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Try to make the crust 1/8 inch thick all around. Perfection is overrated. Set in the freezer as you make the filling. 

4.Make the pie filling in a large bowl by mixing the softened cream cheese, milk, sugar and cocoa powder with a hand mixer. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth. 

I used my green bowl, because it's festive.

5. Mix the mint extract and the whipped topping, and then gently fold into the cream cheese mixture.

It should end up looking like this.

6. Remove pie crust from the freezer and layer 1/2 of the pie filling onto the crust.  
7. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the Andes Mint baking chips. 
8. Layer with the rest of the pie filling and top with chocolate syrup and remaining Andes Mint chips.
9. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. 20 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer and let sit out to gently thaw. This makes the pie much easier to cut and serve.

Nerdy decoration optional.

This was really rich, so I'd recommend cutting it into small pieces. I cut mine into 12, and that seemed like the perfect slice. Also, I think it would be better with fudge sauce instead of chocolate syrup. The chocolate syrup was kind of runny, even after being in the freezer all night. Maybe even add fudge to the middle layer with the Andes Mint chips. I also thought about substituting Bailey's for the milk to make it more Irish, but since I was taking it into work, I saved that idea for next time. Because I will definitely be making this again. It was excellent. And nerdy. 

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I love homemade cinnamon rolls. My dad always makes some for Christmas morning, and I wanted to try them out for myself. I really wanted an overnight recipe, because I am not a great morning person and waiting that long in the morning for cinnamon rolls just seemed like too much work. I found two recipes that I liked, from here and here, and combined the two to make some really great cinnamon rolls.

I actually made these again at my in-law's house for Christmas morning, and they loved them and requested that I be there every Christmas to make them again. These are so tasty, that it's hard to eat just one.

Ingredients:

 Dough:

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1 tsp kosher salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter 

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon

Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. 

2. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. With the dough hook, knead on medium speed until smooth, about 8-12 minutes.  Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed. This makes my stand mixer really warm, so be prepared for that. 

4. Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

5. While dough is rising, prepare filling. Take 2 tbsp of the stick of butter and set aside. Beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute. It will be pretty thick.

6. Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.

7. Roll out into a rectangle about 15×10 in.

Or a lumpy oval. Same thing.

8. Spread filling onto dough. The easiest way I found to do this was to just use my hands. You'll get a little messy, but you'll smell yummy like cinnamon!

9. Roll the dough up length-wise.

10. Cut your rolls. I just use a knife, because I don't care if they're a little smooshed. Dental floss cuts through dough as well. You can cut the rolls to your liking. This will make 12 small rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large rolls.
11. Place in buttered baking dish.

12. Melt the reserved 2 T butter and brush on top of rolls. 

13. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
14. The next morning, remove from refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour.

16. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

15. While baking, prepare the frosting. 

Whip cream cheese and butter together, then add in vanilla and lemon juice. Add the powdered sugar slowly until it's all incorporated.

 

Beat on high for about 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

16. Once rolls are out of the oven, immediately frost using half the frosting. This will melt and slide down into the rolls.

17. After they have cooled a few more minutes, frost again with remaining frosting. This step isn't entirely necessary, but it makes the frosting look nicer.

And those are my cinnamon rolls! They're a little work, but sooooo worth it. They are giant and soft and cinnamony, which is everything a cinnamon roll should be. They also make my apartment smell amazing. They're best served warm, but I've been known to pull of pieces straight out of the fridge and eat them. These are great for a get-together, because you can prep everything the night before, even the frosting. Then just pull them out and let them rise, and pop them in the oven and bake!

Book Review: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I had this book checked out from the library for about 4 months. It took me that long to read it. I read the first 300 pages in about a week, and then left it for 3 months. The book was interesting, but I just couldn't convince myself to get back into it. The only reason I did was because of a friend who insisted that I had to read it with her. I am really glad I picked it back up though. I'm also really happy to be done with it. It's really long! Like, forever long. But worth it, I think.

This book cover is stupid.

 

The book isn't what I normally read, which I think is why I had such a hard time getting into it. But once I started it again, I was hooked. The characters were just so well developed and appealing. I wanted to know what happened in their life and how their story ended. After going through so many struggles, the story ended up being beautiful. I will say that one of the reasons that I had such a hard time reading it was because of the character of William. He was just so repugnant, and I had such a hard time reading about how he enjoyed raping Aliena. That was difficult for me to get over, and was so repulsive to me. It was at first hard for me to grasp that he never got nicer, and never really grew up. But I realized that would be incredibly true to his character and that there really are people like that in the world.

The architectural and historical aspects were incredibly interesting to me, and I greatly enjoyed reading about them. I do like a good historical fiction, which I think is why I may have liked this book. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who would be dedicated enough to finish it. The story spans over so many different characters and generations that a reader really has to get into the story and relate to the ideas in order to enjoy it. I'm glad that I read it, but I don't think it will be one that I read again.

Still Not Easy

Now that I'm done with my third week of trying to reduce my sugar intake, I have noticed a difference in what I'm eating. I crave oranges instead of Snickers bars, and I am seriously in love with my blender and the smoothies it makes. I still have a bad habit of just eating things that are on the break table at work, just because they're there. I need to get me some better willpower when it comes to sweets.

I also have a pretty intense love of baking, which is not helpful to cutting out sugar. I made these Snickerdoodle Bars for Chris, because he loves snickerdoodles, and took some in to work. I ended up eating quite a few of them. And with 2 cups of brown sugar in them, they aren't exactly they healthiest. But they were soooo good.

I have been eating a lot of fruit, but not as many veggies as I would like. I found this recipe on Pinterest for spinach ice cubes, which sound and look super gross, but are actually super handy. Basically, I took a bag of spinach and some water and blended them together:

I found the easiest way to do this for my blender was to add a little spinach, then some water, and then more spinach, and a little more water. I originally just added all the spinach to the blender with a little water and tried to blend it, and ended up having to take some out and blend it better.
Then, pour the mixture into two ice cube trays:

They look so appetizing.

 And freeze! Chris now considers these ice cube trays "forever unclean", but I loved it! I added these to my smoothies instead of the regular ice cubes, and they barely changed the flavor at all. Even Chris didn't notice a big change. And by blending them beforehand, there weren't any awkward errant leaves floating around my smoothie.

Smoothie with spinach: Not really a difference

I also tried adding cucumber to the smoothies, but that flavor really overpowered the fruit. It didn't taste bad, just a lot like cucumber. I've switched from vanilla yogurt to a mix of plain and greek yogurt with some honey added for sweetness. I drink one of these pretty much every day after I work out, and I really do feel kind of amazing afterward. Which is probably because of the workout and not the smoothie, but that's ok.

My goal for the next couple weeks is to not eat any of the treats left out at work. I've been bringing an orange in with my lunch every day, and hopefully I can just stick to that instead of grabbing for the chocolate covered pretzels that are on the table (sweet AND salty? Irresistible). I think if I can stick to that, my sugar intake will be way better and become more manageable. Wish me luck!