Teaser Tuesday

Yeah, I know, I know...it's Thursday. 

Shut up, and think cranberries.

See more about Definitely, Maybe in Love HERE.

happy weekend

Here's to a very happy weekend. May it be filled with breakfast in bed, breakfast for dinner and just, ya know, chocolate.

I know, right?

Y is for Yummy

 

And while we're at it. . . Brad Pitt eating is rather

yummy.

J is for Jaffa Cake

Today's post comes from my lovely and talented critique partner, Sue. She's super-fab. Check her out on the Twit: @scwine

 

J is for Jaffa Cake

Yes, I know. You know about Hob Nobs and Cadbury's, you may even drink tea like the British do, but I'm betting you don't know what a Jaffa Cake is, and that okay. Great, even. Because once you know, and you actually taste one, you'll be dreaming about them, and worse, eating them constantly. It takes at least three weeks to kick the habit. It's bad. These fascinating little cookies have a layer of yellow cake, with a strip of orange jelly on top, covered in dark chocolate. The description doesn't do them justice. But next time you are shopping, and you come across the 'International' aisle, or, rather quaintly, the 'exotic foods' section (that's in a Stop and Shop in CT), pick up a pack of Jaffa cakes. Double dog dare you. Or, make them from this lovely British recipe:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/homemadejaffacakes_91480 

Oh yes, you're going DOWN!

37 days and counting

Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Yes, I've been working very hard on my LIST.

Wanna see my latest progress?

#23 - make ricotta cheese

The recipe was dead easy. 3 ingredients. Even I can handle that.

This spreadable deliciousness was a huge hit at the dinner party I attended over the weekend. I think I may have found my new go-to.

#11 - retry 10 foods I always thought I hated: Cheerios

Not good. Not bad. Kind of bland. But at least they didn't taste like puke--which was my fear. Win!

#30 - wear false eye lashes

creepy, no?

I wore theses mamas to a dinner party (yes, the same dinner party with my artisan ricotta). They're freaking eight inches long, right? And, no one said a word. A few minutes after my arrival, I actually sneaked off to a mirror to make sure they were still on there. They were. And still...no reaction. After a while, I figured they weren't as dramatically insane as I'd thought. The next day, I asked my friend if....ha-ha....she'd noticed that I was wearing freaking eight-inch falsies. She said she thought I'd got new mascara or something, but that my eyes popped. Ok? Hmm. Well, anyway. It was a goal. And an experiment. And I removed the spider legs the next morning. I think I'll save them for Halloween. 

#37 - Take a long walk in the rain without an umbrella

This one took a while, because it's been unseasonably (ha-ha) warm and dry the past few weeks. But then suddenly, the heavens opened and it poured like crazy all weekend. Well. I grabbed my pink wellies and pink checked rain coat and hit the running trail that I abuse myself on every day. With camera phone in hand, I took a couple shots of things I'd never noticed during my runs. And I must say, it's quite beautiful. Thanks to the rain, things were green and blooming and just stunning.

Self-port of me enjoying the down pour. Too bad I didn't notice until I was on my way back to the car that my "Big Ass Fans" cap was gone. Sad.

Er...what the devil? I think I would pee my pants if I'd seen one of these nasties.

This kind of wildlife I can handle.

The super sexy soaking-wet "After" shot. My camera lens and car windows were all nice and foggy.

Since I'm a music junky, during my lovely, rainy walk, my iPod came with me, serenading me with songs from the playlist of my current work in progress...including but not exclusive to THIS, THIS, THIS and THIS. I mentally wrote a new chapter, so the walk was productive for multiple reasons. Score.

Happy Weekend

(via: tumblr)

I plan on messing around a bit in my kitchen this weekend.
No, not these heavenly donuts.
No, not chocolate cake from scratch. (click HERE to see my pitiful first attempt.) 
No, not fried chicken. (That was a disaster of which I did NOT blog about!)

For a dinner party I'm attending on Saturday night, I was "assigned" to bring salad. Hmph. Obviously the host knows I suck majorly in the kitchen. 

Well.  

I'll show her. I'm going to be making THIS for the party, while also checking off one more item on THIS.

(PS: pray for me.)

I'm still doing those things I'm doing

Me, checking off some"things"
(clicky here to see the full list)

#40 -  Own my own handgun and CHL

(I'm female, so I have to add: This picture sucks. My hair is short and brown. Enough said.)

And, can I just say, I love shooting. My wee .38 is such fun!


#22 - Carry jumper cables and know how to use them

Now, to be perfectly honest, I haven't actually used them yet, no "lesson" or anything. I was TOLD there is nothing to it...I literally need to follow the pictures and connect the colors. Seem simple enough. Plus, I was further informed that once I remove the cables from my handy little bag, I'll never get them back in there again. So, why make a mess, right?

#11 - Retry ten foods I always thought I hated

Two more down. Only two more to go.

(blackeyed peas)

(fried okra)

Both, I really liked. Thanks, NC for helping me be brave and for taking swell pictures in the dark. xo

Rockin' that list, yo

If you need a refresher. . . clicky-click HERE for the LIST 

Now, for the progress:

#1 Eat in a restaurant alone

French souffle at Rise No 1

"Marshmallow Soup"

Ham & Cheese sans a few bites

"Jambon & Guyere"

Hazelnut with chocolate sauce

 

#16 Eat something exotic

Did I mention the French souffle? 
(Which I obviously hated.)

#13 Make a new friend

I've made two, actually. (I'm an over-achiever, I know.) 

One who set me up on a date. 
Another who took me on a date.

 #36 Live vegetarian for three weeks

I went vegan. And I did just fine, very nearly perfect, in fact. (Okay, so I might've had a wee bit of dairy. But I'm NOT going to send spaghetti back because my waiter didn't make a note when I asked for no cheese.) I've been keeping it up for the past few weeks since; less hardcore, however.

#7 Make a chocolate cake from scratch

See non-staged photographic progress.

 

No comment on how good it "tasted." The exercise was to "make" it. So. . . .