Green olives, Angelina, and Taco Bell...

So it's been awhile. I guess that somehow happens when a baby is on the way. That's right. I'm pregnant! 9 weeks. Which means my sweet baby is about the size of a green olive. Every day I've been meaning to get on here, but somehow it was never at the top of my list... until today.

Last night I had a very bizarre dream. It went something like this.....

I was at a very strange cabin in the middle of the woods with my husband and his family. I suppose we were on some sort of a vacation there. It was pretty cool. But the most impressive part, was in the attic. As I climbed the ladder, I saw rows and rows of standup freezers. And what was in them? Taco Bell products. It was like a Taco Bell Costco. Amazing! And everything was so cheap because it was in bulk.
(**First thing, I eat too much Taco Bell**)

Then we went out back and there was a nice pool with several people lounging around it. As I looked closer, I realized it was none other than Angelina Jolie and some of her friends. I was so ecstatic about running into her like that. We were trying to get a picture with her, but she got distracted by one of my friends. She started going on and on about how good she looked, and she was so thin and in shape. So I decided to ask Angelina what she thought of me. Big mistake. She started picking me apart, one flaw at a time. And ended up telling me that I wasn't very thin at all. That conversation ended with me in tears of course.
(**Second thing, I think I'm getting chubby**)

And that was that. I have a feeling that there will be many more strange dreams on the way. So that is why I am slightly changing the dynamic of this blog. I've always tried to put it in a box, categorize my writing, like with karalynne's cakery. However, since I've been pregnant, I have no appetite for sweets and the thought of baking slightly nauseates me. It's pretty bad. So that part of me is just going to have to wait a while. I do not want to stop blogging though. So this is what this blog will be now..... Ever Evolving!

So much to do....

As this Friday comes to a close, the next week is going to be filled with cooking, baking, and cleaning, and of course some much anticipated time with family and friends. I'm looking forward to throwing in some christmas movies and just relaxing, but until then...

I've got to get my house in order before the in-laws get here. I need to plan out all my baking adventures. So far I plan on making a caramel apple cake for my work Thanksgiving Luncheon. Then I need to make desserts for both family Thanksgiving dinners. Not sure on the specifics yet, but will definitely post some pictures. Hope everyone is enjoying the anticipation of Thanksgiving around the corner. Let me know what kind of Thanksgiving treats your family is having this year.

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around! -Willie Nelson

This is the time of year that people always begin to look back and remember how blessed they are and how much they have to be thankful for. I'm in that same boat. I know how easy it is to think you've got it bad, but let's take a moment to remember what happened in 2010....

January 12 - 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Devastates Haiti, causing severe damage. 
The Haitian Government estimated the total number of deaths to 230,000. In addition, more than 250,000 people were injured and 2 million were homeless in the nation of 9 million. 

February 27 - Chile Hit By 8.8 Magnitude Earthquake.

Fatalities were relatively low, with some 750 people killed in the devastation. However, as many as 1.5 million people were displaced.

April 14 - Earthquake in China Kills Hundreds, Injures 10,000.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck China, killing at least 400 people and injuring another 10,000.

May 27 - Biggest Oil Spill in History.

An oil rig exploded and gushed for 95 continuous days and spilled nearly 200 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

July 30 - Pakistan Floods. 

After two weeks of massive flooding in Pakistan, the UN estimated at least 1,600 people were killed and 14 million displaced from their homes.

October 13 - 33 Trapped Chilean Miners Rescued.

After spending 68 days trapped in a mine half a mile underground, and a massive, multi-million dollar rescue operation, all 33 Chilean miners are pulled to safety.

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough  -- Oprah Winfrey 

 I am incredibly thankful for so much this year:

1. My wonderful husband
2. My amazing family and friends that are always there for me
3. A nice little apartment to call home
4. A sweet kitty that always is there to greet me at the door
5. Two good jobs with great coworkers
6. My 2 nephews and a 3rd on the way
7. Fall leaves and fall colors.... sweaters and a hot cup of coffee
8. Two running cars that I don't owe money on
9. The joy of baking and making treats
10. Health, wealth, and happiness! (ok, so we're still working on the wealth part :)

What are you thankful for this season?

The best of the best!

It was both of my parents' birthdays this past weekend. Needless to say when I asked my mom and dad what kind of cake they wanted, they didn't agree. My dear mother was quick to tell me that she wanted a lemon cake, while my dad was set on a chocolate pudding cake. So what was I to do but to make both!

Lemon-filled lemon cupcakes with raspberries on top, not only were they pleasing to the eye, but they were quite tasty too (that is if you like lemon). And the chocolate pudding layered cake... there are no words. It was to die for. I guess there are words: simply delicious.

I have several more birthdays coming up in the near future, so stay tuned!

What is it about Mondays?

It's just one of those days. You know the kind I'm talking about. Even though you woke up early and did everything you always do every morning, you still look like crap. Ok, so I cried this morning. But it wasn't like I bawled my eyes out, just a few tears that ran down my cheeks. I had to hold it together. However, when I got to work and finally looked in the mirror, it's as if my soul had been crying all along and it showed on my face. Yep, just one of those days.....

“Some days are for living. Others are for getting through.”

- Malcolm Forbes

Falling...

I stepped outside this morning with a view of this tree. Absolutely gorgeous! How could dying leaves be so exquisite? I guess it's just perspective....

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."   -unknown

Disasters...

How does that saying go... whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

Last night's baking adventures went bad. I was trying a new recipe for macarons, and needless to say everything went wrong. First off, I had to borrow a coffee grinder from someone to grind up my nuts, which slightly turned into a hassle. Then I made a complete mess trying to pipe them onto the cookie sheets. I started out making them too big, then too small, then too close together. My table was so full of stuff, that I stacked the 2 cookie sheets while I was working on them. Of course, the one on top slipped and fell onto the macarons on the bottom tray. But that was only the beginning.

For times sake, I put both pans in at the same time and just switched them half way through, so some were darker on top than others. When I pulled them out of the oven to see if they were done, I very lightly touched one and it crumbled under my finger. Great. So I decided to let them cool before I touched another one. When it came time to get them off the wax paper, it was a complete nightmare. Almost all of them were stuck and when I tried to pull them off, they would just crack and crumble, ruining them. I managed to rescued a little plateful of them and was excited to finish my project. I put filling in the middle between two macarons and put a pop-stick in between. I let them set all night to get firm.

This morning they looked adorable. I picked them up and put them all in a cup and was getting ready to tie little ribbons on the stick when the cup fell over, crushing every single last one that I had rescued. That was the icing on the cake.

Three hours wasted on a disaster...

Tiny kitchens...

For any of you that have been in my apartment, you know that I have an extremely small kitchen. So small in fact, that I do all of my baking prep on the dining room table. Ha!

If you can only imagine that if I turned around in this kitchen, I would be at the sink. There is absolutely no counter space to do anything in here. So this morning, as I was thinking of all the baking that I need to do tonight and tomorrow (cupcakes for baby shower, cake ball gift for expecting parents, festive treats for my bff's and family, etc.), I was imagining how nice it would be to have a bigger kitchen.

Maybe some decent counter space that isn't the dining room table and is actually in the kitchen so when I accidentally drop cake batter on the floor it's not falling onto the carpet.

I love this kitchen. So cute and I absolutely love the chalkboard on the wall. Very cute idea. I think it would be very easy to achieve this look with very little expense.

So as I plan my dream kitchen in my head today, just curious...what would yours look like?

Cake balls and pops....

Here's a little glimpse of what my evening held for me...

First the pumpkins:

And then for Knox...

Tiny fingers, tiny toes...

Yesterday, after much anticipation, my sister Kristen found out that she will be having a sweet baby boy.
Knox Kenneth Soder
I absolutely cannot wait to meet him. I am already blessed with 2 wonderful nephews that are my everything! I miss them so much! They are growing up way too fast!

So in celebration of knowing that Knox is actually Knox....

... I will be doing some baking this evening to send to the expectant parents. I'll be posting pictures on here later today, so stay tuned.

I will also be attempting to make some pumpkin cake pops for my husband's business meeting this evening, since fall is in the air.

Inspiration comes in disguises....

Last Christmas when I was all curled up on the couch, in a cottage, in the woods, surrounded by feet of snow outside, I happened upon a movie that was so inspirational to me. So while my husband was fast asleep next to me (even though he never sleeps through movies), and everyone else in the room thought it was the most pointless, slow, drawn-out movie they'd ever seen, I somehow felt inspired. Not even the all negative vibes could get me down.

That's right. Julie & Julia. From the moment I saw the movie, all that I've been wanting to do is blog. All the time. I would like to quit my second job and just experience new things and blog about them every day. But unfortunately we need money to pay the bills, so therefore I cram in my blogging sessions when I can.

I started this blog shortly after that, and somehow it never took off. Then I started a different blog and forgot about this one. Needless to say, I have started back at this one now that I've started baking on a regular basis.



Bake - [beyk]
-verb (used with object)
1. to cook by dry heat in an oven or on heated metal or stones.
That is how the dictionary defines baking. However, I define it as the act of making something so delicious and delicate, it is like a tiny piece of heaven in my hands.

Bliss... 

So join me through all of my baking experiments and disasters. And just know that I'm always open for business too. :) Check out my facebook page!