It has been a crazy few weeks in the life of LR...and I just haven't made time for blogging. I am now a single lady and I started yet another new job, so life kind of did a 180 on me. Good thing I'm a "go with the flow" kind of gal! I don't want to dwell on the negative, so I will just say this - "Yes, it's all for the best" (That, my blog friends, is another musical quote. Can you name that musical?!)
Moving right along...I've been busy happy houring, golfing, playing soccer, taking in a little Shakespeare in the Park, celebrating birthdays and relaxing with family and old friends up at the cabin. So needless to say, I haven't been suffering...just taking some me time.
This week has some fun stuff in store! I have a "lake date" with an old co-worker, I will be playing a little volleyball (L and I are both continuing to play with our team...weird? whatevs.), I have dinner plans with a new friend I met at a Pampered Chef party - we have all these mutual friends and I am so excited to get to know her better! As usual, I have a page long "to do" list for this week and I hope to tackle as much of it as I can. I just have a hard time getting really excited to iron and clean out my fridge. Maybe I will watch Eastbound and Down as I iron, that would help for sure. This weekend looks pretty open - a birthday celebration on Saturday night but other than that it's for me to do whatever I want!
Now, don't you fret about missing out on my thrilling life - LR IS BACK!
I plan on posting more regularly from here on out, my friends...
xo,
L
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
June is OVER?
Holy buckets - where did June go?!? I guess I have been so busy doing...stuff...that this entire month passed me by! I didn't even make it to the cabin this month. Summer is going be too fast!
S L O W D O W N!
Earlier this week, L and I met up with my dear friend Liz and her new friend Chad for happy hour. Liz suggested a place called Pepitos...obviously mexican, so count me in! They have an awesome HH (half price house margs and cheap apps!) and we decided right away that we need to come back for dinner sometime soon! L and I have been on a mission to find a good mexican place here in Minneapolis...something we both miss from previous home base cities. Pepitos looks like it just might fill that bill!
Last night, I began my food preparation for the 4th of July weekend! I made Almond Bread (Grandma Jones' recipe) and stuck it in the freezer. I figured it would be a good breakfast-y food to have up at Mal's cabin. I also plan on making some yummy salsa, a cheeseball and some super patriotic cupcakes! I will post recipes soon and maybe even some photos - fancy!
Soo...is it Friday yet?
xoxo,
L
S L O W D O W N!
Earlier this week, L and I met up with my dear friend Liz and her new friend Chad for happy hour. Liz suggested a place called Pepitos...obviously mexican, so count me in! They have an awesome HH (half price house margs and cheap apps!) and we decided right away that we need to come back for dinner sometime soon! L and I have been on a mission to find a good mexican place here in Minneapolis...something we both miss from previous home base cities. Pepitos looks like it just might fill that bill!
Last night, I began my food preparation for the 4th of July weekend! I made Almond Bread (Grandma Jones' recipe) and stuck it in the freezer. I figured it would be a good breakfast-y food to have up at Mal's cabin. I also plan on making some yummy salsa, a cheeseball and some super patriotic cupcakes! I will post recipes soon and maybe even some photos - fancy!
Soo...is it Friday yet?
xoxo,
L
Friday, June 25, 2010
It's Friday already?!
Usually I feel like my work week goes by soo slowly and I impatiently wait for Friday to come...not this week! I don't think this week was any busier than a normal week, weird. Regardless, I'm always glad the weekend is upon us.
So...
The Pampered Chef party was a success! Not only did I order my desired cupcake scooper, I also got one of these. It's a special measuring cup for sticky stuff (ie: peanut butter) that gets every last smudge of it out without working up a sweat using a spatula to get it all out of a regular measuring cup. I must use peanut butter a lot in my recipes because I got very excited when she showed us this little tool of genius!
Wednesday night was sand volleyball and...get ready for it...we won all three games again! Who is this team that decided to show up half way through the season?! It has been so much funwinning and getting to know our teammates and I am looking forward to playing with them all summer long!
Last night, I really wanted to try a new recipe that I found in my Cooking Light magazine for Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies. After over toasting the coconut TWICE, I was frustrated. It was so hot in my apartment, so I finished making the dough right after work and threw it in the fridge to deal with later. In the meantime, I headed over to G's place for an evening run around Calhoun. Then we walked the extra blocks to do a little shopping at the Lake Street Urban Outfitters and Victoria's Secret. I had no intentions of making any purchases, and did well at Urban but walked out of VS with 5 new pairs of panties, a strapess bra and some yummy new hair products (all on sale, of course)! It was getting late and I still had cookie dough waiting to be baked, so I headed back to mysauna apartment. I pre-heated the oven, greased the pan and made 2 full batches of these treats that (in my opinion) turned out delicious-ly (word? not a word?). I will be bringing these to share with a couple of my gal-pals tonight and I hope they like them!
L is going out of town tonight and won't be back until Sunday. For me, that mean Girl's Night, getting some cleaning done and working on my preparation for our 4th of July weekend in Nisswa!
3 more hours and I'm freeeeee!
xoxo,
L
So...
The Pampered Chef party was a success! Not only did I order my desired cupcake scooper, I also got one of these. It's a special measuring cup for sticky stuff (ie: peanut butter) that gets every last smudge of it out without working up a sweat using a spatula to get it all out of a regular measuring cup. I must use peanut butter a lot in my recipes because I got very excited when she showed us this little tool of genius!
Wednesday night was sand volleyball and...get ready for it...we won all three games again! Who is this team that decided to show up half way through the season?! It has been so much fun
Last night, I really wanted to try a new recipe that I found in my Cooking Light magazine for Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies. After over toasting the coconut TWICE, I was frustrated. It was so hot in my apartment, so I finished making the dough right after work and threw it in the fridge to deal with later. In the meantime, I headed over to G's place for an evening run around Calhoun. Then we walked the extra blocks to do a little shopping at the Lake Street Urban Outfitters and Victoria's Secret. I had no intentions of making any purchases, and did well at Urban but walked out of VS with 5 new pairs of panties, a strapess bra and some yummy new hair products (all on sale, of course)! It was getting late and I still had cookie dough waiting to be baked, so I headed back to my
L is going out of town tonight and won't be back until Sunday. For me, that mean Girl's Night, getting some cleaning done and working on my preparation for our 4th of July weekend in Nisswa!
3 more hours and I'm freeeeee!
xoxo,
L
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Weekend recap and a couple of tasty recipes!
I am aware that it's Tuesday, closer to Wednesday which means that is almost Friday - time for weekend FUN! But FIRST, I need to get you up to speed on last weekend!
Friday after work, I scooted home to whip up the Fruit Pizza I mentioned earlier before heading over to L's. I'm no giant cookie expert, but I was not in the right state of mind when I started this project. I used my pizza pan for the sugar cookie dough - thinking that this round pan will be perfect! Well...my pizza pan has holes in the bottom. About 5 minutes after I put the cookie dough in the oven, I smelled the burning. I opened the oven door to see the hot, melty dough plopping and sizzling and burning on the oven floor! I pulled it out (thought about how big of an idiot I am), and quickly wrapped the bottom of the pan with foil and placed it on another cookie sheet. Luckily, I was able to cook it for another 6 or 7 minutes and it still turned out...thin crust fruit pizza? At least it wasn't burned! So I packed up my treats and headed over to meet everyone at L's. We played (drinking) games, ate desserts and then made our way to Uptown for drinks.
It was a fun night and left me exhausted on Saturday! That means I didpractically nothing ALL day! I met up with Greta for a glass of vino that evening, which turned into dinner at Uptown's newest restaurant - The Uptown Cafeteria. We sat at the "Kitchen Bar" which looked over the busy kitchen. We got to see all the different appetizers, entrees and desserts - fresh cotton candy, AHH! It was such a fun place with a great menu, before we even ordered we decided that we need to come back! We ended up trying the Walleye and Sweet Corn Fritters as an appetizer and I tried the Chicken and Brie Sandwich as my meal. Of course, I only ate half of the sandwich because the walleye bites were soo good! We left full and more than satisfied!
Sunday was a lazy morning, which is always enjoyable for me! L and I went to lunch and then FINALLY busted out the tennis racquets we purchased 2 months ago! I wasn't sure how my tennis skills would be, since I haven't played in aprox. 10 years but it ended up being a fun afternoon and I am looking forward to brushing up my skills (signature move: backhand whiff) and tearing up the court! Then L decided that Dairy Queen sounded good on this hot day...of course I agreed! I also suggested that we go for a walk or something before indulging. He was reluctant but went along with it. We walked around Cedar Lake, which is part of the Minneapolis chain of lakes but much quieter and woodsy...is that a word? Woodsy? We got our delicious DQ (Cherry Mister Misty Floats for both of us) and headed back to L's. Later in the evening, I met up with Greta and we walked around Calhoun and chatted about...well, everything! It was the perfect ending to my summer weekend!
Yesterday was the longest day of the year - did you make the most of it?! I worked, went for a run, cooked dinner and continued to get caught up on True Blood. I just have 5 more episodes until I'm all caught up and L and I can watch together! ...maybe then he can explain some of the crazy stuff that is going one, cause YIKES this show is wild!
Tonight I am going to a Pampered Chef party with my mom - I am just dying to get my hands on a cupcake scoop...no more guessing or measuring...perfect sized cupcakes everytime! Plus making the trip to my parent's house means free dinner :)
Now, I believe I promised to post some recipes!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and the egg yolks. Mix together by hand until everything is well blended, and the mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until light gold.
4. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle the 2/3 cup of chocolate chips onto it. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Take out of the oven and spread the melted chocolate chips over the crust. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter,1/4 cup of margarine, and vanilla. Then stir in the milk. Crumble the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer. Press down lightly. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup chocolate chips and the shortening. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Drizzle over the peanut butter layer and refrigerate until set, about 3 to 4 hours. Cut into 2x 1 1/2 inch bars
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
1 (16 1/2 ounce) package Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip (thawed)
fresh fruit, any kind you may like (i.e. kiwi, strawberries, grapes, oranges, bananas, etc.)
Directions
1. Cut sugar cookie dough into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
2. Lay it down on a greased cookie sheet
3. Mold dough till pressed together, roll into a circle.
4. Bake an 350°F for 10 minutes or until brown. Let it cool completely.
5. While baking your crust, get a large bowl and mix together sugar,vanilla,and cream cheese.
6. Fold in Cool Whip.
7. Spread mixture onto cooled baked crust.
8. cut up your fresh fruit and place onto your pizza.
9. Chill in refrigerator for an hour
There you have it - a couple of easy and delicious recipes! Enjoy!
xoxo,
L
Friday after work, I scooted home to whip up the Fruit Pizza I mentioned earlier before heading over to L's. I'm no giant cookie expert, but I was not in the right state of mind when I started this project. I used my pizza pan for the sugar cookie dough - thinking that this round pan will be perfect! Well...my pizza pan has holes in the bottom. About 5 minutes after I put the cookie dough in the oven, I smelled the burning. I opened the oven door to see the hot, melty dough plopping and sizzling and burning on the oven floor! I pulled it out (thought about how big of an idiot I am), and quickly wrapped the bottom of the pan with foil and placed it on another cookie sheet. Luckily, I was able to cook it for another 6 or 7 minutes and it still turned out...thin crust fruit pizza? At least it wasn't burned! So I packed up my treats and headed over to meet everyone at L's. We played (drinking) games, ate desserts and then made our way to Uptown for drinks.
It was a fun night and left me exhausted on Saturday! That means I did
Sunday was a lazy morning, which is always enjoyable for me! L and I went to lunch and then FINALLY busted out the tennis racquets we purchased 2 months ago! I wasn't sure how my tennis skills would be, since I haven't played in aprox. 10 years but it ended up being a fun afternoon and I am looking forward to brushing up my skills (signature move: backhand whiff) and tearing up the court! Then L decided that Dairy Queen sounded good on this hot day...of course I agreed! I also suggested that we go for a walk or something before indulging. He was reluctant but went along with it. We walked around Cedar Lake, which is part of the Minneapolis chain of lakes but much quieter and woodsy...is that a word? Woodsy? We got our delicious DQ (Cherry Mister Misty Floats for both of us) and headed back to L's. Later in the evening, I met up with Greta and we walked around Calhoun and chatted about...well, everything! It was the perfect ending to my summer weekend!
Yesterday was the longest day of the year - did you make the most of it?! I worked, went for a run, cooked dinner and continued to get caught up on True Blood. I just have 5 more episodes until I'm all caught up and L and I can watch together! ...maybe then he can explain some of the crazy stuff that is going one, cause YIKES this show is wild!
Tonight I am going to a Pampered Chef party with my mom - I am just dying to get my hands on a cupcake scoop...no more guessing or measuring...perfect sized cupcakes everytime! Plus making the trip to my parent's house means free dinner :)
Now, I believe I promised to post some recipes!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and the egg yolks. Mix together by hand until everything is well blended, and the mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until light gold.
4. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle the 2/3 cup of chocolate chips onto it. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Take out of the oven and spread the melted chocolate chips over the crust. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter,1/4 cup of margarine, and vanilla. Then stir in the milk. Crumble the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer. Press down lightly. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup chocolate chips and the shortening. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Drizzle over the peanut butter layer and refrigerate until set, about 3 to 4 hours. Cut into 2x 1 1/2 inch bars
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
1 (16 1/2 ounce) package Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip (thawed)
fresh fruit, any kind you may like (i.e. kiwi, strawberries, grapes, oranges, bananas, etc.)
Directions
1. Cut sugar cookie dough into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
2. Lay it down on a greased cookie sheet
3. Mold dough till pressed together, roll into a circle.
4. Bake an 350°F for 10 minutes or until brown. Let it cool completely.
5. While baking your crust, get a large bowl and mix together sugar,vanilla,and cream cheese.
6. Fold in Cool Whip.
7. Spread mixture onto cooled baked crust.
8. cut up your fresh fruit and place onto your pizza.
9. Chill in refrigerator for an hour
There you have it - a couple of easy and delicious recipes! Enjoy!
xoxo,
L
Friday, June 18, 2010
I survived Nebraska - were you worried?
Happy Friday!
So we made it back from Nebraska on Sunday...tired and maybe a little bit hungover, but still in one piece! It was such a fun weekend, makes me long for a ::real:: vacation! We stopped in Des Moines on Thursday night, met up with some of Lance's friends for drinks, then spent the night at his brother and sister-in-law's place...which is also where little baby Preston lives, precious and happy lil guy! We got up early Friday morning and headed to Omaha - our destination: the zoo! During the 2ish hour car ride, my brand new sunglasses broke! The side of it snapped right off - not good. I am addicted to my sunglasses - a combination of sensative retinas and fear of premature aging forces me to be a slave to the shades. So we had to make an emergency mall trip and we were in luck! Sunglasses were on super clearance at Dillards! We both got a new pair of sunnies and made our way to the zoo. The zoo was so awesome! We stayed there for about 5 hours and I wish we could have stayed longer, but other obligations were calling. After the zoo we headed to Lance's mom's house...took much needed showers and headed out for a yummy dinner with Diane and Pete. After dinner, we met up with Megan and Rob - a couple of his friends from college whom I have gotten to know (and like, very much!). We hung out, chatted, drank bud light and played cards...a common thread of booze is already apparent, sorry Mom! We all felt tired and old and called it a night around midnight - Lance and I made our way back to his mom's house and crashed! Saturday morning - Diane made us a delicious breakfast and we hit the road again! We ran a couple of errands...wedding card, nail polish and a new dress shirt...then headed to the hotel. Luckily, they let us check in early so the boys could watch USA vs England in the World Cup! I took this time to hit up the fitness center...
too much car time + good food + cocktails at every event = must go running!
We got ready for the wedding (not without shuttle bus confusion) and made our way to Castle Unicorn (seriously) for the ceremony and reception. It was hot and humid...but the bride was gorgeous and the cake was delicious. The bar was open and the dance floor slowly filled - it was a good time! We danced until the DJ shut down the tunes. Everyone headed back to the hotel to re-group. A quick and easy decision was made to hit up the casino that was just steps away from where we were staying. I enjoyed it - but I was busy chatting with all my new friends. Other people may or may not have lost $105 on roulette...but I don't know, I was socializing :) The morning came too early and our drive back was rough, I can only imagine what it would have been like to actually have to drive but being a passenger was tough! I went to bed at 7:30 that night and it took me 3 days to fully recover but it was worth it - every mile driven, every beverage consumed, every whiff of dung smelled. I would consider our Middle America Mini Road Trip a SUCCESS!
In other news:
-Our volleyball team won all three games this week!
-I tried a new recipe last night: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, yum! Recipe coming...someday.
-I'm trying a new Fruit Pizza recipe tonight...that one is coming later too?
That's about all I got for today...looking forward to a relaxing weekend, I hope you are too!
xoxo,
L
So we made it back from Nebraska on Sunday...tired and maybe a little bit hungover, but still in one piece! It was such a fun weekend, makes me long for a ::real:: vacation! We stopped in Des Moines on Thursday night, met up with some of Lance's friends for drinks, then spent the night at his brother and sister-in-law's place...which is also where little baby Preston lives, precious and happy lil guy! We got up early Friday morning and headed to Omaha - our destination: the zoo! During the 2ish hour car ride, my brand new sunglasses broke! The side of it snapped right off - not good. I am addicted to my sunglasses - a combination of sensative retinas and fear of premature aging forces me to be a slave to the shades. So we had to make an emergency mall trip and we were in luck! Sunglasses were on super clearance at Dillards! We both got a new pair of sunnies and made our way to the zoo. The zoo was so awesome! We stayed there for about 5 hours and I wish we could have stayed longer, but other obligations were calling. After the zoo we headed to Lance's mom's house...took much needed showers and headed out for a yummy dinner with Diane and Pete. After dinner, we met up with Megan and Rob - a couple of his friends from college whom I have gotten to know (and like, very much!). We hung out, chatted, drank bud light and played cards...a common thread of booze is already apparent, sorry Mom! We all felt tired and old and called it a night around midnight - Lance and I made our way back to his mom's house and crashed! Saturday morning - Diane made us a delicious breakfast and we hit the road again! We ran a couple of errands...wedding card, nail polish and a new dress shirt...then headed to the hotel. Luckily, they let us check in early so the boys could watch USA vs England in the World Cup! I took this time to hit up the fitness center...
too much car time + good food + cocktails at every event = must go running!
We got ready for the wedding (not without shuttle bus confusion) and made our way to Castle Unicorn (seriously) for the ceremony and reception. It was hot and humid...but the bride was gorgeous and the cake was delicious. The bar was open and the dance floor slowly filled - it was a good time! We danced until the DJ shut down the tunes. Everyone headed back to the hotel to re-group. A quick and easy decision was made to hit up the casino that was just steps away from where we were staying. I enjoyed it - but I was busy chatting with all my new friends. Other people may or may not have lost $105 on roulette...but I don't know, I was socializing :) The morning came too early and our drive back was rough, I can only imagine what it would have been like to actually have to drive but being a passenger was tough! I went to bed at 7:30 that night and it took me 3 days to fully recover but it was worth it - every mile driven, every beverage consumed, every whiff of dung smelled. I would consider our Middle America Mini Road Trip a SUCCESS!
In other news:
-Our volleyball team won all three games this week!
-I tried a new recipe last night: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, yum! Recipe coming...someday.
-I'm trying a new Fruit Pizza recipe tonight...that one is coming later too?
That's about all I got for today...looking forward to a relaxing weekend, I hope you are too!
xoxo,
L
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Busy week - I see the 3 day weekend ahead. Relief!
It has been a crazy week in the life of me!
On Tuesday, I was downtown for the afternoon so I met up with one of my oldest and dearest friends for happy hour. We decided to meet up at Barrio Tequila Bar. I had heard many rave reviews of this place, but had never stopped in to check it out myself - so this was the perfect time to do so! I got there a little early, so while I was waiting on Liz, I started with a cocktail! The Margarita of the Day was the Macho Commancho - Blood Orange Ancho 1800 Black Margarita with a splash of Cava and it was delicious...and half price! Liz arrived and we covered all the important topics of boys, jobs, family, weekend plans and how we wish we had more money. We squeezed in a second HH Marg and ordered some Made to Order Guacamole and Mahi Mahi Tacos. Everything was absolutely delicious - I will definitely be planning to get back to Barrio, hopefully sooner than later!
Liz and I parted ways just in time for me to scoot over to Greta's apartment for the season finale of Glee. This show always leaves me satisfied, but I was expecting a little more from the season finale. I enjoyed the little twist in the plot line at the very end and I always enjoy Sue Sylvester and the musical numbers...but it was missing ::something::. Regardless, I am anxiously awaiting the season 2 premier!
Last night, I hurried home from work to get a couple loaves of Lemon Bread baked before my sand volleyball game. Success! Lemon Bread is one of my favorite things to bake...recipe to follow! I made it to volleyball on time...we played like crap and lost all three games. On top of that - we were playing a team that we knew! Embarrassing. We got over ourselves and met up for a post game brewski at the bar.
I made my way home and started packing for our Middle America Mini Road Trip. Lance and I are leaving tonight - heading to Des Moines for the night then on to our final destination of Omaha for a weekend of wedding fun! His college buddy/fraternity brother is getting married on Saturday. I'm looking forward to getting out of town for a few days, meeting some new people and having a little bit of fun! I stole my mom's camera, so hopefully I will remember to take pictures and will post them when I get back for the world to see! I have my new book (Three Cups of Tea), the new Cosmo and some trail mix - so between that and my awesome story telling abilities, we should be all set for some quality car riding time!
On Tuesday, I was downtown for the afternoon so I met up with one of my oldest and dearest friends for happy hour. We decided to meet up at Barrio Tequila Bar. I had heard many rave reviews of this place, but had never stopped in to check it out myself - so this was the perfect time to do so! I got there a little early, so while I was waiting on Liz, I started with a cocktail! The Margarita of the Day was the Macho Commancho - Blood Orange Ancho 1800 Black Margarita with a splash of Cava and it was delicious...and half price! Liz arrived and we covered all the important topics of boys, jobs, family, weekend plans and how we wish we had more money. We squeezed in a second HH Marg and ordered some Made to Order Guacamole and Mahi Mahi Tacos. Everything was absolutely delicious - I will definitely be planning to get back to Barrio, hopefully sooner than later!
Liz and I parted ways just in time for me to scoot over to Greta's apartment for the season finale of Glee. This show always leaves me satisfied, but I was expecting a little more from the season finale. I enjoyed the little twist in the plot line at the very end and I always enjoy Sue Sylvester and the musical numbers...but it was missing ::something::. Regardless, I am anxiously awaiting the season 2 premier!
Last night, I hurried home from work to get a couple loaves of Lemon Bread baked before my sand volleyball game. Success! Lemon Bread is one of my favorite things to bake...recipe to follow! I made it to volleyball on time...we played like crap and lost all three games. On top of that - we were playing a team that we knew! Embarrassing. We got over ourselves and met up for a post game brewski at the bar.
I made my way home and started packing for our Middle America Mini Road Trip. Lance and I are leaving tonight - heading to Des Moines for the night then on to our final destination of Omaha for a weekend of wedding fun! His college buddy/fraternity brother is getting married on Saturday. I'm looking forward to getting out of town for a few days, meeting some new people and having a little bit of fun! I stole my mom's camera, so hopefully I will remember to take pictures and will post them when I get back for the world to see! I have my new book (Three Cups of Tea), the new Cosmo and some trail mix - so between that and my awesome story telling abilities, we should be all set for some quality car riding time!
Lemon Bread
Yield: 1 regular loaf, or 2 small loaves (baking time listed is for 1 regular loaf)
1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
1 C. Sugar
Grated Rind of 1 Lemon
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
Glaze
Mix together:
3 C. Powdered Sugar
Juice of 1 Lemon
Preheat Oven to 350F degrees.
Beat oil, sugar, lemon zest, and eggs together until thick and lemon-colored.
Add remaining ingredients: milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix thoroughly.
Pour into a well-greased and floured 9x5'' loaf pan.
Bake 50-60 minutes until it is brown and toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and place on a cake rack over a cookie sheet.
Mix lemon juice and pwd. sugar until smooth. Brush over completely cooled loaf.
Enjoy!
Well, my dedicated readers...I will be on a blogging hiatus until I return from the land of corn! Enjoy your weekend :)
xoxo,
L
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I got my hur did...then I baked scones.
My hair is a never ending situation for me. When it's short, I want to grow it out. When it's long, I want to chop it off. When it's dark, I wish I had (and could afford) highlights and when it's highlighted, I think of how I want dark hair.
I made a fast decision to get my hair done last night...called in at 3, made an appointment for 6. I tried a new salon - moXie - and let me tell you - ah-mah-zing. It was my first visit, so the receptionist gave me a greatly appreciated tour of the place. They even feature artwork by local artists every few weeks, which was refreshing to see! Then my stylist, Ashley, sat down with me and we went over everything about my desired cut and color. I have a lot of hair, so my color took about an hour and then I had to let it process for another hour! Ashley and I chatted while she painted my hair. Luckily, I brought my book with me (The Help - read it!) for the hour of processing. Now comes the best part...the shampoo! They call it their "7 minutes in heaven" - an awesome scalp massage and a steamed towel infused with essential oils for your face. It was just what I needed! Then I went over to her chair and she cut and styled my hair. GET THIS! The have been collecting the hair from their cuts and partnering with Matter of Trust. Matter of Trust collects hair and turns it into mats that collect oil to assist in oil spill clean up. How cool is that?! So, three hours after I walked in the door, I left with a fresh new 'do and the feeling that I have found my new "home salon" - yay!
I finally got home, later than I had anticipated. Originally I had planned on trying out a new recipe after my hair appointment. I wasn't feeling tired yet, so I went ahead with my first attempt at scones! The recipe was quick and easy and I think they turned out great! (Sidenote: I need get a camera so I can display my treats - lost mine on NYE. Boo.) I made one batch of large triangles, one of small triangles and one of small circles. The circles got a little burned and don't look as cute as the triangles - for future reference.
Chocolate Chip Scones
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
Tonight is the season finale of Glee! It's a bittersweet evening for Gleeks everywhere ::sigh::
xoxo,
L
I made a fast decision to get my hair done last night...called in at 3, made an appointment for 6. I tried a new salon - moXie - and let me tell you - ah-mah-zing. It was my first visit, so the receptionist gave me a greatly appreciated tour of the place. They even feature artwork by local artists every few weeks, which was refreshing to see! Then my stylist, Ashley, sat down with me and we went over everything about my desired cut and color. I have a lot of hair, so my color took about an hour and then I had to let it process for another hour! Ashley and I chatted while she painted my hair. Luckily, I brought my book with me (The Help - read it!) for the hour of processing. Now comes the best part...the shampoo! They call it their "7 minutes in heaven" - an awesome scalp massage and a steamed towel infused with essential oils for your face. It was just what I needed! Then I went over to her chair and she cut and styled my hair. GET THIS! The have been collecting the hair from their cuts and partnering with Matter of Trust. Matter of Trust collects hair and turns it into mats that collect oil to assist in oil spill clean up. How cool is that?! So, three hours after I walked in the door, I left with a fresh new 'do and the feeling that I have found my new "home salon" - yay!
I finally got home, later than I had anticipated. Originally I had planned on trying out a new recipe after my hair appointment. I wasn't feeling tired yet, so I went ahead with my first attempt at scones! The recipe was quick and easy and I think they turned out great! (Sidenote: I need get a camera so I can display my treats - lost mine on NYE. Boo.) I made one batch of large triangles, one of small triangles and one of small circles. The circles got a little burned and don't look as cute as the triangles - for future reference.
Chocolate Chip Scones
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups cold whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- extra sugar for sprinkling
Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
Mix together first five ingredients.
Pour in cream and stir until the flour mixture is moistened.
Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into three equal sized balls.
Flatten dough into a seven inch circle (use your hands to flatten the dough out)
Cut each dough circle into eight triangles.
Place on cookie sheets about two inches apart.
Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Pour in cream and stir until the flour mixture is moistened.
Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into three equal sized balls.
Flatten dough into a seven inch circle (use your hands to flatten the dough out)
Cut each dough circle into eight triangles.
Place on cookie sheets about two inches apart.
Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tonight is the season finale of Glee! It's a bittersweet evening for Gleeks everywhere ::sigh::
xoxo,
L
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)