A.D.D.

i've contracted blog A.D.D., so head over to my new blog:  lovelylittlethingsblog.blogspot.com

happy reading :)

unwarranted hiatus

It's been a while since my last blog post, and it really is a bummer.  Somehow my educational pursuits took hold of my life and squeezed out everything that was fun.  Between interviews, papers, and random assignments here and there, my "me" time was reduced to almost nothing, and has left me looking drab, flabby, and simply a hot mess. Despite all this, I remind myself how lucky I am to have this awesome opportunity.  Anyways, the quarter is soon coming to a close, and I look forward to having more time to spend with the people I love and use my blog as a creative and emotional outlet.  I definitely will enjoy having the time to brush my hair and check myself so I don't always walk out the door looking like a deranged homeless woman.

I may be changing my blog name soon, but I want to know what you guys think? 

Which name is better? 

Kitchen Crush

         or

My Fair Foodie

On this historical day...

Today I spent my day snuggled with Burger and Derby in front of the t.v. as we watched Barack Obama become President of the United States.  I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion as I watched different people of every walks of life come together in hopes of a better tomorrow.  All political agendas aside, it is such an awesome feeling to know that someday I will be able to tell my children that it is possible for them to achieve anything they set their hearts on, because of the example that was set for us today.  2009 is off to a great start, and I hope that it will just get better and better.

B is for bicycle

There's nothing like spending a sunny, Sunday afternoon perusing around town on your new ride :)  Here's to beautiful weather and carefree days in 2009!

Here come the holidays!

I am so thankful that the quarter is finally over!  For the past two weeks, I have been facing the wrath of finals.  Now that the craziness is over with, I can move on to more important things like updating this blog more often, Christmas shopping, and baking holiday treats like these delicious butterscotch pumpkin cookies!  If you're a pumpkin fan like me, you'll appreciate these melt-in-your-mouth cookies.  The butterscotch adds a little something I still can't put my finger on ( for some reason I feel like I taste a hint of booze, hence the name butter "scotch").  Anyways,  all I know is that the combination of pumpkin and butterscotch is a match made in heaven.  Recipe thanks to fellow fabulous baker and blogger Joy the Baker.  Click here to enjoy!

I have about two weeks till I go home to Texas for the holidays, and I'm so excited about doing some heavy-duty baking for my friends and family.  Nothing's better than receiving a box of full of sweet goodness to savor before the New year's resolutions roll around ;) 

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear"

-Buddy the elf

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

M

I found the fountain of youth

Let me tell you, the strangest things always happen to me. ALWAYS. I have no idea why, but I suspect there might be a target on my forehead or something. Anyways, to add to my list of weird happenings in my life, my day began with waking up from a really bizzare dream. In this dream, I was back in high school again with some old classmates some new ones from my current program too, feeling all awkward, pubescent, etc. When I woke up I just felt weird, but no biggie, it was just a dream. So naturally as part of my daily routine, I get up, put on my oversized hoodie, and walk the dogs down the grassy patch in front of my complex. Across the street in front of the high school we live by, I see a cop make an abrupt u-turn and I think to nosy myself "Ooo! yay a car chase!" To my bewilderment, the cop pulls into one of the parallel parking spots in front of my house, rolls down his window, and shouts " HEY! Are you old enough to be out of school young lady?". Suddenly, I feel a sense of guilt roll down my spine, and then I suddenly realize, HEY! WTF, I'm fucking 24 years old, almost done with my master's degree. After a few seconds of taking in what was going on, I tell the cop " Yes. Yes sir I am old enough, in fact I am 24 and getting my masters". He studies me for a moment, looking shocked, and then tells me that it happens to him all the time. Yeah right! I guess he had nothing else better to do than accuse me of truancy and wear sunglasses on a cloudy day. This will just be one more story added to my story telling file. SCORE! I feel bad for him though cuz honestly, when I first wake up I do look about 15. Maybe it is a good thing, when I am supposed to be old and grey, I will still look young and vivacious. Hopefully that is...

Texas Hold-em Bay area edition

D& I have been wanting to throw a poker party for ages, and this weekend we finally made it a reality.  Being from Texas it was only fitting to play Texas hold-em.  Thanks to Nick for bringing his official poker table top and to our awesome friends, we had a great time.  I decided to give them a pre-Thanksgiving food coma by serving homemade pizza,wings, and ice-cream cake.  You can't beat that greasy, heart-attack inducing combo.  Not only did some people leave with poker winnings, but also some extra junk in their badonkadonk.  As I say, you can always count on leaving my parties a couple pounds heavier :) After this party, I realized how much I love entertaining and having people over.  My new year's resolution is to do it more often.  I still need to a better job of organizing it, and I feel like maybe a bigger kitchen and living room would help (that is a whole different story).  Anyways, thanks to the people who came and made it so much fun.  Until next time enjoy making these delicious homemade wings.  I wrote this recipe down a year ago from the internet, but I'm not sure where exactly I got it from.  Whoever it was, I owe you my first born for this mouth-watering recipe. It's like going to hooters without the boobs. (pizza recipe to follow in next post)

Mouth Watering Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings

• enough vegetable oil for deep frying
• 
  
• SAUCE
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (the hotter the better)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 
  
• BATTER
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb chicken breast (cut in 1 in cubes)

Directions:

Combine the batter ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the chicken to the mixture until they are evenly coated.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Heat oil on med/med high or 356 degrees on you deep fryer.

Remove coated chicken from the refrigerator.  Fry coated chicken in enough oil to cover them completely.  Make sure to not overcrowd pan.  This should take between 10-15 mins or until they begin to turn a deep golden brown. Depending on what method you use and the tendencies of your stove, cooking times may vary, so keep an eye on it.

While frying the chicken, prepare the sauce by combining the ingredients in a separate sauce pan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir mixture until blended.  Pour over fried chicken bites, evenly toss them in the mixture, serve, and enjoy!!!

My notes:

I recently bought a deep fryer, and it was worth every penny.  It saves you from smelling like grease and keeps your kitchen from looking like a bomb went off.  I only fried the bites for 12 minutes and they were a little too crispy for my taste.  10 minutes would probably be ideal.  If you're like me and like more bang in your hot wings, add more hot sauce and slightly decrease the butter.  I promise, you'll love it! 

Happy frying,

Mel J