Updates on the cooking

Okay, so I cooked up a storm yesterday (and then furiously did dishes today because I couldn't even use my faucet to fill my Brita...). Here's a little update on how it all went!

Mini apple pies- AWESOME! I made them pretty close to the original recipe I posted, except I added ground cloves in with the spices because I didn't think that just cinnamon and nutmeg would be enough spice for my liking. I also used a little ravioli cutter outer thing that I used to form the pasta for ravioli to cut out the top dough. It turned out really great and they were a huge hit with everyone that's had one so far! In fact, of the 12 that I made yesterday there are only 5 left. And I only had 1 lol.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup - super delicious! I think next time I would add a few different kinds of beans (and more of them) because it was a little... vegetable-y. Don't get me wrong, I like veggies, but I like my minestrone to be a little heartier than just a veggie soup.

Chicken Fried Rice - A giant hit! My dad ate a whole bowl in like 2 minutes, he said it was really awesome! I only had a bite of this because it was the last thing I made and holy COW I was full, but it tasted alright to me. I didn't have sesame oil to cook the veggies with, so I used olive oil with a splash of sesame seed oil. Then at the end I added a little more sesame seed oil and also some white pepper to spice it up. Overall, a great recipe. Very quick and easy too, which I liked.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas - I ended up making these yesterday because I wanted them for lunch and none of the other stuff I made was cooking fast enough lol. They were awesomeeee!! Like, I had them for breakfast again this morning, awesome. Creamy and tasty and good. I used medium green sauce because I'm a sissy, but I honestly would have used the hot type if I made them again. The cream cheese really toned down the sauce and it wasn't very mexican food-ish.

I took a few pictures, probably not as many as I should have, but I also don't know how to upload them... so that's something for me to work on another day.

WOW!

I can't believe it's been 9 months since my last blog post! I've realized that I like to look at blogs, read them, look to them for skills that I want to learn, learn about new things, get inspiration for doing fun things, but I don't ever write on my own... Oops. Well, I think I've figured out a way to try and be better about posting.

I'm going to make things I see on Pinterest and am interested in trying. I've had some successes (the wand with the scrubber and half dawn soap half white vinegar wiping down the shower every time is sheer genius, I haven't set out to clean my shower in 2 months and it's sparkling!) aaaand some failures (anyone who tells you you can get gunk off a cookie sheet with baking soda and boiling water is a fool, or at least it didn't work for me). Either way, I really enjoy crafty projects, cooking, home decorating, etc. so I think this is a fun way for me to express that!

Of course I'll still have random posts about things going on in my life, but I think it will be more interesting (and make me actually post) if I include some other things!

On the agenda for today (since it's rainy and dreary and my absolute FAVORITE weather) is mini apple pies! I love apple pies, and anything in miniature is better (obviously). I'm also going to try honey oat bread, crock pot minestrone soup, and chicken fried rice.

Here are the links for all of the recipes I found on Pinterest for these things

Mini Apple Pies: http://www.littlebitfunky.com/2011/10/what-i-made-for-monday.html

Honey Oat Bread: http://bakingdom.com/2011/09/homemade-honey-oat-bread.html

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/11/crock-pot-minestrone-soup.html

Chicken Fried Rice: http://skinnymom.com/2013/03/01/skinny-chicken-fried-rice/

Tomorrow I'm going to make some more stuff, so hopefully I won't have to cook dinner most of next week!

I'm thinking tomorrow I'll make:

 Crock Pot Chicken Chili: http://redsie05.blogspot.com/2010/10/ww-crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili.html

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas: http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/search/label/mexican?updated-max=2010-11-09T16:17:00-08:00&max-results=20  (you have to scroll down a bit for this recipe)

and Creamy Tomato Pasta: http://kitchentrialanderror.blogspot.com/2010/08/creamy-tomato-pasta.html

On Wednesday I will be heading down to my grandparents house in southern California (near Blythe, if you happen to know that podunk town) to go through their things, since my grandma passed recently. It's going to be a hard trip, and I thought that having some stuff made for dinners already would be nice. Just heat up and serve. It's going to be a rough trip, and grocery shopping before heading out into the very remote place that it is just doesn't sound fun. So, I'll keep you guys updated on my adventures into cooking today and tomorrow!

Interview

So, I have my first real job interview tomorrow.  I don't mean that I haven't had job interviews before, because I obviously have.  I've had multiple jobs in my life, but I haven't ever had an interview for a career, a full-time, long-term job.  WHOA.  I'm not sure how to feel about it all.  I think it's going to go well, I'm pretty good at the whole interview thing so I have some high hopes.  Plus, can you really go into an interview with the thought that you're not getting the job?  Just not happening.  Anyway... the interview is at a local, non-profit children's theater.  Now, I'm not looking to stay in the theatrical industry; however, I AM looking to stay in the marketing industry and this position is mainly a marketing position.  So, fingers crossed for me!  I'll let you know tomorrow afternoon how it went!

Blogging, or lack thereof

I've been exceptionally terrible lately about blogging, and there's really no excuse for it other than I haven't felt like it.  First off, I was SUPER busy with school up until the end of May of this year.  However, I GRADUATED!! I'm officially a college graduate with my BA in Psychology from CSU Monterey Bay!  I'm so happy to have that paper I've worked so hard for (except it's still in the mail...).  The only problem with graduating is that now I need a full-time job and there aren't too many out there.  I've reworked my resume and cover letter and sent them out to quite a few companies, and no call backs yet.  It's not a good feeling knowing that people aren't interested in me.  In fact, it's downright depressing.  What's compounding the issue is that I've recently had to move back in with my dad... don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but when we live together we don't get along at all.  So, I'm trying to stay hopeful on the job front!  Other than that, I'm just hanging out.  I work part-time as a nanny here in Salinas and I'm trying to save every penny I can from that (which is hard, because I tend to use retail therapy to make me feel better about my life...oops).  Well, I'll be back in some other posts soon (because I have nothing better to do, other than apply for jobs!)

Coffee

I have this long-term love affair going with coffee. I love it, and it apparently hates me. Coffee has always upset my stomach a tiny bit, but I could deal with that. I think I may have over-done the coffee in Europe because now, all of a sudden, it freaking KILLS ME. I can't even have 1 measly cup anymore! LAME. I'm going to buy low-acid coffee and see how that goes.

I CAN'T GIVE UP MY COFFEE!! I'm not even addicted to the caffeine, I just straight up like the taste. UGH.

Hey look, it's Picnic Day!

Picnic Day has arrived Ladies and Gents!

In case you don't know, Picnic Day is a gigantic festival thing in Davis. Pretty much the whole city shows up, it's awesome.

I'm going up with my friend Chloe and I already have over 450 songs ready to GO because it's a 3 hr drive either way, so I've gotta be prepared for the epic jam seshs that are bound to happen.

On the agenda:
Doxie Derby (people dress up their weiner dogs in little costumes, capes, etc and race them around! It's the most adorable thing ever!)
T-shirt tye-dyeing
liquid nitrogen ice cream tasting
Chemistry Magic Show
And a late night bar crawl! (Not an official Picnic Day event, but surely a tradition in it's own way)

We're staying with my friend Rachel, who is practically the world's sweetest person ever, and I'm taking Toby up there so he can play with her dog Crosby! It's going to be SOOO much fun! Pics to come later =]

Daydreamin'

“Prague never lets you go… this dear little mother has sharp claws.” Franz Kafka

Day 30, I did it!

:movies you can watch again and again

Ohhhh man. There are so many!!

1. The Goonies. I love this movie. By the time I was about 8, I had already worn out 2 VHS' of it. I LOVED this movie as a kid, and as an adult I still feel the same.

2. Walk the Line. It's a Johnny Cash movie, and it's really great!!

3. Young Frankenstein. CLASSIC Mel Brooks. Seriously, what is there to dislike about a black and white parody movie about Frankenstein? Haha.

4. Fracture. Anthony Hopkins is (in my opinion) one of the greatest actors of our time. He can adapt SO well to any roll; whether it's creepy or funny. He's a genius in this movie that kills his wife.

5. World's Fastest Indian. Another Anthony Hopkins movie, but in this one he's the Australian guy who broke the land speed record on an Indian motorcycle. If you haven't seen it, you should!

6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. HILAAAAAAAAARIOUS. That's all I can say about that one.

7. Rain Man. Dustin Hoffman did this roll justice.

8. A Knight's Tale.

9. All of the Lord of the Rings movies.

10. All of the Harry Potter movies! Loveeeee them!!

11. I Love You, Man.

I'm sure there are many others! I just happened to take a glance at my movie collection and saw which ones I watch a lot.

:favorite tv shows and why you like them


Oh man, I love Charmed! It's a show about witches, dark magic, etc etc. Sounds fully corny, but I really like it!

Day 28

:cruise a thesaurus and pick out 10 words that you like the sound of

Well, I don't own a thesaurus. Honestly, who does anymore?? Ridiculous.

So, I'm just going to tell you some words that I DON'T like.

Moist. This word is just gross sounding, despite the actual definition of it! It's just a weird sounding word.

Elbow. It flows awkwardly off the tongue and just seems like no one thought it out very well.

Those are the only two that I can think of at the moment, but it's kind of a weird thing I have against those words.

Day 27

:my day job vs my passion

My day job is working at door and window shop, and I like it. It's a fun job and there's always more to learn, but it's not my passion by any means.

As of right now, my passion is cooking and baking. I'd LOVE to open up a bakery/coffee shop, in the true European style. I also want to work with children with Autism. Sooooo, we'll see where I end up!

Day 26

:list 10 things you are thankful for

1. Family. They are KILLERRRR.
2. Friends. Always there for me, no matter what!!
3. Chris. He can be the world's largest pain in the ass, but he loves me and I love him and we are good for each other.
4. My job. In this economy, I'm happy to have any job, but at least this one is something that I could see myself doing until I finish school (and possibly beyond if I can't find something in my field to do while I go to grad school!)
5. Toby!!! The little guyyy!! He's my favorite, he's always happy to see me and misses me constantly when I'm not there.
6. My home. I love where I live. It's cozy and homey.
7. Happiness. I'm happy with my life, and I don't feel like I need much more than that!
8. School. Many people don't get the opportunity to go to school, and I want to continue mine further.
9. Lazy days. They are the best and fully necessary when your schedule is as crazy as mine!!
10. Books. I love books. They are so useful and entertaining!

Day 25

:what would I find in your bag

This is the best lip stuff ever. It's awesome. So awesome, that I buy it in 5 or 10 packs on ebay because it's so much cheaper that way and I use it for EVERYTHING. It's good as a lip balm, good on dry cuticles, cracked heels, diaper rash (at least that's what the packaging says, I would know). Anyway, if you haven't ever tried it, you should!


Just sayin', best gum ever. I'm never without it.


My newest addition in lip stuff (which I'm a bit obsessed with, ask anyone that knows me well). It's paraben, SBS, and cruelty free. And btw- it works great!! Well worth the $2 I paid for it (I used coupons =] )


Best lotion! It's a bit greasy when you first put it on, but my hands and elbows are never super dry anymore!

For my eczema.. Ugh. I have RX stuff for it, but I forget it all the time. So this stuff works pretty well for it. Plus, it was cheap.

Day 24

:favorite quote, and why

"The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page." -- St. Augustine

I love this quote, a lot. Liiiiike, a lot. It just rings true to me. People that never leave their comfort zone live such a limited life that it seems sad to me. Their lives are still full and all, but it's just a limited existence. I'd feel so tied down and anxious all the time. Eek. I will always travel, ALWAYS. And that's a promise, you can write it down if you want.

Day 23

:something you crave a lot

Oh. my. gosh.

MEXICAN FOOD. Hands down.

I freaking LOVE Mexican food!! Burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas, mexican rice, beans, cheesy goodness!! What is there to not like about Mexican food???

I'm hungry now, obviously.

Day 22

:What makes you different from everyone else

I believe that something that makes me different from everyone else is my strong will and independence. I can be extremely stubborn at times, but I know who I am and I know what I want in life. I don't want to compromise and I won't. I try to be very independent and self-sufficient. It's not possible for me to be financially independent right now, but I do everything that I can.

In short, I know who I am and I also have. I believe in myself and I think I'm a good person.

Day 21

:a picture of something that makes you happy

Prague <3

Day 20

:write a letter to someone

Dear CSUMB,

Sometimes I hate you, sometimes I love you. We have a love/hate relationship, but I'll be happy to finish out my degree there.

See ya soon,
Lindsay

Day 19

:write about a sweet memory from your past

Well, since I was just talking to Lexa on Facebook chat, the first thing that popped into my head was our EPIC PANCAKE BATTLE!! I capitalize it because when I say it in my head, I say it in that awesome announcer voice from like, Space Jam and what not. Anyway.

When Alexa and I were liiiiike 13 or whatever, we lived next door to each other. We lived like that for somewhere around 5-6 years. It was awesome. I mean, come ON! Living next door to your best friend? Nothing better. We used to bake cookies and make pancakes a lot during summer because we were both always home alone. So one night I had a friend stay the night, and the next morning we made like a million little pancakes, and then I called Alexa. Our front doors faced each other, so she was an easy target. I'm not sure if it was a planned out thing to throw pancakes at her, or if we were just THAT cool and spontaneous. I tend to lean towards we just randomly did it. Anyway, I hurled the first pancake and it was ON. Alexa was throwing them back, I was pelting her with them, my friend was throwing them too, it was a mess. The bushes between our houses were covered in pancakes. Well, they were chocolate chip pancakes (are there really any other kinds at 13??) and we have chocolate chips EVERYWHERE. They were on her mom's roses, on the mats in front of the doors, on the sides of the house, on everything. Her mom was SOOOO pissed at us haha. After we had this epic battle though, she came over and we ate the rest of the pancakes! YUM!

We still laugh about it to this day on a regular basis. It's definitely a sweet (literally!) memory.

Day 18

:plans/dreams/goals you have

Oh man. Plans. Dreams. Goals. Those are all things that I think about a lot. They're all actually kind of stressful in their own way.

Plans-- Well, I'm making spring break plans as we speak. Possibly a road trip somewhere with some friends. Then I'm going to a Katy Perry concert over the summer, up to Davis in April, and then I'm not sure!

Dreams-- Pshhhh. I have tons of dreams, but none of them include being a responsible adult with a job and all of that lol. I want to travel the world. I want to adopt TONS of dogs and just own a ranch and have them run free. I want to complete my bucket list (see previous post for it). However, all of these require money and I'm poor and have things to pay for! Darn life getting in my way of fun...

Goals-- To graduate college and find a career. That's my goal in life as of right now.