bread baking.

one of my goals this year is to start baking my own bread. this just seems so heavenly to me.


i like to make small goals throughout the year that are doable and rewarding, no matter how simple they may seem.
what are some of your (big or small) goals this year?

my obsession with cooking and baking

So I'm a little obsessed with The Food Network. I swear that if Dave and I gave up cable, that would be so difficult for me only because I really need my Food Network fix. I even record series. I watch TFN like Dave watches ESPN.

I just love to cook and bake so much. Growing up I always asked my mom if she would teach me to cook and bake because she was amazing at it, as was my grandma and I figured I could be good at it too. She never did teach me, so it wasn't until I developed IBS a few years ago that I had to learn on my own. No one wanted to eat the food I made for myself and I couldn't eat the food anyone else made, so I had to figure it out on my own.

And I'm telling you it was the best thing ever. I'm so glad that I had IBS for those couple of years because it forced me to learn to cook.

When my IBS went away, I started watching a lot of cooking shows. I love them so much now, I even watch The Cooking Channel, which is also a great network.

There's just something about cooking and baking that puts me in this place of confidence and comfort. It makes me happy to make something for someone, even if I'm not going to eat it. I love to create something and try new recipes for others to enjoy. Sometimes I'll even bake something for Dave to take to the guys at work just because I had the itching to bake. I've even toyed with the idea of going to culinary school if this whole Acting or Directing MFA doesn't work out for me. I seriously love it that much.

I may not always cook the fanciest things or have all of the gadgets I want, but at least the things I cook and bake are delicious. There have only been two recipes I've made that Dave has not loved... and those were WW recipes that I had a feeling wouldn't be all that great. I better stop because now I'm sounding all braggy braggy, and that's not what I want.

But I just love it so much!

Here are a few clips from my favorite cooking shows

Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis


The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten


Nigella Lawson


Paula's Best Dishes by Paula Deen


I actually watch Paula because she makes me laugh. I've only made one of her recipes (Red Velvet Cupcakes) and they were amazing, but I'm afraid of all that butter she uses in everything else, haha.

Now let's talk about the recipe blog for a bit. I am all ready to go with this thing, but I still can't commit to a name!! If any of you would like to send me some suggestions, I'd be ever so grateful!

Obsessed

I found this gorgeous video via Cassie over at The Veda House, who found it via Kelly Ann over at The Flowerchild Dwelling (who co-incedentally happened to go to Vanguard as well as myself. She studied film, I studied theatre at around the same time and we never met! Crazy right?)

Anyway, both of their blogs are among my favorites so if you haven't already you should check them out. This video is just beautiful. I wish this is what it was like when I baked at home in my little kitchen!

Enjoy!

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

He asked for it...

What did I do today you ask?

Oh, you know, the usual. I baked a delicious apple pie from scratch.

...

Okay, that's not "the usual", but it is something that I really enjoy doing and I haven't baked a pie from scratch in months, so I decided it was time to do some baking.

{and what I mean by "pre-made" is that I made it yesterday, from scratch, 

with a pastry blender because I prefer it to the food processor when it comes to doughs}

{mix dry & wet ingredients with apples, toss to coat, pour into pie dish, dot with butter}

David went nuts. He actually asked me to bake a pie because he's watching Twin Peaks again and had a hankering. I should have video recorded his reaction when he took the first bite. The look on his face was priceless. He said it was probably the best apple pie he's ever tasted and coming from him that is a huge compliment. Eating apple pie should be his official hobby. He is apple pie spoiled, that boy.

I also made my mom's "chewies" with the pie dough scraps.

Weight Watchers friendly?

Why, yes! I'm glad you asked.

The pie serves 8-10

12 points per slice if serving 8

10 points per slice if serving 10

I know that sounds steep, but I'm telling you it is worth every point. There really isn't anything out there that beats homemade pie.

{Recipe from Martha Stewart}

back to life

For the last few days I've been in hibernation.


I started to feel really sick on Monday morning and just kind of stayed at home and did nothing productive (except bake too many batches of cookies, which really did me in and made me even more exhausted than my sickness already had).


I ignored the cleaning
the laundry
the dishes
the internet/my blog and reading all my favorites' updates


I did leave the house with Dave to exchange gifts with the in-laws and that was fun, even though I felt like passing out almost the whole time. Every year I get really weird/crazy gifts from Dave's dad, Bobby, and this year he did NOT disappoint. I got some crazy glasses that light up, a small bag that looks like an animal crackers box (I checked inside to see if there were any animal crackers because I LOVE them, but there were none), and on top of it all I got a Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. awesome.


and


I pretty much just ordered Netflix (FINALLY) and watched a few movies.


Precious (don't ever watch that in the morning because the rest of your day will suck, but it shouldn't be missed)
The Young Victoria (LOVED it, thanks for the recommendation Kacie!)
Supersize Me (I've been saying the same thing for years, every American should watch this movie, as well as Food Inc.)
Brothers (HEAVY, great acting)


Thankfully Davey was a dear and did the dishes multiple times and let me complain about feeling crappy and was super sympathetic (don't I have a sweetheart?) I'm so lucky.


I also thought a lot about what happened on Sunday and my previous blog post and I just wanted to say thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who left me encouraging comments, and all the texts and messages I received because of it. It really means a lot to me that so many of you think so highly of me or took the time to give me encouragement and hope. I really appreciate it.


I discovered that my food allergies/IBS might be coming back. I've been getting the stomach aches lately. 
Major cons to this: 
~I'll be back on my strict semi-Vegan/Pollotarian diet.
~I'll have to order like a picky bratty little kid at all the restaurants we go to from now on. 
~The horrible pain that comes when I don't follow my IBS diet.
Major pros to this: 
~I'll be back on my diet, therefore feeling like the healthiest person alive.
~I'll probably drop 10 lbs in the matter of a couple of months.
~I've been recently considering becoming a vegetarian so this diet would steer me in that direction naturally.


Part of me is hoping I'll be forced to go back on my IBS diet, but part of me just doesn't want to deal with the incredibly mind-altering stomach aches and fear of certain foods. Oh well, whatever happens happens and I'll deal with it.


I also realized (again) this morning that God seriously answers prayers. After my time of prayer this morning I asked for something specific and within an hour my prayer was answered. God is incredibly good and I need to be reminded of that daily.


Thankfully last night was the first night in a while that I fell asleep after 8:30pm and woke up before 8:00am so I'm starting to feel better. Thanks Sudafed & tea with honey and lemon!


AND


Tonight I am hanging out with my friend Kristin whom I met at VU and who is also getting married in March (so EXCITED for her!). We're bringing back 2005 and getting dinner at Gypsy Den at the Lab in Costa Mesa. Blast from the past. It should be joyous reunion.


Look out Veggie BLT & Veggie Chili, I'm making you mine tonight!

home for a gnome

Last night the hubs and I made a gingerbread house. Well, I made it and he just watched/took photos.


I have never made a gingerbread house before and I have ALWAYS wanted to. Uuuumm, no one told me how difficult they are. I was like, "Seriously? I worked kind of hard and even used my own pastry bag & tips and it STILL looks this crappy?"


Oh well. Maybe next year it will be better... I hope. It was also technically not a gingerbread house. It was made out of chocolate, not gingerbread, and the decorations were all peppermint. As much as I LOOOOOVE peppermint, I was pretty bummed that all we could find was a not-so-traditional house that wasn't already pre-assembled.


Whateves. It turned out kinda cute and it's about as close as I'll ever get to having a gnome in my front yard since David loathes gnomes.

 Bogie is such a little investigator

 my lil helper <3

a little Thanksgiving, a little Christmas and a lotta Texas

Wow, I can't believe how crazy/busy things have been lately! I feel pretty stretched and tired, but joyful at the same time. I mean, I absolutely love the holidays. Even though every year there are so many bittersweet and sad memories that surround the holidays due to lost loved ones who always made this time of year so special, I still look forward to this season all year round. It's so wonderful to be reminded of all that God has blessed us with and how precious our dear ones and lives are.

Things that have been going on lately:

~Listening to TONS of Christmas music. I have to admit that I have a few guilty pleasures in this department. My two favorite Christmas albums are my two biggest guilty pleasures...

Amy Grant, Home for Christmas 

Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas

Don't judge me. I grew up hearing these albums in my house so I'm addicted. There isn't a year that goes by when I don't blast those albums. A few more of my favorites are the Phil Spector Christmas album, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Elvis and Johnny Cash. How can you go wrong with those artists singing your favorite Christmas songs??

~Visiting Texas: As I mentioned in my previous post, I met David, my mom and Jeff in Fort Worth, Texas where we basically shopped (my mom and I spent way too much money at the Fort Worth Anthropologie which opened the day after I got there), ate BBQ, visited the oldest saloon in Texas called The White Elephant, bought some cowboy boots and pretty much took a crash course in how to live like a cowboy. Of course, Dave loved it... I thought it was fun, but I'd never choose to live there. 

Oh yeah and I fell in the street and twisted my ankle and couldn't run for 4 days, but I think I'm fine. I ran today and everything seems to be ship shape... I hope.

 This was a gorgeous place called the Water Gardens in Fort Worth

These are my two favorite shots but there are so many more at my flickr

 

~Getting ready for Thanksgiving: I went over to my mom's house today to help her cook and do some baking myself. By the time I got to her house (with Christmas music playing, of course) she had already baked pumpkin bread cupcakes and chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. By the end of the day she had also made a pumpkin chiffon pie, a minced meat pie (for Jeff, there is no way I'd eat that), some other kind of graham cracker pie, green bean casserole and creamed corn. All I made was my pear cranberry pie and my, now famous, jam crumb bars aka "Crumble". It took me all day to make the pie because the pie dough I made yesterday in the food processor turned out a little tough so I had to work with it tirelessly until I got it the right consistency. It might not have taken as long if I just remade the dough with a pastry blender like I usually do instead of in the food processor, but you live and you learn. Needless to say, thanks to my tough dough I didn't really help my mom cook at all. I just spent the whole day baking. And thanks to Kim (my sister) for peeling, coring and slicing the pears for my pie! That seriously saved me some time.

my pear cranberry pie!

I am really excited for this Thanksgiving. My whole family is spending the day with David's family at his grandparents' house. Now that there is a certain someone no longer in our family who would have seriously objected to this, and since my family is doing something extremely special this Christmas that requires us to be out of town, we decided to join our two families and make it one big Thanksgiving celebration. When you get married, the holidays can be tricky, so I'm really happy that we don't have to eat two (or three, eugh) dinners and spend it all at one place with our new family.

Well I really hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are all surrounded by those you love and who love you the most!