In Hopes...

In hopes of hearing positive news on the job front (come March 16!), my sister and I got together today to start cooking our "freezer meals" to be stored and eaten on tired nights. We made (for three families): chimichangas, meatloaf, waikiki meatballs, and sloppy joes. Last night I made homemade chicken stock from a chicken carcass leftover from our rotisserie binge on tuesday.
While creating our tasty little meals, I was yukking it up with my sister. Wonderful observant chef that I am, I manage to hack off the side/tip of my middle finger on my left hand. That's what I get for not paying better attention to the proximity of the knife to my fingers. Whoopsie. Took 15 minutes to get the bleeding to stop. Thankfully sister E. is an ER nurse and told me I would be fine without stitches (despite being able to see my fat in the chunked off part). 7 band-aids later, I am now bloodied band-aid free. And yes, it is band-aid brand.
Now I'm eating a steak with a reduced red wine sauce. First it was undercooked (thanks guys!) and now I overcooked it. Lame. But it is still delicious.

Also was informed tonight that the student I tutor is "a good writer" (via his mother from parent/teacher conferences). Score one for the home team.

S. birthday is sunday, so tomorrow S., J., and I are going out to eat at Fogo de Chao. Yum!

Promise this will be the longest gap of posting. Because I do understand that some people like to read this blog as their evening entertainment. Or something like that? Break from work? Who knows.

Oh yes, did I mention that I am officially off dish duty due to my klutziness? Because I am. I am eating my steak and watching S. and J. clean the kitchen. I LOVE it...

I Heart Faces Challenge: Kisses

So this week's challenge on is: KISSES! (in honour of Valentine's day, of course). I snapped this picture of my sister and her husband when we were at the beach. I love how happy she looks!

Cheesecake Ice Cream

So on the wild off chance someone reading this is:
a) having a bad day
b) needing some ice-creamy goodness
c) has an ice cream maker
d) either has ingredients on hand OR is willing to go to the store

or:
a) really likes ice cream
b) really likes cheesecake
c) has an ice cream maker

or:
a) likes ice cream

have I got a deal for you!
This is seriously some of the most delicious ice cream I have made in a while. Let's please ignore the fact that I got the ice cream maker for Christmas in 2008 and just a month ago busted it out for the first time. I blame it on our renter, J., for inspiring me to once again load my stomach with homemade frozen goodness. I think it worked out pretty darn well though. Mmmm.
J. had been raving about this cream cheese ice cream he had made a few summers ago, so I decided to give it a whirl in my unused ice cream bowl maker attachment thing for the kitchenaid. And it was oh so good. I personally recommend crumbling a graham cracker on top of it. It really caps off the cheese-cakey-ness. If you were REALLY feeling exotic you could also top it with some fresh fruit.

adapted from epicurious.

Ingredients:
8 oz. softened cream cheese (you can use neufchatel cheese if you prefer)
1 c. milk (I used whole milk)
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice (lemon works too, but if you use REAL lemon use at least 2 Tbsp.)
3/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt (or a couple shakes)
1/2 c. Half-and-Half

Mix cream cheese, milk, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a blender. It should get frothy and smooth - make sure there are no chunks of cream cheese. Manually stir in the cream. Pour into ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions (for the KitchenAid this means pour it in after the paddle is stirring).

Once the ice cream maker is "done" freezing the mixture, transfer the ice cream to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for a minimum of 2 hours. Scoop and serve topped with graham cracker crumbs.

Mmmmm.....

• 
  
• 

I Heart Faces Challenge: Texture

Another week, another challenge from I Heart Faces. This week was that texture had to be somehow incorporated into the photograph. Here is my take on it.

Pretty sure that I love this picture (can I say that?). Look at that darling little face! And those chub cheeks. Anyway, this past week has been an experiment in texture for me. I am fairly pleased with how this turned out. It takes some finagling to get texture looking a-o-k, but I like it. I plan on experimenting more. And taking pictures with texturizing in mind.

Discouraged

Ah... the problem for many people: The Job Hunt.
I am totally discouraged after today. I searched and searched and searched for jobs. Many looked interesting. Many would I have applied for but for the small fact that I am not qualified. For anything. Other than nannying. Well at least according to everyone who is hiring/writing the descriptions of jobs and requirements. 3-5 years minimum experience. The age old problem of: how do you get that experience when you need experience to get a job? And the kicker is: I know that I could do a phenomenal job at almost any of the jobs posted.

So instead, I took the afternoon off (well from like 4:00 on) to putz around with photoshop and textures and brushes. Brushes? I haven't figured that out AT ALL. I know a cheat-y way of putting texture in.

My little kitties have been meowing today a lot. Last night I discovered Fjord had EATEN tin foil. From the cream cheese wrapper. Trust me when I tell you that you don't want to know how I found this out. Let's just say it had to do with the fact that he also had eaten some of my hair from the shower (which I swear I clean out after every shower). He seems fine today. Such an odd little cat.

Pool table is ordered and will be here tomorrow. Set up/installation is on Tuesday. Then I can become the pool shark and make money that way. Or something like that. Until then, I'm praying that God will direct me. And I'm waiting to hear back from a temp agency.

*sigh*

Oh yeah. And I'm listening to Celine Dion.

I Heart Faces Challenge: Family

This week's challenge on I♥Faces is "Family." It took me a bit of perusing to find this shot which is from right before Christmas. The ladies of my family have a tradition of baking Christmas cookies. This year, my dad (aka Grandpa Bill) came to watch the grandkids (when they weren't busy 'helping' cook and decorate). 
Grandpa with two of his grandkids.

Princess Ballerina

I love hanging out with my niece. I think every year she is so wonderfully and fun and possibly couldn't get any more fun or adorable. But she does. Tell me this isn't the sweetest little princess ballerina face you ever did see?

I didn't think you could tell me otherwise. Oh. And please note that the tutu (that you really can't see) and leotard she is wearing was made by yours truly for her for last Christmas. Also please note that the tutu used to be really puffy and has been loved into smushed-ness.
We danced to princess music (Every Girl Can Be A Princess) and played with play-doh. It was really nice to spend some time just with her because her brothers and mommy were sleeping. We had a great time. I really wish I could have convinced her to since some opera. I was warbling with the best of them as I attempted to imitate (halfheartedly) Andrea Bocelli singing in Italian(?). C. merely thought I was crazy and was laughing at me as I held my stomach and belted out some syllabic mess, since I'm not fluent in Italian. She then told me to be quieter so I didn't wake anyone up. I think that was her way of tactfully telling me to be quiet and go back to stamping play-doh shapes that she described as "snazzy." Guess I can't win it all.