Almost four weeks of roller coaster fun…and you’re in for the ride now. Brace yourself for this one’s a long one.
Flour and Sugar
Here’s the rundown: 12 cheesecakes, more than 32 dozen cookies, 2 chocolate cakes, 4 dozen chocolate cupcakes, and 2 trays of cinnamon buns in two weeks. My Cuisinart hand mixer was a workhorse; it puts those fancy mixers to shame. Never mind that it almost burned up from working a very sticky, heavy, and enormous cookie dough. I am thankful for a little piece of advice, albeit the only useful information I got, from a fairly big cookbook I borrowed at the library this Summer – that the best way to ensure a smooth cooking endeavor is to start with a big sink full of hot sudsy water. And to this I add my eureka moment a few months ago – that a dishwasher is not just for washing dishes at the push of a button but that it can also be utilized as a dish drainer when clean and not in use. Wash, rinse, and dry as you go and any gargantuan sized baking or cooking endeavor can be finished in no time…with clear and clean counters to boot! It’s been a very fun Christmas baking experience for me…I hope to do more of it in the months to come.
Lost In Translation
One of my ten list of things to do in 2011 included “wedding singing gigs.” That chance came on the eve of the 2012, fashionably late I say but still within 2011. It truly was a thrill for me to have scratched that off my list. Anyway, one of the requested songs for the wedding was “The Prayer” made famous by the Andrea Bocelli – Celine Dion duet. The song is clunky to sing as a solo, at least in my opinion. And then there’s the full Italian bridge part. Granted, some English version was written out for that part and I understood it as just an interpretation, just a bit short of keeping the essence of its Italian meaning. So, with a week to go before the wedding day, I resolved to learn just that part of the song in Italian. I had fun and I think I did okay for those with untrained ears. *Grin*
911
For the first time in my near ten years of living here in the US, I called 911. Thankfully, no one was hurt after all was said and done. Suffice it to say that this two-hour episode involved someone in trouble, 911, cops, and a peaceful resolution. It was like watching an episode of the TV show, “Cops,” only this one was happening in real life right before my eyes. Shook me up a good bit. An overactive imagination didn’t help my fears be kept at bay for the first few days post-incident but that’s been a few weeks away now. I think I’m breathing easier.
New Baby
Gotcha!!! This is not of the cute, gurgling, squirming tiny baby kind. Nope…it’s a Kitchenaid! And a handsome looking one too. After my December flirting with what could be the beginnings of a home-based baking business, my husband took it upon himself to ease my laborious baking process with a trusty Kitchenaid mixer. Now off to some self-learning on how to make this venture help bring in some dough!
Spring Flirting
This Winter season has been very mild compared to the first two Winters we had since moving south from Chicago. But, it’s been the most interesting. There were variations of unseasonably warm weather with gorgeous sunshine and clear blue skies, freezing day to overnight temperatures, thunderstorms, and twice only disappointing dusting of snow – all occurring within a week. A bit confusing, I say, and more so with the plants. Just down our street, there are yellow forsythia flowers ablooming and everywhere I look, tiny buds are attempting to show but seem frozen and browning from the frigid temperatures that certainly are expected this time of year. There has been a lot of rainfall and I’m grateful for what that means to the land. And of course, there has been many days of sunshine too. One would think East Tennessee has just hit early Spring; however it is only January and there are sure to be many more frosty days and nights come February. This really was just a ramble to say that I cannot wait for the weather to make up its mind and be more consistently warm so that diggers like me can get on with gardening to our hearts’ content!
50
That’s a milestone number. My Daddy was born in December 12, 1962 and he would have turned 50 on December 12, 2012. He is physically not with us anymore but he is constantly in my thoughts. I miss him ever so dearly.
Nerf Wars
Oh yes! Having a boy certainly has its perks. There is now a standing evening nerf war exercises at the Ballast household where my two boys team up to beat the bad guy! That would be me. Oh the fun!!!! Perhaps it’s just an excuse to launch a nerf attack on my wonderful husband but really, he doesn’t mind. Besides, my marks are 99% of the time just zinging past him or hitting their forts. Our three-year-old has this thing he calls “Ammo Hunt” (it sounds more like “Elmo Hunt” when he says it) where he runs out to my side of the living room to collect ammo, all while doing his signature jiggy dance. Who knew having a boy would be this much fun?!!
Welcome 2012!!