Flashback to School Days

Here are a few pictures that I found of when I was in school...

Cakes that I decorated

Jack who was dared to eat a quarter cup of salt

He didn't make it past the first spoonful

Tres

Challah bread

Chocolate

I love really dark chocolate and Brandy got me some this weekend while she was in Atlanta...it's awesome! I really want to go to a Trader Joe's but we don't have one close to Statesboro. I hear they're great.

New Shoes

New Danskos for work. My old ones were starting to get really worn out and gross. I'll be glad to throw the old ones out!!!

When You Chop Things For a Living...

...sometimes you chop the wrong thing. Thursday night I was chopping basil and next thing I knew I had sliced the corner of my left index finger off. Nothing could be done because there wasn't anything to stitch. Just keep it clean and dressed. It finally stopped bleeding yesterday. This picture is quite gross...hope it doesn't make any of you sick.

Thursday night

After my nurse friend Jess helped bandage it on Friday

Hot Chocolate

I love hot chocolate!! Growing up all of us Leonhard children would consume an insane amount of hot chocolate during the few cooler months of the year. One of the reasons was that we didn't have central heat and air till I was 11 or 12 so drinking hot chocolate helped keep the internal body temperature up (it did get pretty cold at times). Of course if we ever ran out of hot chocolate it was a major crisis and if you happened to be the sibling to finish it off....well you had quite a few people that were not very happy with you. Anyway it has finally cooled off a little bit here in Statesboro so the other night I had a very nice cup of hot chocolate. I actually found some Redi Whip in the refrigerator (thanks Mrs. Peaches!!) to top it off with. Wesley gave me the mug for Christmas...thanks Wes!!

Dinner For One?

Whole wheat penne pasta, sauted red peppers, onion, artichoke hearts, pesto, and I topped it with crumbled feta cheese. It was yummy!!

The Cupcakes That Didn't Get Made

My friend Brandy gave me this awesome cookbook for Christmas and I've been looking forward to some time when I could try out one the recipes in it. Yesterday started out looking like I was going to have the time and money to make them but the day got filled up and cupcakes have been put on hold till next Monday or Tuesday. Here is the first recipe that I'm going to try out ...they sound and look really good!!



Carrot & Orange Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

8 tbsp butter, softened
generous 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
juice and finely grated rind of 1 small orange
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 oz carrots, grated
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
scant 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

frosting:
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp confectioner's sugar
grated rind of 1 large orange

*Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put 12 muffin paper cases in muffin pans

*Put the butter, sugar, and orange rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Squeeze any excess liquid from the carrots and add to the mixture with the walnuts and orange juice. Stir into the mixture until well mixed. Sift in the flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder and then, using a metal spoon, fold into the mixture. Soon the batter into the paper cases.

*Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until well risen, firm to the touch, and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

* To make the frosting, put the mascarpone cheese, confectioner's sugar, and orange rind in a large bowl and beat together until well mixed.

*When the cupcakes are cold , spread the frosting on top of each cupcake with a round-bladed knife. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Unnecessary Appliance

I have come to feel that microwaves are just an unnecessary appliance to have around. I haven't ever used them often and quite a few houses that I've lived in didn't even have one. You really can live without them very easily. We already have stoves and ovens that work just as well and even better. The first microwave wasn't built until 1947 so we live just fine without them for quite a while. I'm sure a lot of you love having a microwave (and there is nothing wrong with that) but for me I think I'll save some space, eliminate some radiation and skip the microwave.