Year

Just got back from the Grand Canyon aka America's vagina. It was amazing! Words and pictures do not do it any justice.  Oh nature, you're so amazing!

Well This is last post of the year.  Thanks friends for reading this year! I think I made a pretty good effort posting compared to years previous.

My new year goal: To run at least 2 half marathons and do the Long Beach triathlon. I have one 5k planned already!

I am starting a 365 day project. Starting tomorrow.

Ghosts of Christmas

Happy Christmas

If we made a card it would probably look like this.

Snug Life

A year in review: The Top 4 Non-Serious Faces of 2011

 

A class group of people I must say!

Cookie pusher

While I STILL haven't even started shopping....well not entirely true.  I have Anissa's present.  Anyway, gifts for the masses, i.e coworkers, neighbors, surprise pop in guests are pretty easy to tackle. While baking isn't my thing, these Lump O Coal Chocolate Crinkly Cookies, make great presents to those person's listed above.  I like to call these crack cookies. Not only do they have the fissures to match but they are as addictive as the street drug with the same name.  I have a label punch and I used return address stickers to make the cute Naughty tag.  I mean they are lumps of coal. Let's face it, we have probably all done something this year that would land us on Santa's Naughty List.   The batch will yield 50 cookies! Enjoy, I know Shane and I did! 

Lump O' Coal Chocolate Crinkly Cookies

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4oz unsweetened baking chocolate (melted and cooled)

2 cups of Granulated sugar

2 cups of all purpose flour

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup of confectioner sugar

In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla until combined. Stir in eggs one at a time.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

When ready heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease baking pan or line with parchment paper.

Using a tablespoon, scoop and drop dough into confectioner sugar and roll around into a ball.   Place them on sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  When ready remove from sheet and place on cooling rack.

Using wrapping tissue paper package neatly with a bow and tag.  Give to anyone on the naughty list this year! 

Christmas What?

When did it become December?

I am obsessed with this ray from the Long Beach Aquarium.  I blame it solely on the death of Steve Irwin. Yet it still prances along with a smile. How do you live with yourself sir?

Still haven't started my shopping...sigh.  But if you want to shop for me I made it easy, my Amazon Wish List is updated and ready to go! Someone is feeling fancy and wants the Thunderbird's Mega Set!

Also peep game on my  holiday wish list on Svpply!

HandMade

While my weeks fill fast, I still find time to make things!  I love trinkets and while I hate buying them, I love making them. 

Thxgvng Eve Eve

This turkey has grown on me. I made him at Aunt Jan's house on second Thxgvng. I named his Drew Doughty from the LA Kings because they have a very similar resemblance. See?

Anyways, with Thxgvng around the corner, leftovers are most certainly in order! As a person who loves to bring lunch to work, below are my suggestions for a most tasty and stylish lunch.

One-two-three-four

 The Sporting Life in Blue Ice

Tomorrow Noon in Cranberry (also pictured, Anissa)

Style Council Lunch Break in new millennium tortoise . (also pictured, Jon Heder)

 Friday Night Nation, white brown A prototype. (also pictured, Chucho)

"I don't like gourmet cooking or "this" cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking."

When we do decide to eat at restaurants, we do it right!  Like James Beard said, "I like good cooking."

 

Beast hash with a poached duck egg. Beast, Portland, OR

 

Farm Fusion.  The Waffle Window, Portland, OR

 Mac and Cheese Flight. Blacksmith, Bend, OR

 

1/2 a Slow Burger 1/2 Fall Burger. The best french fries next to The Pike in Long Beach.  Slow Bar, Portland, OR.

These nuts and dried cherry are from home.  I eat this combination everyday.  Nuts are the best!  True it is not cooked but having bulk nuts has come in especially handy for crusted fish, sauteed spinach, and my Thanksgiving stuffing trial run. They store well in the fridge.  They can last up to nine months.

 

Dried cherry, almond, and a walnut. Costco.

Greetings from Oregon

Oregon is beautiful!
Wish you were here
x's and o's

Apples Don't Fall Far From the Tree

Some things

I have a feeling that when people wrote in your yearbook "Keep smiling,  Don't ever change," they had this in mind. Or did they?  Why wouldn't you want a change? What if someone shit in my cereal?  

I am at home this weekend and I found these awesome pictures of myself.

Coming home can be a daunting task. While there are a few reasons for not going home as frequently as I do, it is always worth it in the end. I get to spend time with family and eat the most amazing food. When I read old journal entries I really hated living at home and at first opportunity I left with no intention to come back... at least to live. Really, I love It here. Aside from the new kitchen and floor, it hasn't changed. It's a place where I feel comfortable, where I've always been comfortable.

I take comfort in knowing that some things don't change.

Secrets

Please don't tell anyone, but I bought these.


Thank you in advance,

Eizelle

Short and Sweet

Future goal: the Long Beach Triathlon. First a 5k in October.

I will be in the shadows if you need me

I've been watching Twin Peaks....few more episodes left. We wait...

This Isn't London.

I wish I was here instead of here.

Back in my life

I'm so happy to have this back in my life x 4!

I like Pretty

Hmm...Orla Kiely and Mercedes Helnwein.  LOVE!

I Am The Eye in the Sky Looking At You.

Here is what is permanently drawn on my arm. It's a self portrait. My name literally in German translates to ovum, which is a egg. 

Here is what I saw at the bar on Saturday night:





If I had a choice, Steve Buscemi would voice my tattoo. 

Eye to the Sky

At the Golden Nugget, LV

Chicken Nuggs

I've had this crazy craving to eat some chicken nuggets.  I daydream about it. 

All I want is one.

I'm Not a Cookie.

Inspired by the new book I received for my birthday and that Shane was out at Big 4 with the Boys, I had decided to try to make french macarons.  I've read the "first time horror stories" on assorted blogs and sort of psyched myself out of making them for the past year. But with my new book in hand, a kitchen scale and a borrowed hand mixer from Ms. Melis I felt my time has come. I followed every measurement, every instruction and went with my instinct and here is the end result: 

I would sneak peeks of them while they were in the oven and I got really giddy when I saw the pieds or feet. 

I did hit a sort of brick wall when it came to making the buttercream.  I followed the book and my cream always came out gross looking!  So I went online and found a video and much easier recipe. I added a little vanilla extract and some boysenberry jam. I also don't have pastry/piping bags and so I did it ghetto style with a Target brand zip top bag, because that is how I roll.

So here it is a vanilla and lavender french macaron with a boysenberry buttercream, made by me for you.   

one more

I had a birthday.  I spent it with good friends and ate good food. Work got me an awesome cheesecake and at Thiptara, they gave me coconut ice cream instead of cake!   The mister got me two new cookbooks. 

The macaron book i've been wanting since forever and the How to cook book is just visually amazing. wanna come over for dinner?

The View from Below

When you are short as I am, you find yourself always looking up.