I'm no baker...

Well, today I tried a recipe I've been sitting on for awhile. Cake Pops! I discovered this recipe on MckMama's Blog. Her photo's are beautiful and she posts some fun recipes.
Anyways, she did a post about Cake Pops and I really, really wanted to try them. But, while not complicated, it seemed beyond my abilities.
I'd slowly acquired the ingrediants and supplies and psyched myself up to make them. I had hopes of making a trial run and then making up a batch for a Superbowl party coming up.
Today was the day. I atempted to make them. To start with a made up the cake. Easy enough, I got a boxed mix and whipped it in no time.
And then it went wrong.
I over baked the cake. Not bad, mind you but it was annoying nontheless.
Next came frosting. I decided homemade was best so a began mixing. I over softened the butter, used butter flavored frosting so it was BUTTERY, then I accidently used too much vanilla.
I pushed on. Crumbling the cake, so big deal. Mixing in the frosting, nasty feeling, but not too bad.
Then came the worst part. Melting the chocolate.
Sigh.
It took longer to do that correctly than it did to make everything else. Melting chocolate is a fine art, apparently.

One batch turned chalky and seperated. Nasty.

But finally I got it to work, and then came dipping.... and keeping the cake balls on the sticks. I think I bought sticks that were too thin, and too long. I had to improvise how to let them set. The long sticks made it difficult to keep them upright.

Finally I got it worked out.

I'm not sure I want to make them again.

Though, they do look nice all wrapped up :)

Gypsy- Shakira (with lyrics)

I like cheap stuff

I'm cheap, I admit it. I see a clearance sign and I'm all over it. I hate buying things at full price. I blame my mother. She also hates spending money and paying full price... or maybe I should thank her?
My  cheap ways have been an asset as of late. Hubby and I like to call ourselves lower-lower-lower middle class. In a word - broke. Expendable income we have not, but we still are American and we like our stuff; and we like to get more stuff. So, we find cheap stuff.
It's almost like a game - how low can you go!
I like browsing second hand stores for cast off treasures. The one things I can always find is books.
Ah, yes, books. Pretty much the last thing this house needs is more books, but I always seem to find at least one.

Just a few days ago hubby and I stopped by a local second hand shop where they had 4 books for $.99! We walked away with eight books.
We then also discovered a fun new word game called In a Pickle for $1.50

 and some great Piere 1 chalkboard plates for  $4 each. Score!

It was a great day for bargain hunting.

So that's why I don't watch scary movies...

I had heard it was creepy, but I was lulled in by the ballet and artistry of it. I'd heard it was good despite the creepiness, and the psychological thriller aspect intrigued me. So, today Hubby and I went to see it - Black Swan.
It's been nominated for awards and Ms. Portman (who is pregnant like EVERY OTHER FEMALE IN THE WORLD except me) has received rave reviews for her role of the trouble ballerina, Nina.
The movie was beautiful to watch; the custumes, scenery, filmwork was wonderfuly done.
But it was creepy, like want to sleep with the light on creepy.
And it's not 'monster coming to get you creepy' - it's 'it's all in your head creepy'.
And of course Hubby is at work and I'm all alone.
I've tried watching many episodes of friends to offset the creepiness, but the later it gets the less that works.

: /

Adventures in Sleep

Sleep. For most people sleep is a peaceful respite from the waking world. 7 or 8 hours of rest that refreshes and renews the mind, body and spirit. Often filled with wild, wonderful dreams, the average person looks forward to sleep. True people sleep less than they used to back in the day. Still people look forward to sleep generally.

Me? Not usually. See my sleep is not always restful, my dreams are rarely wonderful and I struggle to stay asleep.
I have night terrors. Nearly every night I will wake up screaming, thrashing, yelling - a blind panic with no idea why.
It's a challenge to be sure and is made worse by the fact that not every night is bad. In fact, weeks can go by without and issue or only minor ones (wimpering, whining - all things that Hubby can soothe with a hug or snuggle).
The big ones can end up with me somewhere other than bed, shaking, sweating and confused. I have been known to baracade the door, throw the cat outside, rip my jewelry off, drag all the blankets and pillows off the bed and even end up sleeping on the floor.
Bedtime is an adventure and Hubby is very patient.
The past few nights have been particulary rough. And even taking a nap can have me shaking and panicked. Just tonight while Hubby was sleeping before he went to work I was out on the couch watching some TV and fell asleep. It couldn't have been for very long but I had an episode that had me struggling to get into the bedroom.
I spent the rest of the evening snuggled up with Hubby sleeping fitfully and interupting his nap.
Hubby is so sweet and it is so much better when I can sleep when he does. Unfortunantly, school starts back up next week and that means I need to get back to sleeping like a normal person. No more 3rd shift for me.
It will get better, I'm hoping.

For Today

Outside my window... it's barely 18 degrees. I am glad to not have to go out in it!





I am thinking... about how glad I am Hubby has a fews days off. It feels like I haven't seen much of him the past week.




I am thankful for... My hard working husband.





I am wearing... black leggings, pink floral print dress, my yen neclace and bare feet (as usual!)




I am remembering... that we forgot to take back some movies we rented - oops!




I am going... to do up the dishes and change the sheet. There's nothing like flannel sheets on chilly nights!




I am currently reading... Anne of Green Gables, or rather about to start reading it.




I am hoping... to find a decent donut recipe. Hubby has been craving them.




On my mind... A dear friend of Hubby's who lost his father this week.




Noticing that... my water glass is empty - time for a refill!




Pondering these words... God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.


- Mother Thersa






In the kitchen... the ever present dishes that need to be washed. I do hope the sink doesn't explode again.




Around the house... is actually pretty tidy for once!




One of my favorite things... I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miz




A picture -

In Which My Sink Explodes

So after posting the last... post (akward sentence...) I went and began to do the dishes. There were many icky dishes since I was a good little housewife and actually cooked AND made cookies, so I figured waiting til tomorrow would result in me having to scrub really really hard when I finally go to them and I'm to lazy to do that, so I set to work.
I began as most people do by emptying out the sick of dishes and filling it with water and adding soap.
This is when it began to go wrong. As I was moving the facet I noticed it was loose. In my mind I absently thought 'Uh, I wonder what would happen if that came off?' and invisioned water spraying water everywhere.
I swear I am psychic.
Not 5 minutes later in the midst of rinsing a sinkful of glasses the facet fell off.
And water sprayed everywhere.
There was a shocked scream and a mad reach for the knob and some frantic turning.
Thankfully the knob worked and the magical foutain quit flowing in my kitchen.

The Culprit

The Scene of the Crime

Hey, the kitchen needed a bath anyway.