evaluating

I need to post something. This site is my home page so I look at it every time I start Firefox. It fills me with guilt and frustration every time I see its ancient last posting. I'm in the last three weeks of my pregnancy and I'm just too tired to do it. I have so many other things to do and this gets dropped by the wayside. Since I've joined facebook, I keep up with my friends through that. Easier and quicker than posting blogs. But much more shallow and I don't get to really write. My blog is something I really love, but at this point I can't fit it in. Priorities are keeping the house in working order, homeschooling, and cooking. The cooking doesn't sound too hard, except that I feel compelled to cook everything from scratch, for health's sake, and that takes time. Everything else (crochet, reading, checking email and facebook, etc) are things that I can fit into little time slots. Blogging, because I'm a perfectionist and I edit and re-edit, takes an hour or two per good post. (not crappy spur-of-the-moment-no-pictures ones like this) It's just not a priority.

This post isn't an explanation or even an excuse. It's a thinking-through-typing exercise. I'm re-evaluating, I guess. What's important? What has enough value in it that I allot some of my precious and very limited time for? Some decisions I make without really thinking it through. (like watching stupid 80's videos for an hour) And when I'm done I usually feel horrible for doing it.

That's all for now. I'm tired and I need, really need, to go to bed early tonight. I probably shouldn't post something that I just typed without forethought in this sleepy state, but oh well...here goes...*click*

Daring Bakers....Failure!

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

This is my first Daring Baker's Failure. It wasn't a complete failure since it tasted good, but, believe me, it was hideous to look at. Hideous. Luckily, I had all the ingredients (meaning: it wasn't expensive) and it was a quick one (meaning: all my time wasn't wasted).

I won't go into too many details, but I tried the Tuiles recipe (we only had to pick one of the three available recipes) and went gluten- and dairy-free for my little buddy, Nadrew. It didn't work. They never got crisp and they just blobbed into ugly masses. Buuuut...they were really good and Nadrew was happy. (see pic at right for proof!)

One of the requirements was to pair the tuiles with something light. I picked Orange Sorbet which I found on Recipezaar. Thank God I did! It was sooo good. You use fresh squeezed orange juice and it tasted exactly like summer. I don't know how else to describe the icy-cold deliciousness that melted in my mouth. The only downside is that we shared the half-gallon with another family of six. Two quarts divided between four adults and eight children is not enough. Trust me. I'm thinking it might just be enough for me and Duggy. Any less than a quart a piece is cruel and torturous.

Here is Duggy rationing out, with his special brand of meticulosity, the beloved sorbet.

Look at the sad, little tuiles. Poor things.
(esp. when pictured with the ultra-superb orange sorbet!)
Less than pleasing to the eye, but luckily quite delicious to the palate!

Bumper Sticker Awe

I love reading bumper stickers. They can affect me in different ways: laughter, frustration, confusion, a feeling of sympathy for how stupid the driver is. One thing they don't do though is change my point of view. In general I think bumper stickers say what you think, but do little in the way of changing others' ideas.

For instance, I saw the most in-your-face example the other day. While I agree with their view, it was a definite no-holds-barred approach. After I read it I thought, "Ouch! They're not pulling any punches." And I wonder if it will get through to someone or just offend those who don't already agree. Here it is:

"Getting an abortion doesn't make you unpregnant. It makes you the mother of a dead child."

How's that for in-your-face?

I don't really know how to end this post, so I'll do what I normally do: throw in something silly.

My favorite bumper sticker of all time:
"There are no lesbians. Only women who haven't met Chuck Norris."
Sure it's offensive, but gosh darn it, it's also just plain funny.

For the Dug-Mania sweeping the nation...

I made this wallpaper for everyone of you who can't get enough Dug. After I made it and placed it on my desktop I called over to the Big Man himself, "Hey Duggy, check out what I just did!" He turned from his computer and, after only a moment, responded with, "That is just plain scary!"

All you do is click on the pic, and it will take you to the full-size version. Once there, right-click your mouse and then choose "Set As Desktop Background." At that moment, all your dreams will be fulfilled and you'll have Dug in abundance. (And no comments about his ear, okay? I only noticed it once I had finished, past the Point of No Return.)

(non-disclaimer: I do not have permission to post this. he he he)

Example of when you shouldn't name your company after yourself...

We pass this business on our way to church every week. It's juvenile, I know, but we laugh every time we drive by. (The kids keep asking us why and we keep ignoring/avoiding their questions.) Unfortunately, the stinking power pole is in the picture, but that's what you get when you have a few seconds to snap a picture driving 55 mph. (In case you aren't very good at Wheel of Fortune, it reads: BJ Services Company.)

Seriously, who would purposefully name their business that? I don't know what this company does, but I assume their name doesn't explain it all. There are two possibilities in my book:
1.) It's been around for a very, very long time, long before the current slang came into being.
2.) The Founder had a very good, albeit perverse sense of humor.

Enjoy it. This is my gift to you...

Another short fave post.

Baking Obsession is one of the most beautiful baking blogs I've seen. This lady is super talented. (Just look at her white chocolate rose and you'll understand what I mean.) I've tried her gingersnaps and they are the epitome of gingersnap-dom. Absolutely delicious. Seriously, the best ginger cookie that has ever touched my lips. Go to her site. Stare. Drool. Print out some recipes. Bake them.

You will thank me.

Quick little fave.

Go to Pandora and make yourself a station from the artist Feist. That is the sound that Tricia is liking right now. A lot.