Watch this

It's Lent, so you know what that means....go watch this.

Awesome

This is pretty awesome--some black humor, for sure--but great, for any CF families in your life (or, um, for you....because if you read this blog, you know CF sucks, and it needs to be eliminated, right?)
I particularly enjoy the handicapped parking sticker that says "I've earned this."

And now, for something completely different

behold

Elite Eight and out

Well, thanks team for a great year. And, of course, to Coach Jamie.
We knocked down one door this year....more to go!
Nova in the final.

Pray for our bishop

He's having part of his leg amputated due to bone cancer and infection.

I thought I was more Kelly...

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Huh

You Are The Brain

You're the type of person who's always on, always churning. You are alert and quick to react. You like to stay busy. You are responsible but also demanding. You take up a lot of energy. You are someone of deep mystery. There's a lot below the surface that's hard to figure out.

What Internal Organ Are You?

Testing, testing: Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes

I love cupcakes.
Actually, I take that back. I like anything sweet and cake-like.
Normally I make cupcakes from scratch. Heck, I normally make all my things from scratch, or severely doctored-up.
So last weekend, when I was throwing a get-together at my apartment, I broke a rule.
I bought mixes.
But not just any mixes--Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes.
I had wanted to get Vanilla and chocolate. Sadly--no Chocolate. So I got Vanilla and Red Velvet.
I brought them home, with about 5 hours until party time.
I decided to make the Red Velvet first. Not sure why, just did.
Opened the canister. Inside is the mix, instructions for cupcakes and frosting, and the 'dots', which are Sprinkle's trademark decoration.
I removed all ingredients from fridge, then realized I needed cream cheese for the frosting. Didn't have cream cheese. Ergo, no frosting. Oh well. Frosting is a pain to make anyway.
So, got out the ingredients. Room temperature needed to be obtained for the milk, eggs and butter. (These use at least one stick of butter for every mix.)
So, whilst these were warming, I opened the packet, dumped it into my Kitchenaid mixer bowl, and added the vinegar (I guess needed to active food coloring, or something.)
Whoops. Read the instructions. Apparently was supposed to add butter first. Well, darn. Can't just scoop it out now--the vinegar's in there, turning the mix nice and red.
Plan B: Just add everything all at once, mix it up, and bake. If awful, we have Vanilla back-up, plus other dessert makings in the apartment. We'll try it.
So I dump in eggs, milk, butter (all at room temp). Mix. Mixer sounds like it's going to spontaneously combust, but mixes. I get a nice, thick, very blood-red batter.
Place batter into silicone-lined cupcake tins. While doing this, you will get red batter everywhere. On the counter, on your shirt, on your arms, on your face. And in the tins. You'll look like you're "bleedin' to death", in the words of Steel Magnolias.
Bake.
Twenty minutes later....
They are beautiful. They are perfectly shaped little cake domes, in pastel liners.
Remove pan. Cool.
Eat.
Oh. Heaven on a plate. Red velvet with chocolate undertones....just divine. Moist, wonderful, divine cupcakes! (See! I don't need to follow instructions!)
With the vanilla, I do follow the instructions. Find that every mix has slightly different instructions and ingredients. OK. Remove butter, eggs, milk needed for vanilla.
While the red velvet batter was dense, this batter is like a quasi-meringue. It's very airy, like wet cotton candy (if you can imagine that). It has a very light consistency. Spoon into another cupcake tray. Bake again.
These, instead of being perfectly shaped, overflow the liners. They are huge. Some of them are mushroom-cloud looking. I do not ice these. They taste lovely (if a bit sweet), but they are HUGE.
Red velvet is my favorite, of these two.

Today's experiment: Dark Chocolate and Red Velvet.
Dark Chocolate (above) just came out of the oven. Yet to taste. This batter was more like pudding. Scooped into tins very well (if you use a spatula and spoon combo, it works very well). But, again, overflowed. Not sure if this is me overfilling or if the batter is just, well, overbearing. But I don't object to big chocolate desserts. So I'm OK with this.
Time needed: like a half hour. No mix I have tried yet takes more than 20-25 minutes to bake. Mixing is very simple and takes perhaps 5-6 minutes, depending on if you're using a stand mixer or a hand beater. In about 45 minutes you have finished cupcakes (without frosting).

HTP BABY!!!

PITT! PITT! PITT! PITT

That is all I have to say.

Amazing Grace

Or, Confession--up over at CPG.

CPG updates

Notre Dame, Pro Life facebookers, etc. at CPG.

Simple Woman's Daybook--March 23, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, March 123, 2009

Outside my window...
It's dark now, but it was a lovely spring day today. The flowers are blooming!

I am thinking...
that the apartment looks pretty good!

I am thankful for...
my family; a good transplant clinic today!

From the kitchen...
reading Betty Crocker's red cookbook. Made Sprinkles Red Velvet and Vanilla cupcakes over the weekend.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A raspberry-colored camisole (for bed)

I am creating...
a photo website: http://japhotos.shutterfly.com

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the spring.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
It's CLEAN! (well, except for the bedroom)

I am going...
to enjoy the rest of Lent, and prepare for Easter.

I am reading...
Just finished Team of Rivals; onto Redicovering Catholicism, and a bit of the Pillow Book.

I am hoping...
for a good week


I am hearing...
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" soundtrack

Around the house...
Washing the wine glasses from the party on Sat.

One of my favorite things...
my Parade photos.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Thursday: Lunch w/ Dad
Friday: Dinner with Tiff

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

The boys give their Parade review after opening night. L-R: Gary, Bill, Branden and Tom.

New site--just for pictures

A new photo site, with all my brilliant photography (ha ha) is here.
There will be a permanent link in the sidebar, under the (new) tab "my sites".
Come visit!

Spring has sprung

Is it beautiful where you are? I hope so, because it's beautiful here! The crocus have started to bloom, and the daffodils shouldn't be far behind! Even the grass is starting to turn green again.

In other news....

Great homily at Mass today. Normally I can't understand the speaker so I tune out. But today I could hear everything, and it was good!

Pitt on at 2:50. HTP!!!!

Reading Team of Rivals. Finally at Lincoln's inauguration. This book is good for so many things--Ohio political history, history of the Republican party, the Lincoln-Douglas debates...just fascinating.

To watch: Die Walkure, and......

Twilight. :)

Yeah, you knew that was coming.

"A real actress"

I just got my check from the JCC. On the invoice it says "ACTOR--PARADE".
It might only be $30, but I think I can now consider myself a professional.

Tonight's dinner

Is this.
I love carbonara.
My love affair with it began on New Year's Eve, 2003, in New York City. I had gone with a group of college friends to NYC to celebrate the New Year--something everyone should do once, and at about $70 a person, how could I pass it up?
Seven people were sharing one NYC hotel room designed for maybe four. The bathroom was the size of a small coat closet. Richelle and I shared one bed, with the rest of the gang (all boys, except Richelle's sister Laura) taking the floor and the other bed. (Getting guys to share a bed is like brokering Middle East peace.)
We only had one full day in New York, and we were all spending it differently. Richelle and I had taken a "shop 'til we drop" approach, with cab rides and a trip to Bergdorf's, Tiffany's, Saks, and the couture shops along Madion Avenue. We also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gift shop, St. Pat's, and the American Girl Store.
For lunch that day, we went back to the hotel to drop off some of our packages and regroup. Our hotel had a neat little restaurant on the first floor--dark carpet, ivory curtains that overlooked the street (we were right across from Madison Square Garden). Richelle ordered a mushroom plate, adorned with heavy, luxurious portobello slices. I ordered carbonara.
It was sublime. Just perfect for a cold NYC day. The delicate balance of cream, egg, and pancetta played brilliantly against the silky pasta. I had tried carbonara at home, but this was the way it should be done.
I was hooked. Ever since then, I have made it one of my goals to cook as many carbonara recipes as possible, in an attempt to find my favorite.
Tonight's comes from my copy of Nigella's How To Eat.

REVIEW: Tonight's was equally sublime. Very fast, once you get the pasta in the water (waiting for the water to boil takes the longest). No cream, either, in her recipe, which may make it slightly more healthy (although you do use one egg yolk and one whole egg). The idea of her recipe is that you should have all these things on hand.

"End of Show"

We gave our last performance of Parade yesterday. I can't believe that, having done this show all year (with the casting info being sent out shortly after Christmas) that it's all over! But I learned so much doing this show, and there are many things I will miss, in particular:

• Standing in the wings with Aaron, watching Jay sing "The Old Red Hills of Home"
• Skipping out onto the stage.
• Waving my Confederate flag at the governor's float
• Being dragged around the stage by Drew during "Big News!"
• Singing at Mary's grave (very cathartic)
• The Factory Girls and Jon's dance
• "That's What He Said"!
• the gloves I wore for the governor's tea dance
• watching Jon dance in his cell during "This Is Not Over Yet."
• The end of "Where Will You Stand?", when we went to the front of the stage and the footlights came up.
• The hanging and sh'ma
• The Finale
• And...Jay's sippy cup.
  

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 16, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, March 16, 2009

Outside my window...
It's dark now, but it was a lovely spring day today.

I am thinking...
that there's some tidying up to do!

I am thankful for...
Parade.

From the kitchen...
I'm going through Nigella Lawson's cookbooks to find ideas. A Victoria Sponge Cake is definitely on there.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A raspberry-colored camisole (for bed)

I am creating...
updating my journal, which has been neglected!

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
flowers are everywhere! (still!)

I am going...
to be thankful for the great experiences I have had.

I am reading...
The Iliad; Team of Rivals; The Pillow Book (early Japanese lit); The Two Towers

I am hoping...
for another show soon!

I am hearing...
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" soundtrack

Around the house...
Weekly Home blessing hour

One of my favorite things...
my Tiffany-blue pencils that are here on my desk.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Tomorrow: Port access (argh!)
Wednesday: Stations of the Cross at church, lunch w/ Dad
Friday: Nordstrom make up class
Saturday: My friend Anna's senior piano recital; GAME NIGHT!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

CPG post

And one I could use some help with--- here.

Updated fan Club Roster

UPDATED: 3/15/09
The complete roster, thus far: (italic are people who came to J&H as well)

1. Mom and Dad (came twice)
   
2. Tiff and Bill
3. Mr. and Mrs. Dulmage
4. Gary and Amanda
5. Tom and Andrea
6. Branden
7. Suellen
8. Steve and Sal
9. Rita
10. Beth
11. Erica C. (work)
12. Kurt
13. Robin and Ken (and Robin's mom)
14. Jodi L.
    
15. Jodi B.
    
16. Abby
17. Bethany
18. Grandma and Pa
19. Missy and Sarah R.
    
20. My dentist and her husband. :)
    
21. Matt M.
22. Matt P.
    
23. Tim
    
24. Aaron
    
25. Maggie
26. Liz
27. Lisa
28. Bret
    
29. Brittney
30. Christine (Matt M. to Christine are all work people)
31. Amy L from J&H
32. Chris R. (from J&H)
33. Mindy (from J&H)
34. Brooke (from J&H-Emma) and her mom
35. My brother :)
    

Thanks to EVERYONE!!!