Happiness Is...

... having that extra skip in your step when you're doing something you love, like organizing a part of a store and being able to socialize with complete strangers while 8 hours quickly pass by and it never once feels like work.

... going to sleep dreaming of cakes you want to decorate at your next opportunity, and wishing it would come sooner than later.

... getting multiple double page spreads completed in your scrapbook within a few weeks instead of over the course of several months.

... knowing your sister had a healthy baby girl and that you're finally an aunt!

... resisting the temptation to eat sweets and drink unnecessary calories, allowing you to wake up feeling a little bit skinnier the next morning.

... running into a boy you had a crush on in high school, having him hug you to say hello, and being able to talk to him like a normal friend even though you were a COMPLETE dork in high school.

... getting along with and having the girlfriend of the boy you had a crush on in high school say that you have a positive energy about you.

... seeing a truck with a plow show up in your snow covered driveway after you flooded the engine of your snowblower and were seriously considering shoveling the entire thing.

... having some quiet time at home to write about happy things while enjoying the warmth of an electric blanket you received as a Christmas gift from your husband.

... completing 27 report cards for your 4th graders. I haven't experienced that happiness this school year yet, but I've gotten a chunk of them done.

I hope YOU are feeling happy today!

Decorate This

When it seems that money is tight, I've always been taught to find a way to make ends meet. Spend less, budget, or get another job.

And that is how I met Dusty. I got another job (one of many extra jobs I've had over the years). I worked at the Sinclair Gas/Car Shop that I could literally see from the window of my apartment every Saturday morning for over 6 years. Dusty also happened to have a second job. Between the two of us, we shared a co-worker: John. That's how we met.

Dusty & John

After the owner of Sinclair passed away, I was in the process of getting married and buying a house and all that jazz, so the extra job seemed to be a thing in the past. I was financially stable with my teaching job and once we bought a house pretty far out of town, I didn't want to drive anywhere for an extra job. Besides, being married and living together is supposed to save money, right?

Well, lately things have gotten tight. So, I spent less. That didn't seem to help much, so I began half-heartedly looked for another job. Finally, a few weeks ago, something caught my eye. A Cake Decorator was needed at a grocery store that I drive past EVERY DAY on the way to and from work. I couldn't ignore it and set up a time to meet for a "hands on" interview. I figured the worst thing that would happen is that I wouldn't cut it and I wouldn't have a second job. I could handle that.

Today, was my "interview." After given a brief tour of the bakery department (also shared with the deli and rotisserie chickens), I was shown a cart of blank cakes and was told to go at it. "Is there a theme you want me to do?" Nope. I just needed to decorate whatever I wanted to decorate to see if I was trainable, creative, or even a possibility.

I had been introduced to the air brush for decorating and figured I'd give that a go. I made a huge smiling sun with a blue air-brushed background. Eh. Once it was done I knew what I'd do differently in the future. On the second cake I decided to use a LOT of color... A little too much color. It almost looked like a gay pride cake with rainbow colors, stars, sprinkles- the works. On the third cake I tried to tone it back a little and make some balloons using the new balloon technique that I had been quickly shown that day. A few balloons turned into a group of balloons- one balloon "blew up" due to an air pocket in the frosting and I tried to salvage it the best that I could. My critical eye told me to try and scrape it off and start over, but that wasn't an option. The lesson I learned today, is that LESS is MORE when it comes to decorating cakes.

Expecting to get a chance to taste one of my decorated cakes, or share them with the store employees, I was shocked to find out where they were going: ON THE SHELVES in the store to be sold. WHAT? "Decorate these" and "decorate these to be sold" are two very different things! But, alas, that's where they are- on the refrigerated shelves waiting for some child to look up and say, I want that color explosion of a cake!

Being prepared to thank her for her time and the opportunity to play with decorating items, she asked if I could come back on Monday to do some sheet cakes. Ohhhh, extended opportunity. Maybe I didn't do so bad afterall. Then she said, "I'll see if we can get you on payroll so you get paid next time." WHAT? I think I just got a second job. I'm pretty sure I did. 10-20 hours a week. I don't even know what the pay is. I don't even know what to think. But, I guess I'm trainable, creative, and possibly a nice addition to their bakery. Sweeeeet! New opportunities are on the horizon!

Saffron, Please!

Well, a couple days ago I got my first copy of Cooking Light. After giving the subscription as a gift for several years, I decided to get it for myself. I always say I'll try new recipes, but actually doing it takes time. I figured a magazine with descriptions and pictures would probably help motivate me to try something new.

Tonight, I did. With my husband in mind, I decided to steer clear of the chicken (since we ALWAYS have that because I don't eat red meat... well, not often. If Dusty shoots a deer I will will have some of his venison. And once in awhile I'll have a BLT. Occasionally I make Pea Soup and include ham for Dusty, but that's beside the point) and step into the seafood world.

I found a recipe called "Shrimp with Lemon-Saffron Rice." The description sounded good. It was supposed to have a kick which I know Dusty likes, so I decided to give it a try. I stopped by Piggly Wiggly on my way home to pick up the ingredients. After help from the Produce Department man to find Saffron, we had a nice discussion of whether or not Saffron was worth $11.50 for the smallest portion imaginable, as well as if there was a way to substitute Saffron with other ingredients. I thanked him for his time and ended up saying, "No matter how great Saffron is supposed to be, I refuse to pay that much for it."

Once I got home, I pulled up Google and looked for Saffron substitutes... which by the way, there are none. People suggested this and that, but as my husband said, it's like trying to substitute copper for gold. Feeling defeated, and not wanting to ruin my first new recipe of the year, I text messaged Dusty to see if he'd be willing to pick up some crazy-expensive Saffron for me on his way home. He did.

As I waited for his return this evening, I got all the ingredients ready. I had them measured out and sitting happily just like they do in the cooking shows on Food Network. I was feeling quite proud. Once everything was cooking, I was excited to see what he'd think of a new recipe- one where I didn't cut out or halve all the "bad" ingredients, and included something I don't normally cook with- shrimp.

When it was done, I measured out my serving and thought it was quite good (don't forget I have a very limited sense of taste and smell right now). He ate his plate, set it down, and said nothing. "So, what'd you think?" I bravely asked. "Eh...." I decided to make it easy for him and put some words into his mouth. "Would you eat it again, or should I remove it from my recipe box?" His response: "I'd eat it again, but...." "It's not your favorite?" I filled in. "Yeah." he replied.

First new recipe of the year: FAIL.
Satisfied Husband: Fail (He's in the kitchen searching the cupboards.)
Would it have still failed without the Saffron? Yes.
Was the Saffron worth $11.50? I don't think so.
Do I know more now than I did back then? Yes.
Adding to Stephanie's knowledge: Win.
New recipe next week? One with chicken. =)


I want chickens of my own, btw, but that's for another time... (and not to kill, pluck, and eat, but for other reasons).

Happy Thursday!

Don't Forget...

I've been sick for just about four weeks now. Two weeks before Christmas Break I figured I'd be better by then. Once Christmas came, I figured I'd be better by New Years. Once New Years came, I didn't know what was going on. So, during my weeks of sickness, I've been reminded of what to be thankful for.

1) The ability to breathe. Originally every time I would take a breath beyond a shallow breath, it would result in a coughing spasm. The first time I went to the doctor, I was prescribed an inhaler to help open up my lungs. Apparently I had something called Reactive Airway and whatever bug I got originally, found a way to set up shop along my lungs, allowing my breathing to activate coughing fits. Not nice. The inhaler helped drastically, but I couldn't help but be thankful for my normal breathing. And I couldn't help but have empathy for anyone with asthma or anyone who has trouble breathing deeply and clearly.

2) The ability to taste (and smell). Having lost this ability for the past several days, I'm reminded of my grandma who didn't have her sense of taste for the last few years of her life. I have no motivation to make anything that's full of flavor because I can't taste it. Why eat sweets when I can't enjoy them? (Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.) But currently, everything I taste is flavorless and I try to imagine what it should really taste like. It's also not good because the old, slimly mushrooms I sauteed up "smelled" fine... yeah.

3) The ability to hear. My ears have been plugged for about two weeks now. Everything is muffled and quiet. "Huh?" "Come again?" "What was that?" "I'm sorry."

4) The ability to talk normally. Every time I talk, I risk a coughing fit and expose my "You have a cold" voice that makes people take a few steps back. I may sound awful, but every day I feel a little bit better- just not back to normal yet.

5) The desire to work out. This has been the LONGEST I haven't had a good workout in years. I originally thought that by skipping my workouts I'd recover more quickly- less stress on your body, right? Well, now, four weeks later, I'm just feeling sick and OUT OF SHAPE. This just makes me want to say, "Forget it." and go workout- but I'm still stuck on the "go easy" advice. Really, I think it's just an easy excuse to not push myself to sweat. Lazy me.

6) The desire to be social. Explained by reasons 4 & 5.

7) Optimism and Energy. With this thing holding on, I find myself lacking motivation, lacking my upbeat nature, and feeling slightly negative and pessimistic. Pessimists, how do you do it? =(  This also results in getting MUCH LESS accomplished during my winter break than originally planned.

8) A Two Week Break! Originally, I was not thrilled about the timing of our school's Winter Break. Who wanted to work right up to the day before Christmas Eve? Well, it was a good thing, because it has given me more time to try and figure out what is wrong with me. I have a second doctor's appointment tomorrow to see if anything else can be done to help me return to normal. Here's hoping for some good news.

So, if you're reading this and are healthy, take a deep breath, savor your flavors, cozy up to someone you  love, and do something that requires motivation. Do it for me. Please!

Happy Wednesday?!

What I Learned at Lambeau

I had the privilege of ringing in the New Year at my very first Packers Game at Lambeau Field and figured I'd share some of the things I learned along with random observations...

The honor system is still in place among strangers. After finding a Lambeau Parking pass on Craigslist the morning of the game, we paid face value for a parking pass that we need to mail back to the owners so they can use it for the playoffs.




Who says you need a nice grill for tailgating? Why not buy one for $9.50 that's disposable? It cooks your food (for the most part) and doesn't damage your truck in any way!

Packer fans are quite friendly. We witnessed Packers and Lions fans posing together for pictures and sharing some good times. With people wandering from row to row, you get to see a lot of interesting characters from both teams. But remember, there's always someone watching!

With wind and snow, dressing appropriately is KEY. Who says only losers wear snowpants? I wore mine happily and enjoyed the warmth and dryness they provided throughout the 6+ hours we were outside- along with the hand warmers that I stuffed in my boots. Granted, going to the bathroom was a little more tricky. Had I not cared about what anyone else thought, I would've taken a picture of the Women's bathroom. It was HUGE and efficient- even with a lack of warm water. Also, wearing a homemade scarf from your sister lets you sport Green Bay colors without spending a fortune! (The picture doesn't do this scarf justice.)

They aren't kidding when they say these games are SOLD OUT. There's not an empty seat in the stadium and the strangers around you become your friends. They help steady the intoxicated, confidently take off their shirts in the 4th quarter, and trust you to watch their stuff when they leave for food, drinks, or the bathroom. You're packed in which goes well with the team name. Be prepared to cozy up to your neighbors.

Too many drinks results in missing a few parts of the game. And when asked if we wanted to leave early- as in during the third quarter- it was easy to say "NO WAY!" Who leaves a close game at Lambeau on your first trip there? Or ever?





For anyone who knows me, you'd know I'm not about the put-downs, crude comments, or booing, but at one point I did find myself "Booing" loudly. Then I came up with the following phrase which I can easily live with: "It's okay to "Boo" at someone like Suh."

Just because Rodgers isn't playing doesn't mean that you won't be 

witnessing an amazing game! Great job, Matt Flynn!

Also, if you decide to run across the field and you're NOT a player, 

you WILL get tackled and escorted away- even if you are only 15 years old.

Overall, it was a GREAT day to experience a game at Lambeau Field. I must admit, however, that it's a LOT easier to catch what's happening accurately when you're at home. You also get to appreciate the Lambeau Leap better at home and don't miss any parts of the game with DVR. BUT if I get a chance to go again, I'd definitely do it.

Happy New Year!
GO PACK GO!