baking escapade #1

A month or so ago, mom showed me a delicious looking cake that caught her eye while at the grocery store checkout. It was on the cover of a baking magazine. Immediately, I knew that at some point I would be baking this cake... all that was required was the appropriate special occasion. Conveniently, Mom's birthday was yesterday and I was off work on Friday for appointments.

Now, this was no chore. I absolutely love to grocery shop, bake, and decorate. This combined all three, so given free rein to spend whatever amount required to procure the necessary ingredients, I hit up the local Super Store.

Unfortunately, the recipe calls for whipping cream, and one of the requirements of mom's dessert was that it be dairy-free. Whipping cream doesn't seem to come in a dairy-free version (not at the store I was at anyway), so ditched the icing recipe in the magazine and bought a big bag of icing sugar. White icing is pretty simple and while I'm sure the recipe in the magazine would be delicious (you can't go wrong with 4 cups of white chocolate chips), I decided to stick with what I know.

The cake itself was a devil's food cake mix... I'd probably go for homemade next time. It was certainly tasty but I think a deeper chocolate would help balance out the sweet icing. I can't critique the combination too much because the original recipe icing might not have been as sweet.

I whipped up the icing with quite a few tablespoons of margarine, a little vanilla and peppermint extract, adding water until it wasn't too thick. Dad was my taste tester and said it wasn't too pepperminty... I didn't want the icing to be overpowering because there were peppermint patties and dark chocolate peppermint cups to be added as well.

It was at this point that I realized I was supposed to add peppermint extract to the cake mix itself. I had been following the recipe on the box. I'll call it creative license.

To the right you will see the beginning stages of the cake assembly. I borrowed my roommate's cake leveler to cut off the top of the bottom layer so it would be flat, and topped it will the buttercream icing mixed with green sprinkles and chopped peppermint cups.

 After applying the top layer, copius amounts of icung (I used almost the entire 1 kg bag of icing sugar), and decorations, this is the end result:

Happy birthday, Mom!

winter blues

Winter has arrived.

I really shouldn't complain. Up until the last few days, I would describe this winter as unusually mild and pleasant. Aside from a bit of snow here and there and the odd cold day, it's been very bearable. Up until the last few days.

Friday was the day it decided to announce itself into my life.

Nic Ashley and I left work at 5:00 to catch the bus, thinking it would be a blizzard outside. I put up my hood and she wrapped her scarf around her head as we walked to the door, bracing for the worst. It was only a light snow that greeted us as we stepped outside. "Well this isn't so bad," I remarked. The bus pulled up a minute later, and we even managed to snag two seats beside each other.

Over three and a half hours later, we pulled into the bus terminal and I set to work removing the snow and ice from the car. Oh, and I still didn't buy a snow brush. I actually thought to myself that morning that maybe I could make it through another winter without one... take that, winter! Oops.

The bus ride was okay until we got over the bridge and there was a bus stuck on an offramp. We took the long way around, passed the stuck bus (and took their passengers), and continued on. At this point we were about two hours into the bus ride. Then, someone announced that the highway was closed... because of another stuck vehicle. We stopped for a bathroom break at a gas station thanks to our gracious bus driver (he really was excellent the whole time), and by the time everyone was back on the bus, the highway was reopened. We continued on... slowly.

So, that was my Friday night. The roads are still a mess in spots from the packed down snow, since we haven't had a sunny day to melt it off yet. I was hoping maybe today would be that day, especially since I had made plans to go skating at the oval with some friends. Winter has stepped in yet again, with a bitter temperature of -20 with the windchill. We may still go in the hopes that it warms up... hopefully I'll last for at least one lap.

To be even more of a whiner, I can't even take Trooper out for a walk when the weather is like this. All the salt on the road hurts his poor little paws... I think I need to get him some Muttluks. My only option until then is to take him out in the woods, but -20 isn't so inviting for either of us.

On the bright side... less than two months until spring!

setting targets

Inspired by a close friend and fellow blogger Nic Ashley, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want out of life. I've always been fairly driven with my eyes on some type of goal, but I've never really sat down and thought about what I'm working toward in the long term. I think (hope) this will help to keep me on track... helps to know where you're going, right?

My biggest goal at the moment, and I'm sure this is the same for many, is to find "the" job for me. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a job that combines my skills and my interests, so that going to work isn't just something I do for money, but rather something that I do to feel challenged, productive, capable... and well, getting paid is always good too. I've always had dreams of running a large horse facility, but of course, that requires a lot of money to begin with. I've accepted that unless I win the lotto or have some huge stroke of luck, that's an unattainable goal. So, now I get to decide what the runner up will be... the "real world" equivalent... something that I'll want to do rather than have to be paid to do. It may take me a while to figure this one out, but I'm hoping that it will hit me as I venture through life. If anyone has any insight on determining one's ideal job, please do share!

My other goals are partially dependent on the above, as they require more money than I am currently able to invest, and I'm hoping that my idea job will lead to improved financial status (dream big, right?). I've made a list, which I'm sure will change as time goes on:

•  move out of my apartment and into a house outside of the suburbs
• bring my dog to said house (he currently lives with my folks)
• buy a baby horse and train it for the jumpers (and then compete)
• get a new (to me) car with a standard transmission (right now I would like for it to be a TL)
• learn to play the drums
• Travel somewhere outside of North America

I realize that a lot of these aren't going to happen any time soon, but I don't think any of them are unattainable. I also have some very short term goals that I hope I will reach before I get to the long term ones:

• remember to buy a snow brush/ice scraper for my car before the next snow fall
• replace my headphones so they stop zapping my ears
• go skating on the oval downtown (it's 'free' but we're paying for it really... may as well use it)
• oh, and get my skates sharpened... before skating on the oval

 Those are my lists for now... time to go about crossing things off. I think the ice scraper is a good place to start.

Sunday reviews

Happy Sunday!

Sunday has always seemed bittersweet to me... it's the last day of the weekend, which means a full work week looms on the horizon. However, it's the perfect day for sleeping in, sweatpants, and recharging your batteries.

I've just recently finished reading "The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen," by Barbara Stegemann. This book was kindly given to me at Christmas by a coworker. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the back, but it was a surprisingly easy read. It's certainly targeted toward women (Philosopher 'Queen' instead of 'King'), but I'd recommend it to both genders. The book discusses the seven virtues (Wonder, Moderation, Truth, Courage, Justice, Wisdom, and Beauty), and how we can strive toward them in our lives despite challenges. This book is jammed full of knowledge, and while I did find some of the information to be a bit repetitive, it's the ideal read for anyone who is looking to step out and find their niche. I especially enjoyed the strong quotes that were scattered throughout the book, such as this one by Marcus Aurelius: "The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them knows anything about the subject."

Margaret Atwood's "The Year of the Flood" was another Christmas gift from my boyfriend. I've been a huge Margaret Atwood fan since reading "Oryx and Crake" and "The Handmaid's Tale" in high school for English classes. I blew through all the Atwood books in the library by the end of high school. Her writing style is fluid, her characters are engaging, and each novel has been hard to put down. "The Year of the Flood" was no different... the imaginative dystopia that she creates is frighteningly believable. I have yet to read "The Penelopiad," the novella she published previous to "Year of the Flood," but it is next on my list.

I picked up "The Happiness Project," by Gretchen Rubin, was a thought-provoking read that I picked up while browsing Cole's on my lunch hour. Rubin spends a year changing her life habits in order to improve her happiness--and it works! The chapters went month-by-month, with each month focusing on a different topic. I was instantly hooked, as January discussed decluttering and organizing... and I am a bit of a neat freak. It was the push I needed to file the important papers that had been shoved in a drawer in no particular order, donate a garbage bag full of clothes that I'd never wear, and organize the pantry. With Rubin's light tone, honesty, and insight, this book is a must-read. There are lots of supporting materials at this website, but you don't need to embark on your own year-long journey to benefit from this book... it's illustrates beautifully how small changes can have big impacts on how we think and feel, and it's a great reminder to slow down and enjoy life instead of just going through the motions.

As a result of these readings, I've started (barely... but started) what might eventually be called a novel, and I've contacted a few non-profit organizations in my area. I graduated a year ago with a Bachelor of Public Relations degree, and although I haven't found a PR job yet, I'd like to keep my resume current. Volunteering my services seems like a win-win solution... I get more experience producing communications materials, and the organization gets free PR work. In theory, at least, it will work.

If anyone has any suggestions as far as organizations that might need help, or ways to keep "on top" when you're not in work in your field, please do comment!

Until next time... be happy :)

preface

Hello!

I'm trying to find some sort of direction in my life, and I thought that a blog would be a good place to start. At the very least, I figured it would give me some accountability. In order to have enough content to make regular posts, I'll have to keep focused on my goal of self-growth.

If someone asked me where I'd like to be in ten years, I really couldn't provide a full answer. Of course, there's the standard "big house, nice car" answer, but those are material things. I'm talking about a fulfilling career... not necessarily financially, but one that I enjoy and that makes a difference.

I've recently made some big changes in my life, and although they were difficult, they've put me in a situation where I am very happy. I have a job that pays the bills, a happy relationship, a supportive group of friends and family, good health, and an assortment of hobbies that give me enjoyment in my down time. With all of these ducks in a row, I can focus on discovering my calling in life.

What spurred all this thought, you asked? I've read a few books over the past several weeks that have been very enlightening and have caused me to reflect upon my life and how I can draw more out of it. I'll get into each book a little more in future posts.

At this point, I have a pretty full life. I have a full-time job at a local law firm which occupies most of my days. I'm a cardio-addict... I'm at the gym more days than not, and I do some of my best thinking while working out. I take the bus to work every day, and began to tire of the repetitive ads posted above the seats, so I decided to take up reading again. I've just recently started drafting a novel which I hope to finish, if I can decide where it's going. I catch rides on other people's horses when I can since I no longer have one of my own. I have a dog who lives with my parents, but between visiting him and spending time with my boyfriend's dog (both are extraordinarily sooky), I get my dog fix. There's lots more to my life, but I'll share those tidbits as I go along.

Oh! ...and I like to bake, so check back for photos and reviews of delicious baked goods.