Happy Holidays!

The past week was a blitz of Christmas activities and a quick trip to Portland, but somehow I only managed to take the following pictures. I can't tell you exactly what compels me to take a photograph, but it's apparently random....and little strange. Here you go....

While shopping for an HBU shirt in the HBU bookstore, I came across this lone donkey in an HBU shirt. What. the. heck?. HBU's mascot is a husky. Why on earth was there ONE little DONKEY decked out in an HBU shirt?! Absurdities like this make me very happy. I bought it.

On Saturday, December 18, I flew to Portland, Oregon. They've been having an unusually dry December and that Saturday was gorgeous with clear, blue skies. The first thing I saw when I stepped off the (tiny) plane was a clear view of Mount Hood. Beautiful! The rest of my days in Portland were gray and cloudy, but it never really rained. I kind of wish it had.

My first stop, after picking up my rental car, in Portland was IKEA. Then I went to Petsmart where I found this adorable pit bull luggage tag! Which I bought. For myself. I'm much better at Christmas shopping for myself than I am for others.

I spent 3 nights in Portland, 2 of those nights were with Erin! And Leonard! Since I moved from Portland Erin and her boyfriend, Chris, moved into a new apartment in North Portland and got a dog (Leonard). Their apartment was so nice, it was so gracious of them to let me stay with them, and I had so much fun!

After church on Sunday, I came out to my rental car and found that I was parked behind an SUV with a TEXAS license plate! This excited me. Who goes all the way to Oregon only to be excited about seeing a license plate from the state they live in?!

At my favorite thrift store, Village Merchants, I found this fur purse. Of course I did. I had been eyeing one at JC Penny in Houston that cost $40. This one cost $8! Gosh, I love that thrift store!

On my last morning in Portland I ate a pumpkin bagel with cinnamon cream cheese and Stumptown coffee, while observing cool Portland people, do cool Portland things on their Macs. 

I also went shopping on NW 23rd and found this hotdog necklace. No, I didn't buy it. I'm not spending $22 on a hotdog necklace. But I did buy 4 sequined scarves (to give as gifts), an Eiffel Tower key chain, and a new collar for Henry.

My flight back home was crazy and annoying. When we landed in Houston one guy asked the flight attendant, "where do we get our luggage?". She looked at him like he was an alien and responded, "At baggage claim". That's just one example of the lou-lous that were on that plane.

My flight got into Houston at 12:45 am on Wednesday, December 21. That night we celebrated Christmas with my mom's side of the family and I made this veggie lasagna. I adapted it from this recipe.

At Powell's Bookstore in Portland I bought Henry's sister, Cali, this natural, organic, cotton-filled toy that was made to look like a stick. Before I had a chance to pack it up and send it to Georgia, Henry found it, chewed on it, ripped the tag off, and got it muddy. Merry Christmas, Cali!

My Christmas present wrapping theme this year was lime green and silver.

I received a gift on my dad's side of the family in this cat bag. At first glance I thought it was a lion dressed like Santa. Later I realized it was just a regular cat with a Santa hat on, but I loved it nonetheless.

Greg (my cousin's husband) gave me said gift in said cat bag. Here he's modeling one of the sequined scarves I bought in Portland.

My cousin Denise's baby, James.

I made these cinnamon rolls for Christmas Eve brunch. I made these for the first time in 2008 I think and now they've kind of become a tradition. I use the Pioneer Woman's recipe and they're really not that difficult to make. And they are honestly the best cinnamon rolls I've ever eaten. I half the recipe.

Henry receiving his Christmas gift.

Henry's favorite part of Christmas was playing in all the wrapping paper and with all the boxes. It brought my heart such joy to see him so happy.

Here's a close up of the collar I got Henry in Portland. It made from recycled neck ties and he looks sooo handsome in it!

Henry, modeling a scarf I received from my brother and sister-in-law. Isn't he dashing?

This collection of pictures in no way truly represents my Christmas, but it is what it is. 

Merry Christmas!

I was in the newspaper!

About a month ago I started this blog. It's just a fun way for me to display the things I cook and bake. I just did it for myself; I didn't even tell anyone about it (except my mom and a couple of friends). 

Then one day last week I got an email from a lady who writes Food articles in the Galveston County newspaper. She was writing an article on the popularity of cake balls and she wanted to know if she could ask me a few questions. 

I was so excited! My first thought was - how on earth did she find my blog??? It turns out she had googled "Cake Lady, Friendswood Texas, and cake balls" and I just happened to blog about all those things in one post.

So, anyway, here's the article. It's my first experience with baking publicity. Hopefully it won't be my last :)

Current Obsession: Cheese

I kind of go through these phases, where I obsess over one thing. It's usually some kind of food. Past obsessions have been different kinds of oranges, banana peppers, and feta cheese (well, that will always be an obsession). Most recently I was a little obsessed with "healthy" hot chocolate. I was making and drinking it on a sometimes twice daily basis.

My most recent obsession is cheese. But not just any cheese, a very specific cheese: Target brand, natural white, extra sharp cheddar cheese.


It's so good, that now I frantically look for it every time I go grocery shopping at Target. I could eat it by itself, or on crackers, but my favorite way to eat it, is with apples. I've never really liked cheese with apples, but I LOVE this cheese with apples. Very complimentary.

You should check and see if your Target carries this delicious cheese, and if they don't, you should request it. Unless you don't like cheese...and in that case, I just feel sorry for you. I'm kidding, but it really it good.

OK, I'm going to stop talking about cheese now.

(Thanks)giving

In my family, Thanksgiving is something to survive.

I have a great family. One of the things I'm most thankful for in my life is my family (extended family included). I also have a large family. Both of my parents have 2 siblings each, which has given me 5-6 cousins on each side, most of my cousins are married, and now some of my cousins also have 1-2 kids each. And everyone has always lived in the Houston area, which means we can ALL get together for the holidays. For my entire life, Thanksgiving has always been with my mom's side of the family and Christmas has always been with my dad's side of the family. Thanksgiving with my mom's family has always been the same, exactly the same. Same house, same food, same plates, same silverware, same pies, same people, same routines. Everything. Exactly. The same. And everyone insists on it remaining exactly the same.


Example: Last year I convinced my family to use frozen green peas instead of the same canned green peas that we always use, every year. I think that frozen green peas taste much more like fresh green peas. Sounds like a pretty minor and beneficial change to the Thanksgiving menu, right? No, no, no. The first and pretty much only comment that my grandmother made about the meal was the we had used the WRONG kind of peas. God forbid! This year, we (somewhat sheepishly) made sure to use the correct brand of canned green peas.

Since my grandfather died and my grandmother moved to a nursing home, the only thing that has changed about my family's Thanksgiving is that it is now hosted at my parents' house. Joy. This year the extended family was somewhat dispersed. A week or so before Thanksgiving my mom thought it was just going to be my immediate family. Which was going to be so nice. So easy and simple and calm and fun. Then my aunt, uncle, and 2 cousins said they would be joining us. Which was fine. A few more people, not a big deal. Then, at the last minute, another aunt and uncle, and 2 cousins informed us they would be joining us as well. In the end, it was 15 people coming to my parents house for Thanksgiving. That meant my parents had to buy and prepare turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes, purple (cranberry) salad, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, cool whip, celery with pimento cheese, black olives, green olives, pickles, rolls, butter, wine, beer, coffee, and tea with lemon for 15 people.

Lucky for my parents, I love to cook, bake, and entertain. I was in my element, buzzing around the kitchen, trying to get everything hot and ready at once. But by the time the meal was ready I really didn't feel like eating it anymore. I was hot and tired and everything was just so hectic and chaotic. I ate, but I kind of felt like I didn't really taste anything.

Thanksgiving for me happened the day after Thanksgiving, when I was well rested and got to eat leftovers in the calm and quiet of a much less crowded house.

I'm mostly just joking. I definitely think my family could do things to make Thanksgiving less hectic, but I'm not in charge right now, and so I just go along with it. I love my family and I love having a big Thanksgiving. I love how the hectic, crazy things in life make me thankful for the calm, quiet moments, and then in the lonely moments I'm so thankful for the memories of crazy, hectic holidays with my family. :)

Life is fascinating and there is a lot to be thankful for, sometimes you just need a sense of humor to keep it all in perspective.

Less than 2 weeks until graduation!!! I can feel it!

Honey Creme Anglaise...mmm

So, when I was in Atlanta a couple of weekends ago, we ate at this neat breakfast place, called the Flying Biscuit. While we were there I debated about whether to get the oatmeal pancakes with peach compote or the french toast with raspberry sauce and honey creme angalise. Let me tell you, I was so glad I got the french toast! It was fabulous! The best french toast I've ever had.

Of course, the only bad thing was that this fabulous french toast was in Atlanta, Georgia....and I live in Fort Worth, Texas...

So, me being me, I immediately made plans to recreate this meal whenever I got home. I figured out that it was the honey anglaise that made for the all the fabulous-ness and that it would be a fun challenge to figure out how to make it like the Flying Biscuit.

Later that same day, AJ and I went into a Barnes & Noble when we walked past a recipe book for the Flying Biscuit(!). Sure enough, the honey creme anglaise recipe was in the book! I scribbled it down on a scrap of paper in my purse and made it tonight for dinner!

The Flying Biscuit used really nice, thick wheat bread. I used a demi, whole-wheat french loaf and I made strawberry (instead of raspberry sauce because AJ doesn't like raspberries) by just melting some strawberry jam in the microwave. It was a delicious meal! Pretty much just like the Flying Biscuit! And I was right, it was the honey anglaise that made the difference :)