~It's SPRING~

~Here is how I know it is spring...this is pollen off of only ONE of my window sills. Spring is in full bloom down here!~

~This is the landing outside my door. Yes, all that yellow is pollen. Just yesterday it was clean!~

Maybe I should coordinate a little better!

The color scheme on this cake is off. I think that there are too many different ones and they don't really go together, but I had icing left over and since I don't have a big fridge I actually made the cake specifically for the icing this time. I had certain things I wanted to practice too, so here it is.

This is the first time I have actualy used roses that I have made. I have practiced them a lot...just to scoop them all back into the icing bowl to do it again. Mostly because, I don't really like a lot of icing on my cake, so I think everyone else is the same. Haha...I have learned that is not true.

Here's another experiment...

I have been atempting to create a filled cupcake. This is a raspberry filling. I had a little trouble though because it was too thin. Cream cheese and things with that consistancy work great and are really easy with this new cake decorating tip that I have...jellies or jams would probably work, but I think they would be too sweet so I used fresh fruit. It was interesting to do, but tasted great and had a different look too!

Then I got tired! HAHA. Here are the rest that I didn't fill.

Remember those days that seemed to last forever. The ones that started early in the morning and ended with a cool bath just after dusk. Those days where you would fall into bed so tired from running through the woods, picking "food" for your "little house on the prarie", and talking to the pretend indians that you were oh so scared of! Those memories always make me smile and sometimes laugh. We were so carefree back then at my house. My sisters and I would be outside all day together, and then ask my parents (after much debate over who should ask!) if we could sleep together, as we all had separate rooms. Fun times and good memories. I can't wait to make more.

The braid bread

The other day I was chatting on MSN with my friend from Costa Rica. We were making plans for my next visit and revisiting all the great memories that we made the last time I was there. As part of my language learning, I would read the recipes and bake hoping that I usnderstood what it was saying to me. This is one of the recipes that I brought home.

It is just bread, but before it is braided, I put sweeten condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice inside. It makes a great breakfast bread.

....and then

Those two words are so powerful. I mean apart they are words that hold things together, but together they create. ...and then he kissed her. ...and then she took her last breath. ...and then he walked away. ...and then she was alone. ...and then.

There are so many life changing thing that happen after and then. We all are hoping for the ....and then they lived happily ever after. We wish and pray all our lives for that type of ending. One that is exactly what we have been hoping for, but there is the other ending. The one that we all dread and pray never comes.

I got one of those today. I all started with a follow up appointment at my batallion PA's office. We talked, she charted, I descibed. You know the usual things you do with your doctor. And then...(there are those two magic words) it happened. She was wrapping up our session and telling me what needed to be done. She said, "I will talk to Dr. Adams (the Brigade surgeon) about getting you another evaluation...and then start the process of moving you into the WTU (Warrior Transition Unit = the injuried soldiers unit). This will mean extending your ets date by a couple of months. Sorry, but I don't want this coming at you from left field."

So there it is. My "and then". One of those that changes your life. Maybe it seems extremely small, but when you are living it any "and then" feels huge. 

Practice makes perfect

So I have stopped baking for a minute and started practicing!

 Here are just a couple of the designs that I have tried out. I am not great at any of them yet especially making tight roses, but I am working on it.

Anyone have a favorite icing flower that they have used in the past?

You know its a bad day...

Not even gonna go into it. But here is the product!

It isn't one of my greatest...I like the design, especially the weave, but I think it needed the stars on the bottom layer too. You might be able to see, the top layer is offset (not intentionally), so that kinda throws it off too! And I am still having trouble getting my icing consistency right. If you look close you can tell that the white icing is too thin, and the brown icing is a little too thick. Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!

Dinner

Just a salad, but I decided to make it restaurant quality tonight! Just for one!

I have changed a few things that I do with my salads lately.

• 
  
  One I only use spinach...not lettuce anymore. It is better for you and I have found that for me it tastes just as good.
• 
  
  Two - I stopped getting fresh tomatoes and started using canned. Especially in the winter months, I have found that canned tomatoes are cheaper and taste sometimes better than the fresh.
• 
  
  Other than that I just throw on some carrots, boiled eggs, chicken, parmasan cheese and finish it up with my special salad dressing.

I love salad and for me and my army weight requirement standard that is a really REALLY good thing!

Decorating brownies

Ok, so I really think that brownies never turn out...well...cute. You know they have that brownie pan that seperates the brownies as they cook, which I think was such a smart idea. But as I have established in earlier posts, I am WAY too cheap to buy it!LOL. So I have tried a couple of new things.

1. I now dump my brownies before I cut them. It helps a little with the breaking tops and crumblings.

2. I have tried to use a spatula to cut them, but I think that a really big knife would work well too.

3. I have cutened them up! (Is that a word?) Anyway, I have tried to make them something more than just plain brown.

So here they are...

oFF

Today was a training holiday for the 94th BSB. The day started out with me thinking about the future. It is an amazing feeling to be getting ready to start another type of life. There are so many things to do, but it is all so much like a book that is in the middle of a story...the author is still deciding which end to use. How do you choose and where do you look? You would think that it would be very simple having military experience, but in reality...who really cares whether you know how to don your nuclear protective gear in less than five minutes head to toe or that you can hit 32 out of 36 with an M4 or M240B. Those skills don't really translate too well into civilian world. Trust me, I have talked to many of my battle buddies who have gotten out and they are saying the same thing.
     Don't get me wrong the idea of freedom...oh my...and it being just around the corner! There are no words to describe how much I am wishing that day here! It is exciting and thrilling!
     My only hesitation is...what do I do now? So here's the deal, I want your opinions.

Tell me what you think I would be good at...a good direction for me to go in, a career choice that you think I would be good in, or an area for me to consider.

LET ME KNOW!!!!!

Third times a charm!

Good thing this was my first time!

This is my first atempt with fondant. It was fairly easy, but i made a few mistakes along the way. One thing is for sure...there is no patching up with fondant! But it was a fun try.

I decided to use the leftover icing for leaves...kind of a funny green but it worked ok I guess!

The Cleaning Ritual!

Crazy I know, but I have to say that I love DEEP cleaning.  I am horrible at keeping my "spaces" free from clutter inbetween these cleanings. Jeans can be thrown over the back of the chair instead of folded in the drawers, beds just get climbed back into at the end of the day, and dishes will always pile up so why do them right now. These thoughts (along with many other that make my mother cringe!) are how my life goes. But there is one day a week, usually Saturday or Sunday afternoon, that you can find me singing into my broom with the radio or dusting in time to the beat to get things clean around here. Since today happens to be that day (since CSM Farrow is coming by for room inspections tomorrow!) I thought I would share a few of my favorite things to do while cleaning:

• Radio settings: For this time, it HAS to be country...I have tried contemparary christian, jazz, classical (which really slows me down...haha), and even soft rock or oldies. The radio usually has too many commercials. I pop in a cd that has the best of Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Tracy Lawerence, and Keith Urban.
• My drink of choice: I like to save my soda for this time. Makes me not so guilty cause all the calories I am spending on the soda, I am outputting into the cleaning. Ok, so maybe I am not, but it makes me feel better anyway!
• Food: I usually pick up something fun for my lunch or dinner...so that I don't dirty the dishes I just cleaned up. Plus, it is like a reward for finishing my job
• Clothes: I always have to remind myself to change before I start. I cannot tell you how many shirts or pants I have bleached because I forgot to change. I prefer to wear shorts cause on your knees with bleach means funny looking pants! So I throw on a t-shirt and short and I am ready to go!

With all these things, it usually only takes me about 5 minutes to get into the mood. I have had people stop by and they always look at me really weird when I answer the door happy and tell them I have been cleaning! But hey, to each his own, right?

More self prescribed therapy

Here are a couple more cakes that I made today.

It was one of those cakes that I hated while I was doing it. Couldn't get it done fast enough! It was a little more dfficult than I was used to.

So after I got done with that really annoying butterfly, I did a funny cake with the leftover batter I had.

Both of these turned out better than my last cake!

 I was so frustrating at the time that I just started

 slinging icing everywhere....

VERY THERAPUTIC!

I highly recommend it as stress relief, but definately not for show! Yikes!

Cheap Cheap Cheap

Ok..so I admit it! I am CHEAP! LOL! I love to save money, especially on things that I have to have, like grocerys, health and beauty items or clothing. So my newest hobby is coupon clipping. I make my grocery list and then try and find a coupon for as many items as I can. There are several sites that I use for this quest.

First...
     You can always do a google, bing, or yahoo search for the product you are looking for. This way is really aggervating because it will pull up all sorts of surveys and questionares to take or sites that you have to register to be able to download coupons.

So...
     I recommend a couple of sites that you try first.

http://print.coupons.com/Couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14505&nid=10&zid=py13

http://www.couponalbum.com/index.htm

http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=QKMLBTO57RA5I

     This site has different coupon sites that you can go to...it is usually pretty good, especially for it's restaraunt coupons.

http://www.wow-coupons.com/index.php


     Here is one for bigger items or well non-grocery items

http://www.thefind.com/

Second...
     Thing that I have found that has saved me a few dollars is a Price Book. It is kinda a wish book of the bigger things that I want or need. Each page is for one item...on this page I put a picture of the item I want (if I have one), the description, and then the price. Here's how I save though...I put the price under the store that has the product at that price. So if Wal-Mart has it as $150 and Target had it at $148, I know this and save a couple of bucks, especially if I find a coupon for that store or that item. It helps me know where to go and what store to look for a coupon for!

Third...
     Another way I save is samples. I know sounds cheap right...well, it is! So there are some sites that give you samples of things you normally buy every day. I have gotten tooth paste, tooth brushes, shampoos, soaps, cereal, granola bars, make up, perfume...you name it. Now it is only a sample, so there isn't much of it. But it is good for a guest basket for your bathroom or snacks on a road trip! Here is one site that usually has some pretty good samples...or like I said before you can google it.

http://www.freeflys.com/FreeSamples


Hope these ideas help you on your savings!

Test

As a child, I hated that word. Now that I am a mature adult, I realize...

..how right I was.

Yesterday, I had an EEG and a BEAR test at my neurologist's office. It is funny how nervous we get even when we can't "fail". Anyway, I won't get the results back until the 23rd...so more waiting! Hear a theme in these last few posts about my health...it is a lot of waiting. But I am not a good waiter!

You would be surprised

how often my life throws me curve balls! So I am driving over to get gas the other day on post when this thought comes to me...did my car get renewed when it was in missouri? So I open up the glove box and sure enough...it was due in January while it was in Missouri getting fixed, but no one caught it then! So I made a rush trip home to Missouri, a trip that usually takes me about 12 hours, to get the jeep inspected and registered. It took me about 23 and 1/2 hours to get there but I made it and got everything taken care of. I just made it back to post about 20 or 30 minutes ago.
The only thing I can say for sure about this trip is that it taught me something about myself...I have no future of criminal activity! I kept looking over my shoulder the whole way home and I only had an expired registration. I don't know how people deal with the guilt of the criminal life. LOL!