I Scream....

for ice cream!

i tend to do impulse buying -- decide i want something, and bam, i have it. the good thing is, i usually take it back...but online shopping doesn't offer that convenient luxury.

monday, i decided i wanted a shiny new ice cream maker. so, i took to searching amazon (a new guilty pleasure) and not only found a reasonably priced cuisinart option, but it was also in RED. brand new frozen yogurt, ice cream and sorbet maker for under fifty bucks, and i received free 2-day shipping (i signed up for one of those frequent shopper thingys, but plan to cancel in 30 days #dontjudgeme). any who, IT arrived last night! online shopping makes me nervous because you never know what you're going to get. i ordered a text book last semester and it wasn't bound (::side eye::) but it was CHEAP! :) luckily, my new RED ice cream maker was in great shape, boxed and packaged nicely. i immediately removed the freezer bowl, and popped it in the freezer for prep. a homemade frozen treat is in my near future folks!Stay tuned...

toodles,
T.

Meatloaf for Dessert!

well, not really. however, i did whip up some meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato "icing" for sunday dinner yesterday. i must thank @therealmrsjames for the grand idea (via twitter) and thank The Pioneer Woman for the awesome and delish recipe posted on her blog. love, love, loved it. BEST meatloaf i've ever had. you can check out the recipe here. i added bell pepper, and used less salt. i usually only cook with ground turkey, but my last couple of bouts with meatloaf using turkey have been less than appealing, so this time i wanted to try beef. i also didn't use the vinegar in my sauce (it can be overpowering), but instead threw in a touch of bbq sauce and a wee bit more tomato sauce in the mixture. it turned out well.

also on the sunday dinner menu was homemade mac and cheese, and green beans!

sigh, nothing like good eating on a sunday.

toodles
T.

filled 24 foil cupcake liners with the mixture and baked.

half way through 1 hour baking time, removed from oven to add sauce (sans sauce):

added sauce and continued cooking. with sauce:

dinner!

is my thumb green :) or black :-/ ?

it remains to be seen! but I started a garden on my deck the other day -- first up to bat: patio tomatoes (no pun intended) and green bell peppers. i really wanted tomatoes and cucumbers, but somewhat really late in the season to be doing either, so i took the advice of matt helping me at home depot (check him out at the ponce de leon location, he's awesome!) and went with the bell pepper.

basically, i randomly got the urge to do this and after a few hours on the internet, i realized it was possible to do so without having an actual backyard. yay for city living! most sites recommended starting from a plant versus a seed. initially, i wanted to be ambitious and go for the seed, but decided to go with a plant. next year i'll start around may (probably april since i'm in hot 'lanta) and be able to plant the seeds and see them come to full life.

i ventured off to home depot, and got completely LOST in the HOT outdoor gardening section. i searched for pots, potting soil, stakes/trellis', watering cans (ended up getting this from walmart for 2 bucks), and tomato food (vital component).

Here are all my components:

next, i moved outdoors to the patio to get the dirty work done. i began by removing the bottom half of the biodegradable pot my plants were in. my bell pepper plant already had a small pepper growing. You can see lots of roots have already developed.

after adding the potting soil, and re-potting the plants, we have a finished product:

topped them off with a cool drink of water, and now the wait begins...i wonder if they will survive :-/

thus far i have learned that tomatoes need lots of water (daily) and lots of direct sun, in addition to the tomato food every 7-14 days. this is going to be an interesting little project. my hope is to plant lettuce (most likely romaine), basil, and some type of flowers starting in late september.

if any of you all are gardeners, novice or pro, your advice is appreciated.

toodles,

T.

Look at God...

this has been the craziest academic roller coaster of my elementary, middle, high school and undergrad career -- especially given the circumstances of this year. however, DESPITE it all, your girl finished the summer semester with an 'A' in Anatomy and Physiology I, an 'A' in Anatomy and Physiology I Lab, and an 'A' in Human Growth and Development. two words: YAY ME!

this is a true testament on how you can simply let go and let God and he will bring you through. for crying out loud, i basically MISSED a final exam and still managed to pass 3 courses. I'm giving myself a pat on the back, BUT that was NOTHING BUT GOD! If any of you all reading this have ever questioned anything or felt defeated, use this as as an example of how God shows favor when you need it the most. i am so blessed and so fortunate.

the summer has ended on a bright note after all. up next, online and every Saturday until December, A&P II lab and lecture. Wish me luck!

Toodles,
T.