71. Cook 25 new recipes. (13/25)

I haven't written about new recipes in over a year... but in the interest of getting this project up to date before it ends in a few days, I thought I should say something about food.

I found an amazingly delicious Pumpkin Pie Pudding recipe that I made for the first time last Thanksgiving.  The best part is that it is diabetic friendly and super easy to make.  I will continue to make it every year.  

Back in the height of my cupcake baking frenzy, I tried four new icing recipes and three new cake recipes.  To be honest, I was not particularly happy with most of them.  I will probably use one of the icing recipes again, but for cookies instead of cake.  It was really more of a glaze anyways.  I used it to fill some pumpkin cupcakes, which were pretty tasty.  

I made my Mom's delicious Potato Casserole for the first time last month and it was a success.  Nothing says comfort like potatoes and cheese.  Yummy.

I tried a new recipe for Sausage Balls that I found on Pinterest.  The cream cheese made them especially tasty.  I tweaked the recipe by using a bag of shredded Mexican cheese instead of just sharp Cheddar.

That's all I remember at the moment.  I have tons of new recipes to try, I just haven't found time to make them/I hate using the oven in my apartment.  Pinterest has helped fuel the recipe collecting, among other projects.  

Cupcakes

I did use the skills I learned in my cake decorating class for good.  Back at the end of March, I made cupcakes for a friend's birthday.

I practiced my basketweave on a few...

... and some flowers on a few mini cupcakes I made with some extra batter.

My favorites were the sunflowers.  I will definitely do these again.  They were a big hit.

For fun, I also made ice cream cone cupcakes.  I baked the cupcakes in the cake cones, swirled on the icing, and added sprinkles.  So cute.  So easy.

And in case you don't believe me, here is a shot after I sampled my work.

My method for transporting these babies?  Rings of aluminum for support in my cupcake carrier.

49. Take a cake decorating class.

Complete!  I finished my Wilton Basics class on Saturday at the local Michael's store.  I had fun playing with all the different decorating tools.  Honestly, I don't think we did anything that I hadn't already done or couldn't have taught myself.  However, it was good that the class motivated me to practice and experiment.

The last class was cupcake day.  I am proud of two Wilton roses that I made, but they still need a lot of work.  Luckily, I already have a reason to practice, as I am making cupcakes for a birthday at work tomorrow.

49. Take a cake decorating class.

I signed up for a cake decorating class last week.  It starts this Saturday and lasts four weeks.  I'm taking the Wilton Basics class at my local Michael's store.  This is the foundation course that is required for more advanced classes like fondant and gumpaste (another goal). 

I'll admit I probably won't be making this masterpiece anytime soon, but a girl can dream!

(Image Source)

A Very Bookish Update

Obviously, I have become very bad at posting on the blog.  So here are some updates... with pictures!

19. Read 5 biographies/memoirs. (3/5)
Yesterday, I finished Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun.  Rubin presented a lot of research concerning happiness, which I found very interesting.  Although I would not undertake every resolution that Rubin assigned herself if I were doing a happiness project, I greatly admired her drive and organization.


20. Read 10 classics. (4/10)
At the beginning of November, I finished my audiobook of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.  I had unsuccessfully tried to read this book before and I picked up the audiobook from the library on a whim one day.  I enjoyed it so much more as an audiobook.  Although, previously seeing the movies definitely helped me because I already knew the characters' names.


I also finished Brave New World by Aldous Huxley in November.  One of my coworkers gave me a funny look when I said that I was reading this for fun.  I guess I'm just crazy like that.  Brave New World is probably the strangest dystopian work I have ever read. 






48. Make 10 pieces of jewelry. (6/10)
We did a Secret Santa at work this week.  I made a lanyard (for daily id wear) as part of my gift for my coworker.  I stuck with a classic red, white, and blue color scheme.  Now I just need to get around to making one for myself. 


49. Take a cake decorating class.
50. Bake and decorate a cake using fondant. 
I discovered that I can some fun classes at my local Michael's store.  I'm planning on signing up for the basic cake decorating class soon.  I'm excited that they also have a class specifically designated for fondant.

(all book cover photos from goodreads)

71. Cook 25 new recipes. (3/25)

My final treat for the fire department last week was banana pudding.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself.  I have had it before, as it is my mom's recipe.  However, I had never made it myself.  It is surprisingly easy to make and basically foolproof to yield an extremely tasty dessert.

 

71. Cook 25 new recipes. (2/25)

 I tried another recipe I saw on Bakerella for this past Friday's work treat: bananaberry muffins.  They are essentially a combination of banana bread and blueberry muffins.  Delicious!  And you don't feel too bad about eating them since they have two fruits!  Ha!  :)

71. Cook 25 new recipes. (1/25)

I needed another replacement task, so I thought this would be fun and practical.  In reality, I should have included something like this from the beginning, especially since I have tried several new recipes since I started this project.  Oh well.  Better late than never.

I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie the week before last.  Every Friday, I take a treat to the office and I thought I would try something new.  I saw this recipe on Bakerella a while ago and was enticed by the delicious pictures.  I don't know how often I will make Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, but it was pretty tasty.  It definitely needs to be served warm and with vanilla ice cream.  Yummy. 

54. Have friends over for dinner twice a semester. (6/6)

Complete!
I made dinner for some of my friends on Friday night before a few of us went to the Madison Project concert.  I had been wanting to try a new recipe I found on the back of a pack of Kraft cheese for an enchilada bake.  It ended up being pretty tasty, but I don't think it's something I will make often as I rarely get cravings for Mexican food.  I served it with a salad.  We had brownies (which Sarah kindly made) with ice cream for dessert. 

53. Bake cookies for someone twice a semester. (6/6)

Complete!  I actually baked cupcakes and brownies to celebrate three of my housemates' February birthdays.  Sure, that's technically not cookies, but it's my list and I think it counts.  :)

 

51. Update and expand my recipe collection and book.

So this summer I wrote down every recipe I came across that looked good.  I have a ton of new recipes to try now.  I tried five of them last weekend: the Blackberry Limeade, Spicy Potato Wedges, Spinach Cheese Bake, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and Snickerdoodles.  I love potato wedges, but this recipe was a little too spicy for me to enjoy.  The spinach cheese bake was alright.  It's not something I would want to eat often though.  The spinach and artichoke dip was delicious!  I will definitely be making that again.  Last but not least, my personal favorite, snickerdoodles!!!!  I love snickerdoodles and this recipe was awesome.  It came from Cooking  Light, so I don't have to feel too guilty about eating them!

83. Shop at the farmer’s market at least once a month while in season.

I went to the Harrisonburg Farmers' Market last Saturday morning.  I got some organic blackberries and a delicious watermelon.  I used the blackberries to make a Blackberry Limeade.  I found the recipe this summer and wanted to try it.  It was different, but tasty.

53. Bake cookies for someone twice a semester. (2/6)

I baked cookies and brownies for my Bible study last weekend to help them get through exam week. Of course, I also enjoyed having them around this week!

I knew I did something else last week...

21. Read 10 other books. (2/10)
Last week I read Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. I've had it sitting on my shelf for about a year and I was having trouble sleeping so I just started reading. It was a good, beachy kind of read. A little out there, since it was set in the present but the main character kept flashing back in time and talking to Mr. Darcy. Overall, a fun read for fans of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice.

Yesterday, I read The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. It was a typical Nicholas Sparks book, minus the fact that they actually live happily ever after. It would have been more believable if he just killed the wife. It was almost too miraculous and happy. Still, a nice read if you are looking for something that is easy and a little romantic.

23. Start or participate in a book club.
I got the ball rolling for this one last week. I'm going to work on a reading list over the summer and we will get started in the fall.

53. Bake cookies for someone twice a semester. (1/6)
I baked some cookies last week using Andes mint chips. I shared them with Andrea and Diana, so I believe this counts.

54. Have friends over for dinner twice a semester. (2/6)
I am counting this done twice for this semester. I had the Bible Study over back at the beginning of the semester. Other people have come over and eaten with me. I didn't have as much time to plan something big for this semester. I will do something more specific in the fall.

65. Attend 5 JMU events: speakers, concerts, art exhibits, etc. (1/5)
I went to see Exit 245's end of semester concert. It was awesome, as usual.