Fix It Friday

My first submission for this little meme (since I have no cameraphone to submit to PhotoFriday). Click here to see the original photo. They wanted "to make it look like it fit into the time period of the little girl's clothing better." I think I did that pretty well. Shame she wasn't posed more like they would have been back then...

There are lots of other's submissions over at...

Monday Bunday Winner!

Oops! We forgot to do Monday Bunday yesterday, but it's not too late to choose a winner! Last week we had only 2 people guess but I had random.org choose anyway, and acelightning was our lucky winner of a very special customized prize!


Yes, last week's theme was CUSTOM in honor of my exciting new offer to take commissioned orders, and since the theme was Custom, she gets to choose what her prize will be like! YAY!

Thanks to everyone who plays along! Keep your eyes peeled next Monday when we'll be back with more Mosaic Monday Bunday! ^-^

MRA Volunteer

If anyone is interested in what I've been doing since taking my test, I spent several days editing & uploading these photos from the Diversity Rules Benefit, and just uploaded all of these from the AIDS Walk/Run as well. Enjoy!

Contest & AIW Update

Hey there everyone! If you're interested in scrapping supplies, Callista is giving away some of her stash! Just head over to HER BLOG and leave a comment to be entered!

You'll also be please to hear that Disney has finally put up the trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie on the official website and at IMDB! I can't wait!

TRAILER!

Oooo.... Look what I found!



I hope it doesn't get taken down....

Tasty Tuesday: Pfijit

This is something I came up with the other night as I drifted off to sleep. I was very FIDGETY and had a hard time getting comfortable. So in my sleep-deprived, grumpy state, I said I was going to make a dessert called a fidget, and it would be something like a trifle. Thus as I drifted off to sleep, the recipe came to me, and OMG! I remembered it when I woke up! ^o^ Of course I changed the spelling a little, so it goes with the ingredients, but it still sounds tasty to me!

Here's how it's made: Just like a trifle can be made in all different ways, but is basically the same, so can Pfijit be made in different ways. Start with a PRETZEL crust, and top that with a FUDGE BROWNIE. Next comes the fun part. Cut into squares (or not), and top with a scoop of ICE CREAM. Your preferred flavor of course! Then top that with JAM or JELLY that you have melted and thinned a bit. Finally you add INTERESTING THINGS, like toasted mini-marshmallows, coconut, M&Ms, chopped nuts, etc. And now the recipe...

PFIJIT
2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 box brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1/2 gallon ice cream (whatever sounds good to you, I'm gonna use vanilla the first time)
1-2 cups jam or jelly (again, whatever sounds good to you, I'm thinking about raspberry or cherry)
Interesting Things: shredded coconut, mini-marshmallows, chopped nuts, M&Ms, crushed pretzels, gummi bears, fresh raspberries... whatever sounds good to you!

1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening and lightly flour (or spray bottom with baking spray with flour). In medium bowl, mix pretzels, sugar and butter. Sprinkle evenly on bottom of pan; press gently.


2. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Spread batter in pan. Bake as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.


3. Meanwhile, soften 1 quart of ice cream in microwave or on countertop. After crust has chilled, spread softened ice cream over fudge layer. Freeze 30 minutes.


4. While the ice cream topped brownies are freezing, melt your jam or jelly over low heat, or in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring frequently.


5. Spread thinned jam or jelly over the ice cream and sprinkle with your interesting things!

Here's how ours came out: We chose mini-marshmallows and coconut for ours, and found a low sugar strawberry jelly (ROTFL! Low sugar...). We made sure the ice cream was frozen quite solid and cut it into 8 slices which topped the brownies pretty well with only a little spreading needed, then popped it back in the freezer til we were just about to eat it.

Then before taking it out we melted the jam and got our Interesting Things ready, which for us included warming the broiler up. After topping the ice cream with the jam and our Interesting Things, we actually popped it under the broiler and TOASTED the mini-marshmallows and coconut!!! OMG... SO GOOD!!! So rich and sinful...

Looking for a Gift?

I am sure you all are! You know my birthday is Wednesday...

Well here's a hint:

Rabbirds: Mourning Doves by `ursulav on deviantART

Is that not the best picture ever?!

Ok, so, you know I am all kidding about that...

If you really wanna throw your money at me, you can buy me time on LJ, or send random cash to my PayPal to help pay rent...

Mosaic Monday Bunday

Last week's winner was inquisitivejade whose comment number was selected by random.org from those who correctly guessed the secondary theme was GREEN. Great guessing everyone, and congrats Jade! I have your info and will be sending your package soon! ^-^


So how about this week, my friends, do you know the secondary theme? (Remember Mosaic Monday Bunday always features rabbits!)

Guess today's theme and win a ~*very special*~ Mosaic Monday Bunday prize!

Click any pic to see its Etsy listing!

Leave a comment with your guess, and I will be pooling the names of those who guess correctly from both my LiveJournal and BlogSpot and drawing one winner per week. Good luck!

For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here! None this week... :\

Photo Manip Class is Over

I feel a bit short changed because 2 of the days were "self-checks" and not actual tutorials (down with unnecessary testing!), but for a free course it was pretty good. If anyone is interested in seeing the 14 I mean 12 13 photos I have manipulated for this class (I did 2 for the 11th tutorial), hop on over to my deviantArt. Here's the final project:

WGU on NBC

If anyone has been wondering about me taking my master's online, my school was featured tonight on the NBC Nightly News. If it's already been broadcast in your area, you can see it online at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news_with_brian_williams; scroll down the Latest Programs list to “Downloading a college degree” and click play! You can also read the TIME magazine article mentioned here: http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/time_eprint.pdf.

Photo Friday: My Favorite Spot

Next to Jacqueline

When she has that smile... Or maybe it's just Flatrock...

Tasty Tuesday: Cast Iron Cookie

Yesterday, as I was blog surfing, I came upon a recipe that looked tasty and sent it off to Jacqueline, as I usually do - and she said she would make it for me *today* (which was actually yesterday, but let's not confuse things) and she did!

Now I know this involves turning on your oven, but up here the weather has been considerably cooler than usual and having the oven on wasn't so bad.

And the cast iron comes not from the cookies texture (although I have had cookies like that, ew), it comes from the method of cooking them. The original recipe is for Cast Iron *Skillet* Cookies, but when we were talking about making them we accidentally left the skillet part out and confused the children... LOL!

Cast Iron Cookie

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (We discovered that ants managed to get into our brand new unopened bag, but none of the opened bags of nuts or coconut or confectioners' sugar right along side it; so we used all white.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk, half and half...) (We used 2% milk.)
• lots of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, and dark chocolate) (We just used 1/2 bag of semi-sweet.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In separate bowl, mix butter and sugars until light and creamed together.
4. Add egg, vanilla, and cream and stir to incorporate.
5. Combine with flour mixture until well mixed.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Press lightly into cast iron skillet.
8. Bake about 35-40 minutes or until edges are golden. Don't overbake! Cookies will continue to cook in skillet. (We baked ours for 30 minutes and let it sit for about an hour before we dug in.)

Many thanks to Brin for the fabu recipe!

Mosaic Monday Bunday

Hoo! Last week's secondary theme was way too easy! Everyone guessed correctly that it was ICE CREAM! So the winner's name was selected by random.org from those who correctly guessed - ok fine, the comment number was chosen by random.org - and is none other than princessemma312! YAY! Congrats!


So how about this week, my friends, do you know the secondary theme? (Remember Mosaic Monday Bunday always features rabbits!)

Guess today's theme and win a Mosaic Monday Bunday prize!

Click any pic to see its Etsy listing!
Leave a comment with your guess, and I will be pooling the names of those who guess correctly from both my LiveJournal and BlogSpot and drawing one winner per week. Good luck!

For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here!

Musical Monday

I thought for something new and exciting, that I'd try a Musical Monday! (In addition to my Mosaic Monday Bunday, because that's just too much fun to stop.)


What is Musical Monday all about? Well, you can go here to read all the gory details, but basically the aim here is to post a song that's been *moving* you lately.

Lately I've not been listening to too much *moving* music, but these songs got me moving right out of my chair to boogie around the room a bit...

BIGBANG 2NE1


Framing Hanley (hawt!)


Mika (adorable video!)


Lil' Wayne (Yeah same as Framing Hanley...)


The Chordettes


Yeah, I've got lollipops on the brain... XD

Rambling

Lisa Swifka recently posted a poem on her blog, My Life on a To Do List, and I read it and thought, "Oh. My. Gosh! She's been watching me!" LOL! Seriously though, I've been feeling exactly the same...

A lot of my online time is spent surfing around, while ideas percolate in my head, not yet fully formed, but leaving me antsy, and vaguely not satisfied. When school was in and I was working daily, there wasn't enough time to write or draw or paint, and now... I can't seem to get things done because of this fog in my head of half-formed ideas...

One of the half-formed ideas in my head is about blogging. It's been feeling like a chore, and my posts, hollow. I love doing my Mosaic Monday Bunday and TiLT posts, and all the other little things are fun too, but not every day of every week! Know what I mean? I think you do! Maybe you noticed the *BWO* button over in my sidebar? I've been striving toward that more: Blogging Without Obligation. Check it out; she makes sense!

But I still find myself avoiding writing, or giving up and delete half-written posts. And I censor myself. I hate that I do that. I am so afraid of being judged. I have to be happy & cheery and don't throw anything questionable out there. Never show anything too personal because *someone* might be reading: an ex, a neighbor, a future boss, a student...

BUT WHY? Why do I need to be liked by everyone? Do I need to worry if talk about loving my girlfriend or worshiping a different way? What if I talk about dating or being poor? These are things that make up who I am. And if I leave them out, am I really being true to myself? Am I being *Authentic* as Brené Brown would say? I think I am not.

So, why post all this? As a warning to you? That things might be changing? I might shock you with my unconventional and controversial lifestyle! Perhaps, but I wrote this more for myself. I'm sure I'll be doing the usual happy posts like Monday Bunday (<3), but don't be surprized if I start showing more of *me* here too...

Photo Friday: Eyes

Sassy Little Zelly

Tasty Tuesday: Those "Little Cheese Things"

Yes, this is an actual scan of a recipe page I made up several years ago... I still love me some cheesy cheesy quesadillas! ^o^

Etsy Blogger of the Month: Miesmama

This month's Etsy Blogger of the Month is fellow New Yorker, Miesmama! Look at all these groovy goodies!

Top Left: rosy posies pincushion Top Right: lace doily sweater tote
Bottom Left: hearts felt garland Bottom Right: noodles for your noodle ponies - red

Do not miss checking her out this month and see what groovy things she has that might be calling to you...

• Miesmama's Blog
• Miesmama's Etsy Shop

Mosaic Monday Bunday

Last week's winner was brandedeclipse whose name was drawn from those who correctly guessed the secondary theme was CAMERAS. So how about this week, my friends, do you know the secondary theme? (Remember Mosaic Monday Bunday always features rabbits!)

Guess today's theme and win a Mosaic Monday Bunday prize!

Click any pic to see its Etsy listing!

Leave a comment with your guess, and I will be pooling the names of those who guess correctly from both my LiveJournal and BlogSpot and drawing one winner per week. Good luck!

OH! And I almost forgot! The final lucky winner from the Mad Tea Party is Chrisy from Sophism Press! Congrats! She's got a great blog! Check it out!

Photo Friday: Big and Small

Big Lake and Small Girl

Friday Favorite!

Yeah, I am big on the alliteration; so sue me... Today's topic is my favorite summer recipe, and while this is more of a whole meal, I'll include the recipes for everything, and you'll get more than just one! ^-^

First off is what my family always called Pepper Steak. We never had it any other way; so there was no confusion until the Chinese Buffets started growing in popularity around here; and their pepper steak features, of course, green peppers. So now we call it by the whole recipe name:

Chuck Wagon Pepper Steak

• 1 round bone arm chuck roast or boneless arm roast, cut 2-inches thick (about 3 pounds)
• 2 teaspoon(s) unseasoned tenderizer
• 2 tablespoon(s) instant minced onion
• 2 teaspoon(s) thyme
• 1 teaspoon(s) marjoram
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 1 cup(s) wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup(s) olive oil or salad oil
• 3 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1/4 cup(s) peppercorns, coarsely crushed or 2 tbsp cracked pepper

1. Sprinkle meat on both sides, no salt, with tenderizer; pierce both sides with fork, place in shallow baking pan.
2. Mix other ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Pour over and around meat, let stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours, turning every half-hour.
4. When ready to grill, remove meat, pound half-crushed peppercorns into each side.
5. Cook 15 minutes each side or less.

The rest of the meal is also cookout fare, at least for us: Corn on the cob and salt potatoes. I understand, that outside of our area, salt potatoes are something of a rarity, so I'll get real specific with this recipe; although here we can just buy a bag complete with the perfect potatoes and portioned salt.

Salt Potatoes

• 4 pounds new potatoes (find the smallest potatoes you can, the smaller the better IMHO)
• 1 1/2 cups salt (should be about a pound, some people say rock salt, some say fine salt, some say sea salt, I say it doesn't matter, but the water should be saturated with it)
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted (more or less to your preference)

1. Wash the potatoes and set aside. Fill a large pot with water and set over heat; stir in salt until it no longer dissolves and settles on the bottom. Place potatoes in the pot and continue to bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain; cover to keep hot.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium high heat, or in microwave. Serve immediately poured over potatoes. (If you're going to eat the potatoes hot this step is unnecessary as the butter will melt right away anyway.)
NOTE: These are even better cold out of the fridge the next day, and they make AWESOME fried potatoes!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

• Corn on the cob
• water
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Clean up your ears a bit; take the dryer leaves off an some of the silk, just for appearance sake. Then soak in water overnight. We usually fill the sink and soak them there if you don't have a big enough pot.
2. Get your coals or grill hot, then place the ears - husk and all - over the fire. Some put them right on the coals, others on the grill like the steak, it's your preference.
3. Turn the ears occasionally until the husks are blackened all around, about 15 - 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the grill and let sit for 5 minutes. Be careful when removing husks and silk not to burn yourself!
5. Add butter, salt & pepper, and enjoy!

TiLT: Things I Love Thursday

♥ Portucula and weathered bunnies ♥


♥ This sleepy-eyed smile ♥


♥ Fluffy tea parties in the garden ♥


♥ Geeks in Pink and Guys in Drag ♥


♥ That new show, "Cooking with Lia" ♥


♥ Sun Storms and rainbows ♥


♥ This Miracle Car ♥


♥ Honorable Mention: Slumdog Millionaire, The Bucket List, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Unsinkable Molly Brown - wow, yeah, it's been a movie kinda week...

Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

Holidays!

In addition to today being Canada Day - *tips hat to all my Canadian friends* - today is also Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day; so naturally when I saw Turkey Hill's Movie Night ice cream, I had to buy it! Part of their Dynamic Duos line, it comes with one side popcorn flavored with popcorn and praline peanuts and the other vanilla flavored with caramel. I cannot wait to try it!

Maybe we can come up with a creative Canadian-themed flavor... Maple bacon? Meh, been there, done that... Poutine ice cream? Um... I think not. Any ideas?

Oh, interested in trying your own popcorn flavored ice cream? Here are some recipes:

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/24894289@N08/3290552684/in/photostream/


• http://hungryliketheduck.blogspot.com/2008/07/popcorn-ice-cream.html


• http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=686153

ETA: The popcorn ice cream is *so* GOOD! Creamy, buttery, slightly salty... Oh so fabu!