Inspiration

Lately I have been feeling out of sorts. Struggling might be the better term. I'm struggling with everything. Especially with eating and cooking healthy. My husband and I are trying to get our mobile home ready to put up for sale. It has been a slow process due to working full time and trying to still have a life. I was in a car accident over 5 weeks ago and I still don't know what's going on with that. I have been yoyoing terribly on my diet. And I miss my mom. So yeah, I'm struggling.

At Walmart the other day I saw a Woman's World magazine that said She Lost 235 pounds eating "junk food" and it caught my eye. I bought it. The woman on the cover lost the weight by following recipes by Hungry Girl. I have seen Hungry Girl cookbooks at the library but I think I have passed them by because they don't have a lot of pictures. I'm a cookbook snob. I like lots of pictures in my cookbooks. I requested all four of her books and got one in today. I want to make like every single recipe in the cookbook. The pictures that are in it look delicious. I feel inspired to try and take better care of myself.

Will and I started walking today. It was nice. We took our dog Sophie for a walk and she enjoyed it as well. We could have done without the guy who came out of his trailer to ask us if we were bleeping told the bleeping rules when we bleeping moved into the park about dogs. Sophie was sniffing his grass but she didn't pee on it or poo so I'm not sure what his problem was. And I had a bag to pick up any poo. He was just a total jerk. And I wish I would have had Sophie's diaper on her so I could I have told him that my dog doesn't go potty in yards. He just made me angry. We will just avoid his trailer from now on. Problem solved.

Congrats to the Class of 2011!

My Godmother's grandson graduated from Hobart High School on Thursday. Two hours sitting on bleachers is not fun. But the ceremony was beautiful and at the end the seniors put on a surprise dance to Black Eyed Peas, I Gotta Feeling. The dance was a gift to their parents and it was really cool. Going to graduation brought back memories of mine eleven years ago. I can't believe I have been out of school for that long.

To honor Anthony and some other graduates I know I created a cake ball graduate. The cap is made out of chocolate with a sour straw tassel and a snow cap to keep it on. The head is a cake ball dipped in chocolate with candy eyes. And the base is a sugar cone stuffed with cake and dipped in purple chocolate melts since Hobart's colors are Purple and Gold. I thought they turned out really cute. My Godmother thought so too. She wants me to make some for his party. If I remember I'll take step by step photos so I can post on here later.

Congratulations to Anthony, Colleen, Ellen, Erica, Jacqueline, Josh, and Zac. I knew a few graduates this year since some of them have worked at the library. I recognized a lot of the kids that have been coming into the library for years. That was nice.

Cake Balls and a Birthday

Yesterday was one of my best friends birthdays. Her golden birthday. She turned 29. Can you believe she had never had my cake balls/pops? For her birthday I made her ice cream cone cake balls and cake balls in the shapes of 2's, 9's, and stars. Her favorite cake flavor is white. I actually had never made white cake balls before and they were really good. So far every flavor I have tried has been great. I'm looking forward to trying more flavors.





I made the stars using a cookie cutter. I think they turned out great.













I made the twos and the nines using cookie cutters as well.


























Me and Angela.

It's all about the boys!

Mr. Whisk on his piano. This is his perch.















Spike in a trash can lid. These cats love to lay in weird places.














This is Anthony, my Aunt Faye's grandson, and my handsome hubby.

Easter Dinner

I hope everyone had a nice relaxing, stuff your face kind of Easter. I know I did. Will and I spent a relaxing morning at home and then in the afternoon we went over to my Godparents house for the wonderful food on that plate in the picture. And for the wonderful company. I will be posting recipes for the corn casserole and the sweet potato casserole I made real soon. I think my favorite food on that plate is the mac and cheese. I only get it on the holidays. My Aunt Faye makes the best mac and cheese. Not that I couldn't make the mac and cheese at home but then I would eat it and I'm sure the points are out of control. Maybe I'll share that recipe too. Although it's not really a recipe. The only two ingredients are macaroni and Velveeta cheese. It's so good!

What's your favorite holiday food?

Golden Birthday Recap

My birthday was a little over a week ago on March 29. I turned 29 and I have to say it was one of the best birthday's I have ever had. My day started out with birthday wishes from my friends and family on Facebook and it just kept getting better and better. From my co-workers I received flowers, balloons, presents, and a cake. Although Joyce joked with me that I didn't make myself a birthday cake for them. I really didn't think about it. In the evening I went out to eat at my favorite place, Olive Garden, with some of my favorite girls. My cousin Kim brought me the goodies to the left in a pretty pink box from her trip to Bloomington. I unfortunately can't think of the bakery's name at the moment but OH MY Goodness were these goodies good. Starting to the left there is a piece of chocolate cake that has very little flour. The little chocolate round thing with the pecan on it contained German chocolate cake and caramel dipped in chocolate. The little round white thing contained red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting dipped in white chocolate. And last but not least is a piece of to die for carrot cake. But I do have to say that the little thingies were my favorites. I may try to replicate them. They were so good. It's a good thing I don't live close to that bakery. I would be in trouble.