#31WriteNow Blog Challenge Day 1

I haven’t blogged since sometime in 2012, and now it’s the last summer month in 2013.  When I saw the #31WriteNow Blog Challenge on awesomelyluvvie.com, I knew this was the push I needed.  My most recent post from March 2013 is incomplete and reads as:

Reminisce This

Why is it that as I get older doing things for pleasure happen less often as I would like?  I assumed that being on my own would be non-stop fun. 

·         Where is my SLR?

·         Holga

·         The blizzard blues

·         Cooking is uninspired

o   Haven’t created any new meals

I still don’t know where my SLR is.  I found my Helga.  It’s raining instead of snowing.  However, most importantly, I rediscovered my inspiration in the kitchen.  For the month of August, I will chronicle my food adventures and capture some phone on my Holga.

 

Here’s to getting back on track!

Whoops.

I just realized that I hadn’t* put up a post in a week.  I should feel bad about that, but I don’t really.  I had some things to deal with that I haven’t quite resolved.  However, just because I haven’t been posting doesn’t mean I don’t have posts lined up.  I have a ton to write up, but have been putting off because I wanted to do some research to make an informed opinion.

I know, I know.  Who does research for a personal blog? Apparently, I do.  I guess once you’re an academic, you’re always an academic.  I can’t help it.  I read an article likening food abuse to cocaine (ab)use, but I’m not sold that the site is a reputable source.  I want to find out if there has really been a study on this before I write about it.

*I think it is funny that I tell my students in my writing class to not use contractions, and my posts are full of them.  We have been writing letters to friends, so I said it was okay, but that once we start writing essays they can no longer use them.

Is One Girl Cookie Overrated?

Last night, I went to the One Girl Cookies book launch at Powerhouse.  I was late because of work, but the parts of the discussion I heard were good.  Of course, I took out my notebook to write some things down.  I’m pretty sure I was the only one writing things down, but I didn’t want to rely solely on memory. 

The duo behind One Girl Cookies is Dawn Casale and David Crafton.  Dawn started the company on her own, and brought David on later and eventually married him.  Hearing them talk about their bakery and interact with the audience, made me more interested in them and their baked goods.  David’s answers seemed authentic, especially when he answered the question: what does he hope to get out of this cook book? 

David: I’ll be happy if there are dog-eared copies in people’s kitchens and they’re baking.  Even if they forget who the One Girl Cookies duo is, I’ll just be happy that they’re cooking.  Not verbatim but pretty close to it.

That comment completely won me over and made me a fan.  I guess I’m a sap, but it was heart-warming to hear that his goal was for families to spend time together making delicious treats.  In a time where people don’t seem to sit down for meals together or even cook their meals, it’s great to hear someone make family cooking/baking a priority.

Now on to their infamous whoopie pies.  One girl in the audience raved about the baked goods and honestly she seemed a bit like a crazed fanatic, and after I tried the whoopie pies I think she just might be crazy. After the talk, I go over to try to the whoopie pies – one banana and one chocolate.  Wasn’t really a fan of either.  The cake/cookie part was dry, in their defense it was the end of the day but yeah, definitely didn’t sell them to me.  Even worse, the chocolate whoopie pie had a mint frosting sandwiched in between.  This is just a personal preference but the only chocolate-mint combo I like is in  Thin Mints.  The banana whoopie pie was much better and reminded me of banana bread.  The vanilla frosting in this pie was too sweet for me.  At least I could eat the entire banana whoopie pie, I had to throw the chocolate whoopie pie out (I waited until I left the event, so I wouldn’t be rude).

After this event, I don’t think I’ll make much of an effort to stop by the One Girl Cookies bakery.   I liked the couple, but wasn’t a fan of their desserts.  Perhaps, this is because I am extremely picky about the desserts I eat, and very rarely like desserts that aren’t made by family members or myself.  Either way, I wasn’t sold on their goods. It could just be that I don’t like whoopie pies and might like something else of theirs.  Will I ever know?

Uh-Oh SpaghettiOs!

The title randomly popped into my head this morning, when I realized I probably won’t be able to move out until April.  I was hoping March 1, but I’m not so sure this is possible.  Especially because I am buying lunch today, I need to get back to making my lunches the night before.  After I use up the money in my wallet, that’s it.  I really need to go on my spending freeze. 

Back to SpaghettiOs.  A coworker and I asked the students if they’ve heard of SpaghettiOs and Chef Boyardee.  None of them had.  I was shocked, but I guess this is all for the best.  I recently tried a Chef Boyardee and it was awful, I have no idea how I stomached it as a kid. I wonder how healthy these canned pastas are, regardless if there’s a full serving of vegetables in the can.  As I’m particularly concerned with the betterment of children’s nutrition, things like this interest me.   Could it be that because these kids recently came to America they have no idea what these things are? Or is that SpaghettiOs and Chef Boyardee have no cache with the children of the 2000s?

Quest for the Perfect Cheese Danish

Costco has a cherry and cheese Danish ring that is delicious. A flaky, tender dough, not too sweet frosting, and just the right amount of cheese.  Unfortunately, the ring has only 2 cheese danishes and  the rest are cherry.  Why do they always put the least amount of the best flavor?  The last time my grandfather bought this ring, I didn’t get the cheese danish, my grandma called dibs before I could eat it in the morning.

This has got me wondering whether I can find a cheese danish that is just as delicious.  I looked up the best cheese danishes in Queens bakeries.  I hope to find the perfect spot – affordable and either near my house or my job.  Ha, I know my last post was about how I am supposed to start eating healthier. Also, I’m supposed to be stacking for an apartment.  However, if this is my only splurge things should be alright.

Let the quest begin!

Finally Caught Up!

I finally caught up with the Ultimate Blog Challenge! It’s the sixteenth day and I am on my 16^th post.  I wanted to write this post earlier but I was worn out from a long day at work.  Here’s to me keeping on schedule from now on.  Getting behind is such a pain.

I don’t have anything to write about food or photography today.  Just that I have been eating pretty unhealthy the past couple days and my body doesn’t like it.  I need to get back on track.  I must start sticking to my whole grains, whole fruit, and whole vegetables mantra.  This brings me back to my days at EATWISE where we tried to instill in the teens to increase their consumption of those three things.  Working there was a good time.

It’s funny how quickly the body can get used to healthy eating.  I didn’t even realize how well I had been eating until now when my body seems to be rejecting my huge consumption of fat.  Before this weekend, I had been feeling good and even noticed that one of jeans were a bit loose.   Now, I just feel bloated and gross.  I need to do better.  I think part of it is that I used to walk an hour a day, but now I have an unlimited because it is way too cold to walk.  Ha, did I just consider the positive effect exercising had on my life? 

I guess I did have something to say about food after all.

Turkish Delight: Churches

At first the only words in this post when I hit publish were: Here are some more of my pictures from Turkey.  I believe these are from our second class trip.  Then, I remembered for it to count as a post in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, the post had to at least have 100 words.  This is my attempt to reach that minimum.

I have many pictures from my time abroad in Turkey.  The photographs I took paired with my journal entries, serve as a document away.  If I forget where the photographs take place, I can look at my journal and remind myself of the location.  The same works in reverse.  If I forget what a place looks like after reading my journal, I can look at my photographs and remember where my fond memories took place.  So glad I did both. 

These photographs of churches will just be the first installment of my church collection.  I originally chose these three because they meshed well together, it wasn't until I took a closer look that I realized they were just  different views of the same church.  Ha, they should look cohesive, if not I should be worried.