Have a Nice Decade!

I vaguely remember how I started this decade. I'm pretty sure it involved too much alcohol, fraternity boys, and Y2K panic. But, I digress.

So I'm dusting off the blog to wish everyone a Happy New Year and good riddance to this wacky 10 years of chaos. A nice change from all the micro-blogging I've been doing lately. (Thanks Twitter!)

Not all of it was bad - I graduated college, got a "real job," got married, bought a house, kind of started a business, started a worth while hobby, and finally traveled out of the country. Wow - living the American dream and stuff.

But I'll start small. I'm not going to analyze every little thing that did or didn't happen this last decade. Instead, here is what I wanted to do last year before 2009 began:

Things on my to do list this year:
1) Start my wedding stationary business... for real this time.
2) Improve my Photoshop and Illustrator skills.
3) Study for the CMP exam and take it in 2010.
4) Get ahead of myself at work more often so I'm less stressed around the event dates.
5) Plan a totally awesome Marker Reunion/Meet Up in July!
6) Be a more attentive wife to my husband and spend more quality time with him.
7) Dance... dance... and dance some more! YAY! I'm so excited to take the adult beginning jazz class this semester. And even more excited that the studio is offering PiYo classes now! Score!
8) Scrapbook. Because I haven't touched my supplies in THREE YEARS and I should really start documenting things. (One of the Markers has totally inspired me to pick this up again.)
9) Watch more movies and read more books! Especially ones that I haven't seen or read and really should.
10) Travel somewhere I haven't visited before. I'm thinking Seattle with a road trip up to Canada. But I could totally change my mind.

Hmm... looks like the only real thing I did was number 5 and number 7 (even though I never finished that jazz class, and can never make it in for PiYo). And the Netflix subscription has really assisted number 9, but I haven't really read a whole lot more.

Yeah. I suck at making resolutions and keeping them. So here is my resolution for 2010:

Stop making resolutions. The end.

Happy New Year!

Baking October Away

October 2009 draws to a close in a week. So I was going to round out the month by baking Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake muffins. It's a recipe someone posted a few years ago on TheNest.com... who probably got it from Trader Joe's. I have no idea. Anyway, it uses the TJ's Pumpkin Butter. And I wanted to make this last year, but got side tracked. And the butter went bad.

So, we'll try it again this year. And yes, Sunday Spotlight Crew, you'll get samples this weekend.

Pumpkin Butter-Cheesecake Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cornstarch

Muffins:
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour (sifted first)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup oil (or melted butter if you prefer)
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups Pumpkin Butter
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin tins or line with paper baking cups.
In medium bowl, with electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat some more. Stir in cornstarch, mixing till well combined. Refrigerate while you prepare the muffin batter.

In large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon till well combined. Set aside. In medium mixing bowl, whisk oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin butter and flavorings till well combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once, stirring just till barely combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cheesecake batter on top.

Place muffins in oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes for dark or coated pans, longer for shiny pans. Check for doneness with toothpick. When it returns with just a few crumbs, take the muffins out and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the muffins should release easily and should be placed on a rack to finish cooling. Yield: 12 standard muffins.

Misc. Musings

Musings for the beginning of October:

Starbucks Via is gross. Don't drink it. I mean, okay, maybe if you are in a bind and you really need a caffeine fix. But at that point, I'd rather have a Mt. Dew. And I hate Mt. Dew.

Sprained feet actually heal faster if you just keep working through it. It was amazing. I tried heels for the first time in 3 weeks and taped the foot. It hurt like hell for the first 15 minutes... but after that... nothing. Felt great! And now I'm tape and Motrin free. Hooray!

Red Velvet Cake is the best stuff ever. I bought a box of it at the grocery store. I think I'm going to make some this weekend.

We've finally reached fall in Sacramento. However, last week, it was pushing 100 degrees. Now, it's barely 75 degrees. My allergies are really working overtime here. Either that, or I'm getting sick. (No!!!!!) No worries though... this weather will be gone in 2 weeks and suddenly it'll be winter.

It's amazing how all the dances I hate are all the dances I do really well in. I can't stand foxtrot. But it's the only one I can recognize patterns really well in. (WTF is a corte w/leg crawl, by the way?) Let's put it this way: I couldn't stand the Hustle last January.

Just because I'm under 5'2" does not mean I enjoy being picked up and lifted/flipped/spun-hugged. Not all of us are aerodynamic. Not all of us enjoy heights.

I'll be celebrating a 2 year wedding anniversary this month.

The first two weeks of November are going to suck.

I'm not as flexible as I thought I was.

I need longer hair. Alice Cullen spikes don't work well with a long, flowy dress in smooth.

Yes, those little tiny insulin needles can leave nasty bruises. I just don't think I've seen a shot injury bleed internally. I guess I need to get back on the pump here soon.

Halloween costumes for women that are modest, but cute and stylish, don't exist. Apparently my ass, boobs (or lack thereof) and back all have to be showing in order for the costume to be age appropriate.

Those who can't dance... bake!

Note: I did consider naming this entry "Bun in the Oven." But that would be completely misleading and inaccurate.

So, I stuck with the truth. I'm sidelined slightly due to a strained foot muscle. Lots of rest, IcyHot, and relaxation. (Tomorrow and Monday are important practice days... but everything else is auxiliary.) And when I can't pursue my favorite hobby, I start baking.

Baking not only occupies my time and cleans out my pantry, but there is something therapeutic about mixing butter, eggs, and flour together with an electric mixer. (Unless I'm making rice krispy treats... just... no...) Maybe it's the smell of home cooked goods that fills my kitchen and living room. It doesn't matter that it's 90 degrees outside; if the mood strikes, I'm baking.

After this weekend, there will be 4 different recipes. Ginger Chocolate chip bars, pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, Rice Krispy treats, and Cranberry (or apricot) and almond scones.

Here is the Ginger Chocolate chip bar recipe. It's my favorite of the bunch. And it's very easy to sub out the sugars for Splenda or Splenda blends. So, the ones I made (and gracing the studio tomorrow with) are low-sugar!

From Real Simple Magazine's December 2008:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars, using an electric mixer, until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows).
   
   To store: The tight seal on a take-out container will keep the bars moist and chewy.
   
   To freeze: Instead of baking the batter, freeze it in the pan for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the recipe instructions, baking from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.

It's a Dream... I swear...

I can't believe my 3-day weekend is over. I don't really want to go to work tomorrow for fear of more dumb questions about how to get on an airplane and how to book a hotel room at an already full hotel.

I can't believe I totally forgot Mark's birthday is this month. I'm a sorry fan/friend. 9/17 just wasn't ringing any bells.

I can't believe it's still 100+ degrees outside and it's Pumpkin Spice latte season at Starbucks.

I can't believe I didn't really have a vacation with my husband this year.

I can't believe, after years of trying to get on the insulin pump, I'm slowly starting to miss being off of it. I'm wireless again. And actually kind of enjoying it.

I can't believe I was looking up Sacramento dance studios a year ago and kept coming up with excuses NOT to attend the Wednesday night WCS class. (One was valid... my foot was swollen.) Look at me now.

I can't believe we bought bedroom furniture, with cash, in this economy, and still have an emergency fund. (And jobs... and a roof over our head...)

I can't believe I have another wedding to attend in less than 3 months.

I can't believe my father in law is turning 70 on Wednesday.

I can't believe my grandfather is turning EIGHTY this November. EIGHTY! WOW!

I can't believe that 10 years ago, I graduated high school... and I went away to college... and I joined a sorority. And I'm totally skipping all the reunions.

40 Things About Summer

Stolen from Miss Bri. :)

For Facebook followers: You were tagged because you've been a part of some memory of the summer of 2009. This doesn't mean you need to turn this into a chain letter, but Bri had a good idea. So here is a collection of memories and things I've learned during these last 3 months.

Here's to the Summer of 2009:

1) Just dance. It'll be okay. (Da da do.)
2) Sometimes the reason you clash with another person is because the two of you are more alike than you realize. And sometimes it's hard looking in the mirror.
3) Always be prepared with easy-off shoes - you never know when you are going to get asked to dance on a piano, in a bar, in front of a lot of drunk people, to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
4) one, two, three, four, FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Alright, fine, I'm turning around.)
5) There are a lot of movies that should be considered staples in your collection. The Labyrinth can probably be omitted.
6) Know when to say "enough is enough." Pushing yourself to an extreme limit will cause a system overload that will benefit no one.
7) Daily trips to Starbucks can quickly drain the budget. It means less money for cute dance outfits.
8) Pinkberry isn't all its cracked up to be. But the experience made it worth it.
9) I can take a bad photo. You will just never see it posted anywhere.
10) MKIK - you are a brilliant teacher and choreographer. Thank you for taking me out of my comfort zone. I still can't dance like you, but at least I tried. And it was meaty and fun.
11) It is possible to go through 200 text messages in a single weekend.
12) Remember to look up. You never know what you'll see.
13) Very rarely can I say I'm the tallest gal in a group.
14) Disneyland... in July... friends definitely make it better.
15) Utah is just like Lake Tahoe. But drier. And more conservative. Sans casinos.
16) It was a summer of extremes: I will never go skydiving for real, but the indoor option is a pretty good alternative.
17) How do you play "September" for my birthday jam and expect me NOT to want to hustle to it?
18) I don't have an accent. But everyone else does. (Still don't know what a "Beg" is, Becky. Or a Pooty Coach. LOL!)
19) Seeing Nigel Lythgoe stuffing his face at The Grove in LA - priceless.
20) Why is that when you give something up, you miss it? And when it surfaces again, you don't want to have anything to do with it. (See: Graphic design work.)
21) My tango music selection sucks. It's not like West Coast Swing music - which could be just about anything. Including music without a drum beat. (Yeah - I won't be dancing to acoustic guitars any time soon.)
22) When in doubt - add more rhinestones.
24) And if you do add more rhinestones, make sure they are 12 mm or larger!
25) When you said "create a 'hit-by-a-bus' desk manual," I didn't think I'd actually almost get hit by a bus in a cross walk!
26) Someone's bad day can be changed with a smile, a hug, and a good joke.
27) Bota fogo, no... go... uh-oh... a g0-go!
28) Proud member of the Loud Table.
29) Plan ahead like crazy. And then when you arrive, just throw everything out and roll with it.
30) You really can fit 4 people in the back seat of a compact car for 2 hours. Though it's not very comfortable.
31) God Bless The California Pizza Kitchen in Anaheim.
32) Duck tastes just like chicken. But it's not a replacement.
33) Be careful what you post all over Facebook. I often forget how many people are reading/watching/stalking my profile.
34) One can only handle so many Mary Murphy screams and poor critiques.
35) Don't limit yourself. A year ago, I only wanted to learn West Coast Swing and Salsa. I like West Coast, I don't really salsa dance anymore, and picked up Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz and V. Waltz - which were NOT in the plan at all.
36) It's hard to not hear samba rhythms in pop music now.
37) Just breathe. It's only a minute, thirty.
38) I suck at Rock Band... please don't ask me to sing.
39) I need to realign my priorities.
40) Don't look at me... I'm just following.

Smooth Operator

So now that IGB is over, and my b-day is coming up... I am looking at dance costuming. For real now. After my experience with tiny ass rhinestones, I'm never making my own costumes ever again. The time, effort, and MONEY involved in all that mess ended up costing more than a cheap dress from Korea.

So here is what I'm looking at currently:

Blue and Mesh dress: Shocking... it looks strapless, but it is isn't. Price isn't bad either. Yeah it's a little more than I'd like to spend, but it's a used dress that says it's made well. Plus I can have it sent to me, try it on, and if it sucks, I can send it back.

Light Blue dress: Downfalls are that it might be too big... and I don't think the floats are detachable. So... if they aren't, I can't really use it. But it's still really pretty.

Turquoise and black: It's definitely different. But also really pricey. And I'm not sure how long sleeves will work on me.

Pink dress 1: I'm not sure how this will look. But I like the color.

Pink dress 2: I'm not sure about the vendor... or the bodice of this dress. But the price is right.

Pink dress 3: Love the back of this dress.

Orange, but would be Aqua, dress from Ebay: My original choice, but don't really trust Ebay vendors because of quality control.

Input is appreciated!