Googling my name

Here is what Google thinks of my name based on the following scenarios:

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search:
a) Jen needs rates on 2 scenarios
b) Jen needs a human anatomy lesson
c) Jen needs a hero

2. Type in "[your name] is" in the Google search:
a) Jen is an exceptional person who is to be worshiped and adored at all times. [Um...]
b) An anonymous girl — let's call her "Jen" — is a junior in college ...
c) Jen is famous

3. Type in "[your name] likes to" in the Google search:
a) Jen likes to multitask during sex [Ummmmm...]
b) Jen likes to dance (although everyone else does NOT like to watch Jen dance) [Awwww... boo]
c) Jen likes to swing

4. Type in "[your name] wants" in the Google search:
a) Jen wants John to keep his mouth shut
b) Jen wants Brad back at Angie's cost?
c) Jen wants prenup
[Damnit Jennifer Aniston and your tabloid headlines...]

5. Type in "[your name] gets" in the Google search:
a) Jen gets fancy
b) Jen gets it done
c) Jen Gets Ready For Flight While Ben Takes Off on the School Run.

6. Type in "[your name] says" in the Google search:
a) Jen says: well wen sum1 told her dat i harm she found me in da house and told me to ... [OMG, WTF...]
b) Jen says What?
c) Jen says relax [don't do it, when you wanna come]

Food for Thought

I've been spending some more time back over at TheNest.com boards to pass time and see what some old friends were up to. I love having as much support as possible during this difficult time and sometimes the gals there just crack me up when I need it. (For those not following my tweets and whatnot, M was diagnosed with cancer late last month.)

So one of the members posted these gems that I thought were hysterical. I need more stuff like this to keep me going. Between this, and the antics of my dance instructors and friends, I think I'll continue to laugh even though I feel like everything is crashing down around me.

Happy Friday!

~Don't let yourself forget what it was like to be 16.

~Always imitate the behavior of the winners when you lose.

~Ever wonder why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor and dish-washing liquid is made with real lemons?

~Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.

~Better to get up late and be wide awake than to get up early and be asleep all day.

~There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.

~Living on Earth may be expensive, but it includes an annual free trip around the sun.

~Movie-related foods, such as Milk Duds, popcorn, Junior Mints and red vines do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

~Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

~During their lifetime, the average American spends six months waiting at red lights.

~People like winter because they can stay indoors without feeling guilty.

~You know it's going to be a bad day when you turn on the morning news and they're showing emergency evacuation routes.

~Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.

Oh! The Horoscope!

So here is what 2010 has in store for this spunky Leo (from Yahoo):

Oh, big playful Leo -- how the last couple of years have been dramatic (and often less than kind) for you! There's little doubt that whatever you've gone through in the last year, the uppers have fueled your inherent charm and lovability, and the downers have gotten a little ignored. That's one of the problems with being a Leo: you can be so sunny that no one notices the rainy days. Mars in your sign this spring is going to give you newfound energy and motivation to really get things done your way, and the summer will bring new opportunities to express yourself.

The challenges will be slowly changing from big drama to smaller, more manageable issues. You've probably been too busy taking care of others to really take care of yourself lately, but 2010 marks a new direction in taking yourself seriously, and taking care of yourself with the due diligence and concern you usually reserve for others. Don't think of it as becoming inwardly-focused; think of it as doing the necessary maintenance on yourself so you can do a better job of letting your light shine for others.

Life is going to be taking a turn for the philosophical in the next year. All of the noise and confusion of the last year may have made you neglect your Higher Self; that too should be a part of your personal care regimen. This year is going to provide ample opportunities for you to get caught up on your spiritual homework. And, unlike regular homework, you'll probably feel like there's a point to doing it!

Considering I've considered choreographing my routines more and how neglected my faith in 2009, I'd say this isn't that far off. (Particularly the parts in purple.)

Interesting...

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.