apricot jam

this stuff is the most beautiful jam! and it is hoarded like gold in my family...

my mom has been making this recipe for years...and she does such a good job, everybody knows it as "[her] jam". i made it for the first time last year, and it turned out really well, and started sharing it with Mr. D's side of the family. this year i'm hoping to expand my domestisity and do apricot jam and raspberry pear (which my mom also used to make and it's fantastic!), my grandma taught me to make her family recipe homemade noodles from the mid-west, and my other grandma is going to teach me to make her applesauce in the fall. i'm excited. it is so fun to have goodies like that to share with people...that YOU made! and who would have ever thought I would be capable of that???

well, i bought two boxes of canning apricots the other day and made one batch (which HARDLY) made a dent in them...and i made a double batch today...and i still have a ton left, luckily they are a little green, so i have a few days to let them age before i have to make more! but, so far, i have 19 jars of sealed jam, and one funky jar (that was uneven so it didn't seal properly) that is in the fridge. so, i think i'll be making the rest to fill my mom's jars (since she won't be making any this year)...i have no idea what i'll do with all of that!!!

an american in paris

can i just say how much i love classic movies...really...they don't make them like they did in hollywoods golden years! i got two movies for my birthday that i have had saved on our dvr for a little over a year now!!!  singing in the rain and an american in paris. gene kelley inspires me. and the gershwin ballet in american in paris with the impressionist paintings is amazing...i watch that movie when i'm in a painting mood, or want to feel inspired to be creative (in any capacity).

i love the classic movies...mainly '50s or older...i love the musicals, particularly if fred astaire or gene kelley are starring. they were masters of their art...defined their own styles...and gene created what was soon known as the "american" musical. the man who danced with normal movements making you feel like you could do what he was doing... makes me wish i knew how to tap dance...also makes me realize i was born in the wrong era!!!

...macarons...

oye...i saw a photo and a wonderful sounding recipe on MSN a few weeks ago for a French meringue cookie called a macaron (no, not macaroon). two cookies with a filling...and the one I wanted to attempt was chocolate with ganache filling!  mmm...  sounds heavenly, right?

well, being the experimental and self-taught cook that i am, i saw "almond flour" in the recipe and (not knowing that it was a key ingredient and how different it is) used all-purpose instead, because that's what i had in my pantry.  well instead of an end product of meringue that i could pipe onto a cookie sheet, it ended in a dry nasty paste. OK! second attempt, we bought some almond flour...which is also known as almond meal, and had it said that i wouldn't have thought of using flour- due to the oils and fats in the nut, it has a moister consistency...beautiful...i had a thick creamy substance that i was able to fold the meringue into and scoop into a pastry bag.

mistake substitution #2, i did not have parchment paper. it was late and the grocery stores were closed and i had forgotten that i was out of paper...so i used foil! i knew that aluminum conducts heat very well, and was therefore positive that it would change the way they baked, but i tried it anyway. one batch was burnt on the bottom and the other was gooey and hollow on the inside. well, i also figured out through this attempt that my insulated cookie sheet was going to work better than my other sheet. but i sealed up the batter and called it a night.

sure that i had solved all the problems and that i had NO substitutions to worry about this round, i attempted for a third time. well, half looked good, and the other half did the hollow/raw thing again. so frustrating...and they are such cute little things that if i could master them, they'd be fantastic for parties and whatnot. (and i hear they are the new "cupcake"!) but alas, i tossed the remainder of the batter, frustrated and willing to give up...for now. i may still attempt the ganache and see if the ones that have smooth bottoms turned out at all...

after watching a video of how the shop Sucre does their macarons, i wish i hadn't tossed my batter...the recipe i was using said to stick the sheets in at 400 and immediately turn the oven off, then after 5 minutes turn the oven back on to 400 and leave in for another 8 minutes. the shop bakes theirs for 14 minutes at 280 (i believe that's what she says). that's a huge difference...

oh well...macarons 3, nutmeg 0...rematch: someday...

photo from: Paulette Macarons

A macaron (the French word for macaroon) is a sweet confectionery. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or "maccherone". This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.

The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference, and flat base. Connoisseurs prize a delicate, egg shell-like crust that yields to a moist and airy interior. The French macaron differs from other macaroons in that it is filled with cream or butter like a sandwich cookie, and can be found in a wider variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to the exotic (truffle, matcha tea)

definition from: Wikipedia

another written exam

well...the hubbs just left to go take another written exam. this one is for a sherrif's department. i was thinking about how routine this is becoming (which is bazaar)...and began to think about how long ago his first written test was: august 2007! and the fact that he graduated an academy a year and a half ago! AND it has already been five months since that all ended. time flies...

and here we are again...he's through all the testing for the highway patrol position in nevada, his 60 paged background packet has been received and we are waiting to hear from an investigator. and we are starting the process with another agency as well.

God is amazing. He has provided...He has carried us through. everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest...not for us. our marriage has been great, but LIFE during our marriage has been hardest the past three years...I'd be willing to say our first year was the easiest so far.

and we have somehow survived, somewhat comfortably, since the devastation in january...we are half way through the year...and we are moving towards potentially openned doors. when nevada first contacted drew, it seemed like waiting until next january to begin the academy was way too far out, and we would never survive that long...here we are and january (surprisingly) seems like it is approaching fast, particularly when we are budgeting our monthly expenses and we feel comfortable at least until october...there aren't many months between there!

praise the Lord for His provisions, for carrying us through seemingly unsurmountable obstacles...and giving us some peace while we wait for His timing.

allrecipes.com

mmm...have i mentioned that i love this site? allrecipes.com is my "go to" reference for anything i can think to cook, bake, or whatever...or even if i have something that i need to use and i have no recipes that include it...

i got this fantastic herb roasted pork recipe a couple years ago and Mr. D (who hates pork) loves it! everyone who has tried it thinks it has such a delicious flavor, and my grandma (who is from the mid-west) said she loves pork and that was the most beautiful piece of meat she has ever seen! hahaha

well, let me share this gem with you:

Herb Roasted Pork

Prep Time: 20 Minutes                         Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Submitted By: WENDEE_H Cook       Time: 3 Hours       Servings: 8
"Herb-rubbed roasted pork loin with a sweet, tangy glaze."

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed  (as suggested I stab the meat and insert garlic slivers instead)
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin
1/2 cup sugar  (as suggested I use brown sugar)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar  (as suggested I use balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness. (I prefer well done meat, and for this pork recipe I find that 150 is too rare and chewy...I typically wait until 170, and everyone has liked it that way).
4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly.
5. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.
(It's a good idea to double the rub ingredients, and double or triple the sauce ingredients if you like to drizzle over meat when served.)

such a great recipe! and the sauce is the type that you're happy if it gets on everything on the plate...it surprisingly tastes good on potatoes too (i have served with mashed, but typically do oven baked potato chunks with onion soup mix and olive oil). 

allrecipes.com is a fantastic place to go for any recipe, and the interesting thing is that people leave comments on the recipes, so (as you can see above) you can try other peoples alterations to the recipe and see how you like it. try it next time you have something in the fridge you can't seem to figure out what to do with...you can even look up recipes based on ingredients!

now, i need to finish making dinner...ENJOY!

new hair-do?

...grr...so, i am getting my haircut soon...and i'm want to do something a little different. i want to go short (which is hard for me because of my face shape and the extra me that there is right now)...but i want something that will refresh me, and inspire, me perhaps, to lose the 50 lbs i've been planning on losing for some time now...

i accidentally chopped straight across bangs about a year and a half ago and couldn't wait to grow them out because i felt like it was simply what everyone was doing...but everytime i come across the picture i took when i did it, i like it (well, aside from the freaky eyes, and the bangs are a little too short). also, i kinda want something retro...but i like volume on top to help proportion my face and head to my body...ugh...SO! i found a few intriguing layered bobs with bangs that are round and a little longer in the front, but i would have them shorter and choppy in the back. D doesn't like them...he actually told me he doesn't like bangs...

HELP ME! also, my sister was going to put highlights in my hair...but i kinda want to go darker, maybe put some reddish brown low-lights in?  i know my face is not as thin or anything like any of these people but a weird combo of these is what i am looking for...anyone have any suggestions...?

etsy.com

...etsy...

ah, the joys of perusing an ONLINE user/seller site...i love etsy...

here's my issue...i signed up last fall, when i first found the site, because i kept finding stores that i wanted to be able to shop at again. however, you have to confirm your email address, well i re-sent it three times and no such luck. so, i waited a couple months, still no email so i tried resending it again, then emailed their support...no reply. well the other day (having forgotten all of this) i found quite a few sites that i loved and wanted to "add to favorites"...well since i attempted to create an account before, i couldn't "create an account", so i re-sent the confirmation email...AGAIN. nothing. i emailed support again and received an apology email and all she said was to check my junk mail folder..............well, i replied and said that after 12 attempts and i do check EVERY folder in my email account for hopes of something and still have nothing, and ask again that if someone can simply manually confirm for me that'd be great...no reply since...OYE!

grrr...well, i am attempting again today. we will see how that goes. i just want to be able to save my favorite shops...(though i know i can't buy anything right now) there's jewelry, and antiques, and decor, and vintage dress patterns...and on and on and on......if you have not discovered the bliss of this little online haven, please go see for yourself!

(here's an item that got me very intrigued the other day...i love vintage, and the hats in the 40's ish era were amazing...i was on etsy and this had made it to the front page and caught my eye...just one of millions of fun finds on there...)

Green Olive Martini by itsthelittlethingsut

God continues to amaze me...

He really does...and He continues to remind me that He is right here, next to me...and that regardless of the current situation, HE is ultimately in control.

Well, about 10 minutes ago, I was about to "blog"...you know, the typical journalling blog that allows me to release my greivances on (most likely) no one, but just so it is "out there" and not in my head. I was about to go on about my current emotional state, the little things that have been eating away at me of late, and how I think life "could have been". (Which, of course, I believe God is in control and knows the outcome though my pea-sized mind can't possibly think of what the future may hold).

WELL! Here He is again, tapping me on the shoulder...reminding me that though I'm absorbed in my pitiful self - He never left. In a random moment, I checked the hubbs' email to see if anythign we had recently mailed had been received and if somehow we already had a response. And we did. Mr. D passed the application phase with Placer County. Due to his past experience, gets to skip the physical, and is currently scheduled for the written exam (though if we submit his scores from his academy they could substitute for that test as well). Praise the Lord. We now are walking through a narrow hallway (which seems to be widening with a little more breathing room), towards TWO open doors...and we will just see which one remains open and is the one He has for us to enter.

~ "Only You fill my soul!" ~