sweet somethings

Cooking with Sara: French Dip & Kale Chips

2011-10-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Apparently, over at the food blog, we played a long drawn-out game of dodgeball, and I'm the last one standing. So, as I'm looking around, with a smelly red rubber ball in my hands, I'm feeling a bit isolated and alone. And you know what I do when I'm alone - I talk to myself (and pretend that Rory is enraptured with my nonstop monolog). This time, talking to myself has morphed into making and posting more recipes on the food blog. So that it doesn't feel so much like a ghost town. I'm leaving the lights on, so to speak.

For the past few weeks, I've been trying to post two recipes each week. This week's pair is a deliberate step away from the sugar and butter: The first is just comfort food yum, with very little work or attention. The second is... hmmmmm.... I'm still not sure what to make of it. Kale Chips recipes have been making the rounds on food blogs, so I decided to finally try them. I wrote a lot more about the buggers on the food blog, so click on over if you're wondering what the heck Kale Chips are.

Kale Chips on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Fall Flowers, Part 3

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Fall Flowers, Part 1 here
Fall Flowers, Part 2 here

This last batch of photos from Sunday afternoon is actually all the same stem of flowers! It's amazing how different something can look just by moving to let the sun light it from a different angle. I sat on the ground and rotated around the flower as I took photos. Isn't nature just so pretty?

Fall Flowers, Part 2

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Fall Flowers, Part 1 here
Fall Flowers, Part 3 here

Fall Flowers, Part 1

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Fall Flowers, Part 2 here

Fall Flowers, Part 3 here

Yesterday, our weather was beyond perfect - cooler temperatures with a crisp, easy wind and the bluest sky you've ever seen. Bo convinced me to put my chores aside to take my camera out into the clearing behind our mini forest to snap pictures of the flowers in the sunshine. I'm so, so glad he got me out there. It was beautiful! And time in nature always slows down my incessant fast-paced approach to life. It calms me and makes me feel centered and grounded again.

So, I took a ton of photos, and here is the first batch of them. Lucky you, I'll be posting them over the next couple of days, so it's a pretty pretty flower fest for all of us :) Happy week!

...Toad in the Yard

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Cooking with Sara: Pumpkin Praline Cake

2011-09-22T09:06:00.002-04:00

I mayyyyyy know full well what I'm doing when I post a photo like that one above. A shiny, perfectly dripping drizzle of homemade caramel sauce? I mean, c'mon, that's just not playing fair! And yet, I post it all extra-large size anyway. Devious, that girl Sara.

Pumpkin Praline Cake on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Aside from the pretty caramel drip photos, I do want to show you my new cake stand! It's vintage milk glass, and I paid way too much for it at an antique store. I bought it and another gorgeous stand to go with my plain-Jane Martha Stewart cake stands for the wedding last weekend. I'm head over heels in love with both stands, and I'm already scheming ways to get my other stand into a recipe post. (And figure out why it's got a mysterious brandy cup? That's another story for another day, and I definitely need your help with it.)

Frog in the House

2011-09-21T08:58:00.002-04:00

I was putting dishes away this morning (anyone else do the dishes unnecessarily before work?) and looked up to see this little guy in the window sill over our sink. Yes, inside the house. I think these little frogs are just about the most adorable ever. No bigger than a cookie, and such a pretty green. We've seen a few in our yard, and Bo has taught Rory to chase them. (Which is a whole other flipping hilarious video-photo blog post I've yet to write.)

I have no idea when this little guy sneaked into the house (and obviously scooted across the floor mat from the looks of all the Rory hair stuck to him), but he was clinging to the window this morning to try and escape.

Bo released him in the backyard, with Rory's supervision. I think I'll name him Cookie.

Cooking with Sara: Chocolate Truffle Cakes

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

This yummy little recipe posted last week to the food blog, but I was so busy posting Savannah photos here that I didn't get a chance to share it with you. It was part of that haul I made for a wedding last weekend, and I'm hoping to get the others recipes posted during the next few weeks or so. Assuming that I can muster up the motivation to make them again. I'm partly traumatized by the whole experience, so please don't hold your breath.

Anyway, back to this recipe! If you like brownies (and what sane person doesn't?), you really need to scoot your tush over there to check out the recipe. With only one tablespoon of flour, it's almost entirely chocolate, with a little sugar and butter thrown in for good measure. And to tell you the truth, I love it way better than the brownie recipe I've been swearing by for years. It has the crackly, lightly crusted outside of a brownie, but with a gooey chocolatey center. My oh my, it's just so, so, so good. Trust me on this one.

And scoot!:

Chocolate Truffle Cakes on From Blah to Ta-Daa!

Weekend Scrapbook 7

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is pretty much how I looked for three solid days. Well, ok, that's a lie. By the third day, my hair was definitely more frazzled, and I probably wasn't quite so smiley. But in the kitchen, wearing an apron, utensils scattered, and recipes hanging from everywhere is pretty accurate.

And this is the end result! Friday was my last Sarandipity hurrah, when I did the cake and dessert table for our friends' wedding. I made four different mini-desserts: Cheesecakes with strawberry sauce, chocolate truffle cakes, red velvet cakes, and pecan lace cups with key lime filling.

The lovely bride!

And groom :)

After putting up with my stress and chaos for three days and jumping in to save the day no fewer than six times, Bo is still smiling. He's such a keeper.

Savannah Photos: Part 4

2011-09-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

This post contains all the photos I posted over on our food blog this week. I thought about just giving you the link, but I wanted to keep all the Savannah posts together, as a collection.

Where I didn't go - Paula Deen's Lady & Sons restaurant. Sorry! But the wait was hours long, and we weren't even hungry when we still had a chance to get in line. Later, when we went by, the line was for the bar only and didn't budge an inch in the 20 minutes we stood there. I decided that I'd have to be content with photos of the outside, and we wandered off to do more sightseeing.

This is the line to get your name on the list for dinner five hours later.

The Pirates House is on the list for must-see in Savannah. It's the oldest house in Georgia, and they built a restaurant around it. Click-zoom to read the place mat photos below for all kinds of awesome history.

The place mats actually had a lot more history and stories than our guide mentioned:

(click to zoom and read)

It doesn't get much more Southern than sweet tea, fried pickles, and a biscuit with peach jelly.

I ordered a crab cake sandwich that was messy and delicious.

Let me first remind everyone that I'm currently not eating sugar. I decided that I would absolutely splurge on one sugar-laden treat for the weekend. So, when I saw this sign, I immediately ducked into the shop before Bo even realized that I was gone.

This guy making pralines gave me a sample!

I bought one of these for Bo - who would be buried in caramel, chocolate, and pecans, if given the option - and I had to put up the biggest fuss before he agreed to let me try a tiny bite of it.

White and milk chocolate covered marshmallows, on a stick, with sprinkly toppings. Why have I not made these yet??

One block down the waterfront was another candy shop:

With its own guy making pralines.

But! The huge, big, major difference is that this shop smelled like heavennnnn. Have you ever smelled warm caramel and roasted pecans and loads and loads of melted butter?? Add that to your bucket list, because holy goodness, it was to.die.for. After getting mildly drunk off the scent, I rushed outside to shriek at Bo to get in there and smell it.

We considered all the popular, go-to places, and I read hundreds of reviews and lists recommending where to eat in Savannah. But after all the fried fish and slaw and sandwiches, I was craving Italian food slathered in red sauce. I picked a casual place called Leoci's, with a back patio strung in twinkly lights. It was perfect. We sat near a fan, under this twinkly tent, and instantly relaxed. It was definitely our kind of place to eat (it's dog friendly, even!).

Bo ordered a delicious house wine, and as usual, I opted for a glass of something bubbly.

Leoci's makes their pasta fresh daily, and if you ever go, order the lasagna. It was the most amazing lasagna I've ever tasted. Ever ever ever in the whole wide world.

(Sorry for the blurry photo. By this point, Bo was tired of my stealing his plate and mucking with my phone's camera settings to take eighteen hundred photos of his meal.) Turns out that the lasagna is ten layers of their fresh pasta, with very little cheese between the layers. But it is heavenly creamy in your mouth. Something about their homemade pasta is incredibly creamy and almost puffy. I must have it again. Must.

As amazing as those candy shops smelled, I'm just not a huge fan of pralines or fudge (add that to the list of reasons I'm one day getting kicked out of the South). You see, for me, the very best sugar indulgence involves cake and piles of fluffy buttercream frosting. So, we visited a late night dessert shop called Lulu's.

A golden yellow cake with fresh strawberry buttercream. It was four hundred percent worth the splurge and worth the wait for sugar. And yes, I ate it while sitting in our hotel bed, under the covers.

p.s. A week later, and I'm still thinking about that lasagna.

Savannah Photos: Part 3

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery was established in 1750 and was closed for burials before the Civil War even began. (But, Savannahans would like you to know that Federal - read: Yankee - soldiers looted the cemetery, camped out in the larger tombs, and changed the dates on several of the gravestones.)

This is the biggest Magnolia Tree I've seen in my entire life.

Sacred.

I never realized that Crape Myrtle Trees were so beautiful.

The east wall of the cemetery is constructed of brick and errant tombstones. Over the years, and through Civil War occupancies, the cemetery's gravestones were moved around. The result is that thousands of grave sites are missing their stones. Some were built into the back wall as a way to preserve them.

If you zoom to read this stone, you'll see that Joseph Muir was 11 years old when he died. His wife was 17, and their son was 12. Huh? This is an example of the pranks that Sherman's soldiers played while they camped out in the cemetery during the Civil War.

This is a strip of park just over the south fence of the cemetery. At the other end is a playground, but know what this once was? Dueling grounds. Men paced off in this exact grassy field and dueled with swords and later, with pistols. I think it's hilarious that the City of Savannah has turned it into a park with a children's playground. Whatever the history, it's beautiful, like everything else in the city.

Wordless Wednesday: More Pancake Rory Time

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6TbkTWK8Oo

Savannah Photos: Part 2

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

The historic downtown district of Savannah was built - like many other old cities - along the riverfront, where it's still one of the country's busiest shipping ports.

Did I mention that Rory came with us? She's seriously the best road-tripper. All she asks is that I share my french fries and let her sleep on the hotel bed. (She's relegated to a dog bed every other night, but vacation mode means I let her sleep on a real, albeit uncomfortable, bed.)

At the street level are a lot of shops and restaurants and places to buy trinkets.

But what I was most interested in was the upper floors of these old buildings. I was dying to see what they looked like on the inside and how they'd fared two hundred years in existence. Do people still live up on those floors? Are there relics from forever ago? Could I find photos of the insides of the apartments in Craigslist rental listings? Such are the ways my conniving and scheming brain works.

Every so often a gap between the buildings would reveal an alley-like walkway leading to a steep set of stairs. I tried to capture how steep all the stairways were down at the waterfront, but I just couldn't. But they were so steep that I had to watch my footing while wearing flats, and I assume many, many poor folks fell to an untimely death after having a bit too much hard cider and trying to navigate those stairs.

Looking down the same set of the crazy steep stairways. There is a set of stairs, then the landing you can see with a trash can, then another set of stairs. Now look back to the photo above to picture that. And wave hello to the family I accidentally caught in my photo!

Awwww, Stinks* :)

* aka Rory
aka Missy
aka Little Miss
aka Poopsie Lou
aka Smellers
aka The Mongrel
aka Broken Sniffer

aka Lona

aka ....

Yes, I have a problem. And I fear for my future children.

Savannah Photos: Part 1

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

At last! Photos from our Labor Day road trip to Savannah!

If you ever go to Savannah, definitely absolutely positively plan to take a bus tour of the city. There are at least three different companies offering historic tours, and each is right around $25 a person to go. At first, I hesitated at the cost, but after five minutes on the tour, I decided that it was worth every penny.

Our tour guide pointed out all the historical buildings and gave stories and anecdotes and trivia about everything along our way. She gave a solid 90 minute talking tour through the historical downtown area, and it was leaps and bounds more interesting (and efficient) than anything I could have read. I recommend doing the whole historical tour first, and then deciding where you'd like to spend more time. Also - if you do the tour, the left hand side of the bus always faces the park squares, and the right side of the bus faces all the historic building and houses. I was on the left side of the bus, and didn't get to take any good photos of the buildings I immediately fell in love with.

About those squares - The city of Savannah was planned in 1733, around park-like squares. Wikipedia has a great description of Savannah's squares:

Each square sits (or, in some cases, sat) at the center of a ward, which often shares its name with its square. The lots to the east and west of the squares, flanking the major east-west axis, were considered "trust lots" in the original city plan and intended for large public buildings such as churches, schools, or markets. The remainder of the ward was divided into four areas, called tythings, each of which was further divided into ten residential lots.

This google map is a fantastic listing along with the year each square was established.:

The most famous is Chippewa Square, where Forest Gump was filmed.

So, of course, while we were on our bus tour, this guy came running at our bus and our driver let him on. And then explained that he didn't need the bus to get where he was going :)

Me! Completely sweaty and sticky, sitting at the fountain in Johnson Square - the first square in Savannah, built in 1733. I was sitting in a park established 278 years ago. Crazy to think about.

I still have a whole slew of photos, including the food and the cemetery (but not together)! My hope is to get them all up this week...

Road Trip

2011-09-01T03:30:00.000-04:00

You'll never guess where we're headed tomorrow for a quick road trip!

Hints:

Answer? Here!!

image sources:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Hurdle Jumped.

2011-08-31T09:07:00.000-04:00

I did it. I said goodbye.

I posted notice on my website. I put Etsy in permanent vacation mode. I've officially closed up shop. And while I'm still feeling a bit antsy about all of this, I know that given a couple of days, I'll feel calmer and calmer and begin to enjoy my newly reclaimed freedom.

Already, I can feel my face more relaxed and less pinched. And, I'm not feeling as frantic as I go through the steps of each day. I've had two friends interrupt me to say that I look happier and healthy. My mental to-do list has dwindled from a thousand entries to somewhere near twenty-five.

Ahhh. I just can't begin to put a price on that. Sometimes, I forget how much my well-being is worth. I hope you'll jump in and remind me from time to time. I certainly need a nudge every now and then when it comes to considering myself a priority.

This feels good. Great, even.

Saying A Sad Farewell on Sarandipity Sweets blog

Cooking with Sara: A Toast to You, and A Toast to Me

2011-08-30T08:23:00.002-04:00

That part about feeling as if I'm on vacation? It's translated over to the things I'm whipping up in the kitchen. Specifically, pink fruity drinks to be enjoyed out on a sunshiney patio. Next thing you know, I'll be crafting itty bitty cocktail umbrellas by hand. Watch out, folks. The girl's got time on her hands.

Watermelon Sangria on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Pink Porchcrawlers on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Dragging My Feet. Or Maybe Just My Toes, A Little.

2011-08-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

It's getting to be that time. That time where I need to make a definite, written-in-unbleached flour decision about the future of Sarandipity. I'm 99.5% sure of my answer. But I'm dreading the notification and general alerting portion of my steps ahead. I was hoping to ride out this little break until cooler weather, but I'm already being bombarded by requests for October orders, and I just can't put off replying to these people. Sigh.

But on a completely lighter note, I'm thoroughly enjoying all this "time off." It's pretty telling that having paused Sarandipity feels like being on vacation when I'm still putting in my 8 to 5 somewhere else. I feel as if I have room to breathe and the space to pause and look around at the world. It feels as if my eyes are looking upward instead of assuming a head-down, completely focused approach to each day.

Because when I have more time to relax and breathe and feel comfortable in my skin, I do highly important things like this:

{ yawn.} Time for us to go relax some more.

Sugar Substitutes

2011-08-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

Want to hear something mildly shocking? I've cut nearly all the sugar from my diet.

For the average person, this might be no feat worth bragging about, but for me? Well. It's life-changing. I may as well have decided to start speaking in Pig Latin all day, it's that big a deal. Not eating sugar is a conscious choice that I must make throughout my entire day. "No sugar, Sara. Choose something else."

Why put myself through the agony of finding other ways to quiet my grumbling stomach? Another bit you may not know about me is that I've got a stubborn case of acne. I've been battling it for six years since my body was mucked up by taking (and then quitting) The Pill. I've tried all the popular cleansers, drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, using no fabric softeners, using "free & clear" laundry detergents, changing my pillowcases twice a week, and on and on. I did discover, a few years ago, that eliminating dairy from my diet cleared up all the breakouts on my forehead. It was a huge breakthrough moment for me, because you cannot put a price on feeling even a tiny bit less embarrassed.

But, my skin took a turn for the worse last December. I began battling painful acne on my neck and jawline, and each new spot took a month to heal. And it kept getting worse and kept leaving marks and kept making me sad. Because I agree with everything I've read that says acne is the outward evidence of a hormonal imbalance, I've started giving more thought to what I eat. And, it's no surprise that I eat quite a bit of sugar. Quite a bit. Having Sarandipity orders in front of me three nights a week is an obvious source of sugar. But, I also turn to baking sugary treats as a means to relieve stress. Which, of course, I eat. Every last crumb is devoured, because, seriously, I bake delicious things.

So, after reading comment after comment written by acne sufferers who cleared up after cleaning out the sugar, I decided to step up and try it myself. And then, I bumped into this article, detailing how both dairy and sugar throw insulin and hormones out of balance, and it sealed the deal for me. I've long had issues with sudden drops in my blood sugar, so I'm now thinking in terms of the things I can do to keep it even, eliminating the steep peaks and drops.

And, here we are. Seven treat-less days under my belt. The only place where sweet has maintained its stronghold is in my coffee. I've cut out the Splenda, but I haven't yet managed to cut out the flavored creamer. I'm weaning myself off it; my coffee is looking more and more like a sad watery brown instead of a lovely, cozy, and delicious shade of tan. But I'm content making baby steps there right now.

I've dropped the treats, the sugar, and I've quit serving starchy carbs with dinner. It sounds like a lot, and it has been a huge transition. But, I'm feeling extremely proud of myself for sticking to this. And, I'm finding joy in new foods - The crunch of a roasted almond. The variety of fruits I had previously bypassed when grocery shopping. The versatility of quinoa. The way a delicious sauce completely changes the taste of an entire dish. The rainbow of color I put into every meal.

I'm learning new ways to love food. And there are still so many foods I can love.

Cooking with Sara: Salmon Patties with Lemon Sauce

2011-08-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

Salmon Patties with Lemon Sauce on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Yep. I cooked again. I kinda have a habit of doing that regularly. Every oh, say, day. But, this week, my meal plan contains five new recipes, so I'll be doing tons of experimenting and note-taking in the kitchen over the next few days. Do you jot notes down while you cook? I only do for new recipes, but I find it really helps later, when I want to remember what changes I made to a recipe - because I'm forever making changes! So, I'll be cooking and jotting and cooking and jotting every night this week. Do you have any interesting plans for the week?

Wordless Wednesday: In Keeping with This Theme

2011-08-17T06:40:00.004-04:00

Link: http://friendsoftype.com/2011/08/one-for-the-ladies-pt-2/

Cooking with Sara: (Vegan) Pesto Sauce

2011-08-16T09:27:00.002-04:00

I put Bo's bumper crop of basil to good use, and oh my, is it tasty!

(Vegan) (Or not) Pesto Sauce on From Blah to Ta-Daa

I also tested out a funky magic hippie dust and was pleasantly pleased with the results :)

Weekend Scrapbook 6

2011-08-15T06:15:00.000-04:00

We pretty much stayed at home this weekend. Which, honestly, is something I always welcome. The more I'm home, the more I'm available to tackle all the things in my house that scream at me for my attention. And while this blazing heat is blessing me with some time off from Sarandipity, I'm feeling more and more able to conquer my house, instead of being swallowed up by it. So, this weekend, I scrubbed half our house. It's utterly boring and tedious to talk about, and I'm certainly not going to post before and after photos (the horrors!), but it was more necessary than I realized.

I was trying to explain to Bo last night why I'm feeling so averse to watching tv or movies that are anything but Girly. I said that not only am I living in a masculine world with my 8-5 job and with my running on fumes, but that our house was in such disarray, that it didn't feel like my own. I quickly lost his attention while I tried to explain that a sense of home is so important to feeling feminine and that I'd lost it somewhere in all the clutter and dusty baseboards. But, as I spoke, I really took to heart the words I was saying. I hadn't actually realized until that moment that having a home I am proud of is one more piece of the femininity puzzle.

With my struggles with balance and a penchant for over-committing, I've noticed that my femininity is one of the first things to go out the window. I figure it's off traipsing through our mini-forest with my patience, leaving dark eye circles in exchange. My friends always describe me as a girly-girl, and I think it's so funny. I was brought up to be a tomboy, and for a while my favorite pre-date screening question was to see if I owned more power tools than the boy asking me out. (Usually? Yes.) So, while I do wear makeup and girly clothes and sparkly accessories, it doesn't often reflect how I feel.

But this weekend, I cleaned and I baked. Sans ruffly apron, but still. If you came over to my house right now, you'd find clean shiny surfaces, chocolate truffle cakes, scented candles, and most importantly - a contented me.

Squirrel Wars

2011-08-12T09:01:00.001-04:00

There was a 3-week span of time where I'd always come home to Bo staring out our kitchen window. Staring at the bird house. You see, he's been deeply engaged in a battle with a squirrel who's got a taste for the bird seed in the fancy bird feeder that Bo built.

So, before you press Play in the following video, here are some things that have gone down in this ongoing war:

- Bo moved the bird house off the platform in a tree to the middle of our little clearing, because the squirrel kept packing off all the birdseed before the birds could get to it.

- In its new location, the bird house is perched on a metal pole.

- After Bo caught the squirrel climbing the metal pole, he greased it. Yes. He greased the bird house pole. With my fancy shea butter and lavender massage bar, in fact.

- Then the squirrel began climbing the surrounding trees and kamikaze-style throwing himself in the air and landing on the bird house roof.

- So, Bo cut back all the trees.

- And then put together the following video:

- Not two days ago, Bo saw the squirrel poke his head out of the bird house door. There will be new tactics employed, mark my words.

(If video doesn't display, you can watch it here.)

Lifestyle Choices

2011-08-11T06:41:00.031-04:00

If someone were to ask you what your ideal lifestyle looks like, how would you answer? I'm not talking pie-in-the-sky descriptions involving winning the lottery or inheriting piles of money from a deranged great aunt. No. What I mean is this - Realizing that most of us must work at some kind of job, how would that fit into your life and how would your life fit around it?

I've been doing some deep thinking about what my life looks like right now and how I'm spending my time. As one might guess, I'm plain burnt out. And while a tiny part of me feels like a failure for having hit this point, a very large part of me thinks, "How could I not be burnt out by now?" I'm putting in 6-day work weeks that include 60-70 hours of work. Which, of course, requires that everything else get pinched back to almost nothing. When I'm working 6 days a week, there isn't a lot of time leftover for: Laundry, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, running, sleeping, friendship, reading, writing, playing piano, and sitting still. You get the picture. It's certainly not rocket science here.

So, I'm reevaluating my goals and plans for my life. Up until this point, I'd been filled to the brim with "baking, treats, company-building, one day gonna have my own bakery" talk and intent. But now? Now, I'm not quite so sure that I want all of that. The baking and the treats, absolutely. Those will always be as much a part of my identity as my curly hair. But the rest is seeming to come at a cost that I'm not so comfortable paying anymore. And when I think forward to how I want my life to look in a year or two years or five years, I'm feeling a lot of discomfort about the fit.

How can I possibly maintain this schedule while planning for children? While having children? This kind of workload doesn't fit with how I picture that phase of my life. It doesn't fit in at all with the lifestyle that I have in mind.

The quick answer would be for me to cut back. That's always been the answer - Quit taking on so many orders. But if I'm doing honest math, I can only take on one client per week in order to achieve a semblance of balance. Which requires a whole lot of telling people "no." With my current workload, I'm already turning away an average of two orders per week. So, hmm. Giving myself rules in order to cut back could work for the short term. Would it work for the long term? Will that help me create the lifestyle I want?

I don't have any answers, and I'm not allowing myself to make any definitive choices just yet. I'm still trying to evaluate how and why I got to this place and what a long term solution might look like. What I do know is that this place I'm in isn't where I want to be. I need to make some changes in order to fit work in with life. And, after all, there's nobody in charge of my life but me.

Happy Farmers Market Week!

2011-08-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

Bo and I visited an enormous, indoor farmers market over the weekend, and it was bananas. (Literally, of course.) It was like walking through Costco, but with fresh and organic everything, and there were even stations with samples. Ba-na-nas!

I posted more about it and a ton of (illegal) photos over on the food blog, so grab a cuppa 'jo and scoot on over!

Farmers Market Week on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Rory was scared of the enormous collards we brought home.

Secret Hideaways

2011-08-09T07:02:00.000-04:00

While I was in San Diego a few weeks ago, Bo did some tricky and fancy carpentry for me. As a total surprise! Yes, he's really that thoughtful and sweet to me. Gush, gush, gush, swoon.

This is what our kitchen island looks like as you walk in our front door. Nothing crazy, just a regular counter with stools.

Except for this. This!

A super secret place to store Sarandipity supplies. Gah, how awesome is that?!

Bo did such an amazing job on this cupboard, I love it. It looks just like it was meant to be there!

Weekend Scrapbook 5

2011-08-08T06:41:00.002-04:00

I gave Bo's basil plant a huge trim and ....

... turned it into pesto!

We had pancakes (again).

Rory's had a special message this time:

"Bossy Betty"

Yes, BB, these are just for you! :)

Yellow chin:

Bo leveled out another section of our back yard.

And Jane is thriving in her new spot.

Hibiscus flowers are so pretty!

Just When I Thought Rory Had Skeelz

2011-08-05T06:44:00.000-04:00

Whoa!

Cooking with Sara: Savory Polenta

2011-08-04T06:23:00.007-04:00

Time for another recipe post on our food blog, From Blah to Ta-Daa!

Remember that polenta I mentioned in Monday's post? Well, here's how it turned out! We tried it two different ways - straight from the oven, warm and cheesey.

Savory Polenta on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Then, I sliced the leftovers and pan-fried them to golden and served with my most favorite marinara. Both ways were super yum and super easy!

Wordless Wednesday: Ain't That the Truth

2011-08-03T07:35:00.000-04:00

Going Back to Cali, Cali

2011-08-02T06:43:00.000-04:00

Hotel room view. That's Torrey Pines Golf Course in the background. And behind that, the blue-gray is all ocean :)

My excuse for totally disappearing on you last week is that work sent me on a business trip to meet up with a client and hash out issues in person. A client who happens to be in San Diego...! I lived in SD for nearly 9 years, but since we moved to Atlanta a year and a half ago, I hadn't got the chance to go back and visit my dear friends and my old stomping grounds.

One of the first things I did while back in town is to go for a run with my bestie, Marnie, at my most favorite trails in all of San Diego County - Torrey Pines Reserve.

You can't beat trail running with 200 degree views of the ocean. Seriously, it's to die for.

One portion of the trails cuts down to a sandy ledge with this view.

There are no words. Sigh.

A trail runner's badge of honor: Dirt lines around my ankles!

Marnie and I, post-run:

And then, we move on to a plethora of food photos. I would apologize, but....no. There are a handful of foods that you just can't find anywhere but in SoCal.

Coffee Bean is one of them. Non-dairy, non-soy creamer?!
I've yet to find another coffee place that carries it!
Plus, Coffee Bean is freaking delicious.

Ahhhhh, Rancho's. My most favorite Mexican food in all of San Diego. There are only two of these restaurants in town, and they're both tricky to find unless you know your way around.

Rancho's used to have a jungle of plants outside and such a small sign that Bo lived across the street for 6 months before meeting me and learning that there was a (fabulous) Mexican restaurant inside. But I admit that their facelift does look nice.

Shrimp & Black Bean Tostada and a (Daiya) Cheese Enchilada with Verde Sauce. Slurpingly delicious!

While I was in town, I got ridiculously lucky to have my hair dresser fit me in for an appointment. I've been to three highly-rated stylists in Atlanta, and none of them holds a candle to Tamara. She's amazing, there's no getting around it.

Better photos of my new 'do to come, I promise.

Quintessential SoCal lunch:

Marnie and I capped off the week with a run through the trail reserve near my old house. This park has a series of trails (used by runners, walkers, bikers, and horses) that are 6 miles long, from one end to the other. And it's smack-dab in a completely urban area, and situated between three major freeways.

Pretty beautiful for being so urban, right?

Five points for finding Marnie in this photo :)

After our trail run on Saturday morning, we stopped at my old local "Cheapy Mexican Place." If you haven't yet had the privilege of eating breakfast at a complete dive Mexican place, you need to add that to your list if you ever travel to SoCal.

Another 5 points for finding Marnie again :)

The breakfast burritos at these places cannot be beat. They are enormous and generally cost right around $4 each. My favorite is one with eggs, cheese, ham, and refried beans.

The red hot sauce is a must.

Hand-held deliciousness. I need to figure out a viable way to ship these puppies to Atlanta.

It was such a fantastic trip of seeing dear friends, eating amazing foods, and filling my emotional buckets to overflowing. I definitely need to make it a priority to go back and visit once every year!

Weekend Scrapbook 4

2011-08-01T06:26:00.006-04:00

I cooked with polenta for the very first time:

And then, at the encouragement of a Twitter pal, I made my own polenta from scratch:

We (all) had pancakes for breakfast:

Speaking of pancakes:

Please do rewatch her fantastic take on "Roll Over." (At the 0:19 mark.) My old roommates taught her this trick years ago, and somehow she incorporated in her own spin and twist before flopping through a traditional roll. Some days, it takes her 3 spins before she can get through the subsequent flop over. She's special like that :)

Can't.

2011-07-20T06:52:00.000-04:00

I had incredible, happy dreams last night. My dreams are always vivid, and I nearly always wake up feeling that same emotion from my dreams. But for some reason, when I awoke this morning, the reality of life came crashing down on me. And it was heavy. Ordinarily, I'm a take-charge person; I get things done. If I want something out of life, I chase it down. Maybe this is why God gave me such strong legs?

But the past year has me feeling helpless and as if my life is out of my control. This is such a foreign place for me that to say that I feel lost would be treating it with kid gloves. There are frustrations with life that I just cannot fix on my own; I cannot put in enough elbow grease to shine up the situation.

I woke up this morning with the word "Can't" reverberating through my mind. That word and I are not friends, and we never have been. I do not identify with it, I do not empathize with it, I do not comiserate with it. But this morning, I feel as if there are a million of billboards screaming at me from within my own bedroom: Can't clear up your skin! Can't get married! Can't afford things! Can't fit into your jeans! Can't have babies!

That last one makes me pause. It makes me gasp if I dwell on it for more than a few seconds. It's not referring to a physical inability to have children, but my inability to have them now. And with each passing day, my body ages toward a point where physical inability becomes a very real enemy, lurking from within.

There aren't many things in this life that I can say without an ounce of doubt that I am good at. But, I have always known - from the depths of my being - that I will be a good mother. When I feel insecure with my career or filled with doubts in other areas, I ache to devote my energies toward something where I know I will thrive. And it always goes back to one, unshaking thought: Motherhood.

I am aware enough to know that things can be done to help fix my world of "Can't." Enough creativity and enough trying will resolve most anything. I need to return to that place of creativity and effort. Because I know me - feeling lost and helpless isn't something I tolerate for long. Like a gypsy, I feel the pulls of change in the wind, and there's no keeping me still once I feel those whispers across my skin.

Cooking with Sara: Mom's Potato Salad

2011-07-19T06:40:00.002-04:00

Mmmm.... my mom's potato salad... In my book, it's the very definition of summertime comfort food. There are zillions of potato salad recipes in this world, but there's only one receiving more than a passing glance from me.

Mom's Potato Salad on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Weekend Scrapbook 3

2011-07-18T06:34:00.000-04:00

Another weekend has rudely flown on by. When will they ever learn to stick around a little longer, to move a little more slowly?

I spent some time on Saturday in the garden center at Lowe's. Just being among the flowers and plants brings me peace. It helps get me back to centered, in a way. And it doesn't hurt that the Dahlias and Daisies were blooming so bright and cheery for me.

And of course, while I was there, I became enamored with a plant that just absolutely needed to go home with us. This time it was a half-price Hibiscus, and the only one left with red blooms.

I've since named her, "Jane."

Jane has lots more buds, just ready to open up and say hello.

For scale: Rory meet Jane. She will block the path you've stubbornly been using, despite our having put up hazards and blocks. She will force you to walk around so that the grass in that patch will finally have a chance to grow. Make nice with Jane, you hear?

Jane might possibly have been my reward for accomplishing this: On Friday, I finished up an order of 216 cake pops for a local wedding and then delivered and set up on Saturday. The groom made the stand, and I filled it up with 5 different designs and flavors of cake pops. Hurrah for being finished!

(For the curious, there are more photos over on the Sarandipity blog.)

Cheater Cheater

2011-07-15T06:55:00.000-04:00

By now, I'm sure you've heard all about the cheating scandal going on in the Atlanta Public School system. It sounds eerily similar to the one described in Chapter 1 of Levitt and Dubner's "Freakonomics" book - teachers filling in answers for students and erasing and changing answers on standardized tests.

We don't have children, so I don't know a lot about the details and impact of this hideous affair, but the fact that it's going on here and has been investigated in other major cities has me worried. I'm an extroverted, social girl, and I've never given serious consideration to home schooling. Until now. I certainly don't want my future children cheated (pun intended) out of a good education when I'm fully capable of teaching them, and teaching them well, I might add. I suppose I should be grateful that by the time I do have children in school, this will - hopefully - all be cleared up?

But in the midst of all this seriousness, the following quote had me doubled over with shocked laughter. Who says something like that?! Apparently, the APS teachers, that's who.

Speaking of Hot

2011-07-14T06:48:00.003-04:00

Do you see that large number, there? The one saying it's one hundred and eleven degrees outside?! Goodness gracious, it's toasty out there. I'm still used to summers on the West Coast, where it cools down in the evenings. Last night at 11pm, our heat index was 94 degrees. I'm incredibly miserly with running our air conditioning, but there's no beating temperatures like that. I won't even begin to tell you what it feels like to go for a run when it's nearly 100% humid and 80 degrees.

Instead, I'll leave you with the formula to calculate the heat index. It's way more complicated than I thought it would be!

Fine Print: I'm mostly blaming the weather here in Hot-lanta for my blogging absence. I wish I could say that I've been on fun trips and reading some amazing books while I've been awol, but alas, no. My brain pretty much shut down and left me with zero inspiration and creativity. Here's to hoping I come up with something enlightening by the time it cools back off... in October.

Crazy mathematical formula courtesy of NOAA.gov.

Cooking with Bo: Apache Hot Sauce

2011-07-13T09:34:00.001-04:00

This time around, Bo made the recipe. And grew the peppers. And took the photos. Basically, I'm just acting as his cute secretary, minus the pencil skirt and 4" heels.

Apache Hot Sauce on From Blah to Ta-Daa

This hot sauce turned out delicious! And I'm so proud that Bo made the product from start to finish. We're new to the world of gardening and harvesting, and these little peppers are such a boost of inspiration and sense of accomplishment. Bo will probably dig up more hot sauce recipes as more peppers pop up on the plants. I'll be sure to get that recipe from him as well!

Weekend Scrapbook 2

2011-07-11T09:32:00.000-04:00

Can you believe I took that picture with my cell phone? Can you believe I had been carrying my phone in a ziploc, squished into the front of my sports bra, while running and getting completely soaked by sweat and humidity? Sorry, that's a little gross. But I strive to be open and honest, and hey, I'm certainly not perfume and roses even half the time. Anyway, Rory and I ran twice this weekend on the Greenway - a set of forested paths about a mile from our house.

The paths mostly follow a creek and are paved except for the footbridges that cross over marsh and wetlands. What you're staring at is a forest cloaked in 97% humidity. Oh, yes. That air out there was heavy. My clothes were completely drenched, and it should be noted that running in humidity like that is exhausting. It just saps all endurance and wears you out in no time flat. Running a slow three miles in that feels like a fast five miles in cooler and dryer weather. Which probably explains why we saw almost no one either day. But I'm not complaining; it's really nice to have forested paths all to ourselves. One of my favorite sounds is the hushed rhythm of footfalls in nature.

Rory gets tuckered out in the oppressive humidity too, so I stopped to let her take a mid-run swim break. Actually, I had planned to stop to let her get a quick drink, but she ran and jumped right in and then swam around.

Flowers? Lovely. Wet dog? Not so much.

Bo has been dutifully tending to our back yard and patio garden, and these Zinnias are just one of the blooms thriving out there. I haven't lifted a finger with anything regarding our backyard except to get inordinantly excited over picking out seed packets. Which he then planted and grew for me. Such a spoiled life I lead.

Of course, I then oblige when he asks me to make cookies. Cookies with more chocolate than usual. Cookies made with my fancy-dancy Sarandipity melting chocolates.

I may or may not have eaten cookies for dinner last night, and nothing else. Whoops.

Weekend Recap in Video

2011-06-27T10:12:00.000-04:00

We took Rory on a field trip to Petsmart and randomly bumped into a couple with a mini-Rory. He was sooo cute! I adopted Rory when she was a year old, so I never got to see the cute patootie tiny version of her. So, while we chatted with the couple, I whipped out my fancy dancy new phone, and took video of Rory being an old granny around the puppy. Rory doesn't have a whole lot of patience for puppy craziness; she'll put up with it with perfect manners, but she'll also try to remove herself from the puppy if at all possible.

Speaking of puppies, I took Rory to a few dog adoption events on Saturday, to see if we could find her a new friend to take home with us. Obviously, we're looking at a slightly older dog, one at least 3 years old. And one who can go running with us for exercise. We only found one potential friend who was just incredibly sweet (certainly a great match for sweetie pie Rory!), but he was just too young :( I'm sure he'll make someone an awesome friend, but he just wouldn't fit into our house as well.

Here's a clip of the one potential friend, but as you can see, he's just a wee little pup:

And then we have Rory showcasing her usual bout of of crazy whenever a treat is in our hands:

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Humminbird Squee

2011-06-22T13:48:00.002-04:00

Baby Hummingbird from Nancy Kee on Vimeo.

Cooking with Sara: Taco Seasoning Mix

2011-06-20T08:48:00.002-04:00

I was basically a cooking fool this weekend. Which is kinda nice; it's an indicator of how many chores I'm not doing, in favor of playing in the kitchen. In summary, it makes me happy to create new things in the kitchen. And this recipe, is definitely a shiny, new thing! It's shamefully easy and tastes pretty much like the packets you purchase at the grocery store. Minus all the funky ingredients and the packaging that ends up in the trash.
We tried it out last night on tacos and gave it the thumbs up.

Taco Seasoning Mix on From Blah to Ta-Daa

(The other fruits of my kitchen time will get posted over the next couple of weeks: Blueberry Buckle and Strawberry Mojitos. Yummmmm.)

Cooking with Sara: Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

2011-06-17T06:18:00.010-04:00

Click on over for the recipe and more photos! You know you want toooooooooooooo....

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs at From Blah to Ta-Daa

Even tho these puppies are freaking delicious, I discovered that the same sauce is even better on portobello mushrooms. I'll take this moment to fess up - I swiped all the grilled portobellos when Bo wasn't looking and didn't tell him until I'd eaten every single one of them. And then I didn't even apologize. I think I muttered something about how I deserved them if he was going to eat real, cow milk, ice cream sandwiches in front of me after dinner. No matter, all you need to know is that if you're of the veggie persuasion, this sauce is just as amazing with bell peppers and portobellos.

More Meb Love

2011-06-16T06:11:00.029-04:00

I know that I've gushed in the past about Meb Keflezighi, and I'm about to start the outpouring all over again. The San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon (the one I've done three times) and the new Half Marathon were held there on June 5. Meb ran and absolutely won the Half, with a time of 1:02:37. That's an average of 4 minutes, 46 seconds per mile over 13.1 miles. Holy smokes!

He recently got his autobiography published, and - I'm just so excited I can't even spit out the words - Marnie got a copy signed for me!!!! You can purchase his book here, but I'll definitely be reading and reviewing it soon, in case you want to wait for that. Meb's story isn't very well known outside the long distance running community; this is his book's summary from Amazon:

When Meb Keflezighi won the New York City Marathon in 2009—the first American to do so in 27 years—some critics questioned whether the Eritrean-born runner was “really” an American despite his citizenship status and representing the USA on two Olympic and several World Championship teams. Yet Meb is the living embodiment of the American dream. His family came to the U.S. to escape from a life of poverty and a violent war with Ethiopia; Meb was 12 at the time, spoke no English, and had never raced a mile. Yet he became an A student and a high school state and national champion. And when he stood on the platform as a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics, Meb knew his hard work and determination had paid off. How could life be any better?

Then it all came crashing down. Meb, a favorite for the Beijing Olympics, fractured his pelvis during the trials and was left literally crawling. His close friend and fellow marathoner suffered a cardiac arrest at the trials and died that same day. Devastated, Meb was about to learn whether his faith in God, the values his parents had taught him, and his belief that he was born to run were enough to see him through.

Gah, just reading that gives me chills. I cannot wait to start reading his book!

(Guess who made me another bookmark?!)

Wordless Wednesday: Thank You for Your Service

2011-06-15T06:15:00.007-04:00

With Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

2011-06-14T06:14:00.003-04:00

That birdhouse is pretty fantastic looking, am I right? Bo built it. Yep, that's right. He dragged tree branches in from the mini forest behind our house and sawed and carved and shaped them down to build a log cabin style birdhouse mansion.

Gone Worming! :)

He found a different tree to whittle off the bark for a thatched roof. Seriously.

This next picture was taken a year ago. See that tall tree trunk on the left? It's the same tree in the next photo with the birdhouse attached to it.

The "after" photo. There's the trunk of that tall tree there, on the left. It looks amazingly different with all the brush cleared out!

And it makes our tiny yard look so much more open and bigger.

Bo built this retaining wall a couple of months ago, with the intent of keeping all the drain water off our back patio. When we get crazy downpours, all the rain from the upper terraces drains to our yard and sits, creating a swamp. It's terribly lovely, let me tell you. But now we have a wall with a built-in bench top for sitting, tall glass of sweet tea optional.

Looking up to the left. (Rory has no fence because she just lies around, keeping an eye on things. The only thing that even tempts her to get off her duff is a teasing squirrel.)

And, to the right.

Dahlias are one of my very most favorite flowers. I love them!!

Double Impatiens. It makes me happy to go to the plant nurseries here and see many of the same flowers I grew up with.

Foxglove. I haven't seen these since we lived on the Oregon Coast! They grow wild in the forests there, along with Calla Lillies.

Also? I. Achieved. Photography. BOKEH. And not even on purpose!!

Hacked

2011-06-13T09:03:00.025-04:00

One of the more interesting things that happened while we were away for the wedding is that all my accounts got hacked. I can't even begin to tell you what a pain that whole ordeal was. You see, both my email accounts and my Facebook account were all hacked into. And then the jerk changed all my secondary email addresses in there, so that I couldn't go through the "Forgot My Password" process and get back in. No. What I ended up doing was having my mom fill out a lengthy google form over the phone, proving that I do, indeed, own my email address and that some poophead had taken it over.

Said poophead was sending out emails as me to everyone in my address book - everyone aside from my parents and Bo - saying that I was being held at gunpoint in the UK and to send money asap because I was freaked out. The hacker was using my friends' info on Facebook to make emails slightly accurate, which is extremely scary. I had an onslaught of text messages, emails, phone calls, Linked In messages, and Facebook messages from people asking if I was ok. And because Faceook locked my account for 24 hours, I couldn't reply right away, fueling the worry.

It was an entire day of mayhem to put it lightly. I'm mostly back to operational again, aside from having my entire Gmail inbox wiped out - all 10,000+ messages disappeared. I've submitted a form to Google, but I haven't even wrapped my brain around the reality of that yet.

Lesson? Give yourself crazy complicated passwords that are all different from each other. Otherwise, you risk having your sister and your mom call you at 5am worried that you're ok.

Start Your Engines

2011-06-10T06:36:00.007-04:00

Orlando wedding last March

Off we go! To Orlando, specifically. We're headed out for our first wedding of the summer and another group of Bo's friends I've not yet met. I'm assembling 3 dozen cupcakes right before we hit the road, so between that and wondering if I've packed enough underwear and both Left and Right shoes, my brain is currently perched on some other planet.

Hope your weekend is as relaxing as mine will be once I buckle my seatbelt and kick back with some roadtrip snacks! :)

(Not my current hair color.)

Cooking with Sara: Carolina-Style BBQ Chicken

2011-06-09T06:43:00.000-04:00

This chicken is ridiculously easy and super, duper yum! So, skip on over to the food blog and check out the recipe and more photos!:

Carolina-Style BBQ Chicken on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Meanwhile, these photos turned out so fun!

(Until Bo points out that it looks like a creepy face if you tilt your head to the right.)

(And then says that it looks like a body with knees and legs.)

(EEEEEEP!)

Wooooo, flamey fun!

Wordless Wednesday: Strike One

2011-06-08T06:15:00.001-04:00

100 Things: 16-22

2011-06-07T06:00:00.077-04:00

16. I collect bookmarks. ( Probably because I'm always partway through at least six different books at any given time.) But there are only two kinds of bookmarks I collect - hotel key cards and the ones crocheted by my bestie, Marnie.

My pretties from Marnie!

Some (not all) of the hotel key cards I use as bookmarks. I'm betting there are still a few tucked into books on my shelves.

By far, my favorite hotel bookmark! From the resort we stayed at in Cabo a few years ago.
That vacation was the very definition of Ahhhhh....

17. All through school, I hated my writing classes and loved my math classes. Now, math is boring, and I'm constantly writing things in my head.

18. My favorite color has been green since as far back as I can remember. The only thing that changes is the shade of green. I've gone from mint green to forest green to sage green to olive green to the muted gray green that I currently love. It's fitting that Bo has green eyes, don't you think? :)

19. I can't bring myself to spell "gray" with an "e." And I have a really hard time with the last "e" in "lavender." Something about that last "e" really bothers me, and it feels out of place.

20. I'm constantly cycling through nicknames for poor Rory. The current list? Ror-kins, Stinks, Smelly, Smellers, Sam, Poopsie, Poopsie Lou, Lona, Silly Billy, and Missie. And yes, she answers to all of them.

21. I make a lot of goofy(? weird? cute? silly? depends on how much you adore me) faces when I talk. I don't mean to make them, and when they're captured in a photo, I almost don't recognize myself. I sometimes wonder if they'll give me extra wrinkles one day.

22. My favorite scents are food-based, and mostly some variation of vanilla. The two perfumes I rotate between are cotton candy and blackberry pie scents. All the Wallflowers and candles in my house are vanilla coconut or vanilla sugar. And we all remember my obsession with Laura Mercier lotion...Obsession.

Vacated

2011-06-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

After having lived in Southern California for nine years, it nearly stops me in my tracks when I see vacant lots right in the middle of our Atlanta suburb. In SoCal, land is at such a premium that perfectly livable houses are torn down in order to build something new and fancy. It's all about the land there. When you hear about real estate prices being so crazy in California, it's the land that has skyrocketed the price. The house isn't worth anything by comparison.

I had my phone with me this morning, so as Rory and I walked, I snapped photos of abandoned houses and lots. From the style of this house, it was probably built in the 1960s or 70s, and there it sits, empty. It was all I could do not to walk up to it and peer through the open blinds still hanging in the windows.

There are also lots and lots of overgrown driveways that lead a concrete slab and an occasional chimney.

And nothing else.

These two houses are right around the corner from us, and we drive or walk by them daily. The doors are boarded up, and the shrubs are overgrown. But they still have mailboxes at the curb and garbage cans along the fence.

Old buildings and houses tell a story, and I love walking into them and being surrounded by the things they have to say. I have so many questions to ask these old houses - How long have you been empty? Did your last family treat you well? Are you lonely now? Will they tear you down? What did you look like when you were shiny and new?

I'm tempted weekly to creep up to this house to squint through its dirty windows and explore its hidden backyard.

If I'm ever in trouble with the law, you'll know exactly why.

Peace, Love, Cupcakes

2011-06-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

image source

It just came out in the news that British spy agents were able to hack into an al Qaida electronic magazine and replace bomb making instructions with..... cupcake recipes. Ohhh, how I love that. Apparently, the title of the article was, "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom" and included recipes featured on the Ellen Degeneres show.

Cupcakes helping to create world peace. That's the kind of politics I can absolutely get behind :)

source

Happy Bo-Day

2011-06-03T06:17:00.020-04:00

What happens when you live with a cake pop queen and you ask her for "just brownies" for your birthday??

You get homemade brownies with pecan-covered cake pop candles.

Did you catch all that? A Yellow cake pop, dipped in milk chocolate, covered with roasted pecan bits, with a birthday candle poked into the top. And then, the whole thing is shoved into the pan of brownies (also loaded with roasted pecan bits) and lit.

Happy Birthday, dear (demonic-looking) Bo-ooooooooooo ♥

Making More Happiness

2011-06-02T06:42:00.007-04:00

You have to love the universe's timing of things. Not ten minutes after I published yesterday's post, I stumbled onto Ted Talks of a pertinent topic - 7 Rules for Making More Happiness. Too fun!

Oh, Ted Talks, how I love you to bits!

About Ordelia.

2011-06-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

image source

I've disappeared on you once again.

I've officially tiptoed near that line emblazoned with the brightly colored "Burnt Out" signage placed every two feet. Anyone who's been with me for the long, long haul could have predicted this; I'm following nearly the exact timeline I did with my stint as a part-time piano teacher. That gig lasted a little over two years before I cried uncle and regretfully mailed out resignation letters to all the students' parents.

It's my own, perfectionist, over-achieving doing that puts me here. My drive to do things well. Sure, that trait has served me well over the years (hello, piles of college scholarship money and two engineering degrees!), but it's also been a cleverly-disguised enemy that has no qualms about driving me into the ground, all while congratulating me for nearly earning a Superwoman cape.

I've learned to identify this ne'er do well sitting on my shoulder, whispering tuants into my ear as I pile more items onto my list. I've even named her - Ordelia. She pretends to have my best interest in mind but certainly does not, and she thoroughly enjoys how inadequate I feel when I don't complete my long lists of tasks each day. But although I've identified her and named her, I'm not as diligent about keeping her silent. It's not long before I start assuming that her whisperings are my own thoughts; that I truly do enjoy being in motion from sunup to sundown. That sitting on the couch with my favorite book just isn't important and isn't worth accomodating by removing things from my list.

Damn that Ordelia for twisting my thoughts into a jumbled mess. Damn her.

Saucy Mama Giveaway

2011-05-25T10:11:00.000-04:00

Hey, party people! I just wanted to alert you to a giveawayyyy over on the food blogggg! Those delicious sauces you see above? Totally up for grabs! As part of the Saucy Mama recipe contest, each entrant gets to host a giveaway. Rock on! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on our giveaway page. That's it!

Saucy Mama Giveaway on From Blah to Ta-Daa!

Cooking with Sara: Saucy Mama Recipe Contest

2011-05-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

It was almost a year ago that I participated in my first recipe contest submission. Oh, I learned a lot that time around. Like, for example, it's probably a keen idea to include the product sponsoring the contest in your final recipe photograph. Right? And, maybe I should read all the contest details first to learn what kind of recipe they're looking for. In other words, don't be submitting an elaborate stew recipe when they've clearly asked for a party food, appetizer-y recipe, mmmk?

Saucy Mama Chicken Salad Crescents on From Blah to Ta-Daa

I was all excited to take my new-found common sense to action when Saucy Mama invited me to participate again. I felt so special being asked to participate; almost like when I was voted onto Homecoming Court my senior year of high school, minus the crown. (Although, I do still have that crown, and who's to say I'm not wearing it right now?) I had a fun recipe in mind to test out, and then. Then, I saw the links to all the other recipe submissions entered for this contest. Ummm.. They're fancy. And look amazing and delicious. And, dangit! Oh well. I can at least take pride in the fact that I finally learned how to follow directions and give myself a chance to at least qualify this time. We'll be happy with the improvements over last year, yes, we will.

Wordless Wednesday: Backyard Melodies

2011-05-18T06:21:00.003-04:00

An Open Letter to Parents

2011-05-17T07:02:00.009-04:00

Dear Moms and Dads Who Drive:

Please, please pay attention as you drive through intersections, especially those with crosswalks. There have been countless times that you have driven right through the crosswalk without even noticing that Rory and I are there in the street. You don't even realize that you're a few seconds away from hitting a person and her dog with your car.

Rory and I love to go running, and she actually knows to look both ways in intersections with me. We never cross a street with cars until I can make eye contact with the driver, but I need you to know that you rarely even see us there. You make a rolling stop through the crosswalk lines, all while the crosswalk guy is lit up on the light posts. You don't even pause to look for pedestrians at the corner.

Parents, I hate to single you out, but nearly every time a driver has driven right out in front of us, it's been a driver with their own kids in the car. Family cars are the ones not paying attention in the crosswalks. It really upsets me when a parent is the one not seeing us out there, because I had assumed that parents would pay more attention to crosswalk lights and runners and dogs on the sidewalks. But, I'm sad to say that no, they're actually the least aware.

Please pay attention as you drive. I'm someone's child, too.

Love,
sara

(image courtesy of Sacramento County)

Cooking with Sara: Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake

2011-05-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry. It's barely Monday morning, and look what I'm doing to you. I'm posting extra large photos of an extra delicious chocolate cake. I truly didn't mean any harm by it. I just love sharing so, so much that I couldn't sit still until I got these pretty photos here for you to look at. Because nobody likes a recipe that doesn't come with photos, am I right? Yes, I thought so.

Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake on From Blah to Ta-Daa

But take heart, my dears. This cake recipe is so easy and so quick that throwing it together on a weeknight is - to quote my piano teacher from years past - "completely within the realm of possibility." Actually, it's not just within the realm. It's pretty much smack in the middle of the do-ability and not somewhere hovering around the perimeters of maybe.

I would mention that it's the most delicious while still warm, but that might push over the edge into the realm of unforgiveability. So I'll just be quiet and let you mosey on over as best you can on a Monday morning.

Birthday Day!

2011-05-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Happy Birthday to Bo!

Happy Birthday to Roger Hargreaves!

Cooking with Sara: Asian Beef Skewers

2011-05-06T08:55:00.001-04:00

It's ~~Thursday~~ Friday! So it's my day to cook for the food blog!

Yeah, so I'm a little late posting my recipe - whoops! Honestly, I got all tangled up in recipe intentions for Cinco de Mayo (which was completely forgotten about when I did my weekly meal planning on Saturday), and then that last-minute intention didn't pull through, and things just got hectic after that. Oh well, I say. Better late than never, and better a deeeeelicious recipe than one that's just only iffy.

This is one of my favorite grilling recipes out there. It's asian-inspired, speedy-quick to make, and shoot, anything on a stick is just more fun, am I right? (You people on the fence: click here.) You can make it with various cuts of meat, just as long as you slice it across the grain. And, it's also decently portable; Marnie and I used to prep this recipe and then skewer and grill it whenever we tailgated for Chargers' games. And I must say, we were pretty popular out there in the parking lot. Even after we told our tailgating buddies that they were eating grilled venison :) Yes, you can even make it with venison.

The recipe and more photos are over at the food blog....

Asian Beef Skewers on From Blah to Ta-Daa!

Wordless Wednesday: First Morning Glory

2011-05-04T08:57:00.000-04:00

(Photo and all planting and watering and growing credit: Bo.)

Tuesdays with Rory

2011-05-03T11:34:00.000-04:00

I adopted Rory a little more than six years ago from a shelter out in Bonita, California. She was the most calm dog there, and just nuzzled me while I poked my fingers through her pen door. That plus her caramel eyebrows sealed the deal, and I adopted her on the spot. But after having spent six years together, while she is definitely a lover, she's certainly not calm. Well, she's calm most of the time that she's sleeping (bunny dreams are terribly exciting, it seems), but other than that, she's fairly distracted.

Now, I've always loved the idea of taking her running with me. It makes so much sense - she gets exercise, and I look like I'm running with a big, scary dog. People pretty much leave me alone when I run with her, and it makes me feel more safe. Our only hiccup is that Rory does not listen to me while we're out. She's a million other directions, spotting squirrels and birds and kids and dogs and twigs and rocks and anything but me.

This wouldn't be a huge problem except that there have been multiple times that her distraction has caused me to trip and fall. She looks off to the side, her rump bumps into my calf while I'm midstep, and I fly forward into a full, bouncing belly flop on the concrete. It's not fun, and it hurts more than a little. Neither are twisted ankles after she's clothes-lined me with the leash. Beyond that, it's just not good for her to be scatterbrained when we're out, not paying a lick of attention to me and what we're doing.

Our running struggles reached a near meltdown a few weeks ago, and I began handing her and her leash over to Bo one mile into each run. I was fed up, frustrated, and my running gate was crooked and tense because of my dealing with her. I just gave up. And that alone was even more frustrating. I don't give up; I work through things, dangit. Even if it requires work and more work and lots of failed attempts. I work through it to success.

Then one Sunday afternoon, I needed to burn off some pent-up energy from having sat on the couch all day. I was feeling antsy and just craved movement. I threw on some shoes, told her to come with me, and we hit the trail in the mini-forest behind our house. And we hiked. And she fell into line right behind me. She was off leash, and had an entire field to run through. And she followed me without one word of direction from me. She followed me. As she made me her pack leader, I began evaluating myself at that point. How was I different? What energy was I giving off? I realized that afternoon, that I was feeling happy and my only goal was to work out some pent-up energy. I simply wanted to get my legs moving and to breathe the outside air. And because I was calm and focused and content, she followed me.

It was a huge, huge breakthrough for us that day. I came back happy and hopeful; two emotions I almost never experience when Rory and I are out together. And I began running in the mornings when there are fewer distractions for her. And when I'm not reeling from a long day of work and impending Sarandipity orders and the endless lists I have spinning through my mind.

And I'm consciously working on being a leader who approaches a run as a gift from God - something to be grateful for. Until a week ago, I've always approached running as a task on my list, a means to an end, whether that end be a marathon or weight loss. It's always been a chore. But this morning, as we set out in the gray hush of dawn, I reminded myself how incredible it is that I can run. That I have a simple, reliable way to calm my mind and work out energy and instill contentment in my soul. And I tried to keep my mind in the moment and focused only on moving forward.

I'm a work in progress. But, as usual, I'm working on it. And in the correct direction this time.

Cooking with Sara: Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter Balsamic Sauce

2011-04-28T09:42:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday! So, it's my day to cook for the food blog!

Ok, so yes, that title is a doozie. But when I tried to whittle it down, I couldn't think of what word to leave off - Certainly not the asparagus, it's the main player here. And it needs the balsamic in there so that you know it's not just a veggie plus butter. And, oh, that browned butter is truly the nectar of the gods, so it can't possibly be left out.... And, there you go. A long, stumbly recipe name that only uses a handful of ingredients. But don't let its simplicity fool you. This side will quickly become the star of your dinner show. And you won't even mind when it asks for its own separate trailer and chair with its long, rambling name printed on the back.

Roasted Asapargus with Browned Butter Balsamic Sauce on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Also! Mellisa and I just started rearranging the furniture and picking paint samples over at the Blah blog. We're giving it a whole new look, and it's shaping up to be really cute! We plan to rotate that top banner photo in and out; the inaugural one up there with berries is a photo that Mellisa took - so pretty!

Cooking with Sara: 1-Ingredient Ice Cream

2011-04-21T08:53:00.001-04:00

It's Thursday! Which means that it's my day to cook for the Blah blog!

Oh boy. This recipe is fun! You throw frozen bananas into a food processor and voila! Ice cream comes out! Ice cream that's very low in calories, is sugar free and dairy free, and has zero Weight Watchers points. It's basically a magic recipe. It may even cause unicorns to skip and prance around your yard, so keep watch out for them.

1-Ingredient Ice Cream on From Blah to Ta-Daa

You really need to click-zoom this photo.
It's pretty crazy how creamy and smooth frozen bananas can get!

Wordless Wednesday: Little Rory Foo-Foo

2011-04-20T07:05:00.000-04:00

100 Things: 11-15

2011-04-19T13:41:00.001-04:00

11. I say "ow!" at least five times every day. It's so bad, that I was going to count the number today, and I realized that I say it without even being aware. Calling me clumsy would be putting it mildly. I am my own worst enemy. And Bo thinks it's hilarious to call me "Roomba."

12. I wake up to pee in the middle of the night almost every single night. I gauge how deep I slept by that. As in, "Wow - I slept so well that I didn't even wake up to pee!" Sad, but true. All the women in my family are this way. We often end our phone calls when one of us has to pee.

13. My most favorite (non-dessert) food is taco salad. I hum a happy taco salad dance and bounce around in my chair when I eat it. And then I lay claim to any and all leftovers. I have to really hold back to keep from eating 3 platefulls.

14. When I say that a glass of red wine is "good" or "yummy," what I really mean is that it's more tolerable than most. I've tried really hard to like red wine, and I just can't do it. I've tried a million kinds, and I know which varieties are generally ok, but truth be told, I'd way rather have a glass of water. Champagne and Moscato are a completely different story.

15. In 3rd grade, I got really good at writing my name backwards. In cursive. I was a bit of a showoff about it too. I'm sorry about that.

Wordless Wednesday: Eggs-cellent!

2011-04-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

More photos over at the Sarandipity blog!

Today is Brought to You by the Letter M

2011-04-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

M. As in Monday, MS, and money!

You mayyyy remember a whopping month ago, I mentioned my new blog, Sarandipity, and helping my childhood friend, Jenny, fundraise for her Multiple Sclerosis walk. I decided to make my donation this year with the help of Sarandipity Sweets, to see how much we could raise by making it a joint effort. It was simple - for every cake pop sold in March, I'd donate fifty cents. Want to know how we did? :D

I'm proud to announce that, with all your amazing support, Sarandipity Sweets donated $313 to MS research through Jenny's team. Hurrah! I'm seriously so amazed and thankful for everyone who teamed up to help make a huge donation.

How's that for a happy Monday, eh?

Cooking with Sara: Easy Fruit Rollups

2011-04-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday! Which means it was my day to cook for the food blog!

I've gone and done it now. I've made a junk food into a healthy snack. Yep. No weird dyes, no strange fillers, no unpronounceable ingredients. And it still turned out delicious. Delicious, with a capital D.

I'm horrible about eating fruit; I basically don't eat it, ha! But I know that I should. I know that it's good for me and contains all that vitamin, fiber, and anti-cancer stuff. I've known it for years, and yet. So! I decided to try making fruit rollups - They're portable, don't bruise, don't require napkins, and just might entice me to eat a serving's worth every day.

Delicious with a capital D.

Easy Fruit Rollups on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Wordless Wednesday: Sniffy

2011-04-06T09:26:00.001-04:00

Photographer Ken Haley took the picture in his back garden at his home in Eugene, Oregon, USA. He said: "I had never seen a squirrel doing that, and I knew I had captured a special image. I think this is a young squirrel which may be sniffing the dandelion to see if he wanted a quick snack. But in this case, after holding it for a few seconds, he let go and went off to look for something else to eat." Source

Book Report No. 2

2011-04-01T12:21:00.002-04:00

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

Verdict: This book was fun. If you haven't read her online collection (that was the pre-cursor to this book), definitely check it out. Otherwise, it feels like a re-read. Also, if you are even slightly discontent with the man in your life, you may want to skip this title. Ree's tale of cowboy romance is hard for any man to compete with, and the fact that it's a real story makes it even worse.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Verdict: I just finished this book last night, and the more I think about it, the more I love it. Yes, it's written from the dog's point of view. But although it may seem simple and simply amusing at first, this story is a deep and touching one, with some very emotional lessons. Lessons all taught by the dog, Enzo. It's not my normal kind of book choice, but I really recommend it. And I'm definitely going to see if my library has other titles by Stein.

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

Anticipation: I love just about anything by Malcolm Gladwell, and the fact that this book is a collection of essays makes me happy. I currently don't have the focus (or time or energy) to get my way through an entire book with inter-related themes, so a collection sounds just about perfect right now.

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Anticipation: I gushed about this book before, I know. But it finally arrived in the mail this week, so I hadn't yet been able to read it. It's currently sitting under the edge of my bed (where all my next-in-line books live), pretty much screaming at me to crack open the cover. I haven't even allowed myself to remove the paper slip cover yet, because I needed to finish my library books before the distraction of a shiny new novel by my favorite author. But, wait no more! I get to start this book tonight, and I'm so excited! I may or may not spend my Friday evening under a down comforter with this book and a plate of congo bars. Please don't judge.

Cooking with Sara: Sangria

2011-03-31T08:42:00.000-04:00

I wish that I could tell you that my absence can be explained by my being on vacation. But, no. I got incredibly swamped with Sarandipity (225 cake pops this week alone!), and I've been running on fumes. It's such a slippery slope with me; I try so hard to get my life into a manageable routine, and then I go and take on more, without even batting an eye. Trying to maintain a state just this side of balanced is going to be a lifelong struggle for me. And the past two weeks were major Fail in that category. But, upward and onward, I say! I got fantastic sleep last night, I have a pile of great books just waiting for my attention and the next three days with very little responsibility. Ahhhhhh... If only we still had some of that sangria left :)

Bo's Famous Sangria on From Blah to Ta-Daa

This stuff is just so, so good. I don't like red wine, and I love this stuff.

Cooking with Sara: Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

It's my day to cook for the food blog - watch out!

Happy St. Patty's! I'm wearing my kelly green dress, and I kissed a (half) Irishman this morning for good luck. Now, if only my hair were still red, I'd be all set. I whipped up some Irish Soda Bread for the blog, and I have no idea if it turned out yay or nay. I wrote more about it on the blog; click on over to laugh at me:

Easy Irish Soda Bread on From Blah to Ta-Daa

And then, scroll down to see Rory's club stamp and one of my favorite videos in the whole wide world....
:)

Stamped Tramp!

(done with nontoxic frosting spray and a stencil)

AAAAAAAAAAA!!!! This is one my most favorite videos of ALL TIME. Just so many things that are outrageously hilarious!! Bo and I quote this video so much.

"I want da gold!"

"Coulda been a crackhead!"

"This is a special leprechaun flute here...from my great-great grandfather, who's Irish."

Wordless Wednesday: Dog and Toad.

2011-03-16T07:20:00.000-04:00

{ Hoping for a Prince. }

100 Things: 1-10

2011-03-15T14:12:00.002-04:00

I'm stealing this meme from the adorable Allie. We all know how much I love lists, and putting random things down with a number to their left will make me feel that all is right in the world. And in the midst of my typical Monday-Tuesday cake pop exhaustion, a happy list is exactly what I need.

1. I don't like my food to touch on my plate. When we eat breakfast out, I get panicky if they bring my pancakes on the same plate as my scrambled eggs. Pancakes and eggs - together?!

2. I used to want to be a teacher when I grew up. I still kinda do.

3. Raw tomatoes are gross. But, salsa, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, ketchup, and marinara are all super yum.

4. Diced persimmons look exactly like diced tomatoes.

5. I'm pretty fantastic at folding fitted sheets because of this:

6. I taught myself how to knit and crochet, but haven't done either in years because they make my shoulder hurt. Apparently, I don't know how to relax doing something that is supposed to be relaxing.

7. I'm the third child of four in my family, and there's a nine year gap between my older brother and me. (Yes, I was planned :P ) I have my mom's middle name, Kay, and I went by Sara Kay until 3rd grade.

8. I still miss the Gilmore Girls.

9. In high school, I pierced my own second holes in my ears. My parents kept telling me no, so I did it myself with ice cubes and a sterilized needle. I now have three in each ear, and I may add another one day, who knows?

10. Bo thinks my ears are teeny and talks in a squeaky voice about them. I, however, think they're perfectly normal-sized. I even measured them and googled to see if they were smaller than the average female ear, but I never could find any good data to compare to.

My ears are not freakishly small.

Book Report: No. 1

2011-03-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Goooood mornin! I realized last night, as I was starting up a new book, that I could be sharing that little bit of me with you here. Ever since my amazing mom taught me to read in pre-school, I've always loved it. But now that my life is resembling a mild form of mayhem, books have become somewhat of a rare treat for me. It saddens me to the core that I crawl into bed too exhausted to read much more than three pages before falling asleep, but it is what it is. I'm trying to make reading more a priority, because I love it so much, and over the past couple of months, I've actually chipped away at my very long to-read list! Here are the titles I've read over the past couple months, and a few that I'm about to start.

Do you have any books that I should add to my list? I've just started making use of our public library system here, so I'll add your suggestions to my hold list there!

Thanks for the Memories: A Novel

Survey Says: It was fine. A great book to fly through when I was crawling into bed at night, trying to quiet my busy mind. Ahern wrote "PS I Love You," and my favorite of hers is "Dear Rosie." This one doesn't come close to either, but it was still nice and pleasant and would make a great pool-side read.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Survey Says: I really liked this book. It's kind of Malcolm Gladwell meets "Chi Running." It had some really interesting history of running mixed with a charming story and a sprinkling of sociology. It was a great change of pace (pun intended), and I ripped through this book in less than a week.

The Help

Survey Says: I loved this book; all the hype is warranted and earned. The storytelling sucks you in, and I finished this heavy book in 5 days (and with my insanity schedule). It's a must read.

Water for Elephants: A Novel

Survey Says: I really liked it. Not enough to ever read it again, but I'm definitely excited to see the movie.

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

Early Survey: I started this book last night, after having been impressed by his Oprah appearance while promoting the book's release. It's funny, sarcastic, and positive, all while centered on his battle with Muscular Dystrophy. Funny, sarcastic, and positive? Who doesn't need a book like that?

The Peach Keeper: A Novel

Early Survey: I cannot wait for this book!! Sarah Addison Allen has become one of my most loved authors; her dreamy way of describing things makes my heart buzz, and her books are my favorite form of escapism. Gush, gush, gush, I can't wait for its release date!

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story

Early Survey: If you don't know the force of nature that is Ree Drummond, you really need to go make yourself acquainted by visiting her kitchen and her front porch, via ThePioneerWoman.com. She has a condensed, pre-book version of this tale posted on her site, and I flew through it. It reads like a romance novel, but it's the real deal story of her husband and her. The library emailed me just this morning to say that a copy is on hold in my name, so I'll be starting this book soon!

Cooking with Sara: Hoppin' John Soup

2011-03-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

You want to make this soup. You want to learn about this soup's history. You want to gobble up the cornbread too.

You want to click on over to the recipe:

Hoppin' John Soup on From Blah to Ta-Daa

You want to hug Sara for posting something so yummy. You probably want to be her best friend.

You want to go over to her house and do all her chores just so that she has time to make you this soup.

And the cornbread, too.

{ Subliminal Messages: Successfully Completed. }

Wordless Wednesday: Giggle-Inducing.

2011-03-09T07:14:00.000-05:00

Cooking with Sara: Thai Basil Meatballs

2011-03-03T10:12:00.001-05:00

At this very moment, I'm sitting in a jury duty room, waiting to see if I'll be called for civic service. I'm also hearing no fewer than four side conversations, and the OCD in me is on overdrive, trying to filter all of them at the same time. I also get a little berserky when the tv and stereo are both on and Bo is trying to tell me something. The result is a little ragey until all but one audio source is silenced. I fear the 80 year old version of me, that is for sure.

But what isn't ragey is my love for this recipe. I freaking love it. It's quick and healthy and jammed full of flavor.

Thai Basil Meatballs on From Blah to Ta-Daa

March-ing for MS

2011-03-01T09:20:00.001-05:00

Jenny & Sara, 1985

Big News, Chapter One:

During the entire month of March, Sarandipity Sweets will donate 50 cents for every cake pop sold to a Multiple Sclerosis research fundraiser. I'm so excited about this!!!

I've got a ton more details about the fundraiser and about the girl leading it - Jenny - on the Sarandipity blog:

March MS Fundraiser details
on Sarandipity Sweets' blog

Please go check it out!

Note: I pinky-swear that not all of my posts here at "sweet somethings" will just be re-directs to the new Sarandipity blog. I promise. But this one is just too bigga news to keep isolated over there on Sarandipity. Gotta spread the word!!

Spanking New Blog

2011-02-28T09:28:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to chat about my new blog. Yes. Another blog I'll be writing for. We're up to 3 now, folks. This new blog is a companion to my Sarandipity website (that's coincidentally undergoing a major facelift with a sprinkling of Botox here and there). I'll be using the Sarandipity blog to post photos that don't make it into my shop and to make announcements. Oh, and to host giveaways, weeeee!

Both the blog and the website are still getting updated and squished around and second coats of paint, but please swing by and let me know what you think!

Ze New Bloggity Blog:
SarandipitySweets.blogspot.com

Cooking with Sara: Congo Best Friends

2011-02-24T08:31:00.000-05:00

I've lovingly dubbed these treats Best Friend Makers. They're so perfectly yummy without being over the top, that anyone who eats one will be your instant best friend. And if they don't love them to bits, well, you didn't want them as your best friend in the first place.

Best Friend Makers on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Brown sugar, coconut, pecans, and white chocolate... Raise your hand if that's on your best friend criteria list!

Birthday Photo Recap

2011-02-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

Valentine's flowers and birthday cake, courtesy of Mr. Bo-tacular.

Note to Bo: When you swirl the frosting like that, it makes it super duper easy
for me to steal swipes of it when you're not looking :)

Happy Birthday, Dear Saraaaaaaa. I totally turned 5 years old this year, guys!

Oh. Hello. No, you can't have any of my cake.

Post birthday dinner, posing in front of the Anthropologie store.
That store is my version of heaven.

That Anthro display dress is made out of paper! It's seriously gorgeous.

Keyboard Cake Pops!

My newest shape is a simple square, but it lends itself to a gojillion customizations!

Y? Because I like you! ;)

Catching Up

2011-02-18T10:32:00.000-05:00

Whew! Where on earth has this week gone? It certainly wasn't wiled away in my sleep, because I can tell you right now that sleep has been a stranger this this week. But what have I been up to since last Friday? Because I love lists so darn much, I'll make one. Hummm..

I finished a book ("Water for Elephants").
I tried out four new recipes from my new favorite blog (see below).
I made a bunch of cake pops (we're not shocked).
I whipped up Valentine's dinner for Bo chalk (chock?) full of dairy because I'm so nice and loving.
I made a bunch more cake pops.
I whipped up a food blog recipe.
I went running 5 times with Rory - a major accomplishment for me these days.
I finalized design details for a custom necklace - one for me, and one to give away (!!).
I discovered a nondairy, nonsoy "cheese" that's freaking amazing (definitely more to come on that front).
I started a new book ("Born to Run") that's due back at the library in exactly 29 hours.

Ok, so that blog I love? I tried out new recipes for cake and frosting from my latest blog obsession, "Can You Stay for Dinner?". The author's posts are stinking cute (while the photos are stinking beautiful), and I'm pretty sure we were meant to be best friends in some other life. But the real reason I tried out the recipes last weekend is because I wanted to bake a virtual birthday cake for my fellow food blogger, Mellisa. (Virtual cake for her, but definitely not virtual for me and my thighs.)

Mellisa's birthday is tomorrow, yay!

As I'm sitting here typing, I have to say - putting all those things down as a list makes me feel like this past week has been way more productive than I realized. I always have a running to-do list in my head, and as soon as I knock one item off, three more wiggle their way on. Getting it down like that definitely helped me put some perspective on this past crazy week; I need to make a habit of reminding myself of my accomplishments so that I can give myself credit. I'm fairly aware of my workaholic tendencies, but I rarely see myself as productive because of my exponentially growing to-do list. I really need to learn to be more proud of myself and not just dismiss items I do accomplish. Note to self - check!

Oh, and guess what? Sunday is my birthday... :)

Cooking with Sara: Overnight Oatmeal

2011-02-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday! So, it's my day to cook for the food blog!

Dear Steel Cut Oats,

I love you. I want to have romantic, cozy breakfasts with you every morning for the rest of my life. You make my heart all fluttery, and you make my mornings sunshiney and good.

Do you think you might love me back, too?

Forever Your Girl,
sara

Overnight Oatmeal on From Blah to Ta-Daa