Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (& Legally Blonde)

Amanda1 Comment

Today is a very special day.

Today, my light, my love, my furbaby, Edgar, turns three!!!

You know that scene in Legally Blonde where Elle is going through orientation at Harvard Law and introduces herself and Bruiser and says, “I’m Elle Woods. And this is Bruiser Woods. We’re both Gemini vegetarians!” I identify with that scene so much. (I actually identify with a lot of that movie and think it’s one of the best of our generation, but that’s another post for another time!)

I often talk about Edgar (duh), and I often repeat the phrase “We’re both brown-eyed Aries!” at some point during my monologue about my mutt. It is so fitting of who and how we are as a pair.

I know, I know, the shelter I got him from almost certainly didn’t know his exact birthdate. It’s highly possible/probable they just picked a date at random – but I’m sticking with March 23 as the day this world was graced with his presence. He’s too much of an Aries not to be. And I’m too far into my psychosis to be told otherwise.

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Thursday Things

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  1. Brisket may be my new favorite form of bbq. For the longest time it was ribs/pulled pork. Brisket pulled into the lead a few weeks ago and is firmly holding that position.
  2. Spring has sprung! Finally! Maybe? I think/hope/pray. It’s been gorgeous the last two days – necessitating extra walks and laying in the warm spots of the floor soaked in sunshine. It even smells like spring!
  3. New Girl may be turning into The Office and Park and Rec for me. I’ve started playing it in the background while I’m living my life. I forget how funny it is. The punches and pauses are so perfectly timed.
  4. Edgar’s birthday is tomorrow! I can’t believe my little man is going to be three! Holy cow.
  5. Speaking of divine bovine (heh), I was this close to getting these shoes. I fell down a very deep, dark hole like I do every time I’m on 6pm.com
  6. I found an apartment! It’s a great 2.5 bedroom (yes, half a bedroom – a nursery-type situation attached to another room) with a garage and basement and within walking distance to work. I’ll be moving next month!
  7. Before the move though I’ll be painting a few rooms to freshen up the space. I love every aspect of painting – choosing colors, cutting in, rolling, clean up. It’s such a rewarding task!

Ron Swans-Roll Cake (& victory)

Amanda5 Comments

It should be common knowledge by now that I have a dangerously soft spot in my heart for all things pertaining to Parks and Rec.

It’s also been noted that I’m anything but prompt in my posting.

Here I am combining my love for a show that’s been off the air for years with my inability to maintain momentum on here. Huzzah! I’m also combining booze and bacon into one singular dessert. Double huzzah!

Or, as Ron Swanson would say, bully for me!

This cake was inspired by the great Mr. Swanson himself – full of Lagavulin, candied bacon, and half a banana. Because you might need potassium. (If you understand that reference, God bless you. And if you don’t, I’m sorry and watch the show already.)

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Thursday Things

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  1. First things first, since it’s become official on social media, I should share it here too – I’m kind of head over heels for a certain fella. The best thing? He feels the same way about me!
  2. More firsts – going to Shawano this weekend. Visiting the farmhouse he’s restoring (swoon). Meeting his parents (they’re just as fantastic as he is).
  3. There’s a whole host of barns and outbuildings on his property loaded with all sorts of vintage farm equipment and furniture and amazing relics from the past like that veterinary medication up top. It was a sight to behold.
  4. I also spent $60 on olive oil and balsamic vinegar and it was so worth it.
  5. The Red River is gorgeous and powerful and seeing it in this limbo between winter and spring where the water was rushing but the rocks were snow covered was beautiful and magical and I’m so glad he took me.
  6. I’ve joined an indoor soccer league that my little sister’s boyfriend plays on. I started playing soccer when I was 5 and continued through college but haven’t kicked a ball in at least two years. I’ll be playing my first game Monday and I’m terrified but excited to shake off the rust (and hopefully not break anything in the process).
  7. Finally going to see Black Panther this weekend and I. Cannot. Wait. Even though, technically, I guess I have been waiting for weeks. It’ll be worth it though. Seeing as how waiting 20+ years to watch Jurassic Park turned out to be well worth it.
  8. What is a “classic” movie that you haven’t seen but is on your list? Other ones of mine are Fight Club and Meet Me In St. Louis.

S’mores Cream Pie (& acceptance)

Amanda7 Comments

Acceptance is hard.

Especially when it’s a less-than-stellar quality about ourselves that we have to come face to face with. Even if it’s not that big of a deal, even if it doesn’t make us any less of a caring or compassionate person, it’s a struggle to accept that the image we have of ourselves, or the idea of who we may be, doesn’t exactly measure up to the reality of what we are living.

For instance, I suck at this part.

The planning and the punctuality and the posting consistently.

It’s hard. I struggle with it. I put myself under an enormous amount of pressure to be the kind of writer/blogger/baker I imagine myself to be and I’m consistently finding that I just don’t measure up. And maybe I never will?

But I’m trying.

And I’m going to continue to try. Because how else am I going to get any better? Gain any traction? Actualize the vision within myself? (Ok, even I thought that one was hokey and I’m sorry.) Or hell, just even learn to give myself a little grace? To realize that it’s ok if I don’t get three or four posts up in a week, because sometimes it’s more important to celebrate your mechanic’s birthday with a S’mores Cream Pie than it is to ramble to a bunch of (very loving and lovely) strangers on the internet.

Don’t believe me? Make the pie. Celebrate your mechanic. You’ll be glad you did.

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