The Clumsy Baker

Last Thursday was my first day with absolutely nothing to do. No studying, no family dinner dates, nada.

So I decided to try baking again. And I made these http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cranberry_honey_spice_pinwheel_cookies.html

and some of this cranberry orange bread http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cranberry-orange-bread-2/Detail.aspx
I was so excited about not having anything to do, even shopping at Wal-Mart in the December madness was fun!

I am REALLY enjoying baking. But I am BAAAAD at it...here are a few examples of just how bad...


So, when I baked last week, I used every single prep bowl we own. Because I'm a smidge OCD/anal-retentive and it was fun for me. But the clean up was a bear, so this time, I decided to just go slowly and put everything into one bowl when prepping the bread. Flour, good. Sugar, good. baking powder, good...oh wait, that said three TEASPOONS, not tablespoons. Try to scoop white baking powder out of white sugar was difficult to say the least, so when I baked the cookies, I spread everything out into seperate bowls. Lesson learned.

Still on the bread, I decided to double the recipe. I paid close attention...and then apparently got distracted at some point. I got to the last step and started to fold in the fresh cranberries. I thought to myself, "well, this seems difficult" and "hmmmm, i don't think this batter is going to pour into the loaf pan like the banana bread batter did last time" So I double check the recipe...yep, I neglected to double the liquid ingredients. OOPS. So I picked 50 fresh cranberries out of the thick dough, added the liquid, mixed, and it was perfect!


For the cookies...I took my time and laid out every ingredient. I didn't have a single problem with these cookies! And let me tell you, if you have the time, you should really try these, they were so very good! So good, I'm going to make another batch today! It claims it makes 90, last time, I got about 50 out of the recipe...so I'm going to try to slice them more thinly today.

Off I go to the grocery store for ingredients...in the SNOW! I woke up this morning to a beautiful surprise of three inches of snow!

I'll probably post again later today or tomorrow about today's baking expedition!

I ... BAKED?!?!

I finished my final much earlier than I thought I would...

so I cleaned the house. my, how I LUH-UV a clean house....then I had an afternoon to kill before Holmes got home...

so I baked. haaaaaaaaahahaha. If you know me, you know that's funny.

I put on an apron and even used the mixer!

I decided to do banana bread with chocolate chips and walnuts. Chose a low-fat ish recipe and planned to just add some random amount of chocolate and walnuts at the end of mixing since they weren't in the recipe. Well, I have a tendency to screw up when following recipes, so I tend to get super meticulous about following it exactly as best I can. Including putting the bread in the oven without adding the chocolate chips and walnuts. About fifteen minutes later, I noticed the unopened bags on the counter. Well, I had gone out and bought the durn things special, so I pulled out the bread, stirred it (yes, it had definitely already started to form a bottom crust) and added the chocolate chips and walnuts. That's when I realized I wasn't gonna get my pretty light colored bread with dark chocolate dots through out... because the batter was already HOT. I'm a dolt. So it's a strange dark color. But it sure is tasty!

Next, I followed Neena's suggestion for flourless peanut butter cookies. Got everything together (all three ingredients, look out, it was tough...) and then read the recipe, "combine in mixer". First, I was disappointed, then I remembered that we DO have a mixer! So I whipped that out and um, well, had no clue what to do next. Fortunately, Miranda is as attached to her phone as I am, so I texted her this picture and asked which one to use. Whew, crisis averted. Finished those up no problem...I never realized how GREASY peanut butter is. I had to wash my hands three times. ick!
They are SUPER tasty though...

Snow, Tacky Lights, and Running

Today was unusual for a Saturday (not that I really know what a usual Saturday would be...)

I went to *work* this morning. I met up with my supervisor to observe her complete a swallow eval of a patient whose diet she was planning to change to NPO. This poor man took pudding in his mouth and tried tried tried to swallow, but it just wouldn't happen. The structures were all moving, but in a very uncoordinated manner. Then he started vocalizing (mostly jargon) and you could just hear the pudding coating his vocal folds and falling down into his trachea, oh it was awful. Gurgly does not even begin to describe the sound of his voice and breaths. My supervisor did an amazing job of counseling the daughter about the situation. They decided together than NPO was not the best choice and they settled on hospice. It was absolutely heartbreaking, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see it.

After that, I cleaned the house a bit (for some reason that always helps me focus on school work) and then I started on my take home cranio-facial final exam. It's essentially an 8 page paper. It's not terribly difficult, just incredibly time consuming. I worked on that for five hours and my brain started to rebel, so I quit. Only two more questions to finish tomorrow...

After shutting down the document, I bundled up in winter running gear, wrapped a headlamp around my waist, stuck the hat lamp on my hat, and headed out for a 34 degree run. IN THE SNOW!!!! It was sooooo pretty and peaceful, just seeing the snow fall through the brightness of my headlamp and in any lampost and car headlights. I had seen a house on my run Thursday that I wanted to go see, but it was a quarter mile down a road I don't normally take...so I worked it into my route tonight. Talk about tacky lights! For those of you not familiar with Richmond, every year, the city supports a tacky light tour. Houses all over the city go NUTS with Christmas decorations and people get groups together or take buses/limos, drive around, and look at all the lights. I personally think the driving part of it is incredibly obnoxious. There's always traffic near the houses, it involves way too much thinking as far as where to go first, next, last, blah blah. Anyways...on my run tonight I saw this home and another home that I think should be considered a tacky light house, but I couldn't find it on the website.

That kind of stuff has to be one of my favorite things about running. I experience stuff that I never would if I weren't a runner. I feel pretty confident that I enjoyed the mini-snowfall tonight more than most people in the area. I also enjoy the thought that people driving by think I'm an absolute loon for being out in that weather. If you aren't a runner, that might seem weird, but I know several runners who love being considered a nutter for running in the extremes.

Speaking of runners...I'm watching the ACC Championship game and they did a little preview for tomorrow's NFL pre-show. They will be "celebrating" the cold tub! Ice baths aren't just for runners, I guess!

Interstate Move #8

So, I'm moving back to NC... In January... In a few weeks...

My externship in the acute care department of Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem starts on January 11th. That's not all that far off...

I have planned absolutely nothing...fortunately, my Mom and Alan are gracious enough to let their 30 year old daughter move back home, so I don't have to find a place to live.

For those of you that I probably should have told by now, I do apologize...the issue was that for a while it was kind of a secret. I wasn't sure if it was going to happen at all and I didn't want to spread the word around, just to spread another word around about it not happening. By the time it became public knowledge, I'd forgotten who all I had told. And I've been kind of avoiding talking about it, because well, it's a bittersweet move.

I haven't hated Virginia. Not at all, but I haven't realllly loved it either. I am grateful for the move, I think it was a neat journey for Michael and I to have in the beginning of our life together...but to put it bluntly, I'm over it.

Reasons the move is sweet: NC is home, not to mention the greatest state in the country. The majority of my dear friends are there...and my dear friends are starting to have babies and I don't want to miss being there for that. My mom and Michael's mom are there...and whenever we decide to have babies, I don't want them to miss being there for that. The opportunity at Baptist is AMAZING. My supervisor already sounds fantastic. I'll be "working" 8-5 four days a week in the acute care center, evaluating and treating patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, etc. Once a week, I'll be in the outpatient swallowing clinic and the NICU. I can't express how excited I am to spend some time in the NICU. This setting is high on my "settings where I really want to work" list. I plan to re-read my entire pediatric swallowing and feeding text over the break (I have Arvedson, if anyone has and wants to share their Wolf text, I'd be forever indebted!). Anywho, I'm looking forward to learning so much at Baptist.

Reasons the move is bitter: MICHAEL MIGHT NOT BE COMING WITH ME. this breaks my heart to even think about it, but that's life I suppose. He's been applying for jobs down there as well, but until something comes through, he'll be here in Midlo. See, this is why I've been avoiding talking about it. Now I'm crying. crap. oh well, it had to start sometime. Anyways, I've known a number of grad students who have spent more than a measly 3.5 months away from their husbands in the pursuit of a degree. I know we'll get through it. Most of the girls who have been in my position tell me I really won't notice (read back a bit, 8-5 5 days a week, did I mention the hour commute, online physics course and intensive COMPs studying?). We'll see. anywho.
Other reasons the move is bitter are obvious: missing family, and our new (and old) friends. I'll miss being around the other Holmes', the Hills, the Blochers, the Katai, and all my grad school girls (thank goodness for Carrie and Renee moving south too, I'm taking a little Longwood with me). I have a feeling I'm also going to miss the craft beer scene quite a bit. Cap Ale has almost become a second home...love those people (and their yummy drafts). It's also been nice visiting with my grandparents and some extended family on a regular basis.

Ok, now I'm just rambling. So there it is. I'll be back in Greensboro early January. As soon as COMPs (march 5th), the praxis (march 12th), and conferences (march 17th & april 9th) are over, I'll actually be able to enjoy it.