Back in the saddle

So, I'm back at it with the cream cheese. This time, I'm working on an appetizer, and it isn't due for awhile. I've tested the recipe twice. Both times we have not had leftovers. It has been a nice confidence booster, after the failure with the chicken. I know my goal was to become a better cook of entrees. But I really do like appetizers, sometimes I'll order one an my entree at a restaurant. So I think after some rotten luck in the entree department the last few weeks, I deserved some confidence boosters. I want to keep this recipe a secret until after I enter the philly contest, but then I'll post everything after that is done. I owe this blog some pictures, they're in my camera, just waiting to be blogged. The weekend is here though, so I'm sure I'll be busy pursuing some hobby...maybe baking, and definitely studying Spanish (I have an exam!).

In Pursuit of Fail?

Do I need to rename my blog to "In Pursuit of Fail"?  I've shared my recent major failure on the cooking front.  Also, I've recently failed my first quiz in the Spanish class I'm taking for fun.  The university pays my tuition since I work there, but if I fail it they make me pay it back.  That would seriously cut into my hobby budget.  Yikes!  I think I'll go watch Destinos, the telenovela that is part of my class assignment to teach us Spanish. Interested in learning Spanish?  Check out Destinos, it is a pretty fun way to learn.  Too bad my whole grade wasn't based on Destinos. Hasta Luego!

Image from Destinos

Spring Cleaning...in October.

Today was the first cool fall Saturday.  It would've been a perfect day for baking some nice bread or pumpkin treats.  Unfortunately, on Friday night I became determined to do some serious re-organizing, and I knew a lot of my stuff would need to "hit the road" so to speak.  My clothes were the main area attacked.  I got rid of a lot of clothes that just looked too young for me to still be wearing as well as some of my work clothes that looked really worn.  Mr. Hobby helped me, as I tried on different pieces of clothes all day long.  We started with a thumbs up/ thumbs down rating system, but at his suggestion moved to a scale of 5 stars.  Clean-out results: 3 bags & 1 box of stuff for Goodwill, 2 bags for recycling, two bags of trash, 1 bag for the resale shop (or Goodwill if resale doesn't buy it).  The recycling was lots of old travel magazines and King Arthur Flour catalogs.  I cut the articles and recipes I was interested in out to be filed, and then recycled the rest.  This opened up a ton of space in the stand.  I'm not done yet, but after about 8 hours of working on it, it was time for a break.  I know Mr. Hobby and I are at a good point in our life to be letting go of things from our teens and early twenties, but sometimes it is hard to say good-bye to clothes that brought me so many good memories.