Yum...

Bakerella says, "Thaaank You, Betty!" and I say, "Thank you, Betty and Bakerella!!"

Bakerella is a blog all about baking. She has some great ideas (i.e. Cupcake Pops). In one post she featured these wonderful Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies from Betty Crocker topped with her Chocolate Ganache.

I made these for work this past week and they were a definite winner.

Does Anyone Want to Sell Me a House?

It must meet some modest (outlandish) criteria and must be for something, like, dirt cheap (for Denver standards anyway).

Why does Denver property have to be so out-of-this world expensive? Was Denver built on Holy Land and someone forgot to tell me? I just want to runaway and buy a house in Houston, and I do NOT want to live in Houston (but I do want a house, so maybe).

Today I spent day #3 with the Realtor and I am exhausted. We only started the search a week ago and I am already exhausted!!! What are the next 8 months (hopefully less) going to be like??

Ugh, it smells like wet dog food...

That is a real thought that occurs many days as I am leaving work downtown.

Disgusting, right??

There are only a few smells on my radar that are worse than wet dog food, but I think because I get this scent quite often it annoys me the most.

So you are probably asking, "Why does she smell wet dog food quite a bit?"

I assure you it is not by choice. Just north of Downtown Denver is a Dog/Puppy Chow factory and more often than I like, the scent is carried to the heart of downtown. I really only notice it when I am leaving work, which is just a great topper to a long day at work. So my only hope is to crinkle my nose and grumble all the way to my bus stop, as I try not to gag.

TGIF

I hope that this first full week of the new year has no indication of what the rest of the year will hold for us. Needless to say it has been a very long week.

Brandon's been sick all week and couldn't go back to work on time.

Work is a little crazy from everyone being on vacation the past two weeks.

I joined the gym and now work out during lunch with girls from work--my body hates me because every inch of it is sore. Plus, I have to work later to make up for my longer lunch :(

And finally, I am looking at everything that needs to be done in the apartment and I just want to run away.

Ok, So I'm a Litte Obsessive

So I know Christmas was over a week ago, but I love baking cookies and I didn't get to this year. Since Brandon and I postponed Christmas, I figured I could still get a way with baking Christmas Sugar Cookies. I made the cookies on Thursday (my exciting New Year's Eve--but it made me very happy) and I finally frosted them tonight. I was a little obsessive and had to get the coloring just right and now my right arm is paying for all the stirring required to get enough food coloring mixed into the frosting. But the final result was worth it.

Now to my next obsession...

I bake most of the meals that Brandon eats while he is out on a trip. I put together meals in fold-top sandwich bags to keep each food separate and then I place a full meal in a Reynolds Vacuum Bag and vacuum-save the meals. As Brandon eats each meal, he keeps the Vacuum Bag and brings it home for me to wash and reuse. Well, when I wash them, I have my very small kitchen counter covered in these bags. With being gone, I had a large pile needing to be cleaned and I have been trying to find a more convenient way of drying. I didn't have to look far. I have had this drying rack for years (thanks mom), but I never use it...until now. It works perfectly for drying the bags and I won't have to fight with the bags anymore for my kitchen space.

I know that was a long blurb about baggies, but I am really happy with my ingenuity and plus I did warn you that I was a little obsessive :)

It's Starting to look a lot like Christmas

I can't believe that Christmas has already come and went. I just was not ready for it this year, so I couldn't get in the holly jolly spirit this year. I think part of that was because of my wonderful trip to Vietnam. It just wore me out and took me more days than I expected to recover. Plus, I was unable to do my annual Christmas baking for work.

The beginning of my Christmas holiday didn't start out as planned. Brandon's cousin, Shelly, passed away and we flew out to Houston for the funeral. It was nice to spend time with his family, we just wish it wasn't under this circumstance. Brandon's family reminds me a lot of my mom's family. The extended family is very close knit and love to include more than just family in any get together. Brandon and I are planning to make it down to Houston to see them more often this year.

On Sunday I flew from Houston straight to Oklahoma, where my mom was waiting for me. This was my first trip home since the 4th of July weekend, which was my longest stretch between visits yet. However, I have seen my mom and dad twice each since then. Though, I can't say the same for my animals :( My family did Christmas on the 23rd, since we were driving to Houston on the 24th to see my Grandma. This Christmas I only asked for things for my kitchen and got some wonderful things. I can't wait to try the recipes out of my new cookbook, Pie in the Sky. I also received my first Le Creuset pot in lime green (or Kiwi to be official). It has taken my 2 years to decide on which color I wanted to see in my kitchen for the rest of my life, so hopefully I don't change my mind :) My brother got me a NintendoDS with Brain Age 1 & 2. This is something I would have never bought myself but it was a perfect gift. I love having it on the bus and one game gets me from home to work and the second gets me home from work. During my visit we went to Houston and spent Christmas with some of my dad's family. It was a wonderful Christmas dinner organized and cooked by my dad's Cousin Sue at my Uncle Jim's new house. My Great-Aunt Willou and Grandma enjoyed the time together and we all enjoyed the time with them.

All the while, poor Brandon spent Christmas all by himself. He actually worked Christmas Day and made it back to Denver late that night. When he found out he was making it back to Denver, I received the following message: "I'll b home for Christmas but no one will be there with me." He knows how to make me feel bad for him. He left before I made it back to Denver, so our Christmas would have to wait. We started the new year off right by celebrating Christmas and 2009 on January 1. I couldn't ask for a better way to start off the new year. He was happy with all the presents and even liked my attempt to play Santa with filled Stockings: Candy, Library Card, Instant Green Tea (to add to bottle water), Starbucks gift card, travel toothpaste, and toothbrush. Though, he did ask if I was trying to tell him something with the toothbrush and toothpaste.

Plus, I was able to bake my Christmas cookies this weekend, so even though it is January, "It's starting to look a lot like Christmas" to me at least!!

Christmas 2008