Deliciousness is my Middle Name

It's not, because that would be weird and my mom's sanity would be in question. In fact, my middle name is Anamarie (in case you needed to know). However... I DID bake a delicious pie today from scratch mostly from scratch. I would like to share my victorious conquest with all of you in hopes of inspiring you to bake your own deliciousness!

Yum.

I googled many recipes before settling on the one I found. Mostly because the statistics showed the recipe to be quite simple and hard to ruin. It's called "Grandma Ople's Apple Pie" but I shall call it "The Deliciousness Gracing Our Tastebuds." Or just "Apple Pie." That's catchy. Check it out!

1 pie crust (I used Pillsbury pre-made, comes in packages of two and you will need both)
1/2 c unsalted butter (yes, THAT much)
3 tbsp flour
1/4 c water (minus one tsp)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar, packed (I used light brown for aesthetic reasons)
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (not sure how many it actually took)
Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, core, and slice apples. This takes a while if you are crazy like I am and you want them thin. The thinner the apples, the more quickly they will cook though. After you've done this, leave them alone on your cutting board.

Lay your first crust into your pie pan. Most people recommend a glass pie pan, but I could only find metal at Target and it worked just fine. Don't poke holes in the crust with your fingers because it isn't doing what you want it to. Be gentle. Use soothing words.

Melt butter in saucepan on a medium-low type setting. Stir in the flour, which will thicken it just a bit. Add water, vanilla, and both sugars, mixing them in gently. No lumps here! Then add plenty of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, stir her up, and bring her to a boil. Then let her simmer. You can omit the spices if you'd like. They aren't a part of the original recipe, but I'm a fan so they got thrown in there.

Place apple slices in crust, making sure you really fill it up good because the fruit shrinks as it bakes. Don't be like me and try to arrange it to look pretty. No one sees the inside and you'll just end up throwing in the rest of the pieces after you realize you're wasting time.

Pour 3/4 of the hot buttery mixture on top of the apples. Start to drool.

Cut your second crust into strips about 1" wide and make a lattice on the top of your pie. If you are scared of lattices, you can leave it in one piece and cut slits or decorative shapes into the doughy crust. That is probably easier and just as good. I kinda messed up my lattice this first time, but don't look! Just make sure that there is a way for air and steam to escape.

Put your lattice or other form of crust on top, trying to pinch it to meet with the sides of your bottom crust. Then drizzle or brush remainder of buttery mixture on top. Also, don't try to eat the raw dough. It is gross.

Put the pie on a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven for 15 minutes. Then turn the temp down to 350 or so and gently cover your pie with foil to prevent it from browning more. Cook for 35 more minutes or until apples are soft. Let cool on counter for at least 30 minutes.

Now eat! Yum! This recipe has been Hubbs Approved. :)

Making a List

Hubbs leaves for his Vegas internship in 11 days and counting. I'm so excited for him and for what he will be experiencing. I can't help but be a bit jealous and proud at the same time. He's just so good at what he does!

I was talking/texting with a dear friend a short while back about how to make the time pass faster with my best friend in another state for three months. She suggested that I make a list of things to do that he wouldn't necessarily be keen on. I thought that perhaps I could post the beginnings of my list here and just add to it as the summer goes on or as I think of new things. Here goes...

1. Watch Dirty Dancing frequently. This is my favorite live action movie and hubbs actually refuses to watch it. Perhaps because of my crush on Patrick S. I can't help it.

2. Watch any movies on our giant DVD shelf that I've never seen. There are at least three: Capote, First Knight, and Airplane.

3. Watch all of my seasons of Pushing Daisies again. Such a good show!!!

4. Sew another dress from a vintage 1950s pattern.

5. Craft an apothocary chest into something I can use as a jewelry box.

6. Have my mom come visit me. Hubbs totally enjoys her so this doesn't follow all of the rules, but this is something I'm looking forward to this summer. I'm sure The Fluffy One will enjoy having another cuddle victim buddy.

7. Yoga. Do it.

I'm not sure what else will show up on this list. Maybe a lot of window shopping (Anthro, anyone?) and craft nights with the girls. I'm sure I'll be counting down the days until I get to see him each month, so perhaps some paper chain action, too. I love a good paper chain. I made one two or three months before our wedding and it was so fun ripping another link off of it every day and watching the chain grow smaller and smaller. :) Can you tell I'm a goals and list type?

Well, perhaps it is time to get ready for bed... I took a "short nap" this evening that turned into a 1.5 hour nap so I think I'm probably needing to put some more sleeping in my repertoire. Such is life. Good night, folks!

Being a Hater

Yeah, that's right. I'm a hater. I hate detours (you know, the on-the-road-with-a-flaming-orange-sign type that can totally throw you for a loop). Let me explain what brought this on...

I was on my way to an audition and I had advanced warning that there would be detours. So I left super early and was ready to kick some detour butt. Now, please understand while reading this entry that I have an AWFUL sense of direction. I digress... So. I'm driving to Long Beach and I get to all of those glowy signs inviting me to take a different road because my usual exit is under construction. For a year. Who does that? Again, digressing... I follow the orange signs, thinking I'll be just fine, just follow the arrows. Well, apparently I followed the wrong arrows. I drove in loops and circles while my GPS hollered at me. I yelled back, telling it that I knew what I was doing, but Mr. GPS totally called my bluff. After about ten minutes of aimless detouring (and an extra freeway I didn't need to be on) I finally started listening to Mr. GPS and ignoring the signs that were leering at me. I made it to a familiar point and continued without the help of Mr. GPS or those evil signs. I arrived at the playhouse later than my fellow actor friend who had left later than I did. Obviously there was some sort of communication breakdown between myself and the detour, otherwise he wouldn't have arrived so early.

This all leads me to conclude that I would not have survived in the olden days. I would surely have been eaten by wolves or trampled by my own oxen on the Oregon Trail. Ford the river? Sure, let's just hope it is the right one. Catch malaria? Well, too bad because there is NO way I'm leaving the trail to find a doctor and instead break a wagon wheel in the pass and have us all die. Ok, well, maybe things wouldn't go quite like that. And I would actually go find a doctor if one was available because malaria is rough. But you get the picture.

Anyhow... the audition went well. The director seems like a cool guy and I got to read three scenes for him. Two were with my actor friend. Things went pretty well for how cold of a read it was. If I got cast in this show it would be great, but they've got three nights of auditions followed by callbacks, so I'm guessing they are seeing quite a few ladies like myself. We shall see. Such is the life of an actress, right?

Aw, shoot. I just realized that I have no pictures in this post. Sorry to disappoint anyone who is visual like I am. Bummer, dudes. Adios!



PS Since my kitty got fixed she won't stop cuddling me. Has anyone else experienced this neediness from their kitties post-surgery? It is pretty intense.

PPS Hubbs would possibly make fun of my Post Scripts. He says that with email (and I'm supposing other digital forms of communication) that they aren't necessary because you can always add them into the body of what you've written. However, I like them. They are like little bonuses. Unless you think the content is unnecessary.

PPPS Sorry if this content is unnecessary.



Out!

Don't Look at Me, I'm Changing!

Or not. Sorry, you were just victim to a statistical experiment. A friend commented that the title of my last post was like saying the title of this post. So I thought I'd check the facts on that. :) Also, I couldn't think of a good title.

Saturday, I went to a awesomely fanciful Bridal Shower Tea Party for my friend Harmony. She is pretty awesome and I'm stoked (yes, stoked) to be in her bridal party. I love her and her fiance and it has been a joy seeing them grow together. But I'm sure you're way more interested in what I wore, right? Ok, maybe not, but I don't have pictures of them and I do have pictures of the pieces of my ensemble.

Hat, side view. I made this.

Hat, in action.

Green BB Dakota dress, gold heels, pearls.

Sunday, I spent cherished hours with hubbs. He'll be in crazy long rehearsals soon and then leaves for Vegas and O as soon as he closes his current show, so I'm soaking up whatever I can get. We skipped church in favor of sleep and time together and then headed out to a Beer Brunch. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but it was quite pleasant and my coffee cake was a hit. That's what happens when you bake things like your mom does. :) We did other things that day, but today is Wednesday and my brain is already looking ahead to the weekend.

I made a pinwheel!

Tomorrow morning I take The Fluffy One in to get spayed. Am I crazy for being nervous for her? She's been extra cuddly tonight, probably because she senses doom. Good bye, lady parts... Hello, weight gain. If I'm this careful about a kitty, goodness knows how I'll be when I have children. Hopefully we've got a few years yet until we test that.

And now for my real story...

My car has a moon roof. Lately I've been keeping it open on my drive home from work because the weather has been lovely. I ALWAYS remember to close it when I park at my apartment. Always. Well, last night it rained. And it just so happened that last night I forgot to close my moon roof.

Kristi Fail Number One.

When I walked out to my car in the morning I found about 1/4" of rain in my cup holders. Once I had assessed the damage (not much) I started cracking up as I brought a blanket from my trunk. The thought was to lay the blanket on the seat to protect myself from moisture. Which worked. But the blanket also dumped the sweet Southern California beach sand on my seat.

Kristi Fail Number Two.

I got to work, waited until the sun came out, and rolled down some windows. I had joked with one of the ladies I work with that the "scene" that morning was like the montage of the beginning of a movie character's awful day. Luckily there is no Kristi Fail Number Three here. The warm sun soaked up the water and so far my car smells fine. The moral of the story is: don't leave your moon roof open. What? Was that too obvious? Well, bummer.

Good night and good luck.

Who do you think you are?

Hubbs and I were talking about personality types the other day. I had done one particular type of test when I was an RA in college, then another one at work. Hubbs had recently taken a personality test, and wanted to compare results. However, I couldn't remember my results so, I googled and took a new test!

This is part of the compulsive researcher in me. The flames are fed by the speed of the internet. :)

I took a few short tests (found on this site) that give you the four letter profile for Keirsey's Temperament Sorter and consistently received the same results: ISFJ. The crazy thing is that this is dead on. Check out my ISFJ summary here if you're interested.

This is where you'll want to stop reading if you clicked on my blog for entertainment.

You can't say I didn't warn you. :)

As I was reading my results tonight, I kept noticing the little things that have been working me up lately. This is by no means a rant post, but I've been feeling indignant about the way people I care about have been treated. If you're snazzy and you've read my summary, you'll note that ISFJs are hardworking and loyal (sometimes to a fault on both accounts). We are also traditional in our values and develop close friendships. Sometimes it is even hard for us to share our raw feelings with those outside our very close circles. I think this is why I feel for people so often, because I know how hard it can be to share.

Sidenote: I'm not some sort of crazy socially-isolated person. Please know that. I just enjoy some privacy from time to time. :)

Anyway, all of this specific thought is translated into vague blogging (because the freedom of the internet encourages me to censor myself) which pushes me to question what I believe about people, boundaries, and right and wrong.

I tend to believe that people are good.
I tend to believe that boundaries will remain safely in place.
And I tend to believe that right will prevail. 

But people are not always good.
Boundaries are often broken.
And sometimes the villains keep winning.

Some would call that injustice. Although who are we to determine justice when we live by the grace of God?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. That Bible verse has been cemented in my brain and my heart for many years and has just more recently made a lot more practical sense. This, too, raises more questions for me, though! To what extent to we let God just do things and when do we determine that we need to take action? I know prayer is action, so don't try correcting me on that, but I mean saying and doing things that might be difficult or dangerous; hoping that your efforts will be of some help to someone. At the same time, when we want to take action, we need to consider the feelings of others. All of this makes protecting people more complicated than the traditional ideas with which we are raised.

I suppose I'm raising more questions than answers. I have half a mind to delete this post, but if you read my blog I may owe it to you to allow you to see another facet of me. Although, if you DO read my blog, you're probably my friend and you know some of what I've expressed already. :)

Sorry if this theological quandary wasn't what you were expecting or seeking as entertainment. I promise my entries aren't all like this. I suppose I'll just close out with these lyrics to one of my favorite hymns.

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!



If you've got thoughts, ideas, opinions, or a personality to share... I'd love to hear it!

A dinosaur ate my hat!

Ok, so I can't actually let the dino take the blame...

I may be chopping up a straw hat I bought years ago and then replaced with a cuter and floppier one. I'm going to a tea party in the very near future and I'm supposed to wear a "tea hat." Now, googling that term brought up quite a few vintage options.

Not my photo, but I'm a fan of the style and hats.

So I did my Etsy search in case I found something buyable. But since I'm a cheapskate glutton-for-punishment creative lady I thought I'd try to fashion my own. I've done something similar for the costume shop I worked in and I think my millinery skills are just itching to be used. :) Plus, I'm having a crafty night tomorrow with some lady friends and that will be a good project.

Cut it up and cover her with flowers! The "before" shot. Obviously not my favorite hat.

Today I discovered that I need to be more adventurous with my food choices. I've been reading a Mary Higgins Clark book that described a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato slices once or twice (or maybe my brain multiplied it?) and I had to give it a go! Sooooooooo delicious! Next time I'm adding sliced peppers and maybe some salsa. This could really escalate my already high cheese consumption, but I'll do it in the name of culinary adventure.

I've been storing up more ideas for my Etsy shop lately. So far I'm thinking felt wreaths, hair accessories, man/lady scarves, skirts, and beanies. These are all things I can make pretty well and that won't be too brutal of a cost up front. They are also things I enjoy making. And I suppose that is the trick. Make what you like and hopefully others will also. We shall see.

Felt bow headband I made.

Kitty helper while I crochet.

Skirts we made! Bad picture, cute skirts.

Well, I guess it is time to start cleaning, cutting, and kittening. :) See you later!

Beauty!

I think this weekend has been one where I've noticed beauty around me. Sometimes I think we get that gift to appreciate the art and light God has put around us. I'm not one of those who waxes poetic (I don't have the skills, believe me), but this makes me think of the millions of exquisite ways we could describe the lovely world around us. A few pictures follow (not including the lion one) that illustrate my point in a slight way.

Hubbs and I went grocery shopping after a great church service today. We decided to go to Trader Joe's and I fell victim to the whiles of the flirty ranunculus. I saw one bunch in the flower buckets that would perfectly compliment our living room and walked up to hubbs with puppydog eyes. Needless to say, I got the flowers. :) I guess it didn't hurt that they were only $3.99.

These colors with a purple wall? Irresistible.

We didn't have a proper vase that fit them correctly, so... Mississippi Mud bottle it is.

Friday at work I spent some time in the Lion Mascot suit for an event our office was holding. Let me be totally honest here: gross! I originally volunteered not thinking it would be 80 degrees outside and a million degrees inside the suit. However, I got lots of high fives and silly dancing in. I'm probably six inches too short for the suit, but it was fun. The not fun and gross part was the excessive sweating I did. That is why I'll never volunteer for it again.

Yep. Me.

Friday night I spent time sewing with a friend, teaching her how to read and use a simple pattern. It was totally fun and we're going to wear what we made tomorrow to work. :) The skirts look totally different because of the prints we used, but it is fun to show off your handiwork. Pictures to be posted soon. Promise.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling awful. Apparently I have bronchitis and it is fairly difficult to sleep through the night when you are hacking. Luckily hubbs sleeps like a log so I didn't feel the need to resign myself to the couch. When hubbs got up for Saturday rehearsal, I moved to the living room and fell asleep to some sort of cake mastery programming. When hubbs got home and my nap was over we took a trip to The Spectrum, which was gorgeous, so that we could walk and shop. I found an adorable ladybug sweater that reminds me of being a little girl again, but in a good way.

I know you were just waiting for a picture of the Fluffy One.

That night we got to see Light in the Piazza at South Bay Cities Civic Light Opera. We got $65 tickets for free because of hubbs' connections! Too bad it wasn't that good. Don't get me wrong, the actors/vocalists were great. Light in the Piazza is almost an opera as far as style went, so I really appreciated that. But the script was awful. Talk about underdeveloped characters and conflict that doesn't follow through to its full potential. Sheesh. Overall, though, it was a good experience and I'm glad we went. It was a sweet date.

...

Now I'm drinking an artistic Gin and Tonic (one of my favorites) while finishing a WWE PayPerView with hubbs and our bud. We met a WWE crew member last night and I think I scored some brownie points with hubbs when I started asking him questions about his time as a crew member. Anyway, I should probably go so that I can watch the breaking news. Ciao!

Bubbles on a lime! Delicious.