Ornamentation or How I’ve Coped for the Past 3 Years

I still carry on traditions in my adult life that I had from a young age. Not picking up my room…being goofy without explanation…crying when I’m exhausted…and getting a Christmas ornament every year. Since I started buying them for myself, I have enjoyed my search for a yearly tribute item.

This year, I bought some cupcakes to honor the wedding cupcake adventure and other baking exploits. There was no scone available to commemorate the Sunday of Orthodoxy incident, sorry folks.

Butter-less Buttercream Icing: The Official Recipe

A friend of mine specifically requested the recipe for Buttercream Icing. You know, the one that contains ZERO butter.

And, in my traditional “I have to mess with everything” fashion, I have included my modifications below the recipe.

Field Research

Well, phooey! I had this blog/note all ready to go, minus pictures. Then I did some research on “Native Trees of Indiana” and my wonderful inspiration had to be edited.

But the more I calm down over my musings having to change, I can only think that this process is exactly what my grandpa taught me one day in third grade.

A Part of the Herd

There are a few times in my life that I have felt out of place. Very, very out of place. The times you look around and go, “I really don’t belong here.”

I love driving in the country. It’s peaceful and exhilarating. Cities are great, but I love exploring a curvy country road. It makes me feel like an adventurous pioneer with a purpose.

On one such curvy road, just off of I-65 south of Nashville/Franklin, Tennessee, I noticed some cattle like these.

From: http://wilkiranch.com/Black%20Angus%20Cattle.htm

Thanks to my dad, I know a little bit about cattle breeds. Let me emphasize little.

Hazel Shank and I become Best Friends

What can I say? I’m reliving my glory days of Facebook notes, and one of these days I’ll catch up and actually say what’s been going on in 2011 instead of 2009. I’m getting there, but until I get “there”, I’m “here” and you get to read about cake.

Adventures in the Cakehouse

Further adventures of cake decorating and how I left vocal performance pursuits. Ah, life – you’re fantastic!

Still wondering why there is no butter in BUTTERcream icing.

Two years ago, I finally decided that my sanity was more important than getting a Masters in Vocal Performance.  Due to a friend asking me to make cupcakes for her wedding, I took a cake decorating course to learn the basics. This is the first in my many kitchen escapades.

“When I was a single girl…”

Summer 2009, I was reclaiming my life, so to speak. But I had a moment and felt it worthy of my attention and writing.

Reflections on a birthday, youth and “being old.”

I first wrote this in July 2009, one year after a high school friend of mine was killed through an act of domestic violence. 3 years and counting after her death, I’m still processing my shock. I never thought I would know someone who was killed because of the will of another. The only thing I could think in the days following her death was, “I’m a girl from Kansas! This doesn’t happen to people from small town America!” But it does. So here are my thoughts regarding her life, death, and what I’m to change.

The Difference of Fresh, From Concentrate, and Crystallized

More of a summer thing than mid-autumn, but oh well.