monkey cupcakes

this is more of a tip than a recipe but makes the most adorable monkey cupcakes. my boyfriend loves monkeys so when i saw this in a cupcake decorating book i had to replicate it.



you will need:
box cake mix (i like using chocolate or devils food cake but you could do marble cake or yellow if you prefer)
store-bought chocolate icing
vanilla wafers
nutter butter cookies
m&m's
twizzlers


directions:
1- bake cupcakes from a box cake mix
2- after cupcakes cool, ice with chocolate icing
3- make the ears of the monkey by slicing nutter butter cookies in half
4- make the mouth of the monkey by cutting a little off of a vanilla wafer
5- make the eyes by using m&m's (make eyes by putting a little of the chocolate icing on with a toothpick)
6- make the nose by using chocolate icing on a toothpick to make 2 dots
7- either use chocolate icing to draw on a mouth (using a toothpick) or slice up the twizzlers to make a mouth and tongue
8- to make the hair (optional) i put a dab of icing on the top in different designs for whatever hairstyle i wanted the monkey to have

pie tartlets

one my favorite "easy to make but looks like a ton of work" recipes is pie tartlets. for not a ton of effort, they look like you've been slaving all day. my only tip for these is that they don't tend to keep for very long. so be sure to only make as much as you need or eat them all within a day or so.



ingredients:
pre-made rolled pie crust
canned pie filling (i like cherry, peach, or apple but you can use any kind at all)
a little flour (for rolling)
(seriously that's it!)

you'll need:
rolling pin
cupcake pan

to make:
preheat oven and defrost the pie crust (per the instruction on the box). use a little flour and roll out the pie crust. cut rounds out of the pie crust so they fit a little bigger than the cupcake tins (i like to use a cup flipped upside down but the bottom of the pie filling can works well too). push the pie crust rounds into the cupcake tins. then poke holes in them with a fork. bake at the pie crust until lightly browned. let cool slightly. spoon pie filling into the tart shells. you can then put them back in the oven (if you'd like to serve warm) or you can just leave them and let them cool. i like to top them with a little whipped cream (because it's so pretty) but that is totally optional.

bean burgers

i love this recipe. it may not sound like the best recipe but is actually very delicious. and most of the items in the recipe come from the pantry. no meat but you won't miss it. great recipe to make a double batch of and freeze. when you are ready to make, just pull one (or however many you need) burger(s) out of the freezer and put them in the fridge about 6-12 hours ahead.

you will need:
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed, then crushed by hand so all of the beans are split
1 1/2 cups of tortilla chips crushed (take a bag of tortilla chips and put them in the food processor until the consistency of large breadcrumbs, or just put them in a zip bag and pound with a rolling pin)
1-2 eggs (depending on the size)
3-4 tablespoons chopped green onion (can use red or yellow onion if that's what you have handy)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (more or less according to your taste)
1-2 cloves minced garlic (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
guacamole (i prefer pre-made but you can make your own)


to make the burgers:
first take about 1/4 of the crushed tortilla chips and put them on either a plate or a container you are going to store the burgers on / in.

then mix the beans, egg, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper together (either by hand or GENTLY in a food processor). then form into burgers and place on the bed of crushed tortilla chips. then cover with more crushed tortilla chips to form a crust on the burgers.

to cook:
coat a nonstick frying pan with vegetable oil over medium heat. cook burgers until outside is nice and brown. serve with guacamole on the side.

best brunch salad

i wanted to make something for my boyfriend and i for brunch one day but was not in the mood for something too sweet. came up with this delicious salad which is a spin-off of a spinach warm bacon salad. it's great for brunch but i also love it for lunch or a light dinner with a glass of wine.



for the salad:
salad greens (i recommend baby romaine, baby spinach, 50/50 baby mix, or spring mix, whichever you like best)
bacon, cooked in strips and then cut into bite sized pieces
goat cheese, crumbled
tomatos (either slices if roma, beefsteak, or on the vine tomatoes or halved if grape or cherry tomatoes)
onion (red or white, whichever you like, or optional)
walnuts (in pieces)
poached egg

for the dressing:
dijon mustard
finely diced shallot (or garlic if you don't have shallot)
white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, whatever you have on hand)
olive oil (or bacon fat from cooking bacon, whichever you prefer)
splash of lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

to assemble:
mix the dressing in a jar and shake well to combine. place greens in serving dish and top with the other salad toppings putting poached egg on top. drizzle with dressing.

black forest cupcakes

before this recipe i'd only heard of black forest cake. but when i found out it is my boyfriend's favorite cake i knew i had to make it for him for his birthday. unfortunately i didn't have any cake pans (only cupcake pans). so i had to do a bit of research on the internet and get creative. they actually turned out so awesome i knew i had to share this recipe. if you make these, i promise you won't be disappointed.







black forest cupcakes

ingredients:
1 box chocolate (or devil's food) cake mix
eggs and oil (as instructed by the box mix)
1 can cherry pie filling
1/4 cup kirschwasser (or you can leave it out if you don't feel like buying it)
pint (to maybe a quart of) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
cherries (fresh with stem on)
coating chocolate (can find on the baking aisle in a microwavable cup) *i've used milk chocolate and dark chocolate, both are good, so whichever you like best (or can find)
chocolate springs (optional)

steps:
1- bake cake mix according to directions into cupcakes and let cool
2- wash and dry cherries. melt coating chocolate. holding cherry by stem, dip into coating chocolate. place on piece of cling wrap to cool. place in fridge until cool.
3- brush tops of cupcakes with kirschwasser (if using) and let stand for 15 minutes
4- cut a small round bit out of the top of each cupcake (like a V shape going down) and remove
5- fill cupcake with cherry pie filling (don't overfill too much)
6- whip cream and powdered sugar until stiff and place in piping bag
7- cover top of cupcake with cream, top with a few chocolate sprinkles, and put one chocolate covered cherry on top
8- devour the most delicious cupcake you've ever eaten!!

my kind of town

*post written 9/13*

just got back from my first trip ever to las vegas. had so much fun with my boyfriend and best friend while i was there. we went to celebrate my 25th birthday and did it in style. went during the week, which i highly recommend because it isn't as super crowded. not sure how we planned it so well but we went on the one week in september that wasn't super hot- weather was actually quite pleasant. we stayed at the mgm grand which is a very nice hotel but massive. so many places to get lost. we visited other hotels like: new york new york, excalibur, luxor, the stratosphere, ceasar's palace, and (my favorite) the bellagio. so many places to shop, things to see, and great restaurants. the best one by far was wolfgang puck's restaurant at the mgm grand. i think we ate there like 3 times during our trip. the best buffet was for sure at the bellagio where (tip) if you go at 10:30AM you can get both breakfast and lunch foods! the fountains at the bellagio were my favorite sight-seeing thing while i was there. and james and i even got to go to see a cirque du soleil show "o" while in vegas (thanks to my dad). it was mind-blowing and the best show i have ever seen for sure.

you know when i had planned to go to vegas i had people tell me all kinds of things. i was a bit worried before i went that i wasn't going to like it, it would be too touristy, and that it would be dirty and gross. but i was pleasantly surprised. such a wonderful vacation that i will never forget.

on to the next

so after living a year and a half of my life as a road warrior, i have decided to stray to the road less traveled so to speak. i have chosen to leave my job with Micros to pursue a job that will give me weekends off (during football season no less!). it was a fun time and i learned an immense amount. but i am very excited to see where my next job will lead me and how my journey in life will continue on...

so now i will be living a "normal" life and i could not be more excited about it. i look forward to having to fight traffic on the way to work, having a cup of coffee on sunday mornings and clipping coupons out of the newspaper, being able to cook dinner at home during the week, and packing lunch for work. being able to go to pub crawls in orlando on a friday night, joining friends for football games at UCF on a saturday, and so much more. a normal 8-5 job will never be more appreciated by anyone, ever. i promise.

my next traveling adventure won't be too far off however. i am planning a trip to las vegas for my birthday this year. it sure will be a different experience traveling for pleasure / a vacation rather than for business. i've never been to las vegas so this should be a fun trip. i figure going while i'm young is the best time to go so i can enjoy it.

i've decided to keep this blog up, in case i find exciting things to comment on through out my journey of what life has to offer to me. so even though i've changed my path, i'm still heading towards the future...

"available for purchase"

so i recently few out to bakersfield, ca and back for a short work trip. here is my current rantings about this trip:
i'm not sure what has happened to the airline industry, or why some airlines can operate with a profit by NOT charging for bags and by giving certain amenities away and others have to nickel and dime you for everything. i recently flew on united airlines, which i have absolutely no status on- or in other words, i never fly on them so they don't really care about me. my flight out was from orlando to denver. i figured since it is a 3.5 hour flight that i would at least get a blanket and pillow, but no of course not. on the way back home i had a direct flight from san francisco to orlando. on this 5.5 hour flight i was CERTAIN that there must be some kind of in flight meal provided. oh boy was i wrong again. they did however have certain meal snacks "available for purchase". $6 for a cheese tray with 4 crackers. i don't understand. i mean i paid over $1000 round trip for the ticket and the airline will definitely go under if they provide a snack box for free that probably costs them $2-3 at most?! i doubt it.
i've flown on southwest which doesn't charge for bags but isn't going bankrupt, i've flown on continental where i got a free lunch on a flight from houston to orlando and they aren't going bankrupt, so why can't all airlines provide some sort of amenities or conveniences? some things i may never know...

from the bottom to the top

so two days ago i was in el paso, tx on the mexico/us border. today i am in malone, ny which is awfully close to the canada/us border. my job has literally taken me from one side of the country to the other. from almost as far south as you can get in the contiguous us to almost as far north as you can get.

had a crazy travel day today. note: my first time on jetblue. plane was nice, individual tv's are a plus, terra veggie chips are also a plus, super delayed flight = not so much. had to rush around the boston airport: which, please note, is NOT a fun one when you have to change terminals. my grandma can surely tell you her story of her cape air escapade. i felt her pain today. shockingly, i made it on my connecting flight, after having to be escorted by a us air employee through the security check-point. when flying out, i forgot how pretty boston actually is. it had been quite some time since i've been there. thought i was going to have to spend the night there-- and i'm a little bummed i didn't get to.

i got to drive 1 hour here from the airport. its very rural here, but pretty. i was instructed upon picking up my rental car: to watch out for deer and that my gps won't work here. no cell service and lots of "wind farms" which are a bit eerie looking at 9pm. listening to canadian radio stations the whole way here and in case you ever wondered where maple syrup came from- this is it. just wish i hadn't misplaced my passport otherwise i'd go to canada. i'm only 15 minutes from the border and 1 hour from montreal. oh well, maybe next time. the one thing i am CRAZY thankful for is the fact that it is july. i can't imagine how this place looks in february. the only thing i know is i never would have made the drive if it was.

around the world

sparked by my last post...

current mileage totals:
american - 25,251
delta - 23,911
us air - 14,643
southwest - 9 CREDITS (if you equivalent this out to 500 miles / average flight then it equals 4,500 miles)
continental- 2,848
airtrain - 2 CREDITS (if you equivalent this out to 500 miles / average flight then it equals 1,000 miles)

total mileage: 72,153 (and the year is only half over!!)

autobiography

so i finally saw the movie "up in the air"- and let me just say that it may not be my autobiography but i can certainly relate to it. getting the most frequent flyer miles, being enrolled in every loyalty club under the sun, and being in a different city each week is definitely how i live my life.

i have come to the realization that with over 25,000 miles flown on delta this year and over 25,000 miles flown on american airlines this year also that i have the potential to be a 100,000 mile flyer over the course of one year. i know i travel a lot but that number is astronomical. that's the equivalent of flying around the globe over 4 times around (the equator). all i can hope for in the future is a few more free upgrades to first class...

up in the air

while most people are terrified of flying i get a sense of peace from it. something about being up in the air, so far from the ground, gives everything in my life a bit of perspective. when you can see so many miles and all of the clouds in the sky, a little bit of paperwork at the office doesn't seem like such a concern. i'm also sure it has something to do with the fact that once i get off of the plane that all of the stress from being at work truly hits me. so much to do, so many long shifts, all of the deadlines and hectic days. while looking out the window at 35,000 feet those things seem so much less important. the world seems so small and life so full of possibilities.

puddle jumper

dear st. louis, i am sure that you are probably a great city. your airport, however, sucks. a 4 hour layover included a whole bunch of nothing followed by boredom. minimal shopping and dining was also included. you should seriously step your game up. suggestion: a pedicure would have been nice. sincerely, travelingal

today i had the privilege of flying Cape Air. to those of you who have been to martha's vineyard before (via air)- this story may be a bit familiar. at the ticket counter i had to tell the agent how much i weigh so that the plane could be balanced. then while at the gate we simply filed out the door to board the cessna 12 seater plane. i was then instructed that i could not take my carry-on bag aboard, so instead i had to stow it in the wing of the plane. next i crawled through the tiny entrance door and up the mini aisle (about the size of an aisle of a minivan) to the seat directly behind the pilot. he then turned around and shouted to the passengers "thanks for flying cape air. turn your cell phones off now and buckle up, we'll be leavin in a minute" while the baggage handlers shoved our checked luggage into the nose of the plane. we were then notified that the emergency exits are the door we just entered through and the tiny window next to the pilot. "i know what window i'm jumping out of!" i thought to myself. my knees are now firmly in the back of the pilot's seat and i am overlooking all of the flight instruments. i am, for all intensive purposes, IN the cockpit. luckily i had ear plugs (which made every other passenger insanely jealous of me) which were quite handy indeed. took off during the sunset which was very pretty. flew at only about 5,000 feet and arrived in cape girardeau, mo 45 minutes later. by far the smallest airport i've ever seen. apparently they are having an air show (which is a big deal around here) this weekend. i'm a bit worried since my flight out of here is at 2pm on saturday and it seems like all 35,000 inhabitants of this city will be at that air show. will be interesting.

boo

things i learned today: working from home sucks- but not as much as having strep throat, barely being able to talk, having glands the size of golf balls, being groggy from lots of pain medication, AND having to work from home is. my boss is a slave driver and thats only because her boss is coming down on her big time so she is making us do tons of things that aren't our jobs. its not like other departments help us out when we have to fly back-to-back between sites because we are busy!

its the final countdown

i am sooooooo looking forward to my VERY well deserved beach vacation in captiva. this is always my favorite time of year and favorite place, probably in the entire world. since i went last year, i've been to a lot of other places in this country and i feel like i can definitely say that i will appreciate it more now. i have been to some not so great places and i have worked really, really hard. i NEED this time off to relax and recharge my batteries. i'm only going to be able to be there for 4 days but i wish it was going to be much longer.

white sandy beaches, lounging poolside reading a book, going on bike rides under oak tree canopies, walking barefoot on the beach at sunset, going on a day-long boat outing with my family- i mean could it get any better??

you will note that i've added a countdown timer to this blog post. yes that is exactly how excited i am.

hooray??

so all of my hard work is finally paying off: my boss called me today to tell me that they are giving me a raise because i am way underpaid. finally they realize what i've been trying to get them to see for quite some time. i am very happy with the raise, although i won't see it for a few paychecks. yet i am still unhappy with my job.

but since i can't complain, i'll let others do it for me:

reviews about working for Micros- from those who have worked at Micros
http://www.jobvent.com/micros-systems-inc--job-reviews-C9486?PageNum=1
**disclaimer** the reviews on this site are BRUTAL and sometimes explicit.

great sites

about poorly designed boarding passes- and provides solutions:
http://passfail.squarespace.com/

about poorly designed airline websites- and provides solutions:
http://dustincurtis.com/dear_american_airlines.html

i hear things like this each time i fly:
http://www.clarksys.com/blog/2008/03/27/american-airlines-sucks/

people watching

as i sat in the atlanta airport for my two and a half hour layover (that i wasn't really thrilled about) i started people watching. mainly because they do NOT have free wifi in that airport. things i noticed:
- i saw two separate women walking through the airport with bouquets in their hands. its a sunday so i'm assuming they are brides going on their honeymoons. but neither had a husband with them and both had some CRAZY looking hair. guess they had a good wedding night LOL
- i saw a bunch of people walking through the airport with headphones AND sunglasses on. i understand the headphones- it says to people: don't even talk to me because i'm not interested in hearing it. but the sunglasses?? what does that say? i don't want to look at you? or its too bright inside this building? heck if i know.
- if your hoodie says that you are "so hood" you probably aren't. if you have to take you "bling bling" off to go through security, i think everyone would appreciate it if you didn't go through the "expert traveler" lane at the airport.

guilty pleasures

since i don't have cable tv at home (yes times are tough and it is a pretty easy expense to cut- although i never thought a tv junkie like me would ever say that) i find myself watching some odd tv when i am away from home. tv is a nice company in a lonely hotel room. some of the weird stuff i've been watching is:
- to catch a predator: which is not a good idea when the hotel you are staying in is in a seedy part of town.
- wedding shows: NO clue why i keep watching these but all of the friends and family in them always makes me miss home.
- 16 and pregnant, intervention, hoarders: these shows just make me feel better about my own life. i mean as long as you AREN'T on this show then you must be doing something right.
- a documentary on air force one: i think i watched this simply because i fly in airplanes too much and the idea of flying on one that nice enticed me.

heee hawww

posted by popular demand:

i am currently in columbia, tennessee. the home of.... wait for it.... MULE DAY. yes that's right, ladies and gentlemen, mule day. a weekend in which 10,000 mules come to the city (so i'm sure it leaves a nice smell in the air). there are events such as: mule sale, mule driving show, mule pulling, knife auction, draft mule show, and of course the mule and donkey seminar. and the grand marshall is naomi judd. the most exciting thing, i think, seems to be the worlds largest mule. he holds the guiness world record standing at 6 feet 6 inches to his shoulders and his name is shorty. this is by far the most unique event out of anywhere i've ever traveled before.

for more information go to: www.muleday.net

i'm just really glad that it isn't for another week or two and i'm leaving on tuesday.