Monday, January 31, 2011

Video of the Week

I saw this commercial on TV last night...it made me laugh...Enjoy!



I like the end.  "Hey Dark Side, get your feet of the car."

Have a great week everyone!

Yours affectionately,
A.H.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

First Goal Finished!

           On Friday I completed goal number number 9.

           #9. Make a chocolate cake from scratch.

           If I do say so myself, it was delicious!!

           Here is the recipe and pictures!


 Cake Ingredients:
    1 c. Butter
    2 c. Sugar
    2 Eggs
    1 c. Buttermilk (I made my own with
              1 T. Lemon Juice and 1 c. Milk)
    1/2 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    2 1/2 c. Flour
    2 t. Baking Soda
    1/2 t. Salt
    1 c. Boiling Water

   Side Note:
As I mentioned yesterday, I've been sick with a cold/nasty cough this weekend.  I just discovered a tea I really like so I've been sipping on it all weekend. Including while I made the cake.  Just an FYI, I washed my hands all the time and did not lick any spoons or beaters.  Anyhoo...this tea is a new favorite.


    Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and dust pans with cocoa.  (I really liked this, I usually use flour, but I'm going to try using different things.)

    Use 9 x 13 or 2 - 8" round pans.


    Sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

    In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.

    Beat in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately.  Mix just until incorporated.

    Add the boiling water and beat for one full minute.


     The recipe said bake for 30 to 40 min, but it was more like 50 to 60.

    So, the picture....I thought I had 2 - 8" pans...turns out I had 2 - 7" pans.  I just kept baking the cake like normal and this is what spilled over.

    Like I told my mom, when I called to ask her baking advice, I chose to look at this, not as a failure, but as...I get to eat cake for lunch!  Even the overflow cake was nummy.


    I baked the cakes in the morning so they would have lots of time to cool.  In the afternoon I made two batches of chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:
9 oz. Chocolate
1 c. Heavy Cream

The recipe called for bittersweet chocolate, I ended up using mostly bittersweet and a little semi-sweet.  I think next time I make it I'll use half and half or all semi-sweet chips.

Heat the cream until just boiling, stir occasionally.  Once it's boiling pour over chocolate chips.  Whisk until smooth.

    I made two batches of ganache.  The first one I let cool and then whipped until it was light and fluffy.  That was the filling and edging.  The second one I poured over the top, starting in the center.





    Here's the finished product!

    The girls I had over to help me eat it told me it was good.  So...goal number 9...check!









           319 days left.  24 goals to go.



Your's affectionately,
A.H.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Creative Cold

So, I'm feeling a bit under the weather today and I'm used my cold as an excuse to not do anything.  It really is a good excuse...my head is a little fuzzy from the cold medicines.  I started the day off by sleeping in and then proceeded to watch more episodes of Friends than I care to admit.  Then I decided to look over some blogs for new crafting projects and I found so many!!!  As I craft, I'll post pictures, but here is what I did today.


- I made an excellent calzone with Mama Teri pizza dough, filled with sausage and pepperoni.  It was very nummy.


- I made some of these boxes.  Which I ended up throwing away, but they made an excellent place to put the scraps from the rest of my crafting.


- Now for some pictures!  Here is my version of this tutorial.





I have no idea what I'll use it for, but I'm sure I can find something to organize.


This is my favorite craft of the day!





I will definitely be making another one when I get more buttons.  In full disclosure...this is my sister's lovely turquoise purse.  We are currently having a purse exchange.  I'm using, and loving, this purse and she has an antique red leather clutch that my mom game me.

I guess viruses make me crafty!  Tomorrow = homework time.

Yours affectionately,
A.H.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Video of the Weak

This week's video combines some of my favorite things...educational music videos, singing vegetables,  homophones, and so much more.

Without further ado...I give you the School House Polka.



Your's affectionately,
A.H.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

School of Library

The other day I was leaving class and heading upstairs into the main library.  (The School of Library and Information Science building is attached to the main library building.)  I hadn't put on my headphones yet and as I was walking I heard two young men walking behind me.  (Quite a few students walk through our building to get to the main library.)  This is what I heard.

"Dude, did you see on the outside of the building, it says School of Library."

(Laughter)

"Yeah that's funny."  (Ok, I'm not exactly sure how he responded, but it definitely less than witty.)

(In a mocking tone.) "Do people even go to school to be librarians?"

I promptly turned around and told him yes.


So to answer the young man and many people who have asked me...Yes, you can go to school to be a librarian.  And to answer my mocking (in a loving way) family...No, I haven't not taken any classes on the Dewey Decimal system.

So far I have taken/am taking classes about Reference, Basic Computer Skills, Materials for Youth, Public Library Management, Collection Development and Management, and Youth Library Services.  I have learned what Web 2.0 means, how to design a basic website from a blank notepad document (check it out), how to judge a children's book by more than the cover, and so much more.  Starting in March I'm taking a workshop about storytelling.  I wait in eager anticipation.

I have learned that I'm interested in tweens and how students make the transition from juvenile to young adult and eventually to adult fiction.

A friend got me this book for my birthday.


Apparently I'm learning to save the world.  Take that "school of library" guy.  

Your's affectionately,
A.H.

P.S. I hear we get our cape and ability to fly at graduation.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Video of the Week and a Message

Have you ever had a day where as the day goes on it becomes clearer that God has a message He wants you to hear?  I can't say I remember more than a handful, but yesterday was one of them.

I won't go into all the details, but this is what I learned yesterday.  God will never, ever look at me, sigh in exasperation and walk away.  Or in my pastor's words...God will never say, "Sorry, but this just isn't going to work out" when it comes our relationship.  I know that this is not a new revelation, but it was just what I needed to hear.  So after a day of being told this...I get in my car on my way home and this song plays on the radio.

Enjoy the video of the week!



Yours affectionately,
A.H.

Monday, January 10, 2011

New Project!

I thought the first day of classes this semester would be a great time to start my second quilt!!  So...this is what I did this what I did this evening.


I started sewing three inch squares together!  I finished my first quilt this fall after staring it seven years earlier.  I promised myself this one won't take that long.  I'm so excited!!  

Your's affectionately,
A.H.

Video of the Week Revival

Throughout my time as an undergrad, I sent out a video of the week to some friends.  Over Christmas break they asked me to start again.  So here it is...the return of video of the week, blog style.

I thought I'd start things off with one of my favorite YouTube people.  This guy's name is Mike Tompkins and he covers popular songs and produces them using sounds from only his voice and mouth.

I watched this cover and then watched about 30 seconds of Rihanna's video.  Yeah...that it was wierd...this is much better.  Enjoy!


Your's affectionately
A.H.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Failure

So...Apparently I'm not very good at blogging.  One more thing I have learned about myself this year.

In case my infrequent posts didn't prove my lack of blogging skills...this blog did.


In short...the writer lays out seven different rules.

1. Write Regularly - Whoops - Grade: F

2. Don't Tell Anyone You've Started a Blog for at Least a Month - Again...Whoops!  I can't contain myself; if I'm excited about something I tell people.  For example, every Christmas I promise myself I'm going to keep all my gifts a secret, but by the time Christmas rolls around my mom, dad, and sister know exactly what I'm getting everyone else.  This happens without fail every year.  - Grade: F

3. Write About What You Know and Care About Without Being a Narcissist - So I don't think I'm a narcissist, but do narcissist's ever think they are talking about themselves too much. Is it comparative to the whole...crazy people don't worry about being crazy.  Narcissists don't worry about being narcissists because they never think they talk about themselves too much?  I don't know.  - Grade: ?

4. Be Proactive. Don't Be a Jerk. - I'm not a jerk...not sure if I'm proactive...maybe in setting my own goals I encouraged someone to set their own.  Look at me...I'm inspiring...Or maybe we're back to the whole narcissist thing again.  - Grade: B-

5. Don't Spend alot of Time on the Technical Stuff - Yeah, I'm not even going to tell you how long it took me to set up my blog so I like the way it looked. - Grade: A  (I don't care what he says...I think it looks great!)

6. Capture Ideas When They Come - I think this plays into the whole "Write Regularly" thing.  Once again...whoops.  Part of the problem is confidence.  A week or so after I started this blog I was reading an article about Web 2.0 and how blogs and wikis make everyone feel like their opinion matters, like everything any person with a web connection says is important.  (I was reminded of the statement...if everyone is special than no one is.)  Reading several statements like that took the proverbial wind out of my sails.  Why did I think that is what I have to say is important, interesting, or funny?  What makes it worth my time to write out my thoughts or yours to read this?  - Grade: Incomplete, to many questions.

7. Focus Without Being Too Narrow - I suppose my focus is on my 25 goals.  Doesn't sound to narrow to me.  - Grade: A

Well, despite my less than brilliant start, I will continue my monthly (maybe I'll amp it up to twice a month) ramblings until my 25th birthday.  Who knows maybe by next December I'll be a blogging sensation.  (Damn...is that narcissism again?  I have got to learn the exact definition.)  

Yours affectionately,
A.H.