tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47200589754480512422024-02-07T19:27:07.073-08:00Things I Like to Eat (...and Other Nonsense)TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.comBlogger344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-4950423034455470482014-06-06T07:46:00.002-07:002014-06-06T08:04:15.673-07:00Recipe: Strawberry ShortcakesI've been on a sweets kick for the past few weeks and I've been whipping up a storm in the kitchen. And by whipping up a storm, I mean I made these twice.<br />
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Strawberry shortcake is one of those desserts that's so light and fluffy, it's just too easy to demolish a whole bunch of them in the span of time it takes to watch one episode of Judge Judy. Speaking of Judge Judy, did you see the primetime special that was on a few weeks ago? Did you see when they were showing footage of her when she was, like, in her 50's pumping iron at the gym like she was about to try out for Mr Olympia? YOU GO, J.J.!<br />
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<h3>
Classic Strawberry Shortcakes</h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-strawberry-shortcakes/370099a9-c927-4eae-93ba-ab66a455b996">Adapted from BettyCrocker.com</a></span><br />
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<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
4 cups strawberries (or however many you want)<br />
1/4 sugar (depends on the amount of strawberries)<br />
2 1/3 Bisquick mix<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
4 tbsp sugar<br />
3 tbsp butter, melted<br />
Heavy whipping cream<br />
Sugar, as needed<br />
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<h4>
Directions</h4>
1. Prep the strawberries several hours ahead- preferably a full day, if you have the time. Remove stems and slice. Top sliced berries with 1/2 cup sugar. Depending on how sweet and syrupy you want them to become, you may want to add more or less sugar. The syrup part is my favorite, so I tend to put like a shit ton of sugar on it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With blueberries, too.</td></tr>
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2. In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients just until combined. The dough will be lumpy. On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 6-8 spoonfuls, depending on how big you want them.<br />
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3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
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4. In a small bowl, add a couple of teaspoons of sugar to the liquid cream. Start there and add more depending on how sweet you want your whipped cream. Beat whipping cream until it reaches desired consistency. I like mine a little more on the soft, foamy side. Note: there's a fine line between "it's perfect" and "it's butter," so pay careful attention once your cream starts puffing up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fine line has been crossed.</td></tr>
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The crunchy shortcake with the strawberry syrup and cream- omg. These honestly take almost no effort to make and even less to eat. Now put them all together and kiss that diet goodbye.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-3051325037922309832014-04-15T07:10:00.001-07:002014-04-15T07:10:08.349-07:00Miss Kitty.When I was 19, I went with my friend Jessy for a weekend visit to her dad's house. He lived about 3 hours south-east in an area of southern California I'd never been to. When we got to Paul and Jan's house, we were greeted by a cat with a fluffy grey mane. She didn't have a name because nobody knew who she belonged to. The story was that one day, the cat came in through the doggy door and none of the dogs did anything about her. Jan was a little nutty and said that the cat would talk to her and tell her stories. The whole thing was pretty comical. And seeing how I've always loved cats, and this cat had no home, it was like we were destined for each other.<br />
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Over the span of the two days that we were there, I fell in love with the cat and decided I would keep her. Jessy and I went to a local pet store, we bought a carrier, and the three of us headed home. At the time, I was kind of like a live-in nanny and I'm sure the woman I lied with was probably like "Wtf" when I brought a cat home. Thankfully, she was totally okay with my impromptu plan and the cat stayed.<br />
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About a year or so later, during the summer, I moved out of the of family house and into a fraternity house at UCLA. I took the cat, Miss Kitty, with me. Not too long after our move, Miss Kitty went missing. I remember sitting on the disgusting couch in my dorm room, crying on the phone to my mom about how Miss Kitty probably got lost and how she didn't know the area, etc. I felt awful. I walked all around Westwood, looking under cars, calling her name like a crazy person. I ended up finding that damn cat sitting in some girl's apartment window, nice and cozy as I was sopping wet from the rain.<br />
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You better believe I knocked on their door and got my cat back.<br />
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As time went on, my life took me here and there. When I went back to college, I moved into a dorm where there were no pets allowed. I went backpacking across Europe. I got married. All the while, Miss Kitty stayed with my mom. Mom was always home and they kept each other company. And every time I'd visit, I'd get my Kitty fix. She was always game for dressing up. And she loved talking. Like, nonstop back-and-forth meow sessions. Always full of zest, she was one of those cats that would come barreling down the stairs meowing left and right as soon as she heard someone enter the front door. And her thing as of the last few years was to rub her face on the phone whenever mom was on it. Being on the other end of many of these phone conversations, it sounded like phone was being massaged by a jackhammer. Miss Kitty was always purring. And always trying to get into some unsuspecting person's lap so she could inconspicuously make herself at home.<br />
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Look at those magnificent fluffs in motion</div>
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Recently, Miss Kitty starting getting sick. Mom had been mentioning the idea of "taking her in." Neither one of us wanted to do it, but we both knew the time was coming. She tried to prolong the inevitable as much as she could. Like when Miss Kitty stopped eating and mom kept her nibbling on baby food. Even though her body was shutting down, we didn't want to let her go.<br />
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Today, Miss Kitty passed away.<br />
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It's a hard thing to accept when a family pet is no longer there. All evening, there's been a lump in my throat the size of a golf ball. And my face keeps crumpling into a mess of snots and tears. I didn't think I would be so upset considering we hadn't been very close lately. But I think that's actually why I feel so bad. Miss Kitty had turned into a garage-cat over the past several months and I hardly spent any time with her. The last few times I was at mom's house, I didn't even make an effort to see her.<br />
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I feel guilty and wish I could go back in time. It's hard knowing I didn't get to say goodbye. And I didn't appreciate my last visit with her. And I didn't get to tell her how sweet she was.<br />
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In the end, she passed while being held in mom's arms. I can't think of a better way to go.<br />
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I love you Miss Kitty.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-42557184165033668732014-04-14T09:03:00.000-07:002014-04-14T09:03:56.887-07:00Recipe: Chicken Tortilla SoupYesterday morning, I woke up craving chicken tortilla soup. I'd never made it before, but I'd been thinking about it for a while.<br />
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I looked around at a few recipes and settled on one that seemed easy and had pictures that looked good. Which, if you read my blog regularly, is how I always make my best decisions.<br />
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<h3>
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup</h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/">Adapted from All Recipes</a></span></div>
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Ingredients</h4>
<div>
1 lb shredded chicken</div>
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1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed and chopped</div>
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1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce</div>
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3/4 large onion, chopped</div>
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1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers</div>
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3 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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2 cans chicken broth</div>
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1 tsp cumin</div>
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1 tsp chili powder</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1/4 tsp black pepper</div>
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2 bay leaves</div>
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1 (10 oz) package frozen corn</div>
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1 tbsp chopped cilantro</div>
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7 corn tortillas</div>
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vegetable oil</div>
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Directions</h4>
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1. Place all ingredients, from chicken to cilantro, in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. It doesn't get much easier than that.</div>
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2. To make tortilla crisps: slice tortillas into strips. Fry in oil. Sprinkle with salt. Warning: these little guys can go from floppy to charred in no time, so make sure to keep an eye on them.</div>
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3. Serve with lime wedges, chopped avocado, cilantro, sour cream, cotija cheese, or whatever else strikes your fancy. </div>
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This recipe gets a thumbs up from me, Eric, and my mom. And Mom usually has no problem telling me when my recipes suck. The only thing I'd try next time is to either use low-sodium broth or omit the salt. The soup was already plenty savory and I think the salt could be removed without affecting the overall flavor.</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-86008972500597577322014-04-04T07:57:00.001-07:002014-04-04T17:55:24.049-07:00Restaurant Review: Lucky'sA few months back, we were watching a show on the Food Network called <i>The Best Thing I Ever Ate</i>. Chef Cat Cora named <a href="http://www.luckys-steakhouse.com/">Lucky's</a> as her favorite dining spot for a strip steak and both Eric and I drooled over our TV. It was a <strike>little</strike> lot out of our price range, so I really wasn't expecting to go there any time soon.<br />
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Not to mention, it's in Montecito.<br />
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For those of you not familiar with the area, you probably have no idea what that is or that Oprah lives there or that it's definitely not a place for commoners like me.<br />
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Lucky's is located right on the main strip in Montecito. We lucked out with street parking directly across from the restaurant and it was free because it was after 6pm.<br />
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We started off with a cocktail. Eric ordered an Old Fashioned and I ordered the Blueberri Patch:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Stoli Blueberri, Sweet & Sour and a Secret Splash. Served chilled and up with a sugar rim. An Ezra Atwill original."</blockquote>
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I ordered the petit filet mignon. It was juicy and tender and came with grill marks that I don't even think were made with a marker. <i>This place is way better than Sizzler!, </i>I thought to myself. I asked for it medium and it was cooked to perfection- slightly blackened on the outside, pink through the middle. With just two saws of the knife, slices of meat were practically falling off. The steaks come with a sauce of your choice- I went with the peppercorn, based on our server's advise (who, by the way, was extremely helpful and friendly). It looked like a brown gravy and the flavor was rich and very buttery. There were whole peppercorns in it, but it definitely didn't have an overly peppery flavor.<br />
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Eric ordered the Bone-In New York, Delmonico. It was easily a larger cut than mine and, according to our server, had more marbling throughout. I tried a bite and it seemed pretty similar to the filet, but with a little more consistency.<br />
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For our sides, we went with a baked potato and the hashed browns with Gruyere cheese. The baked potato was topped with Cheddar and bacon and included a side of sour cream. The hash with Gruyere... A gooey, carboloaded treat.<br />
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Both potato versions were decadent and rich and you can't go wrong with either. But if you're going to splurge, do the Gruyere.<br />
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Worth noting: the steaks do not come with any sides. When you order a hunk of meat, you'll get a hunk of meat and that's it. I thought that was a little disappointing. Maybe that's just how fancy people eat. Fancy people hate side dishes.<br />
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If you're in the area and looking for a nice, quaint restaurant that oozes Santa Barbara style, head to Lucky's. Even if it's just for a drink, it's more than worth it.<br />
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(<i>Thank you, Eric, for the best birthday dinner ever.)</i><br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-2460757178221033622014-04-02T14:13:00.000-07:002014-04-02T14:13:03.541-07:00My Birthday: 34I turned 34 yesterday and I have to say, it doesn't feel much different from 33. Except that now, I expect to start receiving AARP mags and Boniva coupons in the mail.<br />
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The festivities began a little early when we had Pearl for the previous weekend. On a strong recommendation from a friend (Hi Miss), we took a little drive up the coast and had lunch at <a href="http://www.padarobeachgrill.com/">Padaro Beach Grill</a>. It was a beautiful day and everyone and their mom was there. Literally. Eric's mom and dad met us there.<br />
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It was a burger day all around and we took our time catching up on each other's stories.<br />
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Later that night, Eric, Pearl, and I went to see a local production of Willy Wonka. It was a little hokey, but I think that's pretty much par for the course. Pearl LOVED it and it provided some family time while also inspiring Pearl's creativity. A win-win, if you ask me.<br />
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As you can see, it was a packed house.<br />
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On my actual birthday, I was surprised with some low-key decorations at work...<br />
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And office cupcakes...<br />
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And a doctor's appt.<br />
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<i>Womp-womp.</i><br />
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But at least I was able to snag a good-looking recipe.<br />
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Last night, Eric took me out to a surprise dinner at a nice restaurant we'd never been to before. More on that to come...<br />
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All in all, my birthday was great. And best of all, I received a surprise gift straight out of my SkyMall dreams: <a href="http://www.ostrichpillow.com/">The Ostrich Pillow</a>.<br />
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34 is looking strong, my friends.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-67922564408817816152014-04-01T07:27:00.001-07:002014-04-01T07:27:45.971-07:0034 Years of Being Me.Today is my birthday.<br />
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I'll post a more in-depth post later. For now, just know that the chances of me looking like the picture above are slim to none and the chances of me looking like the picture below are 100% guaranteed.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-86918372446245456322014-03-18T21:10:00.002-07:002014-03-18T21:10:21.155-07:00New Things or Something-Something-Blog-TitleAs if being 1/2 real Catholic and 1/2 fake Jew wasn't enough of a guilt trip, Facebook just sent me a text reminding me that I haven't posted anything recently, basically asking what I'm doing with my life. <div>
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LOTS OF IMPORTANT THINGS, OKAY FACEBOOK???</div>
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And by important things, I'm actually kind of leaning more towards not important things. Like watching The Bachelor. Did you watch it this season? I think I'm the only woman on the planet who's not smoking bachelor crack and hating all over his Venezuelan ass (Is that where he's from? I don't even know.). Nobody and their mom should have been surprised that JP was a party hard Bachelor4Life; he wreaked of it when he was on the previous season. Except all the dumb stay-at-home-moms drooled all over him and called the producer hotline nonstop trying to get him in the hot seat. Anyway, on the final episode when Chris Harrison kept asking the same damn question over and over again like he had Tourette's and JP was like "I'm not telling her I love her" I was like "GOOD. You stay strong, JP. If homie don't love her and homie don't want to marry her, homie don't play that." Even if the whole thing was a farce and they split up like a day after the show ended, whatever. The whole thing is a shitshow anyway.</div>
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<i>"Hola muchachas, let's make besos."</i></div>
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Did you watch the HBO series, True Detective, featuring the devilishly handsome Matthew McConaughey and the devilishly ugly Woody Harrelson? Eric and I watched every episode, feverishly studying the clues and the behind-the-scenes interview to solve the mystery on our own. In the end, it totally fell flat and everything that you expected to happen, happened. (Eric disagrees with me on this and thinks the ending was fantastic.)</div>
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BABE ALERT. And then there's Woody H. too.</div>
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Speaking of Facebook, it's really been showcasing all of my acquaintances worst, most annoying habits lately, making me question why I even associate with these people. I'm probably just being hateful, but probably not actually. The philosophical posts that have a facade about being about nothing at all but are really more like giant red "I'm crazy" flags are the best/worst. Like when girls post inspirational shit about if you love a woman, you treat her right and buy her a truck and feed her dog and blah blah blah. Which is basically a one-way message obviously directed straight to their significant other who has apparently mistreated them recently. </div>
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Dumb.</div>
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As for annoying things going on in my own life, that's much less interesting. Life has been good, which makes for unfunny blog post business. For now, I'll continue to eat my Fruit Loops and Cheetos for dinner and post politically-incorrect-but-funny internet things.</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-59989829820359670422014-02-18T09:45:00.002-08:002014-02-18T09:45:39.949-08:00Recipe: White Velvet Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream FrostingLast week, there was a Valentine's Day bake-off at work and I was drawing a blank on what to bring. I knew that I wanted to try something from scratch- i.e. no box cake. After a few minutes of Googling around, I found a recipe for White Velvet Cupcakes and matched it up with a recipe for Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.<br />
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The directions called for using the blessed Kitchenaid mixer- which by the way, I've had for six years and have managed to never use because I feel like it's the fanciest thing I'll ever own and therefore need to preserve it for as long as possible.<br />
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Long story short, the ingredients were all items I had here at home, the directions were easy to follow, and unfortunately I did not win the $20 Target gift card at work. (Cinna-Mon-Amour won; cinnamon + cream cheese? Please. It wasn't even a fair battle). But! I did get second place votes and someone asked me for my recipe, so at least there's that.<br />
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Yesterday was my mom's birthday and I made her the same cupcake/frosting combo. The directions were even easier the second time around and with the amendments I made below, yielded a more balanced flavor.<br />
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I feel like I'm ready to open my own bakery.<br />
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<h3>
White Velvet Cupcakes</h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/white-velvet-cupcakes-with-earl-grey-buttercream/">Adapted from this recipe at Fifteen Spatulas</a></span><br />
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Cupcake Ingredients</h4>
3 large egg whites<br />
10 tbsp milk (sounds weird, I know)<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 cups sifted all purpose flour MINUS 4 TBSP<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1 stick salted butter between 65 and 75 degrees (or on the coolish side)<br />
(<i>Frosting recipe below photos</i>)<br />
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Directions</h4>
1. Preheat oven to 350F (176C).<br />
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2. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites, 3 tbsp of milk, and vanilla until combined. It will smell and look like horchata.<br />
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3. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the rest of the milk and mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 90 seconds.<br />
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4. With the mixer on medium low speed, slowly add half of the egg mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and repeat with the remainder of egg mixture. It will be thick, like pancake batter.<br />
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5. Pour into lined cupcake pan; fill to approximately half full. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.<br />
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6. Once cupcakes have cooled, top with frosting and enjoy!<br />
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UPDATE: My mom, niece, Eric, and I all loved them. It was noted that the frosting was the best part. My brother-in-law thought they were muffins. I'm not sure what that says about my baking/presentation skills.<br />
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<h3>
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting</h3>
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<a href="http://addapinch.com/cooking/2013/06/20/strawberry-buttercream-frosting-recipe"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Add a Pinch</span></a></div>
<h4>
Frosting Ingredients</h4>
1 basket of strawberries, sliced<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
2 sticks of salted butter<br />
4.5 cups confectioner's sugar<br />
1 tbsp vanilla extract<br />
2 tbsp milk (optional)<br />
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<h4>
Directions</h4>
1. In a small saucepan, combine strawberries, water, and granulated sugar and bring to a boil over medium low heat. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Chill for 20 minutes or store for future use.<br />
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2. Cream butter and 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, then add 1 tbsp of the strawberry syrup. Repeat until all of the sugar and 7 tbsp of the strawberry syrup have been added. Add vanilla and beat on high for about 20 seconds.<br />
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3. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add milk, starting with 1 tbsp at a time. (Both times that I made the frosting, I didn't need milk at all.)<br />
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4. Use immediately or refrigerate up to three days. To bring frosting back to life after refrigeration, allow to reach room temperature, then beat on low until smooth.<br />
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Note: My frosting didn't turn out very pink. In fact, it's on the pale side. If you want a more pinky effect, I'd suggest adding a drop of red food coloring.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-73682953441556065762014-02-13T07:49:00.001-08:002014-02-13T07:49:13.808-08:00Recipe: Raspberry Coconut Layer BarsThe other day, I walked by the kitchen at work and saw these raspberry beauties out on the counter, just begging me to eat them. Not wanting everyone at work to know how well I can tie on the old feedbag, I looked disinterested and nonchalantly grabbed one on my way to my desk, like "O<i>h hey. What's this. Sure, I'll take one. I guess.</i>"<br />
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It was the so freaking good, it took everything in me to not go back and eat the whole plate.<br />
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After casually inhaling two more, I complimented my coworker Jill on her handywork and basically begged for the recipe.<br />
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Hopefully, it's not a secret family treasure because I'm totally sharing it right now with the whole, wide world (and by world, I really just mean my mom and two friends in Casper, WY).<br />
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<h3>
Raspberry Coconut Layer Bars</h3>
<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
1 2/3 graham cracker crumbs<br />
1 stick melted butter<br />
7 oz sweetened flaked coconut<br />
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1 cup raspberry jam (roughly 3/4 of the jar, if you don't feel like measuring)<br />
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts<br />
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<h4>
Directions</h4>
Preheat oven to 350.<br />
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1. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into a compact crust in a 9x13 baking dish.<br />
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2. Spread coconut evenly over crust.<br />
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3. Pour condensed milk evenly over coconut.<br />
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4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges turn golden.<br />
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5. Let cool, then evenly spread jam over everything. (It will seem like there's not enough, but there is.)<br />
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6. Chill 3 - 4 hours. Top with toasted walnuts; you may want to use more than 1/2 cup. As you can see in the photos, it's on the sparse side.<br />
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7. Cut into squares/ rectangles and serve!<br />
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I made these for our Super Bowl party and they were a fucking hit. Not to mention, they were super easy to make. Anything that's easy to throw together and makes me look like I know what I'm doing in the kitchen gets a thumbs up in my book. Five chins all around!<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-87793399705363328742014-01-13T07:15:00.001-08:002014-01-13T07:49:52.785-08:00An Estate Sale Like No Other.We went to an estate sale this past weekend and it turned into something of an obsession for me.<br />
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As we pulled up to the old house, we noticed that the outside had been neglected for quite some time. The yard looked like the Swamp of Sadness from The Neverending Story. As we pulled around to the back, we realized the house was much bigger than our initial impression. </div>
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We started in the garage. Eric was looking through all the boring man-stuff and I told him I was heading inside. Only I didn't make it past the garage threshold because the narrow makeshift hallway looked like something out of a haunted house. I waited till Eric was done and we made our entrance together.</div>
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Off of the hallway was a small indoor shed that looked like it was mainly used for gardening supplies. There were vines growing through the cracks in the roof. It looked like something from Flowers in the Attic or American Horror Story. Up till this point, the house wasn't exactly very inviting feeling. However, I'm a sucker for a good vintage deal, so we pushed forward.</div>
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We rounded the corner and were immediately met with a stairway. There was a built-in lift chair and it was obvious that this estate sale was because of an older person's passing.</div>
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The upstairs consisted of one large bedroom and one large bathroom. The bathroom had double sinks, a built in closet space, and a door that seemed to lead to nowhere, but actually opened up to a small patio space built on the first story roof.</div>
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There wasn't too much of interest to us in the bedroom. A pair of super cool boots that probably would have cost $200 at Aldo or Urban Outfitters, but were too small for Eric. Lots of old computer pieces and floppy disks. I also came across an old file folder that contained the quit claim deed for the house that Benjamin Bachman had signed in 1940-something. It showed that he was in the Navy and was a bachelor at the time of purchase.<br />
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Downstairs, the first room we walked into was the kitchen. It was huge. And pink.<br />
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With all of the narrow hallways and creepy upstairs doors and pink kitchens, it felt like we were in the Winchester Mystery House. (I don't know if you can see, but the kitchen cupboards had pink flowery fabric in the panels.)<br />
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The kitchen sink</div>
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There were lots of dish sets. I would have loved to have snatched some of these up, especially the pink set, but we didn't really need them, nor do we have the space for them.</div>
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The rooms were stocked full of years of treasures. I could walk in a room, look around, leave, come back and find all new items that had been unearthed by fellow shoppers. As I paid more attention to things, I noticed the "haunted" feeling of the house was slowly going away. Instead, I felt more like I was in a house that I had known all of my life. It was like being at a grandparents' house.</div>
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I learned that Ben Bachman married a woman named Marjorie.</div>
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And that Marjorie played the organ at church for many years.</div>
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This is all sheet music</div>
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Ben had worked as an engineer at the local naval base. He was very much into building things- like the whole second story of his house- and had attached most of the bookcases in the house to the walls. (It was very earthquake-proof.) Every room had speakers built into the walls.</div>
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There were definitely a few interesting things there, like the cord closet...</div>
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And these old bottles (you could barely make out the old naval pharmacy address on one)...</div>
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And there were some sad things, like newspaper cutouts...</div>
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And a pair of glasses buried in a hatbox of old crochet pieces...</div>
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But mostly, it was just quick glimpses into the life of a loving, Christian family that had once lived in this house. </div>
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Recipes taped in the kitchen cupboards</div>
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(Katie- I thought of you when I saw these. </div>
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By the time I came back into the room, they were both gone.)</div>
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Clothing patterns</div>
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The original Elf on a Shelf</div>
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We ended up buying a few records, the black typewriter from the photo above, a cookie sheet for mini bundt cakes, and two index card boxes full of handwritten recipes. I can't wait to see what family-approved recipes I've just inherited. </div>
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Upon paying for our loot, I struck up a conversation with the woman who was managing the estate sale. She told us that Ben had purchased this house right when he got out of the Navy. He and Marjorie ended up having six children, hence the considerably large kitchen and add-ons. More recently, it was just Ben and his granddaughter living in the house. She was his caretaker. The way the woman described the house upon their arrival sounded something akin to hoarders (minus the filth). In the weeks leading up to the sale, the family came in and cleared out all of the photos and sentimental items. (There was lots of emptied out photo albums left behind. It seemed sad and ghostlike.) Just knowing the amount of cool stuff that was left behind, I can't even imagine what kind of stuff the family took with them. Apparently, it was truckloads full.</div>
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In the short amount of time that we were at the house (a couple of hours), I felt like I'd learn so much about these people. It seemed like there had been such a happy family living there, it was almost a shame to leave. </div>
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When we got home, I did some Googling on Ben Bachman. It turns out his son became a captain in the air force and flew a stealth fighter in a local air show. Marjorie had passed away sometime before 2006. </div>
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Ben was born and raised in California. He graduated from UC Berkeley and had participated in the invasion of Normandy, as well as the battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. </div>
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In the end, he was surrounded by his family when he passed away peacefully at home. </div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-30977503360227304492014-01-10T07:19:00.003-08:002014-01-10T07:19:54.474-08:00What are Your Conditional Foods?Last night at dinner, Eric and I were talking about foods that we sometimes like. The guidelines were that it must be a food that you typically eat "like this," but not "<i>like this.</i>"<br />
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For example...<br />
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Eric's List<br />
I like raw mushrooms, but not cooked ones.<br />
I like raw onions, but not cooked ones.<br />
I like guacamole, but not avocado by itself.<br />
I like tomato with other things (like on a hamburger), but not by itself.<br />
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My List<br />
I like salmon, but I don't eat sushi or lox<br />
I like hot FRESH french fries, but won't eat cold or reheated ones.<br />
I like freshly cooked meat, but refuse to eat it if it's been reheated.<br />
I like peanut butter when it's in an Uncrustable, but not in any other form.<br />
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Do you have any conditional foods? What are they?<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-89170705786152365212014-01-06T07:09:00.003-08:002014-01-06T07:09:54.975-08:00Recipe: Enchilada CasseroleAccording to the website where I found this recipe, this meal is technically called <i>Mexican Lasagna</i>. However, in my house, we call it Enchilada Casserole because that's actually what it tastes like. And besides, Mexican Lasagna sounds gross.<br />
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<b>ENCHILADA CASSEROLE</b><br />
<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-lasagna-10000000258943/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from this recipe on myrecipes.com</span></a><br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
1/2 lb mild pork sausage<br />
1/2 lb ground beef<br />
15 oz can black beans, drained<br />
2/3 cup canned diced tomato with green chiles<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp pepper<br />
1 can Cream of Celery soup<br />
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup<br />
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce<br />
15 corn tortillas<br />
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese<br />
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese<br />
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OPTIONAL<br />
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced<br />
4 chives, chopped<br />
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped<br />
Avocado, chopped<br />
Sour cream<br />
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DIRECTIONS<br />
1. Cook sausage and ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until meat is crumbly and no longer pink.<br />
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2. Stir in beans, canned tomatoes, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until thoroughly heated.<br />
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3. In a separate saucepan, combine soups and enchilada sauce. Cook until thoroughly heated.<br />
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4. Spoon a small amount of the sauce into the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish; top with six tortillas so that the bottom of the dish is evenly covered. Spoon half of the beef mixture, then half of the sauce onto the tortillas; sprinkle with half of the Cheddar cheese. Top with six tortillas and repeat the same layering process; meat, sauce, cheese. Final layer should be the three remaining tortillas, placed right down the middle. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.<br />
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5. Bake at 350F (176 C) for 30 minutes. Let dish sit for 5 minutes before serving.<br />
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6. Serve and top with desired toppings; fresh tomato, chives, cilantro, sour cream, and avocado.<br />
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I know the thought of those creamy canned soups in Mexican food seems unappetizing and wrong, but trust me when I say that this dish blew our minds. Eric, my mom, and I were all pleasantly shocked as we scraped up every last bite from our plates. It's an all-in-one and easy to throw together. It does require several oddball ingredients that I wouldn't normally have on-hand, but it was totally worth it and honestly tasted like an awesome entree you'd get at a legitimate Mexican restaurant. I'd recommend this recipe for your next get-together because it seems like a crowd-pleaser (as long as your crowd likes Mexican food) and it makes a lot, probably about 8-10 servings.<br />
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Also, MAKE SURE TO TOP WITH SOUR CREAM AND AVOCADO (if you're into that sort of thing). The meal itself has a little spice to it, so the creaminess of the sour cream and avocado are a perfect balance.<br />
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UPDATE: We just ate the leftovers from this meal (which was originally made several weeks ago and had been stored in the freezer) and it held up like it was freshly made. Just reheat in the oven at 400F (204C) for about 20 minutes, or until hot throughout.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-55276647935925310282014-01-01T12:29:00.001-08:002014-01-01T12:29:18.059-08:00Crock Pot Loaded-Baked-Potato SoupJust in case you haven't carbo-loaded enough during this blessed season, I thought I'd throw in a solid contender for potato recipe of the year.<br />
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While looking through search results for "potato+crock pot" the other day, I decided to give this recipe a shot since the user photos actually looked appetizing, and not like horse slop. I already had over half of the ingredients in my kitchen and the directions only involved 3 steps. I'll basically try any recipe if it meets these two requirements.<br />
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<b>Crock Pot Loaded-Baked-Potato Soup</b><br />
<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-style-loaded-baked-potato-soup-301754"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from this recipe on food.com</span></a><br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
3/4 large white onion, chopped<br />
29 fl oz chicken broth (or two cans)<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
2.5 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
1 cup half and half (or cream)<br />
1 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese<br />
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OPTIONAL TOPPINGS<br />
Chives<br />
Bacon<br />
Cheddar cheese<br />
Sour cream<br />
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DIRECTIONS<br />
1. Combine potatoes, onion, chicken broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.<br />
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Before cooking</div>
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After cooking</div>
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2. Cook bacon. Chop into bite-sized pieces once cooled.<br />
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3. Mash crock pot mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped, or until soup is thickened to your liking.<br />
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Your mouth will be watering for applesauce because that's what it will look like</div>
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4. Stir in cheese and half and half.<br />
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5. Serve and top with desired toppings.<br />
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We saved time by prepping the potatoes the night before and just stored them in cold water in the fridge overnight. The onions could probably also be chopped the night before, but just make sure to double bag those fools, otherwise your whole fridge is going to stink like Cool Ranch Doritos.<br />
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This recipe was super easy and yielded a crock pot full of hearty comfort food. Easy enough to prepare on a workday and fills your house with the scent of potato goodness.<br />
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NOTE: This soup doesn't reheat very well. It basically turns into a bowl of thick potato mush, and that was even after thinning it out with a little more half and half. Mark my words; this one is best when fresh.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-83685831938241870372013-12-30T07:11:00.001-08:002013-12-30T07:11:07.465-08:00Highlights from Christmas 2013I hope you all had a bitchin holiday and were able to enjoy some time off of work. Eric and I made the wise decision to take the whole week off and not once did we regret it (<i>until Sunday night, that is, when I got back-to-work heartburn</i>).<br />
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What we learned this past week: one could easily make a hobby of staying in bed till 11am, while watching <a href="http://tv.esquire.com/shows/the-getaway">The Getaway</a> and/or <a href="http://www.hgtv.ca/incomeproperty/">Income Property</a> and eating Christmas cookies for breakfast.<br />
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Since I'm sure our holiday was no different from yours- lots of driving and family visits and drinking alcohol in the closet- I'll save you the stories.<br />
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Here are some photo highlights from our Christmas 2013.<br />
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The Cherry Jewel Cookies (I think this may be their last year...)</div>
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My top secret Christmas Cut-Outs</div>
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At the company Christmas party, pretending to model with vintage airplanes</div>
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Company holiday luncheon</div>
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Three generations preparing the Christmas oysters</div>
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The Christmas tradition: eating an oyster before any gifts are opened </div>
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Eric and his mom</div>
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Biscuit showing off one of her new gifts</div>
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My brother kicking my mom out</div>
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My sister found out that one of the local high schools was offering a fundraiser for the school band: private holiday performances IN YOUR OWN HOME. These guys were polite and friendly and really did a great job. Needless to say, my teenage niece was foaming at the mouth as soon as they arrived. Needless to say, so was I. (<i>For HER, obviously.</i>) </div>
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A REAL LIFE nativity scene (these kids and goats are hard core)</div>
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Happy Holidays from everyone at the TILTE house!</div>
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-3364189125106444662013-12-17T07:11:00.001-08:002013-12-17T07:11:08.793-08:00Holiday Blogging: Ain't Nobody Got Time for ThatIf you're anything like me, you're being worn to a pulp by the holiday season. From the late nights at the office, to Christmas shopping, to hosting/attending holiday gatherings, to trying harder than ever to act like a normal human being, it's just a crazy busy time.<br />
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Since I've been majorly lagging in the blog department for oh, I don't know, the past 12 months, I figured now would be a good time to get a post out.<br />
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Here's what our holidays look like so far...<br />
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<i>"Holiday antlers"</i></div>
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The first flocked Christmas tree for both Eric and myself. It's crazy and we love it. When I was a kid, I thought these were so fancy and "real" looking because they had snow. My mom never got one though, probably because they look like a Christmas tree covered in snow worms. </div>
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I was in a pinch for a cookie exchange at work and decided to make these Betty Crocker Hot Cocoa brownies. Which turned out to be a big freaking mistake because they were all mushy and sticky and ended up looking like an archeological dig site when I tried cutting them into servings. Really, they would have been impossible to serve. I even tried making one into a cake pop type of deal, by forming into a ball and rolling in sprinkles. The result was something akin to a litter-box-treat and I immediately raged out. I ended up throwing the whole thing in the trash. </div>
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On the much more impressive side, I learned how to make these perfectly buttery and flakey Danish cookies called Kringlers. </div>
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FROM SCRATCH. So goooood.</div>
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Pearl's new nutcracker </div>
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The mantle decorations. Hard to see, but the Jesus and Mary hologram image is in full effect in this one.</div>
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I probably won't be blogging again until after the new year, unless a Bethlehem miracle takes place. Until then- pour yourself a glass of something good and say hello to Clark W. Griswold for me. </div>
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Happy holidays!</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-55872472597468451452013-12-02T21:40:00.003-08:002013-12-02T21:40:26.198-08:00Thanksgiving 2013Highlights from the holiday weekend...<br />
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This past weekend, while we were driving in the car, Pearl asked if we have an Elf on the Shelf at our house. She had just seen one at her cousin's house and also has one at her mom's house.<br />
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Her question reminded me of a parody version that Eric and I had seen recently at TJ Maxx, called <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dwarf-in-the-drawer-l-van-king/1114822061">Dwarf in the Drawer</a>. I told Pearl how there are helpers hiding everywhere to catch you when you're bad, including Elf on the Shelf and Dwarf in the Drawer.<br />
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By this point, I was all over this "secret helper" thing and couldn't stop myself. I told her that she's always being watched- even when she's in the car...<br />
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...by Monk in the Trunk.<br />
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I told her how Elf and Dwarf and Monk all work for Santa and God and they report back to them when kids are naughty. She asked what Monk in the Trunk looked like. Eric joined in and described a baldish man with hair around the sides, wearing a brown robe, natch. You know, traditional Monk stylings.<br />
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She thought it sounded creepy, but I'm planning my retirement on this cash cow.<br />
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Do you ever watch way too much of a television show marathon that the next day you can't stop thinking about the people on the <strike>island</strike> show and you find yourself wondering how they're doing and feeling bad for the woman who was told she has endometriosis, but then happy for her when she miraculously finds out she's pregnant, but then immediately feel sorry for yourself because that kind of hocus pocus bullshit magic only happens to other people or in fake ass television show marathons? <i>Is Sun's baby Jin's? -Or is it the English teacher's? Why isn't everyone fighting to live in the hatch? Charlie's teeth are distracting me.</i><br />
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I watched LOST all day yesterday. I didn't get off the couch once, except to install a hair donut and make myself look "presentable." FYI: the inventors of the hair donut need to have a disclaimer on their product that lets all the people know you <i>will </i>have a floppy donut after laying on the couch for seven hours straight. <br />
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Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving.<br />
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A pumpkin cheesecake from Trader Joe's<br />
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The <a href="http://www.makinglifebetter.com/microsite/detail/255844/lipton-recipe-secrets">BEST onion dip</a> that's ever existed (and that I'm now addicted to, thanks to my in-laws) </div>
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This caramel apple upside-down cake is the worth far more than the $6.99 we paid for at Whole Foods. I'd definitely pay at least $9.50. Actually, the outer crust of crispy, buttery caramel is worth the $9.50 just by itself. Really, it's <i>REALLY</i> good. Eric and I polished off the leftovers with coffee for breakfast.<br />
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Brownie bites that Pearl basically made on her own. </div>
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My homemade sweet potato casserole (<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-sweet-potato-casserole-10000001673131/">this recipe</a>) was a hit! Growing up, I was never a fan of sweet potatoes. But this recipe turned me, forever. Thanks to my in-laws for this one too.</div>
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This <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/cinnamon-apple-cranberry-sauce-recipe/index.html?soc=thanksgivinglivefb">Food Network recipe </a>for cranberry sauce was something I tried on a whim and was very happy with. Again, I'm not usually a fan of the holiday cranberry stuff because it all seems overly sugary and brightly colored in a non-edible way. This recipe was super easy and smelled/tasted like holidays. I plan on making it again next year for sure, but I think I'll use a little less juice so it thickens up quicker. </div>
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The dinner spread, complete with my signature burnt rolls. </div>
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Paper table covers and paper placemats, courtesy of the Christmas section at Target. (Cloth was not budget approved.) The clean up was much easier. </div>
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If this meal were a movie, it would be <i>Gone in 60 Seconds </i></div>
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This is where the magic happens: the dessert table. Cranberry fluff, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, brownie bites, caramel apple upside-down cake, and ice cream.</div>
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Mom, lookin' good in the neighborhood! </div>
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Note: I made sure to omit the shots where the exhaustion had arrived and my face was settled into Droopy Dog mode.<br />
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Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-54540128097361438112013-11-18T07:05:00.000-08:002013-11-18T07:05:13.347-08:00Giada De Laurentiis - Lemon Ricotta Cookie MixNot only do I love discovering new cookie recipes, especially ones that do <i>not</i> involve chocolate or peanut butter, but I especially love discovering new EASY cookie recipes. On a somewhat-related note, I watch the Food Network show, <i>Giada at Home,</i> all the time. I might be a little obsessed. I like Giada's commitment to making easy recipes and keeping her hair teased up big enough to rival Ricki Lake in <i>Hairspray</i>.<br />
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So when I saw this box mix at Target, I just had to try it.<br />
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If memory serves, you beat ricotta, butter, and one egg...<br />
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Add the cookie mix...<br />
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Drop onto cookie sheet...<br />
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Bake according to directions.<br />
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For the glaze, just combine fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and the pre-packaged glaze mix.<br />
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The glazing process is pretty messy, so I'd advise using some kind of lining under your cooling racks.<br />
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While I wasn't falling-over-in-love with these, they were definitely good enough to finish. The end result is a moist, mild, cake-like cookie. This is a great item to keep on hand for when you need to whip up a dessert that will make you look fancy and cultured.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-57487851985032594582013-11-11T07:06:00.000-08:002013-11-11T07:06:26.409-08:00Making Dreams Comes True Since 2013.You know that dream you have when you're a little kid and you wish and hope and pray that one day your parents will do something cool and keep you home from school so you can spend the day doing something ridiculously fun, like going to Disneyland?<br />
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This past weekend, <b>WE TOTALLY BECAME THOSE PARENTS</b>.<br />
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Eric and I decided to take a spur of the moment (planned two weeks in advance) trip to the happiest place on earth. Only, we didn't tell Pearl anything about our plan.<br />
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Due to a scheduling arrangement we had previously made with her mom, Pearl knew she would be missing school on this particular day. We told her we'd be spending the day doing something really awful and boring. As far as she knew, we'd be spending three hours in the car so that we could give a gift to our friend, Paul.<br />
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This is how she discovered we were going to Disneyland.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Rcxpl7dhAy8" width="853"></iframe>
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I'm <i>so</i> glad she never got upset at the prospect of spending the day doing boring stuff because it would have totally backfired to be like "<i>Keep it up and we'll turn this car around!</i>" Eric and I may or may not have been looking forward to it even more than Pearl, and the build up of secretive anticipation was almost enough to make us keel over.<br />
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Here are some highlights from our day.<br />
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Outside the main gates</div>
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Blending in with the natives</div>
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The view from the Finding Nemo submarine</div>
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In line at It's a Small World</div>
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Laying in Pluto's bed, pretending to be a dog </div>
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Toon Town (<i>my least favorite land, in case you were wondering</i>) </div>
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Jessie has a bit of a neck problem (<i>maybe thyroid...?</i>) </div>
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Churro: The best edible item in the park</div>
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Waiting in line for the Jungle Cruise: </div>
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She was doing some weird Fonzie thing with her thumb. I like it.</div>
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The gun shots on the Jungle Cruise made someone a little nervous </div>
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I didn't even tell her to make a face. Apparently, this is her impersonation of a Brit. </div>
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I think it's spot on.</div>
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It's a Small World lit up at night </div>
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The whole day was a success! No meltdowns or complaints, except for maybe me when we were at the front gate getting ready to leave and I realized we'd have to walk all the way back down Main St. USA to look at the professional photos that we ended up not even ordering.<br />
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We grabbed dinner at La Brea Bakery, located at Downtown Disney. Our table was outside, under heat lamps, which was perfect because it not only kept us warm, but also allowed us to catch the fireworks.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vkvscscLsj4" width="853"></iframe><br />
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As you can see, Pearl was delirious by this point.<br />
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It was a great day.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-59904003397363682792013-11-04T07:04:00.001-08:002013-11-04T07:04:36.320-08:00Halloween 2013: The Big Reveal.If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter or Vine, you already know what my costume was and this isn't much of a surprise. But if you don't follow any of those accounts, GET READY FOR THE MOST EXCITING NEWS IN THAT I'M EVER GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IN ALL OF 2013!!!!!<br />
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This year, I ended up wearing two costumes. The first was kind of a makeshift throw together project for my sister's Halloween party. It's definitely not my best work, but it got the job done.<br />
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<b>PIRATE</b><br />
I found the top at a thrift store and later learned that it is the top half to a Jack Sparrow costume. It worked pretty well with some raggedy, drawstring capris from my Pippi Longstocking costume and Pearl's Puss N Boots hat. We didn't have a pirate sword, so I substituted a fencing sword.<br />
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Pay no attention to the giant spot on the door where Biscuit tries to eat the mailman everyday</div>
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In case you're wondering if I have a hormone problem, yes, I do. But thankfully not enough to cause a full grown beard. To achieve this "more than a woman" look, I had to call in the big guns with black and brown eye shadow.<br />
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<b>DISNEYLAND MATTERHORN ATTENDANT</b><br />
My office goes all out when it comes to Halloween, and our department was determined to win the title of either Best Decorated Department or Best Group Costume. In order to really seal the deal on these awards, one of my coworkers came up with the crazy-brilliant idea of Disneyland rides as our theme. Sounds strange, I know, but it really came together nicely. There was a group of about 15 of us who not only showed up in costume, but also decorated our cubicles accordingly.<br />
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The ride that I chose was The Matterhorn. Seeing as how I'd never been on this ride because I hate scary/ big/ fast/ mountainy rides, this involved some research. Somehow, I ended up coming across a photo of a Disneyland employee who was wearing a uniform that looked Matterhorny (<i>say what?)</i> and also like something I could piece together from the thrift store. Luckily enough, I found the PERFECT skirt and vest at the same thrift store and only paid $1.41 for the two. It was like God wanted me to pick the Matterhorn. But then God was like "That was too cheap. I know you like to spend stupid amounts of money when it comes to Halloween, so here's a rad, velvet hat all the way from Salzburg that I know you're not going to be able to resist, even though it's freaking $38. Happy Halloween, you fool."<br />
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The pins were both eBay purchases.<br />
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And just in case you want the full effect...<br />
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By the way, we totally won Best Group Costume.<br />
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<b>GORTON'S FISHERMAN</b><br />
I spotted these fishing waders at the thrift store and they fit Eric just right. The costume didn't take much effort and everyone know's who the Gorton's Fisherman is, so it was a no-brainer.<br />
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<b>NACHO LIBRE</b><br />
This is the costume that I'm most proud of. We watched the Jack Black film, <i><a href="http://suitupscene.com/files/posters/nacho-libre-poster.jpg">Nacho Libre</a></i>, a few months back and Pearl loooooved it. Some of her favorite catch phrases are "<i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kLBjdxVKbI">Get that corn outta my face!</a></i>" and "<i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMMUYQp_XRA">You crrrrasy.</a></i>" As I was brainstorming ideas for her top-secret costume, the thought of a mini Nacho grew on me more and more. I knew it was a risky move, but I felt it was a risk worth taking. Mostly because I thought it would be bad ass.<br />
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I found the leotard, tights, shoes, and cape on eBay. Eric ordered the mask through <a href="http://www.corazonfairtrade.com/maskluchalibre1.html">Corazon Fair Trade</a>. I bought an old, silky negligee from the thrift store and cut out rectangles for the knee pads.<br />
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Man, I love Halloween. It's going to be a hard day when Pearl finally outgrows my obsessions.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-68533249504428896362013-10-30T22:49:00.001-07:002013-10-30T22:49:52.582-07:00Super Easy Halloween Treats for the Kitcheny Challenged.Last weekend, my sister hosted a Halloween party and I was tasked with bringing a snack. Not one to be outdone when it comes to all things Halloween, I came across the two ideas below and was instantly sold because A) there's almost no effort involved, and B) everyone loves pretzels and peanut butter. Except me. I don't really like peanut butter. But when it comes to a bunch of strangers, especially the kind who are mostly under the age of 11, who cares? Not me.<div>
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<b>NUTTER BUTTER GHOSTS</b></div>
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<b>WITCH FINGER PRETZELS</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE923vpTOR_s9XPK27HAl0q44kuWpV5kjWhvZBQY4YqVLBe1s_ym-jmwWmeEkCmmdz4yBZ3JXTEkgQO-0MqdahA6UzboncZuqXskq6oIQ8FrPbvMLStSQUIDvOwbHwkLgoXf0M4WTLUw0/s1600/IMG_9741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE923vpTOR_s9XPK27HAl0q44kuWpV5kjWhvZBQY4YqVLBe1s_ym-jmwWmeEkCmmdz4yBZ3JXTEkgQO-0MqdahA6UzboncZuqXskq6oIQ8FrPbvMLStSQUIDvOwbHwkLgoXf0M4WTLUw0/s640/IMG_9741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
GHOSTS!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
INGREDIENTS</div>
<div>
Nutter Butter cookies</div>
<div>
Wilton White chocolate Candy Melts</div>
<div>
Mini chocolate chips</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVLtduHfdL7_y3Q75X3MvZkOZ1UUKMzeGP64d5xnh0ec8CtK6ie3Dny-H8UNctzKwjl8VoY4pJFtUTKV_Y1Zgp-9UXBZY4E8TqCriK6iVsk8MJ7s3UQ4Q-0jOMeVWz0xeRyRO2s-MDr5V/s1600/IMG_9710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVLtduHfdL7_y3Q75X3MvZkOZ1UUKMzeGP64d5xnh0ec8CtK6ie3Dny-H8UNctzKwjl8VoY4pJFtUTKV_Y1Zgp-9UXBZY4E8TqCriK6iVsk8MJ7s3UQ4Q-0jOMeVWz0xeRyRO2s-MDr5V/s640/IMG_9710.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
Melt your candy melts, paying VERY careful attention to the tempering instructions. One foul move and your melty heaven will turn into a smoking inferno of burnt, white chalk. Dip the Nutter Butters and top with chocolate chip eyes. I only had regular size chocolate chips and was not about to make a shopping trip for 48 dang mini chips.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsD67OXhDjnqeT7A6dTssfldCyu6opgnkKdaW7XqGHUYWFdowhMMVpm2BnDx-axrrYx-3FcU6roA890jZc1NsO9h4tGdjZmb1Xh77b_IXSkovjUK5O-67fEYSJjZbfOMGehVXwrHdTtSl/s1600/IMG_9720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsD67OXhDjnqeT7A6dTssfldCyu6opgnkKdaW7XqGHUYWFdowhMMVpm2BnDx-axrrYx-3FcU6roA890jZc1NsO9h4tGdjZmb1Xh77b_IXSkovjUK5O-67fEYSJjZbfOMGehVXwrHdTtSl/s640/IMG_9720.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FINGERS!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
INGREDIENTS</div>
<div>
Pretzel rods</div>
<div>
Wilton Candy Melts (green)</div>
<div>
Almond slivers</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJgAFC2Uw712MQWD3l7XvjwmVH2GKiBl53u7h7ZI93t3OGgTm3KBowpuTS0n1g1Y29VVLYQ2CZTo-bJEdhHCiKw0LkjvnW0mouveWj_2V1C56U0ZEJk7WEDbN7MR7pGdCNg7DRv8TaDZm/s1600/IMG_9723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJgAFC2Uw712MQWD3l7XvjwmVH2GKiBl53u7h7ZI93t3OGgTm3KBowpuTS0n1g1Y29VVLYQ2CZTo-bJEdhHCiKw0LkjvnW0mouveWj_2V1C56U0ZEJk7WEDbN7MR7pGdCNg7DRv8TaDZm/s640/IMG_9723.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Melt your candy according to directions. Once all of the melts have a smooth runny consistency, they're ready to go. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCmPLENOyMNLg6cCt-xckQyEWi3M_ByIDMtSpWTbhefg_vlsTXQAHteIaX1CkuDlSevbTNRiq88lQ6C9Ny8H6JxkR5Lj5G6adKj2OQfnJRslGnJCTWyQXvwojirKt-IwWKoc0Th2lovMk/s1600/IMG_9726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCmPLENOyMNLg6cCt-xckQyEWi3M_ByIDMtSpWTbhefg_vlsTXQAHteIaX1CkuDlSevbTNRiq88lQ6C9Ny8H6JxkR5Lj5G6adKj2OQfnJRslGnJCTWyQXvwojirKt-IwWKoc0Th2lovMk/s640/IMG_9726.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I transferred my melted candy into a long, narrow thermos so it would be easier to coat the sides of the pretzels. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAKYnb8W-OOALPowS9FKl35in4kFz8k1jN64oQZlfiSRIh2276zDuuyNXUkY-FyFNOdQcgkVKfY9IkNjWEcmAFhSd43c-sahRdXNQx63OzxDQuAG_yiCPE_hm9dvZH3LsNhvj4MpFGSpm/s1600/IMG_9728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAKYnb8W-OOALPowS9FKl35in4kFz8k1jN64oQZlfiSRIh2276zDuuyNXUkY-FyFNOdQcgkVKfY9IkNjWEcmAFhSd43c-sahRdXNQx63OzxDQuAG_yiCPE_hm9dvZH3LsNhvj4MpFGSpm/s640/IMG_9728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
Dip and top with almond slivers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJDmWYsrG9NswNypaKcouNJOWnLETSO0iEyQjamM9FgEA8BH1rd1EmlezSNePF8tShaFJ1fR-QusOg-MYZQGO0YScX3PY8H22un28Fw7bMXqJ-jGx54bURMmkboJH_8FaMgw6Ds8-7O3A/s1600/IMG_9735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJDmWYsrG9NswNypaKcouNJOWnLETSO0iEyQjamM9FgEA8BH1rd1EmlezSNePF8tShaFJ1fR-QusOg-MYZQGO0YScX3PY8H22un28Fw7bMXqJ-jGx54bURMmkboJH_8FaMgw6Ds8-7O3A/s640/IMG_9735.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Easy as heck and those pretzels are addicting.</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are some highlights from the Halloween party:</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxym0rXp0FRRSZguifLgMfOaVhOSPdYJv4OzVMeBh3YQEvpW5Eor6VTOh7z7_0Y6Wcnpup9IOkvEby5SurC4Txuy9kOu3Z8na9Pji8mxV8U4OOUXviCUfC-_9z-X3FWYJk6Y0gwQwfkXXd/s1600/IMG_9681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxym0rXp0FRRSZguifLgMfOaVhOSPdYJv4OzVMeBh3YQEvpW5Eor6VTOh7z7_0Y6Wcnpup9IOkvEby5SurC4Txuy9kOu3Z8na9Pji8mxV8U4OOUXviCUfC-_9z-X3FWYJk6Y0gwQwfkXXd/s640/IMG_9681.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The spread</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQd21Dnn9uP6cFrHQXEaqXwJOqttZcg-ZLy9o7DXhXdnkh_m31kagehhgHB0cBqUm7J1MpgHU5IkeI04yyiOlRu0U0sYO3doB6ZGuRNQEEEKzD1saJtXxAeLqd3-59BKBqBgUMX8Lw1gc/s1600/IMG_9683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQd21Dnn9uP6cFrHQXEaqXwJOqttZcg-ZLy9o7DXhXdnkh_m31kagehhgHB0cBqUm7J1MpgHU5IkeI04yyiOlRu0U0sYO3doB6ZGuRNQEEEKzD1saJtXxAeLqd3-59BKBqBgUMX8Lw1gc/s640/IMG_9683.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is Skinny Minney. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't know if you can tell, but she's finally put some meat on those bones.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HEY-O!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wuF8AB83mVmPE3vBSoSMrI5KWFHsGFU2vsaKTP1rFy4k20cjxP8mK4mT5NZk1E1Wl9xXWMh-dNR7LcFvuMYHCkTFF7Snob7KYXiVpXvKqkAy8qFijT07Z4S8W760mV8q1UdpK9Sw1OUM/s1600/IMG_9684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wuF8AB83mVmPE3vBSoSMrI5KWFHsGFU2vsaKTP1rFy4k20cjxP8mK4mT5NZk1E1Wl9xXWMh-dNR7LcFvuMYHCkTFF7Snob7KYXiVpXvKqkAy8qFijT07Z4S8W760mV8q1UdpK9Sw1OUM/s640/IMG_9684.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She loves that joke.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqep9FwiE_ab8Ljjt5H1Cv6kdbmvUCuGQRGi824_LOU_Ly7wH2gi6n-3R9wjzAN4dbNquPjA7qzGNW6qLNkVF6RihJlwPQILBMm21McVGpfE4MxUmOMK-6e2Cgims3FWdJYNyPcRy-Slk/s1600/IMG_9687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqep9FwiE_ab8Ljjt5H1Cv6kdbmvUCuGQRGi824_LOU_Ly7wH2gi6n-3R9wjzAN4dbNquPjA7qzGNW6qLNkVF6RihJlwPQILBMm21McVGpfE4MxUmOMK-6e2Cgims3FWdJYNyPcRy-Slk/s640/IMG_9687.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pumpkin Cuties with celery stem</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V07XHCqxfKactU0C3QZ236aTS_UUrmira669xBF9viCZ6sbVTwRuz3k7LS7gp-xo8pBUaW4r_EPmyhnBv64xMVhnvR66jxo7-hgoyaHmll93eaVdAFfBopanUtEJodXnHURPxMqsvEdG/s1600/IMG_9686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V07XHCqxfKactU0C3QZ236aTS_UUrmira669xBF9viCZ6sbVTwRuz3k7LS7gp-xo8pBUaW4r_EPmyhnBv64xMVhnvR66jxo7-hgoyaHmll93eaVdAFfBopanUtEJodXnHURPxMqsvEdG/s640/IMG_9686.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Grape centipedes with bloody eyes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPse7cJDOUTLrV75NsfDm4Q7GVI2QElMHyOQZ_f9-xpE7ApQPCfqXCVUgfWs_9aK55iMgORd64jL42ThzLrk-VByLGfHxlzOPCsZXsEf0VgKJzkIeis4YQ3kCuqz8ES9anM0wVyHRLDUQO/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPse7cJDOUTLrV75NsfDm4Q7GVI2QElMHyOQZ_f9-xpE7ApQPCfqXCVUgfWs_9aK55iMgORd64jL42ThzLrk-VByLGfHxlzOPCsZXsEf0VgKJzkIeis4YQ3kCuqz8ES9anM0wVyHRLDUQO/s640/IMG_9682.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Ugh! I feel like I have something in my eye... Will you take a look?"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecVXKM2R51rIsHWOHhXXIlNBoEvl-pxlgvE0TyzMUiXRFaeHW6NJdfoU80enB8jVOs_3DWU2x3cQkDCi-XIhzZ_N2ymCIEm6OuUZ_dGrAIecWRBwFDRIurQ8DpjZtUcwkoxj6mMA2quhG/s1600/IMG_9692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecVXKM2R51rIsHWOHhXXIlNBoEvl-pxlgvE0TyzMUiXRFaeHW6NJdfoU80enB8jVOs_3DWU2x3cQkDCi-XIhzZ_N2ymCIEm6OuUZ_dGrAIecWRBwFDRIurQ8DpjZtUcwkoxj6mMA2quhG/s640/IMG_9692.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Witches Brew</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Just in case you wanted some nightmare fuel, behold the decorations:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1emYQr1GsXaRcxbmxjmOepXz4E6V7O3xKxD2HAK-MG8Vjm1HboZPSEKuEL6PsfK-KmXrVqu0N5ZMy3VpAVdrD6MrB8avRrB6jEstn4jjNEja9e6BPZnRucQFUxPEit2fBxrqzuNuh6xL/s1600/IMG_9690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1emYQr1GsXaRcxbmxjmOepXz4E6V7O3xKxD2HAK-MG8Vjm1HboZPSEKuEL6PsfK-KmXrVqu0N5ZMy3VpAVdrD6MrB8avRrB6jEstn4jjNEja9e6BPZnRucQFUxPEit2fBxrqzuNuh6xL/s640/IMG_9690.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Koala-skull lamp, complete with flickering bulb</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
And straight from the pits of hell, these baby dolls were part of a collection of creepy toys in a blacked-out closet. Guests were invited to go into the closet with only a flashlight to protect their souls. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtIAb3gKaRfiodMETeFR7YMOixH-UZWQB406ixhqOKdz3TCmly03TYBl7shZBAMvD-ipd04gPJmkP5ixM0hulpn92BNGQQYn4NHh7mc4S1BG30XX3vkR33jeMCHwwFCmtez2oGS2Ue_jy/s1600/Halloween+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtIAb3gKaRfiodMETeFR7YMOixH-UZWQB406ixhqOKdz3TCmly03TYBl7shZBAMvD-ipd04gPJmkP5ixM0hulpn92BNGQQYn4NHh7mc4S1BG30XX3vkR33jeMCHwwFCmtez2oGS2Ue_jy/s400/Halloween+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FJ867LSCesT2gTv4xdercIieMGpLb8cQTl0m6kN18OfUL02Zh9Gvf8Xu_zFnkQN7gizIKfgAgTWVauEKDC60NDcVRC1WJQoa5WIFEQ2tS2ijmdIzZuFuguU5gzzVgj3w9GXbe1MT_J9p/s1600/Halloween+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FJ867LSCesT2gTv4xdercIieMGpLb8cQTl0m6kN18OfUL02Zh9Gvf8Xu_zFnkQN7gizIKfgAgTWVauEKDC60NDcVRC1WJQoa5WIFEQ2tS2ijmdIzZuFuguU5gzzVgj3w9GXbe1MT_J9p/s400/Halloween+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Halloween!<br /><div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-46112284269919768542013-10-22T16:51:00.002-07:002013-10-22T16:51:24.831-07:00Have I Mentioned I Loooove Halloween?As you may or may not have noticed, things have been slow in the cooking department. We actually made a totally bitchin' and blogworthy recipe last night, but wouldn't you know, the stupid camera battery was dead.<br />
<br />
So instead, I'm going to post vague photos of our Halloween costumes and beg you to play along.<br />
<br />
I went to the thrift store today and fell in love with everything in stock. Do you know how hard it is for me to see racks of perfectly recyclable colorful/ vintage/ creepy costumes and not buy them all?<br />
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It's very hard, okay.<br />
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I think my obsession with costumes stems from growing up in a poor-ass household. When other kids were wearing highly flammable, silky, one-piece "Barbie" costumes, I was dressed like a geisha or a housewife, all made from my own wardrobe fixins. Growing up broke makes you resourceful. It also makes you want to hoard everything in sight, making for difficult and embarrassing situations at the thrift store during Halloween time.<br />
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Where am I going with this?<br />
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Nowhere really.<br />
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So this year, my office is having a theme for Halloween. And that theme is...........<br />
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Disneyland.<br />
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Yes. That's right.<br />
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We all had to pick a Disneyland ride and not only come up with a costume for it, but also decorate our cubicles accordingly.<br />
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I'll admit that at first, this sounded like a cuckoo idea.<br />
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But being that I love dressing up, especially when I have a predetermined goal in mind, the idea soon turned into an obsession.<br />
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I'm just about done with my costume, and although it's pretty subtle in the spectrum of all things Disney, I'm very happy with it.<br />
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Here's a shot of part of the fabric. I know it doesn't show much, but I think it's pretty easy if you know the lay of the (Disney)land. Can you guess which ride I went with?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMskpardcVML-4ctfw58FmCoa0K5B5gojTgMFIcgL5gY5uLvpGl0LjtmgF7w2v0eWzZ_it43d9CnSiIPTTMVug44vABnRNcT579hxnRqJkUENUHf6DovQ4kHLgK42BiKmd2H3zYIutzz0p/s1600/IMG_9623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMskpardcVML-4ctfw58FmCoa0K5B5gojTgMFIcgL5gY5uLvpGl0LjtmgF7w2v0eWzZ_it43d9CnSiIPTTMVug44vABnRNcT579hxnRqJkUENUHf6DovQ4kHLgK42BiKmd2H3zYIutzz0p/s640/IMG_9623.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eric's costume came together like a dream. We were at thrift store, looking for my Disney stuff, and I spotted this gem hidden amongst the coveralls and robes.<br />
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Can you tell who he's going to be? Hint: It's a pop culture character.<br />
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And last, we have Pearl. This costume is a complete surprise and she has no idea it's coming. That's partly because I love surprises and also partly because I didn't want her to turn down my awesome idea. With that said, I felt like this was a safe bet because I know she loves this movie.<br />
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Can you guess Pearl's costume? Hint: It's a movie character.<br />
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Do you have your costume lined up? Tell me what it is so I can get jealous and start thinking of ways to replicate it next year.<br />
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<br />TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-6654054813372335172013-10-18T06:29:00.001-07:002013-10-18T06:43:07.004-07:00Bet You Didn't Know My Wedding was So Creepy.I know I said I'd knock out all the wedding talk in one post, but I feel like this one gets a pass since it's somewhat creepy-themed, and can therefore be classed as a "Halloween" post. See how I did that?<br />
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Here are eight interesting-and-creepy facts about (or that led up to) our wedding:<br />
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1. Eric and I had our first kiss while watching Stephen King's <i>The Shining</i><br />
2. Eric proposed the night we went to watch a special viewing of <i>The Shining </i>at LACMA<br />
3. Our wedding was held at a haunted venue<br />
4. On Friday, the 13th<br />
5. There were 13 people in our wedding party<br />
6. Our first dance was to Midnight, the Stars, and You. Otherwise known as, the scary-ass song from the ballroom scene in <i>The Shining.</i><br />
7. The first song at the reception was Michael Jackson's <i>Thriller</i><br />
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And I saved the scariest for last...<br />
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8. I've gained five pounds since the wedding. Yes. That's right. FIVE. My always-on-the-go, planning-a-wedding days are over and apparently so is my metabolism. Thankfully, none of my clothes are fitting any differently. Which means, it's probably just going straight to my face. Lucky me.<br />
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Thank you, Sarah P., for sharing this image with me. It's like you can see into the future.</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-307182141944928502013-10-08T07:09:00.001-07:002013-10-08T07:09:21.419-07:00WE TIED THE KNOT!That's right- I'm totally a Mrs. now!<br />
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After nine months of planning, the day came and went and, in the blink of an eye, we were ending the night drunk and married.</div>
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There are so many stories and photos and details I'd like to share here, but I know the blogging world is finicky and has a limited attention span. (<i>More than two consecutive posts on the same topic? Blech, even I know that's boring.</i>) With that said, I've limited myself to 35 photos and plan to keep the ooey-gooeyness to a minimum. </div>
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<b>VENUE</b></div>
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The wedding took place at <a href="http://www.glentavern.com/">The Glen Tavern Inn</a>, a historic hotel built in 1911, located in the quaint town of Santa Paula. The hotel is rumored to be haunted- it was featured on the series Ghost Adventures- and was a hotspot for Hollywood stars John Wayne, Steve McQueen, and Harry Houdini.</div>
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If you're shopping around for a wedding venue and The Glen Tavern Inn is on your list, I would suggest you book ASAP. We had nothing but positive experiences with this venue. Monica, the Special Events Coordinator was super easy to get a hold of at all times, whether by email, phone, or text. She's very easygoing and accommodated us in every way that we asked for. I'm not exaggerating when I say that of everything I asked, not once did she say no to us. She's really a genuinely nice person and I hope to hang out with her in the future. </div>
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WORTH NOTING: Although The Glen Tavern is already very competitively priced, they offer discounted packages for non-Saturday weddings. This venue is a one-stop shop: they have both inside and outside locations for both the ceremony and reception. They also do all of their own catering, which means one less vendor to keep track of. The hotel is on the smaller side with 36 rooms, which is great because it's kind of like renting out a whole hotel for your private event.</div>
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Ceremony location</div>
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From the front lawn of the hotel </div>
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Main entrance</div>
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They will work with any cocktail specifics you have in mind. Our signature drinks were <a href="http://recipewise.co.uk/pimms-cocktail-recipe">Pimm's Cup</a> and <a href="http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/drink/cocktail/dirty-arnold-palmer-cocktail.html">John Daly</a>, and we also had a hosted keg of Sierra Nevada, which Monica arranged for us.<br />
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Hotel lobby </div>
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<b>DECOR </b><br />
I kept the flowers simple with Baby's Breath for the table settings (and bridesmaids bouquets too). We had random leftover flowers from my bouquet, so they were included in a few of the table settings as well. All flowers were purchased from a local wholesaler and came to a total of about $150. Instead of vases, we went with mason jars- all from the $.99 store. I purchased burlap fabric, with coupons from Joann's, and used them as table runners. My mom and I scoured local fabric stores and bought yards of scrap lace, which added another layer and delicateness to the burlap. We also used tea light candles on each table (not pictured). My guess on the total cost for each table setting would be around $20.00.</div>
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Hotel lobby</div>
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Now for all the photos that make me smile goofy tears of joy and give me the ugliest happy-face you'll ever <i>not</i> see...</div>
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My husband</div>
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Already starting to cry like a boss</div>
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Pearl wore our rings on her necklace </div>
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Hair and make-up for most of the bridal party were courtesy of Joey and Aaron, a beauty duo who were recommended by a friend. Joey works at M.A.C. and Aaron does full drag hair, which totally perked my interests right from the start. I figured, if he can make men look like beautiful women, he can hopefully make me look like a beautiful woman.<br />
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Full disclosure: I may have had a <strike>major</strike> <strike>minor</strike> <strike>major</strike> minor freakout about my hair 20 minutes before walking down the aisle, which resulted in bobby pins being launched across the hotel room. However, this was not because of anything the beauty team did, I just decided that I wanted to do my own hair. It all ended up working out in the end.<br />
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Also, the beauty package for both hair and make-up was only $85, which is UNHEARD of. You know how much a like a deal. (Feel free to message me if you'd like their contact info.)</div>
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I'd like to point out that my mom made my veil, which I totally loved for two reasons: 1) it's a meaningful, one-of-a-kind piece, and 2) it was way cheaper than buying one. (She also made all of the bouquets.)</div>
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WE DID IT!</div>
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Bridesmaids processional: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-wfb25WmV4">Zebra</a> by Beach House</div>
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Bride processional: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvyMG0z0FZY">Quelqu'un Ma Dit</a> by Carla Bruni</div>
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Bride and groom recessional: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4306i99LMXo">Home</a> by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</div>
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The bridesmaids wore different dresses, all purchased at the mall</div>
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Pearl was so happy for her dad :)<br />
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To add a personalized touch to the gazebo, my mom made a pretty floral arrangement, using artificial flowers, that was attached to the top. The ribbons along the backside gave it a dreamy and delicate look and were very cost-effective.</div>
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Jewelry: Vintage necklace and earring set purchased on Etsy for $16.</div>
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Sisters</div>
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Music from cocktail hour:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH5bL_XbO64">La Femme d'Argent</a> by Air<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I18_VNjX3g">Que Sera</a> by Wax Tailor<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPgf_btTFlc">Here Comes Your Man</a> by the Pixies<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycjnCCgUes">Feels Like We Only Go Backwards</a> by Tame Impala<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtTC3pGBjs4">Yakety Yak</a> by The Coasters<br />
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<b>DJ</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.fedoradj.com/About_Paul.html">Paul Carganilla</a> did a super job of making the necessary announcements and narrations, without sounding like a cheeseball wedding DJ. We only met with him once and both Eric and I felt like we'd made the right decision right off the bat. He wasn't put-off when I insisted on providing an <i>exact </i>list of songs that could be played throughout the day's events (I'm very picky about music) and he was even cool about jumping from song to song, as I requested them. Paul did a fantastic job and I wish I had more events for him to DJ. </div>
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Pearl rocked the hell out of her grand entrance to Macho Man</div>
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Bridal party grand entrance songs:</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8teXR8VE4">Round and Round</a> by Ratt</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE">Sabotage</a> by Beastie Boys</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_K36y-iLUk">Bandages</a> by Hot Hot Heat</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIRE6iw-ws4">Young Folks</a> by Peter Bjorn and John</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulPgWVC08KI">Gay Bar </a>by Electric Six</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08">Macho Man</a> by The Village People</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl0v99yjM0DSzS9GRTx8OSv82wbQezR16co5HcGBcbnbyDkEmtZRfBYHvHK2ikFiZzpmrdq_-Bcxl8kS90WH1GgD_IWIUT9f5uYtmWuhzCxlAkg7c5Tnt5Phk7TiGBrznI71-TNmRpRWB/s1600/wedding_27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl0v99yjM0DSzS9GRTx8OSv82wbQezR16co5HcGBcbnbyDkEmtZRfBYHvHK2ikFiZzpmrdq_-Bcxl8kS90WH1GgD_IWIUT9f5uYtmWuhzCxlAkg7c5Tnt5Phk7TiGBrznI71-TNmRpRWB/s640/wedding_27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Our grand entrance to Van Halen's </span><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-NshzYK9y0">Panama</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyoL0NNxkqX67s42-MXZYT5Oc1PiH5LdzbaO9wSMIE7MCLHft0iX-NvSjPhxd7Vp74pRkYi6wNmiaPHDqLM7_M78Na_aek5P4_vAtu1JIhCFunWAZXbEei1tpS2QTMy55Hftd11K1O4T6/s1600/wedding_26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyoL0NNxkqX67s42-MXZYT5Oc1PiH5LdzbaO9wSMIE7MCLHft0iX-NvSjPhxd7Vp74pRkYi6wNmiaPHDqLM7_M78Na_aek5P4_vAtu1JIhCFunWAZXbEei1tpS2QTMy55Hftd11K1O4T6/s640/wedding_26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our official "First Dance" song: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ9aT-Wa_tE">Midnight, the Stars, and You</a> by Al Bowlly</div>
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(<i>Bonus points if you recognize this song without Googling it</i>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn9Yi2iW7ic2GiPDj2TiZQNa3_amAxgCaJhieVwG3V8iWKkOCM-QhW5ZQKHNZpEO1ZQADOWdbN1TqOn3fzYvLhyKNA8maG2trFxCUXltEeV6JF5AoCcPAR3myASrkGjZ3S8QChf1oGK0z/s1600/wedding_36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn9Yi2iW7ic2GiPDj2TiZQNa3_amAxgCaJhieVwG3V8iWKkOCM-QhW5ZQKHNZpEO1ZQADOWdbN1TqOn3fzYvLhyKNA8maG2trFxCUXltEeV6JF5AoCcPAR3myASrkGjZ3S8QChf1oGK0z/s640/wedding_36.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LgC6gEkAPQwvgmy99E2bZPnv9r7QG3LpSSf3DIPFPR5g-rk4FWNTXEIBSKRd5APYdXSZd3Gg4mRheNCMt63YI9s9df1VR-m-Q5npOukiYyc50q5AGs7medZE8E6t42O5e-xIfK6uzJia/s1600/wedding_32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LgC6gEkAPQwvgmy99E2bZPnv9r7QG3LpSSf3DIPFPR5g-rk4FWNTXEIBSKRd5APYdXSZd3Gg4mRheNCMt63YI9s9df1VR-m-Q5npOukiYyc50q5AGs7medZE8E6t42O5e-xIfK6uzJia/s640/wedding_32.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Songs from reception:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu_zwdmz0hE">Barbara Streisand</a> by Duck Sauce<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE">Sexy and I Know it</a> by LMFAO<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU">Dancing with Myself </a>by Billy Idol<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duz3yF2dIAU">Danger! High Voltage</a> by Electric Six<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw02oX3_uC8">Me, Myself, and I</a> by De La Soul<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9hazmsUxrM">Sexy Chick</a> by David Guetta<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtGl1dX5qI">Scream and Shout</a> by Will.i.am and Britney Spears<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cbUW2EY4KE">Mirror in the Bathroom</a> by English Beat<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpNk860pTO4">Jump in the Line</a> by Harry Belafonte<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrc0wWaYWMeHgpHdFdiCGU1MjoQYu0QsSfWGchMG_dWUfivlmz1tEl2jhcyLhCDRlMwtB7Baf5gvZgVV12b7IRj7eX2DFOkFNXkHdYUpVn1XftkPiVkOMJQpf9kiubjFYmjii8QKlzUHL/s1600/wedding_28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrc0wWaYWMeHgpHdFdiCGU1MjoQYu0QsSfWGchMG_dWUfivlmz1tEl2jhcyLhCDRlMwtB7Baf5gvZgVV12b7IRj7eX2DFOkFNXkHdYUpVn1XftkPiVkOMJQpf9kiubjFYmjii8QKlzUHL/s640/wedding_28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>WEDDING CAKE</b> </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">I opted for five different cakes, instead of the traditional, tired wedding cake. I really love the eclectic style of having several smaller cakes and it seems much more homemade, which was a theme I wanted to keep throughout the wedding. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Cake flavors: Strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, lemon bavarian, symphony cake, and fruit charlotte.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">WORTH NOTING: Our cakes were from <a href="http://www.viktorbenes.com/index.html">Viktor Benes Bakery</a>. Because we went with single-tiered cakes, as opposed to a traditional wedding cake, the overall cost was cut significantly. I worked directly with the head baker, who was very accommodating and decorated the cakes with a simple texturized frosting, just how I asked.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXhwemT1lcofkX8FECKzYQzXvnTpmHlwkyfThscAb12TDZyAsycHhMC_fGOgNo7Mw4KyfZCrUrdM1cLd14-0RNVk3DX7vYYYnp9U3hEnOg5KphGWxIKYMhjMCM4WP3G7LoFa7zm4iInRv/s1600/wedding_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXhwemT1lcofkX8FECKzYQzXvnTpmHlwkyfThscAb12TDZyAsycHhMC_fGOgNo7Mw4KyfZCrUrdM1cLd14-0RNVk3DX7vYYYnp9U3hEnOg5KphGWxIKYMhjMCM4WP3G7LoFa7zm4iInRv/s640/wedding_29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Vintage cake topper: $15 on eBay</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NqUrAkZzrogZr08LQ5nEYuf48_HB50qCWJeqVZTw7w5EaJ2mthXAesWZJmctbXp0H93oQP92eEqHCNs5oiWkcQKlXzAqm-ZIdDYyZbNFlVl7UIGbOO7RS__tiKN_9LbMI85W7xAZ02yL/s1600/wedding_30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NqUrAkZzrogZr08LQ5nEYuf48_HB50qCWJeqVZTw7w5EaJ2mthXAesWZJmctbXp0H93oQP92eEqHCNs5oiWkcQKlXzAqm-ZIdDYyZbNFlVl7UIGbOO7RS__tiKN_9LbMI85W7xAZ02yL/s640/wedding_30.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bouquet toss song: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIfxBthfFkg">She's a Lady</a> by Tom Jones</div>
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Garter toss song: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FISsxlQL7o">I Only Want You</a> by Eagles of Death Metal</div>
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<b>VIDEOGRAPHY</b><br />
Eric happens to be friends with a film and video director, <a href="http://www.jeremypoindexter.com/">Jeremy Poindexter</a>. Even though we haven't seen the final video production yet, we've gotten to sneak a peek at the raw footage and everything looks uber hip. <i>I love it</i>. I'll be sure to post it sometime in the future (right when you've forgotten about all this nuptial business).<br />
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<b>PHOTOGRAPHY</b><br />
We lucked out not only in being friends with a videographer, but also being friends with a photographer. <a href="http://www.melissabergen.com/">Melissa Bergen</a> and I used to work together and I had been lucky enough to see her work on several projects, from start to finish. I knew that she paid great attention to detail and had the same eye for editing that we had. So when it came time to pick our wedding photographer, it was a no-brainer. We had already seen her work with our <a href="http://thingsiliketoeatandothernonsense.blogspot.com/2013/07/engagement-shoot-photography-by-melissa.html">engagement photos</a> and were confident she would give us great shots. As you can see, she did not disappoint. Not only are her photos great, but she was such a pleasure to work with. (While watching some of the raw video footage, we could hear Melissa in the background telling us what a beautiful couple we are and how the photos were all coming out perfectly- really, she is SO sweet.) At one point, I remember asking if she wanted me to squat down a little for a particular shot. She quickly pointed out that I was the bride and that I should just relax while <i>she</i> works around <i>me</i>. Which you KNOW I was all over. A girl can get used to that kind of treatment...<br />
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Did I mention this whole wedding was <i>under</i> budget...?<br />
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<b>A budget of $10,000, to be exact.</b><br />
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I KNOW, ISN'T THAT CRAZY?!?!<br />
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We are so proud of ourselves for making our wedding exactly the way we wanted it AND managing to keep it totally affordable. Sure, it took a lot of research and elbow grease, but that's pretty much par for the course with weddings, isn't it? In the end, it was perfectly us and the whole process was spent with great people.<br />
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I couldn't be happier.<br />
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(All photos on this post are courtesy of Melissa Bergen Photography)<br />
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-19923581367627258672013-09-30T22:03:00.000-07:002013-09-30T22:03:31.567-07:00Breaking Bad Party.Since Eric loves the AMC series <i>Breaking Bad</i>, we decided to have a party and serve a themed menu in honor of the finale episode.<br />
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<i>Note: Any time we have anyone over who doesn't actually live in this house, we consider it a party.</i><br />
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Now, I'm not really into this show because I've never actually seen more than five minutes of an episode because the one part that I saw involved Tuco beating the living shit out of that one other dude in the desert and I instantly burst into tears because I felt sorry for the poor dead guy and ran out of the room, screaming "I HATE THIS SHOW!!!!!!" So, as you can tell, I was really into the final outcome.<br />
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Staying true to <i>BB</i>, we served the following foods:<br />
<ul>
<li>Table-side guacamole</li>
<li>Fried chicken</li>
<li>Green beans</li>
<li>Mac N Cheese</li>
</ul>
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Now, you die-hard fans may be seeing "<i>Wtf, there was no mac n cheese in BB,</i>" to which I say so what, it's good.<br />
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This was the first time Eric and I had ever made fried chicken and while we were nervous, we decided to play it cool by only spending the past 48 straight hours preparing for it.</div>
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We followed <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/skillet-fried-chicken">this recipe from bon appetit magazine</a> and were VERY happy with the results: flavorful, moist chicken with a mildly seasoned, deep-fried coating straight from the crunch gods. For reals, that ish was good.</div>
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Here's how it went down:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JkbiWtYUdd8xB1bDRW80h8rzbHbitcVu0YMzRfgQ5IbiAyR5fviVDmWbxQIJsIG4DkoD9M7EJ7tQSO40oq7CwJmEM7scdsV1KErRPNFwPem2WQI4a3xBx34pP9C-78QT3jPEcd6sLgf5/s1600/IMG_9558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JkbiWtYUdd8xB1bDRW80h8rzbHbitcVu0YMzRfgQ5IbiAyR5fviVDmWbxQIJsIG4DkoD9M7EJ7tQSO40oq7CwJmEM7scdsV1KErRPNFwPem2WQI4a3xBx34pP9C-78QT3jPEcd6sLgf5/s640/IMG_9558.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Mise en place</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9mX2_tQXZvXAjf53kiQS4TdDPQIWTUasoL-GDUTXOSKFxHlYu-QXNZ9aML8ihQttROGPzgZXFI84f414b41u8IvLwaux7KEMy5oHrf5-vz6EPJY9jJyMV2D28dd_sHb3-9U_8MXTo2v7/s1600/IMG_9561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9mX2_tQXZvXAjf53kiQS4TdDPQIWTUasoL-GDUTXOSKFxHlYu-QXNZ9aML8ihQttROGPzgZXFI84f414b41u8IvLwaux7KEMy5oHrf5-vz6EPJY9jJyMV2D28dd_sHb3-9U_8MXTo2v7/s640/IMG_9561.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step one</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT15wM0QDtct9OKUB8sjB-_nkNwVTXne3IseNoitQ9LCqZ2TZbB75Jzj-AuN6Ifoe1oh497lZezQR3qGalhGujLPvUVB-Xbt7iSe53nIpdC8j8UntO9LMm95RvNNjbO1fiUIYu8tOUHd9M/s1600/IMG_9594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT15wM0QDtct9OKUB8sjB-_nkNwVTXne3IseNoitQ9LCqZ2TZbB75Jzj-AuN6Ifoe1oh497lZezQR3qGalhGujLPvUVB-Xbt7iSe53nIpdC8j8UntO9LMm95RvNNjbO1fiUIYu8tOUHd9M/s640/IMG_9594.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step two</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslTNHrtRi1BflDIacVVRV1sY4A_2aAbSU583BX-1NH-m9QbNcGpV0Ovvqe5lUYtfTtt84LD_Qhon59RRfZxHLevd_Ggu3VowGNYUcbX7Df7B23yFHXaUptshBfMJNjUkqX9ybyA4nRPDc/s1600/IMG_9564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslTNHrtRi1BflDIacVVRV1sY4A_2aAbSU583BX-1NH-m9QbNcGpV0Ovvqe5lUYtfTtt84LD_Qhon59RRfZxHLevd_Ggu3VowGNYUcbX7Df7B23yFHXaUptshBfMJNjUkqX9ybyA4nRPDc/s640/IMG_9564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step three</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAvWhxHzm08WkCRH0OnfRtM5CV-O_33cIdBJ3tSlJ1hlNnlMiDktQNQjGjtwIeaehj3n7M3SE6YUJGRfYvWCyZbp7V95WNOzG3np-Xc7OFGNNYHRlGKyWqVXqVucCLjhfOWxuhIQT-Ydu/s1600/IMG_9569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAvWhxHzm08WkCRH0OnfRtM5CV-O_33cIdBJ3tSlJ1hlNnlMiDktQNQjGjtwIeaehj3n7M3SE6YUJGRfYvWCyZbp7V95WNOzG3np-Xc7OFGNNYHRlGKyWqVXqVucCLjhfOWxuhIQT-Ydu/s640/IMG_9569.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step four</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQEV8Ebz4riNjqZbopxQoq9GqKyAqGuUe2T37WNTzzDutm07CxrqVXEh-Wup7Y_rtBONY25kq0zA-mcC3B2pgBHVdgu9fs9EX3aLGIMrhvyfkLkVg2vKboMAUkhvO6Q2onQ342HqV9YzG/s1600/IMG_9565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQEV8Ebz4riNjqZbopxQoq9GqKyAqGuUe2T37WNTzzDutm07CxrqVXEh-Wup7Y_rtBONY25kq0zA-mcC3B2pgBHVdgu9fs9EX3aLGIMrhvyfkLkVg2vKboMAUkhvO6Q2onQ342HqV9YzG/s640/IMG_9565.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Appetizer </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzbtm0h6DtYuZT0Y7kvWy8Qmrp0ME_N_6ZkFzJQROpWJwVkr2Ui1zunIHmteieS8pQU1spU3-ECbYfSRFC-3-Z8g5vaNo13WwsUeKzJzrEApB9SfuZq3zIWEyo6wg2i95R5jhImiE005c/s1600/IMG_9589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzbtm0h6DtYuZT0Y7kvWy8Qmrp0ME_N_6ZkFzJQROpWJwVkr2Ui1zunIHmteieS8pQU1spU3-ECbYfSRFC-3-Z8g5vaNo13WwsUeKzJzrEApB9SfuZq3zIWEyo6wg2i95R5jhImiE005c/s640/IMG_9589.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Green beans (coincidentally from Albertson's, but not really)</div>
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Walter White Mac N Cheese</div>
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The <strike>blue rock candy</strike> I mean CrYsTaL MeTh</div>
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Acting professional</div>
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Biscuit before she tried drugs</div>
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Biscuit after dog meth</div>
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<i>BB</i> Party</div>
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If you like fried chicken, I strongly suggest you try the recipe above. Although it took some time, it was pretty straight forward and definitely worth it. Regardless of which recipe you use, just make sure to cover all of your cooking surfaces with paper towels, otherwise they'll end up greasy like my chin after a long day at work.</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720058975448051242.post-26547920446897866432013-09-23T10:17:00.000-07:002013-09-23T10:17:10.308-07:00I Fell Off the Planet for a Bit, But I'm Back.This post will be short and sweet (<i>unlike my next post, which will be rife with photos and details of wedded bliss</i>), but I wanted to share with you some exciting news...<div>
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This happened!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I KNOW! I STILL CAN'T CONTAIN MYSELF!!!</span></div>
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I will be sure to blog endlessly about it once I get around to narrowing down my photo selections. For now, just know that married life is good. :)</div>
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(For those of you who already knew about this via my Facebook page, apologies: it's not exactly news anymore. But as you can tell, I'M STILL EXCITED!!!)</div>
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TILTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657074911256937647noreply@blogger.com5