What's Wrong?

If someone sat in front of me right now, and asked me "whats wrong?" I would reply, I don't feel like talking about it. Which leads me to say, I don't feel like blogging about it. Or really blogging about anything actually.

I will say that I am excited for Saturday though. In case you missed my blog about it, they will be sampling my recipe at the Farmer's Market. Yay!

One more day until the weekend,

Happy Thursday!

I Win? Again?

My recent luck has extended itself to yet another win. Only, I am a little more proud of this one because this wasn't a random drawing. Remember that recipe Easy Mexican Millet that I entered into the Farmers Market monthly recipe contest? Well it won. I know, shocker. Not only do I get the awesome title of "winner" but I get a $50 voucher for the farmers market and my food is going to be sampled there from 9am-11am. So if you are in the area, come taste my food :)

Another lucky happening in my life is that I just got an e-mail 30 minutes ago telling me I landed an internship at Tsuda's in downtown Auburn. It is basically like free culinary school. It is a bittersweet feeling as there could be some issues with having to leave for Germany. I want to be happy, but instead I am just anxious. It is a huge opportunity for me. The head Chef is amazing. She gets me in a way that no employer has since I worked at Good Earth. She told me she didn't care that I was quiet, that it was okay because everyone is different, and people just communicate differently. She continued to amaze me with the words that came out of her mouth. She not only cares about her business, but her employees as well. She has the personality that I need in an employer in order not to freak out, build confidence, and be able to grow within myself. I don't know what to do. I guess I probably shouldn't have started the whole process in the first place but I didn't know when I would be leaving yet. Well I still don't know exactly but it seems it might be soon.

Help?

Seriously Hopeless?

What do you do when you feel like you will never reach a certain goal in life? Or that your goals will never be taken seriously? When I say that I want to be a chef, or that I want to cook, and create food for a living I absolutely mean it. I don't see every dinner cooked as just another meal. No matter what I am cooking I am always deeply concentrated, thinking, experimenting, substituting, creating, and I see it as practice. Practice makes perfect right? Ideally, if culinary school was an option I would %100 percent take that route, but unfortunately it's not. Cooking is a type of art...hence the name Culinary Arts. Food is my medium. Would you tell an artist that they were not a real artist because they didn't attend art school? If you learn the skill, don't you think you would deserve the title?

I am in no way saying that I am even close to Chef status, but if I really am never able to make it to Culinary school and end up learning my skills the old fashion way will anyone ever take me seriously? People don't realize it but there are actually a lot of famous chefs that never attended culinary school. Chefs such as:

Tom Colicchio

Mario Batali

Rick Bayless

Gordon Ramsay

The list goes on..but you get the point. I just hope that maybe my dreams are within reach. Give me hope. It's all I ask.

My Lucky Day

If you hadn't already heard, I had a bit of a lucky day. A lucky day worth $200 dollars. I won a contest from a website called www.chow.com it was called the Tweet What You Eat sweepstakes and at the time I was eating homemade pizza..so that is what I tweeted. Sure enough a few days later I got a direct message on twitter saying I was a potential winner. Was this for real? All I had to do was send my contact info..which led to notorizing an affidavit and then after I turned that in, a whole 3 days later I received a pre-paid visa card for $200. Holy Crap.

I thought about it for awhile about what I should get, but then I knew I wanted to get something that I had been wanting and might never get the chance to get unless I took advantage of my luck...so here she is.

Nope one photo is not enough...

I toggled back and forth between this Shun knife and a Wusthof Classic Ikon for a good 45 minutes while chopping up multiple potatoes and carrots at Sur La Table. They were both great knives, the same price,  but in the end, the Shun won me over when I sliced a carrot faster, and easier than I ever have before. I wanted the Wusthof, just because it was a Wusthof...I am moving to Germany after all how could I got to Germany with a Japanese knife? But...I couldn't deny it, the Shun just felt better in my hand. 

So thanks to my lucky day, I was able to get a knife I have been drooling over for a long time. 

I came home and tried it out on dinner. Loved it and am extremely happy with my decision. 

Good day. Good day indeed.

The Big Day

So tomorrow is the day...the day that I walk in to my hopeful place of future internship and turn in my resume ( which I still have to make ) and a filled out application. I mean, I guess I can't screw up too badly considering it is only an internship and not a job...it is not like they will be losing money. I am just someone who is eager to learn..and I hope they see that. I hope that I don't make a fool of myself, or that they can see through the ball of awkwardness that walks in their door tomorrow morning.

I hope everything goes okay...I really want this.

Fear

It was the usual Farmers market Saturday. Only I didn't cook today because my folks had a concert to attend. Tomorrow will be my usual Farmers market cooking day though. I did however, turn in my recipe and they said I should know by Wednesday if I win or not...um I already know the answer to that one and it is a definite no. I did have a bit of luck today but luck and skill or two different things and I don't normally have either.

Another thing I don't have is energy. I am not going to lie, I am tired today. I am also not going to lie and say that I have been getting up at 6:30-7:00am this whole week. It makes me feel like a slacker..and it also makes getting up at 4:00am a little bit harder on Saturdays. I am usually a little bit more tired on the weekends for whatever reason. Maybe it is because I feel disappointed at what I didn't accomplish and have let yet another week go by.

Sometimes I feel like I am letting life get away from me...like it is going to be over before I know it. Especially if I don't push myself to do something, and chase something I am passionate about. Which leads me to the subject of the possible internship I may have at a restaurant in town called Tsuda's. The head chef there is awesome. She has had over 30 years of experience cooking for all types of diets like Macrobiotic, veganism, vegetarian, Ayruveda, etc. Which is everything I am insanely interested in and eager to learn as much as I can. As excited as I am to learn and pursue this internship I am still afraid. Afraid of the unfamiliar environment, people, and how I will handle certain situations...and afraid that it will be yet another thing to dissolve due to my lack of social skills...which usually leads me into a deep hate for myself. The worst part is that no one really understands. So even when I do fail, there is no one to talk to about it because it is something that I was "supposed to grow out of" a long time ago, but unfortunately that didn't happen. In my heart, I feel big enough to conquer the world.  But in my mind, I feel so small. What if I let fear get in the way of my passion?

Recipe Contest

Easy Mexican Millet

Approximate preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 cup of millet
2 cups of water
2 tsp. Olive Oil
4 large tomatoes, Diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 fresh ears of corn
1 tablespoon of Cumin
1 Cup of Cilantro
Salt
Pepper

1.Bring millet and two cups of water to a boil. Cover and turn down heat until all water is absorbed. ( about 15-20 minutes )

2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and add garlic and corn. Sauté for two minutes and then add tomatoes. Season lightly with salt, and pepper and add the cumin. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add the millet. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the cilantro and serve.

Yep..this is the recipe I am submitting at the farmers market tomorrow...I never win anything, so I am going to already just say I lose...but I win in that I at least had the guts to enter. I am afraid of losing..so way to conquer that fear right? lol

The Adventures of a 50 Cent Cookbook

I am baking a cookie recipe from this book as I type. It is the second cookie recipe, and the 4th recipe total. I found this book at a local book sale and bought it for 50 cents. If you look closely you will notice that it says Recipes From the Weimar Kitchen. So what is this "Weimar Kitchen"? Well about 20 minutes from here in a town called Weimar (original huh?) there is a wellness institute that has a program called Newstart. Newstart offers a proven alternative to the treatment and prevention of degenerative diseases such as; Atherosclerosis, Coronary heart disease, hypertension, Stress, Obesity, Diabetes, Arthritis, Chronic Pulminary Disease.

Pretty awesome huh? So what does this cookbook consist of? What is it's magic healing potion? Well it is a vegan diet and none of the recipes contain cholesterol, free fat, or refined sugars. So for example..say you are making a pesto. Instead of using olive oil, the recipe would call for whole olives. Pretty awesome concept I would say. You get more fiber and nutrients that way. Go Weimar. So for these cookies there is also no refined sugar. I will leave you the recipe below. Because upon this tasty bite I would say the are quite cookielicious.

Perhaps the most surprising thing is that this book was published in 1992, before I even knew what nutrition was, and the institute is run by Christians. (Christians love their meat ). You really don't come across many vegan christians. Technically I think they are 7th Day Adventists though, which maybe I should just be a 7th Day Adventist huh? These people were way ahead of our times and this cookbook looks like it could of been published yesterday. ( minus the awesome yellow pages and 90's clipart.)  I think another thing that drew me to this book is that I remember my friends mom used to cook out of it occasionally and take cooking classes from Weimar. Back then of course I was taught that it was a weird place to go and laughed at my friend for having black bean burgers for dinner. Little did I know that I was missing out. 

Check out these sparklin tubnotes

Yep delish Sooo for the recipe.

Okay so I made a few Alterations...
Column #1
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup of raw cashews or walnuts
1 Cup of pitted dates
2 teaspoons of Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Column #2
1 1/4 cup Sourghum flour or brown rice flour ( I did this to make it gluten free but you can use whole wheat flour )
1 cup carob chips ( I just used vegan/gluten free chocolate chips )
1 Cup of raisins

Blend cashews and water until very smooth, then add remaining ingredients in first column and continue blending until very smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Drop by tablespoon onto sprayed cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. ( you might need to adjust that )

Try them! I know they are super weird and I was skeptic myself...but they are good. I promise.

Happy Baking!

Hand Jig

I know my past like 5 posts have been completely mindless but I just can't get over this video. You might have already seen it but if you haven't, you are in for a treat. Enjoy

Show?

I am watchin the biggest loser. Season 10! Why do I love this show... well it is inspiring. Everyone can use a little inspiration once in awhile. Sure, I don't have a hundred pounds to lose but the inspiration to this show does not have to solely be for weight loss.

I am kind of in a brain fog right now. I am distracted by Bob's odd shaped head and Jillian's stink face. I still love them though.

Some of the stories of the contestants are so sad. I think I am way to distracted to keep on blogging.

What show are you looking forward to this fall?

Laziness...

So I would totally bog something meaningful and entertaining but...well that never happens but here is a short little video I put together tonight for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy!

Warning: Not For The Squeamish

I was on my way to cooking up some Moong Dal A.K.A these nutritious little buggers...

But lets just say the last picture I took was this...

Yea... so I was slicing up an onion preparing to dice it and noticed the placement of my hand. I thought to myself..."I am so going to chop my finger off someday"...then literally two seconds later BAM. I looked at my finger and instantly knew this would be a bleeder. If anyone needed my DNA well it's in the kitchen. Go for it, there is probably enough for a whole blood panel.

Like the dork I am I was intrigued by the awesome contrast of blood in a white kitchen sink and couldn't resist getting out my SLR and snapping multiple pictures. ( Is that weird? ) I wanted to freak out for about 5 minutes but I knew that dinner must be finished, and back to work I went.

I managed to finish up my Moong Dal with Pulao and Raita. Pulao is a rice dish with peas, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Raita is a yogurt with cucumber and other spices like curry, tumeric, and cinnamon. These are some of the dishes we learned to make in the Indian cooking class I went to last Wednesday. It was a hit at the dinner table but I failed to take a picture of the finished dish. Next time I suppose. I even managed to clean up the crime scene

This was only half of it.  How do you get blood off of your shoe?

Saturdays...

I love Saturdays. Why? Two words. Farmers market and cooking. It doesn't get much better than that. Except for maybe tomorrow because I have some awesome Indian recipes that I am going to try.

Honestly I am tired of blogging at this moment because I just wrote a blog..on my other blog. So If you feel like hearing more from me tonight ( which I doubt ) then go to www.amberhaas.com

Happy Saturday!

Chai Anyone?

Wow. I almost forgot to blog tonight. Not that anyone would of noticed but my day would have become totally unbalanced and my life would come crumbling down. Okay maybe not but that would suck.

I just got done watching 2 of my favorite shows. Top Chef the finale episode that I recorded due to being at a cooking class and being intrigued by Ayruvedic cooking. The outcome was unexpected that is for sure...

The other more new favorite of mine is called Thinnervention on Bravo with none other than Trainer Jackie Warner. Which I think someone forgot to Warn her ( what? a pun? ) that having awesome abs requires you to never wear a shirt on TV.

So Jackie What exactly is the secret to these fabulous abdominals? Specifically the rectus abdominals?

Is it your magic protein shake?

Hmm nope. Honestly it isn't really a secret. Or if it is..then I know what the secret is. If you are ever looking to look like Jackie Warner you have to be willing to WORK YOUR ASS OFF. I think that should be the Title of her book. It is all about intensity. Book covers and magazine covers can be very deceiving. They say "read me and you will look like this." But the reality is..work your ass off and you might get close to looking like this. You will not get this way with a 30 minute walk 5 days a week, a strict low calorie diet without exercise, or basically any exercise that does not make you feel miserable at least once and awhile. Trainers will not tell you that. Why? Well because they don't want you to get discouraged, and people are not willing to feel uncomfortable, or to feel pain. Who wants to put themselves in pain? Well it won't always be painful and afterwards you feel like a million bucks. The more painful the workout, the better and more accomplished you feel after. It is definitely confidence building to know that you can get through something so tough. But like I said, people usually are not willing to experience any pain or suffering to reach their goals...or imaginary goals. 

Protein shakes will not give you abs, not meat, not tofu, and nope not even vegetables. Only you can give you abs. Of course diet is important but you always have to have both diet and exercise. It won't work with just one. 

Why the hell am I talking about this?

My ex-health blogger has surfaced at a very strange time. Perhaps it is because I started blogging about health when Jackie's original show Workout premiered on Bravo. Oddly enough that show is what inspired me to become a personal trainer. Well here I am now. A personal trainer..who ironically doesn't do any personal training. I find it a bit frustrating truthfully. People expect so much out of you when really the key to their success is in their hands. It is in your hands people! 

Ok I am ranting. I think I drank to much Chai Tea. I have a new love of homemade Chai Tea. It's good stuff.

I'm done typing.

TGIF :) 

Checking Out

I was hit by a chocolate chip cookie craving this evening...so of course I ran out to the store to get some chocolate chips. There is no denying a chocolate chip cookie craving. After I picked up my trusty gluten free/vegan chocolate chips and a few other breakfast items I headed to the checkout. There is nothing I hate more than a grocery store without a self check out. There is the first eye contact awkwardness and the where do I put my basket without looking like ajerk scenario...the  search for the conveyor belt item separator, and then of course the initial meet and greet with your clerk. "Hi, how are you?" Is the most common of greetings heard...I wonder how many times they have said these four words in just one hour. Regardless, I always respond "good how are you?" I wonder how many times they have been asked that...or why anyone even bothers. Even if they were not "good" what else could they say? They just want to get you out of their hair is fast as possible.

Then when the bag boy comes into play you get the option of choosing "paper? or plastic?" Seeing as paper is more environmentally friendly and doubles as a dog poop bag, I always choose paper. But the problem with choosing paper is how awkward it can be to say the word paper. I mean, you want to be friendly..but have you ever tried to say the word paper with a friendly tone of voice? It is almost impossible without sounding like a pre-pubescent boy. Say it right now in your friendliest tone. I will be the bagger and you the customer. "Paper or Plastic?" now say paper in a friendly joyful manner. Notice the near voice crack at the end? Is it just me? Paper may be environmentally friendly but not so voice tone friendly. 

See these are the things that go through a socially retarded person's mind as they go to the grocery store. It gets even better when you have to buy feminine products...

Of course self check out machines can get a little awkward too. I once had a friend who tried to buy condoms through self check only to have her 20 dollar swallowed up by the machine without spitting out any change. The clerk came over to assist her but she decided that 20 dollars wasn't worth the embarrassment, grabbed the condoms and ran. I would of done the same. Lesson #1 make the man buy his own dick slippers. Lesson #2 don't buy condoms through self checkout. Buy them at gas stations like real classy people. Duh. 

What is the thing you hate most about store checkouts?

Cooking Up a Diagnosis

I just got home from an awesome cooking class from a local restaurant called Tsuda's. The class was on Indian cooking and healing and I learned about a little something called Ayurveda. What is Ayurveda? Well it's hard to explain so I guess that is what Wikipedia is for...This is what Mr. Wiki has to say about it...Ayurveda (Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद; Āyurveda, the "science of life") Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent^[1] and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.^[2] In Sanskrit, the word ayurveda consists of the wordsāyus, meaning "longevity", and veda, meaning "related to knowledge" or "science".^[1] Evolving throughout its history, ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.^[3


I love learning about different cultures, foods, and practices of medicine and health. The food we prepared was excellent and I just want to dive deep into learning more about Indian spices and culture. Because there are so many different spices used in Indian cooking I often find myself intimidated by it. I am an indecisive person so a cuisine that offers an abundance of spice options leaves me feeling a bit overwhelmed...but the taste is so worth it, and I can't wait to cook with more of these spices. 


Speaking of learning...the head chef and part owner of the restaurant was the one teaching this class...and I may have just opened an opportunity for an internship. She said to come back in a couple of days to fill out an application and talk with her and Alex ( the other owner ). This sounds great but there are two problems here. #1 I might be leaving soon. #2 I can't see myself going in there asking to talk to them without making a stammering fool of myself. I never get to do anything I am passionate about because when it comes to things I am passionate about it is then that I freeze up the most. I care so much about it that I freeze like a deer in the headlights. Passion to me cannot be expressed through words. (spoken words ) The only way I can express it is through action but when it comes to interviews...people usually don't let me get that far. It is a very discouraging feeling that I experience all too often. I am a horrible people person. Like, really, really horrible.  


I can't stop thinking about what a great opportunity an internship would be. Unfortunately it is bad timing and I need to learn how to talk like a big girl. *sigh* I really hate my brain. Really, really hate it. Is there a diagnosis for this besides nut job?

Saucy

Well I did something semi-productive today. I made another little cooking how-to video. Here it is.. let me know what you think. Should I make this a regular thing?

Mind Blogging

I am not sure I feel like blogging what is on my mind right now. It could stir up drama that I don't have the energy to deal with or argue about...the only problem is that it is consuming all off my thoughts...which makes it quite difficult to blog about anything else.

It is something that I have been wanting to blog about for quite a long time but have been reluctant to do so in fear that I would offend someone, that I wouldn't be able to write about it well enough to get my point across, or that it just isn't my place.

Is there something that you have wanted to blog about that you were unsure of? Did you end up blogging about it? Or did you hold back?

Day of Cooking = Blog Fusion

I am having trouble finding a balance between my food blog and my personal blog. When is it okay for the two to collide? Cooking is about all that is going on in my life right now so what do I write here?

Well how about the more embarrassing things like...I want to be the Next Food Network Star...hah well just being a chef would do. Will that ever be attainable? Would it be realistic to think of ever being able to teach a vegetarian cooking class?

Well that is all that is coming out of my mind today but if you want to see more of went on in my day check out www.amberhaas.com

Positive?

Do you ever have one of those days that is just so un-eventful that you literally have nothing to say? That is pretty much my everyday but I can usually spit some sort of jibberish onto my blog. Perhaps blogging will get a little more exciting when I finally get to Germany...but until now I am baking apple spice cookies while watching Crazy Heart.

The most eventful thing that happened to me today was getting retweeted by @Kris_Carr Who is Kris Carr? She is the creator and star of the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. I have talked about her a little bit on this blog...I think I even posted a video of her if I remember correctly. Anyways...it made me all giddy inside because she, like Aarti is someone I look up to. I find that I tend to gravitate towards positive personalities...as if my happiness can me found somewhere within theirs. I know this isn't true but positive attitudes do rub off a bit. I find myself smiling a bit more throughout the day. It's kind of strange how it can be a lot more difficult to be positive sometimes and some people make it look so easy. How do they do it?

Recipe Contest Recipe #2

Kasha Stuffed Tomatoes with Romesco sauce

• 4 Large tomatoes ( such as beefsteak or heirloom )
• 2 fresh ears of corn (kernels removed)
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 large red onion diced 
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  
• 1 cup uncooked medium roasted buckwheat groats (kasha)
  
• 1-2 tbs. chili powder 
• 
  
  
  Salt and Pepper to taste
  1 cup shredded Jack/cheddar cheese or mexican blend 

Directions:

For the tomatoes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Core and remove the insides of the tomatoes, by cutting off the tops, and cutting a circular shape around the edges. Spoon out the core; careful not to puncture the skin. ( kind of how you carve out the insides of a pumpkin ) Reserve 1/2 cup of the insides of the tomato for the Romesco sauce.

Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for approximately 6 minutes or until tomatoes have softened.

Poor out any liquid in the tomato that is brought out by the heat and place aside.

For the stuffing:

• Combine beaten egg and kasha in small bowl; stir until coated.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.
•  Add kasha to skillet with onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until kernels are separate and dry (1 to 2 minutes). Add in veggie broth and reduce heat. Cover and continue cooking until kasha is tender and liquid is absorbed (7 to 10 minutes). 
• Once Kasha has absorbed all of the broth, stir in the corn, chili powder, Cumin, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in about 1/4-1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
• Spoon mixture into tomatoes and place more cheese on top. 
• Broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes until cheese has melted.
• Serve topped with Romesco sauce and garnish with cilantro. 

Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1-2 slices of sandwich bread, toasted
• A handful of almonds toasted in the oven at 400 for about 5 minutes. Approximately 1/4 cup.
• 12 ounces of roasted red pepper. 1 Jar, or 1 3/4 cup.
• 1/2 cup reserved tomato insides.
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. 
   
   
   
   

1. 
   
   
   1. Toast bread in toaster at lowest setting until surface is dry but not browned. Remove crusts and cut bread into rough 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 1/2 cup).
2.  
3. 2. Process bread and almonds in food processor until nuts are finely ground, 10 to 15 seconds. Add red peppers, tomato, garlic, oil, vinegar, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse, scraping down side of bowl as necessary, until mixture has texture similar to mayonnaise, 20 to 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning with salt and set aside.

First Contest...I'm Doomed

I'm entering my first recipe contest. Our local farmer's market puts on a recipe contest each month with a specific food that you have to use. Well, this month is tomatoes and so far I came up with this...

I know...what the hell is that right? It looks like some sort of puss laden body part. Well luckily it's not a body part. Except maybe my heart that got ripped out and poured onto the plate as I realized there was no way this thing was going to look pretty. So what is this thing really? It is a Stuffed Tomato with Muhammara Sauce. I came up with the crazy idea of making a stuffed tomato with Indian flavors. Sure, I could of stuffed it with the usual italian spices, topped it off with mozzarella cheese and called it a day but how many other people would submit the exact same thing? I could of also gone the spanish route. Stuffed it with some black beans and spanish rice, topped it off with a mix of cheddar, jack cheese and avacado but that also seems pretty original to me. 

Truth is I have been watching a lot of Aarti Sequeira lately. The newest Food Network Star and host of Aarti Party. I love how she puts an Indian flare on everything, and I love Indian spices. Problem is not everyone likes Indian spices,  so am I taking a good risk by entering a recipe with an Indian flare? Or is this risk just setting me up for failure? Either way, I will say that Aarti is my new hero. She is a blogger too..how can you not love a fellow blogger? I highly recommend you check out her blog. And also her You Tube cooking show. 

If you do nothing else at least watch this video. This is the salad that is also pictured in my photo. It is one of my favorites. Enjoy! 

Don't Be Jealous

I finally dusted off my paintbrush and canvases and decided to paint something...and let me tell you it is a genius work of art. 

Warning: the next photo contains images that may cause extreme envy of my artistic skills.

Yep...don't be jealous. You wish you had these awesome social network paintings hanging in your house too. 

Okay maybe not but I had fun so that is all that counts right? 

My dad doesn't get it, because he paints pretty pictures like this: 

Yea my dad is way cooler than me. I would paint pictures like this too but I don't think God would appreciate me butchering his masterpiece called earth. I think I will stick to creating food recipes.

I would really like the next project I take on to be one in the cooking/youtube realm, but I am overwhelmed at how in the world I would go about it as I can barely take the time to snap a photo of my food before I serve it. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday, I am off to watch Master Chef, followed by Top Chef! 

Brainstorms and Treats

It was brought to my attention the other day by my friend Ashley that compared to this blog that it seems I neglect my food blog. Well yes and no...I don't completely neglect it. I usually get a post up at least once a week..or every two weeks? So what is the reason for that? Well #1 it takes more effort. I can't just sit down and write a recipe. I have to test it first and include photos. I hate when recipes don't have a photo of the finished product. ( I am aware that I posted a cookie recipe without a photo the other day ). #2 You get less bank for your buck. In other words - I don't exactly have a following. I might have spent hours in the kitchen and shooting photos of a salad while my bread is in the oven and my pasta is over cooking on the stove only to find out that the lighting makes my food look like a Sizzler salad bar menu. ( Sizzler seriously needs to hire a new food photographer...or perhaps their food is really just that horrible. )

So after finally cooking my whole meal frantically trying to do a million things at once and also remembering to snap photos...get them uploaded to my computer, then post the recipes, the directions and etc. onto my blog... I don't usually get a comment. I still post anyways but it is a lot of work and I am kind of like a Dog. I need praise and encouragement...maybe even a treat?

I guess my hope one day is that someone just might try one of the recipes on my blog and give me a review. Whether it be good or bad, just to know someone tried your recipe would be awesome. Gosh I am such a sad, and pathetic being to beg for comments and reviews.

I am kind of brainstorming on some ideas for my food blog/ future youtube cooking show. I recently did a few "how to" videos involving cooking and thought it was pretty fun. I am not sure I would shoot it in the same format or not.

What do you guys think?

Oh and of course it would be all vegetarian :) Sorry carnivores.

I Think It's About Time

Throughout all of this Jay Leno/Conan O'brien mess ( yes this was a random thought that I intend on finishing ) I believe it is about time that there is a female Tonight show host. Late night TV is a freaking sausage fest. Oprah is leaving daytime TV so I think it is only appropriate for our evenings to be filled with a little more estrogen. As Oprah would say...we need some Va Jay Jay up in here. 

So, who should be the first female tonight show host? Well, If was to pick I would nominate these very qualified and funny females in no particular order:

Ellen Degeneres

Chelsea Handler

Sara Silverman 

Kathy Griffin

and last but not least...

Tina Fey

Who would you pick to be the first female Tonight Show Host?

America's Funniest...

I am watching America's Funniest Home Videos right now. It's some good stuff. Laughing at other people's expense never gets old. I still don't understand why the funny videos never win though. Will it be the Laughing baby? Dad getting hit in the nuts by a baseball, or the crazy family pet?

I think the best thing about America's Funniest Home Videos is that it takes me back to my childhood. Not only does it take me back by watching children do foolish things we all did..but I remember watching this show since...well since I was able to remember anything. It all started with...

A.K.A. Danny, Dad or Mr. Tanner. I never understood how he could be Michelle, Stephanie, and D.J.'s Dad while hosting this show where he made lame voices and called himself Bob. What about Wake up San Francisco Mr. Tanner? Where is Becky?

After Bob Saget's time was finally up these two goons game along...

They were better looking than Bob Saget, but just as lame. Their names are John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes. The only thing funny about this pair was the dudes last name. Thankfully their time on AFV finally came to an end and we ended up with the current host.

Tom Bergeron...I wouldn't say he is great but I will admit he is the best host the show has had so far. 

I wonder how much longer the show will go on...hits to the crotch never seem to get old, so as long as people keep filming themselves getting hit in the junk I suppose it will keep on going. 

I will leave you with one of my favorite AFV clips.

I love how the dogs foot attempts to be sneaky. 

Who was your favorite host? Or what was your favorite show growing up?