Quick Post..And Cupcakes!

 hey hey hey!

so i finished those cupcakes tonight. went with the white frosting, and pink sparkles. who doesn't like sparkles?

redundant question. everybody likes sparkles. if you don't...then i probably don't know you and we can't be friends.

something like that.

on another note, i will be staying at the restaurant rather than this new job. it's not the people, i love them all, they're really cool. especially this one girl who i am passing along some miyazaki torrents to, but that's not the issue.

when, at the interview, i say that i want to keep another job as my main job, and you agree to work with me to schedule around that job, that does not mean that you turn around two weeks later and tell me i have to give up said job to keep getting hours. then hang up on me. then act like nothing is wrong. then the job overall is completely lacking any kind of challenge. grrr.

it was fun while it lasted, at least to talk to and meet some new people, if anything. i wish it could have worked out. at least everyone at the restaurant is glad i am staying.

it is also ball shrinking cold out. like, nasty wind, snow, the whole nine yards. it was just 40-something like 5 days ago. thanks, new york! people complain that people complain about the weather too much, but when it has multiple personality disorder, i'm gonna complain. make up yo damn mind! assholes...

i feel like i had some other clever and witty comment to put on here, but i guess now is not the time. i am tired. as if you didn't see that one coming.

oh well. at least i won't have three jobs in a day or so. then i can relax a little again, aside from cleaning and packing my apartment. april 1st we move! oh, there is so much to do. oh, monday and the following monday i get to take the assholes and fridge kitty to the vet. that will be exciting. guarantee there will be pee all over the place. maybe i will have to laminate my car with trash bags before inserting felines. we will see how lazy i am feeling. speaking of lazy, i still have to sort through three bags of bottles....

oh well. i'll have some time around work to think about that, and all of the other assortments of things that constantly flood my mind. i am going to bed now. one more long ass day. maybe i will finish my book.....well, i know i will finish it. later! ☺

So Tired....Oh, But There Are Cookies!

yay! so let's start out with something delicious.

these pink lemonade cookies are sure to do the trick.

these (along with some cupcakes, which are posted below, and also unfinished at this point) are for kristen's pure romance party this weekend. i am working all day long, so i won't be there. such is my life.

i have made these a few times before, and they are super-duper awesome. they are also pretty easy to make too. soft, chewy, melt in your mouth delightful. plus, they're pink. anything pink is usually delicious anyway.

i wasn't sure i would have time to make them considering all of the work going on, but it was so dead, i got kicked out of work early. never thought i would see that happen in retail, but whatever. when it's slow enough that i can read a few chapters of a book, that's probably a sign of some sort. i'm not sure what kind of sign though. too many people working? slow day? maybe both? i don't know. either way, i'm pretty sure i won't make it there much longer.

i have already asked to keep my job at the restaurant, we are talking about that tomorrow. with any luck it won't be a big deal. but this other place? they basically want me to give up my other job to get "full time." i told them to begin with that i wanted to stay at the one because i get paid a lot more. i will take hours there first over anywhere else. if i want to keep them, i will get bumped to part time, namely 15 hours or so, which is basically what i had to begin with at the restaurant. overall, not worth my time for the extra 50 cents, the extra 20 minute commute (so 30 total), nor the completely boring and non-challenging environment. i'll go beg for my job back at party city if i want to be a useless cashier.

i love the people there to death, but this is stupid.

CUPCAKES!! ☺

they are supposed to be pink and "white," i guess the picture kind of looks like it. haven't decided if i am going to do just plain white frosting with pink sprinkles or luster, or a pink and white twist. i'll get to that tomorrow, though, i suppose.

maybe i'll get sent home early tomorrow, too....it would be nice. i can't say i'm looking forward to the beginning of the day. i should be going to bed, i am exhausted, and have a 3 day triple shift again this week.

i think the new apartment is somewhat official as well, at least in the fact we said we would take it. it will probably be ours the end of march, unless otherwise specified. now i have to hurry up and continue packing. you know, if anyone wants to help, you can. just saying.

and then there's this, just for fun.

so, aside from wanting me to quit my main job, i had to make this 40-50 minute back-and-forth commute on monday just to get my schedule. just to read a piece of paper that took me 30 seconds.

i got double scheduled on accident, when i was told "i most likely wouldn't be needed" that morning (confirmed by exhibits a and b, tuesday and wednesday mornings: not a single customer before 1 pm), but was scheduled anyway. turned out my email was entered wrong (not my fault), and i got hung up on over the phone before i could ask for said schedule. cool? yeah, no.

anyway, this was a result, some delicious teavanna tea, and the escalator reflection picture. this escalator had conveniently turned into stairs, so we took a picture in the one above us. teavanna had some new flavors, too. i got the marshmallow macaron. deeeelish.

well, hoping everything goes well tomorrow and i can keep my job at the restaurant. i know they all like me there, at least. i am going to go to bed for real now. thanks for reading! ♥

LONG Weekends, and More Crazy Bird Lady Talk

it has been such a long time since i have worked long hours. i know i am a workaholic and live for this kind of thing, but with my recent hour cuts i have been getting lazy. so when i got hired for a third (temporarily) job and worked three 13 hour days in a row on top of that not sleeping thing. considering i wake up at about 7:30am and go to bed between 11:30 and midnight, that's a pretty long day. feet hurt, back hurts, eyes won't stay open.....

i got to sleep in today, at least. i mean, i made it until 8:30, that's pretty good, right? then i sat around on the internet for an hour. resting! ohh yeahh. i really missed my main job today, though. i was happy to be back.

okay, so this picture was earlier in the week, what, wednesday night? but come on. video games, standees that are as big as your friend...what's not to love? well, there's that whole customer thing occasionally, but sometimes that is half the fun, whether they are cool or mildly "handicapped."

new shirts lol

i am still trying to figure out the new place though. it seems cool, the people are cool....i am not sure how i feel i fit in there yet though. during the interview they seemed impressed that i have supervisory/managerial experience, yet somehow i ended up as a cashier. not what i had in mind. two of the three long days, i got a chance to do other things too which was kind of nice, but i don't know. i really don't want to be a cashier. it is the worst possible thing ever, the most boring job, EVER. the last place that did this to me wouldn't even let me leave the counter, and i got in trouble for not answering the phone when i was helping customers who were in front of me that very second. completely frustrating.

i am also nervous of the whole small children factor....yeah. kids and i don't mix very well. there haven't been too many just yet, but apparently at their other location they get them by the bus full. insert me crying in the corner, rocking back and forth....that is the only outcome, other than picking up and leaving. i suppose for now i will wait it out and see, hopefully i won't get stuck as a cashier. otherwise, maybe i will go back to the restaurant.

speaking of the restaurant, i'm pretty sure i am making a lot of people sad. i am sad. they are like my other family. it has been 5 years since i've started. one of my waitresses almost cried when she found out. i totally did. i will probably hang out friday and saturday nights after work at the bar, kind of like my last hurrah. so any readers who are not working on friday or saturday nights, feb 28 and mar 1, i will be at my work, after work, around 9:15-9:30 if you would like to join me. ♥

needless to say, the past week has been pretty tiring. i am still hoping things will work out for the best, although the best for me is usually not the greatest, since i think people tend to take advantage of me sometimes. i work hard, ask for next to nothing, and usually get no thanks. meh.

if i have the time, i would like to bake a little something this week too, i was thinking some more cupcakes with a caramel theme. you can't really go wrong with caramel. it's delicious, it's multi-purpose, it can even be healthy if you eat it on fruit, did i mention it's yummy? see? can't go wrong. the end.

let's see....i have introduced fat baby, sora, and my son....so how about kairi today? (yes, my cockatiels names are sora and kairi, kingdom hearts reference for anyone who catches it out there, but yes, the boy is kairi, and the girl is sora).

dat face....

but look at the bottom one. i just took that picture. sora likes to have her head rubbed or scratched by anyone. when she is next to kairi, she will lean over to see if he will preen her, but he has no idea what to do, so he just copies her. i am pretty sure kairi would be the definition of dumb blonde if he were a real person. he is kind of special. he gets kind of crusty sometimes too, since he drools a lot, so his food will make little crusties on the sides of his beak. luckily these pictures don't show that, and show more of his (almost) sensitive side.

on that note, it is time for some pizza, buffalo tenders, and how i met your mother. thanks for reading, and wish me luck for the rest of the week!

that is, if i get my schedule....

☺

I am not dead lol

Just a quick post between works. I did not die, the mystical, magical land of the internet did not steal me away. Being between three jobs is very tiring. Also, remember that staying up late thing i mentioned? Yep. It caught up. Though i may feel dead, i am not. I will post more later. Its only for another week....!!!

High Tea, Anyone?

it is decided. this will be my next gathering theme.

i love tea. i have a whole cabinet dedicated to different kinds of teas that i have collected. it is stupid how much tea i have, most people would find it completely unnecessary to have as much. i could be my own teavanna.

alright, maybe not that much, but still more than any other normal person would keep at any given time.

caffeine and i don't get along too well, and coffee smells good, but i don't think there is enough sugar in the world to make it taste any better, but that's just me. there are so many different teas, with different amounts of caffeine and whatnot. all the flavors....♥ it is all kinds of happy for me all over the place, and my heart doesn't even have to explode to achieve it.

on to this high tea thing...i was thinking last night about doing another little party so i can see my friends more than once a year. i've done a dessert party, a fall themed dessert party, and a mini party. i wanted to do something spring next, and was thinking "spring cleaning," eat something healthy to clean up after your holiday binge-eating. awesome idea, i know. i'm full of them. but then i thought tea parties can be light and mostly healthy, i have been meaning to do a real tea party at some point. spring is a great time for something like that!

i found this "Time for Tea" article/image on pinterest (of course), and that's what settled it. it's almost like mini party, take two, but fancy. that and my friend who wants to do a healthy party as well, pinned a recipe for crumpets. crumpets are english, english leads to tea, which leads to tea party! i don't know if there will be crumpets, but there will be scones, petit fours, finger sandwiches, and tea! ☺ (if someone wants to make crumpets, have at it! i've never had one.)

did anyone check out the link? afternoon tea and high tea are almost like meal substitutes, instead of dinner or lunch. it even tells you how to not get thrown out of tea time. how fun is that? i would say i want to throw someone out for not having proper tea etiquette, but i don't ever see anyone so that won't happen. i am completely improper. most likely my tea will be a mash up of both afternoon and evening, or something like that. i like sammiches.

i will probably do this in mid april, on a weekend. probably a sunday, as usual, since it seems to be the easiest time for anyone to visit me and not have to work.

i also will be switching apartments somewhere in march. super fun, i know. moving stuff in the snow, best day ever! (not really, but hopefully there won't be as much snow as there is now when it comes time. hell, it's raining today, maybe it will stay away. forever).

hopefully this new job will not only provide more pay, but more hours, unless the main one wants to give me more hours, because i get paid a lot more there. i should have money before i plan these things out, that always helps. where's the fun in that though, huh?

alright, well my cup of tea is cold, so i am going to heat that up, sort through some bottles and return them, and then go to work for the night. i am working doubles for the next three days (thur, fri and sat), hopefully during early next week i can get some packing and cleaning done to get things ready. if anyone wants to help, text me, message me, i would say just show up, but who knows if anyone will be here at any given time.

I wish, I wish, I was in OBX

i should be asleep now. i am pretty tired.

i am not even sure why i am awake still. confound this blasted internet!!

i ended up being bad and logging into facebook for a few minutes, and ended up looking at all of my old pictures. i am a creeper. not because of the pictures, but because i have no reason to go on there other than to creep at others and whatnot, but even that doesn't entertain me as much as it used to.

on to these pictures....does anyone know where this is? not that i have anyone who responds to me.... :P

jockey's ridge state park, nestled in the little town of kitty hawk, north carolina. also known as: the outer banks.

i am sad. i really want to go back again this year. a lot. i want to go back every year. money is stupid and completely non existent, however, so i am not sure that it will happen. it's like my home away from home. if i had the chance, i would move there, or as close to there as possible. i have even looked around for jobs, but there is nothing that would pay me as close to what i am making now, even though it sucks and isn't enough to make ends meet. a girl can dream.

this weather makes me want to go back even more. even though they still get a bit of snow time to time, it only takes like 2 inches to shut down the entire state, and i would totally be that guy and drive like a boss since i'm so pro at winter driving. i would most likely be yelling at a lot of people though, much like i do now, since the winter makes people extra stupid when on the road. i'm pretty sure my near misses and near accidents quadruple to the eighth power for the 3 months of nasty snow weather we get. look at these cute little flowers!

i bet i will end up scouring the internet for a cheap place to make an attempt to visit there again. even if i can't go. i will need a lot of beach days to make up for it. maybe i'll even get up early to go before work or something. i miss out on so much because of work, and multiple jobs. why can't everything be easier? even just for a little while? i keep hoping this will be my year, and i have said that every year for the past 3 years. something worse has always come along. there has to be a good one around here sometime soon!

more pretty pictures time!

i can almost smell the sun, the sand, and the ocean. except that i am surrounded by birds and cats. not the same at all.

i am just making it worse by going through all of these pictures, but i can't help it. now i am venting to the internet, when the internet is (kind of) what started this in the first place. i mean, i am a firm believer that the internet has the answer to everything, and therefore can solve most problems. not this time. i need to go to bed. thanks, internet.

who knows. maybe some things will turn around, and maybe i will get something good out of 2014. a big fat raise would be nice. one steady job would be nice. less bills? a dream, but would be nice. dreaming of all of this forever, and it will always be just out of my grasp.

hey, internet? now would be a good time for an answer. no? just stay awake longer? you're crazy!

how about this: i will introduce my son to my blog. he's 16 going on 17, his favorite foods are bacon and dried mango, he likes to scream at everyone, and gets very protective of me.

satchamo joe from kokomo. or just satch. my fat boy. he is so happy. especially when he is attached to me somehow (they are all like that sometimes, though, its weird, and funny).

he is a blue crown conure, he had the equivalent of a stroke in 2006, he is extremely spoiled because of this. bestest boy ever. ♥♥♥

the others? oh yes, they get jealous. they also get treats too, so they all get whatever they want, so satch isn't necessarily the most spoiled of them all. no, yes he is.

he can always make me smile. he gets all puffy and goes into snuggle mode, wedges himself against my neck, in my face, wherever he finds most comfortable. i was sick about a month ago laying on my couch, he walked up to my face and settled right down until he almost fell asleep. he's a special one, alright.

see here? crazy bird lady talk at it's finest. i'm pretty sure i need to go to bed. maybe i'll have some dreams of a nice day at the beach, about 600 miles south of here, where i will have a nice life waiting for me. ♥

thanks for reading my rant. i'll get back to posting good stuff, like food and whatnot, later! ☺

Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls, Etc

just to set this straight, if there's anyone out there who thinks red velvet is NOT sexy, just shut up and let me stop you right there. just...just stop....step back....and walk away. do you hear me? GTFO.

for those of you still with me....on top of the red velvetiness....throw some nutella in the mix. yes, insanity, i know. THEN....add some delightfully creamy cream cheese icing.....it's a sensory overload, i know, but it's totally worth it. every little bit.

i found these little gems on pinterest (of course) from yammie's noshery. don't let them fool you, they are super easy to make even for cinnamon rolls. i used two bowls (to mix everything, of course i needed one to let the dough rise and one for the frosting, but that's not important right now). wet ingredients in one, dry in the other. add the dry slowly, knead for a few minutes, then let it rise. when that's done, roll out, rub it down with some of that tasty nutella stuff, slice, roll, bake. i was totally late to work on sunday morning, but i shared with my co workers and that made up for it. never mind the part that i am a hard worker, that is not nearly as important as community food time.

if it was not completely inappropriate to put my face into this plate, i would have done it. also, if i wasn't late for work when i was taking this picture.☺ these were my (late) valentines gift to the husband. i am way too poor to buy anything, but i bake with love! that counts, right? ♥

we didn't really have an official "day" per say, but little stuff over the weekend. i had to work friday, so between training and other work, we got lunch. saturday between training and work, went to the auto expo to see all of the new cars (not that we need one, but it's fun to look at them all). finally, sunday, i worked again, but i made these, and some baked ziti after work for dinner, and had a "how i met your mother" marathon. almost caught up on season 9!

                

new corolla

subaru brz

    

challenger, stingray, beetle, camaro!

yes, i am obsessed with corolla, just because i have one, owned two. the second is an xrs, which means she's awesome and raises the response "mine's better" every time i drive past another corolla (i will probably elaborate on that another time). the subaru was just really fun, cute, and if i had $30k to drop on one i would probably have it. i just like pretty cars, muscle, exotics, classics. im such a dude. as for the beetle...have you seen the newer ones? they're kind of bad ass and more manly than the early 2000 models. i loved the hood stripes on this one, it kind of made me think of an evil herbie the love bug. #notshowingmyrealage

on another note, been hoping works will sort themselves out. it figures i get another job and suddenly my main job wants me to work. if i had the hours initially, i wouldn't be juggling three jobs! 

derp. i am pretty sure i lost a day this week thanks to that. maybe i can use that day to pack. i am supposed to look at the new apartment in about 10 minutes.

or apparently tomorrow. it is way too cold out. the sun isn't too bad, though. i wish it was spring or summer, although we are supposed to get rain later this week? i'm pretty sure i live in the only place in the world that can experience all four seasons in a week. thanks, new york! ☼

 so, as far as i can tell, tuesday if anyone is around, i'll be at home trying to pack my things. hopefully going to look at the apartment. i have no idea what's going on. i guess i will leave it at that for now. thanks for reading!

Yep, so This Week is Crazy

valentines gifts from the husband ☺

i always like to start off with a picture, isn't that nice?

holy stress balls, batman. i feel like i could use all the chocolate and sleep i can get. yet, here i am, dicking around on the internet until all hours of the night. i told myself i would go to bed early. tried to. failing so far.

change is kind of scary. i'm not sure why, it doesn't always bother me. jobs though....i feel like i am doing something wrong, even though i will be (slightly) better off.

recently i was hired at a new place at carousel mall, and decided it would be a good time to leave one of my other jobs since a: minimum wage went up, and now i am making minimum wage after 5 years, and b: i need more money, more hours, and between two jobs, i am not making enough to make ends meet. booooo to all sorts of levels.

at the same time, other opportunities in my current first job have (possibly) come up, so i got really nervous/overwhelmed/etc, almost gave up on everything. lucky for a couple close friends, i had a long talk a couple nights ago, and after putting in a couple more hours at the new place, i am feeling a little bit better (although i am still terrified of being mauled to death by possibly hundreds of children coming into this new place. kids and i do not mix).

that is the short story. with a heavy heart, i left a little note tonight at my second job, to inform of my two weeks. its happened a couple times before, although i found reasons to stay (got offered a little raise, still more comfortable with the same things, etc). i love everyone there, they are like a second or third family to me. i get very attached to people i work with and adopt them as my own. i just hope they can understand my situation, since i could not get more hours there.

aside from the stress, i just haven't been going to bed until like 1am, which is record breaking for me going on as long as i have. my bedtime is around 10pm. why am i up so late? internet? cleaning? resogun? (that is a super fun and addicting ps4 download....aah it's so cracked out and colorful....and AWESOME). yes to all of those. oh, a couple nights ago i was baking all of those cheesecakes and cupcakes, too. (i have more plans tomorrow!)

i was also painting. had a request from a friend for a breaking bad/game of thrones mashup that has been floating about the web, so here it is! not bad, if i say so myself. it's been a long time since i have actually sat down and painted, like canvas and all. as far as i know it went over pretty well with the recipient. ☺

i feel like it has been forever since i have worked so much, and been all over the place. everything seems to give me a mini heart attack, and i may or may not have a meltdown at some point. or just go into a sleep coma. i like sleep. i should be doing that now, but here i am, entertaining the masses! oh, i don't recall if i mentioned it or not, but i adjusted the comments so you can comment "anonymously," so you don't need to log in with any emails or anything...just comment away! i like when people share love! now you can! with no emails! ♥♥♥

aside from all this good stuff clouding my every thought, i would like to plan another get together, probably the end of march or so. i suppose i will post an invite on facebook, since it seems not too many people are reading here. (i'm gonna keep posting anyway. who cares. at least i can vent to the vastness of the internet.) i think my theme will be "spring cleaning," aka: healthy food party to "clean" up all the crap you ate during the holidays! i am so witty and clever. i need a good get together for some happy feelings.

most likely it will be at a new apartment as well. we go monday to look at another one (in the same complex, so i would be moving another 15 feet to the left or so). that being said, packing and moving party at my place! if anyone wants to help, once it is official, i will let you know. with the job switch, the husband working overnights, and whatever else is going on, i will need whatever help i can get to make this as painless as possible. also, less time in the cold, since it is still february.

speaking of february, i wish it would stop snowing. yes, i live in upstate new york and i should be used to it, but the way i see it: who cares. its still annoying no matter how many winters, blizzards, or flurries i have to drive through. you can't tell me you wouldn't complain if you got stuck somewhere, because everyone who spins out into a snow bank says,"wow! this is so super spectacular! i love being completely immobilized by the weather! i should know by now how to properly operate a vehicle in inclement weather, but it's just so gosh darned fun to go crazy and wreck everything! also, i didn't want to go to work anyway!" (okay, maybe that last part is more logical, but come on now.)

on that note, it is much later than i wanted to try to go to sleep. i have to work again (of course) and have a few plans outside of work, which i will probably post about tomorrow when i am done! thanks for reading again! ☺

Snowy Day and (more) Cheesecakes

oh, its another day in paradise in good ol' upstate new york. 

you know, the kind where you are sitting at home, doing some activities (i happened to be painting, and contemplating folding laundry. only the greatest activity ever.....or not), listening to people getting stuck outside in the snow....a total blasty blast. i even got called out of work! just what i've always wanted! not...

one guy was actually stuck out front of my apartment. i watched for a few minutes as he tried to spin his way out of this snow bank (yes, i was that guy, but wait). going nowhere fast, i decided that, since i now had the night off, i would do my good deed for the day and help out. that, and i needed to get away from the paint and computer for a little bit, outside seemed like a good idea. 

we tried to dig some of the snow out of the wheel wells, i jumped into the snow bank to push, and attempted to back out again. the car started to move, but no luck. another neighbor from two apartments down pulled up and offered help. he had a shovel, which was probably a better idea than me digging snow with my hands like a dumb ass, and i got into the car while the owner of the car pushed. after a couple minutes, lo and behold....freedom! yay! we went on our ways, the poor guy was trying to turn into our little apartment circle, he wasn't even leaving, rather coming home, but i was glad to help anyway. now if only i could get over this fear of a new job and change thing...

now where was i? ah, yes, cheesecake! 

isn't this adorable? not to mention, it is the best kind of cheesecake ever. in my opinion, anyway. definitely top 5, probably number one! ♥☺♥

red velvet cake cheesecake. that's why. yes, it is my own rendition of the classic from the cheesecake factory.

the first time i had ever heard about this cheesecake was from them, and after trying it, i had to make it myself. i studied images, the description, scoured the internets.....there were a few knock off recipes, but for some reason, none of them really made sense, and seemed like waaayy too much effort. not that this cheesecake doesn't require a little effort, because it does. i mean, its cake, its cheesecake, its whipped icing. cheesecakes take a long time to bake and set. even mini ones like these.

eventually, after raiding all of my cook books, my allrecipes recipe box, and more of the internet, i came up with my own special red velvet cake cheesecake. it's rich. dense. moist. creamy. delicious. maybe i will share the recipes one day.

is your mouth watering yet? don't you just want to rub it all over your face? well you totally should. it's that good.

layers of dark chocolate red velvet cake (made healthier with that greek yogurt i snuck in there again), white chocolate cheesecake (with neufchatel cheese....see? i am trying to be good!), and whipped cream cream cheese frosting layered all up in there, then covered in more. tell me you don't want this. even with me telling my secrets of trying to eat better.

nobody even notices the difference when i don't tell them! they just say, this is so bad for you! while i am thinking: well, yes, but not as bad as you think! plus, dark chocolate, antioxidants? ha! take that!! okay, maybe i am getting a little crazy about this stuff. i just want you all to know, i am thinking of your well being, while making something that is so gosh darn delicious you will be licking your plate clean!
#goodguyproblems


i never think to make enough extra for me to eat, either. i only did half recipes of what was normally called for, and had just enough to make two of these stinking cute cheesecakes. well, i have extra red velvet cake, but the cheesecake to go with it? meh, i got to lick a knife. oh well. just need an excuse to make a full sized one! ♥

PRECIOUS! and absolutely perfect for valentines tomorrow. plus, anything that is mini automatically wins in my book by default, unless its pancakes. pancakes as big as your face. excuse me while i go clean up the drool.

 

anyways, i wanted to do something different than usual, for some reason thought butterflies would be cute and fit into the whole lovey lovey theme, so i melted some chocolate in a ziplock bag, piped it out on parchment, (along with those little hearts on the chocolate cupcakes), attached the pieces together, and ta-daaa! chocolate butterfly! i am so crafty!

 

now that i am not working tonight, i will hopefully finish this painting, and maybe have time for some other treats i was planning. i just need to get motivated, which seems impossible today! i keep looking at it thinking, i can do this! i'm almost done! but i can do this later....i keep stopping, starting, working for like 15-20 minutes....stopping again....oh my goodness it is snowing a lot again. maybe its a good thing i didn't have to drive down that hill. but no money.....!

 

alright. now that i have shared these delightful little cheesecakes, i should do more work. maybe fold that laundry, who knows. urgh! send me some motivation!!!

 

thanks for reading! ☺☻☺☻

what?! (cheesecake factory and light chocolate cupcakes)

okay, is this one of those weeks from hell? you  know, where everything seems to pile up all at once, you don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get anything done, NOR do you want to be awake for those extra hours because you are so tired from moving constantly?

no?

maybe it's just me then.

before i decide to kill everyone, burn everything to the ground, and run off into the sunset, i am going to sit here, eat my blueberry scone (courtesy of kris and starbucks....oh wait, its gone already), eat a tiny chocolate cupcake (pics below), hope the kids calm down (aka: stfu), ignore everything around me since i need to clean, and paint hardcore.....for like an hour or until i pass out. actually, before the passing out part, decorate a second tiny cheesecake, and THEN pass out.

TIME FOR HAPPY.

 yesterday was happy. mostly. we won't fret the minor details. there is no such thing as unhappiness at the cheesecake factory. in fact, it was legen-wait for it.....
....
....
(are you still waiting?)
....
....
....DARY!!! yes, legendary. we were there for two hours. yes, it was busy. who cares? when you get to consume a ball of lightly fried, delightfully crispy, creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese with that spectacular marinara sauce it's sitting in that is as big as your fist....nothing else in the world matters. i could eat them as a meal alone. i didn't though, had to have something moderately healthy, so i had orange chicken, rice, and veggies (well, carrots and the tops of some asparagus, but who's checking?). of course, how is a trip to the cheesecake factory complete without cheesecake? it was a close call, but i finished it all....the cheesecake. split some mac and cheese balls, had half my chicken for lunch today, but the cheesecake was the second-first most important thing. (see what i did there? they're tied, the mac and cheese...and....cheesecake.....*cricket chirps*).

so after consuming my weight in food at cheesecake factory (go big or go home), we wandered around the mall for a few hours, er, most of the day. bowled a couple rounds, hurt myself (hand was previously crippled), came home, and started baking. know how i just said that thing about the too many things to do not enough hours? yep. part one. stayed up until like 1:30 baking tiny cheesecakes and cupcakes. i actually need the cheesecakes for a friend, the cupcakes...well, i guess i needed them too. i did promise them for switching shifts at work today. after work i was at a new job orientation, and came home to whatever it is that i am ignoring. happy thoughts! chocolate!! ♥

about these cupcakes....would you believe me if i told you they aren't as bad for you as they look? i mean, chocolate isn't terrible (dark chocolate has antioxidants!), and they're mini. they're also a light recipe from a hershey's book i have. i made them lighter even further by subbing out the oil for greek yogurt, which was a first try. the frosting i can't say too much for, but hey, if there's nothing in the cupcake, what's it matter if you eat a tablespoon of butter, sugar and cocoa? ☼♪♫♪

Quick Chocolate Cupcakes
(from Hersheys Chocolate Lovers book)
yield: 12 normal or 24 mini cupcakes
(without frosting, and before greek yogurt sub) 95 cal, 1g protien, 16g carbs, 3g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or 3 tbsp greek yogurt)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla


heat oven to 375°f. line muffin pan with paper liners.
combine all the dry ingredients and whisk together. add all wet ingredients and whisk until just blended.
fill cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full (mine were somewhere in between). bake 16-18 min for larger, 14-16 min for minis.

easy peasy lemon squeezy. the frosting is a chocolate oreo buttercream i found on pinterest via the cupcake daily, via creme de la crumb. half of the recipe was plenty with extra for all of my minis, i think that site says a full recipe will cover 24 normal sized cupcakes.

oh. my. goodness.

i would do the legendary thing again, but once is enough, and cheesecake factory rightly deserves theirs. i have been letting one of these warm to room temp (had them stored in the fridge for the chocolate hearts, and strongly dislike cold cupcakes), and just ate it....these are pretty damn tasty. a different consistency than usual, i think, from the yogurt, they're almost fudgy like a brownie, but not hardcore sweet or rich. the frosting gave it just the right balance of sweetness to make up for it. hint of oreo, so it wasn't like eating a box of them or anything. i just impressed myself, AND ate something good for me. kind of.

i need to go do some work for real now. i'll post the tiny cheesecakes soon. thanks for viewing! ☺♥

Cheesecake is your Destiny

that's right. i have been waiting since august or so when the rumors started buzzing about cheesecake factory coming to syracuse.

why?

well, normally my friends and i would take a 2-1/2 hour field trip to the closest one in rochester. that's a long ass drive for some cheesecake.

at this point though, i don't even feel like its necessarily about the cheesecake anymore, but those f#%king mac and cheese balls. there, i said it. i live for deep fried mac and cheese, specifically from the cheesecake factory. lightly fried and crispy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, the marinara sauce paired with it is one of the greatest things i have ever put in my face in the history of EVER. they even put one on a cheeseburger. double win.

i told you i would come back to the cheesecake thing, and this is exactly it. we are about to head out in a half hour. i am hoping there won't be a huge line, but this is carousel. no, destiny usa. the mall opens at 10, cheesecake factory at 11...i guarantee people are already crazy enough like me to be waiting outside of its glorious golden arches.

i am so excited for this. again. i'll say it a million times. i am off to opening day at cheesecake factory!!! ☺♥☺♥☺

sunday, sunday, sunday!

lasik eye surgery!! $200? $100? $20? how about $12.95!

no?

okay, moving on then...
(if anyone gets the reference.....f#%k yeah!!)

i was getting ready for work this morning, doing my usual routine: wake up, check the weather, get ready for work, take care of birds, lunch, cats...as i was about to leave, my cockatiel, sora, was actually attempting to bathe in her fresh water. okay, yes, birds do that. i have never once witnessed her do this though, so i was somewhat surprised! she, my other cockatiel, kairi, and fat baby (the quaker from my first post) all had bath time before i went to work. look at her! shes so pretty!! and fluffy. she is so quiet, and so happy. if you wiggle your finger near her, she will lean over so you can rub the back of her head. ohhh my birds ♥♪♫♪♥

on another random note, blogger wanted to auto correct "cockatiel" to "cockatrice." quite different things. both somewhat bird-like, but i can imagine a cockatrice is probably not as friendly as a cockatiel. thanks, internet!! *the more you know*

mostly an uneventful day, aside from work and my first ever skype chat. i have a few things to prepare for this week, we are looking at a new apartment tomorrow, i have to bake some tiny cheesecakes and other various things (maybe some cupcakes are in order, yes? i think yes is a good answer), cheesecake factory (i keep touching base with this....), new job orientation....you know, the usual.

about that skype chat....interesting to say the least. i'm pretty sure it was more entertaining with the fact that it was with my mom....(in a good way :P  )

mom: what do i click? can you hear me? i can see you!! why are you all blurry??
me: i don't know, back up, i can only see your forehead.
mom: i'm going to send you a picture of how blurry you are!! why are you so blurry? its like a digital camera out of focus!!

me: i have no idea, screen resolution? i'll send you a picture, you're a little blurry too.

 the results:

 

absolutely terrifying.

i had no idea how creepy i can be sometimes. for some reason it reminds me a little of howard from the big bang theory in blonde-ish. maybe it is just because i was so blurry. apparently my computer isn't as blurry as i thought.

aside from me showcasing all the kids (because my mom needs visitation rights too), that was the extent of my first skype ever. i also need to figure out why she can't hear me. apparently i cut out a lot, but i could hear clearly. my volume was up all the way. TO THE INTERNET!!!

well, internet aside, trying to get some painting done as well, which i will post later this week. kind of glad to try and get back into things, i miss doing art a lot. i think i mentioned that already though. that whole relaxation aspect and whatnot. fun times. i have to continue packing things up too, but i probably won't. that whole going to bed late thing is kind of catching up a little. if i go to bed early enough, that means i can get up early. i would rather do that, you know, with that whole daylight thing. sweet.

that being said, will leave you with this random picture from my visit a few weeks ago to joann fabrics. i'm pretty sure that's not how the alphabet goes, but maybe that's the message here...

actually, kris and i were just messing around with the letters. good times. gooooood tiiiimes. i leave you with a nice big shelf of NOPE....thanks for visiting again! ☺☻☺☻☺☻

*edit: i updated the comments to enable "anonymous" comments so you don't have to log in to anything. you should also be able to comment all the way at the bottom on the guestbook (it will not email you, or show said email).  that is more general, and will not be attached to specific posts.

Late Night

oh, the internet.

a mystical, magical place that holds the answers to everything (i stand by this 100%).

it can also be a trouble maker to the extreme, too.

for example, i should be going to bed now since i have to work in the morning, but no. i am on the internet.

even more so, i really wanted chocolate. hence the "trouble maker."

enter pinterest, and this lovely little pin involving making a single serving cake in your microwave. (spoonful.com is the website, but obviously clicking the purple link will send you right to this delightful little page!) ♥

this is the second night that i have made one of these. not in a row, but twice within 7 days. i don't like to eat late at night (i will not eat after 9pm). im not sure if it's the weather, my less-than-normal-work-load-causing-me-to-be-extra-lazy thing, or because i have been up later since the husband is working overnights now....i am kind of sad. at the same time, happy, since this is so delicious!!☺

this one specifically is the very first one shown, the chocolate peanut butter mug cake. no eggs. maybe 3 minutes total to make tops. i may have thrown some chocolate chips and mini marshmallows in there just for fun too (i needed some extra fudginess.....and marshmallows. don't judge me.)

i should probably go to bed. the kids are in bed (minus satch who is resting on my shoulder), cats are eating, all is peaceful...i can't just yet though, since now that i've gone and eaten something (as little as it was) it would be impossible. i still cannot fathom how anyone can eat all kinds of food and go to sleep immediately after.  most uncomfortable feeling EVER. all that food sloshing around....bleh. just thinking about it makes me feel uncomfortable. at least the (roughly) 1 cup serving of microwaveable goodness isn't terribly heavy feeling. i'll probably be good in about an hour. plenty of time to screw around on the internet for other random things.

well, keep checking back. i will have plenty more things to post this week. a few treats, probably some art, my adventure to the cheesecake factory.....(oh, yes. remember when i said i would come back to that? soon...) i added a link to my pinterest, and a little pin button so you can pin things if you don't already know me and have all the same pins because they're delicious anyway. thank you for visiting! ♥

Welcome! Starting New

hello, all!

welcome to my blog! its mostly about baking, but most likely i will post my arts, crafts, cooking experiments, rants, adventures and whatnot. ☺

so a little more about me (for those who don't already know): i strongly dislike the cold (considering i'm from upstate new york, its probably the wrong place to live, but at least its pretty occasionally...also, i bring this up first because it's a balmy 8 degrees outside this morning :(  ), i work with video games (blasty blast!), love to do arts and crafts (its like stress relief...is that weird?), have a small army of birds (whom i love like my own children....seriously, its kind of scary), three cats (who are the biggest assholes on earth), a husband, our two beautiful cars, and several "adopted" children, meaning friends i like to take care of to the point i am basically mom to them.  maybe i will post some pictures another time.

i have posted two small(ish) galleries of photos to your right, one with delightful treats, one with some artwork. the baked goods has a general mash-up of most things i have made until now (you can find more pictures on my facebook cake page...will probably still update that at least).  the art gallery...right now just has a few things, a couple works from high school, a couple from college, and i believe a few pictures of hair bows that i have made.  might consider selling some of them, but haven't figured that out yet. i get a million lanyards from work, so i make video game hair bows! i think they're pretty neat! come on, how many people do you know who use lanyards to make a hair bow? well....maybe the internet has more, but in the mean time, just ME. hahaha! yep. moving on....

this is definitely a work in progress, setting up my blog here. i am kind of transitioning from facebook...honestly, i deleted a whole bunch of pages i liked, even some people, but i feel like its such drama every time i open the damn thing up! not to mention, like i can't post anything, as in noone cares....ain't nobody got time fo' dat....meh. don't get me wrong, there are a few people who care enough. i love them to death. i can't post how i'm feeling without someone making a big deal (whether or not its directly to me, or one of those "i hate how ppl use fb to whine about every little thing #crysomemore #losers"), nor can i ask for opinions, or help, or even just say, "hey! its a great day today! a great day for CHEESECAKE!" (more on that later). go take your perfect life and rub it in someone else's face. so, here i am. i figure i can do what i want here, not get spammed with everyone's issues, and just have fun. i can share, i will probably vent occasionally, but just be me.

on that note, i guess i will finish this post for now. i hope i haven't scared you off reading my facebook rant....it ends happy! come back!! please....? im even including this image of señor nubs, one of my kids!! he is adorable....just look at his little face, and half toes, don't you just wanna smoosh him?! okay, crazy bird lady talking. time for me to go off into the day, do some work, clean, art stuff, and then go to work for real. come back soon! thank you for visiting! ♥