Work & Play

I love finally being able to work! I've been so depressed this summer not being able to get work and make my own money. It's a wonderful feeling to be given a job and be rewarded for what you do. I work for a temp agency in Boston, and I've been assigned to do receptionist work in a couple companies so far. Though lately, since people have been going on vacation, the number of calls has been minimal. Thankfully, they allow me to surf the net and bring stuff to entertain myself. I've crocheted an iPod case, a fluffy pink yarmulke and matching coin purse (don't ask - I really don't know), and I'm in the process of making a blue teddy bear. I have his body and head done so far. He is lovingly referred to as "Frankenbear," but not due to my sloppy work. :I I've also drawn a client's cat as a thank you - I'm also pet-sitting on the side this summer for some extra cash.
I'm also FINALLY catching up on all my friends out on missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A lot of them are young men who I went to school with freshman year of college. Two of them have their moms post their emails and letters on a specific blog, Elder Rudy Wright's and Elder Jeff Powell's. I love seeing all the pictures and reading about their experiences. It really helped me catch up on their lives, and I'm writing them each a rather substantial letter, since I haven't seen either of them for about a year now. I have many other missionaries to write as well, so this is just the first batch!
Also, on Sunday, I hung out all day with my dad. We went to church in the morning, and I subbed for one of the Sunday School teachers. The kids were really good, probably because I brought four dozen freshly baked peanut butter cookies. Then we went to brunch at Mel's and made silly faces. Then we went home and watched a BBC production called Wives and Daughters and ate ice cream cake. It was glorious. And the BBC movie was incredible! We had fun pointing out all the actors we'd seen from different versions of Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Pirates of the Caribbean, and others. And the story was so beautiful! I really want to read the book now. I'm also kindof in love with the actor that played the 2005 Mr. Collins and the evil East India Trading Co. dude from Pirates. He had such a sweet, tragic character in the movie, I just can't get over it.

"Go, confront the problem, fight, WIN! And call me when you get back, dahling, I enjoy our visits."
~ Edna Mode from The Incredibles

A Day of More Cooking!

When will the foodings stop??

I swear I talk about and do other things than cook and bake. But I have more to share.

So, another thing on the Frister List was a summer meal I like to make called the Tomato Steak and Baked Goat Cheese Salad. I was finally able to make it today since everyone was home for once.

The delectable salad. Everyone saves the cheese for last.

Then I did another baking experiment. We already know I love red velvet cupcakes. But we found that Bread and Chocolate had another cupcake recipe video. Theirs had a bit more cocoa, and added cinnamon and balsamic vinegar. It was simply delightful.

I made a dozen of these enormous delights and gave them to friends

Celtics Cupcakes

I think I'm addicted to making cupcakes. It's so terribly fun! And it's delightful to watch as you make everyone around you happy and fat ^_^

I made these at my friend Zach's house. We knew we wanted to make cupcakes, so we walked into the house and his parents were watching the Celtics game. Then Zach made a suggestion: instead of red velvet cupcakes, how about GREEN velvet cupcakes? And then, in the middle of making them, when the scores were really close, he announced that if they lost, we could not eat the cupcakes and would have to simply stare at them in shame and sorrow. So, we were a little more fervent in our support for the team. Good thing they won, or we wouldn't have been witness to the deliciousness of green velvet.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

So my sisters had their end-of-year bake sale for Boston Ballet this weekend. I made a few dozen red velvet cupcakes for them to sell, and to give to teachers. They are soooo delicious. I used a recipe courtesy of the blog haute from the oven. They're sweet and moist and bright red. It's my favorite cupcake, I think.

AAAH so much sushi.

Okay okay. I kinda went crazy.

Here we have four different types of yumminess. The nigiri around the plate are prosciutto, tofu, and sweet potato. In the middle there are sweet potato and tuna sushi. I shared with the family. The tuna was everyone's favorite.

Dad came home last night! It's so nice to have him back ^_^ He's always going to Saudi every few weeks for work. Here's the blog he sometimes updates about his adventures.

Tonight was a standard ballroom group lesson for waltz. It was great! I haven't done any standard ballroom in like, two months. And I got to wear my new fancy standard shoes. Hee.

All considered though, I'm kinda bummed. It's pretty lonely out here. There aren't many people who are interested in dating socially, and most of my friends from high school are still in school, so they can't play. I've been keeping myself busy, of course; ballroom three hours a night, blues on Thursdays, driving my sisters around to ballet, and making sushi. I still haven't found a job, so I feel a little useless. But soon, friends will be done with finals and come back to Suds, and I will find a way to make some money! And being home is pretty wonderful. I missed the trees and greenery, hanging out and rockin to rad car jamz with my sisters, talking to my dad, and having breakfast every morning with my mom.

Determination!

As one of my friends told me, "If you give up, I'll never dance with you again."

Dance-related threats work on me, I guess.

PS. I really want a Toothless figurine. Maybe I'll make one...

More sushiiiii.

We did another mad-dash sushi dinner today.

tofu nigiri, prosciutto nigiri, sweet potato sticks

I think my favorite was the tofu. But the prosciutto was pretty good too, it didn't need soy sauce at all.

Misomisosambaaa

I made homemade miso soup today! It was ever so tasty ^_^ This is the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1/3 cup miso paste

3 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp shredded nori or wakame (seaweed)

1/2 block firm silken tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes

Dash soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, or more depending on your preferences. The seaweed will taste less salty/fishy if you simmer it longer. Reduce heat to very low and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until miso is well dissolved. It is best not to boil the miso, because it will lose some of its nutritional value and the soup will taste different.

It was kinda rainy and cold today, so it was pretty much the perfect thing. Nice and warm and salty asian goodness.

Ballroom tonight was painful but productive. The first hour was a group samba technique class, and we did a full hour of crusado walks. SO much technique in my poor little brain and for my body to pick up. Practice makes near-perfect, I suppose. Then the next latin class was rumba. I had such a hard time with the spin turn to aida(sp?). Good thing I have all summer to practice!

My new favorite quote: "I don't practice until I get it right, I practice until I can't get it wrong!" (stolen from my friend on the BYU ballroom tour team)