brownie cake! and babies!

Today I am making 'brownie cake' like Miranda did. So I link to her she links to another and that person linked to another site. Who knows. It will go on forever!

I would usually make the brownies from my mom's recipe but today I thought I would try something new. Lately I have been trying new recipes from the recipe site I usually prowl (All Recipes) instead of the cupboard full of cookbooks that want to be read. And instead of my favorite go to recipe site I go blogging?

hm I keep finding chocolate on me. Second time where I lost my train of thought and I have barely written a paragraph. oh my. first on my knuckle and then on my arm?
I am definitely not a tidy baker.
Ok so I found more after linking those two sites too. this time on my shirt. oh boy. I need an apron next time.

Anyways, back to recipes?

or links?

well anyways, 15 minutes to go and they this cake is pouffing in the oven like crazy. I hope it doesn't flatten >_<
Right now I am procrastinating. I should be cleaning because it is my last day off until next Sunday. I seem to have to clean up or go crazy... or spend little time in there as possible. For instance, right now I am upstairs instead of down in my basement. No need to see my mess now :)

In other news! I AM GOING TO HAVE A NIECE IN MAY!
This I am so stoked about! Hard to believe but I get to be Auntie Aria or something. Maybe crazy Aunt A.... I have already bought cute little baby clothes to match this cute little baby. I am thinking about going every couple weeks and pick out something nice and cute and useful.

Here are a few outfits I bought when learning baby is a girl! :D The colour is a bit off thanks to a stupid camera/ bad lighting .. oh well.

Resolutionist!

I am not usually a New Year's Resolutionist, but this year I have some things I need to do

1. Finish reading the Bible - I started a checklist thing in YWAM but I think I need to pick it up again and finish it off. I am not an avid bible reader but maybe just maybe reading the whole thing would be good. ;) I have read about 3/4s of it so far so hopefully I will finish it this year

2. Delete from the precious itunes. I know I have some stupid music I don't listen to on there, so now I think I should purge it. Just hard! Perhaps I am a music hoarder? I think 'oh I might want to hear this song one time later' or 'someone else might want to hear it on the lappy...' well I should do that.. later

3. And like everyone one else - exercise more. I have an elliptical I bought for ten bucks at a garage sale and I need to use it more. I've used the excuse 'my job is active enough' for too long. It's true I am active there but elliptical wants some attention I think.

Oh and if anyone knows me well, they know I am a procrastinator. I hope I don't wait until December to do these >_<
wish me luck!

fun with a 3 year old

Yesterday was a fun day. Mikaela was babysitting at our house, Ethan, age 3 and a half. I haven't babysat anyone his age since Mikaela was that age herself. So needless to say I forgot all about how fun it was. I mean I knew it would be fun having him over - I see him at church running (and only running) up and down and around the church.
We were having dinner and all of a sudden he starts blowing bubbles in his cup. My family just sits there staring with smiles on their faces. Like complete idiots (including myself in this too though). As you can tell it's been a long time for all of us to be around a 3 year old. After he blows bubbles he looks down and says 'what's that in my cup?' haha gross. He also randomly called bad things 'stink bug'...
Ethan is one cute kid - has a great vocabulary, understands a lot considering he's 3 and ah he's just fun.
It will be interesting to see how my family is around an infant come May. I'm stoked :D

Bird Hater?

I just found this online and thought of Miranda and Tony's crazy bird 'Killer/Bird'...
Hammer time?

Being in America !

This has been one big ol' trip so far! Right now we are in Santa Clarita, California. It's a lovely 18 degrees outside on December 27th. At home it's a not so lovely 6 degrees and not sunny for very long.
We've been to Disneyland and 6 Flags in the last few days, the Sunmaid Factory/ World Headquarters, and The Blue Diamond Almond factory last week. It's been great being in the sun! But so weird at the same time. Christmas day should be cold but we got like 20 degrees! Next year we won't do this again - we miss being at home with the friends and family over Christmas. It just didn't feel like Christmas no matter how big Disney decked their halls. Oh well next year will be at home :)

But anyways, being in America, we've come across some very, uh... interesting ones.
The first story comes from a girl from Washington (who lived in Salita CA when we saw her)
The girl at the till told my mom that when she first saw a BC drivers license she thought the BC meant Before Christ....

The same day we went to a McDonalds - McCafe - Tony asked how many shots of espresso they put in their lattes? The guy asked 'what? what was that you called it?' ... espresso....
It came out of a spout depending on the size and flavor of the drink I guess.

It's been great here so far but I am happy we are starting our slow meandering up north back home.
I couldn't imagine living here really, so many slight differences. Makes me love my country more.

Plus I want some nibs and pop. ;)

Wonderful Sights

These pics are from one of my all time favorite sites for background images: Interfacelift

I was looking up a blog posting ideas (note: there are 111,000,000 pages worth of 'blog post ideas' on google). So I meandered through a couple pages and one thought was to post pictures that go along with your blog.
Since mine is 'Stuck in Amazement' I though hmmm... relate my picture site (of amazing pictures) to blog. Click click done and good.

So here are a few pictures that make me, well, stuck in amazement. God is good and he has created such amazing sights to behold.

snow?

Unlike my sister I could really go without the white fluffy stuff. I am not much of a fan of the snow. I mean it's nice to look at once in a while, but it gets wet, heavy to shovel, and much too cold on my toes.
When it's fresh, coming from the clouds in big pouffy flakes its a lovely sight I must admit, but I hate being cold.

When I am old and gray I think I may have to become a snow bird. Flying south for the winter sounds so appealing to me.

Hopefully this year we get snow over the Olympics and that's about it. None of this couple feet of snow business of last year thank you very much.

...though I do have to admit I love my winter coat and scarves.

Today I met a man from Rwanda/Burundi in our -1 degree (Celsius) weather and yep poor guy was cold too. They were wearing scarves and hats in like 20 degree weather so I can't imagine how this felt to him.

Oh well I at least have to be happy I don't have to live through prairie cold.

Stuck in an Elevator

Today, five minutes into my shift I am in the elevator on the way up to start my day. Someone gets off on the third floor and I am alone going up.
But no.
The elevator makes some strange noises, bounces a little bit and I hear nothing. None of the usual noises it makes to move. I am stuck. By myself. In an elevator.
Thinking quick I press the open door and close door buttons, the other floors, anything. Even pressing the one that looks like a bell. Nothing is working. Lucky for me I had my cell phone in my pocket so I call the work number and tell them I am stuck and to tell my supervisor to get me out!!

Well after that I think, maybe I can open the doors! So a shove with adrenaline and they are open. I see the landing a few feet below me and jump down. I am pretty freaked out at the moment and a nurse is waiting for another elevator and sees me pop out and is 'Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!'
At that point I was completely shocked and freaked out from being stuck in an elevator.
First things first I call the boss and say I'm out, second I stand there looking at the elevator I just climbed out of, and third tell the flabergasted nurse I am okay.
Taking the stairs to my floor :) I tried calling the maintenance department but nobody is there. I go past there two hours later and the elevator is still how I left it. Makes me wonder if I could have been stuck in there if I wasn't thinking clearly.

The whole thing was only minutes (I think) but still freaky.
I can't imagine being stuck in there much longer, I'm sure I would have cried or gone into hysterics.

So this my story of the day!

Christmas time is near!

Our tree is up! It is getting trimmed!

Here is Smiff sitting beside the lights very content now, but later she will be sitting under the tree when it's all finished being fussed over. As our tree is getting decked out, Frank is crooning in the background. It's quite nice.
My dad calls this CD "the three stooges of Christmas" (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole). They sing my favs in Christmas music.
Yesterday I had a lovely Christmas song stuck in my head that I annoyed my co-workers with. "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is such a nice song. Not necessarily sung by me, but still a nice song.Here's the manger scene (set up yesterday) it is older than me and I do love it. Can't wait for next year when we get my Aunt's full life size version of this to put in our front yard, though that will be a challenge and a half.

Also, mom's holiday favorite:



Anyways, on a non-Christmas note, two weeks from now I will be working the shift that will give me no 'life' at all. 3-11pm in Emergency. Tuesday to Saturday. This means I won't get out much at all. Mornings are nice and all but the afternoons is when I get things done. Oh well if it doesn't work I will go casual like I would be if this position didn't get posted last week.

Happy Decorating People! And do it soon!
Though I actually have the excuse of not being here over Christmas so I can do this early to enjoy it just as much.

Pretty look!

I am liking this new blog look.
There are some things I would change but I can't so I will leave it alone.
:) So pretty!

So this whole week I have been sick at home. I couldn't go to work very well with a nasty cough and soar throat. It wouldn't be good to give more germs to people at the hospital, let alone my immunity being as it is now.
Going into a place to give others more germs, or to get more (and worse) ones myself.
So I have been home.

In my down time I've watched loads of movies and tv.
Yesterday I was in the mood for a tear jerker so I hooked up 'My Sister's Keeper'
I read the book a few months ago and wow I was surprised by the movie.
The book was good, well written and so moving! The movie was moving but I was too distracted by my annoyance to get all emotional. They changed the movie!
The ending was completely different from the book, I won't give any spoilers but I was right ticked. I mean you can't simply kill off whoever you like in a movie! At least follow the plot of the book!
(if you do want to know the differences here is a link)
Grr.

Well I will just leave with saying that the film was a huge disappointment after reading the book. I've seen plenty of films based on books but this was by far the worst one yet.

Happy Halloween!

Mix CDs!

I found some old mix cd's today while I was helping Mik re-do her room.
Conclusion: I have a weird brain thinking some songs will mix with others without it sounding like junk. From Joel Kroeker (I had to look him up to find the right artist) to Enya to Styx? What was I thinking?


Joel Kroeker - The Wind


Enya -May it Be


Styx - Sail Away



So this is almost embarrassing to post. I went through this weird 'I love old music' phase + other weird music too!

That was just one CD... I found one I won't touch with J-LO label + other music too. Oh so there is another random post for ya :)

oh the spices!

I am making chai pumpkin bread right now. It's in the oven and o la la! I am excited! It has seven different spices though I had to omit one since I didn't have it. Cardamom. Not typical I guess?
Miranda sent me a link to another cooking/baking blog yesterday (28 Cooks) and I found this on there linked through it. It smells divine. I hope it tastes just as well!

Two days ago now, I tried making Cornish Pasties. Earlier that day I went to Dickens' Sweet Shop and oh it put me in the mood for one. Not as good as the ones with puffed pastry but I tried it and it turned out pretty good.

The only bad thing was that it was a tad less moist as I would have liked, and that I burned three of my fingers! The oven mit is an oldie and I figured out that, oh, it doesn't work very well anymore. Two fingertips and another finger with blisters on them. Thankfully they are almost better, all but one are good now.

I seem to go very domestic when I am off for more than two days. Cooking baking cleaning. If only I was able to do this more often. Ah well, such is life.

P.S. I will try and post pictures later

Motels from Hell?

Thank goodness for tripadvisor.com.
The fam is planning a trip to Disney Land this Christmas and we are looking into places to stay along the way. Finding good deals and searching can be quite hard if you don't know what you are looking for. I remember finding a few of the dodgiest places ever in hostels and a few motels here and there.
I think this comment from the trip advisor takes the cake though.
It is for the Howard Johnson in Redding -

"My wife and I stayed there only because we were locked into it by making reservations by internet. We knew we were in trouble just by driving into the neighborhood. Then when we checked in the attendant made a comment about people sneeking into the hotel to party and if we had problems to call him. He put us into a room right below the stairwell. I went back and negotiated a "better room" on the second floor above the pool. We resigned ourselves to making the most of it. He was right about partiers and they congregated at the pool. Luckily the air conditioner was loud enough to drown out some of the noise though not all of it. Around 11pm a police helicopter came around and hovered over the motel for about an hour. It seemed as though it was only about 100 feet above the roof ! I wasn't about to go outside and check. I thought we would be on "Cops" for sure that night. Don't make the mistake we did and purchase any room before you check the reviews!"


I have stayed in dirty places, ones that make your socks black when you step on the carpet, ones that have brown/black areas on walls from dirt or the ones that smell like vomit and mold, or better yet, waking up with bug bites all over your body...*makes me shudder remembering*. And then are the adventure ones. The places where we have had the door knob jam and you are locked in (and the owners can't even open the door), the crazy pot smokers beside you, or a group of crazy Irish. This trip will most likely have its own adventures but hopefully no dirt n bugs.
Here's hoping!

For Miranda and Tony

This shall be your kid some day.

Postal Service Reincarnate?

Postal Service - Such Great Heights





Owl City - Fireflies









cute song but soo much like the postal service is this a rip?

New Layout

I needed a new look for this blog.
Here it is.

New Moon Trailer!!!

So I was looking up some stuff today and I admit, I am a twilight junkie.
I found a leaked trailer that is going to be put up for the mtv awards this year.
Must see!

TRAILER

Amazing Cakes

I was lurking on some blogs today when I came across this Threadcakes. It is pretty amazing what people can do with just cakes!

I want Miranda to test out some fondant recipes now.

P.S. Miranda here is a very very fat cat. Not that smiff isn't fat, but when the cat can't even reach its ears to scratch... harsh.

Top Songs

As I was browsing through the blogs I found a link to one where it shows you the #1 Song the day you were born.
Mine is unfortunate.
Shakedown by Bob Seger.
I had to youtube it to actually find out what it was.
And I am not a fan. ah well.

Linkz to that page!