Can't Get Enough!

Since I've been feeling so good lately, I've been finding extra joy in just about everything!  And to quote Mark Twain, "To acquire the true value of happiness you must have someone to share that happiness."  So since I don't have a special "someone" at the moment, I'll share them with you!

The first thing I can't get enough of is looking at pictures of my new niece!  My best friend, Lorajean, and her husband had baby #4 early morning March 1.  She's precious, just like my first niece and two nephews who preceded her!  Mom and baby are healthy and the family is adjusting well to the new arrival and her schedule.  I love them all and miss them terribly, as they live in Utah and I live in Colorado.  I've considered going to visit over spring break (which, for me, is next week!) but don't trust my car for the 8-hour drive each way.  Also, I could only afford the gas for said 8-hour drive if I didn't pay my bills.  No good.  Sadly, I'll have to wait to meet this precious new addition to the world, but when I do she'll know she's loved by her Aunt Liberty!

The next thing I can't get enough of is Jason Mraz's latest single, "I Won't Give Up."  It's hauntingly beautiful and sweet.  I've played this video countless times (seriously, I've lost count) and downloaded the song which has also been played repeatedly; and now it's getting some air play on my favorite local radio station.  Whenever it comes on the radio I crank up the volume as high as I can handle without going deaf.  Absolutely love Jason Mraz and everything he's ever done.  He's brilliant!

The latest thing I can't get enough of, though, is The Hunger Games!  I resisted, especially when I learned they were making a movie of it.  But really, I didn't know much about it except it was the latest book craze.  I (incorrectly) thought it was going to be another Twilight fiasco.  I should explain...My best friend -- yup, Lorajean again! -- and her family have been recommending books to me for years!  I always resist at first, I think it's just a fad or that it couldn't possibly live up to the hype.  Silly Liberty!  First she recommended Harry Potter, long before the movies were out and just at the beginning of Potter Fever so I only had the vaguest idea of what the books were.  Mostly I just knew that they were kids' books.  Cut to 12 years later when I'm still a fervent Potterhead, after all the books have been released (so far! -- I'll never give up hope for more stories of the wizarding world) and the movies have been released.  The stories and characters are a part of me in a way I never could have foreseen.  Then we started reading Eragon, which was okay.  I read the first two books of what was, at the time, to be the Inheritence Trilogy but by the time it was announced that there would be a fourth book, I'd lost momentum.  I may read the rest of the series someday, but it's not high on my reading priority list just now.  Next the entire family became engrossed in the Twilight series.  I tried to read it after it was recommended very highly by both Lorajean and her sisters, but couldn't finish even the first chapter of the first book.  Oh well, can't win them all.  This past New Year I spent time playing games and having generally too much fun with Lorajean's family (sadly Lorajean wasn't in town for the festivities) and her youngest sister was buried in a book pretty much the whole time!  I'm not sure now whether it was the first one or another in the series, but it was a Hunger Games book.  When I asked about it, another sister filled me in while the youngest continued to read.  It was interesting, but I wasn't convinced.  But slowly I've been exposed to more and more about the story and characters over the past couple months and recently acquired a digital copy to read on my iPhone -- only because there are a billion holds on both the printed and audiobook versions from the local library.  I started two days ago and am already about halfway through.  I can't put it down!  Even when I'm exhausted and my eyes don't want to stay open, I can't stop reading.  I can hardly wait to see the movie now and read the other two books -- not necessarily in that order.

I hope that this brings a smile to your face and if this is your first exposure to Jason Mraz or his latest single, The Hunger Games, or babies (just kidding!) I hope that you're not disappointed.  Let me know what you think!

How you doin'?

I had intended to post more quickly after my last post, but got swept up in things that didn't involve sitting in front of my computer.  Shocking, I know.  But here I am, back in front of my computer like the good nerd girl I sometimes pretend to be.

I've been feeling pretty good lately!  On Monday I got to work and had a student tell me I looked "springy," to which I quickly replied "I feel springy" with a big smile.  I have been a little bit tired when I stay up too late reading, yes.  A little sneezy now that my allergies are kicking in again, yes.  But overall, I've been feeling more capable, more accomplished, and more upbeat than I remember feeling so constantly in a very, very long time.  Yes, it could be partly attributed to the lovely spring weather Northern Colorado has enjoyed over the past week, but I think it's more due to my continued efforts to be healthier.

I've been walking for at least 20 minutes on the treadmill nearly every day.  I've started stretching and doing a small amount of yoga and meditation in the mornings, right after getting up. And I've been keeping track of my food intake more carefully using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone (that's not to say that I always stay below my target caloric intake) and keeping well hydrated.  And, about two weeks ago I hit a new (recent) low for my weight.  Since then I've bounced up a bit but I'm getting back into the groove of healthy habits and the scale is reflecting that.  Since I've gotten better about recording and tracking everything over the past 6 weeks, I've lost about 6 pounds.  Over the past year, since I started paying attention and recording, I've lost 20 pounds.  Probably closer to 25, though, from my all-time high weight.  I didn't have the heart to step on a scale till after I noticed that my clothes were getting -- not loose, exactly, but less tight.

I've started feeling not only healthier and more vibrant, but actually proud of myself and my hard work and my accomplishments.  This is something new for me -- I'm rarely proud of myself outside of the classroom.  But it's true!  I've gotten so confident that I've started to venture out of my well-worn rut by actually applying to the University of Northern Colorado to begin in the fall.  I've even nearly finished my taxes and FAFSA!  And, to top it all off, I've even been flirting a little bit with a couple of the attractive men I see at work on a regular basis.  So unlike me!

This has all gotten me wondering about everybody else -- about you!  Wondering what your New Year resolutions were and whether you're still working toward them or not.  Most of us in the Western world resolve to lose weight or work out or just get healthier.  However, according to this infographic (I have no idea how accurate it is, really) by this time of year nearly half have given up!  Usually, I'm one of them,  but last year was sort of the end of my road.  I could see the health effects already beginning and didn't have any confidence to go out and meet people -- dooming myself to the depressing cycle of loneliness and emotional eating.  No more of that for me, at least not in the long term!  Sure, I know that I'll have weak times because, frankly, sometimes life sucks and gets the better of you.  But I know that I can do better and that's always good motivation.

So let me know how you're doing!  I want to know about your resolutions and whether you're still working toward them.  Be honest, too -- I'm not here to judge you, I'm just curious.  Consider this an informal poll to  verify or debunk the statistics suggested by the creator of this infographic.  Please feel free to share your experiences, advice, and stories of success and/or failure.  It's all valuable!

Caramel Corn

My mouth starts to drool a little bit every time I look at this stuff.

I've developed a bit of a caramel corn obsession.  I've really never not liked it, but lately my sweet tooth has gone absolutely crazy for the stuff!  Unfortunately, it's so not healthy.  When I do allow myself to make it it's usually gone within a day or two -- and I wish I could say that that was because I shared most of it.  Still, it's delicious and I've found a fabulous (and easy) recipe over at Our Best Bites.  However, I haven't had much luck using the microwave method Sara describes without the caramel ending up all over the place.  And for those of you who want a one-stop shop, I'll post the recipe as I have followed it.  It mostly follows what has been laid out at Our Best Bites, but with my notes and tweaks.

Easy Homemade Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

• 12 cups air-popped popcorn -- about 1/2 cup unpopped kernels
• 1/2 cup white Karo syrup
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter -- 1 stick 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

First, pop the popcorn and set it aside.  I sort the unpopped kernels out as I transfer to a humongous bowl while the caramel is cooking, but you can also do this beforehand.  Definitely remove and hard or unpopped pieces before adding the caramel, though!

Next, mix the Karo syrup, brown sugar, salt, and butter in a sauce pan and set on low to medium -- enough to melt the butter and get it bubbling a bit.  Keep an eye on this, though.  I used a non-stick pan so it wouldn't burn to the bottom, but if you choose not to use non-stick you'll probably want to keep stirring it fairly often.  I leave it bubbling on the stove, stirring every few minutes or so, for about five minutes on a medium heat so if you opt for the lower setting leave it on a bit longer.  Then, mix in the baking soda and vanilla.  It'll bubble a bit from the vanilla and it'll smell amazing!

With the popcorn in a very large bowl -- you don't want to lose any as you mix it all together because (1) it's delicious and (2) it's hot -- pour the caramel over and mix with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula.  Spread onto a cookie sheet or onto aluminum foil for it to cool before eating -- I promise it's worth the wait!

Now this last step is optional, but I like my caramel corn just a tiny bit crunchy so I baked it for 20 minutes at 300 degrees (convection), turning the caramel corn over and mixing a bit halfway through.

Perfection!  I may have to start making smaller batches so I can't pig out on it so much...but where's the fun in that?

Valentine's Day

Holy crap, is it February 14th already?!  Dang.

To be perfectly honest, Valentine's Day has never been my favorite holiday.  I've just had too many without a sweetheart to truly appreciate it.  In fact, I have been known to call it "Singles' Awareness Day."  But, since the rest of the world is overtaken with hearts, cupids, doves, ribbons, red, pink, and sweets I thought I might as well join in on that last one.

I had a terrible craving for something sweet last week and decided to try making Caramel Corn.  It was amazing and, aside from the caramel overflowing in the microwave (even after upgrading it to a larger measuring cup), a complete success.  So when I realized I didn't have what I needed to make the valentines I originally had in mind, I decided to do a popcorn treat.  So I searched Pinterest, I Googled, and eventually I decided on two treats.

For the first, I decided to take a cue from Sara at OurBestBites.com and cheat a little bit with the caramel corn recipe, using white sugar instead of brown and adding red gel food coloring.  Worked rather well, until I baked it, when it turned more orangey-brown.  Still, it tastes delicious and it's not too off color because I shortened the baking time when I noticed the change.

For the second, I followed the recipe as instructed for Fruity Candy Popcorn, using Strawberry Jell-O.  Loved it -- it made my whole kitchen smell good!  However, I'd popped a full 1/2 cup of kernels, too much popcorn for one batch to coat it to my satisfaction so I had to hurry and make a second batch.  I recommend either making sure you measure your popped popcorn or making a double batch to begin with.

After letting them cool, I broke the popcorn up into pieces and placed them in sandwich baggies.  Then, I made tags for them.  Nothing fancy, just used Microsoft Word and I "borrowed" some past xkcd comics to decorate them.  Since it is Valentine's Day, I must declare my love for xkcd.  It's snarky and smart and silly and just plain awesome.  Okay, I'm done gushing now.

The right half is the red-ish-colored caramel, the left half is the Strawberry.  There were 19 baggies-worth (very unscientifically eyeballed instead of measured or weighed) after I'd finished taste testing.

The comic on the strawberry bags (left) is here.  The comic on the caramel bags (right) is here.  And the bottom one is in reference to this year's Valentine's comic, here.  One particular friend and I were giggling over it yesterday so I wanted to include that, since she didn't think she'd get any valentines today.

So there you have it, my Valentine's Day plans.  Tonight I'll be watching Glee, The New Girl, and Raising Hope and probably munching on any leftover popcorn (or maybe I'll make yet another batch if there are no leftovers) and going to bed earlier than I did last night.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Daddy's Birthday

Happy birthday, Daddy!

In the past year or two I've been discovering baking and cooking.  And since I became a Pinterest addict last summer, seeing all of those incredible ideas and recipes has inspired me to expand my repertoire.  However, since I've also been trying to lose weight, as has my entire household, I needed actual reasons to make some of the more decadent and delicious desserts.


Well yesterday was my dad's birthday.  I asked him last week what kind of cake he wanted for the occasion -- fully expecting him to reply with his favorite "Sunshine Cake."As cakes go, Sunshine Cake isn't bad -- really, is there such a thing as a bad cake? -- but it's fairly basic:  some sort of yellow butter or buttermilk cake and chocolate frosting.  However, Daddy is full of surprises and wanted to ponder it for a while.  No problem!


Now, my dad loves peanut butter.  Not really to the obsessive, everything-must-be-peanut-butter-flavored level, but he does love the stuff.  I had recently stumbled across a random pin on Pinterest for a peanut butter cake.  I'd never though of such a thing so the idea stuck with me although it didn't particularly interest me, aside from the immediate thought, "I'll bet Daddy would love that!"

So, being the patient woman that I am, I asked him every day for the next few days if he'd decided on a cake yet.  After a couple days he was still pondering and I made the suggestion.  He thought about it for about a second before deciding that was exactly what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday.  I asked him what kind of frosting he wanted and he said peanut butter.  Of course!


So I spend the next couple days searching online for good recipes for peanut butter cake and frosting.  I finally decided on this one from AllRecipes.com but I couldn't just leave well enough alone; I had to tweak it as I went.  Partly because, living in Colorado, I have to adjust nearly every recipe for high altitude.  And partly because, well...it's fun!  So here's my recipe as it developed:


Cream 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixer.  Add 2 eggs, one at a time, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and mix well.  Sift or whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder together.  Add to creamed mixture in 3 parts, alternating with 1 cup milk in 2 parts.


Here, I discovered that this recipe was not intended for multi-layer cakes.  But I persevered and divided the batter between two 9" round pans I had coated with Wilton's Cake Release.  If you follow this recipe, be sure to level the cakes as well as you can before baking them.  This batter doesn't level itself out much, and I could still see some of the spreading pattern from my spatula.  They will dome a bit, though.  In an attempt to prevent doming, since I didn't have much cake to begin with I lowered the temperature and extended the time.  They baked at 300 (convection) for 30 minutes at first, then I added more time.  I think I ended up baking them for around 40-50 minutes, but since they were thin layers that helped speed things up.  Still, in the end I think I may have slightly over-baked them because it came out a bit dry.  Not horrible, just not moist.  Oh well.


For the frosting, cream 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a mixer.  Sift together 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 cups confectioners' sugar.  Add to creamed mixture in 3 parts, alternating with 1/3 cup milk in 2 parts.  Mix until smooth.

This was when I discovered that I'd have to double the frosting recipe because I was doing the layers.  I did end up having a bit left over at the end, but I figure it's almost like Nutella so it'll get eaten up.

Completely frosted.  Yum...!

I used some peanut butter chips that were in the cupboard to pretty it up a bit.