a science that kills

you know those days when you just can't stuff any more information into your brain?

today is one of those days. 

exhibit A: 

jess's brain.

exhibit B:

this is what i do when i can't take any more school.

i fantasize about the day that i won't have to go to the plasma center... or class...

exhibit C:

you can literally only take so much of michaelis-menten, lineweaver-burk, Km, enzymes, kinetics... before you go like THIS.

you get what i'm sayin?

on a more positive note:

i start my new job on friday!

better say goodbye to free time, skinny jeans, and friends.

(but who really needs them anyway?)

;) 

i'm melting.

i found the man that i want to marry.
no kidding.





his voice melts my soul. (basically to the same degree that i end up in a puddle on the floor when i hear josh groban or michael buble sing...)


:) 
have an awesome week!

hmmmm.

a haiku (from a friend)

I’ve come to hate boys

You know what’s underrated?

Owning lots of cats

You Are Tired (I Think)
You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.
Come with me, then,
And we’ll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)
You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.
But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.
Ah, come with me!
I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I’ll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

— E.E. Cummings

everything's gonna be ok.

a little bit of every scattered thought.

how is everyone this (lazy) holiday morning?!


i'm fantastic... just in case you were wondering. :)
today is one of those mornings when life is just good. 
happy music-baking-motivated-i'm gonna go on a long run-type of morning!








so i have to work on my motivation to try this... because you know me, i am a very lazy person when it comes to my hair. anything that takes over an hour to do just isn't worth it in my book. 
this one looks like it could take a while...





and you remember that granola that we made like, two days ago?
it's gone!
crisis! i need to make some more!!!
this time, i think i'm going to try this recipe. and then maybe this one. this one??? (i have a surplus of recipes, most of which i haven't had the chance to try yet!) 


pumpkin granola
originally from baking bites


ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas


directions:
1. preheat the oven to 325° F. line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. in a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. mix well.
3. in a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. whisk until smooth. pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. they will be moist. evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. bake for 20 minutes. remove pan from the oven and stir. bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas. let cool completely. store in an airtight container.




i was reminiscing this morning... and decided to plan my next big adventure.

a castle on a cloud

day 16:

my dream house.

i tend to collect pictures, and i usually don't write down where i get them.

(so for the sake of attributing these... none of them belong to me... but i don't remember where i got them. oops.)

***

now if anyone else out there is like me - and LOVES hot chocolate... but for the sheer fact that i would sit and drink cupfull after cupfull... (calorie counters cringe at the thought)

i found this to be a good alternative.

and homemade. (gotta love that, huh?!)

homemade sugar free/ fat free hot chocolate

3 cups instant powdered milk

1 cup splenda

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 sm. sugar free/fat free jello vanilla pudding, instant

mix all of the ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag and close bag - mix. store in air tight container or the zip lock baggie. to make a cup of hot chocolate, use 1/4 cup of mix to 1 cup of hot water.

serves 18

i also have a fetish with mugs. i want this one.

...or for a single serving  (i mean... am i really going to make 18 servings worth of hot chocolate???)

1 cup non-dairy milk (you can also use unsweetened almond milk)

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 packets stevia

Optional: pinch of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla 

first measure out one cup of milk, and then transfer 2 tbsp of it to a mug. Heat the rest of the milk on the stove top or in the microwave (it took me about one and a half minutes in the microwave) until steaming but not boiling.

while the milk is heating up, add the cocoa, stevia, vanilla and cinnamon to the 2 tbsp milk in the mug. stir it together until it forms a chocolaty paste.

once the milk is heated up, add it to the chocolaty paste and stir till combined. just whirl a whisk between your hands back and forth to froth it up if desired.

***

i bet there is no better remedy for a stuffy head and sore throat than a hot cup of chocolate and nice warm toes by the fire  errr... space heater? (we'll just pretend for imagination's sake, shall we?)

random (and unadulterated) musings of a friday morning...

just a few thoughts for the day...

:)

See Crochet Fingerless Gloves and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Falafel!

(you can see that I am missing israel badly when i start looking at ethnic foods...)

recipe from bobby flay

Ingredients

Falafel:

• 2 cups soaked chickpeas (chickpeas need to be soaked in cold water for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours), add more water if necessary
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 or 2 serrano chiles, chopped
• 2 green onions (white and green part) finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• Scant 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Piquillo Pepper Yogurt Sauce:

• 2 cups thick Greek yogurt
• 3 piquillo or 2 roasted red peppers
• 1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

White Bean Hummus:

• 3 cups white beans, cooked, or canned, drained and rinsed
• 6 cloves roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Relish:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Falafel:

Directions

Drain the chickpeas through a colander then place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Chickpeas should be totally dry.

Heat 4-inches peanut or vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 330 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.

While the oil is heating, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and serrano chiles and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor, add the garlic mixture, green onions, parsley, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt and pepper and process until the mixture is finely ground, stopping to scrape the bowl every 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Form the mixture into balls the size of ping pong balls and place on a plate. Fry in batches at 330 degrees F until a pale blonde color, about 45 seconds, spooning oil over the falafel constantly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the baking sheet. Increase the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F. Return the falafel to the oil, in batches, cover the pan with a lid for 30 seconds and fry until a deep brown color, spooning the oil over the falafel constantly. Remove with a slotted spoon to baking sheet lined with paper towels, and immediately season with salt.

For the yogurt sauce:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, covered, to allow the flavors to meld.

Variation: Substitute 2 cups feta cheese for the yogurt, and add 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley.

For the hummus:

Place beans, garlic, harissa, lemon juice, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the relish:

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. The tomatoes should be lightly dressed.

Serve falafel with yogurt sauce, hummus and relish on the side.

Source: diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

my mission for this weekend:

and my mommy's coming up this weekend.

best. weekend. ever!

well hello sunshine!

i love waking up early and sitting on the couch with my chilly toes stuck under a gigantic mound of blankets, with my computer and a big cup of hot chocolate. 


ooooh yes, i am sooooo ready for fall right now.


i've decided it's been too long since you've gotten any music, and i've been feeling in a somewhat indie mood as of late, so here ya go.

beware. this is what happens when i am allowed to sit and surf the web uninterrupted. 


i listened to her version of elton john's song: your song this morning, and fell in love with ellie goulding's voice. 








i've been doing projects with my mom straight for the past few weeks that i've been home, so i've got major crafts on the brain. this is my next project:

infinity dress and here

and for the piece de resistance - i want to try this!

recipe here

my toes are warm, the hot cocoa is gone, and mom is finally up. time to start the day!

:)