TWELVE

a smile.

i don't leave the house without it. 

:)

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and while i'm up, i might as well tell you what i've been doing...

finals are done!

huzzah!!!

and i took a glorious 3-hour nap today.

so while i couldn't go to bed, i decided to make something.

apparently one of my hobbies is to cook late at night.

like at 3 am.

we didn't have any dill, but we substituted a whole lotta spices and goodness instead (mainly basil, rosemary and oregano).

and boyyyyy was it gooooood!

farmgirl susan's beyond easy dill & cheddar beer bread recipe 

basic beer bread mix:
3 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 ounces beer

optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

heat the oven to 375°. combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. slowly stir in the beer and mix just until combined. the batter will be thick.

spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with the egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. remove from the pan and cool 10 more minutes. serve warm or at room temperature.

flavor Variations (also see the comments section at the end of this post for lots more beer bread flavor inspiration):

garlic & Herb: add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic flakes) to the basic mix. for fresh herbs, use 1 chopped tablespoon of each.

dill & chive: add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill) and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives to the basic mix.

rosemary & feta: add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary and 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces) to the basic mix.

italian: add 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano (or 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano), 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese to the basic mix.

other additions: any dried or fresh herbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago (or other hard cheese); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or 1/2 cup oats in place of 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. or practically anything else you can think of—just use your imagination. 

dish is de end.

now that finals are done:

that's a good way to think right?

sweet freedom!

now on to the cleaning.

the end of school is always fun, because you have the combination of multiple stresses, namely:

huge tests that you haven't studied for

having to pack up everything you own in boxes and put them in storage for the next 5 months

having to decide what you are going to need during those 5 months

packing all of your crap in the car

leaving all of your friends

cleaning (because if you don't, the apartment complex will charge you $20 for dirty baseboards...)

having no food left, and refusing to go to the store

trying to remember everything before you leave...

and having it snow on your birthday!

(yes, today is my birthday.)

(and yes, it did decide to snow. for the second year in a row. and yes, it is april.)

so, now that i've done a stressful list, i think it is only fair to include a list of things that i love right now.

1. cupcakes.

and i recently discovered a new way to eat them.

2. my friends

we have had many crazy-awesome adventures over this last year...

and even though i know that they are coming to a close (for now) it doesn't mean that it is the end!!!

by the way jess and carissa... i'm still planning on our oregon coast road-trip/excursion!

you aren't going to get out of this one!

3. my family

cuz they are just plain awesome.

we had all 3 of us girls up here at school this weekend, and it has been sooo much fun!

definitely not the last time this is going to happen.

i just couldn't resist putting this picture up. (i love super young, awkward pictures...)

if you wanted to know what a mane looks like on a person... i have the proof right here!

4. cupcakes!

acutally, just baking in general.

if you haven't noticed yet. ;)

i think these are SO CUTE!

i have to try them.

5. green apples

i don't know why, but if i had to eat a food for the rest of my life, this would be it.

they are a big part of my purpose for living.

i think i'm gonna go grab one right now.

6. cleaning.

bizarre?

yes.

i feel like i'm getting ready for war.

but i love cleaning.

it relieves my stress... but don't get any ideas.

if you paid me, i would come clean for you, but i don't do it for free!

7. psych

please tell me you have watched it.

if not i might cry.

8. broadway

i've seen les mis (in london!), which was probably the highlight of my life...

but i have a bucket-list of broadway plays that i have to see before i die.

phantom of the opera

jane eyre

wicked

the scarlet pimpernel

jekyll and hyde

(and that isn't all!)

9. my church

i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

everything that i am, i owe to my church.

it is the best part of my life.

10. music that makes me happy :)

you got me - colbie caillat

shine - laura izibor

spending all my time loving you - aaron fresh

just the way you are - bruno mars

brand new day - joshua radin

rhythm of love - plain white t's

smile - uncle kracker

eh, eh (nothin else i can say) - lady gaga

i look so good (without you) - jessie james

worst week ever invented.

who thought of finals week anyway?
the should be drug through the streets, whipped, and then flogged.
what's that? i sound barbaric?
oh really?
i am so ready for this week to be over though.
you know that feeling you get, when you are ready for something to be over, and you are ready to move on? yeah, it's like senioritis. but instead of just being done with high school, i get to go on a fantastic trip. but that trip can only happen after i make it through this week. so it bugs me that it is taking so long.
as you can tell, i have a lot to work on when it comes to patience. (or maybe it's just the fact that this is the adventure of a lifetime... and i might just be a little bit excited to go. just maybe.)
21 days.
did you hear that? 21 DAYS! :D
and now i'm starting to stress out.
i like stressing out.
i function best when there is a little tension in my life... if there wasn't, i would probably sit on my butt all the time and... i'm gonna stop there. (cuz it is sounding way too representative of the past few weeks of my life.)
this is where i am going to be.
oh be jealous.

soon. real soon. i am actually going to be able to take a picture all for myself.

(and i might just decide to share with you all!)

my next question: what should i buy? where should i go??? i don't want to miss anything - so i need help! 

that should have contained a disclaimer... my "question" usually turns to many questions... 

and i have to buy a new camera.

since the old one has run away. i really have no idea where it would even be. not even remotely.

yeahhhhh. at this point i do not like spending money. especially when it should be spent after my trip starts... not before! poo.

so i have some zucchini in my fridge right now. and i need to do something with it.

now, if you knew anything about my life at home, you would understand that the "zucchini" i am referring to in my fridge is a shame to its name. my first semester up at school, my mom sent me a zucchini that was probably the size of my thigh. no, i am dead serious. my roommate, a girl from california that i'm pretty sure had never seen produce anywhere other than a supermarket, couldn't believe it.  

i swear these things are on steroids.
we have to get very creative with out zucchini at home, so luckily, i have several go-to recipes for zucchini bread that i can go to in a pinch. but i found this recipe the other day, and it looked fairly interesting. i might just have to try this one. 


stuffed zucchini (from kayotic kitchen)

ingredients:
1 tbsp sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tomato
1 tsp thyme
2 zucchinis
1 onion
cheese
pepper
optional: bacon


directions:
preheat your oven to 400 (200C).
give the zucchini a good scrub.
slice them in half length-ways. you can trim the ends if you like. 
spoon out the guts. just take it out (leave about 1/2 an inch in) until you end up with boat like shells.
now give the zucchini pulp a good chop, also chop a small onion and 1/2 a tomato while you’re at it. i’m only using half a tomato (more for color than flavor, really) otherwise things will become a teeny bit too fluid. having everything gush out of your zucchini is not a pretty sight, trust me!
sautee the onions in one tbsp oil or butter. it’s ok for them to brown a little this time ’round.
when the onions are almost done, add 1/4 tsp curry powder and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds. no longer or the curry powder will turn bitter. when they’re done, transfer them to a big bowl.
now this is completely optional. if you want to stick with a vegetable dish, fine, just leave the bacon out. (the bacon will give it a little more crunch and saltiness, so you can cook a few slices and let them drain on a paper towel.)
now (in no particular order), add 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, 1 heaping tbsp sour cream, a good pinch of pepper, the zucchini pulp, the tomato and crumble the bacon in as well.
lightly butter a baking dish and put the zucchini boats in. they’re best served straight out of the oven. 
grab a spoon and fill the shells with the mix. sprinkle some aged cheese on top.
put them in a preheated oven, give them about 20 minutes and then turn on the grill until the top is golden brown. sprinkle some coarsely chopped curly leaf parsley (the most underrated herb there is) on top and you’re done!


if you grew up and used an easy-bake oven like me... you might find this interesting. and kind of sad. 

only one more day til freedom!

stay sane til then! (for me.)

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i am grateful that my computer decided to act up

today

and not while i am in jerusalem.

(not much to be grateful for... but at least it's somethin!)