Cooking with Amy: Funfetti Cookie Edition

Remember the time I fell in love with Pinterest and pinned lots of yummy things to cook/bake/eat? Well, be prepared for a summer full of recipes and kitchen disasters. First up, was Funfetti cake batter cookies. You mix a box of cake mix with eggs and some other stuff then you dump in ALL the colored sprinkles you can find. It looks beautiful!

You mix it all up and bake them like cookies.

They come out of the oven all puffed up like a cupcake top. But give them a few minutes and the sink down into a delicious soft cookie. Make sure you don't brown the bottoms. They should be soft NOT crispy.

I couldn't resist breaking off a piece right out of the oven.

Don't they look pretty stacked up?

I ended up with 30ish cookies so I brought them to school so I wouldn't be tempted to nom them all myself.

Will definitely make these again. Delicious and so happy looking!

   

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

Dear Library,

I recently read the following book:

On the side of the book you affixed the following sticker:

Obviously you have not read this book. The only animal in the story is the horse that pulls the plow. In fact, it is a story about a young boy with promising intellectual abilities who leaves school to return home to help care for his father who has just had a stroke. The boy learns to communicate with his father who can no longer speak and decides to build a barn with his brother and sister. He hopes that having something to look forward to will help his father get better. The boy finishes the barn late one night and decides to wait until morning to show his father. Now, I don't want to ruin the end of the story for you but guess what happens to his father that night?

So dear library, you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or title). Some poor, unsuspecting child is going to pick up this book expecting to read about piggies and get quite the life lesson instead.

XOXO,
Amy

I STILL Love Dawson's Creek

A little birdie told me that Dawson's Creek had come to Netflix Instant so basically my life is now complete.

I've marathon-ed my way thorough two seasons so far and I have lots of thoughts.

Dawson 

The show's namesake is sooo dreamy dorky...with his loose flowing flannels and his giant head, his ugly crying and whiny disposition...and those eyebrows! Was anyone on Team Dawson?

Joey 

What a crabby wench. Although I suppose living on the couch with your sister's interracial baby crying in the other room while your dad sits in prison on a drug conviction would make anyone a little bit disagreeable.

Pacey

The love of my life. I still love teenage Pacey. He was just the right amount of mischief and awesomeness. So happy that Joey ended up with him!

Jen 

I forgot how slutty she was. And her hair cut was awful! She had a rough life in Capeside.

There are so many wonderful things about Dawson's Creek: Churchy Grams and Gay Jack living under the same roof. Pacey sleeping with Miss Jacobs. Crazy Andie was so crazy. Dawson's dad subbing at school...what a nightmare.

The only thing I miss is Paula Cole's "I Don't Wanna Wait" at the beginning of every episode. 

#TeamPacey4Life

No Apologies

So I've been MIA for like 600 years but I've been busy doing things like:

• Watching entire seasons of Dawson's Creek on Netflix Instant.
• Decluttering.
• Interviewing for a job.
• Losing out on said job to the principal's niece.
• Making summer plans.
• Hanging out with second graders.
• Going on field trips with second graders.
• Emailing long lost friends.
• Cooking.
• Making my apartment super messy.
• Walking and running and walking.
• Reading kid's books.
• Buying maid of honor dresses in guava!
• Painting my nails.
• Visiting Maine.
• Cuddling with puppies.
• Drinking iced lattes.
• Avoiding my blog like the plague.

But after some much peer pressure from the madre and the amigos I am back to regale you with my summer adventures.

Four days of school left baby!

   

Ode to June

In June

School will end paving the way for summer to begin. 

The days will get longer then start to get shorter. 

I will sleep in late and stay up later. 

There will be sunshine and laughter. 

I will write and read and walk and swim. 

I will eat a lot of popsicles.

Soundtrack Update

Finally updated my soundtrack page for March and April.

In March:

March was a tricky month for me. Despite the beautiful weather, I had the blahs for quite some time. I listened to two songs over and over and over again.

Only if for the Night by Florence and the Machine
Best line: "And the only solution was to stand and fight."

What Doesn't Kill You by Kelly Clarkson
Best line: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

In April:

I did lots of driving and soaked up my vitamin D through these songs:

We Are Young by Fun
Best line: "Tonight, we are young so let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun."

Brighter than the Sun by Colbie Callat
Best line: "We go together like peanuts and Paydays."

May Goals

It's been a LONG time since I set some goals on this silly little blog.

I looked back at my May goals from last year and I only accomplished 2 out of 3 of them. (If you're too lazy or too cool to click the link: I bought new sneakers, crossed something of The List, but only walked 26 of 31 miles.)

So this May I thought I would revisit some of those goals.

1. Walk/run 31 miles.
2. Add something to the 30 While 30 list.
3. Donate/trash/recycle 100 things in an effort to declutter.

And...go.

 

Happy Cinco de Derby Day!

Happy Cinco de Derby Day! 

Mint julep margaritas?

Yes.

  

Bookmark This...

For those times you need a laugh.*



*Because yesterday was full of serious thoughts.

 

May Day

Often, I find myself obsessed with the passing of time. 

That today, May 1, 2012 has happened and will never happen again. It is over and I've either done wonderful things with today or I haven't. And it seems that more days than not, I head to bed feeling like I've not lived my day to the fullest. That I didn't do anything monumental and life changing.

But the reality of life is that there are very few of these "life changing" days. Instead, we make tiny decisions and take relatively small steps that, over time, add up to a life that is hopefully meaningful and fulfilling.

On May 1, 2011: I revealed my new blog layout. I was unemployed and hating my life as a substitute teacher. I was recovering from a late night/early morning Bachelorette extravaganza and was picking glitter out of my hair. 

On May 1, 2012: I got stuck in my raincoat. I ate salad for lunch and helped a student group ten cows in a pen via a spaceship. I marinated steak for tomorrow's dinner and taught my students about contractions.

Today was not a remarkable day but there was more good than bad. And that has to count as a win.