Blogger Challenge!

This is not a food post, but rest assured. I'll be posting quite a few of those over the next month... I've joined a Pinterest challenge, so I should be making one new recipe every day. I'm going to work really hard at making it happen. :)

Today I've been challenged by my friend Sarah over at Little Love to do the Blogger Challenge! So, here's how it works:

The Rules:

1. You must post the rules (and link up with who tagged you)

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Facts About Me

1. I'm a Libra and I fit each personality description to a tee. (I'm going to copy Sarah on this one, because it's true for me, too!)

2. My husband and I got married in my parent's backyard on our 3 year anniversary.

3. 3 happens to be my favorite number. I was born on the 3rd.

4. I'm a HUGE Beatles fan. I've seen Macca (Paul) in concert, my husband and I walked down the aisle "When I'm 64," my son is named after a Beatles song (and so will any other children,) and his first concert on his first birthday was Ringo Starr.

5. I hate doing dishes. I'd rather fold and iron laundry and scrub the toilets.

6. I love my mother in law. Most people can't (or won't) say that. I'm very lucky to have a mother in law and a mother that just get me.

7. My husband and I are planning a partially self sustainable "commune" with family members in the future.

8. I had a natural, unmedicated birth with my son... who was 8 days overdue.

9. I karaoke with my son every night before bed... and I started before he was born! I used to be a voice major, so...

10. I'm a conspiracy theorist. Partially because it's fun, partially because we've become a civilization that no longer cares about the well being of our fellow man... most people only care about their own lives and wallets.

11. I want to homeschool my child(ren) and let them gain social skills from teams sports and activities.

(I'm realizing that I sound like quite the "hippie" after that... lol.)

Questions asked by Sarah:

1. Where did you grow up? Describe your first home.

Bothell, WA. In fact, I was the first person of the third generation to graduate from Bothell High. When I was born, my parents owned a little mobile home right across the street from her parents. A few years later, they moved into a home about three miles away. Five years later, when I was 7, we moved to the home they still reside in today (about 4 miles away.) I don't think they'll ever leave, which is the way I want it. ;)

2. What is your family like?

My parents have been married for 34 years, together for 38. I'm the oldest child and the oldest grandchild on both sides. All four of my grandparents are still living and still married. I have a sister who is two years younger (she's married and she has a 5 year old daughter) and a brother who is four years younger (will be married this year.) We have definitely had our ups and downs, but I love them all dearly. I have a father in law, two sisters in law (19 and 16 years old,) a mother in law, stepfather in law and an 11 year old brother in law.

3. What is one thing you cannot live without?

If I'm being serious, I'd say my son. If I'm being not so serious, but SERIOUS, I'd say coffee.

4. What is your favorite movie/film?

Right now, I'd have to say "Bridesmaids." I'm a big comedy fan.

5. What is your biggest inspiration in life?

My mom. I've always aspired to be as amazing a mother as she is.

6. What has been your biggest challenge in life?

Being myself. In an extremely conservative family, I've often found it hard to stand up for myself. I've allowed others to cut me down rather than believing in myself and being who I am, no apologies. I really work hard now to instill the importance of self esteem in my sisters in law.

7. If you could change any aspect of your life, what would it be?

Where we live. I hate apartment living and can't wait until we can buy our own home! I have dreams of having my own yard again!

8. Give us your favorite recipe.

This banana bread is AMAZING and the only one I use. I do one loaf with walnuts and one without. On the walnut loaf, I sprinkle walnuts on top before baking and on the plain one I sprinkle sanding sugar for extra crunch. Those final steps really add something special! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-bread-iv/detail.aspx

9. Who would win in a fight - Mighty Mouse or Underdog?

Underdog. I always root for the underdog. :)

10. What is one thing you need to do before you die?

Skydive. Funny, you will never catch me near a bunjee jump, but I'll jump out of a plane. I don't get it either.

11. What do you think happens when we die?

Honestly, I really do not know what I think happens. I've been pondering this question a lot over the last year. I'm in a bit of a religious transition... I was raised Catholic, but now I'm finding that I feel more spiritual than religious, so I'm finding that the answers I used to have regarding death, heaven and hell are changing. I WANT to believe in heaven, so it's not like I can abandon that idea completely. Part of me believes in reincarnation, but I've never had any firsthand experience with it, so it's hard to wrap my head around it. Part of me wonders if we just cease to exist. Part of me wonders about alternate universes. All I know is that when I die, I don't want to decompose in a tiny box six feet under (I'm claustrophobic.) I want to be set free somewhere, hopefully with my love. Likely the Columbia River, since it has so much meaning for us both. Then we can sail the world together, like we've always wanted to do. <3

Questions for my blogging friends! I don't have any I can tag yet, but if you're not a blogger, you're welcome to answer these questions in a comment! Have fun!

1. What is your dream vacation?

2. What is your favorite cheese and why? (If you don't like cheese, what is your favorite dessert and why?)

3. What was the favorite gift you've ever received? Given?

4. What would most people be surprised to learn about you?

5. What's the best concert you've ever attended? Why?

6. What are your feelings on Barney, the purple dinosaur?

7. What is your favorite childhood memory?

8. If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?

9. If you could meet anyone (dead or alive,) who would it be and why?

10. What is your favorite season and why?

11. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

These are a few of my favorite things:

I really am a sun baby. I live in a suburb of Seattle, so this presents a problem. However, maybe my locale has actually created (and sustained) this monster? Because I don't see the sun as much as I'd really like, I appreciate it that much more. Anyway, there's nothing I love more than feeling the sun beat down on my face, wearing my oversized sunglasses and cruising with the windows down. Except snow. I LOVE SNOW. Not the slushy stuff... the really fluffy, GOOD snow. Yet another elusive sight in the Emerald City. I have no explanation as to why I live in the land of one season (rain,) except that I love it.

So, since we FINALLY got some snow around these here parts (!!!) I did not stay indoors to cook and bake... and blog, of course! My husband took full advantage of the fluffy stuff and stayed home with us all week and we played harder than I've played in years... yes, I'm paying for it now. We need to invest in some snowmobiles or something, because I think my two year old snow bunny is turning my husband and I to the dark side! (he's a pro at the snowball thing, you can see.)

Yesterday, the "big thaw" started to happen, so I was stuck inside. Perfect day to bake something. I was hoping it would be sourdough, but I failed miserably on my starter (I'm going to try again next week and I hope to share my success story with you,) so I decided to get rid of the box of Cherry Chip cake mix in my pantry and pair it with my own homemade Chocolate Buttercream. I really wanted to try out a new decorating technique (thanks to Pinterest,) so I got to work!

Before I started frosting (and you'll notice I do not have a proper cake stand,) I cut a piece of parchment paper into four and put them under the cake, so when you're done frosting, you can just pull it out and remove all the mess! Voila!

I sliced each cake into two cakes, so I had four layers. I really love lots and lots of layers in cake. I usually give the top of each cake a nice soaking of simple syrup (it keeps things nice and moist,) but I really spaced it this time. Oh well... the buttercream was sweet enough and I ended up adding a little surprise to the center layer (a sprinkling of sanding sugar over the frosting... yum!) There's nothing better than a sugary crunch in the midst of all that pillowy softness!

Once I filled my piping bag with frosting (which I think could have benefited from being a little thinner, but not much,) I realized I didn't have a big enough star tip to create the rosette effect I was going for, so this is what I ended up with. Hmm. I kinda like it, but I'm not so sure I like it with the chocolate frosting... I can't decide. Regardless, it was a fun experiment!

Chocolate Buttercream

(this will make enough to fill, crumb coat and decorate a two layer [or four, if you slice both layers] 9in round cake.)

1 cup softened butter (I use salted. If you use unsalted, you may want to add a 1/2 tsp of salt.)

8 cups confectioners sugar

6 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup half and half (or milk) *add by tablespoon until desired consistency

Whip softened butter until light. Gradually add sugar and cocoa powder and whip until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and half and half. If frosting is too firm, add more half and half. If too thin, add more sugar. Quick, easy, yummy. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

I need to be better at posting. I've always had this problem when blogging, so I think (yet another) New Year's Resolution will be to try one new recipe AND post about it every week. Also on my ever growing list of resolutions are: to keep losing weight, quit smoking (for the fifteen millionth time,) spend more time being a kid with my son, learn to knit (done!) and get out of the house more.

This Christmas I tried my hand at a few new recipes, mostly sweets. Those of you who know me, know I have a serious sweet tooth, and the holiday season gives me a really good excuse to make tons of yummy treats! I made fudge (a semi sweet/white mix, a pumpkin fudge {a little too sweet for even my taste... I'll have to try it again someday,} and a semi sweet/ white MINT fudge... that one was my absolute favorite!) I made cake balls (with homemade buttercream... none of that premade, oily, plastic stuff.) I made cookies... and cookies... and cookies. I made pumpkin chocolate chip bread for all our neighbors. Whew!

This year, I want to focus on sustainability and seasonal availability... which means, I need to step out of my comfort zone (as does my husband) and use ingredients that are foreign to me. I may have heard of bok choy, parsnips, jicama and beets, but I've never cooked with them! It's time to expand our palates!

I wish all of my friends, family and the few readers out there a wonderful 2012... filled with all good things, and, of course, lots of goat cheese (and other goodies!)