Work Out Time

Yesterday, I decided to join a gym near my house. I haven't been to a gym since August. The gym is not the friendliest or cleanest place, but it serves a purpose for me. Although I won't be working out vigorously (there won't be any hard-core running or ab crunches), at least I'll have a warm place to walk and collect my thoughts. We live really close to a park and when the weather is nice, I walk there. Unfortunately, we have entered the point of no return (winter) at least until March, so there will be few walks at the park from now on.

Hotty Toddy?

On this Thanksgiving morn, I'm watching an episode of "True Life" on MTV. I'm also making pies with homemade pie crusts. This particular show is about being a Southern Belle and guess which college campus MTV decided to use? Ole Miss! However, watching the show gives me some not so nice memories of the South and of my days at my dear alma mater. Although I'm quite happy to have attended the school, I believe that I did not fit in most of the time and that the Southern Belle lifestyle was not one for me. I cannot believe I was even accepted into a sorority, even though they were lucky to have me (my 4.0's boosted their GPA tremendously). The truth is that I never aspired to be anything but myself. My coif was never perfect, my clothes were never the most stylish, and I just never cared to wear a lot of makeup. Although I did end up buying a Chi hair straightener, which has dramatically changed the life of my hair.

So although I was not exactly a pariah at Ole Miss, I definitely did not fit into the mold of Southern hospitality. My peers labeled me as "Northern" because I was from Louisville, Kentucky (imagine that!). I didn't listen to country music, I liked to read classic literature for fun, and I secretly contemplated voting for democratic candidates. Although I didn't actually do the latter until I moved to Massachusetts.

It's funny though, because here in New England, people think I'm particularly Southern, even if I don't have an accent. When I say y'all, pronounce the word Appalachian, or simply have some sort of charm to my personality, I'm automatically targeted as different. My blog's title comes from the irony that even though I'm Southern and live in the North, I really am not a Southern Belle.

If I went back to make a decision about where I went to college, I probably would've chosen a different school because I'm a capricious person. However, I'm glad I have some of the memories and I enjoyed living in the deep South for a few years. I've really had the best of both worlds.

Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation. Come, the new Jerusalem.

I can tell you that winter is just around the corner in this little part of the world called New England. However, the trees are rich in color and full in glory. The leaves will fall fast though.

To tell the truth, I've been in somewhat of a non-euphoric mood lately. Mostly, it has to with my job, which I enjoy, but it's a struggle being an aide when I really want to be in charge of a classroom. Sometimes I am (in charge of a classroom, for at least two periods a day), but I'm not getting the money or recognition that I deserve. Also, this year has been a battle with some of the kids I work with. However, I feel like you have some of kind of bullshit to deal with in every job, whether you are the low man on the totem pole or a high-ranking administrator (which I never, ever hope to be). So, I will learn to live with my situation for now and hopefully at some point in life, I will get what I deserve.

P.S. I will say this in the best possible way-- it is just not my destiny to work in special education. Of course, I admire those who do work in the field (and I can say honestly that I admire myself for working with this group of kids everyday), but I see so many issues with sped, that I couldn't deal with them from year to year without being completely honest and open, and then I would be fired. :)

Jack's Birthday Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for Jack Rutkiewicz's second birthday. He loved them!

Happy Anniversary!

Yes, we've been officially married for one year now. I can't say it's been a fairy tale, because nothing ever is, but we do get along and we love each other very much. Of course, there have been quarrels, but no one's marriage is completely perfect. Except that Kat and Eric's is probably pretty close. :)

Brian is playing at Vinny T's this afternoon, which is an Italian restaurant on a lake in Shrewsbury, Mass. He and Keith have been playing in the outdoor seating area for a few months now. They make a good amount of money, get free drinks, and dinners. Plus, the food is excellent (Italian), and often, Brian and I split a dinner because the portions are huge! Anyway, even though they get a free dinner, Brian and I are going to the Wildwood for dinner, where we had our wedding dinner last year. We love the food there!

My cupcake project has been going alright. Yesterday, I made blueberry "cupcakes" from the cookbook, but they were really muffins. Blueberries are wicked cheap right now (about $1.50 a pint) and I've bought six pints in a week. I could eat blueberries all day long!

I don't have any pictures for this post, but Brian bought me a new camera, so I will have some soon.

Cupcakes celebrating Father's Day and the last day of school...

Today was the last day of school for the year, although it doesn't feel like it because I am working at a summer program for five weeks, and we have had rain for the last fourteen of sixteen days (it's absolutely ridiculous). Anyway, I should be more positive about the summer and my future, considering that I will be in a lovely wedding in Kentucky, my friend is letting me stay at his rental house in Cape May, NJ for a few nights for free, we're going to Cape Cod and Nantucket, and Brian and I are taking a first anniversary trip to one of my favorite places in the world, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Here are two different kinds of Martha cupcakes I have made so far this "summer."


Blackberry jam tea cakes with a citrus glaze (I used lemons, the recipe called for oranges)


Chocolate cupcakes I got off of the Martha Stewart website (sorry, not the book) and I had this great Wilton gel icing in rose. This totally reminded of a little girl's birthday party with a bright pink cake. :) Also, I love the peonys; we were able to acquire two vases of them after the wedding we attended on Saturday.

A summer project...involving cupcakes, of course

The book, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, recently came out on June 2nd and of course, I had a copy in my hands that very evening. Coincidentally, the movie, Julie and Julia, is also being released this August, where a woman in New York attempts to make all 524 of Julia Child's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a single year. A mighty feat. Inspired by this, I decided to do something much less daunting. Every week for the rest of the summer, and possibly continuing into the school year, I will make a different cupcake recipe from Martha's book. Last week, I made roasted banana cupcakes (no frosting though) and today I made blackberry-jam cupcakes with a lemon glaze for father's day. Next week, I will make blueberries and cream cupcakes since blueberries are abundant and cheap right now. I'll post pictures soon.

Wednesday is the last day of school. :)

More delicious treats for mother's day and Brian's birthday

1) Lemon meringue cupcakes I made for Brian's birthday. The recipe and cupcake papers were Martha Stewart's. P.S. Her cupcake book comes out next Tuesday!

2) Angel food cake (a mix) with homemade dark chocolate frosting. This was delicious and at least the cake part was low-fat! Also, I was very happy with my frosting job; it's not easy on a very crumb-y angel food cake.

Morgan is the cat's pajamas...

Our cat is so amusing!

Mainichi Sushi o Tabetai yo!

This means- Everyday I want to eat sushi! And I probably could, except that I don't want to get mercury poisoning, like Jeremy Piven did from eating so much sushi.

Anyway, Brian told me a few months ago that if I wanted to take a sushi class at the vocational high school that offers adult education classes, he would pay for them. My two classes were held the last two Wednesdays. The instructor, although not Japanese, seemed to know his way around making sushi. I thought he was a good teacher and I felt liked I learned some informative basic techniques for making this fine Japanese dish. The only thing that was slightly annoying was that the teacher kept pronouncing words in Japanese incorrectly and since I've taken several years of the language, it just bothered me. But I was happy with what I learned, and tried to replicate some of the sushi this evening for my husband. I just made simple California rolls, with shrimp, carrots, avocado, and cucumbers and avocado nigiri. It wasn't like eating at Fugakyu or Oishii Sushi in Sudbury, but I'm proud of my efforts!

Talk Derby to me...or to my cupcakes

For my Kentucky Derby party, I made these special Derby cupcakes. My original idea was to make mint julep cupcakes because the julep is the official drink of the Derby, but honestly, they didn't really sound very appetizing. My mom bought me a Sprinkles lemon cupcake mix for Easter and I had a great recipe (and they turned out to be delicious) for key lime cupcakes, so I decided to go with the citrus theme for the party. Besides, the lemon cupcakes from Sprinkles are some of my favorite cupcakes! I also bought yellow and green sanding sugar for additional color effects. When I was in Louisville, I bought plastic fleur-de-lis's and horses at a cake supply store, and felt they would look very festive on top of the cupcakes. They were delicious, too, and I will definitely make the key lime cupcakes on another occasion.

The Derby party was really fun and it was bigger than last year. We're totally about to outgrow this apartment! We had sixteen adults, two small children, and a chihuahua! Our good friends, Keith and Sarah, were supposed to come as well, but they were sick, as well as their son. We wouldn't have had enough chairs if they had come! Most of the girls wore hats dresses and a few of the hats were decorated with fake flowers, ribbons, etc. For the race, we had a random betting pool going where one would pay two dollars and draw a random horse out of a hat. I actually had the favorite, Friesan Fire, but he got eighteenth place, and my friend Kate, who had Mine that Bird, won part of the money. We split the pot up into 1st place won $19.00, second won $14.00, and last (haha, a booby prize) won $5.00. I kind of got that system from bunco. This year, we had a very Southern dinner, consisting of BBQ brisket (from Texas BBQ in Northborough), BBQ chicken (which I made in the crock pot with the sauce from TX BBQ), a cheese grits casserole, a chipotle sweet potato dish that was really spicy and yummy (made by Holly), a fruit salad, green salad, cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches (made by Natyra), a tomato, cucumber and mozzarella salad and deviled eggs (made by Mary), the aforementioned cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes made by Seneca, and Derby pie, of course.

Overall, besides the crowdedness factor, I think all had a good time and learned a little more about the Kentucky Derby! Now, I am just hoping Mine that Bird wins the Preakness and possibly the Belmont. We need another Triple Crown winner.

A former cupcake addict goes on Weight Watchers...

That is what I identified myself as at the first Weight Watchers meeting a week and a half ago-- "a cupcake addict." But I don't think that is completely true. The truth is that I am not necessarily addicted to eating cupcakes, I simply am addicted to the different designs and creativity associated with them. As most people know, I love going on different websites and blogs and getting new ideas and inspirations for cupcakes. Every little cupcake has the potential to become work of art, and often does. Also, I do like to sample them, once in a while. :)

So I have started Weight Watchers and today is officially day three (we weren't given the materials until the second meeting and therefore, could not start yet). I have been pretty good about this plan but also hungry. Maybe I'm not eating enough filling foods. Today was my splurge day-- for breakfast, I had a cup of kashi and a cup of soy milk, after the gym I had a ww lemon cake (1 point) and an apple, and for lunch we went out to a bbq place and I had a small garden salad with basically a tbsp. of dressing, baked beans (in a small cup, nice), and lean brisket. Yes, I will go over by the time the day ends, but I also have those extra points. Again, I want to reiterate that I do not have a bad self-image, but I just think I could be eating healthy and it would be nice to shed a few lbs. Weight Watchers is also changing my mentality on eating, which I also like. For example, I have to think about what I am eating and how it will affect me before I actually pick it up and gobble it down. This is really beneficial for life. Furthermore, I love how you could really eat anything you want and you're encouraged to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and other healthy, fresh foods. With some of the other weight loss enterprises, you have to buy their food and I heard it's really nasty, so I would never want to enter into one of their programs. And one of the best things about Weight Watchers is that my health insurance company gives me free coupons for twelve weeks, so I do not have to pay for a thing!!!

Here's to a healthier life!

Pi (3.14) Day cupcakes!

This is why I love working at a school-- people understand and appreciate Pi day treats and cupcakes! Even though it is a day early, I think the students in the math class (and English class afterwards) that I work in enjoyed these. The teachers did, too.

Books I have read over the past year and some assorted comments about them...

I'm sorry to say that I don't remember them all.



!. We were the Mulvaneys (Joyce Carol Oates)- very depressing and long, but a good book overall.

2. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything in Italy, India, and Indonesia (Elizabeth Gilbert)- A new divorcee has a lot of money to blow, goes to Italy to gain lots of lbs and learn the language, then to India to lose the weight by yoga-ing for three months, and then goes to Bali to find a medicine man she doesn't even know and then ta-da, finds love in the worst of cliches. The first part had potential, but no wonder some guy wrote a male version entitled Drink, Play, F&*$, in which a dude goes to Ireland, Vegas, and Thailand. My friend Nora and I made fun of this book a lot.

3. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)-- This was the second time I read this book and most of it was at the credit union, while supposedly working online. Reading this was in preparation for our honeymoon to Prince Edward Island. I'm so happy that I visited the fictional Green Gables!

4. Ahab's Wife- another book that seemed to have a lot of hype, but was completely unbelievable and a little bit insulting to those from the South, or anyone who has studied history. Oh, and I hate to give it away, but the Ahab's widow, the heroine, marries Ishmael at the end. Not worth six-hundred pages.

5. This Side of Paradise- F. Scott Fitzgerald set the tone for the 1920's. I also read the short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and liked it.

6. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)- Now I consider this one of my favorite books and I wish I had read this earlier in my life. Atticus Finch is one of the greatest fictional heroes of our time.

7. Dancing Girls (Margaret Atwood)- A short story collection by one of my favorite authors. There were some very twisted stories in here, but Atwood is always full of surprises.

8. Delta Wedding (Eudora Welty)- I had to read a book in the tradition of the Southern gothic genre. This novel expertly paints a portrait of a Southern family, rich in secrets, heritage, and tradition.

9. Witches of Eastwick- A really weird book by John Updike, who recently passed away. Although I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure if I will be reading the sequel- The Widows of Eastwick.

10. A Passage to India (E.M. Forster)- A commentary about British-Indian relations in the 1920's. The British are not portrayed too positively here.

11. 1984 (George Orwell)- Whoa, this book is crazy. Although I was totally intrigued and couldn't put it down at times, I enjoyed Huxley's Brave New World much more. The kids at school are reading it now and the reviews are pretty mixed, but some of them just don't want to read at all.

12. Tender is the Night (Fitzgerald)- Another of Fitzgerald's novels and one of his best. Beautifully written about an unhappy couple oozing with the glitz of the 1920's and the inevitable downfall.

13. My Life in France (Julia Child)- a love letter to French cuisine by my new idol, Julia. Read about it in my last journal entry.

There are many more to come in 2009, including my current read, The Beautiful and the Damned, by Fitzgerald.

Julia (Child's) and my own obsession with France

Today I finished a book about Julia Child, entitled My Life in France. This book, written by Child in collaboration with her grand-nephew, focuses on her culinary and cultural explorations of France when she lived there in the late 1940's and 1950's, and afterwards when she became a famous cookbook author and television personality. I have a fascination with food and cooking, and even though this is non-fiction, I love My Life in France because it tells a story with food and is very descriptive in terms of taste, smell, etc. Also, anything French seems to fascinate me. Prior to reading My Life in France, I read Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which in part takes place in the south of France, where "it was pleasant to drive back to the hotel in the late afternoon, above a sea as mysteriously colored as the agates and cornelians of childhood, green as green milk, blue as laundry water, wine dark.” Awwwww. A few years ago, I read the novel Le Divorce, which is an okay movie, but book is fabulous because the author gives France such a lovely ambiance. Some of the characters were completely annoying, but the setting was picture perfect.

I wish I had taken the French language in school, not only for conversation or for food, but also for singing, for French is very useful in chansons. Alas, the class was full and I took Japanese instead. Kusoo or should I say Merde!

A croissant may be a dream in my future. Bon appetit!

Tie-Dye Cupcake Fun!

I made these tie-dyed cupcakes for a get-together with my co-teachers/aides tomorrow night. They were really fun to make and are delicious, too!

Valentine's Cupcakes made for Game Night

I bought new cupcake stencils at Crate and Barrel a few weeks ago and the other cupcakes were "filled" with cherry pie filling. Yum!

I want to see you dance again on this harvest moon...

Rules: If you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose some people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you. (in no particular order...)

1) I have a pretty terrific memory-- I can remember dates, random facts, etc. from a long time ago. This is probably why I end up winning Trivial pursuit and other superfluous trivia games.

2) Another memory one--when I was nine, I memorized all of the presidents in order and my grandfather has them on video at home.

3) I once went to the hospital because I had part of a q-tip stuck in my ear. It was downright embarrassing, also because I was sixteen at the time.

4) I have traveled to thirty-five states and lived in eight. Someday, I hope to visit the entire country.

5) During college, I made the Dean's or Chancellor's Honor Roll every semester (I went to two different schools so these lists had two different titles). Also, I graduated a semester early and made Phi Beta Kappa. Although, as Brian Wilson said," they say I've got brains, but they ain't doing me no good, I wish they would."

6) When I finished college, I applied to be an English teacher in Japan. I even interviewed for the position in New Orleans, but I was only chosen as an alternate.

7) One of my hobbies is working on needlepoint projects.

8) I was engaged to a man prior to my husband now, and ironically, they both have the same birthday.

9) My worst fear is driving in the snow and ice.

10) My childhood dream was to become a dermatologist.

11) I despise mayonnaise with a passion and will not even let it be near me on a table, etc. A relative of my dad's had this same dislike and wouldn't even keep mayo in her fridge.

12) One of my biggest failures is that I tend to not follow through with goals in my life. From small things, like playing the violin and quitting, to larger goals, like dropping out of grad school after a semester, I seem to just leave things behind because I lose interest in them quickly.

13) My two adult dreams are to own my very own bakery and to become a travel writer.

14) I am often lonely living in Massachusetts. Although I have family and friends in the region, I have never really felt that I fit the mold of a New Englander.

15) I could probably eat guacamole every day for the rest of my life. Seriously, it is my comfort food.

16) My father has been an alcoholic for almost thirty years now and he is the main reason I don't like to drink very much. Because if I did, I would be more likely to fall into that kind of addiction than others.

17) Some people think I am good cook/baker; however, I really just have more time than others.

18) I would like to say that I sing well, but I am actually not the best signt-reader and my ear is not very well-trained. You can see a recurring pattern of my lacking self-confidence.

19) I follow cupcake blogs incessantly.

20) It is very hard for me to cover up my emotions or true feelings about people. I have been known to be extremely blunt, especially to those who are close to me. My husband told me one of the reasons he married me is because I don't play games with people.

21) My favorite band is U2; however, I often get annoyed with Bono because he is too much of a media darling.

22) I am very comfortable with my body type. I may eat a lot and only exercise about twice a week, but there is really nothing wrong with me. Self-image is a huge problem in this country, but I don't want to be a stick figure.

23) There are days when I don't want to have kids. I didn't for a long time because of Thomas Malthus.

24) I cheated on a boyfriend in college. It was a heartbreaking thing for me and for the boyfriend. Now, because of this experience, I will never cheat again.

25) Sometimes, I'd rather be there than here.