Chocolate Chips

Baking is fun. Let me correct that: baking is fun when you decide what you're going to make, when you're going to make it, and how exactly you plan on doing it. My roommates Amy & Chelsea and I decided that today we were going to make chocolate chip cookies. You know, as a housewarming gift...to ourselves. Easy as pie, right?

Well, apparently pie isn't so easy to make around here, because chocolate chip cookies from scratch REALLY aren't easy. Chelsea and I set out on an adventure (little did we know) to get what you would think are the easiest ingredients to find.

Sugar? Check.

Flour? Check.

Brown Sugar? Um..is this brown sugar or just sugar that is brown? Check.

Eggs? Check.

Butter? Check.

Vanilla? 4.50 EURO?!?! What?! It had better be a huge bottle...Check.

Baking Soda? You mean Bicarbonate of Soda? Oh, of course. Check.

Chocolate Chips? (10 mins later) Seriously? (5 mins later) Does anyone here make chocolate chips cookies?!

Eventually, we found a package of cake decorations containing sprinkles, candy pearls, and about 20 tiny chocolate chips. So we caved and bought a chocolate chip cookie mix for 1.50 euro. 3x less than the cost of the vanilla alone. I'm beginning to wonder what ingredients the Irish DO put in their cooking...especially since I can't find ranch dressing ANYWHERE!

A Story

I am taking my lunch break today to tell you folks a story. Sit down, have a listen. Its the story of a girl with what some might call, a complete lack of common sense.

It was a friday night, and Helena was driving home from work in an exceptionally adventurous mood. Because Helena loved her childhood, she decided to re-live the younger years by visiting her treasured old house. Although the idea seemed golden in Helena's mind (and probably yours), it quickly degenerated into, dare I say, a brazen idea? As Helena approached her old home, anticipation and memories flooding in with the loud barking of dogs that circled her car, she wrinkled her brow in utter confusion. The quancet barn that had seemed a never ending chasm and an even greater mystery had somehow condensed into half of its size, becoming merely an oddly-shaped garage. The rickety old barn where the family had stored cows and emus alike had simply vanished. The fruit trees she once climbed and chose succulent apples and pears from had become mangled, overgrown old memories.The beautiful and HUGE front yard once hosting games of softball had been cluttered with useless junk and again, condensed into half its size (can you believe how much shrinking the present owners did?) WHAT was going on?

Confused and saddened, quite the opposite of what Helena had expected to be after a trip to Nostalgia, she headed back toward the highway to get home. She was certain she must get to 195th, noticed she was only on 185th, and so found her way to the correct road through eerie back roads. But alas! Helena was on 195th, heading west with the highway in sight. Passing a sign that read, "Gravel Ends" Helena simply assumed, overriding her better judgement, that this must mean the gravel became pavement. She was wrong. The gravel slowly and gradually turned into mud as Helena passed an old lonesome farm. The trusty Dodge Neuron (yeah, didn't know they sold those, huh?) conquered the mud for some time before Helena's instincts got the best of her and convinced her to turn around. Suddenly, the mud ATTACKED and sucked all the energy out of the poor Neuron (bet you didn't see that twist coming).

Helena begrudgingly asked her parents to come on a rescue mission, and then decided to make new friends at the lone farmhouse. Not answering the door on multiple occasions convinced Helena the residents had no interest in being buddies, and so she left to wait at the end of the mud road and play a magical boredom-defying game called Tetris. Hours later and a good 10 pounds heavier, Helena's Neuron sheepishly came creeping home (and by sheepishly I mean wobbly and awkwardly, in addition to being embarrassed).

I guess the moral of the story would have to be this: we can't all be geniuses.

The Irony of Humility in Winning

I recently won something. The College of Business Veishea Photo Contest, and it was http://www.flickr.com/photos/elenanoll/4494419759/ this photo did me in. And by recently, I mean in the past couple of months. Yeah, yeah, congratulations to me and stuff. Don't get me wrong--I was really excited and feel blessed. But most of all, I am extremely humbled.

You see, as a believer of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, I know that I can do all things through Him. I also know that all good things come from Him. Which leads to the idea that all good things I do are through Him. Rather, He does good things through me. Conclusion: I cannot do anything good unless it is through the providence of God. Is this true or am I way off base here?

In short: God used the talents he gave me, a situation he provided, to bring about a result that he forethought. And to put a cherry on top, he blessed me with prize money I was able to use for his glory. It was the least I could do. I mean, c'mon, the only thing I had to do was enjoy the talents he gave me! Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

p.s.--blogspot--I'm back!

Sickly

By the time I finish writing this post I will have sneezed at least once, blown my nose a couple times, and stared off blankly into the distance, seemingly pondering something, but truly having no thoughts whatsoever.

I made it to two of my classes today before I bowed out and went home. Rather, I fled home to my apartment (which is now solely mine...no roommate. come visit!). But not before I sneezed all over the bus. It was awkward. I recovered by disinfecting my hands with some trusty Germ-X that I knew I kept in my bag for a reason. I now sit on the couch, watching Law & Order, reading blogs, and feeling helpless.

I fulfilled every prediction of my behaviour made at the beginning of this post, besides my sneeze, which I effectively dodged by holding my breath. Life is grand.

You've Got Talent [Part 3]

Here's a different take on art...speed painting. I think you can pretty much make a competition out of anything these days if you just time it. Speed shoe-making? Speed flower arranging? Speed walking? Yeah. I have good ideas.

This guy used 10 packets of ketchup for "paint" and fries for "brushes." I guess his mom never told him not to play with his food. The longer I watch this video, the more I am disgusted by ketchup, which I'm totally ok with.

Someone did a ketchup Mona Lisa, too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxulxN0oDo

...and this guys paints with chocolate syrup. I mean, I love chocolate, but jeepers!

Heres one for the rednecks.

...one for the ladies? mascara art! this one is AMAZING. There was a lipstick one, but it was of Angelina Jolie, so, needless to say, I didn't include it.

cheese puffs. yeah.

I never knew my morning toast had so much potential, but apparently, thats why I'm not a speed painter. That, and lack of talent : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_HPvAhnG_w

So, just in case you were wondering, YES, I spent almost half a day researching my art series. YES, I do feel completely and utterly talent-less now. YES , I really want to play with sand. And YES, there is still more to come!

You've Got Talent [Part 2]

For Part Two of my art series, I discovered the world of coffee "painting". Apparently this Latte Art is a rapidly expanding form of competitive art!

However amateur, this guy is creative!

If you like dragons...

He's got style.

I like this so much, I think I'll make a machine to do it for me.

How about that?

You've Got Talent [Part 1]

Kseniya Simonova is a sand painting artist, and won 2009 Ukraine's Got Talent. Sand drawers use a lightbox, dramatic lighting and music, and hey...sand.

Stick to the foreign stuff..its the best.

You're gonna start wishing you knew Ukranian.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Time Lapse.

For you detail-centric people, these ones are intricate. And long.

On a quirky note, this one is one of my favorites:

Now that you are fully blown away, possibly even over-exposed to the idea, I bid you adieu as I continue in my art series.