Zone Analysis

I just spent 9 straight hours working on one spreadsheet for work, ARGH! It was quite a frustrating day. I had to scrub a lot of data and then scrub some more because the person who setup to spreadsheet/data did it all wrong. Oh, and it had to be done by tonight. And I found out about it this morning. Fun times! I really can't complain too much, I have a lot of days that are very relaxed and I work for a fantastic company.

Anyhoo, I'm also a little sad! All my friends seem to be very busy or vacationing this summer and therefore I am quite bored :( I don't have any plans for the forseeable future, so it's a little depressing. I figured this is a good time, though, to really dig into the Word, and volunteer more at the church. That's something that will keep me very busy and I'll be strengthening my relationship with the Lord and serving others. Can't go wrong there!

So, morals of the story: spreadsheets suck and if you're bored too, call me!

Purple Hull Peas

Just a quick update....went to Canton today and the Farmer's market. I got some Purple Hull Peas, which are just like Black Eyed Peas, except purple. And, I got some okra. I shelled my peas today, blanched them and froze them for later. I'm super excited! I love fresh black eyed peas and I can never find them anywhere! Anyhoo, I'm also sick with some cold or upper respiratory thingy, all I know is that I'm up coughing all night and can't sleep, ARGH!!!!!!!

That's about it, my mom, youngest sister Kathryn and Nana are here until Monday. They got here Wednesday night and have been hanging out for an extended weekend. Kathryn and I went to Van's Warped Tour Thursday....got to see Family Force 5, they were AH-Mazing! Look them up and listen to them sometime, Love Addict is the best song ever.

Smoothie Popsicles

Since it's summetime, I am naturally craving popsicles! My sister bought some of those Flavor Ices (you know, the sugar and water things that you cut the end off of and suck on). They are some of our favorites, but kinda bad. So is ice cream, popsicles, etc. But, I LOVE stuff like that. So I decided to make my own popsicles. I know this is far from original and hardly creative, but I was very excited to have thought of it on my own and make some. So, they turned out very, very good!

Smoothie Popsicles

About 1 cup frozen (or fresh) strawberries
1 banana
1 small container vanilla yogurt (you could also use plain)
1-2 tbsp honey

I put all of that in the blender, blended until smooth, and then poured into a popsicle mold (those can be found here or probably Wal-Mart or Target). Then, stuck them in the freezer! I did, however, have an idiot moment where I couldn't for the life of me get the popsicle out of the mold. I eventually just turned it over and ran a little hot water over it and it popped right out.

I'm sure you can use all types of fruit, smooties, etc, if you like. I think I'll be making lots, and right now some lime sounds really good in one!

Also, I got my bread book that I'm so excited about and started some dough last night. I'll bake some bread today and then do another blog about that whole process, I'm very excited about it!!

Matt Wertz Concert

Gina and I went to a Matt Wertz concert Saturday night at the House of Blues near downtown. We got there early, ate some dinner, and got the see an excellent concert! The venue was very nice, small, not smoky, etc. so it was very relaxing and fun for a concert. I'm used to totally trashed people in a smoky bar bumping into each other, then fighting to get out of the venue, and waiting an hour in traffic.

So, it AWESOME! Thad Cockrell opened for Matt and was very, very good. He's a great songwriter and was very folksy sounding. I really enjoyed him! Then, Matt Wertz came on and was with a guy named Justin Rosolino. They were amazing as well. Matt is fantastic, but Justin was also amazing, and a very good guitar player! Go check them out...

Old Friends

I thought it was time for a blog! I haven't really been motivated to blog lately, mostly because I haven't though anything in my life was interesting enough to write about...I guess I need to be more exciting!!

Anyhoo, I went to Borger last Tuesday night for some nice relaxing time with the fam. My friend Rachel got married last weekend, so I was in town for that, too! I truely enjoyed time with the family and some nice relaxation.

A lot of my old high school friends came into town for the wedding, so it was WONDERFUL to see them all again. I miss them all very much! Here's some pics of the wedding...


Rachel and her Dad walking down the "isle" as it were
Cari (Jason's girlfriend) and I
Amy and I got the great honors of cutting/serving the cake...which was very fitting because this is our FAVORITE part of a wedding!
Amy and I (best friends in high school)
Dan (Amy's husband), Scott, Amy and JasonCarissa, Me, Beau and Cari
Me, Bethany, Beau, and Cari

Family Time!

Hello everyone! I'm at my parents for a nice relaxing break. I came home yesterday and am going to stay until Sunday. It may not sound like a big vacation to most, but coming home is one of the best breaks I can ask for. When I get back to the place I grew up, I kinda feel like I revert back to my childhood of no responsibilities and I really relax when I'm here! When I go on an actual vacation, I worry about flights, packing, tours, food, etc. so much that I don't get to relax a lot.

So, needless to say, it's been a good vacation so far! I thought I would give a few quick updates about me lately.

1. On Monday, I was drying my hair to get ready and smelled something burning. So, I pulled the blowdryer away from me and looked at it and my blowdryer was ON FIRE! I mean, actually shooting flames! It was insane...I had to blow on it until the flames went out and then unplug it. It was a tad worrisome, to say the least.

2. I got approved to be a Home Group leader on Monday! I'm super excited. Gina and I are going to lead the group and we'll start it up in the Fall as a continuation of the one we were in in the Spring, but I'm very excited to be able to serve a group of girls :)

3. The drive from Dallas, TX home STINKS! It's 5 1/2 hours of NOTHING.

4. Kathryn, my sister, and her boyfriend were hanging out over here tonight. They both just graduated high school in May. I am just so impressed by them after watching them tonight! You'd think two 17/18 year old people would be doing normal things like watching TV, leaving the house to be alone, talking, etc. But no, I walked in and they were reading their Bibles together. Then, they went into the computer room and started looking for a Bible Study/Devetional book to do together! Ah, I just LOVE it...they're so fantastic.

Cardboard Testimonies

Wow, this makes my heart happy!

*The end of this video makes me a bit uneasy...I have no idea what that's about, and I doubt I believe with going about asking for support that way, but I liked the whole first part!

Oh, man...

Ok, so I have a bad habit of doing things just because I find them funny/entertaining. I guess sometimes I have a pretty odd sense of humor, but if it amuses me and won't hurt anyone else, I'm all for it! So, today I had to get my dog groomed. She's a cocker spaniel and I hate having to pay tons and take her for grooming, so I only get her groomed like 3-4 times a year. Since I do that, I have to get her cut really short to make it last. One of my favorite things about her, besides her extremely long eyelashes, is her curly, super-soft head. It was really long and so I decided to let her keep a little of it and give her a mohawk. Pictures below speak for themselves, and in case you can't tell, she's quite pissed with me and maybe a little mortified. Oops...maybe that has to do with the fact that I have been laughing constantly at her since I picked her up, who knows!

Garden Update

I thought I would finally do an update on the ole garden. I've been embarassed and frustrated with it for a long time because Carissa's dog, Stella, has been getting into it and trampling/eating the plants, so it's taken a while to re-plant parts several times! First of all, This huge branch fell in our yard last night thanks to the 49mph winds...we are very blessed that it didn't hit a car or power lines!

Of course, Stella thought this was the best toy she's had in a long time and is busy making mulch of it right now for me!
I took this to show how big one of my tomatoes has gotten!
All the tomatoes have grown super-fast! This above picture is about 6 weeks old, and below is the tomatoes today! At least those have done really well...

Above are Roma tomatoes and below is the cherry tomato!

These are jalapenos and poblanos above, they're currently blooming!
And this is my zucchini...

So, I re-planted a few plants Monday and then had to mulch the whole garden... Now I'm watering it every day and ready for it to start raining again!

Best Cookies EVER! No, seriously...they are!

Ok, I made these, plus a few modifications and they turned out increadible. The best cookies I've had in my entire life. Make them!!

Brown Sugar Cookies

The most efficient way to bake these cookies is to portion and bake half of the dough. While the first batch is in the oven, the remaining dough can be prepared for baking. Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter. The dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is sufficiently browned. Use fresh brown sugar, as older (read: harder and drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I used chocolate/peanut butter chips, any type would be good in them!)
1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. OPTIONAL (I added the pecans and chips to my batch, and it was fantastic)- Put chopped pecans into skillet butter was browned in. Cook on medium-high heat for 1-3 mins until pecans become aromatic. Cool pecans and add to dough along with chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.

5. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet.

6. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake. 6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Checking Doneness
Achieving the proper texture—crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle—is critical to this recipe. Because the cookies are so dark, it's hard to judge doneness by color. Instead, gently press halfway between the edge and center of the cookie. When it's done, it will form an indent with slight resistance. Check early and err on the side of underdone.

This recipe was from www.cooksillustrated.com.

Workout!

Well, I'm at home in Borger this weekend...got home last night around 11:30pm (NOT a fun drive). But, it's been great to see family!

To explain the videos below... Dad and I like to workout together when I come home and tend to compete a bit by showing each other the latest and greatest workout we've come by. So, first we did the workout video I do every other day and almost died, then Dad wanted me to try his workout.

Since interval workouts are so good aerobic-wise, Dad rides his exercise bike, on the highest tension (I could BARELY peddle standing up!), for as long as possible. Then you rest until your heart rate goes down and do it again! So, you do as many reps as possible until you want to die and it's an extremely effective way to get in shape fast!

My Dad was SO funny doing this, I took a video. And as payback, he videoed me...As you can see, it was a bit hard, but too funny. This is a glimpse into some of the antics that go on when I go home :)

Hot Springs!

I know it's been a while since I got back from Hot Springs on Sunday, but I'm finally blogging about it! It was an extremely good trip!! Jason picked me up Friday afternoon around 2:30pm and we headed out. His girlfriend had to go out of town that weekend, so it was just the two of us (we missed you Cari!!). It wasn't a bad drive at all, we took a scenic route for the last part and ended up in Hot Springs about 7:45pm. It was great to drive up with Jason and catch up. We haven't sat down and talked in many months! So, we got there, checked in and headed down the road for some dinner. We stayed downtown amongst all the shopping and Bath Houses because we thought that would be mucho fun, and it was!


We wondered down to a little Italian place that had great Spinach dip and excellent Chicken Alfredo, so that was very nice after a long drive! Saturday morning, Jason wanted to go hiking, so he left the hotel around 630am and went for a hike...I let him borrow my camera so that I wouldn't have to get up that early! So, below are pics from his hike. He said it looked like a scene from a horror movie with all the fog and foresty type things...I'm glad I stayed in bed!!

It was beautiful there, but the heat/humidity was HORRIBLE! I grew up in the Panhandle, where there is NO humidity, so it was rough on me....
This is the balcony from my hotel room
The hotel looked like it was cool in the 50's or so, but had not been updated since! It was clean and nice, just very outdated. This view of the 3rd floor pool area makes it look very nice, though! It's amazing what you can make something out to be with your camera :)
So, this is me before I left to pick up Jason for the BBQ Saturday morning/afternoon. My hair is normally stick straight, but in Arkansas, I decided not to fight with it anymore!

This above is the Arlington hotel. It's in the middle of downtown and appears to be the "nice" hotel in Hot Springs (not including all the chain hotels).

Above is downtown Hot Springs from the porch of the Arlington Hotel
This is an authentic Hot Spring! All over downtown water bubbled out, and usually had a fountain built around it. But the water was truely HOT! I could barely touch it. Jason and I filled up gallon water jugs with the Hot Spring water and brought it home as souveniers...tee hee hee!

This is Amy and Jason walking in the Bath House row (there are about 7 in a row, but only one is still operating)

All the pics above are of an old bath house that was converted into a museum, and therefore kept in it's original 1920's condition. It reminded me more of an old horror movie insane asylum and was a bit creepy. I can't actually imagine going to a place like this for relaxation! There was one room for foot problems. You went it and sat in a chair, and the guy there fixed people's foot cysts by beating them with his knuckles until there were crushed and moved them away from the foot. Now, that does not sound like a good time to me! They also had a mercury bath to treat people with syphilis...just didn't sound like such a good idea to me!

Anyway, we went to a wedding BBQ on Saturday afternoon and had a great time there. After that Amy and Dan, and Amy's parents (Amy was my best friend in High School, Dan's her husband) came into town and we spent all afternoon/evening with them shopping and eating. It was AWESOME to see them and catch up. Sunday morning was the wedding, so we headed to the Botanical Gardens where it was at. It was in this huge chapel that was all wood and glass and we were in the middle of the forrest, so it was AH-MAZING!! The wedding was beautiful and so was the reception. Jason and I drove home and got back around 7 or 8 I think.

Funny story, Jason and I apparently acted like and old married couple all weekend (or at least that's how it looked). Since we drove together, stayed at the same hotel, ate together, sat together, etc. it looked very odd, I'm sure. He would even hold doors open, get me something to drink, and stick stuff in my purse! It was too funny... it was all due to the fact that we've known each other for 12-13 years and he's like a part of my family...I was asked by several people of we were dating, and I just told them no, I was just his stand-in date since his girlfriend wasn't there. But, it was very nice to be around people that I've known for the better part of my life and be able to be completely comfortable with them! Since I've been in Dallas, I've made lots of great friends, but nothing can quite compare to relationships since 7th grade!!

Anyway, we'll all be back together again for my friend Rachel's wedding in June, so I can't wait for that! Seems like the only time we

I Need the Faith to Have Faith

First off, it's the start of wedding season! My summer is quickly filling up with showers, batchelorette parties, and weddings. I'm excited to see my friends getting married, some of them I've known since middle school. There's a slight twinge of jealousy, but otherwise, I'm just excited! The first one is this weekend in Arkansas...Jason's (friend from growing up) going to pick me up and we'll head out tomorrow afternoon. The wedding's going to be great, but we'll also get to spend time with old/new friends and explore Hot Springs which I'm really looking forward to.

I've been constantly reminded lately to lean HARD on God for His plan in my life. It's been so hard for me to resist manipulating situations/people/etc and try and get what I want. It's also been quite a lesson to say no to things that would be fun now, even though they're not necessarily sinful, because they are distracting me from my Father. Needless to say, I've been constantly praying for faith. That seems to be at the root of all my issues, a lack of faith. God has proven Himself over and over and over in my life with the situations He's designed and the path He's lead me on, but for some reason I continue to doubt Him. So, my lesson I'm learning lately, and probably will continue to learn for a very LONG time, is that I can't even muster up my own faith. I even have to depend on God for faith! I have to pray and beg for it, because I can't even do that on my own. I do, however, find every new level of helplessness refreshing because of the knowledge that I am so bad at running my life by myself. The more I realize I have no abilities to make life go the right way, the more I understand God's plan for me. Matt Chandler preached on the topic of faith last weekend and it was challanging and wonderful. If you're interested in it, go to http://www.thevillagechurch.net/ and listen to "Conviction of the Unseen" from May 18, 2008 or you can also podcast it on iTunes.

Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness. (Jeremiah 3:22)

Cinnamon Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream

I know this recipe sounds funny, and it did to me, too... But, it's tied to my Nana's Italian Cream Cake as the BEST CAKE I'VE EVER EATEN! So, try it...it's AH-MAZING!!

Ingredients:

CAKE
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the paper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

FROSTING
5 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
5 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. In 3 alternating additions, add the dry ingredients and sour cream, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions.

3. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes on the lower and middle racks of the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden and springy and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the cakes to racks and let cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.

4. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes longer. At low speed, beat in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ancho chile powder and cayenne, then gradually beat in the bittersweet and white chocolate. Scrape down the side of the bowl and the paddle, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, 3 minutes longer. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds to deflate any air bubbles.

5. Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Return to room temperature before using.

By the way, this recipe is from Food&Wine at http://www.foodandwine.com/.

Whoops!

So, I uh...kinda messed up my work computer! I barely let it slip, and it hit the corner of something at just the right angle, and TA-DAH! See below.... I now have to make an all day trip to the office tomorrow to get it fixed/replaced. What a pain!

Suzanne Watts