Innocent Car, Assaulted

Yesterday we went down to our parking lot to find that one of our car windows had been smashed in. The strange part is that it wasn't one of the front-side windows or even backseat window... it was the little tiny window at what I like to call the "backy-back". This person must have seen something they wanted and decided that instead of breaking the driver side window to unlock the doors (like a thinking, rational person NOT on drugs), he/she would break the little window and just be able to snatch something from the top of the pile. The pile of stuff in the back of the car is a combination of stuff we purged from our apartment to give to charity plus we're moving our office so there's a bunch of Staples and Home Depot bags back there. Nothing of any value. In fact, we can't even figure out if they took anything! They would have done us a favor to take more. I'm not upset that the window is broken. I'm just disappointed that someone would do it. It also robs me of a bit of security I felt in our own building. Maybe I shouldn't venture down to the car at night? Maybe I shouldn't play with the cat in the hall when my husband's not home? Ah, this is the price we pay to live in downtown Toronto. ...and it's totally worth it. ;)

Soft Chocolate Cookies recipe

I have another incredible recipe I have to share. The only problem with these cookies is that they are highly addictive and could result in eating the entire batch. Um... that's what a friend told me of course. They are soft and chewy and are very brownie-like but they're a light cookie. And, as always, they are incredibly easy.


Soft Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups white or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract for 1 minute.
Add cocoa and salt. Add flour until just blended (never over-mix flour when baking).
Stir in chocolate chips if you want them. My opinion is they are perfect without them.
Drop small spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes.

I told you it was easy. It's well worth it.

I made this recipe last week with a twist... After making the dough, I put it into a piping bag with a 1cm opening and squeezed out an arrow shape and then two dollops at the bottom of the arrow. Did you guess what those were? Hint: they were for a bachelorette party. Hint 2: I sprinkled chocolate sprinkles on the "dollops". The last thing I'll say is that my friend is marrying a black gentleman. The cookies were hilarious and they were a huge hit. The funniest part is that my dad came over this week and ate the leftovers. My husband wouldn't eat one.

bad day @ work

I'm having a really bad day. Last night I had some screw-ups at work. I thought I had sorted it all out by the time I went to bed and the plan for today was to forget about the problems from last night and plow ahead. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It turns out that all the work I did last night has to be thrown into the trash. As soon as I came to this realization, I wanted to slip out of my chair onto the carpet, roll into the fetal position, close my eyes and dream that I was out of this stuffy, loud production office and rollarblading to the beach with the sun in my face. It's hard when these things happen because working for myself means that messing up translates into lost time and $MONEY$ both of which I HATE to lose.

I'm in such a terrible mood right now. I think I'll go take a shower and wash my hair. When I’m feeling like this I have to stop myself from hating my customers for making me work so hard. It’s easy to get resentful. That just goes to show how irrational that thought is since it is my beloved customers who make my dream business a reality.

Now, if this next production run goes to shit, I’m really going to scream.

P.S. When you’re having a bad day, you’re really having a bad day. After I finished writing the above blog post, I clicked to publish it and when I went to view the blog my heart stopped and I broke out into a sweat (not an exaggeration). Why? The blog I posted to was my WORK blog. And of all postings, it’s one that’s complaining about work. I frantically clicked around looking for the delete button and immediately after I successfully deleted it, I felt a pang of sadness. I liked that post and I wanted it. Worst of all, I realized that I wasted MORE time since I got nothing out of the time I spent to write it. Kill me now. I vented to my husband and then sat down and wrote it again. That wasn’t so bad. This writing thing really makes me feel better. I don't particularly enjoy writing the same thing twice but it's better than curling up in the fetal position. I’m ready for that shower now…

Nu? Where's the baby?

It has officially started. Last night my grandmother took me aside when we were leaving her house, put both my hands in her hands and said "I hope to be alive to see you have a baby". My husband and I have been married for just 3 months. To be fair, we were together for about 3 years before that. Ok, bubbie has the right. Bubbie has the right to say and do anything as far as I'm concerned. She earned the right by being so cute and old.
Gotta go get ready for a bbq....
bye!

Best Banana Bread

Earlier this month was my husband's birthday. We don't really celebrate birthdays (that's a story for a whole other blog post) but I wanted to make him a cake. He requested banana bread since he's not such a sweet tooth like me. I'm such a sweet tooth that I have a rare condition where every single one of my teeth are sweet, even the molars. Back to the cake... I found a recipe online on a website that both my husband and I frequent for most of our recipes called AllRecipes.com. The funniest part of this website are the reviews. Very often, someone will say, "this is a great chili recipe! The only thing I changed is instead of using Kidney beans, I used Romano beans and I also used half the brown sugar and added a 1/2 cup of dark beer, 1 teaspoon of cinnomon and instead of beef I used brussel sprouts."
So, after you read the recipe posted on the site, it's a good idea to glance at the reviews to see if there's a popular suggestion regarding a better cooking time/temperature or if most people thought it could use a bit less flour/sugar. The following recipe for the very best banana bread is my revised version so it's just perfect. Best of all, if you have ripe bananas that you're about to throw out you can pretty much find the rest of the ingredients in your cupboard. It couldn't be easier - just the kind of baking I like.

The Very Best Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups ripe mashed banana
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x5 inch pan.
2. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and soda, stirring just until combined.
3. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour (or till toothpick comes out clean).

My husband couldn't stop raving about this bread. He would put walnuts in it next time. I would put chocolate chips.
Enjoy!!

Roz Savage and the Pacific

The last post regarding podcasts makes me want to mention Roz Savage (www.rozsavage.com). Roz is a woman that is literally rowing across the Pacific right now... I mean, RIGHT NOW. Think about it. A woman in a row boat with no land in sight between the California coast and Hawaii. Roz writes in a blog almost every day and I have been keeping up with her since she left the Golden Gate bridge. I also listen to her podcast updates on "Roz Rows the Pacific". I find out whether the gale force winds on the ocean have died down enough for her to get back out on the deck to row. I look at her progress going south west to see whether she has actually been drifting backwards. I check to see whether her water-maker has started to work again after the electronic components were flooded with sea water. The amazing thing is that it feels like she's been out there for so long yet she still has more than 2 months more to go. I really admire her discipline, determination and drive. To me, her trip across the ocean in a row boat would be a very effective form of torture. It would be a matter of survival rather than adventure. I don't know if I would be more scared of the dark deep ocean tossing me around like a rubber ducky or being completely alone for that many hours, days and nights. Or, maybe I just can't handle the thought of not having icecream for such a long stretch of time.
Go Roz!

I'm FAMOUS!!! ...and other podcasts

I listen to hours and hours of podcasts every day while I'm working on my online business. There are a few topics that I gravitate towards... Natural Sciences, Skepticism and Tech News . Currently, I subscribe to 44 podcasts. That's right... 44. A little while back when I was just at 20 podcasts, I had a terrifying moment when I ran out of things to listen to, so I scrambled around the iTunes store to beef up my inventory... and that's how I ended up like this. I NEVER have to listen to myself think again.

Anyway, there are naturally a select few podcasts that I really look forward to. I will tell you one from each category...
Science: I absolutely LOVE Quirks & Quarks from CBC Radio (go Canada!). I know there's no practical reason to know how an alligators' lungs work or how a Neaderthal would have said "e" but it keeps me glued to my computer speakers anyway.
Skepticism: Another favorite (LOVE LOVE LOVE) is The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. I would be happy just listening to that all day long. It has made me more aware of my own skeptical thinking (which I do naturally but more is better) and, well, it makes me feel smart.
Tech News: I probably have the most podcasts in this category but one in particular stands out... not because it is the most educational but because it is the most entertaining for me. It is called "The 404" from CNET. You see, most of my tech podcasts are made in California where they think they're in the centre of the tech universe (because they are). The 404 is created in New York which is a location close to Toronto but more importantly, close to my heart. (In fact, I just got back on Tuesday from a 5 day visit.) I feel like I can relate to these guys and best of all, they crack me up.

So, what does all this have to do with my blog title? After listening to the 404 last Tuesday, I decided I would call them up and leave them a voice message. There is a certain format to follow: "hi, this is ___ calling from ____ and you're listening to the 404, where ____". I wanted to say something that would let them know I'm a regular listener by referring to a previous podcast, a.k.a. an inside joke. It accidentally came out a bit provocative which I totally didn't mean to do. I guess I shouldn't have used my sexy bedroom voice. The next day I was going about my regular routine of working and listening to the latest 404 episode and then, after the commercial break I hear a familiar voice... MY OWN! How exciting! So, my big break happens on the 404, episode #118 at 12 minutes and 46 seconds. By the way, I'll kick Stephanie Kim's ass any day of the week, whoever she is.