The Grown-up Birthday

Happy Birthday to me. Yay birthdays. Please read both of these statements with the sarcasm with which they were intended. Trust me when I say, I do. 

One candle too many.

When did I really grow up? When did birthdays become more of a chore and less of a happy day to look forward to? When I was a little girl, heck even when I was a teenager, I can remember looking forward to birthdays with such excitement and enthusiasm that I could barely sleep at night. I would count down the days with anticipation and fervor, gleefully imagining the cake, the presents, the intense joy of the day. 

I'm most definitely not a little girl anymore. Don't let me fool you completely. I still get excited. As I've said before, I'm a pretty excitable kind of person. I get excited about the simple things in life: the food, the deep, engrossing conversations with my hubby, the craziness of the cats, the dry wit and lovable humor of my crazy family. But my birthday? Not so much anymore. 

I'm 28. There, I said it. And no, I'm not going to pretend that I'm as old as the hills when I know good and well that I'm in my twenties and have no right to be complaining about age. But I think I have finally reached that age where age seems a little more important than it used to. The significance of the number is not so important as the number it's bringing me closer to: 30. Thirty's not old either. I realize that. But thirty is officially out of the twenties...and that's a little scary. There are so many things that I want to do by 30, so many things I want to have accomplished. I look at other women the same age as me, and even in some cases younger than me, and I see all that they've accomplished, and I think to myself, what the hell have you done lately?

Sure, I'm pretty successful. If not in career, then in life. I have a wonderful husband who adores me (and whom I adore), a solid roof over my head, and three cats who may or may not want to kill me. Plus, I have the most rocking family that a girl could ever ask for. I pretty much have everything I could possibly want for my birthday...which is maybe why birthdays aren't quite as exciting as they used to be.

So in an effort to up the excitement level a tad, I came up with a birthday wish list of things I'd like for (either on or before) my thirtieth birthday...two years from today:

1) A Career as a Writer. Notice, this one is NUMBER ONE for a reason, and if I got this, I really wouldn't care so much about the rest. When I first graduated college, I tried the whole freelancing thing. Didn't quite work out. Turns out a freelance writer's income (at least when they start out) is pretty sporadic-like. Pretty soon I realized I would either be living with my parents forever or starving to death in some match-box apartment if I didn't come up with a day job. Before my thirtieth birthday, I want writing to BE my day job.

 2) Travel to Ireland Japan Somewhere Anywhere Outside the US.  I don't want to wake up one day and realize that my life has passed me by without fulfilling my dream to travel...at least once...outside the US.

3) To Finish My Novel. I only started this a few months ago, but in two years, if I haven't finished it, I'm going to kick my own ass.

4) Hardwood Floors in Living Room and Hallway. Ah, my shallow, materialistic wish. Jeremy and I aren't like a lot of families nowadays. When we purchased our home, we purchased it with the express intent of living in it until we retire and beyond. This isn't a "starter home" for us (and I'm not saying anything about anyone who buys homes this way...it just isn't for us); it's a forever home. I have roots in this place, and I want to grow old here and make as many improvements along the way as we can.

5) Baby. Baby Not. I want to have the whole Baby Question figured out by thirty. If we don't know by then, we're going to figure it out.

Now don't all y'all rush out and spend all your money getting me these things just yet. Remember we've got a couple of years to go, and as fickle as I am, I'll probably have changed my mind on what I want by then. In the meantime, I'll enjoy this my twenty-eighth birthday, my grown-up birthday of too many candles and never enough cake.

Melodrama Mondays - When the Wife's Away, the mice get pie

There are Mondays and there are Mondays. Sometimes, the events of the Monday have to be transcribed by someone else. This is such a Monday.

Katie's had a rough one, so here I am in her place. Really, it started last week. She's been fighting hard against the last remains of this cold all week. The sniffles continue, but they've mostly stopped. The headache phase is a real wonder, though. Making things worse, Katie gets migraines sometimes to begin with, so any normal headaches can trigger whatever it is that triggers a migraine. 

The weekend itself was pretty good, I think; we celebrated her birthday both Saturday (with just us) and Sunday (with the rest of her family) - her actual birthday is tomorrow, but the weekend was more convenient for celebration. Still, she had a headache most of that Sunday, though, and by that evening I think it had crossed into Migraineopolis city limits. She still had it this morning, too - and you know what else she had this morning? A much-dreaded inservice meeting an hour away, due to go all morning, followed by an afternoon answering phones. Phones - yay!

But my Katie's not the sort to call in sick just for the simple fact that she is indeed sick. She went on in, what a trooper. In a weird twist, half of her office didn't go to the inservice meeting, so she managed to avoid that at least. But the phones, the phones were still waiting. And her headache never got any better, and did I mention that she's still got sniffles and phlem?

Her boss generously sent her home early this afternoon. She's had a nice nap, seems to be a little better. She's even thinking about making chicken pot pie! There's no way to convince her that she's still sick, so she'll probably end up getting sick again before it's all done with. In the mean time, I get pie. The way I see it, we all win.

Chicken. Pie. In a pot.
(Courtesy Google Image Search)

We will now return you to your regularly scheduled food blog.

The Biscuit Chronicles: Attempt 2

I learned something this week that I should have probably already known. If I had thought about it for a split-second, it undoubtedly would have occurred to me. I'm sure of it. Biscuits aren't biscuits everywhere. This was pointed out to me by one of my readers, Jo of the blog Chicken and Bees. Now Jo is from Australia, and to be perfectly honest, it never occurred to me before last weekend that I might actually have international readers, which is a thought that is nearly too exciting to handle. Someone from across the world is reading something this simple country girl wrote? COOL! I squealed for about an hour after Jo emailed me with her "biscuit" recipe from Australia. What can I say? I excite easily.
For those of you who aren't from the US, a biscuit here is probably more like a scone in your neck of the woods; although, I'm not convinced they're quite the same thing. A biscuit to you guys is a cookie to Americans. According to Wikipedia, a biscuit in the United States is a "small, leavened bread, similar to a scone.  In Commonwealth English, [biscuit] commonly is used to refer to a small and hard, often sweetened, flour-based product, most akin in American English to a cookie, or sometimes in the case of cheese biscuits, a cracker." So there you have it. Scones are biscuits. Biscuits are scones. Cookies are biscuits. And biscuits are cookies. Makes perfect sense. 

But that's all semantics. Let's get back to what matters: the food! This weekend I tried making Jo's biscuit-scones and what a time I had. I don't think I've ever laughed so much cooking. The recipe was both fun and original, and I feel just a tiny bit "worldlier" for trying it. Here's what the recipe called for:

3 cups self-rising flour

Pinch of salt

1 cup cream

1 cup Sprite

Yes, Sprite.

Now, Jo had to do some translating for me for this recipe. In Australia, Sprite and carbonated  lemon-lime drinks like it are called lemonade. Here in the US, lemonade isn't typically carbonated. Also, the cups in Australia are about 50 milliliters bigger than the cups here, but as Jo mentioned in her email to me, this particular recipe is more about proportion. I found that using the standard US cup worked fine.

After sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, I added the cup of cream then the cup of sprite. I mixed this together with a butter knife until combined. I then turned the dough out onto a floured surface. Now, this is where I went wrong and things got funny. I'm thinking the Sprite must make this an extremely sticky dough. I mean sticky, sticky. Sticky like my nephew's hands are sticky after he eats fruit snacks. And not anticipating the extra stickiness of the dough, I didn't flour my hands or the board I turned the dough out on nearly enough. I swear it looked like I was making a plaster cast of my hands!

I never fail to get flour hand-prints on my butt when I bake...

...And a dusting of flour on my feet. Messy cook!

But after, and in spite of, all that mess, I finally got them on the baking sheet!

Once I got the dough off my hands and floured them a bit more, I kneaded a few times, then patted the dough out to about an inch thickness. I then cut them out and placed them on a slightly greased baking sheet. Jo recommended placing the biscuits close together on the sheet, and I did. This helped them rise beautifully! I baked these in a preheated 500 degree for exactly 12 minutes. They turned out slightly browned and very light and fluffy.

The Verdict:

I don't know what they should be officially called, but no matter what the name they were great and extremely tasty. Honestly, they tasted very biscuit-y to me, so I'm thinking a scone is very much like a biscuit. And these were easily the softest and most tender biscuit-scones I've ever made. The leavening power of the sprite was outstanding, and contrary to what I thought when I read that sprite was in the recipe, they were not sweet nor did you even detect a hint of lemon-lime taste. Yep, I'd definitely make these again.

What I would do differently?

Add more flour to my hands and board! I definitely probably could have added a bit more flour to the dough, too, just to make it less sticky-fied. But other than that? I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks to Jo from Australia for an excellent recipe! Be sure to visit Chicken and Bees for funny and quirky posts and some of the cutest kitties you'll ever see. 

Call for recipes! If any of you fabulous readers have any biscuit recipes you'd like me to try out, let me know. If I use your recipe, I'll feature you (and your blog if you have one) in The Biscuit Chronicles post. Just shoot me an email at katieross83[at]gmail[dot]com.

 

Why Did the Possum Cross the Road?

When you think of the South, you may think of things like roadkill and rednecks, slow drawls and slower people, but for those readers who aren't Southern or who haven't had the pleasure of visiting this great region, I'd like to be the person who turns around any misconceptions you may have about my corner of the world.

However, I'm not going to be doing that today. Yep, here I sit: a Southerner who is writing about roadkill. Now before you stop reading, this is not going to be a recipe post--or even a food post for that matter--regarding the finer points of roadkill preparation and cooking. Contrary to popular belief, just because I'm from the South doesn't mean I partake in highway delicacies. Nope, this is a post about the psyche of the roadkill...or rather, the psyche of the animal before they became roadkill.

My husband and I had a very interesting and engrossing conversation on this subject the other night. At least I thought it was interesting and engrossing, and now you must be subjected to it, whether you like it or not.

The conversation was sparked by a random thought from Jeremy. To set the scene, we were driving to my parent's house for dinner. The road we travel is a winding, scenic "country road" with equal parts woods and pastures and typically lots of critters. I was in the passenger seat writing random notes for my novel. Out of nowhere, Jeremy says: "You know what I wonder? I wonder if birds have this elaborate society where the young boy birds challenge each other to dive in front of cars?"

I assume a bird flew out in front of the car and that's what sparked this random thought, but I wouldn't be surprised if this popped into his mind out of nowhere. My man is randomly brilliant, and he thinks all the time. Anyway, I looked up from my note-taking and said the first thing that popped into my fiercely feminist mind: "Why would only the boy birds dive in front of cars?"

I'm sure he thought, "oh, crap." He kept his eyes glued to the road. "Because that seems like something young boys would do."

"Girls would do it, too." I shot back. "There's such thing as tom boys and tom birds. If I was a bird, I'd totally do that."

I imagine at this point he thought it better to change the subject. "Forget birds. I wonder what the heck squirrels are thinking when they run out into the road? I mean, squirrels are crazy. I'll bet they go out into the road based on a dare from other squirrels."

"Hey, y'all! Watch this!"

We progressed to discuss the fact that squirrels were probably like the Jackass guys. They probably say to their squirrel friends, "Hey, watch this!," and stupidly run into the road for kicks, playing that dangerous game of dodgeball with a car. But the thing that gets me about squirrels is how they run out in front of you and then change their minds. It's like they run into the road, totally freak out when they realize they're in the middle of the road, and then try to turn around and go the other way. Half the time, if the freakin' squirrel would just keep going in the same direction, it wouldn't get hit. And I hate to admit it, but I'm one of those drivers who will slow down and wait for the squirrel to make up it's dang mind. I know some people who just keep going, and if they hit it, they hit it. I like animals too much to be that person though.

In spite of the daredevil nature of the squirrel, they are not the most commonly spotted roadkill in my neck of the woods. Nope, that coveted award goes to the possum (and no, I do not spell possum with the "o" even though it comes up as misspelled on my spell check).  The hubby and I decided that possums probably don't have a good reason for crossing the road, but because they're so slow, they have the misfortune of being tragic victims of death by automobile. And it's sadder still because possums get such a bad rap. Sure, they aren't the most attractive animals in the world. Sure, their tail makes them look like a giant rat. Sure, they carry diseases and are as mean as snakes. Sure, they hiss wildly at you if you ever get near them. Wait, where was I going with this?

Cute and slow and misunderstood.

So, there you have it. A peak inside one of mine and Jeremy's deep philosophical conversations. A look into the complex mind of a Southern lady. A study on the intricate decision-making skills of suicidal animals.

By the way, do you have any theories on why the possum crossed the road? And why is that dang joke about a chicken? I've never seen a chicken cross the road.

The Dish featuring Belle of the Desert

Welcome to the first edition of The Dish! Okay, so here's the deal: The Dish is my effort to highlight and pay homage to some of my favorite blogs and websites. Through blog networking, blog hopping, surfing the net, etc., I've seen a lot of blogs in the last couple of weeks. Now, I'm new to this world, and I won't pretend to be an expert on what makes a blog good or bad. But I do have opinions, and I do know what I like and what I don't like. And I like blogs with great writers! The Dish will be an opportunity for me to highlight blogs with excellent content and real heart. I will be posting a new featured blog every Friday in celebration of For The Love of Blogs' Fab Friends Friday.

But enough with the explaining, let's get to the star of this the first edition of The Dish: Belle of the Desert.





As new as I am to the blogging community, Heather of Belle of the Desert was one of the first bloggers to reach out to me. Her kindness and sheer loveliness transcends the boundaries of the internet and leaps out at you! And her blog displays that kindness and loveliness perfectly. 

Delicious Design

The first thing you'll notice about Belle of the Desert is just how dang cute it is. The design is a relatively new one, but it's quickly become one of my favorites just to look at! I especially love the banner, which illustrates the blog's title so perfectly. And speaking of that adorable title, it's derived from Heather's journey from a small town in Georgia to the vast landscapes in Arizona, so needless to say this lady has some perspective. She stays true to her Southern roots, but she's also embraced her new home in Arizona (especially her Yotes).

Another one of favorite things about Belle of the Desert's design are the Marilyn Monroe quotes. My personal favorite: "Imperfection is Beauty, Madness is Genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." Something about reading those quotes when I visit this blog makes me smile and feel uplifted. 

Appetizing Content

Music for the Morning! Everyday Heather posts a new song or songs, and let me tell you she's got fabulous taste in music. Adele, Coldplay, Pink. You can count on stopping by Belle of the Desert every morning for some uplifting tunes.

 But the great thing about Heather is that in addition to regularly-scheduled things like Music for the Morning, she posts great unscheduled articles about a variety of topics. She doesn't fit into any kind of category, and you never know what might be in store on a visit to Belle of the Desert. Most recently, she's been chronicling her amazing success with her diet, blogisodes about cooking with coconuts, sponsor spotlights, and much more.

Oh, and be sure to check out her adorable, and I mean adorable, Shar-pei. She's got four, and I swear they are some of the cutest dogs I've ever seen. I love when she posts a new picture of one of them...they make me smile!


Scrumptious Survey: This survey is sent to featured bloggers prior to the unveiling of The Dish.

What’s your favorite dish/food?

I can only pick one?!? I love soooo many! 

I will admit though that I am a fiend for sweets. I love 'em! Just give me anything with cream cheese frosting and I'm a happy camper! Preferably a good Red Velvet Cake. Yummy!

  

What’s your favorite type of cuisine (Italian, French, etc.)?

Southern! And boy do I ever miss it out here in the desert. Even the Cracker Barrel restaurants out here don't know how to make grits, chicken 'n dumplings and Lima beans the right way! The red beans and rice are horrible... It's killing me! I haven't even found a good place for BBQ out here yet!

What is unique about the cuisine in your part of the world?

Arizona is a bit of a melting pot - we get a lot of snowbirds coming down to escape the winters. It's kind of like Florida in places - but with no humidity and no beaches. We also get a lot of immigrants here (as I'm sure the rest of the world is well aware...) and then there's the rest of us who still haven't figured out how the heck we ended up out here... You can find some great authentic Mexican food and I've heard some people eat even cacti... But I'll pass. Up in Scottsdale there are so many different and fabulous places to eat - I've been here 5 years and still haven't tried them all! I love the fact that we have a great variety of health food stores here that supply me with organic fresh veggies and grass fed beef.

Sweet or salty?

Sweet for sure!

What food are you craving right now?

Absolutely nothing - about 5 minutes ago I was craving carrot cake... but I took care of that craving!

Do you like to cook? If so, do you ever share recipes on your blog?

I am learning to like to cook. I used to cook quite a bit - but I've gotten away from it recently for some reason. My past cooking attempts were quite unhealthy. I put butter, salt and anything else horribly unhealthy I could find in my recipes. In my attempt to become more healthy I am forcing myself to cook more and to try out healthy recipes. Currently I'm on an organic extra virgin coconut oil kick. Every Tuesday on my blog I do a Cooking With Coconuts Blogisode for Tasty Tuesday. I've found some awesome recipes - and had some epic fails. But it's all about experimentation and learning and it's been a lot of fun so far!

What recipe, if any, would you consider your "specialty"?

I can make a KILLER Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

Where do you get the recipes you use? From cookbooks, blogs, online directories, etc?

I get most of my recipes online from blogs and other various websites. I have recently ordered some actual cookbooks. Which is a first for me!

Please share links to any food blogs you enjoy.

One of my favorite blogs is - can you guess? - about cake.

What food-related word would you use to describe your blog? (i.e. salty, sweet, savory, delicious, yummy…) Get creative!

Right now my blog is quite coco-nutty!!! :)

A visit to Belle of the Desert is one you won't regret. Heather's a funny, relatable, and refreshing blogger with great things to say and a cute place to say them. 

Author's Note: As I was writing this, I kept spelling desert as dessert. Apparently, food is ALWAYS on the brain for me. This is something I've almost always done though. I'm hoping that after seeing desert spelled correctly on a regular basis I'll learn my lesson.

Stay tuned for the next installment of The Dish next Friday!