Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Hello! Happy Spring Break!

I'm back!  I seem to say those same two words every time I blog now.  
I haven't posted anything in the past few days because I have lacked a computer at hand.
But I chose to post now, because if this rain lightens up, and even maybe if it doesn't, I am headed to the barn to help take care of the horses.
This is really exciting, and I am also hoping for sun on Sunday because we will be having a barn party where everyone is invited to come eat party foods, paint the barn, and for those who have lessons on Sunday, they get to ride as well!
Aren't I lucky?

Also, an hour ago I created three more recipes out of HH.  Yummm.  They tasted great!  Except for some Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits w/ Basic Glaze w/ Almond Extract.  
Sigh...

I didn't go to dance last night because I was so tired, and it's break so...
There is no dance tonight, and even if there was, I wouldn't be going. 

Happy Herbivore is almost below a hundred recipes to go!
I hope to do more of the baking/desserts soon as well.

Wish me luck!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Finally Meeting Some MAJOR Goals

First of all, I will be blogging more next week!  No school, see?
Anyway, while I have not been blogging, I have been cooking non-stop.
Not only did I throw down a bunch! of Happy Herbivore recipes out of the book, but I met my three Vegan hopes after I turned.
- Mac and Cheese (Baked, wanted an almost-exact replica of my friend Colleen's)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies

AH!  I was so happy when I made these.  Remember Brandy?  Remember how she doesn't like Vegan/healthier food (she doesn't eat well...)?  Well, I gave one of each cookie to my teacher and she liked them a lot.  She even said they didn't taste any different from a normal cookie!
Happy Days...
Also the Mac and Cheese came from the 30-Day Vegan Challenge.  Boy, I need that book soon.  The mac and cheese was amazing!  I made the baked version so I could have it taste like Colleen's...
It was just like how I remembered!

Finally, I just, as in just, made these potatoes.
They were part of the St. Patrick's Day stagger.
They were amazing plus they were with a mushroom gravy!
Those recipes came from Robin Robertson's 1000 Vegan Recipes which I hope to finish in the next four years.

So the past few weeks have been all about dance, and I am finally catching a break.  Meaning, I don't have it five/six times a week and don't have any performances on the weekend.
Whew...
I am back to regular classes and don't plan on doing any of the feisanna for a while, unless the MA one...but the judging wasn't great last year even though people loved the hotel.

So yesterday was horse day.  I rode Mojo.  Mojo was different.  Extremely different.
Here's how I see it:
Jersey Girl - Stubborn.
Phantom of the Opera - Lazy but Obedient.
Mojo - Prankster but Obedient.

Mojo is also a pony.  Maybe two-thirds Phantom's size.  I was to say Phantom is between fourteen-fifteen hands but that might be too much.  Anyway, Mojo is pretty small, also meaning that his strides are shorting, "quicker" as it feels, and his neck is longer.
All opposites of Phantom's stride and body.
And Mojo's skinny, but since I gave Phantom four sugar cubes yesterday, Mojo will get fatter too...
I almost fell out four times yesterday.
New record!
But my instincts are getting sharper and more prepared for a fall.
At one point, Mojo faltered in hole.
Another time Mojo had an itch (Actually this happened twice) and quickly stopped to put his head down and scratch his leg - I almost fell out as I jerked forward.
Finally, Mojo tripped again, and fell forward to the side (right, outside leg).  This time, as my left foot came out of the stirrup and I tilted to the side, I grabbed the bridle then pulled myself up and literally hugged Mojo who was standing still in half-seat.
It was a ride to remember.
Bounce, bounce, bounce....
It didn't help Mojo's quirks are stopping in corners or standing in the middle of the ring and stopping (he did not stop in the center, just refused to stay trotting near the gate corners or by my instructor.
Gr.
I did love him though, but I need to get used to him.
Also, there was a three-way conversation between me, my instructor, and a little girl cleaning her horse.
We were talking about what Mojo was, and my instructor says I hit it right on the dot: a Rogue Teddy Bear.
Ha, can't wait till next week.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

No photos today or reviews, just a heads-up.

Today consists of:
Four performances at four different places.
Making mashed potatoes!  (Hopefully...Depends when I'll be home long enough)


Also, I have already make Beer Bread.

My St. Patty's Day recipes will be staggered.

Sigh...

I am going to make sugar cookies too :) '

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

BIGGEST PERFORMANCE EVER

Last night was HUGE.
It was the biggest performance I have had yet.
And it was a lot of fun.

I won't tell you what specifically, but we were an opening performance for something that was broadcast on TV.
:D
We weren't on TV though....
But last night we met the owner, his mascot, and caught glimpses of other things.
Amazing!
Plus, it was really sweet because I was leading a little girl named "Bailey" around.
She kept jumping up and down to become taller than me, and I said maybe by the recital she'd make it, but when I knelt down a little, she made it and she was so excited!
Bailey showed me her family in the stands and it was sweet just talking to her.

Anyway, I didn't fully remember what order the second dance went in, so I made it like this with motions:
Circles, Cheer, Partners, Double, Out, Bow.
:) Mysterious how I can't tell you exactly what that is, but that's the rules of my school.

On another dancing note, we have another Big, but not so big, performance this afternoon.
Fun, but I am so tired...
Dance for the past two weeks has been five or four times each week.
1 and a half to two hours.
Exhaustion is here...

We left the show early, due to the fact we don't really like it, and when I got home, I dressed in clothes that I could breathe in, and I was in complete Boston wear. (we were dressed in boostieas/corset type of things)
It were as though my mind were cleansing itself ;).

:)
Next, an update for St. Patty's Day!
I have four performances, plus I am cooking a dessert, breakfast, and side dish.
They look very good.
Also, Happy Herbivore is almost done with.
YES!



Monday, March 5, 2012

Update:


No, the update is not entirely about ice cream!  (Who can talk about ice cream for a whole conversation???)

The update is that I am feeling much better and am sleeping a lot better these past few days.  
Why?
Well, I don't think that it has to do with the B12, but I feel it might be because I have been eating a lot more and the past few days have looked a little like:
Breakfast-
Pumpernickel bagel with Cashew Cream Cheese (Need to post recipe)
Grapes
PB&J

Lunch- 
Leftovers (Cornbread Casserole, Veggie Taco, Smoothie-Ice-Cream-Thing) (will post too)

Snack-
Pretzels
Banana with Almond Butter 
Cashews

Dinner-
Pizza
Salad
Taco

Anyway, I have been eating multiple small meals as well.
Hmm Tasty!

There was definitely more on that list, but I don't remember.

The only thing I'd tweak is less nuts...I have such bad control, especially when it comes to RAW cashews... yum...

Now as for the ice cream picture, I have been craving it.
Also, I did make a whole conversation about ice cream on the way home from the barn yesterday.  It went from talking about the horses to the lesson to sugar cubes to ice cream.

I don't know how it got there, it just did.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

"Um, excuse me...."

"You lost an earring," a little girl at dance practice told me yesterday.
It was so adorable!
Then later, as we were all leaving the studio, another girl came up to me and asked me if I only had one earring.
I said, "No, I just have three earrings."
Strange number, I know, but I only wanted an odd one.

Dance was yesterday for two and a half hours as the first practice for a big performance next weekend.  So excited!

We have practice a few more times this week and then have the last one on the day of the performance.

So last night I tried to cook myself a re-creation of a salad that I have yet to post.
I completely ruined it!
Yesterday was just not my day.
First off, as I cooked, I turned away to chop some cucumber then went back to the stove knowing the couscous was done.
The recipe next to it was burned.
Half of it.
Amazingly, all the notes and recipe instructions were still in tact, but not only was there charred paper flying around the granite counter, but I also charred a little bit of the wooden spoon I was using.
Uh-oh.

Then, when I was adding the mint to the salad, I took the lid off of the spice container and out is all came!
It was disgusting.
I tried to force it down, adding more salt and olive oil but that didn't help at all.
So I had some leftover chilled banana with some cinnamon and coconut flakes.
Dessert first.
Then, I had some leftover stir-fry my parents had.
Now, I love cashews in a stir-fry, and my parents had put shrimp in it, so I worked around it with a fork.
I selectively took out anything and everything I wanted with the four-pronged fork, and stuffed it into a little wooden bowl.
Sadly, to my lack of knowledge, I never saw the big, wooden spoon lying next to the wok.
....
How frustrating.
I could have saved myself  a lot of time.

Now for today.
So remember Splotches from last weekend?  Well, today I learned, once again, that his name is Happy.
Ugh, Happy is so annoying.  His full name is Splotches Rude Face Sugar Addict Happy.
Mouthful, yes.
S.R.F.S.A.H. tried to nip my face off (maybe that's being too dramatic).
He kept coming at me for a fourth sugar cube.
I had yet to give Phantom one.

Then, I went over to Big Red.
I scratched him a little, but left after being a little grossed out because someone had a runny nose...

My dad and I also met Mojo, the horse I should be riding soon.
Mojo was white and his upper lip was quite silly because it would jut out as he tried to nibble his way into our pockets where the sugar cubes were held.  But the only problem was that he was a good three inches too far from our pockets :P :).
Remember the black horse?  I forget what I called him, but his name is Token of My Affection.  Love that name.

Anyway, I tried to give Phantom a cube before I got on in hopes he'd have a sugar rush.
No.
Not even close.
He was just as lazy in the circles and crossing across the ring or riding down the center on a turn.
He also wouldn't keep the trot up.  I swear I was squeezing him the whole time and just as hard.
Besides him, it was really great.
Sigh, today I had the worst crop but I used it more than I ever had!
I wasn't angry, just a little annoyed.
I love him though...

As my instructor told me that I could get off as I brought him to a stop, I was so excited!
Not only was I still holding the crop as I got off, but she wasn't holding on to his bridle either!
I pulled something in my leg as I slid off.
Gr, I did not need that this week.
I mean it is better, but still, what if it hurt me all week?
Phew.
Sigh, maybe next week.
Phantom then got two more cubes.