Today, I spent almost 4 hours making sugar cookies including frosting. I followed this recipe: http://gottalittlespacetofill.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-sugar-cookies-ever.html
I don't particularly like sugar cookies, but some neighbors dropped some off and they were fantastic, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I followed the directions to a T and still, I don't think the recipe is that great. The dough was really sticky and hard to roll out at first. The first batch came out really crispy so I decreased the baking time to eight minutes instead of ten.
I think that most sugar cookies come out tasting kind of like corn bread, there is this corny/wheaty tasty to them that I think is unpleasant. They tasted ok with frosting and sprinkles on them. I think that the frosting is key, no frosting and you get some weird version of corn bread.
The frosting I made with powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. Turned out pretty good and a good consistency. I didn't color it but we had colored sprinkles. I'm not the best froster either so, some of them aren't very pretty. At least they're tasty and the frosting set up really well (not sticky anymore).
Over all, not a success, but maybe not a failure either.
Really should have spent those hours working my thesis. It is coming along slowly. Oh the guilt of writing a thesis...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Did not meet deadline...
I did not meet the deadline to have a substantial portion of my background written. However, I did get a lot of work done and I feel that although the deadline passed, I have work to show for my week. I've finished a lot of my phosphorus cycle, which I was having problems with before. I have my phosphorus fractionation section and sediment incubation sections to write left. Then whatever else that needs filling in. Hopefully, little by little I'll have this thing written!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
"Cheesecake"
So, I am a big fan of foodgawker.com and a few weeks ago someone posted Apple Cranberry "Cheesecake." It's a raw, vegan cheesecake, the filling made with cashews. Here is the link to the original: http://www.rawmazing.com/recipes/apple-cranberry-cheesecake/
Well, we had a lot of apples lying around (I know that this recipe doesn't actually call for that many apples) so I decided to make my own version. I'm not vegan or a raw foodist, I just thought the picture looked so appealing! But I didn't have a few things that the recipe called for, including cashews, agave syrup and a dehydrator.
So, for the filling I blanched about two cups of almonds, ground them up with some honey (making it not vegan), Earth Balance butter and some cinnamon and nutmeg. For the crust I food processed flax seed, pecans, some brown sugar, olive oil and pressed the blended crust into a glass bread pan. Then I pressed some slices of apple with brown sugar on top of the crust. The filling I pressed on top of the apples, with more apples on top of the filing.
My boyfriend and I tried it immediately, I was surprised how sweet it is. But it wasn't very creamy which was disappointing, but obviously no diary that's going to be the way it is. He didn't like it very much either, but I think I might bake it today to see how it turns out.
Overall this wasn't a success, but then again, maybe if you can't actually have cheesecake, it's the best you can make do with. I think that it has some potential, maybe next time I'll actually use cashews and see how it turns out.
Well, we had a lot of apples lying around (I know that this recipe doesn't actually call for that many apples) so I decided to make my own version. I'm not vegan or a raw foodist, I just thought the picture looked so appealing! But I didn't have a few things that the recipe called for, including cashews, agave syrup and a dehydrator.
So, for the filling I blanched about two cups of almonds, ground them up with some honey (making it not vegan), Earth Balance butter and some cinnamon and nutmeg. For the crust I food processed flax seed, pecans, some brown sugar, olive oil and pressed the blended crust into a glass bread pan. Then I pressed some slices of apple with brown sugar on top of the crust. The filling I pressed on top of the apples, with more apples on top of the filing.
My boyfriend and I tried it immediately, I was surprised how sweet it is. But it wasn't very creamy which was disappointing, but obviously no diary that's going to be the way it is. He didn't like it very much either, but I think I might bake it today to see how it turns out.
Overall this wasn't a success, but then again, maybe if you can't actually have cheesecake, it's the best you can make do with. I think that it has some potential, maybe next time I'll actually use cashews and see how it turns out.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Deadlines...
I am attempting to get my masters of science... I have about a month in which to do it. I figured that if I set myself deadlines I would actually have to meet them.
So far, I have completed my course work, my research, analyzed my data and written a few sections of my thesis. However, I am now currently trying (or thinking) very hard to write the background of my thesis. Ha! No easy feat.
I feel like I've tried almost every method to get myself to write it. All to no avail, you see, I'm not very motivated... You would think after six years of higher education that one would be motivated and driven... Well, I was at one point and then somewhere in the attempt to gain mastery I have lost my motivation. It doesn't help that currently I have no schedule, being unemployed and all. And really only myself to report to. This is where this blog comes in... If I have a schedule set, then I would have to meet it. But I repeat myself...
I have written an outline, edited my outline, reworked my outline, and I am still not satisfied. So for the last two or three weeks I've been reading every paper on my subject and pulling out all the interesting meaty details, and typing them up. I now have about 20 pages of meaty details and still no background. I have quite a few papers to read, but I think that this is really a good place to jump in and write!
So, deadlines... By next Friday, the 17th, I want to have the background written (not edited of course) but written. At least all the big sections written... Now, I just need to hold myself to it!
Good luck to me!
So far, I have completed my course work, my research, analyzed my data and written a few sections of my thesis. However, I am now currently trying (or thinking) very hard to write the background of my thesis. Ha! No easy feat.
I feel like I've tried almost every method to get myself to write it. All to no avail, you see, I'm not very motivated... You would think after six years of higher education that one would be motivated and driven... Well, I was at one point and then somewhere in the attempt to gain mastery I have lost my motivation. It doesn't help that currently I have no schedule, being unemployed and all. And really only myself to report to. This is where this blog comes in... If I have a schedule set, then I would have to meet it. But I repeat myself...
I have written an outline, edited my outline, reworked my outline, and I am still not satisfied. So for the last two or three weeks I've been reading every paper on my subject and pulling out all the interesting meaty details, and typing them up. I now have about 20 pages of meaty details and still no background. I have quite a few papers to read, but I think that this is really a good place to jump in and write!
So, deadlines... By next Friday, the 17th, I want to have the background written (not edited of course) but written. At least all the big sections written... Now, I just need to hold myself to it!
Good luck to me!
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