Just another typical morning for me

So this fine morning I got up an hour earlier so I could leave my house earlier to scavenge for my dogs' meals AKA heading to the butchers.
Normally this is a smooth process, I stop at one to pick up 60 pounds of turkey necks and then head over the the other for the 40 pounds of pork and 40 pounds of chicken necks. Then since all is frozen rock solid, I leave it in my trunk and head to work.

Well this morning didn't go so smoothly. I was late leaving to the first butcher's meaning that I was in a rush to make it to work on time. When I got to the first they didn't have my order ready, the order I placed on Monday and was told that it would only take 24 hours to fill, so they were rushing to get it ready. This meant that I couldn't run to the next place and I had to go home since the pork wasn't frozen. After waiting 20 minutes for my order, I called my boss to inform her that I wouldn't be in for another half hour.

I rushed home, rearranged my freezer and shoved the box in, coming and going in whirl wind speed. I was proud of how fast I was and merrily sang along to my ipod on my way to work.
I then got about 5 minutes away from work and realized that I was wearing flip flops when I have to have closed toed shoes in my area.
I then U turned the most graceful U turn you have ever seen and speed home. Flew into the house, grabbed another pair of shoes and flew out. I finally made it to work, but I was an hour late.

An hour late because I can't feed my dogs kibble....

Winston the Loud

Roughly about a month ago I posted on Facebook that Winston was now going to sleep in our room instead of his crate. This was mostly because he has out grown his crate (also why he's outside during the day now) and we're too cheap to buy a new one.

The first night he was an angel, slept peacefully and didn't budge. Even when John got up at 4AM Winston stayed in bed.

The we tried it the next night and he was a nightmare. He wouldn't calm down and kept walking the room with his big, noisy elephant feet. He'd then come over and put his watermelon sized head on my pillow and his baseball sized wet nose on my face. He lasted a couple hours and then I couldn't take it anymore and into his crate he went.

The rest of the week I made him sleep in his crate because I didn't want to put up with him and when we tried again he'd start up his antics around 2AM and he'd go back into his crate.

Last weekend John was running the Ragnar so he wasn't home Thursday night and I decided to try again (I also like to think he's my protection). He was really, really good. Only a few loud head shakes and moving around in the bed and since he's the size of a baby hippopotamus it woke me up.

I thought that maybe it was a fluke because he hadn't been out in our room for a while, but every night since then he's been sleeping in our room.

He does think that he needs to be up with John and will follow him around while he's getting dressed and on the weekends he sticks his nose on my face at 6AM to let me know that he needs to potty, but as long as he's sleeping most of the night I'll deal.



May's block of the month

This block kicked my butt, mostly because I stupidly started sewing without checking measurements and cutting. It then required John's math skills to help me figure out how much to cut off with out ruining the block. I had to do so much un-picking and the block took a lot longer than it should have. It is my least favorite block so far and I'll probably re-do it before I put it in the final quilt.

I also just realized that I wasn't paying attention while putting the blue and brown squares in and one is facing the wrong way, I'll have to fix that before the class tonight. I'll really read the instructions next time :)

Summer Trifle

This dessert is perfect for summer, fat free (if you make the cake), but full of yummy. It does take some prep work, but it's not hard and the pay off is so good.

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients:


10 oz angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (see recipe below)
2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 pints blueberries

For the cream filling:

1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 package sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix
12 oz fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions:

Whisk the condensed milk and water in a bowl. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in the whipped topping.

Arrange half of the cake in the bottom of a trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Spread half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then add more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a pretty pattern. Cover and refrigerate at least one 1 hour.


Angel cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

2/3 cup flour (I mix my flour 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites from large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I use Stevia, do not use Splenda, that stuff is bad for you)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 11 cake pan.
In a medium bowl whisk together the confectioner's sugar, cake flour, and salt.

In a large bowl mix the egg whites, water, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar.
Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, mix on low speed a few minutes until foamy, then turn the speed to medium and slowly add the granulated sugar in 1 tablespoon increments, very gradually over a period of three to four minutes. When all the sugar has been added, turn the speed to high and beat for an additional three to five minutes, or until the mixture forms medium peaks.
Add the dry ingredients in two installments; sift the dry ingredients through a fine mesh strainer, tapping them through and into the egg whites. Fold carefully, do not over mix. Fold in the second half of the dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.


I got these recipes from skinny taste. They are pretty close to original, but I have changed them up a tad.