Sunday, December 21, 2008

Do A Jigsaw Puzzle

Yesterday we had Christmas with my mom's side of the family. After my grandparents left, the rest of us were bored. So we did a puzzle. We are really good puzzle do-ers. Awesome puzzle do-ers. We finished this 500 piece puzzle in about an hour. I take credit for the orange truck-sled thingie and most of the sky. Phillip says that this doesn't count as doing a jigsaw puzzle, as I had assistance, but I think it counts, right?


Sunday, December 14, 2008

Make Candy

I made some holiday goodies yesterday to give to all my favorite people. I'll post these recipes soon on Jamie's Green Kitchen, but I have the Survivor finale to watch tonight, so for now, pictures will have to do:
Homemade Marshmallows
My Grandma's Fudge
(Chocolate, Peanut Butter,
Chocolate Peanut Butter, & Chocolate Pecan)
Caramels with Pecans

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hold a Bird

Okay, this was a long time ago, but I just got the picture. My hair was even long when I completed this task.

I am afraid of birds. I think that they are going to peck me to death. To tackle my fear, I decided to hold one, a big one. This is my brother's fiance Erin's new bird Piper. He is a baby parrot, and I'll admit that he is pretty. Pretty scary. I look excited in this picture, but it is not excitement, it is terror. Holding Piper may have helped my bird fear a little. Last time I was at their house, I petted Erin's other bird, Valentine. He is smaller. Smaller is good.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Start Taking Vitamins

I'll admit it. I have never taken vitamins. Ever. Until tonight. My doctor has been trying to get me to take a multivitamin since I started dental school. It's taken me three years to listen to him. I've heard that they can make your stomach upset, especially with the amount of iron my multivitamin has in it. I took it with a cupcake, so I hope that counts as enough food! I now am getting the following vitamins and minerals daily (we'll make Phillip be my vitamin policeman and make sure I keep it up):

% Daily Value
Vitamin A - 63%
Vitamin C - 250%
Vitamin D - 100%
Vitamin E - 67%
Thiamin - 88%
Riboflavin - 85%
Niacin - 90%
Vitamin B6 - 400%
Folic Acid - 100%
Vitamin B12 - 50%
Biotin - 12%
Calcium - 38%
Iron - 83%
Iodine - 100%
Zinc - 100%

Send out Christmas Cards

We just sent out our Christmas cards a few days ago. It still seems weird to see us as "The Morgans." This was the only picture that we got with LuLu at the wedding, so we had to use it!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Get A New Camera

LOOK WHAT I GOT! I"M SO EXCITED THAT I CAN'T STOP TYPING IN ALL CAPS! Since I've been blogging, I've been pining away for a new camera. Phillip & I made a trip to Robert's Camera downtown on saturday for their after Thanksgiving sale and got this beauty for a steal. It is a Nikon D40, and I don't really know how to use it yet. It came with a free class in January, so maybe after that I'll be a little better. Here are some pictures that I took today at Phillip's family Thanksgiving.




Get My Favorite Recipes From My Grandmas

Eating all of my Grandma's fabulous cooking on Thanksgiving inspired me to get all of my favorite recipes from both of my grandmothers. I was so excited that I was able to make copies of their original recipe cards in their handwriting, it means a lot to me to know that when I make these recipes, I'll be reading what they wrote. I am so excited to make all my favorite dishes: Apple Dumplings, Rice Pilaf, Cranberry Salad, Yeast Rolls, Enchiladas, and Eggless-Milkless-Butterless Cake from my grandma Evie, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Butterscotch Pie, Ice Cream and Chocolate Fudge from my grandma Bonnie.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Make Homemade Ravioli

During our day of projects, Lynn & I also made homemade ravioli. We made cheese, lobster, and butternut squash fillings. The picture is butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce. We made a ton of them and they are waiting in the freezer to be boiled up for a quick dinner.

Bake Bread

Lynn came over today and we baked bread! It was her recipe for "Blue Ribbon Herb Bread" (actually I don't know what it's called, but that sounds good). It is so yummy, I could eat it every day, and it wasn't that hard!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Dye My Hair Red / Get a Hairstyle

I got my hair cut tonight! Don't you think Hannah did a good job?! It's a little redder than it looks in the picture, I really like it.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Make an Article of Clothing

When I put this task on my list, I planned on making a piece of clothing for myself. After starting the winter with LuLu, however, I realized that she needed a coat. Finding clothing to fit a bulldog is not an easy task, so I decided to make one for her for Christmas. It is definitly not perfect, but I think she looks pretty good in it!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Teach LuLu a New Trick

Today I taught LuLu how to stand on her back legs. She can actually stand there for quite a while!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Make Stockings For Phillip & I (& LuLu!)

I have been working on these all fall, aren't they cute!? Next up, a matching tree skirt!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Learn to Shoot a Gun


Yesterday I learned how to shoot a gun. I put on my orange hat and shot an orange thingie with a shotgun. I have no desire to try it again. It just didn't thrill me. But, hey, I marked off another task!

** I have two more posts coming as soon as I get the photos to prove them!**

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Vote for a candidate for president that I really believe in


I voted! Phillip & I vote absentee ballot because we're still registered to vote in Rush County. I was fairly happy with my choice of candidates, although niether of them have all of the qualities that I would want in a "perfect candidate." We'll see in a month or so if my vote helped enough or not!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Buy A Pair Of Brown Boots

I guess it counts still if someone else bought them for me, right? Thanks, Mom, for my early birthday present!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Buy/Make LuLu a Christmas Ornament

I made LuLu's christmas ornament today. I was going to buy her one, but the only one that I liked online was made out of polymer clay, which I had worked with before and I thought that I could make myself. So while Phillip was at his night class, I went to the store and got my supplies. It had been a few years since I had worked with polymer clay, and I had only used regular Sculpey brand clay, which when baked was pretty heavy. So when I saw Sculpey Ultra Light at the store I was pumped. It only came in white, but I was going to paint it anyway.

I think it turned out pretty cute.
Here's the real LuLu with the fake one:

Friday, September 12, 2008

Finish A Crossword Puzzle By Myself

This is one of my tasks that I wasn't expecting to finish so soon. My plan was to try every monday (monday puzzles are the easiest) until I finished one. This morning I had a bit of a wait between classes, so I thought I would get some practice in on a hard friday puzzle. Never did I think that I would finish a friday puzzle! But as I kept filling in the boxes, I was getting more and more optimistic. When I finished, I was so excited, I'd checked off my fourth task!


Yes, 50 down is WEENIE.

Friday!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Pickle Something

I love pickles, so when I saw big bunches of fresh dill at the store today, I knew that I would be checking another task off of my list. The pickling process isn't completely finished, but I would call this task complete. I just have to wait two days to eat them!

Let me introduce you to our pickling players:
This is minced garlic. You'll need about two cloves.
This is a small canning jar. Go Ball State!
These are small pickling cucmbers cut in half, about a dozen.
This is yummy, yummy fresh dill.
This is pickling brine. It is just 3 cups of water, 6 tbsp white vinegar, and 2 tbsp kosher salt.
Here we go:
Step One: Place a bunch of dill in the bottom of the jar.
Step Two: Cram as many of those cucumbers in the jar.
You may have to trim a few of them to get them to fit.
Step Three: Fill with brine.
Step Four: Top with garlic.
Step Five: Put the lid on.
Step Six: This is the hardest step.
Place in fridge and wait for two days.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Find a Drink That I Really Like

I have a problem at bars. I don't like beer. I'm a super-girly drinker. I don't know what I like.

Until I went out with the girls a few weeks ago. I told them about this challenge, and they wanted to help. The task that they embraced for that night was finding me a drink, and they succeeded! Thanks, Anne, you found my drink, and it's green!

Here's a recipe for my new favorite drink, the Midori Sour:

3 oz. Midori melon liqueur
1 1/2 oz. sweet & sour mix

Garnish with a cherry, and enjoy!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Eat a New Fruit or Vegetable



This is a kiwano, otherwise known as a horned melon, melano, African horned cucumber, or hedged gourd. I found this at my local grocery store in the tropical fruit section, so I thought that this would be the perfect excuse to try a new fruit or vegetable. After some research, I discovered that it is native to Zimbabwe, and it is mainly eaten as a snack.

The green, slimy seeds have a taste similar to kiwi or cucumber. It isn't something that I would ever crave, because it takes so long to eat (you have to spit the seeds out as you go), but I would definitely say that it was a pleasant experience.


Saturday, August 23, 2008

What have you always wanted to do?

How many times have you seen someone playing the guitar or piano and said, "I've always wanted to play the piano?"

How many times have you thought, "I should read through the Bible," or "I should watch the sun rise more often?"

How many times have you thought, "I should really keep in touch with Aunt Ruby?"

I think those thoughts often. So when I saw the concept of 101 in 1,001, I was intrigued. Yeah, I have to admit it--I'm a list-maker. I make lists about what I want to buy at the grocery store, what I want to get accomplished before a big event, or what I want to name my children. Lists are--well, they make me feel like I'm prepared, and as I mark off each item, they make me feel like I've accomplished something. So, I've decided to make my list of 101 things that I want to accomplish within the next 1,001 days.

My challenge starts on August 22nd, 2008 and ends on May 20th, 2011. I will post updates everytime that I check an item off.