COOKIES!!!

One of my favorite hobbies is to cook.. now, eating is an essential part of our life so cooking must be something that can't be enjoyed, right? WRONG! Cooking is a wonderful release of stress, because if you don't make something with love overflowing from it, then you have to eat poor tasting food (ok, maybe thats just me...)!

When I lived at home, I was always found making something, and more often than not, that something was edible. My job for holidays was to do the baking... I can make a mean pumpkin pie from scratch, apple pie, strawberry rhubarb, blackberry cobler, any kind of crisps, cakes, and most importantly: cookies! I have a talent where I can read a recipie, having never tasted the cookie, or seen it before, and I can make delicious results! Over the past few years, I try to make a new type of cookie each Christmas. One that no one in my family has had yet. Thats quite the challenge, since I don't live at home anymore. But even though I don't like with a bunch of people who love and appreciate my cooking, I find myself making food to bring to work. I share with a lot of people, cause its always nice when someone comes up to you and says with a mouthfull of cookie (and each hand full too!) "Oh my gosh!! these are sooo good!" or when I tell someone they are made from scratch I got "wow! I can really taste the scratch in them!"

LOL

Over my weekend I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and a batch (first time ever) of coconut macaroons!
Now, as I pulled the macaroons out of the oven, I scooped up the crumbs from the counter, and ate them!! Big mistake number 1!! I then decided to make a cup of coffee... big mistake number 2!! After the coffee was made, I decided to eat another 2 cookies.... and.. you guessed it! Big mistake number 3!! So, it took about all I had, to not eat all the coconut macaroons... It was very difficult!

So, while they were cooking I took a few pics from the process!! Enjoy!

When you whip the egg whites and vanilla, they need to form soft peaks...

After the egg whites are whipped to the right consistency, you add in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue whipping till they form firm peaks! 



And now its time to add the coconut!!! yummy!!!




Hope you enjoy and try the cookies sometime!! <3
Kryzdy

A Purse, Or No Purse... That Is The Question!

8:00am I woke up, wishing I had a cup of coffee.
So why didn't I just get out of bed and make myself a cup? Well you see, I was out of cream. And cream (or half and half) is something I need in my coffee or I can't stand to drink it! Just to give you an idea, my parents used to walk through the kitchen, seeing me fix a cup of coffee, and ask "Did you want a bit of coffee with your cream adn sugar?!" So when I say I need the cream, I am quite serious. (I have sugar in bulk!)

I decided to go to the store before drinking coffee, showering or even brushing my teet. I went without makeup and barely looking human, I drove to the store. I normally go to health food stores, and to get my dairy products I go to Whole Foods because they sell milk in glass jars and its lightly pasturized.. instead of at any other store where its "ULTRA PASTURIZED" basically, pasturization takes the milk's nutrients out, thus making it not really good for you anymore... So I like to buy as close to the cow as I can, since it's illegal to sell/buy raw milk in Nevada.

Now, please note that when I go to this store, I remind myself sternly that it's nickname is "Whole Paycheck" due to the fact that you can very easily spend a LOT on things you dont need... such as the organic cotton purse I found myself staring at. I really liked it.. but as I looked at the price tag, I thought.. "It's only a purse... I don't need another one.. I have a good summer one, that doesn't need replacing..." Still not putting the purse down, I looked at it and casually thought "I could easily make this...... *pause*..... I CAN easily make this!!!" so I put the purse down, payed for my few items and drove back home, as fast as legally possible. (I got into my car at the store to discover my dog had gone to the bathroom on my seat... and squished it all over my car.. -_- not thrilled)

Thus began one of my many projects through the day! I looked through some of the clothes I had in a pile that I planned to use for things (these things are not yet known to me) and found a skirt. I looked at it and began cutting a good purse size (I held it up to myself to determine the size) and had a great idea to make the purse with lining, and a pocket inside... so I did... and here are the pictures!!

This is the skirt that I used for the outside of the purse.

This is the skirt I used for the liner, and the accessory!

The inside of the liner.. this it the pocket I had just sewed on!

Sewing the pieces of the outside together.

This is what it looks like when I get distracted! LUNCH!! (yes, I draw on my coffee table and coasters with chalk!)

And, I continued to get distracted... I cleaned my whole house (look at that shiny floor!),  I have laundry hanging on the drying rack, and please note the bathroom rugs hanging outside on the railing, right along side my front room rug...  :-) 



Eventually, I got back to my project, and this is the finale! I tied the really fluffy parts of the skirt into a knot and let the pieces hang loose to make the flower type accessory.



And here is a close up of the inside of the purse.. you can see the pocket, as well as the white thread I used to sew the outside seam! LOL

Later on through the day, a friend came over, so I had made homemade potatoe salad, burgers, and we had some canteloupe with some freshly "brewed" sun tea!!! We went out to a korean karaoke studio and sang to our hearts' content!
All in all, I had a pretty good day!

I'm feeling pretty worn out from all my running around.. so I'm going to go to bed now, but firstly, I have something very important to say!

Theresa, my dear friend, Happy Sweet 16!! I sang a song for you in karaoke, and I thought of you throughout the day! I hope you had a really special birthday! Love and miss you!  <3


Kryzdy

Neti-Pot: The How and The Why!

Hello again!!
How about a good and random post?? not bad for post number 2!!
Neti-Pot. What is that? Well, it is a little tea pot looking thing that you fill up with warm water (around your own body temperature... sort of like bath water for an infant), and salt. most neti-pots come with a safe salt solution to use. Do not use iodized  salt, it is harmful to you. if your water needs to be softened, then add a little baking soda to the mixture, and it helps things "go down" (or up) smoothly. you put the salt into the pot first. What comes next is something I like to do: put hot water in, just a little to help jump start the salt to dissolve. Trust me... you do NOT want to pour pieces of salt into your nasal passage... it hurts.

After you put the little bit of hot water in, the salt should dissolve nicely and you can continue to fill up the pot with lukewarm water. Be sure to have tissue (ie. toilet paper, Kleenex) and a towel near you. Lean over your bathroom sink and lift the spout to your nose. Place the opening into your first nostril and tilt your head to the opposite side you are pouring into: if the pot is in your left nostril, tilt right. Keep your forehead above your chin, tilting only slightly forward and no more than 45 degrees to the side. Doing this is key: if you cannot get it right, water will drain into your ear canal as well as your throat. This too is an unpleasant experience! :-)

Be sure to empty 1 whole pot into each nostril. This will ensure both passages are clear. Once each nostril is complete, blow your nose very gently so as not to damage your inner ear. After a moment passes, you can blow your nose harder. You may be amazed (and/or disgusted) as to what comes out!
WARNING:  Using the Neti-Pot can cause swelling, dizziness, ear pain, slight deafness, and you may feel your equilibrium is off. This is natural. It is caused by tilting your head too much and allowing water to get trapped in your ear canal. To get rid of any of these "side affects" simply do cherry pickers!! Yes, spread your legs apart about shoulder width, and reach between them, as far back behind you as you can! and then stand up. Do NOT do this fast, as you can cause yourself to fall over (speaking from experience here!)
Now, you ask me "Kryzdy.. why on EARTH would I ever want to subject myself to something like that!! So many things could go wrong, the ear pain is worse than being on a plane! It hurts, I'm dizzy, I keep falling over, and I can't hear.. Why would I want to do this!?"

Well, let me answer you!
What is Yoga? You've heard of that before, right? Well, over in Asia the monks perform yoga as a purification of the body.. however, before they can purify the outside, they must prepare the inside. Using a Neti-Pot is simply one of the ways they do this. Now, as I don't need to purify my insides prior to going to work, I do however, have allergies. I am very against going to a hospital, and using medication. As a friend wisely said, "hospitals are for stitching people back together." 
If I feel sick, congested, dizzy, have a headache, or anything involving my head, I use a Neti-Pot to relieve myself of any pressure. I refuse to use allergy medicine, since all it does is put chemicals into my body that I don't want, and puts a "band-aid" on the problem. Taking medicine doesn't fix the problem, it simply covers it up until the problem becomes too great for the medicine to handle. I, for one, am not fond of this method. SO!! I use the Neti-Pot!

And why am I telling you all this so sudden and random?! Well, you see, I just used my Neti-Pot and have a bad earache and feel dizzy. I used it wrong.. so to all you people who are interested, here's a few pics from the Internet on Netti-Pots (no, I'm not showing a pic of me using one!)

Have fun!!!

Kryzdy

Introductions Are Due...

Hello to my reader(s)!
I'm quite new to the whole "blogging" thing, so as I go along, you will get to see weird and interesting things!

So! A bit about me; My name is pretty unique, for starters. It is a made up name, yes I'm the only one in the world (thats pretty cool) and, no I'm not Russian. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wow!! thats great, right? Wrong. I'm a bit of a country girl who loves grass blowing in the wind, rain falling from the sky, and bodies of water that are not man-made. Call me picky! ;-)
I am in the military and am now stationed here, however, I am still trying to make-due with my life in the city, with as much country as I can! How? you may ask. Well, let me tell you how. I have a small "garden" where I am currently growing a tomato plant, basil, sage, 2 aloe vera plants (great for sunburns!), dog grass (for my puppy) and a small thing of mixed flowers. True, its not much.. but it's a good start!

I have a fish tank without fish and a dog without a dog house (she has a kennel). I am a fisher without a fishing pole, a needle without thread... ok ok... I'm done. You get the idea right? This is another one of my creative outlets, and you will hear about all of them if I can make this interesting enough to keep you around for a while!
However, it is just past 10:30pm and I'm kinda tired.. so for a very first blog post: here ya go!

There will be happy moments, sad moments, and even more happy moments.. you'll come back to say "I laughed, I cried, It moved me Bob!" (from Veggie Tales)
But, no matter, I hope that you will come to my corner, and enjoy A Moment With Me!

Goodnight my dear readers! Sleep well, and I will see you soon!