Sorry cow milk, our relationship has to end, I'm with Soy milk now.

So this past week or so I've caught up with some friends I used to go to high school with via the internet. It's been shocking at best and slightly disturbing as well. Dredging up old memories for me can be hard from time to time. Especially when I was so close with these people and we drifted apart as we did. It really wasn't for any particular reason just life taking us down very different paths.

I am happy though, to be caught up with my friend Renee. We were the goofiest bunch of idiots together always being loud and boisterous not giving a fuck about what other people had to say about us. Now she is living in the city with another friend of mine from high school and living our dream when we were kids. Personally now, I wouldn't live in the city if you paid me. But it's awesome she is making things happen there.

There was also discovery that the guy I went to the prom with is two hairs shy of being famous. He's a successful sculpture, video producer, and big time animal activist. It's so weird to see some of the videos that he has produced, Some of the artistic ideas that come flowing from his brain. I keep thinking, was he like this when we were friends in high school? I knew he was incredibly talented, but I guess I couldn't see farther than where we were at the time.

Anyway, I was watching one of his friends "vegan parenting" videos and became interested in the idea of Soy milk. What struck me was a women was talking about cow milk. She said "cow milk is meant for baby cows, not for human consumption" I thought to myself, it only makes sense! So tonight my roommate was telling me about how her baby has been getting rashes because of my roommate drinking cows milk (she's breast feeding so whatever mum eats baby eats in a way) so she had decided she was going to try out Soy milk. So, that's when I decided if she buys, I will try it, if it's good, I will drink it in substitution for cows milk.

She just got home from the grocery about a half an hour ago, let me tell you. Soy milk is YUMMY. It sort of has a rice pudding taste. With out the lumps of rice of course. It even comes in chocolate and vanilla. I think it is going to be well worth the extra couple of bucks. Although I am not willing to go 100% vegan. I think it's a fantastic alternative to cows milk. Especially with all the hormones they are injecting into cows now, to make the produce more milk or grow bigger in general.

So, KUDOS Soy milk. Erica is on your side.


*I am sure the opinion I expressed here is not necessarily one that Mik will agree with. I think if he tastes Soy milk though he will thoroughly enjoy it and make the switch with me. I am just crossing my fingers that Australia has jumped on the Soy milk wagon and it isn't hard to find.

Sunday Dinner and Monday Lazy Bastardness...

Me hiding behind Jakey. Monday laziness.

I made a meat pie for last nights dinner. It came out great except for a couple of over done parts on the crust. I used ground turkey meat instead of ground beef this time. Other than that I use onions, assorted spices, and loads of cottage cheese. It may sound gross but the cottage cheese melts like ricotta cheese.

Get Ready For Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

Pineapple Upside-Down Biscuits Recipe courtesy Paula Deen Show: Paula's Home Cooking Episode: Cooking with Kids

1 (10-ounce) can crushed pineapple 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature 10 maraschino cherries 1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin. Strain the can of crushed pineapple, save juice for later. Combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well. Divide the pineapple mixture among the muffin cups. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup, making sure cherry hits bottom of cup. Place 1 biscuit in each cup on top of sugar and pineapple mixture. Spoon 1 teaspoon reserved pineapple juice over each biscuit. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 2 minutes. Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.

Early Morning Posting

So, I am posting this morning because I have to work late tonight. I'm pretty paranoid of missing a day for the NaBloPoMo thing.

Yesterday was a really awesome day. I love working my second job. The ladies I work with are usually pretty fun and always entertaining. The stupid truck didn't end up arriving until 11am and so we had to sit around from 8am until then scratching our bums. Was alright though because in the end I got up enough guts to ask for 20 more cents per hour. An what the hell do you know I got it! The Regional manager said it was because I did such a great job last year. I did do a good job last year, I even blew the manager out of the water during a secret shop she got a 60% and I got a crisp, clean, and beautiful, 100%!

I aim for the same this year. Just, I hope that I won't be too tired from working my day job to treat customers like gold. Everything should be alright, considering it's mostly old jolly people that come up and want to be waited on. I get along with those types pretty darn well. Even if I don't I can fake it. :D

Anyway, it's about 8, I need to get my arse up and start getting ready for work. Have a great Thursday everyone!

Nick Tahou-Garbage Plate

Nick Tahou's is one of Rochester's must go restaurants. They aren't ritzy. More like a dive, but the food is outstanding, greasy, and huge proportions. It's noted to be one of the best places in Rochester to eat with people from all walks of life, including hookers and pimps. When we were there, there wasn't any of the sort, just a bunch of old timers hooting and hollering.

It was my second time, my roommates first time. The first time I went was with Mik and a few other church friends. It was an experience. We didn't go to the original we went to one close by here but. it was waaay greasier than the original.

Anyway, I ate my whole plate. I was starving and never ate lunch that day, but looordy was it good. Was I stuffed.

So, if you ever take a trip to Rochester, and you want to eat some greasy, locally historic food. Go on down to Nick Tahou's!

http://www.garbageplate.com/

Candy Apples

My attempt at making candy apples. They look good. I haven't tried them yet, my roommates kids loved them. Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone.

Sunday Bakings

Today I baked about two dozen muffins again. This time they came out way better then before. I am leaving you with the recipe this time. I didn't use the topping recipe though I just made my own glaze with powdered sugar, milk, margarine, salt, and vanilla. They came out AWESOME.

NEW YORK STATE APPLE MUFFINS

MUFFIN:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. apples, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. walnuts
3 eggs
4 oz. cream cheese, cut in sm. pieces
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla

TOPPING:

1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 oz. butter, melted

Combine topping ingredients, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine salt, flour, sugars, spices, baking soda, set aside. Combine apples, raisins, walnuts, eggs, cream cheese, butter and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients, a little at a time to the apple mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix. Portion batter into muffin paper, sprinkle with topping. Bake 20-30 minutes. Yield: 24 muffins.

Apple Pickin' Commentary

Let me first just say, between me and my friend we picked 80LBS of apples in less than an hour. I finally went apple picking, I haven't been for years and it's an activity that really welcomes fall in my mind. We went on the tractor you see behind me in that photo at the bottom that took us to the field where there were the trees we could pick from. Then we were on our own after that. Let me tell you, lugging those damn buckets was torture, even though we didn't have to lug them all the back to the building where we had to pay it was rough. After we laughed, and raped a few trees. We decided we needed to fill up our third bucket with delectable Golden Delicious. It was only a short walk from the building where we had to put our apples on the scale for weighing. So we lugged our buckets, grunting and groaning to the G.D. trees and filled that up in like 10 minutes. Surprisingly enough the trees weren't bare yet. Then it was the haul back to the building. We shared the lugging, my friend carried it half way , I the other half. It was murder on the ole arm sockets, that's for sure.

And thus begins Fall, baking, and everything apple for the next month.

Apple Pickin'

I heart peppers

Got all these peppers for 4 bucks at the farmers market. Lord knows I didn't grow them. Because as you may have seen stated in a previous comment, Mik and I would starve if we counted on me to do the growin'.