Feeding the Craving

So maybe I should be writing this over at my sister's new recipe blog because it's about food...

About a month ago, a friend at church (during the closing hymn in Relief Society) leaned over to me and said, "I just got a sudden craving for pancakes.  I can't wait to go home and make some - it sounds so good right now."  We laughed.  Then the power of suggestion overcame me and suddenly?  I had a craving for pancakes.  I don't even really like pancakes that much.  I much prefer waffles.

Since then, I've been thinking that every day was going to be the day I would have pancakes.  Then things came up.  Like the fact that you have to actually make the pancakes in order to partake.  Frozen waffles are sooooo much easier.  Then there is whole internal struggle to reduce my carb intake.  Pancakes with syrup are very non-low carb.

After a sleepless all night ordeal (my niece went to the ER last night for precautionary sake because she had symptoms of appendicitis - she's okay, just needs more fiber) where I kept thinking that I heard my phone ringing (it was turned off) and then feeling my sinuses drain and ears whirring (did I mention that I've been home sick 3.5 out of 5 days this week) I finally got up at 4:30 a.m. and called my sister just to make sure Brenna was okay.  Plus, I wasn't really sleeping and needed a drink of water and thought, "Hey, I'll call Angie. I'm sure she's up - it's 5:30 a.m. CST and Brenna and Jon have been in the ER all night!".  Turns out she was asleep but happily obliged me and we talked on the phone for 52 minutes and 36 seconds.

We hung up around 5:30 MST and I thought I'd just roll over and go to sleep.  No such luck.  Around 6:10 I gave up and turned on my computer.  Then my stomach started growling.  I drank more water but that didn't help.  Finally, the hunger pangs became painful (I guess my mac 'n cheese with tuna didn't do the trick as my lunch/dinner yesterday) so I got up and headed for the kitchen.  I thought I'd throw in the last of the frozen waffles but as I took them out of the freezer, they smelled freezer burnt (is that the right word or is it burned?).  Then I thought, "PANCAKES!!!!".   Within 10 minutes, I was digging in and finally feeding the craving.

Then I started thinking...what's the difference between pancakes and hotcakes?  Why do they call them pancakes?  They are made in a pan, but they don't really taste like cake (mmmm, cake).  Then I thought, "I should make these more often.  They didn't take that long and they were filling after 3 cakes.  Also, lucky for me, I bought 5 boxes of pancake mix for $0.25 apiece on sale...."

All of this happened before 7:15 this fine Saturday morning.  I think this is going to be a long day.  Good thing it started with a hearty breakfast...

Successfully Self-Controlled

I'm happy to report that I made a share pack of M&Ms last three days.  I ate a little bit of them everyday instead of all of them at once.

I've been extremely tired and worn-down for about a week now.  The culprit?  ANOTHER sinus infection with a side of a double ear infection.   This is my third (or is it fourth?) ear infection in the last year and I think my fourth or fifth sinus infection in the same amount of time.  WTH?

I'm thinking that I'll go back to work tomorrow.  Heaven help me after being gone for two days.

My friend Melynie updated her blog today with some beautiful pictures of her "simple" life.  If you don't read her blog already, take a peek.  It's so pretty and so is she!

Another One Down

I had Thai food today.  We had it ordered in for lunch at work.   When I took a look at the menu, I kind of chickened out and wasn't too adventurous.  So, I ended up with Thai Fried Rice with Chicken.  It was very good.  It had cilantro and sliced cucumber and tomato on the side.  The best part?  The snap beans.  I did see a few lima beans in it - I didn't eat those.  I don't like lima beans.

So, bottom line?  I crossed another thing off my list!  Yay me!

Wednesday Love/Hate Edition

Another blog I read regularly does this from time to time, so I thought it would be a good thing for today.

What I'm Loving Right Now:

• Medium - yes, the TV show.  It's on every night at 10:30 for 2 hours on Lifetime.  I'm sure it's a phase, just like the one I went through a few months ago when I watched the Nanny non-stop.
• Cheetos Cheese Puffs
• My new blog layout.  I'm still stalking myself.
• Freezer leftovers.  I'm so glad I've had the foresight to cook too much and then freeze it.
• Chocolate milk.  I've been buying it one quart at a time.  Yummy.
• The results of my Lasik surgery.  I love being able to see without contacts or glasses.
  

What I'm Hating Right Now:

• The results of my Lasik surgery.  I can only see clearly out of my right eye.  The left eye will catch up in a few weeks, up to a month.  It gives me a headache.  Literally.
• Dumb status updates on Facebook.  I really don't need to know when someone has planted their crops in Farmtown or earned the double diamond studs on Mafia Wars.  I want need to know the real down and dirty.  Like what you've had for lunch or dinner.  I need ideas, people!
• That Glee is still in reruns and the reruns have been replaced with American Idol.  Not that I don't love American Idol, but I love Glee more.
• Dirty dishes in my sink. I need a dishes fairy.  And a bathroom cleaning fairy and a laundry fairy.
  
• Cancer.  And death.  Enough said.

What are you loving/hating right now?  Inquiring minds would like to know.

Ch-ch-changes

Okay, so, what do you think? Between me and my clever, uber-talented sister we updated my little piece of the internet. To use her phrase, "I love it more than a fat kid loves cake"! Seriously, I love it and it makes me want to become my own blog stalker...

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Oh, my sister started a new blog - check it out. I may surprise you with my mad cooking skills and guest post from time to time.

A few more to go

Well, I've been meaning to tell you a few things. Mostly to do with my 40 before 40 list. Don't be disappointed in me, but I cut my hair. I had to. It was imperative to my general well being and state of mental health. And mostly, I hated the way it looked. So, on day two after being Lasik-ed, I went and had my hair cut and colored. At Wal-Mart. Don't judge. They used the right brand of color and it was a walk-in situation. It wasn't all that cheap, but believe it or not (and you're going to have to believe me because I am in no position to show you by way of picture) it looks so cute!

Anyway, I digress. So, I won't be hitting that grow hair 4 inches goal. Actually, if you're willing to work with me on this one, how about we say 4 inches cumulative and not consecutive growth?

While we're talking about Lasik-ing, I had my eyes done. Last week. It wasn't on the list but in the off chance I miss one of my 40 before 40 goals, I'm totally using this one as a last minute substitution. This has got to be one of the highlights of the year going into my forties. Despite a minor hereditary complication of excessive epithelial cell growth in the left eye that will take 2-3 weeks to clear up after the Dr. scraped the cells from my corneal flap, I should have 20/20 or better vision out of my left eye. For now, I'm happy with the 20/15 vision I have in the right.

I still owe you pictures and stories from Christmas. I've just been a little distracted with the whole eye thing to concentrate on much.

OH, the whole reason I started this post was to tell you that I registered for this class. This will help me knock one more thing off my list. I'm waaayyy excited about this one.

Toodle-loo and goodnight. I'm off to dream land with my happy little dose of narcotics for the pain in my left eye.

Unsuccessful

I know it's wrong of me to not post for more than two weeks and then come here to provide details of my latest baking debacle but I just have to get this off my chest (or out of my KitchenAid).

I've been craving oatmeal raisin cookies. I got the tried and true recipe from Quaker.com. Umm...yeah, not so much good. I should have known there was a problem when the dough slowed down the mixer. Bottom line, when I dropped them by rounded teaspoonful on the cookie sheet, they stayed in that same exact shape and didn't cook down to a cookie shape. Even after I flattened them, they didn't cook! The recipe said 8-10 minutes and I cooked them for almost 20 and they just didn't turn out. The dough was too dry/thick.

What a dilemma. So, I ate some of the dough and that should stave the craving for now. The rest will go down the drain.

Anyone have a recipe that they know works in Utah to share?

Oh, and Happy New Year!