Pumpkin. Pie.

Two words: pumpkin pie. That's it. I know that this certain pie is more of a fall pie, but I thought, why not try something different? Everyone's heard of Christmas in July? Yes? Well, how about autumn a few months early? Here we go!

PS: This recipe is from my Nana and Granddad.

Step 1: Gather ingredients IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER and preheat your oven to 425˚F.

2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin---NOTE: I USED A 15-OZ. CAN; NO BIG DIFFERENCE
3./4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 can (13. oz) Evaporated Milk---NOTE: I USED A 12-OZ. CAN; NO BIG DIFFERENCE

1 9-inch UNBAKED pie shell with high fluted edge (like a crimp)

In this picture you will see the ingredients in order from left to right; the last item, the pie crust, was originally store-bought, but after it broke, Mom and I made a home-made crust. Scratch the store-bought pie crust and make your own; it is SO MUCH BETTER.

Step 2: This is where Mom and I made the home-made crust. Do NOT bake your crust before filling it with pie filling. Not for pumpkin pie, nope, because pumpkin pie is more of a custard pie that will take longer to bake, so the crust can bake then. If you make your own, make enough for 1 9-inch pie crust. I used a glass pie shell for this. Here is also an example of a "high-fluted" crust:

Step 3: Mix all ingredients (minus pie crust) IN THE ORDER GIVEN ABOVE (eggs, canned pumpkin, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and evaporated milk).

Step 4: Pour your mixture into the pie shell, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. THEN, reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out completely clean. Let it cool completely, then garnish with a whipped topping and DEVOUR.

One last tip before I go until Friday: When you are baking, make sure all measurements are precise and correct. In cooking, you can "add to taste". In baking, measurements should be exact.

Enjoy!!

Music Monday

Welcome to another Music Monday! Can you believe it's already over halfway through July???

Today's music choice is:

Dinah Washington--"Silent Night"

Right? A classic Christmas song (again--I might love Christmas). This was on one of my random Christmas CDs...

Here's a youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1jCu66CdFI

Enjoy! And if you're going through a sweltering day like we are here in Sandtown (95 is the high, and it's already 80 at 8 am), then take a listen and imagine snow and cold!!!

Food vs. me

Today, I promised I would talk about my relationship with food. This is, after all, a weight loss blog as well as a life blog, and I feel like I have gotten away from that aspect.


I love food. There, I said it. Food and I, we go WAY back. Ever since I was little, I have loved food. I remember when I was little, loving foods such as pears and carrots. I still love pears and carrots, but my taste buds have definitely changed.....

Many years ago, I made a new friend. POP. SODA. SODA POP. Whatever you call it. It's sweet, sugary, delicious, and makes me happy. While pop is delicious, it has calories. Many calories. Add on top of that 30+ grams of sugar and carbohydrates.

There is no nutritional value in pop. There is no reason to drink it. However, over the years, I have become somewhat addicted to it. In fact, really addicted to it. Pop is...all I think about each day and night. When I wake up, I start to crave it immediately. Around 11, I really begin to need it, and I usually have 1-2 cans a day. And if we go out for a meal, I always have a pop then. I just can't get away from it. I'm actually drinking it now.

The longest I have been away from pop was 1 week. During that week, I experienced frequent upset stomachs, dizziness, and headaches. After I took my first sip of pop at the end of the week, the symptoms went away. Caffeine withdrawal. It's a nasty, vile little thing. I have tried to give it up for many, MANY Lent seasons, but that doesn't work. My latest experiment was having 1 can of pop ONLY AFTER I had had an 8-oz. glass of water. My 2nd can of pop could only come after I had had another glass of water, and so on and so forth. That worked for 1 day. I am at my wit's end as to what to do. I can't give it up cold turkey (tried that, experienced symptoms listed above and couldn't take it any longer), but I am done with pop! So done!! It affects my weight, mood, daily caloric intake, and teeth, all in a negative way!

Here is just a small portion of my life and daily struggle with food.

Any suggestions of how to decrease/rid my intake of pop? What could be some big substitutes for pop?

Me!

Here's something that just came in the mail today that is about me: I am officially a graduate of the University of Cincinnati!!! I graduated Cum Laude!! (see bottom middle) Yahoo!!!!!!!!! :D Here's a picture:

Also, notice my hair color--a dark auburny-redy-ish.....thing. I have had my hair colored ever since I started college (this will be year 5). I started by going dark brown, and every year, I get it a shade darker and redder. WELLL....I think it's time for another change. I'm thinking a hybrid of blonde and brunette (like my original hair color, but more polished). This dark color is so faded, you can see my original hair color poking through (under 4 layers of color!!!)

To the point, sorry. I ramble. A new hair color is my reward for working hard to be healthy. When I lose 1 inch off of my waist, I can get a new color, cut, and style. But I can only get it when I lose 1 in. And only then!! So far, I'm not really budging in my numbers. However, I am becoming somewhat better at food. I am now seeing when I just don't want anymore and am realizing that it's OK if you don't finish everything when you go out. Tonight, I turned down a big order of fries from Dad (he had a sub and fries, we had pizza). Also, Mom and I shared a pizza on a whole-wheat crust. I'll talk more about whole-wheat in a later post, most likely Sunday's. I was proud of myself, even for that little accomplishment. Lastly, I have stopped eating out at fast-food!! By fast-food, I mean: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Arby's, KFC, and Chipotle. I didn't only stop eating at these because they can be unhealthy (at least what I order). I stopped mainly because I haven't had too much access to these restaurants in the past 4 years at college and have gotten used to NOT eating them. Now that I have access to them, they make me *physically* sick. Seriously. My new faves: Jimmy John's and Five Guys! Dear Sandtown: Get a Curritos and I'll feel like I'm home in Cinci again. Ahhhhh..... Look for a weight loss update on Sunday!

Recipe coming soon...

Hey y'all! I know it's Recipe Wednesday, but I haven't made my recipe yet! Saturday, I will be making pumpkin pie, so stay tuned to that! Meanwhile, THIS SONG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkBeOisNM0

Music Monday

Wilkommen (spelling???) to another installment (episode) of an obviously parentheses-filled Music Monday (). Today's choice is: "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Michael Buble.

I've been a big Buble fan for many years now, having all of his CDs but one (which I frequently borrow from the library). I also love him on SNL! He's actually pretty funny! I also LOVE older music (mainly '40s), and this is one of my FAVORITE classics! I actually have this in choral form...like, 4-part jazz style. It's awesome. Here's the song on YT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMjex7AfTsg

This seems somewhat old. He's MUCH cuter now.

Also, just for gits and shiggles, here's his latest SNL adventure. He just came out with a new Christmas CD with many classics, and some duets (including with SHANIA TWAIN!!!). SNL did a special on his new Xmas CD:


http://www.hulu.com/watch/311547

Very funny! While you're on Hulu, also look up "SNL: Hamm and Buble" with Jon Hamm and Michael Buble. Could a skit get any smexier than with the two of them in it??????

Enjoy!

Book review

I just finished another book, and this one was (sort of) a tear-jerker. It's called "A Girl Made of Dust" by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi.

--written in 2008
--# of pages: 236
--1st sentence: "'It's thanks to the 'adra that you didn't get killed today.'"
--last sentence: "As I burrowed into the quiet place where the wall met the floor, I had one last thought: I was glad he'd drunk all that water, and that he was no longer a cactus standing motionless in a pot full of dry cracked earth."
--synopsis: "Set in a Christian village in Lebanon during the 1982 Israeli invasion and narrated....by a bright-eyed eight-year-old girl, A Girl Made of Dust explores one family's private battle to survive in the midst of civil war. In her peaceful town outside Beirut, Ruba is slowly awakening to the shifting contours within her household: hardly speaking and refusing to work, her father has inexplicably withdrawn from his family in favor of his favorite armchair; her once-youthful mother looks so sad that Ruba imagines her heart must have withered like a fig in the heat; and Ruba's older brother, Naji, has started to spend less time with Ruba in order to meet with older boys, some of whom carry guns. When Ruba decides that to salvage her family she must first save her father, she uncovers a secret from his past that will send her on a journey away from the safe fantasies of youth and into a brutal reality where men kill in the name of faith and race, past wrongs remain unforgiven, and nothing less than courageous acts of self-sacrifice and unity can offer survival. As Israeli troops invade Beirut and danger moves ever closer, Ruba realizes that she alone may not be able to keep her loved ones safe, and it is up to her father to shed the shackles of his past and lead his family to better, if uncertain, future..."

I did not get "into" the book until roughly the middle, but once I did, it was over. I was watery-eyed by the end of it, but the ending itself tore my heart out. This could be because I am a naturally emotional person, but still--agh, just read it. Good book!

Recipe Wednesday

Finally a recipe to try!! I have been promising this, and now it's here: Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream. I found this on the website I found through StumbleUpon:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2YACg2/mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com

Here we go!

The ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar

whipped cream
espresso powder

Short list of ingredients, making it a somewhat simple recipe.


1.) Melt butter and chocolate in a metal bowl set in a pan of simmering water on low heat (AKA double boiler). Stir constantly until melted, then remove from heat. (SHH. Don't tell: I didn't stir constantly). Wait a few minutes, then stir in egg yolks.

Here's the end result:

Make sure your eggs are separated!

2.) In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and beat until mixture is stiff and glossy. (Soft peaks: not standing up super-straight, but able to make a peak).

3.) Whisk some of the whites mixture into the chocolate, and then pour back into the whites while stirring gently (Be careful that you occasionally stir your chocolate/butter--it might solidify somewhat).

This is the final product of stirring in the egg white mixture and the chocolate mixture:

4.) Fill cupcake liners. Bake for 25 minutes at 275 degrees. To test, insert a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean. If not, it's not ready. (I FOUND THIS TO BE NOT ENOUGH TIME--35 MINUTES WORKED BETTER).

Top room-temperature cupcakes with a dollop of whipped cream (I made fresh) and a sprinkle of espresso powder. I actually used "ground espresso", I guess...it wasn't powder, but it wasn't a full bean. This worked just as well.

These cupcakes are like mini-souffles. The top crumbles in if you handle it much or bump it. Aside from that, these cakes are AH-MAZING!!!!! SOOOOOOO chocolatey and melt in your mouth good that it's impossible to have just one! The outside is a slightly crispy, light texture. The inside is a rich, deep chocolately flavor that is irresistible. Enjoy!

Coming next week: Pumpkin pie. That's right, I said PUMPKIN PIE.

Music Monday

Time again for another music choice...today's choice is:


Let it Snow--Bing Crosby

I do love me some Bing Crosby. My piano teachers gave me the movie "White Christmas" for a gift, and I instantly fell in love with it and watch it all the time now. I love all of Bing's Christmas music so much!! It reminds me of when I was a young girl, and Christmas was truly magical.


Enjoy the cold-weather song for your hot-weather day!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_RPD_F8_dU

Book & CD review

One of my summer goals was to read more, and it has been going well. So far, I have finished 4 books in less than a month! I wanted to do my first book (and CD) review of the summer, just so people can see what I read and maybe get their own ideas of what they want to read or listen to this summer! NOTE: THIS IS my PERSONAL OPINION. NOT YOURS. DO NOT JUDGE ME BY WHAT I WRITE HERE. THANK YOU.

First up is the book. I just finished the book called, "Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back in a Year" by Patricia Abbott. First, details about the book itself:

--written in 2002
--295 pages
--first sentence of the book: "'Oh, look, it's Jack!'"
--last sentence of the book: "'Those aren't sirens, they're bells.'"
--synopsis: "Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back in a Year is a story of young love and dreams and of the ravages of time, distance and war on those dreams. In the 1940's women believed in 'Once Upon a Time' and 'Happily Ever After'. Ginny Fairfax is a romantic. The first time she sees blond, blue eyed Jack Andrews, she silently says, 'Hubba! Hubba!'He is the man she wants in her rose-covered cottage.
By 1940, Roosevelt had instituted a peacetime draft where the men were to serve for only one year. Jack believes that, as the song says, he'll be back in a year. Hitler, Hirohito, Churchill and Roosevelt all conspire against him and Jack is at Schofield Army Base in Hawaii when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. It is four invasions and four long years later before Jack sees Ginny again."

This is a semi-short read, compared to what I usually read. Honestly, I enjoyed the book, but the synopsis was not what I thought it was about...

I love WWII, and I love hopeless romance, so this book was a good read for me. Some parts of it were not as interesting, especially when the text was just reiterating events of WWII, but other than that, it was a sweet love story with a twist at the end (that I think might have happened a lot in real life after WWII).


Next up is the CD: Clay Aiken--Steadfast.

Do not judge. I like Clay Aiken. There, I said it. This CD was again, a perfect match for me: the songs are oldies and classics, such as "Moon River", "Unchained Melody", and "Misty". Some of my favorite music. Great CD, great singer!

Weather madness, adjustments @ home, etc...

Today is all about a random mash-up of topics. Bear with me here...

Topic #1: So, some jobs are not working out, and I got my first official "the position's been filled" rejection from a school I was really hoping for. While I thought that I would be devastated about this, I was (unfortunately?) relieved. On the one hand, I was sad--a good job prospect, gone. On the other hand, this meant that I could focus, hard, on looking and applying for other jobs. Recently, more jobs have opened in my home state of O-ee-o, which means no messy, icky transfer of certificates!

Topic #2: WEATHER. The weather must be on its lady cycle. I swear. When I first got home, it was fine. No rain, sunny every day...you couldn't have asked for better weather! Then BAM! Bring on the heat wave, with temps topping to 96-98 degrees (this might be normal for you; NOT US). Heat index--well above 100. The car I drove read 103 for days in a row. Today was another scorcher in the 90s. I was looking forward to grilled chicken kabobs, when I hear Bro say, "Oh, severe thunderstorm watch." Oh, ok, nothing bad, probably a 30% chance of a thunderstorm. WHAM!!! Immediately after, a severe thunderstorm warning followed by a tornado warning. After that came rapidly darkening skies, a torrential downpour, and winds that almost took down our dead Japanese plum tree (darn it--just not powerful enough). I, naturally, freaked out, because here is Dad, plodding along taking his good old time outside putting away misc. yard items. Finally, Mom and I both tell Dad to get inside, and he does. By this time, the storm had really taken off. The grilling was (finally) postponed to tomorrow night, when all should be calm (and I'm sure sweltering). Thank goodness now we are in a break. Some damage is done--flooding of our street, possibly some limbs down, and me-wet because Dad suddenly needed the mailbox to be closed, and I was the one to do it.

Topic #3: Adjustments at home. During college (especially this year), I began to realize something that I thought would never happen: I CAN eat appropriately by myself. Hard to believe, but yes, I pay attention to what I eat more when I'm alone. Also, I find myself buying more healthy things when alone. What I was truly afraid of when I got home was that since I was not controlling what was bought at the grocery store, my good eating habits that I had formed at college would vanish, and it would be an even worse struggle to lose weight.

While I haven't (and didn't plan on) taking over the dinner meals for the family to arrange them to my meal plans, Mom has been helpful in purchasing whatever I would like for healthy meals or snacks. Now it's getting easier to watch what I eat here. Thank goodness!

The end of my rant. Thank you for reading. You deserve a tip for reading all of that: Don't do drugs.

Any weather damage around you? How do you keep cool in the heat of the summer?