cupcakes and conclusions - a list

• I think I might have said this before, but I'm sure it's worth saying again. I'm trying to do too much. So much so that I'm overwhelmed and I'm barely doing any of it. It's a problem.
• I was thinking it'd be awesome if I could take 6 months off and dedicate that time to making quilts for 100 Quilts, 100 Kids. I did some simple calculations and I'd need $5K plus the cost of quilting materials.
• I'm gonna go buy a couple of lottery tickets. (My efforts to buy a lottery ticket keep getting thwarted by a) my memory and b) closed locations.)
• Indianapolis doesn't have a fancy donut shop. I'm super craving a coconut creme donut from Firecakes in Chicago.
• I'm also craving a cheeseburger and chocolate cake.
• I'm baffled by this plane disappearing. I don't really talk about current events much here, but I hope they find some answers soon.
• Yesterday I laid down without setting an alarm and ended up missing my Trade School Class. I felt like a dick for missing it.
• Almost 3 weeks later and I still haven't finished unpacking my apartment. I haven't done my taxes yet either. Procrastinator.
• Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Frosting!!! I gets down in the kitchen every once in awhile. I don't normally care for buttercream frosting, but this stuff is delicious. 
• A friend asked me if I preferred baking over cooking. They're equal in my book. Cook, baking, quilting, crocheting. They're all creative things. They all make me happy. I'd rather be doing any of those things than going to work any day.
• I REALLY need to make it a reality that those things are my life and not just something I do when I'm not working to pay the bills.
• Received my first wedding invitation for the year.
• I feel like everyone I know is in a relations, getting engaged, getting married or having a baby. And then there's me.
• I want a kitten and a puppy and to live in a house.
• Listing is easier than blogging these days. I remember when that's all I used to do was list. Then Twitter was created.
• "Everything is AWESOME!"
• Okay, I need to go make/eat some real food before I overdose on sugar and cupcakes.

reading - Reached by Ally Condie This post brought to you in part by:

$100 challenge - week 3

Week 2

I went over some more this week. I picked up a box of crackers to go with my chili. They were delicious. That's all I'm going to say about that.

I ate out quite a few times this week. I had a lot of birthday freebies I worked through and a couple of splurges (Cheesecake Factory, note to self - stop getting the Reese's Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, it's too much of a good thing all at once and no matter how hard you try half way through you're gonna want to chug a gallon of milk).


The chili was spicy and delicious. I forget where I found the original recipe, but I've been making it for several years. It's not your typical chili. It's nice and hearty and will leave you full and satisfied.

Brown a sausage roll (I try to use turkey sausage when I can find it) and then cut up a couple of chicken breasts or chicken tenders into chunks and add those to the pot. Next I add a can of tomatoes and a can of Great Northern Beans and last I add chili mix. This last time I used a packet I had in the cabinet, but going forth I plan to make my own chili mix. I have all the spices I need already, so why not. Plus I need to find a use for all those jars I'm always saving. Add a bit of water and bring it to a boil and then let it simmer.

When I was a kid I used to eat my chili over rice because that's how my parents served it. When I moved to Indiana I noted that people ate their chili over spaghetti noodles, which I think is still weird, but I ate mine with rice so who am I to talk. Now I eat it with crackers. The choice is yours. Those Townhouse crackers though...the butter goodness with the chili...my belly is in heaven.

The egg muffins turned out well, but they stuck to the muffin tin, which made cleaning pretty darn annoying. The muffins and the courgettes were a good breakfast and kept me pretty full throughout the day. I'll be making them again, but I need to work on a better method of the egg muffins.

Other than that I had some of the veggie lasagna from last week and some veggie tacos. I realized the other day that I don't eat as much meat as I used to. I think I eat most of my meat when I eat out.



$27.88 + $2.50 = $30.38 Oops!



Week 3

• a gallon of milk
• multi-grain bread
• a jar of Nutella
• 8 bananas
• penne pasta
• a package of tortillas
• a package of lunch meat
• a tub of salsa

Total: $25.80

Not very much this week this week compared to the last two weeks. My birthday is Saturday. I will be out with friends. I may be eating out on Sunday too. That's a couple of meals I won't be cooking.

As you can see I eat a lot of bananas. I love them. They're delicious. I could eat several a day, but I try to keep it down to one so I can have them for the next day. My favorite way to have them is in my Banana Nutella Smoothie. I like to think it's a healthy treat. 

This week will be more veggie tacos and some quesadillas too. I'm really not sure what I'll do with the bread. I just really wanted a sandwich. I've probably got enough cheese to do a fancy grilled cheese sandwich. I can always make some garlic toast to pair with pasta too. I really wasn't thinking when I went shopping. It happens.

Week 1: $23.38
Week 2: $30.38
Week 3: $25.80

Total: $79.56

reading - Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers This post brought to you in part by: