I composed this post during my lunch break while sitting in my car listening to Rascal Flatts’ Still Feels Good. I’ve been encouraged to diversify my music collection to include more country music, which is probably a reasonable request. I’ve already listened to Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now album at least twenty times (none of which I regret), so I’m trying to branch out to other up-tempo country artists, Rascal Flatts being the first. Those who know me well should recognize the significance of this step – having been overexposed to the genre growing up in Oklahoma, I’ve effectively shunned all country music for the last 10 years or so. Which basically means that I’m a complete pushover when a really cute girl suggests a new album for me to listen to. To her credit, she also knows all of the lyrics to Owl City’s Ocean Eyes, so it’s safe to assume that she has decent taste in music.
Quick update
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything, so I figured I should write a quick update. Work is a little slow at the moment (read: the calm before the storm), as I’m still waiting on the majority of the foreign markets to submit their forecasts, so I’ve actually been making it home at a decent hour.
First off, I’ve managed to go without fast food for over two months now. Which isn’t saying a whole lot, but I’m still pretty proud of myself. Ditching fast food has been surprisingly easy: after the first two weeks, it wasn’t at all difficult to say no to dollar menus and quick calories. Granted, I only have to cook for myself, not a whole family, and my schedule is completely independent of anyone else’s.
Last week, I was able to attend a performance of BYU’s Music Dance Theatre Showcase, which was terrific, as was the company (by multiple definitions.) They opened with the Glee rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, which is always a classic, and performed other numbers from a variety of musicals. I was a little disappointed that they chose heavily from Legally Blonde and Urinetown, hoping for a few Rodgers and Hammerstein songs or selections from Wicked (Defying Gravity anyone?) instead. The weirdest thing was thing I knew two of the girls in the production – this is either a sign that I’m mixing with better gente, or that I’ve just been in Provo too long. Both are quite possible at this point.
I was planning on taking my bike out for the first ride of the season tomorrow, but with the massive snowfall that we just received, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. That leaves me with apartment hunting and attending the 20th Annual BYU Hunger Banquet. Which reminds me, I still need to find a date for that.
Posted in Personal Life.
Another use for a Gantt chart
This is what happens when you spend too much time in Excel.
Posted in Personal Life, Technology.
Recipe! Friday: Fudge-Centered Orange Wafers
This is a fairly simple recipe that, more than anything else, just requires the dough and fudge to chill in the refrigerator. It’s a great recipe to make in advance, as the completed logs can be wrapped and stored in the freezer until they are needed, and a single batch makes 7 dozen (small and thin) cookies.
Fudge Ingredients:
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange extract
1 ½ cups chopped pecans or walnuts
Fudge Instructions:
1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and butter.
2. Once the chocolate is melted stir in the sweetened condensed milk, nuts, and vanilla and orange extracts. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
3. Form the fudge into logs between 12″-15″ long and ½″-¾″ thick. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate until firm.
Dough Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 egg
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Dough Instructions:
1. Cut the butter into ½″ cubes and place in bowl of electric mixer.
2. With the paddle attachment, beat in sugar and zest at medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. At low speed, beat in the egg.
4. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. At low speed, mix into mutter mixture just until incorporated. The dough should stick together in clumps but not pull away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Roll the dough into 12″-15″ long × 4″-5″ wide sheets ¼″ in thickness on parchment paper and refrigerate until firm.
Final Instructions:
1. Wrap the chilled dough around the fudge logs so that the edges overlap slightly. Press the edges together to seal as necessary.
2. Re-wrap the logs with parchment paper and chill for another hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. After the logs have chilled, cut into ¼″ slices and set 1″ apart on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until edges begin to brown slightly. The fudge center will remain soft.
6. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Posted in Culinary.
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Dear Mr. Knowles
Dear Mr. Knowles,
We regret to inform you that the recipient of your previous post has since deceased. She suffered fatal injuries from an unrelated accident that occurred after her encounter with your vehicle on Monday.
Our sympathies,
The Deer Family
Posted in Personal Life.