Mustaches!

You know that mustache mold that I was talking about a few weeks ago? You know, this post here. Well, that mold finally showed up at my house last week.

Last night, I got together with some of my very wonderful girlfriends for what I'm sure will be one in a series of many holiday dinners. We all shared little goodies with one another.

My friend Steph bestowed upon each of us the following:

Yes. Photos. Photos of her flipping us the double bird. Fantastic.

Of course, this upped the ante a little bit, and I was starting to get pretty worried about the success of my mustache plan. I mean, I was giving my gifts right after her! How was I going to top double birded awesome with candy?

Though she might have stolen my thunder initially, I'm pretty sure the mustaches were a hit. Or so the photo would imply.

Radvent 12/17: Entertaining

I consider the above photo to be epic in its epicness. I mean, we look rough. We look really, really rough. And you know what? The party the night before was one of the best I've ever been to in my 30 years. Truly.

It's interesting that today's topic of journaling is discussing parties. For one, I'll be attending a pretty fantastic NYE party at our good friends' house. I'll be frank with you, any party that is based upon appetizer creativity is right up my alley. We'll be play Rock Band 3, noshing on good eats, and imbibing in our favorite cocktails. I really can't think of a better way to spend my NYE.

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Write out some ideas for a party that you want to host in the next four weeks

Who will you invite?      What will you do?     Where will it be?

What will you serve?       How will you decorate?

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Shannon and I are obviously not hosting our friends' party, but that doesn't mean that we're absolved of all responsibility. Since we don't have to plan everything, I'm going to talk about what I am responsible for. I say "I" in as much of a couple way as I can seeing as Shannon will not participate in the making. He will participate in the eating, though. We (I) are (am) in charge of bringing our appetizer and dessert selections to share with the rest of the gang. We (I) couldn't be more stoked to stretch our (my) appetizer muscles. We (I) have tossed around ideas ranging from the good to the horrible, but here are some of the things that are hanging out in our (my) appetizer brain right now.

• fried macaroni and cheese balls
• spinach and artichoke dip
• homemade roast red pepper hummus
• vegetable tartlettes
• goat cheese and cranberry-stuffed jalapeno poppers

I'm most excited about the idea of stuffing spicy peppers with creamy goat cheese and sweet cranberries. I might try this tomorrow just to see how it all turns out. It could go a few ways.

Let's be honest, though. Any (or all) of these ideas could be created in my kitchen in the next few days. I have very few qualms about spending my vacation time putting around in my kitchen. It's one of the delights of my time off, really. Of course, I know there will be plenty of baking that will happen as well. I have a laundry list of cookies that I still need to make. With that being said, I've already determined which dessert will be accompanying me to the NYE gathering.

RUM CAKE.

I don't need to say anything more than that, do I? This is how I feel about rum cake.

I might also feel this way about running. I was getting ready to run my first 5K when that picture was taken. So, yeah, I feel very thumbs uppy about rum cake and running. Maybe in that order, maybe not.

Either way, I'm taking a rum cake. THUMBS WAY UP!

I Need to Focus

I think this week may be the longest week in creation.

I say that only because I've been convinced that it's Friday since Wednesday and the hour hand on the clock moved at a snail's pace yesterday. Soooo slooooow. You would have thought it wasn't moving at all.

I think it has to do with the fact that I'll be on vacation as of a week from tomorrow. Having the possibility of three weeks of vacation looming on the horizon makes the weeks that you're at work move frighteningly slow. It also means that the time that you have at work before your vacation needs to be highly utilized. I have so much on my list of things to accomplish that I'm almost nauseated.

I also think it has much to do with the fact that tomorrow I'll be embarking on a baking adventure. I am producing 150 cupcakes and a wedding cake top for my friends' wedding on Saturday. I am responsible for the dessert at their wedding for 92 people. I am responsible for a part of their special day.

Look at them. How do you let a couple like this down?

I am a certifiable wreck at the present time. It's important that you know that. I am certifiable. I would enjoy a good cry right about now. Followed by the sifting of some flour. In that order, yes.

So the week? It's been long. What is getting me through is the fact that I know that everything will turn out if I just put my mind to it. If I focus. I must focus. So, I'm going to do just that. Focus.

I am going to focus on so many things, but mostly on Sunday afternoon and this soup for dinner.

*Cupcake Update: After baking for what felt like eons, but which turned out to be more like 14 hours, I had completed 144+ cupcakes and one three-tiered cake for cutting. Not only was I incredibly exhausted but I was also totally excited to share the cupcakes at the wedding. Let me just tell you, there is nothing better in this world than cream cheese buttercream. Nothing. It was the first time ever that I have confiscated the mixing bowl from Shannon and refused to share. Everything turned out beautifully. I almost started crying when I saw the cupcake display. I will have pictures soon from my lovely friend Abbie at Abbie Takes Pictures to share with you. Can't wait!

Stocking Stuffer Idea #1: Chocolate Mustache

I was flipping ever-so-slowly through my new Food Network Magazine on Saturday when I saw an advertisement for Chocolate Mustaches on Sticks.

While the simple fact that it's a chocolate mustache on a stick might give one pause, I stopped because, well, I love mustaches on sticks. I think they're the bee's knees, the apple of my eye, the most awesome piece of awesomeness since the invention of awesome. Why? Because I may or may not have a few wedding pictures out there that contain mustaches on sticks. And because they're just hilarious.

The fact that Nibbee Chocolate Company sells these little buggers is just too fantastic. They're not too unreasonably priced either - $1.99 each. Still, I felt like I would need more than just one. I have so many people who could - and should - benefit from a chocolate mustache on a stick. The names that come to mind are too many to be listed, but suffice to say that I feel everyone I know needs to have their own little piece of chocolate facial hair.

What, then, is a girl to do on a shoestring budget?

She's to make her own, of course.

Enter the idea of Google Searching "Chocolate Mustache Molds." Now insert the happy dance when I not only found one (HOORAY!) but found that it was priced just as cheaply at one pre-made mustache (HOORAH!) I'm buying it now.

Really. Right now.

Done. It's bought. I have officially bought a chocolate mustache mold. I might be the coolest person I know. Okaaaaay. Not really.

I am the only person I know that owns this particular candy mold, though. Woot!

The Precious

I didn't let myself down this weekend. I cooked. I really did. Not nearly as much as I would have liked, but I definitely cooked.

I was only sidelined briefly by the allure of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I made up for it by making a fantastic red wine and rosemary mushroom sauce. I may have put it on a piece of medium steak.

I'll share the pictures and the recipes this week. For sure. Now, though, I'm going to share a simply picture I ripped off the interwebs.

"Why?" you ask.

"Because," I respond before pressing 'upload.'


I post this because this little lovely recently made its way onto our wedding registry. I didn't tell anyone because, well, no one was around for me to tell. But now I'm telling you. I did it. I put it on our registry. The one gift I have been saying will be on our registry is now on our registry. It was a moment, I'm telling you. A real moment.

It feels almost as if I have the slim chance of being reunited with my long-lost twin sister. If we receive nothing else but this mixer, life will still be glorious and wonderful and beautiful.

It really is my version of the One Ring. Scary, isn't it?