My Last Stand

 This will probably be my last post for a while, because I am leaving for Spain tomorrow!! and I am not sure about my internet capabilities in spain, so it may be difficult to blog, but I will try my hardest..

So in this last week of my life ALOT has been going on. The fam-jam decided to have family night and we got some  pretty good pics from that, I can share for you..

My mom made homemade salsa from a friend's recipe and it is wonderful! She was in charge of appetizers

We also had wonderful bread and cucumbers. My favorite!

My cute Nana Dot made our salad

Dad strikes a pose as Cam Newton/ Heisman Winner/ Ultimate meat cooker ha...

Banks made twice baked potatoes, my mom made him scoop the potatoes out with the gentleness you would use holding a tiny baby bird.  The analogy worked?

Banks was also in charge of renting the dvd for the night. Here he is defending his choice of "No String Attached" as a family film, it was not....

I made Oreo Pie, a childhood favorite. and Eassyyy to make. As you can see, I have not been challenging myself in the culinary arts lately. All I needed was oreos and whipped cream.

Another project me and my mom took on... Graduation cap cupcakes (for Brother)!! They are made from Malt balls, chocolate wafers, fruit roll ups, mini m&ms and A TON OF PATIENCE! 

But they turned out pretty cute...

In my spare time I have been reading "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy. I really like his writing and this book was the best I have read by him so far... I couldn't put it down. It's based in Charleston, and made me want to move there even more when I finished it. I would recommend it as a good summer read! Full of mystery, humor, sadness, and the depravity of human nature.  I wouldn't read it if your looking for a light romance novel, but it's a good read if your looking for something else.

Disclaimer: Pat Conroy was raised by a strict Marine (my dad says Conroy's father was alot like his father, but I doubt it, this is dad's favorite author and if you don't know a strict Marine disregard this) and he tends to talk like he was raised by a Marine a.k.a. profanity. So if you don't want to read that, may want to find something else...

Read it and weep.

Have a wonderful Summer, see you America :)

                                      

Cherokee People

So.. I saw this girl in Auburn who looked like this... well kinda....

Cool huh?

So I took it upon myself to find out what those were and were you get them. On my initial search, all I found was that these feathers could only be put in by a professional, and it wasn't cheap (and I like cheap)

So I kept up my search, I don't give up easily.  I figured I could install these feathers myself (I am cheap and like a good DIY project)

My Google searches kept bringing me to Etsy. After looking for hours and hours, I found a good deal and a cool assortment of feathers through Hellobow on Etsy. So after I waited and waited and waited (I get antsy when I have a package on the way) I received these beauty's.

Here are the two feathers I ordered from Hellobow.  I picked the plain striped feather and Custom Peacock Variegated feather.

Its actually pretty easy to put in and you instructions are found here:

Me and My dear mother got down to the task of installing my new feathers! For my first try, I chose the plain striped feather. Many people prefer to bunch feathers, buy thicker feathers etc. I like to take my daring moves lightly, so I chose a single feather.  You install the feather with a crimping bead, attached to a small piece of hair. 

Here is the result:

Voila!!

And through this my nana told me that her grandmother was a Cherokee Indian!! Cool huh? I am a small part indian... so I am invoking my ancestors!!

I've been listening to this song ever since I got the feathers! 

Happy Feathering Friends!

My Foray into the Culinary Arts

So.... today began the start of my metamorphosis into the next Rachel Ray, or Paula Dean, or Barefoot Contessa (who allegedly dated John Mayer for a while, so I'm going with the Contessa)

My entrance into this journey began with a complicated recipe I was anxious to attempt.

(O yea... complicated. I must add that it was Cheesy Ranch Burger, which was wonderful)

So needless to say, my family was not as impressed as I was about this cooking masterpiece.  But, easy as my cooking was, it was actually delicious. So for further reference if your standing on the Hamburger Helper isle, pondering which of the many  versions of Hamburger Helper to purchase, I would advise you to consider this version. Not bad

Now, you may think that my family only eats Hamburger Helper for dinner, but we added some fresh greens as well, by learning how to steam broccoli. Again, not too creative or tough, but I know how to do it now, and in the process was reminded of a pretty funny childhood memory.

One time, while riffling through my kitchen for sweets when I was about 10, I came upon one of these

(I popped a bouillon cube into my mouth, expecting some delicious chocolate morsel, to say they least, I was sorely disappointed)

Another experience I had with a bouillon cube was when me and one of my best and longest friends decided to make a concoction to give her brother. Maddy and I were always coming up with pranks to play on him, which ranged from silly stringing his room to these many concoctions we would whip up (I was a creative cook even then). After mixing milk, pepper, pickle juice and any other disgusting substances into a glass, I distinctly recall adding a bouillon cube. Needless to say, Maddy's brother was not having the concoction (probably due to all the floating particles in our "delicious" milkshake we had so graciously made him).

So I hope you enjoyed my first blog into my cooking experiences, I'm sure there will be more to come.

Ciao 

(I'm thinking the barefoot contessa would definitely say something like that) 

An exciting summer

Back to the blog. I have tried this before, and I always have good intentions and zero follow through, so this is my last go at this thing. The reason I have decided that now is a good time to start this blog is because of the very, very exciting summer I am facing! For two weeks in May, I will be in my hometown in South Alabama working at my church and having cooking lessons from my momma (Lord knows I need them, I'll keep you posted on those). Then, on May 20 this guy....

      

       (Heyy Brother/ Soon to be roommate)

WILL BE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. It is crazy, and yes, we will be sharing an apartment next year, if I can continue to blog until then, I'm sure that will provide for some good material.

The day after graduation, I will be jetting off to this place...

(This would be Pamplona, Spain.. AH)

I will be studying Spanish in this wonderfully beautiful place for the month of June (get it? I'll Fly away?). This is the main reason for the blog, to document what I hope to be an amazing experience and my first time in Europe! I am too excited to even say much now, even though I am pretty nervous about the whole deal too. I mean, I'm living with a Spanish family? In a country where I am pretty shaky at the language (and shaky is pushing it). It should provide for some good material too I hope.

After that I will punish myself for all the fun I had in Spain my taking 9 credit hours of political science classes at school during the month of July and living alone!! sad huh? I guess I can deal with it for a month...

Well, until I actually have something to blog about... Buenos Dias!

And to leave you with my inspiration...