Drunk Gnome

The family gnome is celebrating the new year early by drinking up the remaining brandy from the brandy snaps. :)

Cookies!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These are delicious! :)  Both the cookies and the filling have cream cheese in them.  They're so rich that you may have to eat half and save the rest for later.

(Taste of Home recipe, December 2011 - January 2012)

Cocoa Thumbprints (with extra filling from the above cookies) -

These are also delicious, but less creamy than the ones above because they don't have cream cheese in them.

(Food Network magazine recipe, Vol 4 No. 10)

Lacey Brandy Snaps

These are one of the most finicky desserts to make - the dough became one sheet rather than remaining in circles.  It was difficult to keep them from falling.

The filling for these was copious - I'm going to have to make more cookies to use it up, but I love the sweet brandy taste. :-D

The picture is of just the outside since the middle is added later.

(Taste of Home recipe, November 2011)



I also made a bunch of truffles and will have gained a billion pounds before the holidays are over. :)

Melting Stress

I passed.  On the 16th I defended my thesis and I succeeded!  The seemingly never-ending loop of grad school closed.  And it feels so good to be done.  I think it is still sinking in.  Now that there is less pressure I'm also more interested in my thesis work - I'm going to look into some avenues that I just didn't get a chance to explore and perhaps they will make it into the journal articles.

Since getting done on Friday I've eaten really good food and devoured a good book.

When I found this author I really wanted to read 'Habibi', but then decided that the high praise given 'Blankets' warranted a reading of it.  Cleo got both of them for me for Christmas and I decided to read them in the order they were published.  I have to say I related to the main character in 'Blankets'.  When he was younger he was plagued with religious guilt and it colored his entire world.  I also related to growing up in rural Wisconsin.

My LilSis is 7 years younger than me so we were never really close when we were small, but we did share a room.  The scenes of him and his little brother sharing a bed often made me laugh, like the one below:

I'm currently in the middle of 'Habibi' and it is a compelling read.

Two PostSecrets that caught my eye this week were:

I wonder the same thing and think maybe this stems from watching too many crime shows.

This one I agree with - if someone wants to give me well-wishes, I don't care what words they use.  I'm not offended.  I've also come to terms with people I love saying that they will pray for me, for the most part, especially when they are sincere.  I am grateful that they are thinking of me and wish me well.


Hoping everyone has a happy Sunday!

Run Away with the Doctor

My favorite secret of this week:

On the back it says "I really want to run with him and see the universe."

Because who wouldn't want to run away with the Doctor - especially a David Tennant Doctor - and see the universe?

One Week

This past week, while NewMom (now NewWife&Mom) was on her honeymoon, I locked myself in her house and worked on my thesis presentation.  The NewWife&Mom's house has great internet and 4 cats that lent to some stress relief.  Bob in particular decided to help me out.  The cats aren't supposed to be on the counters or tables, but while I was there they seemed to think it was a free-for-all:

When he wasn't prowling through my things he was sitting on my lap, curled up, keeping me warm.  On Thursday I presented the dry run to my lab and advisor.  Their input was great - it will make the real presentation so much better.

I have to say I'm not looking forward to the rest of today and next week.  By this time next week I will either have graduated or be really depressed.

I'm going under a self-imposed quasi- house arrest to work on my presentation and defense prep.

I'm defending on Friday the 16th.  On the 17th I'm opening a Christmas present I know is full of books and I will spend at least a day not thinking about Bythotrephes.

Bythotrephes in Lake Erie - Photo by Andrea Jaeger Miehls, MS

Gay Bar

This secret made me laugh:

I met a few great straight guys at a gay bar when I was there with my friends. :)

Gay bars take the pressure off - I can drink without being hit on and the dancing is awesome!


This secret made me sad:

Keeping secrets is hard, especially one this big - I wish I could give her a hug and let her know that she isn't alone.