Blog Every Day in May | A Quote

 

I didn’t have to think twice about my favorite quote for today’s Blog Every Day in May Challenge.

A few years back, I was going through a very difficult time emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
It seemed like everything about my life was being controlled by the people around me, or in the case of my health, just completely out of my control. I was at the point where I wanted to tell the whole world (and God) to just shut up and leave me alone. I had enough problems of my own, but I felt like all the stress and pain in my life was being caused by other people.

At my lowest point, I discovered a quote by Steve Jobs that really slapped me across the face. Although I knew these things before I read the quote, seeing it from someone like Jobs really woke me up. He had amazing successes, but he also had incredible failures and heartbreak. What I admire most about him, is that he was his own person- and he didn’t let other people (or cancer) control the outcome of his life.

I printed off a copy of his words and stuck it to the front of my refrigerator, where it stayed for two years. By the time he passed away, I had been able to overcome most of the things (and people) that had been controlling my life. Steve Jobs had played a small part in taking back my life, so on that sad day, I stood in front of the fridge, tears rolling down my cheeks, and said “Thanks.”

So without further ado, Steve Jobs at the 2005 Stanford University Commencement Ceremony:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary.”

 

 

 

*Anyone else notice the lady with the book on her head?

Blog Every Day in May | Things That Make You Uncomfortable

 

The fashion industry lies. This is what the windblown
look really looks like.

This is a fun prompt for me, because almost nothing makes me uncomfortable.
In fact, I’m the type of person who thrives on making other people uncomfortable.

So, I’ve decided to change up today’s post a bit, I’m retitling it “Things that I do to make other people uncomfortable.”

1. If I am going to be sitting in the car for awhile, I purposely park in a way that I can easily make people in other cars uncomfortable.
Example:
A couple weeks ago, Andraé and I were together, and we dropped by the internet provider to pay our bill. The parking lot was almost empty, except for a little, old man sitting in the passenger seat of a car. Of course, I asked Andraé to park right beside him so I could see if I could make him uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the little man wasn’t paying attention, or he might have noticed my face plastered against the window of my car.

2. When someone asks me something, I almost always say no.
You wouldn’t believe the reactions I get from people who don’t realize that I am a jokester.
Example:

Friend: “Can I borrow your pen?”
Me: “No.”

Stranger: “Do you have the time?”
Me, looking down at my watch: “No.”

Storekeeper: “This is our best-selling scent, do you like it?”
Me: “No.”

Sister: “Will you put my hair up?”
Me: “No.”

Classmate: “Can I see your homework from yesterday?”
Me: “No.”

Husband: “Will you get me some water?”
Me: “No.”

The reactions are priceless.

3. Talking about bathroom stuff.
Example: A few weeks ago, I had a 24-hour stomach bug. When I got back to school, I zeroed in on a friend who is always asking extremely personal questions that they have no business asking. Picture this: we’re standing side-by-side, each taking melting points of our compounds in Org Chem lab.

Classmate: “Where were you yesterday?”
Me: “OMG, you would not believe the stomach bug I had.”
Classmate: “Ehh.”
Me: “I was completely stuck to the toilet all day yesterday.”
Classmate: “…….”
Me: “I was scared to come to school, scared I’d have to stop by the side of the road.”
Classmate: “……………..”
Me: “You just wouldn’t believe how much I went.”
Classmate: “That’s gross…..”
Me: I just cackled and walked away.

4. Discussing my future funeral plans.
I have been planning my funeral for my whole life. I think I was about 12 when I told my parents which funeral home I had picked out.
I have good reason for this though, I have been to some really, really, REALLY bad funerals.
I’m not talking about a PA system going out or something. I’m talking about deep mountain, near snake-handling funeral services that I actually had to get up and leave from. I’m talking about southern gospel songs being played for people who didn’t listen to it. I’m talking about strangers officiating your funeral. I’m talking about the deceased’s family members so angry about the service that they got up and left.
So, with that in mind, I randomly have genius ideas that I freely share with my family members. And I’ve threatened them all with hauntings after my death if they don’t follow through.

5. Blogging about uncomfortable things. Because right now, I’d say you’re feeling pretty darn weird after reading this.

If you would like to see more things that make people uncomfortable, go over to Jenni’s blog at Story of My Life and check out today’s link-ups!

Sugar 'n Spice Salmon

 

 

Recipe added January 2009
Edited, May 2013

 

I first added this recipe several years ago, but with summer coming on, I thought it deserved a repost! Originally from Taste of Home.

 

 

Sugar 'n Spice Salmon

4 salmon filets, 5 oz. each
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. hot spicy mustard or Dijon if spicy is not available1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
4 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small cubes


1.) Place salmon in greased 9x13 pan.
2.) Combine top 5 ingredients.
3.) Rub mixture lightly onto salmon with fork or spoon.
4.) Top with butter.
5.) Bake uncovered, at 375 for 20-23 min or until flakes easily with fork.
6.) Meanwhile, combine salsa ingredients. Serve with salmon.



Fruit Salsa

1/2 cup. Manderin Oranges
1/2 cup. chopped, peeled Kiwi
1/2 cup. chopped, peeled Mango
1/4 cup. finely chopped Red Onion
3 Tbsp. minced, fresh Cilantro
3 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 Tbsp. chopped Jalapeno Pepper

Blog Every Day in May | Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at: Cooking with Garlic

 

Today is day two in the Blog Every Day in May Challenge from Jenni @ Story of My Life.

How do you feel about cooking with garlic?

I find that a lot of people don’t actually cook with fresh garlic. We are a nation of garlic powder/salt people.
I’ve actually talked to people who were scared to cook with it.

Really? Scared of a little, white, onion-like bulb? Scared of bad breath? What is it?
(My father-in-law is one of these people who refuses to eat garlic. I’m working on him.)

Now, my perception of the public’s opinion of garlic is probably skewed, after all, I grew up eating Amish food (blandest food in America) in Indiana, and southern food (most delicious food in America) in Tennessee. Amish food is seasoned with lard. Southern food is seasoned with lard, butter, and salt.

So you understand that my love for garlic has been an uphill battle since birth.

 

 

I feel very strongly about garlic. I love it. I use it every-single-time-I-cook. Do I cook an inordinate amount of Italian? Yes, probably.
But I also put garlic in everything else too. In fact, if garlic brownies were a thing, I’d probably try it. (It couldn’t be worse than the brownies
and orange juice that my cousin and I downed in the preteen years.)

So, I’m here to tell you that fresh garlic is not a scary beast that produces terrifying breath. In fact, if your recipe leaves you teary-eyed and dragon-breath’d (is that a word?), then it’s a bad recipe- not bad garlic.

First let me tell you how not to cook garlic.

Do not the heat oil in the pan until it’s smoking.
Do not cook the garlic on high.
Do not cook it until it is brown.
Do not cook it until it even begins to turn brown.
It should not be crispy.

Notice the browning along the edges.
I was in a hurry and the result was bitter and strong.

 

One more thing. If you’re scared of garlic, don’t start with a recipe that calls for fresh, un-cooked garlic.
The pasta dish below would bring even the heartiest Italian to their knees. Fresh tomato, fresh basil, and fresh garlic.
It actually burned like fire going down my throat. But I’m positively healthier for it.

 

 

Now that you are thoroughly terrified of my cooking skills, let me tell you how I like to cook garlic.

1 Tb of butter mixed with 1 Tb of olive oil, heated on mid-low to medium heat. Add your garlic, and slowly caramelize.

So easy. I think I just drooled on the keyboard.

And that, my friends, is how you achieve the sweetest, most succulent garlic that you’ve ever had in your life.

You’ll never be scared of garlic again, and your recipes will go from good to great.

 

Stuffed Mushrooms and Bruschetta

Pasta al Pomodoro

 

One more tip.
Don’t stand there and peel the freaking head of garlic.
Take a tip from the pros:

 

Maybe you don’t want to peel a whole head, just a couple cloves?
Try this:

Good luck in all your garlic endeavors.

Blog Every Day in May | The story of your life in 250 words or less

 

Happy May Day!

I’ve decided to take the blogging challenge sent out by Jenni at Story of My Life for the month of May.
Coming off the stress of the past few months, I don’t feel very inspired to blog right now, but I really want to.
Jenni came up with a list of prompts for the month, so maybe it will help me find inspiration for the next few weeks.

It’s actually similar to an idea I had, but I’ll push it off until this summer.

For today, I am supposed to tell you my life story in 250 words or less.
Since I’m in the middle of finals, I’ll go with “or less.”

So basically, I was born in Indiana, in Amish country. 2 parents, 1 brother, a gaggle of animals. But no geese.
Roll ahead 14 years, about 3 moves across state lines, and a lifetime’s worth of dogs who ran away and we meet my little sister.
Roll ahead another 4 years, another 2 moves across state lines, and the final dog who ran away (or rather into a car) and I find myself happily married in East Tennessee.

I believe that’s 66 words.

Au Revoir.