Apple Cake

My department at work (the international team) started having potlucks where we all bring dishes from our heritage or our area of expertise. I like to bring French food so for our second potluck last week, I made an apple cake from a French cookbook I have. It was so easy, just had to make a thick batter, cut up some apples, mix it together and bake! The hardest part of the whole process was whipping up some whipped cream by hand.

I had never made the cake before but everyone said it was really good and came out moist. So if you want to try some let me know and I'll make it the next time I see you. :)

Ps - you will have to have a stand mixer for the whipped cream and help peel the apples!!

Posté avec Blogsy

Action Shots

Sean and I have been planning a trip to have me come photograph him kayaking for months, but I wanted to wait until I got my new lens (MOM). Since that doesn't look like it will ever happen, I just went ahead and did it with the ones I have. 

We went down to the Deerfield River about an hour and some change away at 9:30 AM ish and got home around 6. We stopped at a used bookstore on the way back and got some pizza when we passed through Amherst. It was a really beautiful day and I got to see a lot of things (and experience a lot of things - like not realizing the parking break had a separate release lever). 

I took about 300 pictures over the course of the day and have A LOT of photos to go through. Here is a quick snapshot: 

Finally, Friday (55)

1. New projects at work and meeting people for the first time who I've been getting emails from since I started
2. Teaching new commands to my puppies
3. My friend building me a sick awesome computer (all the better to play Sims with)

Posté avec Blogsy

Lunch party

 Would it really be better if it said Lanch Party?

Today was a pretty long day. Woke up at 5, work at 7, and all-day meeting that went until 5:30. (=tired face in the picture)

The meeting wasn't bad at all, just long. It was really nice to have a 45 minute break to celebrate... Drum roll... The launch of our Portuguese-language site! There was a really well-done celebration with a ribbon, giant scissors and fake champagne. I was the Portuguese product manager's mentor so I was recognized as part of the SI team and was given this awesome SI jersey with my name on the back and a soccer ball! It was really sweet and surprising of them to include me in that and give us sweet swag.

We ate ice cream and cake to accompany the fake champagne and I even have a huge sign with my name on it that was part of the decor. It was a very cool moment to break up the day and celebrate a great success with the people on my team! 

Music: Pompeii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90Cw4l-8NY

Hike to Bear's Den

Two weekends ago Sean and I went for a quick hike in New Salem, Massachusetts before we went to run errands. We went to the Bear's Den which was a waterfall and a trail which followed the Swift River for a little while.

Sean showed me some lines he would take in a kayak on the river and waves he would surf if he were a tiny smurf-person in a tiny smurf-boat, which was pretty cool. Sean climbed up the rocks and across the water because he's crazy, but it turned out well.

Saw some more cool mushrooms so naturally I had to share.

Finally, Friday (54)

1. Finally finding a good apartment with enough space for me and the puppies, two bedrooms and affordable!
2. Snuggling with said puppies after spending the night away from them for the first night since we brought them back.
3. New, exciting projects at work and learning new things

Posté avec Blogsy

Jill Reviews: Jot Stylus

Note: I wrote this with puppies playing on my lap, which s why my handwriting is oh so sloppy

Note 2: I purchased the Adonit Jot Flip, seen here.

 

Posté avec Blogsy

TN Volleyball Tournament

Tonight I played on a four-man team in my work's volleyball tournament. My original team ended up unofficially disbanding the day before, but I was able to join another team and we did pretty well!

There were four teams altogether and each round was best of three. We were the first to go and we won the first two sets of fifteen. Then we sat out for a while and played in the finals with the sales team who were, necessarily, excellent communicators. We ended up losing then but they had some really good players so I didn't feel too bad.

We have our own sand volleyball court at work so we got pretty dirty, my feet were pretty much orange when I was washing them off!

Hopefully I'll be able to spend some more time playing on work teams after I move because I'm so far away now that it's not worth it to do after-work sports. Here's to future activities though!

Posté avec Blogsy

Gourmet Saturdays

On Saturday I had the idea to cook a chicken. Go figure. I had heard about this recipe for Engagement Chicken from a lot of places - talk shows, food shows, magazines. It was everywhere at one point and I knew it was really easy so I looked it up and decided to make it.

Really all you need is a four lb chicken. You rub it down inside and out with salt and pepper and then shove two lemons up its butt (pricked three times each with a fork). Cook it at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, breast down, then flip it over and cook another hour and fifteen minutes. Then let it rest for at least 15 mates before you carve it.

It results in an incredibly delicious and moist chicken with a flavor that's not too overpowering- so you can use the leftovers in a lot of different dishes.

I also, microwaved some homemade potato chips, which was also easy. Cut thinly and coat in oil. Add a bit of oil to just coat the bottom of a plate. Place potato slices on it, microwave 3-5 minutes until brown and salt. Tada!

 

Posté avec Blogsy