Weekend Projects

I've been trying very hard to make sure that I get a chance every weekend to create stuff. I think it helps me to stay sane during the week. This weekend I made some goodies for the guys at work. They put up with me so the least I can do is make them some sweet treats.

Today I started with homemade marshmallows from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. This was absolutely the most ooey-gooey sticky thing I've ever made! It was really easy, just super sticky. After letting them set up all day, I cut them into squares and dipped them in chocolate. I mustered all the self control I had and only ate one! They were delicious! (If you are interested in trying this recipe let me know and I will give you some tips I picked up to cut down on the sticky mess!)

Next up was a recipe I found on Bakerella for Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies. The recipe called for a huge batch of cream cheese frosting and I knew that I would have a ton extra, so I decided to make a double batch. And what goes with cream cheese frosting better than carrot cake? Not much. These things were super easy, too. I only tried half of one of the carrot cake cookies and I thought it was good. It is very reminiscent of a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie. Hopefully my taste testers will let me know the taste verdict.

Packaging the goodies is just as much fun to me as the baking! I hope everyone enjoys the goodies!

I have more Valentine goody projects lined up for later in the week and next weekend. Hopefully I will have more pictures to share in a few days.

Welcome Back Blog......With Pictures!

I am welcoming myself back into blogging tonight. I haven't written anything since August, for several reasons, but it's a new year so WELCOME BACK to my world! What have I been up lately? Well, in a word, working. This has been the best year yet for the Trinity Bands, but it some ways it has been the hardest. Adjusting to a new schedule and longer work days was quite an adjustment and it left me drained physically, emotionally, and mentally, but I think we are over the hardest part of the year and on to the fun stuff now. The highlight of my days now are the rehearsals with Dean's band because they are playing Undertow, by John Mackey. For my non-music friends, John Mackey is one of my favorite composers and just an all around cool guy. His music is crazy fun and generally too hard for middle school kids. He wrote Undertow last year for a middle school band, and much to my delight we have an exceptional group of kids this year that can actually play it! And that means that I get to play it, too! I'm just excited to have the opportunity to have a creative process at school. Teaching middle school band is very mechanical - like building a sports car. We spend all the time making sure everything is just right and in excellent condition so that we can send them off to high school where the directors there get to have all the fun with them and play "real" music. I'm glad that our program has finally reached the level were our top band will allow us to let them "test drive" some great music before they go off to high school.

I've had a lot of creative energy since the winter break, which I am very thankful for because I thought working so much had sucked my soul away. I've made so much stuff since December that I'm going to need a bigger house soon. If I didn't have such a crappy camera I would take more pictures of stuff, but at any rate, here are some fun pictures from the last few weeks:

I made these little finger puppets for a kiddo's birthday

I recovered an out-of-date piano bench

Before

After

I've been entertaining myself with malfeasance at work. An unsuspecting science teacher got a jello mouse courtesy of the Trinity Bands. I don't have a lot of experience with jello molds, so it didn't turn out as good as Jim Halpert's jello calculator. I know what to do different for next time........

And then we have Dean's lunches. This guy brings the most random amalgamation of food that I've ever seen. On this particular day he has the usual Babybell cheese, DanActive yogurt drink, a packet of lunch meat, and what I think was seasoned chickpeas?

On a different day it was another packet of lunchmeat, DanActive yogurt drink, a granola bar, a microwave eggroll, a bag of spicy pickles that he called "wickles", and another mystery bag of something I don't recall. His lunches amuse me and I will continue to take pictures of them.