Happy 10-10-10!!!!

Hello everyone!

Happy 10/10/10!

I love patterns in numbers.

Especially in dates.

So today is pretty exciting for me!

There is a big ol' fly that's been flying around my head for the past 30 minutes in my bedroom.

It's being a really big blogging buzz kill (get it? buzz kill? get it? lol haha i'm so funny).

This is my sad attempt of killing it with my Marilyn Monroe pillow.

Sorry Marilyn...someones gotta bite the bullet.

I cannot continue on with my blog post until this thing is captured and set free....or squashed against my window....I haven't decided yet.

::Ten minutes later::

Ok Mister fly....enough of these shenanigans.

It's either me or you.

Marilyn and I aren't going down without a fight.

::Three minutes later::

This was the last mister fly saw of this world. Seconds after this photo was taken, I lept up off my bed like a ninja, knocking my lap top over (thankfully on a pillow) swatting the fly out of mid air and slamming his little body to oblivion against my carpet square.

I'm a killer. A fly killer. And I am completely comfortable with that.

Perhaps now I can blog in peace.

A big ol' victory smile :)

Curious as to what I've been up to since we last spoke besides killing insects? No? Not really? Well...I'm going to tell you anyway!! :)

Yesterday was a little like this....

Woke up at 9:30 a.m. which is rather late for me!

I'm used to waking up at 7 a.m. so the extra 2 1/2 hours did this curly head some good.

(Major case of "the morning curls" going on here. No shame. Mop top for life!)

I started off my Saturday like I do every other day - drinking coffee, eating very dark - dark chocolate, and researching for my blog and/or updating my blog.

I never look happy while I'm blogging.

I usually have a mixture of disgust and angst on my face lol....

But I really love it!

I'm a morning person despite what my face may or may not look like :)

Morning + Blogging + Delicious breakfast= happy blogging curly head.

Wait....did somebody say breakfast?

Oh wait... I DID!!!!!

First of all...

I am a tradition kind of girl.

I love traditions - especially food traditions.

There is something very comforting about knowing that every time a certain day rolls around, whether that be a holiday or just a regular day of the week, you can count on having a specific type of food and/or meal.

Saturdays used to be referred to as "Pancake Saturday" in my house. Every single Saturday for about a year long - either my mother or I would make pancakes from scratch (thus, the term "Pancake Saturday" was born).

Pancake Saturdays were something to look forward to, something fun, something delicious, and something constant.

Pancake Saturday never let me down.

Somewhere along the line I started experimenting with breakfast, and getting obsessed with all of the possibilities breakfast had to offer, so unfortunately pancake Saturday fell to the wayside.

This particular Saturday I had a hankering for something flavored with pumpkin, which turned into a craving for pancakes. Which then got me back into the pancake Saturday mood!

Soooooo I am happy to announce that from now on PANCAKE SATURDAYS ARE BACK!

Oh my dear sweet pancake Saturday - how I've missed you ever so.

PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKES!!!!

I bet you're wondering as to wether or not i'm going to give you the recipe for these particular pumpkin spice pancakes. Well to put it nicely.....I need to perfect my recipe lol. My mother and I used my oh so delicious pancake recipe, added pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree (expecting it to taste a certain way) and needless to say....it didn't lol.

Don't get me wrong - these pancakes were THE BOMB but I have 2 or 3 adjustments that would make them AMAZING. So stay tuned - because next Saturday I'm going to give it another try!

Saturday mornings can only mean one thing...

Grocery shopping!! Wooo!!

You must be thinking "Jenna you're a crazy person. Who the hell gets excited about grocery shopping?"

UMMMM.... food lovers abroad thats who!!

I'm about to teach you a few things I've learned about grocery shopping - pay close attention....

(1) NEVER and I repeat NEVER shop while you're hungry.

It will cause you to impulse buy out the wazooo!

You'll spend a lot more money than you intend to.

What was our weapon of choice this Saturday?

Clif bars of course!

This bad boy kept me full for our entire shopping outing!

(2) You can't go on a grocery shopping mission without an accomplice. If you're lucky enough to have a really awesome shopping buddy, they will talk you out of making stupid/impulsive/ridiculous decisions on what you're going to buy.

It's a lot more fun with a companion anyway! Who was my right hand man this Saturday?......

My mom of course!!!

(I don't take any credit for the purchase of any groceries bought on this particular Saturday- my mom did all of the purchasing- I just threw things into the cart lol.)

(3) You definitely can't go shopping without this particular weapon at hand....

Coupon box! Never leave the house without your clipped coupons. They'll save you a fortune, I swear.

Within this particular coupon box is a.....

(4) Shopping list! Do not leave home without writing a shopping list first. Once you write the list STAY TRUE TO IT. Do not buy anything that is not on the shopping list unless it is an absolute necessity that you forgot to write down (i.e. milk, eggs, butter, bread). Staying true to your shopping list will save you a lot of money in the long run. You want to have a plan before you hit the battle field - you don't want to run around all willy nilly!

There are certain places you MUST go to when you're in a grocery store.

You aren't required to purchase anything from these particular areas, but you are required to visit them.

Who sets these requirements you ask? Me. That's who.

Every single time I go to a grocery store - these are the areas I hit. Even if I don't plan on buying anything from them.

1. Candy aisle

2. Kitchen appliance aisle

3. Baking aisle

4. Gum aisle

(I told you I'm a gumaholic)

And the most important aisle you will ever walk down (not pictured)

5. Coffee aisle.

I have no idea when, where, or how my obsession for smelling the coffee came to be.

For as long as I can remember - I've been skipping happily to the coffee aisle to smell the coffee.

And when I say "smell the coffee" I don't mean the coffee in the bags - I mean the coffee that you grind and bag yourself.

You must stop to smell the coffee. Always stop and smell the coffee.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

Why? Because it's awesome that's why.

I sound like a crazy person - I am well aware lol.

I loved my outfit so much....

I had to photograph it!

After we were finished grocery shopping - I realized I was completely out of the only make up I wear (besides lip gloss/chap stick/lipstick)....

"Oh hello there my name is Jenna and I'm just taking photos of myself shopping for make up in the make up aisle! Nothing strange about that."

Then came the worst part of my Saturday....

One minute everything is fine and dandy - the weather is warm - I'm having a good time - everything is right in the world - and then....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I broke my sunglasses!!!

Did I say "my sunglasses"? Actually...they aren't mine lol.

But I've had them long enough that they feel like mine.

And did I say "broke"? That was a little dramatic...I lost the screw :/ lol.

Every single pair of sunglasses i own is either missing a screw, the lens popped out, the arm is missing, or they're all scratched up. I need a sunglasses case for real.

This is my "I'm pretending like I don't care that my sunglasses broke, but I'm really dying inside, and my eyes are burning from the sunlight" smile.

Once again....I can be pretty dramatic.

::A few hours later::

Dinner time!

What was on the menu?

Pizza from scratch on english muffins!

While I waited for my muffin pizzas to bake - I made my mother and I delicious drinks....

After I ate my delicious mini pizza dinner.....

I made a smoothie for todays consumption consisting of:

Skim milk, activia yogurt, banana, apple, blueberries, spinach, cinnamon, lemon juice, honey, total cereal, and vanilla. Sounds gross hu? NOT! It's very yummy :)

I then began to fill out my internship packet (I'm both working and interning at Kroger for school) These packets are huge...so I only partially filled it out before going to sleep....

Today....

I woke up at 6:20 a.m. ate breakfast, and cake decorated at Kroger for 8 hours.

A few of the cakes and such I worked on:

Fishing cake

Hannah Montana cupcakes

Hannah Montana cake

Baby's 1st birthday cake.

Teeny tiny cake.

I came home to the wonderful aroma of my absolute favorite meal on earth....

(that my mother was kind enough to make for me upon request - and have waiting for me at home when I got off work)

This smile can only mean one thing.....

Grandma Katies chili!!!!!!!!

My mothers mother (who is no longer with us) passed down the absolute best chili recipe EVER to my mom/aunt....but sorry - you can't have it! It is a secret family recipe.

Unless you are a Black, a Hipp, or a Muehlenbruch - you are not allowed to know the contents of this recipe. BUT if you're ever lucky enough to be present when this dish is being created, I will be more than happy to share some with you!

(The picture above is what grandma katies chili looks like prior to my own particular add ins)

(This is what Grandma's chili looks like after I put in my own special 'add ins')

What did I add?

Cheese, onions, black beans, and hot sauce!!

(We always eat our chili with cottage cheese - there is no other way!)

After dinner I spent a little time outside - enjoying the beautiful fall weather...

I feel sorry for anyone who has never witnessed/experienced the midwest fall season.

I feel sorry for someone who has never seen the leaves change colors.

I feel sorry for anyone who isn't where I am right now.

I love the midwest.

It is the most beautiful place to be this time of year.

My sisters dog may look sweet an innocent...

But she is a blood thirsty satanic monster 50% of the time....ok ok I over exaggerate. But look at that face! EEK!

Remember my post about eating homegrown tomatoes ?

They're absolutely amazing!

I'm so glad my dads tomato garden is still in full effect so late in the season!

I picked one right off the vine and ate it immediately!

A couple more things before we get started.....

(1) There has been speculation amongst my loved ones as to how much personal information I put on the internet. Specifically my blog.

I've never once given out my address, my phone number, my family history, my ss# or anything of that extreme nature. But - to the untrained eye - it seems as if I put down every single thing that happens to me during all of my days.

On the contrary - there are a lot of meals I eat, a lot of places I go, a lot of things that happen, and a lot of hard and amazing stuff I go through that I opt not to include in my blog posts. I only expose about 5% of my personal life on here, and about 95% of my food life (food life? lol). I believe the balance is where it should be.

I pick and chose what I think is suitable for the eyes of strangers, and for the eyes of loved ones. Yes I have my rants where I go on and on about my day, or my life, hardships etc, and sometimes I do give a way a little too much information.

But for the most part....I only post about the section of my days that have to do with food. That's the whole point of this blog - to educate and entertain people who may or may not have the same love and passion for food that I do.

I really think I'm accomplishing something here.

So to wrap this thing up...... I'm going to do my best to leave my personal life to a minimum and keep my main focus on the food.

That's the reason why you're all here, right?

(2) I love halloween.

Pretty soon my posts are going to consist of a lot of halloween recipes, a lot of halloween videos, and a lot of spooky photos of myself....yep....spooky curly head on the way. Be prepared.

(3) I've been a really big homebody lately

I haven't hung out with my friends.

I haven't talked to many people.

I haven't gone anywhere besides work, school, and the occasional trip to a delicious restaurant.

What have I been doing instead?

I've been sitting at home home with my family - watching tv, updating my blog, and eating as often as possible.

I started feeling really guilty about my lack of communication with the outside world yesterday, and then I got to thinking...

Everyone says things like "Live today like it's your last" - "Live it up" - "Go out there and do something"- "Live your life to the max" (and a bunch of other cheesy "go getter" type quotes)

Well....I've decided that if today was my last day on earth I wouldn't want to spend it sky diving, climbing a mountain, or any other cliche "living it up" type experiences.

I'd like to spend my last day on earth at home, with my family, in our pajamas at 5 pm (which isn't uncommon) watching tv on the couch. This is what I enjoy doing. I'm not going to feel guilty about it anymore. I'm going to be moving soon and days like these won't exist anymore.

So if this was my last day on earth - I would be a very happy girl, because you want to know how I'm going to spend the rest of my night?

Sitting on my couch with my family in my pajamas at 5 pm doing absolutely nothing.

I have the rest of my life to sky dive.

It can wait.

I hope each and every one of you have an amazing week.

You deserve it!!

Let us begin...

[[Today’s music]]

(1)FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE – COSMIC LOVE

Her voice is quite breathtaking isn't it?

Love her. Love the song. Love the video.

"The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out

You left me in the dark

No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight

In the shadow of your heart

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat

I tried to find the sound

But then, it stopped, and I was in the darkness,

So darkness I became"

(2) LYKKE LI and BON IVER– DANCE DANCE DANCE

This is why I love music. Just beautiful.

"Having troubles telling

how I feel but I

can dance, dance, dance.

Couldn't possibly tell you

how I mean but I

can dance, dance, dance."

[[Today’s restaurant]]

TOP POT – SEATTLE, WA

(This episode of ‘chef vs. city’ is the closest video I could find that was informative when it came to the whereabouts of this restaurant)

[[Today's blog findings]]

While going through my daily "blog check" (which is where I peruse through the many blogs I follow) today I came across a lot of pictures that I find interesting, funny, cool, beautiful, and/or wonderful in one way or another:

[[Today's kitchen gadgets]]

(1) GARLIC ZOOM

(2) AUTOMATIC CAKE DECORATOR

"If you are looking for the finest cakes and desserts in the world, Vienna is the place to turn to. So it is no surprise that this Vienna based studio Mischer'traxler (Katherina Mischer and Thomas Traxler) has created an automatic cake decorator as part of their ongoing experimental series entitled, 'Til you stop - how much is enough'. It is not enough to simply have delicious cakes, the presentation is important and needs to be lovely. This wonderful decorator features of a rotating platform, icing gun, a motor-run arm and a silver dragées spout. It is designed to perpetually repeat one production step. It seems that as the cake rotates under the constantly moving frosting arm, a petal-like pattern of icing forms on the face of the cake. Also, tiny silver balls are dispensed on the other side. After this the decorator will keep going to make beautiful lines on the cakes. In the second process, as the cake rotates under the constantly moving frosting arm, a petal-like pattern of icing forms on the face of the cake. You can keep it simple or make an intricate pattern, the choice is yours. The cakes that get a makeover through this will look gorgeous and elegant."

http://www.gizmodiva.com/home_gadgets/automatic_cake_decorator_to_dress_up_your_cakes.php

(3) KIWI GUARD

[[Today’s news]]

This is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen (food wise) in my entire life. Who would eat this? Who would feed this to their children after seeing this photo?

It takes little to no time to make chicken nuggets from scratch at home. Why don’t you do that instead? Come on people. Wise the F up. For real.

(1) CHICKEN NUGGETS ARE MADE OF THIS PINK GOOP

Which came first: The chicken nugget or the pink goo? We may never solve the age-old chicken/egg question, but this one is easy: It's the pink goo.

It looks like some sort of innocent strawberry frozen yogurt, doesn't it? But it's not. That horrible pink image above, my friends, is what happens when an entire chicken is smushed through a sieve, according to the folks at Inquisitr.

Why would someone do that? It's because he or she is making chicken nuggets. Read on -- if you dare! -- to learn about what ELSE goes in to those cute little nuggets.

Nugget-making doesn't stop there! Because there's so much bacteria in this smushed chicken mess -- also known as "mechanically separated chicken" -- the pink goo has to be soaked in ammonia. But who would want to eat pink, ammonia-soaked chicken goo? Nugget-makers accurately assume no one, so they add artificial flavoring and coloring.

So, how do you tell if your nuggets contain this disgusting pink stuff? Simply check the ingredient list: The USDA now requires foods with mechanically separated poultry to be labeled as containing "mechanically separated chicken or turkey."

McDonald's McNuggets no longer contain mechanically separated poultry; however, their ingredient list is still nothing to brag about: Water, modified food starch, salt, seasoning, safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary and sodium phosphates. (Surely I can't be the only one slightly taken aback that McNuggets are flavored with rosemary?)

And they are battered and breaded with: Water, flours, modified food starch, OTHER starches, salt, leavening, spices, and whey. And they are prepared in vegetable oil. And dimethylpolysiloxane is added as an antifoaming agent. Whatever that means.

In case you think I'm being mean to McDonald's, consider this -- Perdue Dinosaur Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets contain: boneless chicken breast with rib meat, water, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, salt, sodium phosphates, sodium diacetate, and flavoring.

They are breaded with: flours, yellow corn meal, dextrose, dried whey, salt, sugar, potassium sorbate, spice, soybean oil, calcium propionate, guar gum, flavoring, extractives of paprika, and spice extractive.

Hard to tell if that's any better, isn't it?

But it's also hard to forget the pink goo, no matter how much you like chicken nuggets.

*Editor's note: This story has been modified from the original version to make it clear that nuggets made by McDonald's and Perdue do not contain mechanically separated poultry.

Is this an appetite killer or what?

http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/110459/anatomy_of_a_chicken_nugget

(2) HONEYBEE KILLER FOUND BY ARMY AND ENTOMOLOGISTS

It has been one of the great murder mysteries of the garden: what is killing off the honeybees?

Since 2006, 20 to 40 percent of the bee colonies in the United States alone have suffered “colony collapse.” Suspected culprits ranged from pesticides to genetically modified food.

Now, a unique partnership — of military scientists and entomologists — appears to have achieved a major breakthrough: identifying a new suspect, or two. A fungus tag-teaming with a virus have apparently interacted to cause the problem, according to a paper by Army scientists in Maryland and bee experts in Montana in the online science journal PLoS One.

Exactly how that combination kills bees remains uncertain, the scientists said — a subject for the next round of research. But there are solid clues: both the virus and the fungus proliferate in cool, damp weather, and both do their dirty work in the bee gut, suggesting that insect nutrition is somehow compromised.

Liaisons between the military and academia are nothing new, of course. World War II, perhaps the most profound example, ended in an atomic strike on Japan in 1945 largely on the shoulders of scientist-soldiers in the Manhattan Project. And a group of scientists led by Jerry Bromenshenk of the University of Montana in Missoula has researched bee-related applications for the military in the past — developing, for example, a way to use honeybees in detecting land mines.

But researchers on both sides say that colony collapse may be the first time that the defense machinery of the post-Sept. 11 Homeland Security Department and academia have teamed up to address a problem that both sides say they might never have solved on their own.

Want to read more?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/science/07bees.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

[[Today’s random]]

(1) WILLY WONKA HOUSE – TRIBECA, NY

"This six-floor, 15,500-square-foot warehouse built in 1915 in TriBeCa does not match everyone’s idea of a perfect family home. Mixed Greens gallery owner Paige West, her husband and their three sons thought otherwise. They summoned their many-time design magician Ghislaine Viñas to create their most imaginative project yet while Peter Guthrie handled the renovation of the actual structure.

This is the kind of home where you imagine Willy Wonka to live, or some other out-there character who throws crazy dinner parties that are talked about months afterwards. West’s family occupies the top four floors that are capped by a green roof. The lower two levels are taken up by a guest duplex that is not your typical guest house either. It includes, among other surprises, a two-storey climbing wall.

The old frame has been restored in a subdued style leaving a suitable background a lots of room for the wild interiors. Most of the time, one is not quite sure what one is looking at. It is a delightful, colorful and slightly mad mix of styles, colors, art and props, reminding us of a few hotels - including Hotel Fox in Copenhagen - where each room is decorated by a different artist.

A chandelier made of ping-pong balls, a self portrait by chocolate artist Vik Muniz and a pair of sheep sculptures grazing on a fuzzy green carpet are just some of the crazy details in this home, that according to the designer and owners, was also designed to be easy to care for and live in for a family with young kids. One thing is certain; the kids will not describe their home as ordinary or boring. - Tuija Seipell."

The Cool Hunter - Willy Wonka House - Tribeca, New York

(2)STATUS FACTORY BY RON ENGLISH EXHIBITION NYC RECAP

"Seminal art figure Ron English hosted “Status Factory,” over the weekend, his latest exhibition that debuted at the Opera Gallery in New York’s Soho district. Known for his amalgamation of twisted pop figures, the show was comprised of parodied cartoons, brand logos, and visceral surrealism through a selection of different mediums. For those that missed out on the opening, “Status Factory” will remain open through October 29th, 2010."

http://hypebeast.com/2010/09/status-factory-by-ron-english-exhibition-nyc-recap/

(3) DRESSES NOW PAINT THEMSELVES

"Experimental fashion is intriguing. Pseudomorphs by Dutch haute-tech designer Anouk Wipprecht is just that. It makes use of the sensual properties of moving liquids. To put it simply, it lets dresses paint themselves. A Pseudomorph dress consists of two parts when it is being made. First you will find a virginal white dress made of thick felt followed by an electronic accessory made from re-purposed medical equipment, custom designed electronics and a sculpted neck brace. Then you put them together and the tubes, which are led to the top of the dress, are filled with an ink which trickles down the dress. Since there isn't a definite pattern, every time the design will be unique. This is indeed unique technology. Also, the neckpiece is controlled through a pressure and control system with pneumatic control valves that allow the ink to be pumped through the tubes and into the design. This has never been done before and must be commended. The resulting fashion product is gorgeous to say the least."

http://www.gizmodiva.com/fashion/dresses_now_paint_themselves.php

[[Today’s food clips]]

(1) GROWING SUSTAINABLE MUSSELS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Growing Sustainable Mussels in the Pacific Northwest from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

(2) BIZARRE FOODS WITH ANDREW ZIMMERN – SHARK MEAT

(3) HALLOWEEN AT DYLANS CANDY BAR – GINGERBREAD HOUSE

[[Today's curly head]]

ADAM G. SEVANI

Attention ALL curly heads!!

Want to be recognized for your beautiful, crazy, and all natural curls?

Then sign up to be a featured curly head!

You must provide:

- Your: Name, Location, Occupation

-Tell me why you love being a curly head.

-Fill me in on what makes you a unique curly head.

-Give any tips or secrets you might have about maintaining hair like yours.

-And send 2 photos – so you have a chance to put your curls on display!

(If you would like me to provide a link to your blog, facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. for the rest of my readers to see – then also throw that in there! The more exposure you get the better!)

Don’t be shy J Go right ahead and apply!

Please e-mail your application to: Jennablack8@gmail.com