well its about damn time!!

i FINALLY got my settlement check from skybus! it has been deposited in our account and has cleared, and i plan on dragging mitch to the mall (if he ever decides to wake up; i might have to bribe him with waffle house) so we can buy our wedding bands! only over a year late lol. oh well, better late than never right?

know what pisses me off?

ignorant close-minded super-conservative holier-than-thou christian extremists!!! pick an article off this site, any article. im particularly fond of the beyonce one and the lightning bolt one *rolls eyes*. and yes, im 99% certain this site is NOT a joke.
http://christwire.org/

i never really found older men sexy

until i first saw leroy jethro gibbs XD
oh he is just beautiful...those eyes...*swoons* lol

nutella pound cake: epic deliciousness

i Stumbled on this recipe a few weeks ago and ever since then my mouth has been watering at the thought of it. so this morning i gave in and bought nutella (of course i bought 2 jars - one for the cake and one for me ;) enjoy!

the fixins: youll need flour, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar and of course, nutella

hell yea nutella! a jar full of chocolate-hazelnutty orgasmic yummyness ^_^

beat the eggs and vanilla together; in a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. look at that fluffiness ^_^

add the egg mixture and flour mixture and beat until combined. pour 1/3 of the batter in a greased loaf pan and spread with half a jar of nutella (i found it was a lot easier to spread the nutella if i popped it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.) layer another 1/3 of the batter, the rest of the nutella (leaving a little bit left in the jar for consumption ^_^), and top off with the last of the batter. swirl with a butter knife. bake, let cool, and enjoy the swirly tastiness :)

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake
taken from danatreat.com
Makes one 9-by-5 inch loaf

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 13-ounce jar Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. Using either a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed utnil fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

61* and raining

its the perfect weather for snuggling under a cozy blanket, reading, drinking tea and listening to the perfect music. which of course is what im doing (minus the tea, i cant bring myself to get out from under my blanket just yet lol). my perfect music for this weather = asobi seksu. havent heard of them? im not surprised. theyre not very well-known, despite recently releasing their 3rd album. i havent heard it yet, but their second album, citrus, is one of my favorite cds of all time. you must go buy it. theyre amazing. heres my favorite track off citrus: thursday

ARIELLAH!!!

my amazing friend phoenix (who has been bellydancing for 10 years) just told me about this:

What: Winter Solstice Workshop with Ariellah: Cary
When: Sat Feb 6 1pm – Sat Feb 6, 2010 4pm
Where: Academy for the Performing Arts 115 Commerce St. Apex NC
Created By: Heather for NCBellydance.org Workshops Calendar
Description: Winter Solstice with ~Ariellah~

Hosted by Mara and The Moorish Gypsy Tribe

Experience the Dark Side of Winter

Ariellah’s style infuses her personal interpretation of Middle Eastern Belly Dance with a modern dark flavor. She is widely known for her strong stage presence and unrivaled technique. Her performance is designed to mesmerize and evoke emotions of the darker more passionate side of dance. Ariellah believes her style emanates from the contentment bellydance has brought to her life, as well as her infusion of her lifelong involvement in the gothic subculture, allowing her to express herself in a unique and beautifully dark way……

i am SO excited for this!!! ariellah is AMAZING and i can not wait for this opportunity ^_^
ariellah

omnomnom

i just made what are quite possible THE best cinnamon rolls ive ever had. actually theyre orange cinnamon rolls. and they. are. DELICIOUS. im very proud of myself because this was also the first time ive made a yeast dough, and i must say it turned out quite splendidly :) so if you have the time, i definitely recommend making these. trust me, you wont be sorry :)

orange-cinnamon rolls, adapted from www.ourbestbites.com

dough:
1/4 oz package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk (the recipe calls for scalded milk, but i didnt scald mine and it turned out fine)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2-4 cups flour

filling:
4 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
zest from one orange
cinnamon to taste

glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbs melted butter
2 tbs orange juice

in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. in a large bowl mix milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg. add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. add yeast mixture. mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes. place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

heat oven to 350*.

when doubled in size, punch down dough. roll out on a floured surface into a 15x9 inch rectangle. mix filling ingredients together and spread on dough. beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal. cut into 12-15 slices.

after the rolls are filled and cut, place them in a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

when the rolls have a few minutes left in the oven, whisk your glaze ingredients together. when the rolls are done cooking, let them cool for 5 minutes. spread glaze on and serve warm.

look at this deliciousness. LOOK AT IT!!! XD