Monday, February 28, 2011

Braided Bread

I decided to make home-made chili and braided braid after a long shift of studying last Saturday. The bread seems to have been a hit. I made a total of 4 loaves on Saturday, there were 2 loaves left on Sunday, and only crumbs by Monday morning. There truly is nothing better than fluffy homemade bread. Just the smell of it baking makes my mouth water. Since I believe the best things in life should be shared, I want to share this recipe with you! Happy baking!

Place in Mixer:
1/4 c. warm water over 2 Tbs. dry yeast
Mix in Separate bowl:
2 c. Milk (scalded, or warmed if Skim)
1/2 stick of margarine (butter)
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs Salt
2 eggs
Pour mixture over yeast and Add:
7-7 1/2 C. Flour
Knead for 10 mins and let Rise for 10 mins (repeat)
Divide dough into 4 equal sections and cut each section into three equal portions. Roll these three portions into long rounded strips and braid the three strips together. Repeat this with the other sections of dough until you have braided 4 loaves of bread. Place them on an oiled cookie sheet and let the bread rise until it about doubles in size (I usually do two loaves to a sheet)
In a small bowl beat:
1 egg and 1 Tbs warm water
Egg wash the loaves of bread (brush the mixture over the top of the loaves)
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins
(You can sprinkle them with sesame or poppy seeds if desired)

Monday, February 14, 2011

A Love for Love


Happy Valentines Day! Those of you who know me know that I have a helpless love for love. So in honor of today, my post is solely dedicated to Love!
"I love us!" This new commercial made my heart melt!

Here is my Gallery of Love!   "Love lifts us up where we belong!"
 

 



 

  

Saturday, February 12, 2011

So Terrible it's Comical

You know those moments where you can either laugh or cry? I had three of those this week. I'll admit at times I definitely wanted to cry, but being the big 20 year old girl I am, I decided to scream a bit and then laugh in the end. 
It started on Tuesday during my Humanities test. Knowing the test usually takes me 1 1/2 hours and that I had class at 2:00 in the same building, I signed up for a two hour block between 12:00 and 2:00 to take this test.  I had to write a 5 paragraph essay at the end of the test, and near the end of this essay I looked up at the clock. In my horror, I saw that the minute hand was already at the 45 minute mark.  I only had 15 minutes to write 2 more paragraphs, conclude this essay, check the spelling, and look over the multiple choice again! I spat out a pretty poor conclusion and abandoned the idea of going over my multiple choice. Ending the test, I proceeded to run down the hall to my class. I opened the door to see a completely foreign group of students in the chairs. Confused, I walked back out and asked what time it was -"1:00." I had misread the clock! I ended my test a whole hour early! I could have had a whole hour more to clean up my essay and look over my multiple choice! I leaned back against the wall laughing at my own stupidity.

Then I got home from class to see that a letter I had mailed a missionary in the beginning of January was forwarded back to me. Somehow in transit, the postal service had massacred my letter. It looked as if someone had perfectly sliced the letter from one corner of the envelope to the other. I laughed because I had just sent a letter to this same missionary referencing the letter in my hands that never got to him. There were whole sections missing, but still parts that were salvageable, so I mailed it in its ragged state once again. I still think the Post Office should reimburse me with a free stamp, express shipping, or something!

I've been frantically trying to find good air fare to London for the summer. I finally found a flight under $1000 the other day. I was going to snatch it, but figured I had better check a few last minute things with my program director. Two days later, my program director answered my questions and I was ready to start purchasing. I went on to the once $923 flight to discover it is now $3375! I guess when you snooze you lose!

In all these moments I had three quotes pop into my head: 1. "You should have had a V-8 (followed by a smack to the forehead)" 2. Eric from Boy Meets World "Life's tough, get a helmet! (proceeds to smack Cory's forehead)" and 3. "That's why I got into BYU" (a frequent saying I voice when I do things like misread clocks and run into doors) So like I said, you can either laugh or cry...but I choose to laugh!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

What Makes us Special?

Some of my favorite things to discover about people are their little unique quirks. I think the quirks are the best parts of people because they make up the uniqueness that applies only to that person. Sometimes people hide their little quirks because they are embarrassing, but to them I say, "Embrace the quirks! They make you who you are after all, and your uniqueness is powerful! So here is a small list of some of my funny quirks that I'm not ashamed to share:
  1. I love the smell of Antique/Musty places
  2. I dislike the sound of popping balloons
  3. I don't know how to blow a bubble with my gum
  4. I can't buzz my lips for more than a second
  5. I enjoy mopping the floor
  6. I choose my scent based off of my outfit each day
  7. When I get road rage, I sing loudly at the other cars
  8. I have to sleep at least 8 hours a night
  9. I've never owned a pair of flip flops
  10. I don't put salt and pepper on my food unless I'm cooking it
  11. I have a birth mark on the back of my neck
  12. One of my eyes is slightly bigger than the other
  13. I never go a day without having nail polish on my toes
  14. I like to make wishes (on stars, birthday candles, sprinkler heads, 11:11, stray eye lashes, etx)
  15. I  sometimes say random Korean words when I sneeze