A Bunch of Apples or The Apple Bunch?

THE PIE IS FINALLY FINISHED! I attempted to let it cool, but that didn't go so well. (As a means of passing time, I even re-wrote the lyrics to the Brady Bunch theme song. That only took about five minutes though.) Since then, I've eaten a slice... or two, and I can honestly say that the pie is delicious! It's a wonder why I have never baked a pie before. I've always loved to bake. Matter of fact, I learned to bake long before I learned how to cook, and yet somehow I've never baked a pie... until today!

In a way, successfully making this apple pie makes me think on the days to come when I will be able to cook large family meals. Oven baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, string beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot-water cornbread, and mama's apple pie! Yes, siree! I can picture that... I can almost taste it... 

So, what's your favorite type of pie? 

Here's the recipe that I used - Mama's Apple Pie. I followed the it fairly closely, except for a few minor changes, i.e., the use of brown sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and nutmeg. 

The Brady Bunch An Apple Pie

Here's a story of a bag of apples,

that this lady did not like that much at all.

The skin of them was gross,

quite like plastic.

They weren't good apples at all.

Here's a story of a girl named Lisa,

who was wondering what she'd do with those apples.

There were six left, 

in the 'frigerator,

And they sat all alone.

Till the one day when this lady had an idea! 

And she could not just let it sit and die!

So she went right,

to the grocery store,

And bought things for a pie!

An apple pie! 

An apple pie!

That's the way she agreed to make a pie!

No, Not Homesickness - GROCERY SHOPPING!

For those who keep up with me on other social networking sites, you've probably noticed that I've been mentioned my hometown quite a bit lately. I'm slightly homesick. (NOTE: Slightly homesick should not to be confused with homesick. There's a enormous difference!) Earlier this week, I began writing a blog post about being homesick; however, it became rather depressing. I figured that since there is already more than enough saddening stories reaching news headlines, magazine articles and political discussions worldwide, then I should always strive to blog about fun things, happy times, and good news. (I may occasionally post something distressing, but I'll be sure to point out the silver lining as well! I promise.)

I mentioned all of that as an introduction to the new topic of my current blog post. It's about grocery shopping, a topic of which many of us are familiar! I can remember standing on the back of the grocery cart while my mother whisked me through the store aisles as a child! I can even remember the few times when my mother made me sit in the large basket of the grocery cart whenever I was sick or sleepy. Back then, grocery shopping was akin to an amusement park! It had rides (the cart), lots of people, and candy! For me, grocery shopping is just as exciting now as it was back then, but for different reasons of course. Today, grocery shopping is exciting, first and foremost because it means that I've been blessed with money to buy food! Everybody loves paychecks, gifts, and blessings, right? Secondly, I get to meet new, interesting people! (Now, understand that I don't go to the grocery to meet people, but I typically leave with a smile on my face from some wonderful conversation that I had with a cashier or customer. Yes, I've acquired the habit of speaking to people while waiting in line. My father should be the one to blame for this. If you know him, then you know exactly what I mean. I love you, dad!) Finally, seeing as some things never change, candy and snacks is another reason why I get so excited about grocery shopping!

I didn't want to spend much money on this trip, and I'm working on eating more healthily. As a result, I didn't get any candy this time around, but I did grab a few snacks to enjoy for the next few weeks. Hiding behind the container of jelly is a carton of ice cream! I LOVE ICE CREAM! Ice cream can be purchased while grocery shopping, which means I LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING TOO! Hence, for future references, if you're going grocery shopping and you want a bit of company, ask me to go with you! 

FRUITS AND VEGGIES‼

Growing up, I didn't like most fruits and vegetables. When I say most, I don't mean a little over half either. I didn't like about 70% of all fruits and vegetables‼ Really‼‼ I had my first real salad as a freshman in college and my first strawberry just last week‼ (Although the list of foods below may make it appear as though I ate plenty of fruits and vegetables prior to college, do not be deceived.  After all, potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes aren't the most healthy vegetables on Earth and they're still on the list.) So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I'd like to present a list revolving around my fruit and veggie expansion‼

Bananas, cauliflower, plums, coconut, eggplant and a variety of other fruits and veggies will one day make their way onto this list as well. For now, I'd only like to reflect on how far I've come...

Have you eaten a healthy portion fruits and veggies today?

The Good, The Bad, and The Best

What a day I've had! Let's see.... today I've been chipper, extremely sad, overburdened, overjoyed, overwhelmed, super Southern (if such an adjective exists), confused, annoyed, hopeless, satisfied, hurried, prayerful, worried, embarrassed, giggly, talkative, scared, determined, helpful, etc... I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Overall, the good outweighed the bad. Today was a fantastic day, although it didn't start out that way. 

My job hunt went terribly today. I guess you could say that it was so bad, that I don't even want to talk about, let alone blog about it. Speaking of jobs, another thing that really upset me today was my visit to an institution that shall remain nameless (simply because I think that's good etiquette). I wanted to open up an account near campus today so that could set up direct deposit in the near future. That didn't go so well. After wasting about thirty minutes, six branches of a tree, and quite a bit of ink, I left the building in the same state that I arrived in - without any type of account set up here. My day quickly turned around though.

A new friend of mine - that I randomly met last week - invited me to eat dinner with her and her friends tonight. I accepted my invitation and was asked to bring delicious bread for dipping! Once I made my way to the correct address and stepped through the threshold, I knew from that moment on that I was going to have a great evening. A wave of spices in the form of a tasty aroma floated in my direction! The entire first floor must have smelled so rich and savory! One of my new friend's friends was in the kitchen stirring a pot of southern stew flavored with Mexican pork. He turned around, waved me inside and the evening of laughter, stories and deliciousness began. Long story short, I intended to eat dinner with only three new friends, but I ended up making six more my the time I left! The best part of this story is that I'll get to enjoy their company again tomorrow! We have an entire schedule of things all mapped out, but I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Words of Encouragement: Many of my days remind me of the phrase used to describe the month of March - they come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. Whenever you feel like your day can't get any worse, do your best to stay positive. Your day can most certainly get worse, but it can also become a whole lot better, especially if you work toward making it a better day. Could you imagine what would have happened if I would my invitation to dinner tonight simply because I was in a bad mood? 

When life give you lemons, grab a little sugar, a few quarts of water and mix up a pitcher of lemonade! Make the best of what may seem like the worse, and remember, someone would love to have your bad days!

It Feels Like Christmas!!!!!!!

Don't let the title fool you‼ It is about 93℉ outdoors right now. So how else could it possibly feel like Christmas? Well, the answer is simple. I'm unpacking‼‼‼

I've gone about one full week without many of my belongings. The only thing that I brought with me when I came to Illinois was one suitcase and a small carry-on bag. Yup, that's it‼ I haven't cooked in over a week because I didn't have any cookware. I didn't have any of my hair supplies, so my hair has been pretty dull and dry. I haven't been able to wear a different pair of shoes, because there was no space for extra shoes in my one piece of luggage. So, today feels like Christmas‼ Every time I open a box another surprise is lurking behind the walls of tape. 

MY BUSINESS CARDS‼ Oh, how I've missed these‼ Job hunting without a small stack of business cards was not the most pleasant. MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE‼ I only got to see my degree for about an hour before placing it in an old, stuffy box. Surely, such an expensive and meaningful document didn't deserve such negligence. It's finally able to breath. THE BOOK THAT I WAS READING‼ I wondered what happened to that Debbie Macomber book that I was reading. I love her books‼ All of them‼ Of course I haven't read them all, but I have read at least two dozens of her novels. It almost unbelievable that I went without her books this long. They're usually the only thing that keep me company when I go out on dinner dates... by myself. Tonight when I get a bite to eat, I don't have to sit at a table alone sending text messages to fill the void. I can read‼‼‼ It's great to be able to have almost everything that I need right at my fingertips now. 

A big, heart-filled thank you to everyone that helped me move‼ It was definitely a team effort‼ From the people that helped me pack, to the lovely, wonderful, amazing people that shipped me everything, to the two new friends of mine who helped me pick up my packages - THANK YOU‼‼‼‼ Your help will not go unnoticed and your kindness will not be taken for granted‼