Interview day!
Keeping my fingers crossed that I am the best candidate for the job!
Hoping that my backgrounds checks process faster!
Interview day!
Keeping my fingers crossed that I am the best candidate for the job!
Hoping that my backgrounds checks process faster!
mexican hot chocolate cookies
*made these the other night and they were a huge success at work! I only used 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder (wasn’t sure how 1/2 tsp would work, but I will definitely use more next time!) also, depending on how familiar you are with mexican hot cocoa, you might want to add a touch bit more cinnamon into the dough.
Flourless Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Posted By Liz On December 19, 2011 @ 11:48 am
Flourless Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Super-soft chocolate cookies spiced with cinnamon and chile powder — these are sure to warm you right up!
Makes 4 dozen
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes per cookie sheet (~4 cookie sheets)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 batch soft sugar cookie dough
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder (optional)
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a shallow dish, stir the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
Prepare one batch soft sugar cookie dough, except omit the flour, and add 2 cups cocoa, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon chile powder.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll into the powdered sugar mixture (if dough becomes too soft to roll, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes). Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets and setting onto wire racks to cool completely.
Article printed from Little Bitty Bakes: http://www.littlebittybakes.com
Tommy Bahama - Laguna Beach. Shrimp BLT.
Orange County,California. Locals Bucket List.
While cleaning out all my magazines, I came across an old issue of Orange Coast and decided to flip through the pages. One of the articles was, “Time for a Bigger Bucket: 39 things ALL Orange County locals should do before they kick.” I figure that we should all aim to have things that we would like to accomplish before we pass and if you don’t have anything on your list yet, maybe you will find some inspiration!
In no particular order:
1. Embrace the Santa Ana’s (tell that to my allergies, greaaaaat)
2. Hike to the Top of Orange County (Saddleback) Most trails lead to the summit of Modjeska Peak, the northern and lower of the two mountains. To really and truly stand on top of Orange County, use the Holy Jim Trail to climb 5,687-foot Santiago Peak. Roughly 16 miles roundtrip. Day pass: $5 at REI - Martin Dugard
3. Enjoy a brief-but-thrilling panaramic view of Orange County. California Adventure’s Tower of Terror lifts you 183 feet above the Anaheim theme park and before the doors open, in the distance, you can see the glowing lights of the stadium filled with thousands of Angel fans.
4. Surf under a full moon. Just as the eastern sky turns pink and the seascape takes on shape and meaning, this is a particularly alluring time - while there is just enough light to navigate swells and before the daybreak hordes descend. Moonlit sessions work best at as spot such as Lower Trestles, just south of San Clemente. -Steve Hawk
5. Revisit Crystal Cove’s Vanished California. For a night or weekend revisiting the unspoiled past - accommodation in a funky restored shack on the sand or bluffs above - try online reservations or look for cancellations. Or drive down for a hit-or-miss chance at waking up to the sound and smell of the ocean on your porch, climbing the steep stairs up the palisade, and taking in the panorama of a pristine cove, Catalina island, leaping dolphins and circling hawks. - Andrew Tonkovich
6. Hear a Homegrown Band. See Social Distortion doing their thing, on their home turf.
7. Bury someone at sea.
8. Get a high-concentrate whiff of Summer. This is simple and cheap, and the experience will live on in the folds of your brain until the day you die. On any summer evening, wait until dark, then:
one: turn off your car’s AC
two: roll down your windows
three: drive PCH between Seal Beach and Newport Beach
The cool night air carries with it the essential perfume of an Orange County summer - salt air mixed with wood smoke from the fire rings. - Martin Smith
9. Get up, up and away in the Great Park balloon.
10. Get close enough to smell a whale’s breath.
11. Ride the Fun Zone merry-go-round until you’re woozy this has recently been removed from the Fun Zone.
12. Play air guitar at Leo Fender’s original factory.
13. Give the double-v salute on Army One at Richard Nixon’s library.
14. Get lost in Irvine’s maze of identical neighborhoods.
15. Run the bases outside Angel Stadium’s main entrance.
16. Feel a wave rock the Ruby’s on Balboa Pier.
17. “Crash” a Duffy boat.
18. Tour Trinity Broadcasting’s headquarters.
19. Time Travel to the 1940s. Visit the Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport. This space provides the opportunity for visitors to see restored warplanes, military memorabilia, classic cars, and wartime film clips.
20. Ride in a boat parade.
21. Flash your booty at an Amtrak Train. It started 31 years ago as a barroom bet at Mugs Away Saloon in Laguna Niguel, the annual Mooning of the Amtrak.
22. Explore tide pools.
23. Catch a world premiere at South Coast Repertory.
24. Stoke a beach fire.
25. Swim outside the breaking waves.
26. Stroll through the stones at Anaheim Cemetery. History buffs will find the graves of 48 Civil War veterans, both Union and Confederate, and the ornate archway that marks the cemetery’s original southern entrance where horse-drawn hearses and carriages arrived.
1400 E. Sycamore Street, Anaheim
27. Celebrate the 4th of July in Downtown Huntington Beach.
28. Shop with your pooch at Fashion Island.
29. Watch the Wedge go huge!
30. Shop for live seafood at 99 ranch market.
31. Spot celebrities at the Montage Bar.
32. Track a Master of Mystery. If you read detective fiction, wondering how the writer dunit, follow an intriguing paper trail. Make arrangements to visit the Special Collections and Archives of the UC Irvine Libraries, home of the “Kenneth Millar Papers, 1939-1979.” Writing as Ross Macdonald, the late Millar created famed sleuth Lew Archer. - Pat Broeske
33. Visit the Home of Orange County’s First Superstar. Named for Shakespeare’s Arcadian forest, Arden Modjeska Historical Home and Garden is a pastoral mini-paradise. Stand on the porch of Helena Modjeska’s 1888 Victorian and indulge in theatrical posing. - Andrew Tonkovich
34. Eat a real taco. I’m talking classic, street-style, double corn tortilla, carne asada, and, at most, some raw onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Stop by Great Mex on the Balboa Peninsula.
703 E. Balboa Blvd (949) 675-0808
35. Wallow like a marine. Check out, or even better, participate in the World Famous Mud Run at Camp Pendleton.
36. Eat the chicken dinner with a history lesson. It’s not just a chicken dinner. It’s Mrs. Knott’s Famous Fried Chicken! They’ve served more than 20 million of them at the restaurant just outside the entrance to the park.
37. Race through Newport Harbor like a drunken sailor. Staged for about 50 years by the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Harbor, the Beer Can Regattas - every Thursday evening at 6 from May through September - are lighthearted races for folks who sail boats shorter than 50 feet and who belong to a recognized Southern California yacht club.
38. Lose something to the waves. When you lose something to the mighty ocean, you become an amateur archaeologist. As you scan the wet sand, hoping Mother Nature will return your unintentional sacrifice, you see things and parts of other things that the waster has stolen from others.
39. Experience the ocean inside and out. After a day at the beach, soaking up the sand and sun, check out a restaurant that might make it feel like the beach came home with you. Don the Beachcomber or the Crab Cooker, which both serve excellent clam chowder.
Went to the Gibson Amphitheatre last night and had a great time singing and dancing along!
Nothing like some great Christmas songs to accompany me while I bake!
Salsa Verde! I’ve always been a big fan of salsa and could probably eat 3 meals a day that included salsa. With that being said, I probably spend a good amount of money buying salsa at the market (there is a lot to be said about the immediacy and convenience of this). However, I decided that I would try my hand at making salsa and below is the recipe that I used:
2 poblano peppers (broiled 5 minutes per side or until blackened)
Place in a paper bag and seal. Let stand 10 minutes; peel and chop.
1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth and 1lb peeled tomatillos (combine) and bring to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cover and simmer 8 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes.
Pour into a blender (tomatillos and chicken broth)
Add 2 tbsp lime juice and 2 garlic cloves; process until smooth.
Pour into a bowl; stir in poblanos, 2/3 c chopped white onion, 1/3 c cilantro (I used less, I’m not a huge fan), 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 diced fresh serrano chile.
Chill.
Serves about 6-8.
currently playing and getting me pumped up to wrap presents, presents, and more presents!
9 sneaky tips for saving more money
It’s that time again, where holiday shopping sneaks up on us and forces us to empty our wallets on things were not even sure we need or that others will like! (guilty!) However, I (via the MSN Money staff) would like to pass along some tips to help you save, during a season on spending.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need tricks to help us save money.
Plenty of people seem to think they can’t afford to save, while you might be unemployed or deeply in debt, YOU can still save! (maybe just not as much)
You should have a plan to build savings, if only a dollar at a time. Suppose you were able to squirrel away as little as $2 to $5 a week. (Why not skip that morning latte or breakfast sandwich today?) In a year, that would be $104 to $260 that might otherwise have gone towards sodas, magazines, or the dollar menu. Doesn’t sound like much? When you need a couple of new tires, you’ll wish you’d skipped those cheeseburgers.
There is no magic, and there is no free ride. But there are ways to make the process less painful - even a little pleasurable.
Give yourself an allowance for fun. Put that amount in an envelope each payday or fold it in your wallet. Once it’s gone, that’s it - no fair dipping into savings. But you do get extra credit for putting leftover “fun” money into savings on your next payday and start all over.
Financial educator Katerina Taylor admits being occasionally tempted by thoughts like “I really want that purse.” However, most of her money is in a pair of online banks (ie. ally, ING) that require at least 48 hours for transfers. This is enough of a cooling-off period to make her realize she doesn’t really want (or need) that purse.
Another way to keep her mitts off the moola: Taylor sets most of it up in laddered certificates of deposit, which carry penalties for early withdrawal. However, the CDs mature regularly enough that money would be available for a non-fashion emergency.
Try this: opening an additional account where they offer a monetary bonus and nickname is for a large purchase item you are striving to save for, ie. kitchen remodel, new car, etc…Just the simple thought of this particular item will inspire you to look for ways to boost the balance: manufacturer rebate checks, recycling money, tips, house cleaning (always check the couch cushions!) It won’t be a fortune, but it will be lots of money that might have otherwise gone to frivolous things.
It wouldn’t hurt to rubber band a photo of advertisement of your goal to your credit or debit card either. When you want to stop for takeout instead of going home to heat up leftovers, you’ll see the picture of the new baby who will one day need to go to college.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were savings collectors every bit as persistent as the ones who go after debts?
The fact is, savings is indeed a bill to be paid.
The easiest way to pay bills is the easiest way to save, too: automatically. Direct deposit from your paycheck whisks money away before you even see it. You quickly learn to live in what’s left. If you’re the hands-on type, make sure the first item on your list of bills to pay each payday is savings.
Start with a few dollars. When you don’t miss it anymore, increase the amount a little. Work slowly, giving yourself time to adjust.
Yes, IT IS HARD to save. Do it anyway! Don’t give in to what Richard Barrington of MoneyRates calls the “misery-loves-company trap.”
The fact that your neighbor or co-worker or cousin is in the same boat ins’t going to make YOUR financial hardship any easier. At the end of the day, you’re responsible for yourself and your savings.
One more tip: Get symbolic. Want to retire at 65? Start depositing $65 each week or month. One read makes weekly deposits equal to his two daughters’ ages. It’s an easy way to save, and it only goes up $1 per year per child, its not that difficult to maintain.
Happy saving and Happy Holidays! Best of luck and remember, it’s never to late or hard to start saving!
