Costco Overload

K: So, H and I are in Choir this year, and so far so not good.  It's been quite bogus, not enjoyable, and just plain tedious.  That being said, Hedi and I decided to just have good attitudes towards the class, have fun, and make the most of a terrible time.  So with all that, we officially wanted to go to the city and hit Costco up, big time!  H's mom agreed to take us, so it was an early morning on Saturday.  We did some running around in the city first, shopping of course! After that, our time was devoted to Costco.

H: This year my mom said I could buy food for my locker so I wouldn't be hungry. But as you know I have a friend K, she likes to eat my food.

K: BUSTED!

H: Anyways, I was running out fast! Plus with all the food we eat in choir we were in need of some assistance.. Costco. It was quite... (five minutes later) sorry I got distacted there. It was quite an experience, running all over Costco and carrying mass amounts of food.

All in total we got a box of fishy crackers, a tub of animal crackers, a box of mini ritz crackers, and... JUICE BOXES!!!!

America has Voted.

So, this summer I've been watching America's Got Talent, every Tuesday and Wednesday.  At first it was just ya know, something to watch.  But then I started to really watch and get interested in the show.  I mean, there are some people on that stage who really deserve to be there.  After the show, when you're thinking back to all those people you watched on your tube, well, it is kind of shocking.  Those are people, from little towns in America, who really have a passion.  Maybe some people are just doing it for the money, but others are just there to show people what they really enjoy doing.  There's dancers, singers, bikers, you name it.  All these people are just driven by that one thing that makes their pulse quicken, their adrenaline pump.  The ages are ranging from under ten years old to over the hill.  Could you image being five years old again, and be able to sing like you've been practicing for twenty years?  Or being an amazing dancer, but diagnosed with cancer, only to come back with a technology that allows people to be seen dancing in darkness?  I want to be driven by a passion so deep as that, it's so cool!  Well, my passion is cooking, so it's not like I'm just going to cook all the time, but maybe I'll try a bit harder each day to make a really amazing dish, and to satisfy the people I feed.  I love America's Got Talent for the people, their tangible excitement, and the talents they show us.  Those people are role models.  I love it!

Signing off, K.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Yummies!

Yesterday was my birthday and my parents bought me a recipe book all about cupcakes.  This is one of the cupcake recipes that I've tried out.   

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Yummies 

Ingredients: 

1 (21 ounce) package double fudge brownie mix
2 eggs
1 package of mini peanut butter cups

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2.  prepare brownie mix according to package directions using 2 eggs. spoon into 8 miniature foil cupcake liners and fill three-fourths full.
3. place peanut butter cup in center of each and push into batter.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes approx 8 cupcakes.

decorations:


Buttercream recipe:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon milk
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients until creamy.
For pure white frosting, use one cup shortening and no butter.
-frosting for 18 cupcakes

Last but not least, ice all the cupcakes with the buttercream generously and top it with the left over mini peanut butter cups.

So there you have it, don't they look delicious!

Marv.

So..  Even though I got him like, June 3, he is still very adorable.  My cat.  Marvin.  Well, he started out as Maree, but then he turned into a boy, haha!  So now he is Marv.  It was the day after a concert H and I were in, and I had been begging my mom to let me get one, and my friend Cole just happened to have a few..  So, when Cole came over on Friday evening, well, he brought a tiny, orange, fuzzy, tailless..  KITTEN.  He is so quiet, and he is all stripy, and just so cute!!  He was born on April 22, so he is almost 2 whole months.  Honestly, Marvin is the weirdest thing ever..  Marvin is such a good old raggedy cat name, I think.  Well anywho..  That's my cat.  Marvin.  Ah, so funny.

My new pet

It was around lunch time when I came across the path of a leach. It was a long, black, fat leach.  But what did that matter. It was "My" leach. I scooped him up in a big jar and took him home to show my Mommy. Oh wouldn't she be proud! Nope, she was disgusted, she wanted me to get it away from her. I couldn't do that though. I made her baby sit him while I went to get my dad, and show him my new pet (by the way his name is Jerry). I don't think I was allowed to keep him though, so I sent him back, to live with the other leaches.  Someday I'll go looking for him again, and maybe, just maybe, I'll keep him then.

Sounds Of Music

H. There's always something about music.  The way the sound or beat gets captured in your mind, and you end up humming it all day.  The way some people can go for hours without a break in song.  Or even the way music can calm you at the dead of night.

Ever since enrolling in my school's band class I've found that the way you listen to music changes.  I find I can hear every instrument playing their own melody, instead of one big sound.  Music means a lot more to me now.

Music is something the world cannot live without...  Imagine a world without music... The world would be lifeless, soulless.  There would be no beat in your steps, no sway in your arms.  If you think about it, music could be anything; the popping of popcorn, the sound of your shoes as they scrape against the asphalt, even the sound of your last class' clock as it ticks away the seconds 'til school's out.  Music is always in the air, it's everywhere.

Easter

Past.

H. When Easter comes around, in my family you always know there's going to be chocolate.  Every Easter we would load up into our brown mini van and take off to Winnipeg, where most of our family lives.  We would have a splendid lunch, eat tons of chocolate... Then the fun happens... All the kids would pile into a secluded room while the adults hid all the chocolate eggs.  And then, we would hunt...

Present Day.

I don't remember graduating from the Easter egg hunt.  But it seems like this year was different; us older kids didn't get to hunt.  We were the hiders...  It seemed weird not being able to rush into the room when the adults yelled 'GO!'  and not being able to be the first to find your goodie bag.  I guess that's what growing up feels like, the day you finally realize you're not a kid anymore.  The good thing about it was being able to see the looks on the children's faces when they found were the chocolate was hiding.  Pure joy as they laughed, standing on their tippy toes trying to reach the higher objects, or their giggles while they stretched to reach behind a piano.  Pure joy!

Future.

...

Lemon Meringue Pie..

H.

As many of you already know me and K. love cooking and baking. yesterday, before our first drivers ed. class, Kirstie persuaded her mom to make lemon meringue pies.  It started off all fun n' games, all three of us enjoying the baking.  (OK so to be honest I only cracked and separated the eggs, that's gotta count for something right?).  So anyways, were getting all of it ready, putting the lemon filling in the pie dough, topping it with meringue.  Then in the oven it went..  

It's in there for a good amount of time until the meringue turns golden...but something seems off.  We brush off the feeling and go to make a second pie.  Then just as were topping the second pie with meringue, it hits us.  WE DIDN'T COOK THE PIE CRUST!!!  For any of you who have not made lemon meringue pie, you have to cook the crust first than fill it.  Well we missed a step.  So the meringue had turned a nice golden color, but the crust was still doughy.  

(I found out K. snuck a post on here. so guess I will too, I'm very mad at her! Ok so I'm not mad at her, how could I be)    

This isn't our pies, but it is a lemon meringue pie. Enjoy!

Driving

K. I am sneaking in a post here, so don't tell Hedi.  Hehehe.
Well here's how it goes people, when you're around the age of 16, you go to classes and learn all that not-very-interesting stuff about driving..  Well Hedi and I have done all that.  Now, to drive.  Our first driving class is today and we're both quite nervous.  But, secretly, I think we'll do quite well..  And have fun, so if we aren't the best drivers in the world, too bad because we're new.  But yeah, I thought I would just share this, so everyone knows to: stay off the roads.  No just kidding, we're not terrible.
Well, gotta go..  Posting before H finds out.. 

Day One

K. It started at around 12:30 this afternoon.  Hedi came over, and we went straight to the table with a pad of paper and a couple of ideas.  As you may or may not know, we share a dream of becoming restaurant owners and franchisers.  So today, I begged H. to come to my place to begin the planning of our first location (Hedi is in Grade 10, and I am in 11).
Well, we got a bit carried away as we drew, planned, shared ideas, and laughed.  Our little light bulb moments came in handy in the big picture, but we're just getting started. Buut, I will let H. share a bit before I reveal the entire plot.

H. As Kirstie has told you, she had to beg me to go over to her house.  At first I couldn't get K's idea in my head, but her struggles were worth it, because now I can.  Today, we've been able to draw up a sketch of both the interior and exterior of our restaurant.  Kirstie was already looking at lamps... (I would say that's planning a little too far into the future). 
It is around 9:00, we've been at this for 8 and a 1/2 hours now and we're only on Day 1.  Tonight she's packing up and we're heading over to my place to continue planning.

K&H. We've spent quite a bit of time sketching, erasing, arguing, laughing, and agreeing with each other; we've finally created the first draft of the exterior.  Well, I'd say, I being Kirstie, that the two of us have revealed enough for the first day.  So, only to be nice, we will add a picture of the frontal view of our restaurant.