Personal Baked Oatmeal "Bars"

I'm  not much of a morning person.  At all.  For some reason, I am perfectly capable of waking up at 5:30 am for a gym class (most of the time) and when I do I manage to make myself something good for breakfast (and by "I usually make myself," I mean "Ian cooks" - at least for now).  But on days that I don't go to the gym, I CANNOT get my lazy butt up out of my bed.  Which also means I don't eat breakfast.  If I don't eat breakfast I AM STARVING by 9:30 am, which is obviously too early for lunch.  Or I eat something gross out of a vending machine.

And this is where I have to thank Pinterest and the amazing people who post amazing ideas on it!  PINTEREST SOLVED MY LAZY BUTT BREAKFAST PROBLEMS!

The People of Walmart

So I did some baking for Easter, but this post isn't about that.  This post is about my trip to Walmart to get my baking supplies.  I'm a procrastinator, so I waited until Sunday morning to go to the store to purchase my ingredients.  I wasn't really sure what stores would be open on a holiday (in the bible belt), so I opted for Walmart because I figured it was a sure bet. 

During my time at Walmart, I had multiple interactions with strangers:

(1)  Within 5 minutes of being in the store, as I was wandering around by the checkout lanes trying to find one that had cold Diet Pepsi, an older gentleman walked up to me and asked me to verify that he was purchase the correct light bulb.  He had his old light bulb and the new one he wanted to purchase...we agreed that there was a little indentation at the top and that appeared to be the only difference.

(2)  A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in an...interesting suit approached me.  He had a full gold "grill" and a very nice hat.  He was looking for a woman to help him re-tie his tie.  I was apparently the 18th to turn him down.

(3)  While looking for peanuts, and older gentleman started talking to me about where to find the powdered popcorn flavoring.  We agreed it should be near the popcorn.  He encouraged me to eat more popcorn and told me his favorite brands.

(4)  Finally, while getting some food coloring two black men approximately my age came into the aisle and asked if I happened to know where they could find Easter egg dye.  I said I did not but told them they could use food coloring, water, and vinegar and it would work the same.  They thanked me and turned to walk away and I heard one (who had his goatee in pigtails) say to the other, "See, white people are so smart."  Seriously. 

Anyway, the people at Walmart were very, very friendly on Easter. 

Rootbeer Float

Around November of 2011, I got an email from my sister, Dani, with the subject line "Challenge."  She issued me a challenge to create a cupcake that used at least one flavor of Pinnacle Vodka, preferably more.  Specifically, she wanted me to use a the Pinnacle Whipped.  She may have even strongly suggested that the cupcake be a Rootbeer Float flavor.  I promised to do so...

I intended to make these cupcakes shortly after she issued her challenge.  I purchased the Pinnacle Whipped vodka and intended to purchase the Rootbeer flavor as well.  However, the liquor store I went to didn't have it, so I just purchased Rootbeer and made a mental note to go to another liquor store.

I drank the first bottle of vodka.  It's really good.  Mixed with Rootbeer, it's like the perfect adult Rootbeer float.  No joke!

Doctor's Orders!

I promise to post about cupcakes again very soon (about Rootbeer Float cupcakes...yummy!).  But first...

I went to the doctor yesterday because I've been a little dizzy and my hip hurts.  The doc ran some tests and took some x-rays.  Turns out, I have low blood pressure (100/60) and a random issue with my hip.  My doctor has instructed me to eat more salt and stop running.  No joke.

How many of you can eat bacon, cheese, and chips and blame it on your doctor?  Well...I CAN!  Jealous???

Not a Real Post

Every once in a while (aka - like 10 times a day) I check to see how many hits my blog has gotten and how people find their way to my ramblings.  Today I hit a jackpot.  You see, when you type a search into google, and it leads you to a blog which you choose to click on, the owner of that blog can see the search terms you used.  Usually the search are boring like - corona cupcake or libatious litigator.  This time, it turns out there are two oddities.

And now, I present to you the odd search terms bringing people to my blog:

• Why does my limoncello look like pee
• ganchen pastru fejsbooh

Clearly the limoncello pee question pulled up my homemade limoncello post...where I clearly compared my giant bucket of limoncello to pee...well...the look of pee...

I haven't the foggiest clue what the second search was.

I'm an Idiot...or...I'm REALLY Dedicated to my Job!

Obviously this post isn't about cupcakes.  Sorry...

Anyway, on Tuesday I was sitting in my office, pouring over a plaintiff's medical records, doing some research into the various pain medications he has been prescribed over the two years since his accident.  I do some google searches for the uses of the medications, side effects, etc.  One is a muscle relaxer, one is an anti-inflammatory, and the third is a narcotic pain med.

Then I leave and go to hot yoga.

If you've never tried hot yoga, you should.  It's awesome.  But you should be careful.  Very, very careful. In this particular yoga class we do a lot of inversions (we go upside down).  Well, near the end of class I attempted to do something that is similar to a headstand.  I failed in a painful way.  Nothing big happened, I just put my legs up and my neck went slightly to the left.  And then there was pain.  Nothing bad at first...but gradually it grew.  And now I'm on the same pain meds as the plaintiff!  (minus the anti-inflammatory).

So, the moral of the story is I'm really dedicated and just wanted to know first hand what the side effects of these pain meds are.  So, thank you hot yoga.  

PS - if one more person tells me about the STUPID New York Times article from a month or so ago that details the dangers of yoga, I may scream!  Yes people, yoga, just like every other athletic activity, can lead to injuries.  If done improperly.  Like I did.  

Ok, rant over!

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Butter Cream Frosting

This spring, Ian has an amazing internship working at a prestigious accounting firm...and it has the potential to lead to a full time job when he graduates.  It's a tax internship during the busy tax time, and so far he is loving it.  He is loving it so much, in fact, that he decided he wants to bribe them into giving him a job...or into liking him...which he hopes will lead to a job.