I know it has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I post here, so I thought I would check in and let everyone (okay, maybe the one person that may read this) know what I've been up to and why the long hiatus. I especially want to do this to keep myself from being a hypocrite. I used to complain about people who take awesome blog names and then don't post a thing. At least I'm not one of those, but I was getting dangerously close.
So, after the wedding, husband and I moved. I was a crazy, last minute sort of deal. He got a job and off we went! He started traveling to the new area to investigate places to live while I continued working. We had only one month before his new job started.
I'm going to diverge from my story here to discuss the move. Many people may think, why would you move and leave your job just because your husband got a job somewhere else? Well, we had several logic-based reasons. I didn't just feel the need to blindly follow my male counterpart. He was going to be making more than me. So, while I had been supporting us for the few months before he got a job, it made more sense to let him get the higher-paying job and support me if needed for the time being. In addition, I wasn't too happy at my job, but they were going to let me continue to work remotely. A perfect situation! (They ended up reneging on that and letting me go, but more about that later.)
Anywho, husband's job was in a pretty dead part of Florida, so we chose an apartment equidistant from his job and the downtown area of the nearby city (Orlando). The apartment complex was brand new, gorgeous, just a mile off the highway for easy access, and has extensive amenities (beach-style pool, BBQ area, gym, breakfast on weekends, hot tub, game room, etc.) Plus, the price was just a little more than what we paid at the old crap-hole in Gainesville. After the move, we took some time to settle in and I found out that my remote job was ending. They gave me a decent amount of advance notice, though. I started my new job search and, after only being unemployed for one month, found an amazing opportunity as a writer for a medical services and e-commerce company. I have been orienting myself to this new job for the past month and a half.
Basically: Surprise! I'm a writer.
These are the reasons why I dropped off the face of the earth for both of my blogs. I really need to get back into my other blog, www.bravenewkitchen.blogspot.com, but that one takes more effort. Hopefully, I will get the food writing bug back in me and I'll be able to come up with some good cooking advice to post at Brave New Kitchen. It has the potential to be great, I just have to put in the effort.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
SLEEP: Are You Getting Enough? Probably Not.
After a short hiatus from blogging, I am pleased to announce that I am now MARRIED! The wedding was beautiful, our friends and family had tons of fun, and I couldn't have asked for a better day! This experience has given me plenty to blog about, so listen up!
Most of us skate by on 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. We figure that's enough, right? Plenty of people get even less sleep! If you're one of those people, I'm glad you stumbled on this post. Our sleep patterns affect our lives in more ways than you think. Some of us are so used to minimal sleep that we accept it as the norm for our particular body. This doesn't just cause a higher need for coffee and a groggy morning. A lack of sleep, or even slightly less than a full 8 hours of sleep, can affect your decision-making skills, weaken your immune system, and even increase hunger (all the women scream, "Nooooo!").
If you are one of the many women coping with wedding season at the moment, you should especially heed this advice. A lack of sleep may make you choose the puffy-sleeved, two-toned, mermaid-skirted bridesmaid dresses! Sorry to use scare tactics, but this is a big deal, my friends.
Five Signs you Need More Sleep
1. Even simple decisions throw you for a loop. For example, you've been planning on getting a new laptop for months. You have saved enough money and go online to purchase it, but end up spending 20 minutes trying to decide what color you should get. Blue or black? You start to feel overwhelmed. Should I buy a protective case? Do I want the case that comes with handles? When you're tired, you are less able to distinguish between important and irrelevant information. The sleep-deprived are also riskier gamblers ("Maybe if I wait until the last minute to buy my plane ticket to that interview, the price will go down.")
2. You've been stuffing your face all day, but you still want more food. Studies show that chronic sleep loss can disrupt blood sugar levels and cause the body to produce less leptin, a hormone that curbs appetite, and more ghrelin, a hunger stimulator. On top of that, tired people tend to crave sugar, so you won't be munching tons of salad. You'll end up grabbing the box of donuts.
3. You spend more weeks sick than healthy each month. People who get inadequate sleep are more prone to infections. In one study, researchers injected healthy people with the common cold. Those who slept less than 7 hours per night were 3 times more likely to get sick than those who got at least 8 hours!
4. You've cried during every season finale this week. Less sleep = more emotional. In one study, sleepy volunteers had 60% more activity in their amygdala (fear and anxiety processing center). This part of the brain was also shown to communicate less with the part of the brain in charge of determining appropriate emotional responses. Have you had an argument escalate into a full-blown fight and have no clue how you got there? Look back and think how tired you were that week. In addition, tired brains store more negative memories than positive ones. Over time, this can cause depression-like symptoms. Scary!
5. You have become a klutz. This is pretty self-explanatory. Plenty of studies (and personal experience) show that people who are tired have slower reflexes and less precise motor skills. You can also have momentary (a second or two) blackouts when your body's urge to sleep gets too strong. Sleepiness can even throw off your balance.
Erasing Your Sleep Debt
"Sleep debt," or the cumulative hours of lost sleep, isn't something you can pay off in a night or two. It can take weeks of building up restorative, healing sleep patterns to get your body back where it needs to be. There is no magic formula. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. In the meantime, here are a few ways to suppress the effects of your sleep debt.
- Get some rays. Morning sunlight boosts energy by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. A morning walk can also help your body's internal clock sync up with the sun.
- Exercise! We all know exercise has an insane amount of benefits. Aerobic exercise in the early evening will energize you (even if you start while tired) for a couple of hours. Your body temperature naturally drops at night. The natural drop in body temperature that occurs about 2 hours after exercise will signal your body that it's time to go to sleep.
- Take a power nap. Twenty to 30 minutes of sleep midday will help ward off fatigue. Don't sleep more than that or your body will be groggy from reaching a deep sleep. If you want more than 30 minutes, you'll need to stretch your nap to at least an hour and a half to get past the deep sleep stage.
- Work on something interesting. Obviously, people pay more attention to things they find mentally stimulating. Don't give in to the temptation to do something mindless (if you can avoid it).
-Eat for stamina. Big meals and high levels of sugar will cause blood sugar spikes and dips. Instead, eat a small snack or small meals every few hours. Choose foods with complex carbs, some protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. Examples: a handful of nuts or reduced-fat cheese and crackers.
- Caffeine it up. Energy drinks will help, but they'll also cause your calorie count to skyrocket. Try adding honey to some caffeinated tea or adding sugar to your espresso (just order a Cafe Cubano). Instead of one big mug of coffee, drink smaller amounts throughout the day to keep you going.
These tips should help you stay afloat until your body can fully recover from that lack of sleep you always (or never) knew you had. You'd be surprised what just a couple of extra hours can do for your body.
Erasing Your Sleep Debt
"Sleep debt," or the cumulative hours of lost sleep, isn't something you can pay off in a night or two. It can take weeks of building up restorative, healing sleep patterns to get your body back where it needs to be. There is no magic formula. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. In the meantime, here are a few ways to suppress the effects of your sleep debt.
- Get some rays. Morning sunlight boosts energy by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. A morning walk can also help your body's internal clock sync up with the sun.
- Exercise! We all know exercise has an insane amount of benefits. Aerobic exercise in the early evening will energize you (even if you start while tired) for a couple of hours. Your body temperature naturally drops at night. The natural drop in body temperature that occurs about 2 hours after exercise will signal your body that it's time to go to sleep.
- Take a power nap. Twenty to 30 minutes of sleep midday will help ward off fatigue. Don't sleep more than that or your body will be groggy from reaching a deep sleep. If you want more than 30 minutes, you'll need to stretch your nap to at least an hour and a half to get past the deep sleep stage.
- Work on something interesting. Obviously, people pay more attention to things they find mentally stimulating. Don't give in to the temptation to do something mindless (if you can avoid it).
-Eat for stamina. Big meals and high levels of sugar will cause blood sugar spikes and dips. Instead, eat a small snack or small meals every few hours. Choose foods with complex carbs, some protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. Examples: a handful of nuts or reduced-fat cheese and crackers.
- Caffeine it up. Energy drinks will help, but they'll also cause your calorie count to skyrocket. Try adding honey to some caffeinated tea or adding sugar to your espresso (just order a Cafe Cubano). Instead of one big mug of coffee, drink smaller amounts throughout the day to keep you going.
These tips should help you stay afloat until your body can fully recover from that lack of sleep you always (or never) knew you had. You'd be surprised what just a couple of extra hours can do for your body.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
One Test Every Married (Or Soon-to-Be) Couple Should Take
As part of our pre-marriage classes at the United Church of Gainesville, our minister suggested we take the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Test. I've taken the test online myself, but it made a huge difference to have someone lead you through the implications of being your particular personality type. There are also books and plenty of websites that give tips on applying the personality types to conflict resolution. In addition to learning a bit about each other, I feel like I learned a lot about myself. It definitely helped me understand why E does the certain things he does, as well as why I do the completely confusing things I sometimes do.
The Meyers-Briggs test rates personalities, or temperaments, based on 4 indicators: Extrovert/Introvert, Intuitive/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Here is a good link to take the test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp . I highly recommend both you and your partner take it! What follows is a little more information about the test metrics. This is a long one, so you can skip below to read about our score and what it meant to our relationship.
Extrovert/Introvert - The Energy Preference
This indicator is based on how you fuel yourself and your mind. Do you use good conversations with a big group of people as a way to sort out your thoughts, or do you focus inwardly? Many people think this preference measures whether you are shy or outgoing, but it's really not about that. It's about where you get your mental energy.
Intuitive/Sensing - The Information Gathering Preference
This indicator measures how you process information from the outside world. Intuitives see the big picture and pick up on cues and hunches. Basically, they can "read between the lines." Sensors process data. They take in concrete information through their senses and are very practical.
Thinking/Feeling - The Deciding Preference
This indicator measures how you make your decisions, whether it is based on what you think (logic) or what you feel (priorities, values).
Judging/Perceiving - The Living Preference
This final indicator measures how you manage your life and your time. Judgers are structured and organized. They use planners and are goal oriented. Perceivers prefer to keep their options open and not have predetermined schedules. They value the journey rather than the end goal.
Our Results!
I turned out to be an INFP, while E is an ISTJ. Oddly enough, this was the same as our minister's marriage, except switched. He is the INFP while his wife is the ISTJ.
ISTJ (E- my fiance)
-Respects the way things have been done before, the "right" way to do things
-Enjoys being organized
-Are loyal, careful, hardworking, and persevering
-Do what they see as right and expect others to do the same
-Honor their commitments
-Are calm in a crisis
INFP (me)
-Devoted, compassionate, open-minded
-Dislikes schedules and deadlines, likes making decisions in the moment
-Likes learning and is easily absorbed in their projects
-Sets high standards for self and others
-Idealistic, sensitive, and creative
-Can be reserved and contemplative
I definitely saw truth in our personality descriptions. While we both scored high in the "Introverting" category, it is interesting to note that when a couple has one indicator the same, one member of the couple tends to gravitate in the opposite direction over time to create balance. We have already seen that in E, because he can become quite extroverted at times when I am at my most introverted.
ISTJs dislike disorganization. I have seen this in E especially through wedding planning. I pretty much blurt out whatever I am thinking whenever it pops into my mind, so I would randomly bring up wedding-related topics throughout the day. It frustrated E to no end, and he would become uneasy. I finally learned that is because if we're going to talk about wedding things, it needs to be in an organized fashion. I needed to pick a time of day that worked for both of us and get all of the wedding talk out at once, instead of bombarding him throughout the day. I still have trouble following that formula, but I think I've made some strides to keep E happy.
E is definitely practical, another ISTJ trait, and he likes things done the way you are "supposed" to do them. There was actually a little drawing on our pamphlet of a woman holding up a toothpaste tube to an ISTJ man while she said, "I promise to always squeeze the toothpaste the 'right' way." I laughed out loud when I saw it - we have definitely had this conversation! It's a pet peeve of E's when I squeeze the toothpaste from wherever the hell I feel like it. It seems trivial, but if I can do something so small to make him even minutely happier, I will. So now I squeeze from the bottom instead.
INFPs (me) are basically described as you would a hippie, but even more chill. Unlike the traditional stereotype of a "hippie," INFPs don't feel the need to impose their values on others. Whenever we have religious or political conversations, E seems to want me to argue my point and present evidence, as an ISTJ focused on facts would want. In my mind, I am perfectly happy describing my POV and then letting the argument go. You can agree or disagree and I feel it is unlikely that anything I say will change that - either way, most of my opinion will likely be based on feelings and vibes (oh no, that dreaded v-word!) instead of details and evidence.
Since I like the "big picture," I often don't see facts that are right in front of me. I tend to completely ignore obvious details. For example, if I'm looking for the restroom in an unfamiliar place, I am more likely to think of where a restroom would most likely be and look where people seem to be walking alone, while completely ignoring the giant sign that says "RESTROOMS" on the other side of the building. E is definitely the GPS in our relationship. I'm more of a kite that floats wherever the wind feels strongest.
INFPs will often spend too much time considering options or possibilities without acting on them. You wouldn't believe the amazing things I've accomplished... in my head. I spend so much time thinking about what I could do that I end up not doing anything at all. The Libra in me comes into play here, too. I can narrow anything down to 2 options, but I'll get stuck there because I will see the positive and negative in both and become unable to distinguish one as better than the other.
I've learned so much through these classes and I feel this information will definitely help E and I take a step back in any disagreement and think, "What is making him/her come to this conclusion?" I think we can appreciate each other and our differences more. E can feel free to let the strengths of an ISTJ shine; being diligent, practical, precise, logical, dependable, dutiful, sensible, orderly, steady, thorough, hardworking, and persevering. I learned that I need to nurture and appreciate the INFP's strengths of idealism, empathy, creativity, sensitivity, self-reflection, compassion, originality, adaptability, and curiosity. In other words, I now have an excuse to embrace my inner hippie.
So, take the Myers-Briggs test and let me know what you score (in the comments is best)! I have a few summaries our minister gave us that might be helpful in using your personality type to your (and your partner's) advantage.
The Meyers-Briggs test rates personalities, or temperaments, based on 4 indicators: Extrovert/Introvert, Intuitive/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Here is a good link to take the test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp . I highly recommend both you and your partner take it! What follows is a little more information about the test metrics. This is a long one, so you can skip below to read about our score and what it meant to our relationship.
Extrovert/Introvert - The Energy Preference
This indicator is based on how you fuel yourself and your mind. Do you use good conversations with a big group of people as a way to sort out your thoughts, or do you focus inwardly? Many people think this preference measures whether you are shy or outgoing, but it's really not about that. It's about where you get your mental energy.
Intuitive/Sensing - The Information Gathering Preference
This indicator measures how you process information from the outside world. Intuitives see the big picture and pick up on cues and hunches. Basically, they can "read between the lines." Sensors process data. They take in concrete information through their senses and are very practical.
Thinking/Feeling - The Deciding Preference
This indicator measures how you make your decisions, whether it is based on what you think (logic) or what you feel (priorities, values).
Judging/Perceiving - The Living Preference
This final indicator measures how you manage your life and your time. Judgers are structured and organized. They use planners and are goal oriented. Perceivers prefer to keep their options open and not have predetermined schedules. They value the journey rather than the end goal.
Our Results!
I turned out to be an INFP, while E is an ISTJ. Oddly enough, this was the same as our minister's marriage, except switched. He is the INFP while his wife is the ISTJ.
ISTJ (E- my fiance)
-Respects the way things have been done before, the "right" way to do things
-Enjoys being organized
-Are loyal, careful, hardworking, and persevering
-Do what they see as right and expect others to do the same
-Honor their commitments
-Are calm in a crisis
INFP (me)
-Devoted, compassionate, open-minded
-Dislikes schedules and deadlines, likes making decisions in the moment
-Likes learning and is easily absorbed in their projects
-Sets high standards for self and others
-Idealistic, sensitive, and creative
-Can be reserved and contemplative
I definitely saw truth in our personality descriptions. While we both scored high in the "Introverting" category, it is interesting to note that when a couple has one indicator the same, one member of the couple tends to gravitate in the opposite direction over time to create balance. We have already seen that in E, because he can become quite extroverted at times when I am at my most introverted.
ISTJs dislike disorganization. I have seen this in E especially through wedding planning. I pretty much blurt out whatever I am thinking whenever it pops into my mind, so I would randomly bring up wedding-related topics throughout the day. It frustrated E to no end, and he would become uneasy. I finally learned that is because if we're going to talk about wedding things, it needs to be in an organized fashion. I needed to pick a time of day that worked for both of us and get all of the wedding talk out at once, instead of bombarding him throughout the day. I still have trouble following that formula, but I think I've made some strides to keep E happy.
E is definitely practical, another ISTJ trait, and he likes things done the way you are "supposed" to do them. There was actually a little drawing on our pamphlet of a woman holding up a toothpaste tube to an ISTJ man while she said, "I promise to always squeeze the toothpaste the 'right' way." I laughed out loud when I saw it - we have definitely had this conversation! It's a pet peeve of E's when I squeeze the toothpaste from wherever the hell I feel like it. It seems trivial, but if I can do something so small to make him even minutely happier, I will. So now I squeeze from the bottom instead.
INFPs (me) are basically described as you would a hippie, but even more chill. Unlike the traditional stereotype of a "hippie," INFPs don't feel the need to impose their values on others. Whenever we have religious or political conversations, E seems to want me to argue my point and present evidence, as an ISTJ focused on facts would want. In my mind, I am perfectly happy describing my POV and then letting the argument go. You can agree or disagree and I feel it is unlikely that anything I say will change that - either way, most of my opinion will likely be based on feelings and vibes (oh no, that dreaded v-word!) instead of details and evidence.
Since I like the "big picture," I often don't see facts that are right in front of me. I tend to completely ignore obvious details. For example, if I'm looking for the restroom in an unfamiliar place, I am more likely to think of where a restroom would most likely be and look where people seem to be walking alone, while completely ignoring the giant sign that says "RESTROOMS" on the other side of the building. E is definitely the GPS in our relationship. I'm more of a kite that floats wherever the wind feels strongest.
INFPs will often spend too much time considering options or possibilities without acting on them. You wouldn't believe the amazing things I've accomplished... in my head. I spend so much time thinking about what I could do that I end up not doing anything at all. The Libra in me comes into play here, too. I can narrow anything down to 2 options, but I'll get stuck there because I will see the positive and negative in both and become unable to distinguish one as better than the other.
I've learned so much through these classes and I feel this information will definitely help E and I take a step back in any disagreement and think, "What is making him/her come to this conclusion?" I think we can appreciate each other and our differences more. E can feel free to let the strengths of an ISTJ shine; being diligent, practical, precise, logical, dependable, dutiful, sensible, orderly, steady, thorough, hardworking, and persevering. I learned that I need to nurture and appreciate the INFP's strengths of idealism, empathy, creativity, sensitivity, self-reflection, compassion, originality, adaptability, and curiosity. In other words, I now have an excuse to embrace my inner hippie.
So, take the Myers-Briggs test and let me know what you score (in the comments is best)! I have a few summaries our minister gave us that might be helpful in using your personality type to your (and your partner's) advantage.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Back from a Stress-Induced Hiatus
The past few months have been quite trying. I got lost in a haze of stress and appointments, both doctor- and wedding-related. Some days I seriously thought I was going to pass out and find myself in a hospital. I don't handle stress well. Hence, not posting any news. We've had plenty going on, including finalizing many wedding details, purchasing favors and decorations (Oriental Trading and Amazon.com are currently my 2 favorite online shopping locations), attending bridal showers, and tying ribbons. God, there have been so many ribbons.
I think the final straw in the lets-let-stress-take-over-my-life-and-see-how-it-goes tactic was daylight savings time. I hate "springing forward" with a passion! The week after that was jam-packed with wedding appointments and stuff to be done. I was like a ghost that just went to work, ran errands, and came back home to do more errands before vaporizing for a few hours and starting all over again. If I slept, it was never well. It took several coworkers telling me how tired I looked a couple of weeks ago for me to realize I needed to get this under control.
I decided to take it easy. I took a few days worth of to-do lists and hid them out of view. I focused on sleeping and thinking about anything but the wedding. I hung out with friends, got an art show together at our favorite Gainesville pizza place, Satchel's. I finally caught up on sleep and got back into an exercise routine, which has made a world of difference. I also got off of some medications that may have been causing some side effects. I've decided to leave my body alone for a while. Honestly, I think part of my stress was caused by my body rebelling against hormonal medicines. Now all I am doing is chugging water (it is so hard to get the recommended 2 liters a day), exercising, taking probiotics, and an antibiotic prescribed by my dermatologist. I should probably pick up my yoga again, but I'm not going to even pencil it into my schedule because that will just turn it into a stressful item on a to-do list.
I have felt so much better stress-wise in the past week. I have had a lot of fun planning this wedding, but I am glad I have everything 80% done. If I hadn't been working, I would have loved every moment of planning, but it is just impossible to do both without it becoming a weight on your shoulders. Hopefully now I can focus on my health and the final preparations will be fun again!
Next up, I will update you on what we learned about each other in our pre-marriage classes including a revealing personality test all couples should take! Soon to come, a little more info on how to improve your sleep patterns and keep yourself sane. Also on tap, a recipe and photos for Florida Clam Linguine. Planning a wedding doesn't have to be all Lean Cuisines or fast food. Take a moment to make a fancy meal with your fiancé and remember why you're going through all this work in the first place!
I think the final straw in the lets-let-stress-take-over-my-life-and-see-how-it-goes tactic was daylight savings time. I hate "springing forward" with a passion! The week after that was jam-packed with wedding appointments and stuff to be done. I was like a ghost that just went to work, ran errands, and came back home to do more errands before vaporizing for a few hours and starting all over again. If I slept, it was never well. It took several coworkers telling me how tired I looked a couple of weeks ago for me to realize I needed to get this under control.
I decided to take it easy. I took a few days worth of to-do lists and hid them out of view. I focused on sleeping and thinking about anything but the wedding. I hung out with friends, got an art show together at our favorite Gainesville pizza place, Satchel's. I finally caught up on sleep and got back into an exercise routine, which has made a world of difference. I also got off of some medications that may have been causing some side effects. I've decided to leave my body alone for a while. Honestly, I think part of my stress was caused by my body rebelling against hormonal medicines. Now all I am doing is chugging water (it is so hard to get the recommended 2 liters a day), exercising, taking probiotics, and an antibiotic prescribed by my dermatologist. I should probably pick up my yoga again, but I'm not going to even pencil it into my schedule because that will just turn it into a stressful item on a to-do list.
I have felt so much better stress-wise in the past week. I have had a lot of fun planning this wedding, but I am glad I have everything 80% done. If I hadn't been working, I would have loved every moment of planning, but it is just impossible to do both without it becoming a weight on your shoulders. Hopefully now I can focus on my health and the final preparations will be fun again!
Next up, I will update you on what we learned about each other in our pre-marriage classes including a revealing personality test all couples should take! Soon to come, a little more info on how to improve your sleep patterns and keep yourself sane. Also on tap, a recipe and photos for Florida Clam Linguine. Planning a wedding doesn't have to be all Lean Cuisines or fast food. Take a moment to make a fancy meal with your fiancé and remember why you're going through all this work in the first place!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Chocolate-Covered Bacon... Hell Yeah!
These past few days, E had to travel out of town on some family-related business. It has become so odd to be without him. It was only a few days and I made a list of plans and errands to keep myself busy, but that first evening was just...weird. I was a little lost when I got home and no one was there. So it took me that whole night to get reoriented. I didn't get a single thing done. It's like I kept waiting for him to pop around the corner and say we should probably grab something for dinner. Now, I'm not trying to be dramatic- I wasn't huddled in a corner, hugging my knees and crying! I was doing little things around the apartment to feel busy, but I ended up just puttering about and half-cleaning things. Needless to say, that day was a loss.
I finally found my footing by the next afternoon and was able to get lots of wedding-type shopping done. I went to Michael's craft store to get ideas for decor and found the perfect little lantern for my flower girl to carry instead of a basket with petals! I also went to JCPenney and got beautiful bridesmaid jewelry (along with some cute earrings for myself).
On Wednesday, I decided to make a special treat to welcome E home. He had a long drive in from the airport, so I thought I would make a dessert. Several months ago, we heard that the County Fair would have,in addition to deep fried Oreos, CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON. We were so excited, until we realized the fair was actually a tiny, run-down space of dead grass with rides I would never send my worst enemy on and an "Oktoberfest" that was just a tent with picnic tables under it and one family sitting there for the shade. I don't know, maybe I'm spoiled by the Miami-Dade County Fair I grew up with. The highlight of this county fair was the tent filled with cows, chickens, and a couple of goats. Goats are freaking awesome.
But I digress. We never got to try the chocolate covered bacon (there was none). So it popped into my head that I should make some myself. I looked up a recipe just to make sure I wouldn't mess it up, but it really is as simple as: 1. Bake bacon until crispy. 2. Melt Chocolate. 3. Dip one into the other. So, here goes.
***
I have moved my chocolate-covered bacon post to my new food-related blog, Brave New Kitchen. Visit me there!
***
So, this Valentine's Day, make your loved one (or your loved self) some chocolate-covered bacon instead of silly old strawberries.
I finally found my footing by the next afternoon and was able to get lots of wedding-type shopping done. I went to Michael's craft store to get ideas for decor and found the perfect little lantern for my flower girl to carry instead of a basket with petals! I also went to JCPenney and got beautiful bridesmaid jewelry (along with some cute earrings for myself).
On Wednesday, I decided to make a special treat to welcome E home. He had a long drive in from the airport, so I thought I would make a dessert. Several months ago, we heard that the County Fair would have,in addition to deep fried Oreos, CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON. We were so excited, until we realized the fair was actually a tiny, run-down space of dead grass with rides I would never send my worst enemy on and an "Oktoberfest" that was just a tent with picnic tables under it and one family sitting there for the shade. I don't know, maybe I'm spoiled by the Miami-Dade County Fair I grew up with. The highlight of this county fair was the tent filled with cows, chickens, and a couple of goats. Goats are freaking awesome.
But I digress. We never got to try the chocolate covered bacon (there was none). So it popped into my head that I should make some myself. I looked up a recipe just to make sure I wouldn't mess it up, but it really is as simple as: 1. Bake bacon until crispy. 2. Melt Chocolate. 3. Dip one into the other. So, here goes.
***
I have moved my chocolate-covered bacon post to my new food-related blog, Brave New Kitchen. Visit me there!
***
So, this Valentine's Day, make your loved one (or your loved self) some chocolate-covered bacon instead of silly old strawberries.
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