Fix It Friday - 53

Original

My Edit.

Tried to mix things up a little here. I used some over exposure and played around with multiple actions from Pioneer Woman. I don't really like the idea of correcting blemishes on kids--it's part of who they are when the photo's taken. I don't know how this little dude bumped his eye, but I'm sure there's a story behind it.

Almond Cloud Cookies

Ahh, the busy-ness of life. With my new rotation and trying to pack for our big move, I haven't tried a new recipe for over two weeks!

But, this post is about these fabulous almond cookies. Warning, these aren't cheap to make. I think the almond paste alone will get you for $6-10. The cookies are very, and I mean very, sweet. The first bite is delicious, and then the next I feel is a sugar overload. The next time I make them, I might try adding less sugar. That being said, these are the closest things I've found to the almond cookies from my favorite Italian bakery, Vaccaro's in Baltimore.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

* 10 ounces almond paste
* 1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/8 teaspoon extra-strong bitter almond oil
* Confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar, for topping

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) Blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly; this is best done in a stand mixer.

3) Add the egg whites gradually, while mixing, to make a smooth paste.

4) Stir in the flavorings.

5) Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared pans.

6) Sprinkle the cookies heavily with confectioners' sugar, then use three fingers to press an indentation into the center of each cookie.

7) Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan.

Yield: 21 cookies.

In the Company of a Courtesan

In the Company of a Courtesan by Sarah Dunant


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I haven't read too many books set in Italy of the 1500's and while I know this is historical fiction, it was nice to learn more about the era.

One of the things I loved about this book was the character development. Not only did I feel a personal connection to each character, each character was flawed in some way. People in real life are flawed, as they should be.

I wasn't expecting the plot twist towards the end with the Healer, but definitely enjoyed the change of pace and surprise!

View all my reviews >>

If Michelangelo Sculpted David Today...

A friend sent me these pictures in an email and I just had to share.


The original....

...took at trip to America...

...and ate the American diet...

Too. Much. Stuff.

My Dad will be getting here with his covered wagon, um I mean trailer, in about a week. While we don't need to have everything packed when he gets here, next week will be busy with graduation festivities, so I finally started tonight. I have this problem--I have too many hobbies. On top of that, when I discover a new hobby, I don't just buy the basics, I like to "accessorize." Tonight I spent about two hours packing and organizing my scrapbooking supplies and photos. The kicker--I'm about 6 years behind on all of my scrapbooks! While I'm glad it's organized, I really doubt I'll have much time to scrapbook over the next three years. I used to print out my digital photos, but since I'm so behind on my scrapbooks, I've just been saving them on my hard drive. I guess gone are the days when my adult kids find boxes of old un-filed photos--they'll have to search Facebook instead.

I don't know how much longer efficient packing is going to last. I have a bad feeling I'm going to just start throwing things in boxes oh so soon.

Golden Apple 2010

Each year my medical school has an award ceremony/dance known as Golden Apple. We didn't go last year, but since it's my senior year, I really wanted to go this year. It's a nice fun reason to get all dressed up and relax.

I should know by now to get my dresses professionally altered, but I'm too cheap. My upper half is at least a size or two smaller than my lower half. I think I spent a good 20 minutes just trying properly position the pins on my dress yesterday so I wouldn't pop out.
And then, it was trying to do my hair. Again, I'm too cheap to get it done. I always think doing my hair will take less time than it actually does. Want to know a secret? I used a bump-it last night! I've had them for about 8 months, so I figured it was finally time to use it. See the little bump? Not bad, eh? One of our friends had people over before the event. I was supplying some of the alcohol, but my hair still wasn't done. No fear, I proceeded to take my curling iron and curl it over there. Yes, that's how I roll.
So with similar occasions, alcohol was served. Our tickets included two bottles of wine per table. I'm cheap and we're all about free wine, so my friend and I went looking for any leftovers on other peoples' tables. Can you believe everyone drank all of their wine?!? But we did find some fresh water and desserts. Again, that's how I roll.
And this girl below, shes definitely one of the best friends I have and helped make med school that much more enjoyable and tolerable! Come June, we'll be on separate coasts =(
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an old lady yet, but I think I can still party like I'm 21. Man, I was beat by the end of the night! Every time I drink, I tell myself I'm going to slow down next time. I really need to start listening. I didn't wake up with too bad of a headache, but I think it took me until 6 pm before I had enough energy to feel like a real person again.
So, cheers to my last Golden Apple as a medical student and getting ready to start residency oh so soon.

I ran almost a mile today!

I used to call myself a runner, but with my knee pain for so many years, I really haven't been able to run. In fact, I think the last time I went for a true run was about 4 years ago. Since it's been about 8 months since my knee surgery and it's warm out again, I figured I'd give running a try. I'm happy to say I ran almost a mile today. I probably would have ran a full mile if it didn't end with a super hill and I didn't have my wallet and cell phone in my pocket hitting my thighs with each step (I was on the way to the Farmer's Market). I used to hate running distance at tracks, but I might try that next since it's a softer service--at the very least I should find a short trail.

I had a slight twinge in my knee as I was running, but it was definitely tolerable. It now hurts slightly in my left quad (side of bad knee) when I go down the stairs, but other than that I think I'm feeling ok. Today's run was no where near the speed or distance I'd like to achieve again eventually, but it's a start!