Food Adventures: Valentine's Day Crepes!

Hello, friends!

So Valentine's day has come and gone. For some, I'm sure that you're relieved to see it go. I have once been one of those anti-Valentine's day people. I disapproved of the idea of having media and retailers demand and pressure us into purchasing items to display our affections. Of course, I was also without a Valentine on those days - but that was beside the point! or at least that's what I told myself then.

To be truly honest, with or without a Valentine, I love Valentine's day.

Here's what I posted to my Facebook as my status on Valentine's day:

"On this day, whether walking to your own beat or joining a special someone's melody, remember that today is a day to remember to love and to live in love. Don't let the day make you bitter and remember that love is far more than romance, the famed center of retail and media on this holiday. To live in love and to know love is to care for others, be they friends, family, lovers, or simply fellow humans. I think of it as an awareness day, making me aware of what not to take for granted in this life. Just my two cents."

That is really how I feel, too.

Just ask Anna, I love love and I love to love love. It's always been more than romance to me. I have so much love in my life. There are a couple friendships that come to mind that really take my breath away; I honestly can't even believe that some of my memories actually happened. They seem like they were taken straight from a movie or a book... Maybe one day I'll write a book, using those moments. Yes, *scribbles in life to-do list*

But, really, I love love. I love to volunteer in my community. I haven't in a long while and I'm looking to become more active again within the coming months; just have to find a project/organization to join or rejoin. :) The more I can do to make anyone feel more loved, the better everything is. That's my view at least.

With all of that, I also love romantic love, of course. I have a great man and I did have the opportunity to remind him of how much he means to me. An opportunity that I get every day and try to take advantage of every day.

So, because I only kind of give into the retail side of the holiday, I got him  a small box of chocolates and gathered him a movie date night pack, for us to enjoy. :) Then I made him a card and set out to make dinner and breakfast! Since Valentine's day landed on a Thursday, we postponed the foods until the following days. Below are some photos of his card. I'm pretty proud of it! I made a shnazzy popup card!

I visit him almost every weekend. I tallied up how many times I visited and calculated how many miles that's been. Impressive, eh? ;)

I cooked up some mixed veggies and New York strip steaks for the dinner; that was all fairly commonplace as it is kind of my go to date night dinner. O.o

My real adventure was my first stab at crepes! It was a real success! They were delicious, beautiful, and so fun! I was SO excited to have succeeded at this; I love crepes!

I followed this recipe for chocolate crepes with strawberries and cream cheese. I followed the batter and cream recipes to a "t." I made the batter in my blender the night before and allowed it to chill and settle overnight.

This recipe doesn't tell you much about how to cook the crepes, but don't worry I'll let ya in on my secrets. ;)

I don't have a crepe pan. I don't expect that many people do. Instead I used a ~10 inch nonstick saute pan.

I set my pan on the stove to heat at medium heat. As the pan heated, I brushed the cooking surface with some canola oil, using a basting brush. When I was confident the pan was fully heated, I scooped out 4 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and tilted the pan in a circular motion to cover the pan with a thin layer of batter.

It only takes about 10-20 seconds for the crepe to cook on that side. You want to go to flip the crepe when the edges start to curl a bit. Slide your spatula under the crepe... Then with a flick of the wrist - Flip! Then about 10 more seconds on that side and your crepe is finished! Out of the pan and on to a plate for cream and strawberries, followed by any method of folding or rolling for final presentation and eating!

Glorious!

They were so good. I know you're jealous - don't be! They're easy to make! Just have a little confidence & fun and crepes are a cinch!

Whether you were enjoying Valentine's day with your special someone or kicking it, enjoying the soundtrack of your own heart - I hope you had a great Valentine's day.

I send you love, all of you.

Until next time, friends - Stay excellent!

- Jenny -

Where I've Been & What's New!

   So, I've been an absent friend on this blog....for quite some time I'm ashamed to say. I am sorry about that friends, I have no excuse, especially to my dearest friend Jenny, who has been holding up this whole show throughout the entirety of my absence. I can only apologize & thank her for her patience & support, as a true friend, I appreciate it enormously. Thank you for being you Jenny & for being such a strong & loving friend. I love you!

   Now, to address what's been going on, there's a lot to tell, but for time's sake & not wanting to push my entire life on those who happen on this post, or are first time friends on the blog, I'll keep it as short as possible. From last April, to the current year, I've been experiencing change, the kind of change you need time to wrap your head around. I've not been good at it, & I freely admit it. Some of that change consisted of good things, a new & wonderful man in my life, for example was long overdue & very exciting! However, at the beginning, it was a long distance relationship & occupied my time & mind constantly. It had been so long, I'd been so out of balance in that area of my life that I got a little over-focused on it. Part of that was good, the effort on both sides of the relationship kept us together & brought us to where we are now, which is together & happy with each other. The other part of that focus was depression related...a feeling which has finally loosened its hold on my spirit in recent days. 

 In the beginning of September of 2012, I left my job of five years, my home, my friends & family behind for the trees & mountains of Montana. I loved it here the first time I set foot inside the state. I loved the Tri-Cities, because it was home, but there was something in me that tumbleweeds couldn't fill, the love of the outdoors, hiking, trees, mountains, wild things! So the move to a new place was exciting, even more so, considering I'd be on my own for the first time & living with my boyfriend after we decided we didn't want to let distance get between us anymore. 

 The start was great... right up to the point where depression set in. I had no friends here, save the ones I was living with, I didn't know the area very well, & I quit two jobs in a matter of days after being    
hired. I was alone often (when my boyfriend & other roommate worked), lonely, missed my family terribly, & felt guilty for leaving my dog behind(my family told me he was depressed too). After quitting the last job I hated(telemarketing job disguised as something else), I decided two months of being out of work was enough. I went home for about a week,visited with my family, collected some things I left behind, Obie (Australian shepherd) included, & went back to Montana. I couldn't move back to WA & leave the man I loved alone. Putting six hours of driving back between us was not something I wanted. No matter where I was, I was missing someone I loved. I have to thank my boyfriend for being very strong, patient & supportive during this time. If this is a place to acknowledge my friends, he especially, must be given credit. All this time we talked about being together, me moving & then up and leaving AGAIN must have been very hurtful & frustrating. Not to mention my emotional idiocy at the time, made me irritable & most likely hard to be around. He also went through a series of jobs at this time, was often tired from work & yet still found time to support me emotionally. He took me out hiking & crystal hunting on his days off & went spent an amazing amount of time together, that part to me, was heaven, it kept me safe from my bad thoughts & having him near me everyday kept me sane & alive.

 After spending time in two jobs that I hated I asked another friend, our roommate to help me find & apply for something I liked. I literally went & walked into places & applied. Anywhere that interested me was visited & I soon had a stack of paper to fill out. Turns out, the first one I filled out was the one that was destined to be my new job! The Book Exchange called me only a few days after having applied there! I saw the stack of applicants & new I was lucky. I also found out later that my previous boss had been called & talked up my work ethic & usefulness as much as he could. After a one hour interview the following day, I was in! I now work full time, I make a decent wage (for Missoula area, we Washingtonians are spoiled when it comes to wages), & I live with m boyfriend & dog in the most beautiful state in the world. 

 What I learned from all this, was that things get better. Everyone has valleys, hard times, you can even get sad for a long time... but if you're lucky, if you have the love of good friends to rely on, you can climb your way out of your old skin & into a new better you. Everyone needs good friends to sharpen them, to pick them up & hold them tight. I thank mine, every chance I get because without them, I know now, I wouldn't be here! Thank you all, & I love you!

 As for the blog, hope to see you all much more regularly & with new & exciting adventures soon! happy trails! ~Anna 

Above is a digital piece I did of my new character Avis Wolf called, "Stronger"

2012: The Wedding Invasion

This year has been a busy year for a lot of people, it seems. I have noticed it not just in my life, but in the lives of my close friends and family and also in the lives of my past friends and acquaintances (Thanks go out to Facebook for allowing us all to creep on each other). And I have noticed something....

2012 is a year of Wedding Invasion.

Like, seriously, I can think of at least 10 people I know or have known closely that got married this year or are to be married before the year is out, just off the top of my head.

O.o

I sometimes think about it and it gives me the willies like thinking about infestations will do for most people.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm a hopeless romantic at heart and love a good love story and happily-ever-after as much as the next Disney-story-loving, wedding-pinterest-board-owning, daydreaming girl. BUT holy shit, it's a lot of weddings. I was even in one, for goodness' sake.

Granted, I am at that age where everyone and their dog is trying to get hitched. Early to mid 20's are prime tying the knot ages for many a couple. It's perfect for many, because people in my age group are "just starting the lives": they just graduated from college, they've been dating their significant other for a few years now, they're getting ready to settle into the hum-drum of adult working life, start their own life, and begin the journey of creating a family. What better thing to do than sign the line and get hitched??

But, then again, I'm glad I didn't join that crusade for marriage this year. I wouldn't want to share my anniversary year with so many people so close to my age... or with so many people I know so closely.
It's a selfish desire - but I really want my wedding and following anniversaries to be as unique to me as they can be and so that means trying to separate my wedding date as far from people who are in similar life situations and stages as me as possible.

Aside from this, I do wish all my wedded friends and acquaintances sincere congratulations - Marriage is a big deal and cause for fabulous and wondrous celebration! You have found love and solidified it from now until you part.

I will say this, though, having so many weddings occur has given me a wide variety of weddings to observe and thus given me a lot notes-to-self regarding my own. I'm sure I'll share more of them some time (probably when it's more applicable to my current life situation), but I'll just list a couple here:

• I won't be buying my dress from David's Bridal. They're too commercialized and they're not nearly organized enough to fit their claim of being wedding experts. Not only that, but like I said before, I want my wedding to be unique. I want to prevent anyone from walking into a bridal store and saying "Oh, that's the dress Jenny wore for her wedding." My dress is going to be mine as much as it can be. I'm not saying I want a custom dress - that's too pricey for something I'll only wear once. But I definitely don't want to support the wedding dress monopoly that is David's Bridal. I'll be supporting local bridal boutiques and I'll have my mom alter my dress - both of those things are more personal to me and my community. Just the way I'd like it. 
• I will be paying for my bridesmaids' dresses. They accepted the invitation to be in my wedding as a kindness to me. They will also be needing to make arrangements for accommodations, travel, and other expenses galore. It's the least that I can do & I don't care if it's not tradition. 

And now for some inspiring wedding ideas, that I have found via Pinterest (of course), that I hope to maybe incorporate into my wedding in my own way. I've got this idea of a "tree wedding" running around in my mind, I think it's a great theme and it suits me well. I love trees and the symbolism of them (but that's a whole other blog post, I think! :) )

1. Tree branches with names or initials carved in a heart - centerpieces. Great way to use the remains of a tree someone removed from their land. via stylemepretty.com here.
2. A must-do photo of the bride and her dog. I love this. via stylemeprettycom here.
3. Thumbprint guestbook tree. Thumbprints for leaves, names/messages signed on the leaf. Perfect. via August & After at augandevertyhingafter.blogspot.com here.
4. Bridal bouquets utilizing succulents. One way to have a more eco-friendly wedding. Many more ideas and beautiful pictures of eco-friendly wedding ideas via ruffledblog.com here.
5. Using part of a tree trunk as the cake stand (using more of that felled tree!). via aubreyreneephotography.com here.
6. Little baby tree saplings as wedding favors. Encourage people to plant a tree. Saving the world one tree at a time. Love it. via bridalhood.blogspot.com here.

I've been laughed at for my idea of a tree wedding & honestly, I can't see why. I'm still fully sold on the premise. Do you fancy a cool theme? Have you been to a wedding that was fabulously set up? One that was less fabulous? 

Thank you for indulging in this silly little observation of life and wandering down the topic of weddings. It was more of just word-vomit on the subject, but in friendship, sometimes that what you talk about: just simple thoughts and observations. 

May the road rise up to meet you, friend.

Hopefully, it won't be so long until my next post as it was since my last. 

Stay excellent!

- Jenny - 

Up on My Soapbox about Suicide Prevention

This week is the 38th Annual National Suicide Prevention Week. 

It surrounds the World Suicide Prevention Day of September 10th.

http://lifeandlovequotes.xanga.com/716395125/twloha3/

There are a lot of misconceptions and incorrect ideas about suicide and depression out there, especially on the internet. For some trustworthy facts, I would send you to the non-profit movement To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), or to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). To read a little blurb about the mission of these various organizations I have below the mission statement of TWLOHA from their Vision page.

"To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

I have supported TWLOHA for about five years by purchasing t-shirts and helping to spread a better understanding of depression and suicide.

Though I have not personally endeavored through depression or thoughts of suicide, I have been the one to stand between someone I love and his/her bitter, cold end. I was what my loved one called "the only reason" he/she did not commit suicide.

Having been that close to the issue, having had my heart on the line for this issue, yet still having the distance from it to not be the one considering giving in - this has given me a strong passion for suicide prevention.

I cannot emphasize enough what a serious topic this is. 
It infuriates me when people take it lightly, joke about it, or otherwise demean the issue.

For example, I have personally been told to "buy a gun and one bullet" by someone who was angry with me over something inconsequential. When I tried to interpret this order and give the person the benefit of the doubt (saying to myself, they couldn't have meant what they said), the person continued to stand by their statement. So I realized, I had been told to go commit suicide.

Now, I am in no danger of ever taking an order or threat such as this seriously. I am a calm-waters and smooth-sailing kind of personality and the struggles that I've seen have given me strength in myself.
But what if, this wasn't said to me?
And I know that this isn't a what-if scenario - people are told to kill themselves all the time. Most of the time,  the people who say it don't mean it. But that doesn't change the fact that we as a society make light of this dark issue, this real problem. It doesn't change the fact that people go around telling other people to kill themselves.

If I can't get you to feel so strongly about suicide prevention to personally involve yourself in the movements and the work being done to fight it, then I hope to at least get you to feel strongly about the fact that suicide isn't funny or a joke or fake. Suicide and depression are REAL.

They're real issues affecting real people with real families and friends.
They're real issues that take real lives.

You don't have to volunteer at a Suicide Prevention event or hotline.
You don't have to buy a t-shirt (though, they are pretty sweet).
You don't have to donate your money to the causes.
You don't have to be the one chasing people down to tell them that they don't need to take their own lives.

All you have to do is to understand, to feel, to love.
Just know that suicide happens. Know that depression has real consequences.
And know the people just like you, just like your parents, just like your siblings, just like you grandparents, just like your friends - people like the people you love are suffering in one way or another from depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide and they need our support. 

Take a moment this week to pray for, to think about, to consider, and to learn about the people who suffer and the people who are trying to help.

Knowledge is power and the more people that understand the more inviting and welcoming the world will be for these people who are considering leaving it for good.

Spread the love and think twice about what you say.
Stay excellent.
- Jenny -

http://a1.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/48/ef42a9415b2a8631a3673f4abf149c70/l.jpg

http://www.twloha.com/blog/join-twloha-for-national-suicide/

Ocean

Hello lovely ones.
I am here, just for a moment - I'm actually really busy right now (Ha!). I should be finishing my unit operations lab report right now, it's almost done... well, kinda. :P But ---- I can't bring myself to keep working on it right this very second, so I'm taking my break to say "Hello."

At this very moment, I'm exhausted.

I wanted to reach out to anyone and everyone that no matter if this is a hard time or a good time, count your blessings, for each of us has the sunny days and the rainy days of life. There is beauty in both but we must cherish the good and bad to fully appreciate life.
Count the blessings: loved ones, passions, memories, friends, family, animals, the little things... all of it.
And remember that you are never faced with something that you can't get through one way or another.

I may be tired but this song explains how my soul feels deep within...
The song is called "Ocean" by The John Butler Trio.
If I close my eyes, I can see the waves crashing.. I picture just me and sandy beach and the ocean. & being from the Pacific Northwest, my beach is a cold beach... but I love it anyway. Peace.

 Enjoy. Breathe. Live. Love.
- Jenny -

To Infinity & Beyond

I don't know why, but lately I have rediscovered my love for the infinity symbol. I can still remember when Anna and I were in high school and we had the infinity symbol in our math classes, we would draw the symbol in the company of hearts and the word "love" all the time on our friends' notebooks. It was a lot of fun. To this day, I still love infinity. I like it in math as well as in its symbolism. Taking the limits, with respect to math, I have found isn't all that bad (compared to some of the other things my engineering professors ask me to do mathematically).

I think the symbol is beautiful and the meaning it can have in the world of love and peace is even more gorgeous.
Anyway, because I have found my love for infinity again, I have done some window shopping and I have found some awesome things that I just need while browsing Etsy.com. Maybe one day I'll actually acquire some of these things. Ha!

1. Infinity ring

2. Infinity braided brown leather wrap bracelet

3. Infinity scarf

4. Charcoal gray infinity mitts

5. Infinity love necklace

6. To infinity and beyond his & hers bracelets

Along with these things above, I have been gawking at this beautiful ring. Wow. 

("I love you" infinity ring)

And I kind of want to get a tattoo of the infinity symbol. Would that be taking this little obsession too far? 

(Images links: infinity love tatt and in that moment tatt)

I hope you enjoyed my little display of a current obsession! Do you have a symbol or image that you really like or connect with? 

- Jenny -

04.26.2013: 

Hey, friends!

Like this post? Check out my Hakuna Matata and I Pin. I Conquer. posts!