Stuff

I don't want to say that I'm not blogging much lately but I had to make four tries at my password before I guessed the right one. In my defense, someone hacked my google account last summer and it always takes me a couple of tries to get the "new" password right. *sigh*

Anyway, I recently bought a donut pan and decided to create my own kind of donut. It was based on a tried an true recipe but the final result was one of my own making. I was going for a chocolate peanut butter donut because that sounded good in my head. I wrote down the ingredients in case they came out okay, or if they came out good enough that I'd want to "enhance" them at a later date (which was the case, by the way). I haven't played with it since but here's the original recipe:

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking sode
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut butter
1-1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup raw sugar

I forgot to write down the temperature and how long I baked them but looking at the base recipe, I would say 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

When I decided to make the donuts I thought I would melt the peanut butter and chocolate but didn't feel like wasting the time it would take so I just combined everything into a bowl, mixed it up, poured it into the sprayed pan and popped them in the oven.

Next time I will melt the peanut butter and chocolate and will use more of both. But I guess the point is, I will make them again.

In other cooking news, I made Mushroom Turnovers the other day. You'd have to understand that I'm kind of afraid of mushrooms to understand the importance of this act. For a year or so now I'll periodically buy mushrooms because I want to try them (mostly because of their vitamin D content) but I seem to end up throwing them out a few weeks later as the science project begins in my refrigerator. But this time I cooked them. And ate them! The recipe doesn't say anything about chopping up the sliced white mushrooms but I did chop them into as small of pieces as I could get them into because I didn't think I'd be able to even try the turnovers otherwise. Turns out, they're not that bad. I had a mushroom turnover this afternoon for lunch and I actually forgot about the mushroom content. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal but I'm telling you, it was history making! :)

I watched Friends with Benefits with Justin Timberlake today. I liked it much more than I thought I would. Some might wonder why I'd get the movie if I was anticipating not liking it. I can't answer that because I honestly don't remember adding it to my Netflix queue and I apparently bumped it up the ranks after doing so. But the point is, I did like it - a lot.

Ditto for I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker, with the exception of I watched it yesterday. I don't know what I expected from these movies but they were light and fun . . . a good thing.

Did you know that the Game Show Network is airing past seasons of Dancing With The Stars? They started yesterday and they started with season 4 - the season Apolo Anton Ohno won. I've watched every episode of the show that has aired and when the "stars" came out, there was one I didn't remember. Her professional partner was also a one season wonder. They were the "Ken and Barbie" couple. The only thing that came back to me after watching the show was that they stayed too long at the party!

Speaking of staying too long at the party, did you hear that Emily Maynard (the one Brad gave the final rose to in his second run on The Bachelor) is going to be the next Bachelorette? I haven't watched the series from the beginning. In face, I saw the very last episode of Brad's first run and started watching then. I skipped Brad's repeat and believe I'll be doing the same for Emily. I have to think the franchise is not doing well if this is what it's coming down to!

The Bachelorette

I'll start this with doing what Mel does on her blog when she's going to maybe reveal things that others may not have seen yet.

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Okay, so are you watching The Bachelor this season? My friend got me hooked a few seasons ago and I keep telling myself that I'm not going to watch but I just can't not watch for some reason.

But tonight a couple of things stood out. Did you catch that Jonathan had a rose before Ali gave out the final rose? Yet when Chris came out to announce she had one last rose to give out, Ali hadn't given him one yet. I know they edit it to make it more . . . whatever . . . but if you're going to edit it to look like he got the last rose of the night, don't show a shot right before that where he clearly has a rose on his lapel. Just saying. And for the record, if Craig M hadn't been sent packing, I didn't want to watch it anymore. (Notice I didn't say I wouldn't watch it anymore, but I really wouldn't want to.)

Anyway, speaking of Jonathan . . . he's a local weatherman for me. I've never seen him do the weather report - I watch another station - but I live in the Houston area so, he's local. Having seen him on this show though, I can say with a certainty that I don't believe I will ever deliberately watch his weather report. He isn't as scary as Craig M (I agree that he's dangerous) but he is kind of creepy, if you ask me.

After the first show I decided that Ty was a front runner on my list, mostly because of his love of his dog. But, I agree with whichever one of the guys that made the comment about the guitar playing and the show. It needs to stop. So, Ty, if you're listening, lay off on the guitar playing, k? Otherwise you're off my list. And please, whatever you do, don't sing again. Thanks.

Oh, and who do you think it is (seen in the previews last week) that Ali gets upset with and goes on about all she's put on the line? I think it's Roberto. I think that mainly because it seems she's got more of a thing for him and, at least at this point, is the one who would hurt her the most. But that's just what I'm thinking now. It could change next week.

So, are you watching this season and who do you think - based on what you've seen so far - Ali will pick? Right now I would say Roberto and Frank have the best shot at it, based on what I've seen. I'm still rooting for Ty though, provided he ditches the guitar. ;o)

And one last thing, I don't want to know how things end for the show. Half the fun for me is speculating and trying to figure out what's going to happen and seeing if I'm right. So if you've been to sites that tell how the whole season wraps up, please don't spoil it 'cause I'd really like to watch it unfold each week. Thanks. :o)

And then there were two

Have you been watching The Bachelorette this season? Is it just me or does it seem like each season the producers want to just up the drama?

I haven't been deleting the episodes after I watch them but because my DVR is almost full and because the season is almost over, I have been re-watching all of this season's shows this weekend.

First let me say, I can't believe Stephen got let go on week one. He was so cute and funny. Mark made it to week seven I think and you know what? I didn't even remember him from the show!

But I digress.

In week two the guys had to vote for who they wanted off the show. I clearly remember being disappointed that they couldn't vote for Wes because he already had a rose. Re-watching this weekend I didn't feel the same (intense) animosity towards him. Maybe it's because I know he was finally found out and booted from the show. I just know that watching it again, I was surprised that he'd evoked such a strong (negative) reaction so early.

I fell in love with Jake and Kiptyn all over again. I was a bit disappointed in Jake for coming back and telling on Wes. Not that I didn't want Wes discovered and sent home, but you know, I'm not really sure what the problem was. Maybe I thought he should have come forward sooner, I don't know. Definitely made Wes look doubly bad though. Yet, Jillian kept him.

And Ed? OMG, she let him come back??? I told my friend (the one that got me hooked on the show) that if it was me, I wouldn't have let Ed come back. I understand why he did what he did but he made his choice and she'd likely be abandoned again by him. Not to mention that Michael was as cute as can be and he got the boot so he could stay. Didn't care for that. (Michael call me!)

Wes finally screwed up and admitted to having a girlfriend and finally got the boot. Jillian had the overnight dates and Ed was "unable to perform" and yet, she still kept him - over Reid. Seriously, what's up with that?

The previews suggest that one of the departed guys comes back and proposes. My friend and I suspect it's Reid but it could also be Michael - or even Jake maybe? I seriously doubt it would be Wes, who for the record, never denied having a girlfriend. No, he would just say, I can't believe you're asking this again sort of thing. A non-answer.

Anyway, so, it's down to two - Ed and Kiptyn. As I said, Kiptyn was an early front runner in my book and I'd love to see him get the final rose. Ed, not so much. I liked Ed and all but he ditched her once and I think it was the work of the producers that got him back more than him wanting to come back. After all, they had to be involved for him to know where she was - and in what room.

Tomorrow The Men Tell All airs. My friend and I have a little bet (if you can call something that has no pay off if you "win" a bet) on whether Wes will show up. She says no because he made such a fool of himself and was outted as having a girlfriend. I say he will show up because he was quite proud of making it to the final four WITH a girlfriend. Not to mention I don't think he'll pass up another opportunity to promote his CD.

In any event, I can say that watching the show when you know the outcome (at least to this point anyway) is a lot less stressful than the first time through. I got so aggravated with her for making such stupid choices the first time through. The second time through, not so much. And Tanner P and his foot fetish? Creepy the first time through - comical the second time through. But all of it, drama packed, don't you think?

So, what do you think? Will Kiptyn or Ed get the final rose? Who will show up and get down on bended knee to propose? And, will Wes show up for tomorrow's tell all?

Inquiring minds want to know. :o)