"Heaven in Your Eyes"

That was my Prom theme - yes, I'm pretty much putting my age out there, but that's all right. The only option to being my age is not being ANY age anymore, and between the two I'll take getting older wholeheartedly. I bring up Prom because I just had a really happy moment on the air. Our audience is mostly comprised of women in their 30s and 40s, and when you say "Prom" most either roll their eyes (overrated event) or can barely remember that night so long ago. I agree with both sentiments, personally. But today I got a super sweet email from a boy named David, asking if I could help him ask "Lori". Long story short, I went on the air and passed that on...she heard it and screamed...and said yes. : ) It's a tiny moment in my day, but will surely be a HUGE memory for both of them. That makes me really happy. I know I haven't written in a super long time, but between the Keyword to Cash contest and a bathroom remodel (starting tomorrow) at home, I'm crazy stressed and distracted. Of course my stress is nothing compared to how it must've felt to publicly ask that girl to Prom!

I miss you, Don Draper

I'm a HUGE Mad Men fan. I love everything about the critically-acclaimed show - the characters, the dialogue, the style, the unwavering attention paid to EVERY detail, and it's luxuriously slow pace. I love the drinking and smoking, I'll admit it. It's so sinful...and accurate. (Heck, I was watching Carrie last night and the gym teacher was smoking in the principal's office! Things used to be a lot different.) Mad Men is gorgeous and indulgent and amazing. The men are infuriating yet somehow charming (e.g. Roger Sterling). And don't get me started on Don Draper. OMG. It's an odd thing to say, but I really don't like watching Jon Hamm on SNL or 30 Rock. He's funny and smiles too much and it weirds me out. If you watch MM, you know what I mean. If you've never given the show a chance, get the first 4 seasons on DVD. They're all available...and you'll have PLENTY of time to catch up in time for season 5. It was finally announced that creator/producer Matthew Weiner has resolved contractual issues, and we'll get three more seasons (with no casting cuts)! Unfortunately, 5 won't start til March of 2012. Thank goodness Nostradamus isn't calling for the end of the world til December!

Wow!

If life were a yearbook and there was a "Best Nails" award, I'd win today.

I went for my 3rd manicure at BJ Grand Salon and Spa, and Lisa said I was ready for french tips. My nails have really grown a lot and while I loved the purple from last time, I think the look above is really ME. Wow! A friend at work just asked, "Are those YOUR real nails?!?" Yes, they are. For the first time in my life, all 10 are perfect. I'm telling you, if you're desperate to stop biting (so nasty), THIS is the way to do it. I've never looked down and actually seen PRETTY, feminine hands...and I'll do whatever it takes to keep them.

Really, Miley?

I've been shaking my head for the past few hours at a statement Miley Cyrus made. I typically don't pay her much attention and since I don't have kids I've never been subjected to "Hannah Montana." I realize many little girls love(d) her, and I get the whole teen idol thing. We've all worshipped stars only to laugh (or cringe) years later. I had a Shawn Cassidy iron-on t-shirt. I had Teen Beat pages taped all over my walls. If your daughter loves Miley/Hannah, I'm sorry if you're offended that I'm critical. But on USA Today's website, I couldn't miss this headline: MILEY CYRUS BITTER ABOUT REBECCA BLACK LOL! That just makes me laugh. Miley is NOT happy about Rebecca's ridiculous rise to fame after "Friday!" went viral (nearly 70 million views), and had the nerve to say, "It should be harder to be an artist." I can't even fully wrap my head around how crazy that is coming from her. I totally agree with you, Miley. And to you I say, "A person should be able to sing before they become a star."

Seaweed?

I'm exhausted today...for a sad reason. I stayed up til nearly midnight WATCHING A MOVIE. At home. I went to bed right after, but you'd think I closed the bars and then went to Merry Ann's for a gravy nightcap. I'm super tired and blah. I hope seaweed will perk me back up. I'm running over to BJ Grand Salon and Spa after work and gonna try out A Seaweed BODY MASK. I know, it's a big question mark for me too - but someone recommended it and I think it'll help get the "ick" out. Their website says that it'll help get rid of dead skin cells and release toxins, after my skin is exfoliated. I'm really curious about the seaweed wrap and wonder if I'll feel like a giant Unwich. I'll let you know! We got a complete upgrade to our operating systems at work today. Everyone has been really thrown off their routines and it makes for a bit of stress. I wish I could close the door and take a teeny nap. No one would ever need to know...

Beanies recipe

This has been copied from an email from Fooducate, a blog whose self-proclaimed goals are

• to healthify your supermarket choices
• to eliminate nutrition label confusion
• to offer independent, objective food recommendations

So here's the recipe for Black Bean Brownies:

This recipe, courtesy of celebrity chef Amanda Freitag and nutritionist Julie Barto employs… black beans. Beans are a low calorie, protein and fiber packed ingredient we could all consume more of. Here is an opportunity to enjoy beans for dessert.

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained very well
3 eggs
3 Tbsp canola oil
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed or ¾ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8” x 8” baking pan with cooking spray.
In food processor, process black beans until smooth.
Add the eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract,
and sugar, and process until smooth.
Add ½ of the chocolate chips and stir, so that the chips are mixed in.
Transfer the batter to the baking pan, and sprinkle the remaining chips on top of the brownies.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

After I put the beanies in the oven I sampled some of the batter left on the bowl (of course!), and was kind of weirded out by the flavor. I swore I tasted beans. But after the brownies cooled, I thought they were really, really good. Would've never known their little secret.

Maybe next time I'll share my equally amazing "margaritas made from beer" recipe. Yum!!

Beanies

I'm not all that into cooking (mostly a time/lack of focus thing), but I do really enjoy baking. I doubt that even my good friends realize that. I'm not talking about fancy cupcakes or creme brulee or bananas foster. I'm a basic midwesterner when it comes to recipes, like my mom but not nearly as ambitious. She used to make up to 10 pies or 13 loaves of zucchini bread on a Sunday afternoon (cause she worked all week), moving like a one-woman assembly line for hours. They'd go into the freezer for my dad to take out after he'd finished the last. Oh, and her pie crusts were FROM SCRATCH.

Anyway, her influence pointed me in a sensible, simple direction when it comes to baking. I don't make many things, but I do them well and (in my opinion) the right way. I like cookies made from scratch, pancakes that didn't start in a box (although who has the time some days?), and zucchini bread baked after a trip to the Urbana Market at the Square. I don't bake often but when I do it's a really relaxing and even meditative thing. I make a mess and clean it up at the same time, I talk to myself, and I feel like I'm doing something that women have done for hundreds of years. Having said that, I'm not going to make my own crusts. It's hard to even want to make a PIE, when you can buy a really awesome one at Sam's for like $6. There are just so many hours in a day and you have to consider the cost - store bought in this case is probably cheaper.

And while we're on the topic, I'm guilty of running to the big store and buying something packaged for a party more often than not. That's fine - we're all rushed these days. Still, it makes me feel sort of bad. Baking for someone else is a real GIFT. So this winter when my neighbor repeatedly snowblowed (is that a word?) my sidewalk, I baked him cookies. That made me happier than him, I think. During the summer, I take my dad loaves of zucchini or banana bread at least once since my mom no longer bakes. He told me that my zucchini bread is better than hers...and if your mom is a good cook. you KNOW that was a huge, HUGE thing to hear.

So tonight I'm all alone, and spent most of my downtime in the kitchen. I broiled marinated shark steak (wow - that was a first) and had a good dinner...then I made what I'll now call "Beanies." I was extremely skeptical but thought, what the hell. It has chocolate chips - how can it be all that bad?

But this brownie recipe also has BLACK BEANS. It was in my Fooducate daily email for Valentine's Day, and I've saved it ever since. I had to use my old hand-held blender because I don't have a food processor (and my Magic Bullet just couldn't cut it) so I worried that the beans weren't pureed enough. Well, I think it tastes pretty incredible. If you prefer semi-sweet rather than super sweet, you should give this recipe a shot. I'll post it separately, as this has gotten long enough.

First, I have to go check my oatmeal whole wheat bread kneading in the machine. My hopes are in check; it was looking a bit sad a while ago as I peered through the window, flashlight in hand. Live and learn. Even bad bread isn't THAT bad, right? It's still bread.