Guilt and Sickness

The guilt is finally overcoming me. I haven't posted since the 1st! Crazy! Skot and I were really busy at the beginning of the month with preparation for youth conference and working (of course). Youth conference was on the 12th and 13th. We were a host family, so we had about 10 teenage girls sleeping in our house that Friday night. Talk about sleep deprivation. The 13th (Saturday) was the finale to the conference when all the kids performed their pretty cool dance routines. Fun!

That weekend was fun, but ended with my allergies out of control. An upper respiratory infection ensued followed by a lower respiratory infection, lots of stuffiness, coughing, body aches, etc. Today, eight days later, my sinuses are finally starting to clear up. I HATE BEING SICK! Especially in the summer. Anyhoo, I'll have more to post next week... with pictures!

Enlarging the Library in My Brain

I have been making an effort to read more for the past.... year? Well, apparently I can't remember when I started so it could be for the past 6 months. I really want to read more classics. I had a 4-book break while reading the Twilight series earlier this year, but quickly returned to the classics. I just recently finished Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. How is it that I have not yet read these? That is crazy. I am now revisiting Pride and Prejudice for the third or fourth time. Next? Not sure yet. I heard The Shack was good, so I bought it. I don't know if I'll read it next. I really want to read some Charles Dickens and C.S Lewis. Depends on my mood. :)

Breaking the Fast

Ok, so I broke my month-long sugar fast. I decided that I would "go out with a bang," and that I did. I decided to make this extremely sinful cake whose recipe is found at the vanilla kitchen site at the end of this post. This is a chocolate cake iced with a chocolate and peanut butter ganache and filled and topped with Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups. It is very heavy, very rich, worth having only (not at least) once in your lifetime. I'm sure I clogged at least one artery eating my portion, which I could not completely finish. :) I should mention that the Warr family joined us for dinner and dessert, Monica had nixed the sugar as well.

HERE IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW: What are you going to do now Christi? Do you HATE sugar now? How do you feel? YOUR ANSWERS: I am going to eat sugar in moderation, use replacements like stevia and honey, and try to eliminate it from dishes that really don't need it. No I don't hate sugar, I just don't like the way too much of it makes me feel (physically and mentally). I feel EMPOWERED! Sorry for the girl-power cheesiness, but I really truly feel empowered and more in control and less obsessed over sweets. I don't need it like I thought. HALLELUJAH! I feel FREE!


http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake-with-pb-c.html

Eeeeek! Vampires and Werewolves!

I am shrieking for joy! My sister just posted a link to the new movie trailer for NEW MOON (so I thought I should do the same), the second movie based on the Twilight series books. I am getting temporarily excited. Hello, I cannot maintain this level of excitement until it is released on November 20th. Excitement for one day works for now. :)

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/05/31/the-new-moon-trailer-is-live-tell-us-your-reactions-twilight-nation/