Le Tucson

I really, really should be doing my math homework right now, but who wants to do  homework when you can revel in all the fun you had during spring break.

I usually go out of town or do something really big and exciting for the entire week of spring break, but that was not the case this year because I have a job, and I really like my job, and I like making money from my job so I can save up for an apartment and whatnot. So I pulled a few strings and instead of getting a full week off work, I got my work hours all smushed in the middle of the week so I was able to go out of town for the first weekend of my spring break.
And, of course, I took a trip to Tucson. Now, Tucson isn't somewhere I usually like to go, but sometimes you just have to go visit the lovely people who live down there. This time, I visited my friend Kaitlyn (who I have known since I was a toddler) and my newly engaged friend Sarah, who I have known since 8th grade.
At Kaitlyn's house, I spent a lot of time bumming around, which is perfectly normal. Kaitlyn and I both immensly enjoy books, so we each finished one while we were down there (I finished Cannery Row. Is it just me, or does that book lack a plot?) and we also went to Bookman's to each buy a new book. I bought Blue Like Jazz and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme to accompany my book.
Another thing Kaitlyn and I always do is go for a walk in her backyard. Her backyard is not fenced in--somewhere it turns into a massive wash full of desert plants and jackrabbits. I always take pretty wildlife and plant photos when I visit her, and all the ones in this post were taken in her back yard with my new camera.

Sunday, after when I probably would have gone to church with Kaitlyn (second service, when Kaitlyn attends, was a bit too late for my tastes, and I really didn't want to sit by myself), I drove to Starbucks to delve deeper into Blue Like Jazz. I must admit, it is a very striking book. Full of unique imagery and one man's description of what "Christian Spirituality  is to him, it is a must-read for anyone who likes to sit around and contemplate the meaning of life. So, once my overpriced soy latte ran dry, I walked over to Trader Joe's and bought almond milk, turkey bacon, organic eggs and gluten free spaghetti sauce for my cooking duties at Sarah's apartment.
We stuck to our budget this trip (yay us!), and my grocery bill rang up to a whopping $17--three whole dollars under my budget.


My time spent with Sarah was divided between eating, drinking sugary drinks, laying by the pool, shopping for clothing (I got my Easter dress, a cute pair of shorts and some stretchy cute blue dress that is for the next time I set foot in a club, aka, never) and watching four movies: She's The Man, Angels and Demons, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Benny and Joon.
It was wonderful to see both Sarah and Kaitlyn, as each of them are approaching new stages of life--Sarah is getting married and Kaitlyn is soon joining the medical work force. There is nothing in the world that will make you feel old like visiting two of your oldest friends and seeing how they have grown up.

Adventures in the Kitchen

When I’m in a good mood, I bake. When I’m in a bad mood, I bake more.

I'm in a bit of a funk lately. I'm planning a difficult schedule to juggle next semester, I just ended a three and a half year relationship with my boyfriend, and one of my close friends is getting married which just makes me feel old and somehow inadequate.

So I spent some time in the kitchen last week baking cupcakes, and some time in the kitchen baking cookies tonight. Who knows what else I'll whip up this week. (I definitely have to make a batch of homemade funfetti cupcakes for a birthday party on Sunday night.)

This is the batter of flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, which are basically gluten free.

I was aiming to make ones like what I can find at Fair Trade Café here in Phoenix. The make the best gluten free vegan chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, but at $1.50 for two little ones...it's not cheap.

These cookies definitely matched the ones from FTC in taste, but not so much in shape. Instead of being cute little blobs of sugary peanut-y goodness, I got flat chips of sugary peanut-y goodness.

All in all, three and a half out of five stars.

My only problems is that they don't look cute at all like they did in the photos provided on the recipe website.

Also, they're a pain in the arse when it comes to getting them off the cookie sheet. I ended up sliding the entirety of the parchment paper onto the metal rack to cool. Not easy.

On the bright side, they taste delicious, and everyone at the office (who gets one--this wasn't a high-yielding batch) is going to be happy to eat them.

Coming soon: A post about my weekend trip to Tucson!