Day One: The Tweets You Missed

Today was Day One of my 30 Day Challenge to Separate Church and State. It was tough, but I was predictably productive even though Thursday is only on a half-ban.

Here's the breakdown:
7:30am - 9am: Grade Rubric Development
9am - 10am: Teaching
10am - 12pm: Reading Questions, chatting with colleagues, etc. (Not tweeting.)

12:01pm: Tweet!!!

Let me tell you, it was hard to stay away from social networks while in the office. By around 11:43 (okay... it was exactly 11:43), my arms were crawling when I wouldn't let them reach for the computer. But I survived! And.. I'm optimistic about continuing the challenge.

So... because I literally thought in tweets today, knowing that I couldn't share them, here are the tweets you missed.

A. Fiercehair:

= slept until 6:28am, leaving no time to contemplate her last tweet of freedom!!!

= overheard this in the faculty bathroom, "I've only ruined one shirt doing that and I didn't have my glasses on... so... ya know..."

= made plans for Rocky Horror while standing in the office kitchen with her hair styled like Prince William. Brilliance.

= cursed her unflattering sweater vest for making her look pudgy, until she found the open expectant mother parking spot at Walmart.

= doesn't know what to do for dinner.

Okay, so that last one is really just about the present. And... because of those Rocky Horror plans, I should get on the business of dinner so I can dig out my fishnets and decide exactly how much eyeliner is too much eyeliner.

But, if you liked what you read here, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I can only promise that future tweets will be as random and as these.

And wish me all the luck... tomorrow is Day Two of my challenge, but it's the first day that I'll be off the networks from 6:30pm - 4:30pm.

My 30 Day Plan to Separate Church & State

Loyal readers may have noticed that my posting history is an interesting one. I started this blog many moons ago without any focus or capitalization, and somehow I've wound up here. With you.

In the beginning I posted on the minutiae of my day and even tried my hand at poetry, but at present I mostly tease you with my successful culinary goodies and ask you to laugh with me about my kitchen disasters. I've moved the minutiae to Twitter, and some of you (bless your hearts) have even decided to follow me there.

Frequency of posting has fluctuated too. In March of 2009, I posted 27 times. That's one more post than the sum total of my posts in the year 2007. In spring 2009, I posted nearly daily, even without a working computer to call my own. I was a woman on a mission.

Then came summer and job applications and angst and an overwhelming apathy towards cupcakes. In August I got a job, moved to Georgia, and signed on for a whole new set of stressors better known as my 109 first year writing students. Cooking and baking has, of late, been my coping mechanism of choice so bring on the baking and blogging, right?!

Well... in theory.

This semester my blogging has been anything but consistent. When I've appeared to be on task and posting several times a week, it's only because I've sat down on a Sunday night, written three posts, and scheduled them for the coming week. I've started to treat blogging like homework. And for a teacher, that's not a good thing.

So, after some reflection, the reason for this behavior has come to me in an Oprah-like Aha! moment.

My work and my life have become one.

If I were not a teacher, I would be deemed a workaholic. However, it seems to be the predominant assumption that teachers are their work.

No one chastises a teacher for working on lesson plans on Saturday. No one scolds a teacher for heading home after a 10 hour day on campus and settling down to read student papers after dinner. Teachers who respond promptly to emails - no matter what time of day or night they are sent - are considered the "good" ones; those who only respond during certain hours are considered particular at best, and negligent more often than not. For some reason, our culture expects teachers to live for the classroom and I, as a new teacher, have done my best to comply with this expectation.

Within the first weeks, I learned that work would take over my life, so I responded by allowing life to seep into my work. If I'm going to be working all hours of the day and night, I figured I might as well allow myself little pleasures throughout the actual workday to break up the monotony. Therein lies the (social networking) rub.

Between 6:30am and 4:30pm, I'm always on. I tweet about the parking gate. I catch up on blogs when office hours are slow. I check Facebook during lunch. (I can't justify it during office hours for fear of being caught by students!) I compulsively check email addresses that will keep me posted on blog comments, Facebook messages, and new Twitter followers because... well... it's just that important.

And when I finally leave the office for the day, I go home to do much of the same. The social networks are all still there, but then again, so is my work. Student papers, lesson plans, grade rubrics, plaintive emails... they're all there.

So what I'm left with is a workday that starts at 6:30am and doesn't really end until I go to sleep. Or, if I'm lucky, until primetime television starts. Things slack off when I go home, for sure, but it's more like that last hour of work in an office setting after the boss leaves but before you clock out for the day: procrastination and general tomfoolery are not as covert, but when projects or deadlines loom, everyone gets serious.

No wonder I live for the weekends. They really are the only times I punch out. That is, until Sunday when I attempt to make up for my "absences".

For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to come up with a 30 day challenge for myself that will give me something to do. I've contemplated adopting a raw food diet, meeting one new person each day, or forcing myself to the gym every day. None of these ideas really grabbed me, but now that I've had this Aha! moment, I know exactly what to do.

Over the next 30 days, I am going to rescue my life from my work. I'm going to separate church and state once and for all. (Well... once... we'll see about the "for all" bit at the end of 30 days.) I'm going to divorce my work life from social networking and frivolity of all sorts. I will then insert more work into work hours and reduce the amount of time spent on work at home in my "off" time.

Here are the rules.

1. NO social networking between 6:30am and 4:30pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or between 6:30am and 12pm, Tuesday and Thursday.

Facebook, Twitter, and blogs (mine and others) are verboten in the workplace, even on lunch breaks when the office door gets closed.

2. NO class planning or work email checking on personal computer.

This is going to be a tough rule to follow. But... if all goes according to plan with #1, I should free up office time in which I can plan classes, post assignments, deal with student emails and the like.

3. Paper grading, though probably done at least partially at home, will be rigorously monitored.

When presented with student papers, I will establish a reasonable schedule and hold myself to it. Naturally, social networking is verboten during scheduled grading times.

This is my challenge, should I choose to accept it. I haven't accepted it yet, because, well, I bet you can guess where I am at the moment... and it's not at home.

But you know what? Kick in the rear time. I accept this challenge and it will officially start tomorrow morning at 6:30am. With Day One as Thursday, Oct. 29th, I'll finish Day Thirty on November 27th.

I'll be updating you on my progress, but do feel free to call me out if I waver. You have timestamps. Keep me honest.

The Making of a Skullikin

skullikin [skull-ih-ken] (n.)
1. a skull that possesses some notable quality that either renders it adorable, frightening, or in some way laughable. read: all skulls.
2. a skeleton complete with skull.

Halloween is just around the corner, so I think we can officially declare this Halloween week.

I wish I had more time this week in order to make the absolute most of this holiday. It really is my favorite holiday. More than Christmas or even my birthday, Halloween gives me something to look forward to all fall.

And now it's here!

So let's make skullikin cookies for the occasion, no?


I painstakingly sliced sugar cookie dough (that wasn't the painstaking part) and cut away everything that wasn't a skullikin. I was so excited about the look of these cookies.

But...


They baked up like blobs. Not even skullikin blobs.

Back to the drawing board, I scaled the skullikins way down and tried again.


And these were much more manageable. The eyes and nose still filled in, but as soon as they came out of the oven, I poked them in with the round end of a swizzle stick.


Such work for such little reward. But, alas, these skullikins served their purpose on the Zombie Cupcakes and they were prepared dough tasty.

So, boys and girls, I'm curious. What are you going to be for Halloween?

Crunchy French Toast: An Experiment

Since I started teaching full time in August, I've really grown to appreciate the weekend. I've always loved Friday afternoons and all they promise, but it's a totally different ballgame now that I spend 10+ hour days with over one hundred college freshmen.

This Friday started with a cleansing nap and ended with dinner and dancing. Saturday saw brunch, a teacher meeting (I know, right?!), and pumpkin carving. And Sunday... well... this Sunday, like most, is all about Amanda.

So I slept until 11:12am. And I didn't even think about sitting up in bed until I knew exactly what I was making myself for Sunday brunch.

Crunchy French Toast with Peaches


I've wanted to try this french toasting experiment since I bought this Shredded Wheat a week or so ago. I was swayed by the vintage packaging, but... in reality... plain shredded wheat doesn't have a lot of flavor. I settled on a peach topping because I ate one of my peaches yesterday, only to find it wasn't as soft and perfect as I wanted it to be. Cooking the other one down just seemed like the natural response.

For this experiment, I needed...


(Not pictured: sugar, very necessary cup of coffee, Pandora "Folk FTW" station, photo staging/cropping skillz)

All the troops assembled, I...


sliced up the peach...


pulverized the shredded wheat...


cracked two eggs and beat them up about a tablespoon of half and half and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.


Then I stewed the peach in some sugar (didn't measure) and a little bit of water to get things going.


I dipped bread in egg, coated it in shredded wheat, and fried it up in a skillet over medium heat.


While I was super excited about the prospect of a crunchy French toast (which I got), I didn't really think about the fact that adding one flavorless crunch to a fairly bland French toast would yeild a... ya know... somewhat blah French toast that just so happens to crunch a bit.


Enter peaches... The syrupy peaches were the perfect counterpoint to the rock steady toast. I ended up adding syrup to the whole deal (don't judge), but in the future, I'll double the vanilla in the egg mixture and stew more peaches to step up the peach influence.

This shredded wheat technique could also be nice when paired with a stuffed French toast that would bring it's own flavor in a filling.

Overall, I'm pleased with how Sunday is going so far. My legs are happily sore from Friday's dance-a-thon, my stomach is full of brunchy goodness, and my bed has already informed me that she wants me back.

Kitchen Obits: Marlin

On Tuesday, October 20th in the year of our Lord 2009, Marlin "Mikey" Microwave passed on to the Great Kitchen in the sky. Mikey's last week on this earth was a tough one. Plagued with early morning beeping jags and random read-out seizures, Mikey was forced to spend his last days unplugged on the counter. Mikey gave up his brave fight when he lost the ability to connect with the leftovers he knew and loved.

Mikey was adopted by Amanda Fierce-Hair in summer 2007. Amanda's first child, Mikey has since been joined by September the Cupcake Currier (2008), Cassius the Coffee Maker (2009), and Burgundy the Kitchen-Aid (2009). Mikey took his role of older brother very seriously and was known around the kitchen for coddling his younger siblings. Mikey never once complained about warming butter to ease September's mixing or reheating a cup of joe that Cassius wandered away from.

Though not a big traveler, Mikey saw a good deal of the East coast in his life. Born in Bangor, Maine, Mikey cut his teeth on Hot Pockets in Orono, Maine; sojourned briefly in Bad News, Virginia (where he narrowly escaped the lure of sex, drugs, and violence); and finally settled down in Smalltown, Georgia.

Mikey was never happier than when working with candy melts. Some of his credits include Valentine's Day truffles, Arnold Palmer Balls, and Mother's Day flowers. Mikey was aided in these efforts by his dear friend, and then roommate, Kitty the Kettle, daughter of Bethenstance of New Hampshire.

Mikey is survived by his mother, Amanda Fierce-Hair; brother, Cassius; sisters, September and Burgundy; and countless members of the Wilton family. Mikey is preceeded in death by Compaq "Paqi" Presario, the laptop; and good friend and confidant, Mauritius, the handheld mixer.

The family would like to thank Cyrus Holiday, the stove, and the entire Pot family (Big, Bigger, Skillet, and Pancake) for stepping up during Mikey's final days. Their compassion and warm gestures mean so much those who cared for Mikey at the end.

Marlin "Mikey" Microwave will be laid to rest at dusk, his favorite time of the day, in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, please send cards and well wishes to Mikey's dear friend, Della the laptop, whose health is rapidly declining.


"Everybody knows, the truth of letting go is that you never do."
- Girlyman, "Right Here"

Zombies FTW!!! (And a Request)

(Welcome to the blogpost in which I shamelessly toot my own horn.)

My zombie cupcakes won the Cupcake Rehab 2nd Birthday Giveaway!!


Check out Marilla's announcement for all the gorey details. And, in case you missed them before, you can read all about the process and product of the zombie cupcakes here.

Okay, okay... now for the request.

The voting for Cupcake Hero October has just opened and will remain open until October 21st at midnight. So... if you wouldn't mind... wander over there and see if my Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes (or any other cupcake for that matter) catch your eye. Just click the bubbles on the right hand side to vote. Couldn't be easier.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes

Update: Voting for Cupcake Hero is now open until October 21st at midnight. Check out the competition and vote here.

Complete credit for that winning title goes to my bff and former college roommate, Kira. This weekend Kira had the honor of being my first houseguest in Smalltown, Georgia. And... since Kira loves to bake as much as I do, we quickly decided to make some sort of complicated dessert happen while she was here.

And, in a perfect storm of blog contest deadlines and amazing thrift store finds, Kira and I decided to make A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes.



In plain English, pumpkin and vanilla swirled cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese icing. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of ingredients to make that cake happen:

And there is just one more ingredient to pull the whole thing together...

Yes, indeed. A $7 Goodwill Cinderella costume.


Kira and I took turns wearing it while we made the cupcakes. Try not to be too jealous of our merriment. You could probably have just as much fun if you lightened up a bit.

Anyway... back to the cakes. We each tackled a batter. Kira made Billy's Vanilla halved by How to Eat a Cupcake and I was in charge of halving the Pumpkin Spice Cake by Joy of Baking.


Once the batters were ready, we got really fancy. I'd dropped and marbled and twirled and tie-dyed batters before, but I wanted these pumpkin swirl cakes to be more deliberately and artfully swirled. So... we filled two piping bags with our two batters, cut the tips, then dropped those two bags into a third bag with a large round tip.


And voila! A fairly labor intensive batter delivery method not for the faint of heart.

We made exactly 12 cupcakes and 24 minis.


In my opinion, it was all worth it. Look at that great loopy swirl! The swirl runs all the way down, around, and in the cupcakes. Ex-act-ly what I wanted. (yay!)

Once the cupcakes cooled, I made a quick cinnamon cream cheese buttercream. I used a brick of cold cream cheese, 5 tablespoons of softened butter, a splash of vanilla, and cinnamon to taste. Easy and delicious.


In keeping with our Cinderella theme, Cupcake Hero ingredient (pumpkin), Booo-tiful Cupcake Contest, we decorated 6 of the cupcakes with magical pumpkins just waiting to be turned into crystal carriages.


We topped the other 6 cupcakes with colored sugar, stars, and hearts and the next thing you know, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes.


And just take a look at the cross-section shot. Adorable. I just can't say enough about this swirl and how pleased I am with it.

And while we're at it, the flavor and texture of these two cakes works together extremely well. The batters were similar in consistency, so they piped well side-by-side. The combination of pumpkin and vanilla is a wonderful one, I think. I love pumpkin, but I do like to temper it with something creamy - think whipped cream on pie - so the vanilla addition made me very happy.

I would very highly recommend making these for any sort of fall festivus. They are light, moist, soft, and so delicately pumpkin and spiced. Mmmm...

I just might have to go downstairs for a minute... and... ya know... have a cupcake.

F.A.Q.s on the New Header (II)

1. Is that you?

Heck to the yes. There I am looking at you, dear reader, from behind a monstrous, uniced, 2 layer chocolate cake.

2. What's on that shelf behind you on the right?

Cookbooks! Among them Pat's Failure of the Week, Yankee's Main Dish Church Supper Cookbook, Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls, and Feeding the Flock: DBC Family Favorites.

And supplies! (cup)Cake decorating, (cup)cake carrying, fondant rolling, pan-lining supplies.

And two hospitality pineapples.

3. Do you always bake in that off-white tank top?

Ugh. No, but it happens more often than I'd like to admit. I believe there are two options when it comes to safeguarding against messy baking: add an apron or remove the top layer of clothing. I make this decision based on the weather, the company, and my mood.

4. Your eyebrows are fantastic.

Aw... Don't make me blush! (I think so too.)

5. Why is the lettering on your header so wonky? It's pixelly and unclear on my computer.

Do not adjust your screen. This header snafoo is all my fault. I am not what some would call a techie. For the time being, I edit my pictures in Paint. So all the fabulousness you see before you comes straight to you from that nonsense program that lives on your computer, no matter the make model, whether you like it or not. Yep... I'm that kid that still uses it.

6. Why the new header? I liked the old one.

Well, the old header showed a picture of my baking space... two kitchens ago. And though it was colorful and well lit, it just isn't mine anymore.


But... you're right... that was one good lookin' header.

Goodbye, old header. Thanks for the memories.

Any other questions?

Too _____ to Live

My short stature is the big joke in my family. At a diminutive 5'1", I get all the Liliputian humor I can handle from just about everyone. Never mind the fact that they are no tall drinks of water themselves, my family just likes to remind me that I am, in fact, the shortest person around.

I really don't mind being short. I think it makes the overall package just a little bit cuter. But... when trying on clothes that are too long or trying to retrieve things from grocery store shelves, a particular Golden Girls clip quite often comes to mind.

Thanks to the almighty powers of YouTube, you don't have to suffer through my explanation of the thing. You can just watch it.



That's right. I'm too short to live.

My understanding of this fact was solidified recently when I decided that I need new tennis shoes.

Ugh.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy. You see... in keeping with my miniature condition, I have laughably small feet. And, though I wear "big girl" shoes every day, I wear youth-sized tennis shoes because adult tennis shoes just don't fit right.

So finding a pair of tennis shoes without sparkles, flowers, or lights on the back is tricky. And, sadly, I've fully given up on finding tennis shoes that are not pink.

Maybe it's something about Georgia, but on this most recent excursion, I found some real gems that I feel the need to share with you.

Exhibit A:


Elmo. ELMO. On my foot. I wish the picture weren't so horrible, but I think you can get the idea. EL-MO, people.

You want to know the saddest part? These shoes were ridiculously comfortable. So comfortable and supportive that I actually stood there and thought about whether I was gangster enough to pull off an Elmo New Balance. (I'm not.)

Exhibit B:


Cupcake Couture hightops. Again... not enough of a badass. But how h.o.t. are these kicks?!

Exhibit C:


Multi-colored Sperrys. Now... here we might have found the silver lining in all this. These shoes were real Sperrys, not those off-brands that look close, but they were half the price of legit Sperrys because they are youth sized.

These I also contemplated. And walked away from. I already feel like a prepenstein when I wear my tan Sperrys, I was worried I would feel like even more of a poser in the multi-colored ones.

So what do you think? Should I embrace my child-sized foot and wear some of these bossy sneaks with my head held high? Or... should I continue to try them on, laugh, take a picture, and walk away?

Oh, and for those interested, I didn't find new tennis shoes yet. The best fit was a girls Nike Shox pair in silver (ew) with hot pink shox (oy). Couldn't do it.

Name That Food!: The Big Reveal

Let me start by saying how much I love you guys. Some of my favorite guesses: Chick-fil-A nuggets (literally my first thought and I knew what it was), homemade pork rinds (that's possible?!), squid (you guys really overestimate my bravery), and breaded cauliflower (mmm... but no).


I think that the people who came closest were Kate ("It could also be some kind of dough") and Ash ("Perhaps something sweet?"). Close, ladies, but no cigar.

The bowl of mystery food is actually a mid-process shot of...

SUGAR/GINGER SNAP MASH-UP COOKIES


Right? Right? Look at this stack. Now look back at the bowl. See it?

For those of you who don't, follow me.

I originally named these "mash-ups" in the musical sense. As in taking two fab songs and mixing them together.



(Fun, isn't it? There are some pretty great mash ups out there. This one is only okay... but YouTube is tough.)

But... now that I am sitting down to blog the recipe, I can see that these cookies only really have one step.


And that step involves mashing up these two things.


I had a leftover half-log of sugar cookie dough that was begging for a bit of a spruce up. And since I first made Oreo Chocolate Chip cookies way back when, I've been dying to try a Ginger Snap infused something-else cookie.

*Light bulb.*

Literally just smash some ginger snaps in a plastic bag and dump them down over the sugar cookie dough. I probably used 1/2 cup of crumbs, I'd guess.

I broke up the cookie dough with a spoon and gave the dough a toss in the crumbs.


Voila! Mystery food. After taking several pictures of the mystery food, I mixed the dough and crumbs by hand. I then reformed the dough into two smaller logs and put it in the freezer for a few minutes for easy slicing.


Counter-clockwise from logs: Sugar/Ginger Snap Mash-Up Logs, 2-Layer Paula Dean Chocolate Sybil Turtle Cake (yes, friends), pizza crust, chicken breasts that will likely never be thawed and eaten, lemon sorbet, Tart with Honey frozen yogurt, Jack D.


After a quick slice and bake according to package directions, these cookies were done and fantastic.


He floats through the air with the greatest of ease...

(No? Just me? Okay...)

These cookies are tasty and really quite rewarding for the amount of work (not) involved. The ginger flavor is still strong even though it's dispersed throughout the sugar cookie dough. I like ginger snaps, so I'm not surprised that this sweeter version is okay by me too.

So what's the word? Are you disappointed with the reveal? Would you have rather seen me really jump out of the box and tackle squid? Or pork rinds?

Name That Food!

You get the idea, kids. What is it?!

Guess away. I'll let you know what it is... when I'm good and ready. :D

Oh, and if you look closely, you'll see that my sad lack of cropping/framing skill has left you a bit of a hint. Or a dinner spoon. For scale.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Pancakes

I've not fed myself well this week.

I started off on the wrong foot by eating 5 or 6 of those skullikin cupcakes on Monday. After two more on Tuesday, I threw the rest away. I did it as a self-preservation move, my local friends saw it as an attack.

About mid-week, I ran out of staples like bread, milk, and ground turkey. By Friday, things were getting desperate: Fiber One poptarts for breakfast, pickles and a granola bar for lunch, and a hastily purchased frozen pizza for dinner.

Yesterday (Saturday) I started with toast (from defrosted bread) and yogurt. I think that technically my lunch was a bottle of Fat Tire at Oktoberfest in Savannah. Lupper was fried shrimp and fries. And... if you follow my Twitter (@afiercehair), you'll know that I finished my day (or began this one...?) with a Big Mac around 2:30am.

Needless to say (but I will anyway... does anyone else hate that expression?), I woke up this morning feeling the need for something decidedly wholesome and breakfast-like. Never mind the fact that I woke up after normal breakfast hours. That's not important.

Without staples like milk or bread, I've been eating a lot of eggs, so I knew those weren't an option. In a moment of bravery, I decided to make pancakes. After trolling the interwebs for a bit, I found the perfect pancake recipe. Search no longer, friends. The recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes at Food Plus Politics made the most perfect pancakes I've ever made... possibly ever eaten. I'll explain...

These pancakes are light and fluffy and perfectly cooked. The flavor is spot on and pancake-y. No added flavorings or frou frous. And these are not greasy pancakes. I know some would disagree with me, but I don't like my pancakes to be greasy with crispy edges. A good pancake should taste great on its own at any temperature and without butter or syrup. And these pancakes definitely do.

(It might not hurt that some of them have dark chocolate chips in them.)

I learned a couple of things about pancake cooking today, so I'll share those as well.

First, the skillet or griddle should be on Medium heat. Not high and loud and sizzly like I'd always thought. Pancakes are gentle creatures and they don't need to be rough-handled and flashed into a crazy pan. Patience and a gentle, slow cooking works beautifully.

Second, instead of butter (careful!) or a non-stick spray (ew), pancakes should cook in vegetable oil but just a light brushing of it on the griddle. I don't have a brush, so I awkwardly used a paper towel. This small, small bit of oil kept the pancakes perfectly brown and unstuck.

And that, boys and girls, is all I know about pancakes.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some grocery shopping to do.

Not Yo' Momma's Grilled Cheese

Would you like a grilled cheese?

Who is going to say no to that? Honestly. (The answer is "no one".)


For this super fab grilled cheese, I started with two slices of the homemade Honey Wheat Bread and several slices of provolone cheese.


I buttered it, grilled it, and heated up some tasty V8 Sweet Red Pepper Soup to go with. Easy, tasty, and such a satisfying rainy day lunch.

Oh, but wait, what is this business?


Ladies and gentlemen... the interlopers in this sandwich are jalapeno slices. The addition of jalapeno brings a bite to this otherwise understated grilled cheese. The honey wheat bread is sweet, the provolone is waxy (or at least I think so), and the jalapenos tie them together with a bit of sass.


Dipped in the red pepper soup, this sandwich begs to be bitten.


And I certainly did not keep it waiting long.