Random Stuph

I just booked 4 nights at the Crowne Plaza Times Square hotel in New York for $136/night. Their standard rate is $215/night! I'm pretty proud of my bargain-hunting-travel skillz. I just wish that I was booking it for ME. I love NYC. and the Yankees. and Broadway. Looking forward to a trip there with my siblings this fall.

My baking craziness starts this week. I was going to start off with my muffin recipe (which I am SO excited to try out. I can't wait to share the photos with you!), but there's a different contest coming up - with a closer deadline, so I'm going to start with that. It's a bit intensive, but hopefully it will turn out the way I envision it. I won't share the recipe or ingredients yet, but I will tell you that as of right now it's going to be something like a Caramel Apple Oatmeal Crisp Cheesecake. I'm hoping that the crust itself will be it's pride and glory (it's the intensive part - paint brushes, food coloring, cookie cutters, etc.), but what may sound great in my mind may fail in the oven...so we will see what happens! Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures to come with that as well!

Speaking of baking, I'm super excited for my Viking cooking class this week! The menu includes Classic Ceaser Salad with Homemade Croutons, Grilled New York Strips with Blue Cheese Butter, Creamed Spinach and Bananas Foster. I chose it mostly because I want to flambé the dessert. Who doesn't LOVE lighting things on fire?! I mean, come on! The other reason I'm excited? You guessed it...pictures :).

I'm also excited that my court volleyball league I signed up for starts this week. I have to miss the first game, but you better believe I'll be at every game after that - from here until June! I have no idea who is on my team - haven't met any of them, but what better way to make some new friends, right?!

I could write about all the other things that are coming up that I'm excited about as well....kayaking school, concerts, festivals, fairs, lawnchair movie nights, horseback riding, mountain biking, camping, roadtrips, fishing, drive-ins, whitewater rafting, cake decorating classes, and who knows what else, but I'll save that for future posts. I have to keep my life exciting just so I have something to blog about!

And, of course...for pictures :).