Mom said I need to start archiving like everyone else...

Hello folks, I'm back at BYU for the last semester of my college career.  My goal is to try to leave all sub-lying emotions out of this blog and write with remarkable phlegm, but since I'm normally an emotional roller coaster, we all know that's not possible :)  So let's get started...

Sunday: I turned 24 on Sunday!  Woot!  24 is a great age to turn.  I did a great job pretending like I didn't have my birthday while I was at church... only the sacrament meeting facebook users knew :)  That afternoon I went up to Drew's house to have a little party.  Cassie was very sweet and made Chinese food -- orange chicken and rice (with green beans), and she also made me a delicous, and beautiful cake.

Surprisingly, as I walked into ward prayer five minutes after it had started, someone shouted out, "It's the birthday girl!"  Everyone cheered and whistled, and I had to go up to the front and share my words of wisdom after 24 years.  I told them to only eat 1 piece of cake on their birthday... I was nervous and didn't know what else to say!  What a great ward and great birthday.

Monday:  Monday I got to go running with my friend Kylie -- and here all about her boy drama -- before FHE.  I love running with friends when they just talk and I can know what's going on in their lives :)  FHE consisted of 4 men on a couch.  Fun Game.

 Funny Story:  My roommates are all keenly aware that I talk/yell/scream in my sleep.  My two roommates from last semster, Jemma and Malary, forgot to tell the new one, Maddie, about my tendencies.  One night last week I had a screaming fit, and Maddie was petrified to her bed and could not sleep for two hours or so -- I guess I should have told her earlier, oops.  Anyways, the other night I was sleeping and started screaming.  Jemma came in and conversed with me.  Here is the conversation:

J: Erin?  Are you okay?
E: Who is this (similar to the voice off of that old movie on Home Alone)
J: Its Jemma.
E: Oh, okay (satisfied that I apprently know who Jemma is)
J: Go back to sleep.
E:  Oh, okay.

About twenty minutes later, I started laughing hysterically -- I must have been dreaming something pretty funny.  I suddenly stopped and started doing angry grunts.  Then I exclamed in a loud and angry voice, "Up yours!"  I have no idea what I was dreaming about, but the bottom line is, I have some major dream issues...

Tuesday:  On my way to the gym to work out in the morning, I saw seven deer on the road right next to campus!  Those things are pests!  Word on the street is that they have hired animal control specialists to try and control the situation (aka, hunters from Idaho).

Unfortunately, I found out Tuesday that I didn't get the internship I was hoping for, so that was a major bummer!  I figure that those seven deer I saw on the road were a representation of the seven years of pests before the seven years of good things.. but I hope its not seven years :)

Wednesday:  I joined a bowling league!  I now bowl every Wednesday starting at 9:00pm; yeah, it's a little bit later than what I'm used to.  This past Wednesday I scored a 103 (my highest score of my four games I played).  I'm hoping to get up to 150 by the time the season is over.

Thursday:  I was thrilled to come home to a birthday package from the parents (along with a reward for a certain crochet project that I am doing) with a new sweater and courdoroy pants!  They all fit really nice!  Thanks mom and dad!

Friday: After an awful O chem lab (can't wait until I'm done with that class), I went shopping for bridal shower gifts for my past roommate, Lexy.  I found a vase at DI for $1, and then bought some cotton yarn, some beads, and three wooden spoons to personalize a spoon holder.  It was a quick project and it only took me one movie to finish it -- Malory and I watch the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  It was really cute.

The next day at the Briday shower, I was able to give it to her.  She is so cute, and we all had a really fun time at the shower.

 Work: I currently work as a TA for the food analysis class, and I also work in a vitamin analysis lab.  I love working in the lab, because the kids are SOOOOOOOOOOO fun to be around.  We are only allowed to use yellow light so it doesn't destroy the vitamins, but I took a few shots in there this week.

Murial Johnson and I measuring folate, day two, part one.

Murial, Parker, Garth, and Murphy -- the most entertaining group of kids.

Sunday: That finally brings us to today!  I was able to skype with one of my favorite companions, Sister Gomez, from Brazil.  Sister Clark, Sister Gomez, and I were in a trio for three weeks, and it was the most fun three weeks of my mission.  I love her, and I was so happy to talk to her!

I also made dinner for my roommate, Malory, and myself.  It was parsley potato soup, spinach strawberry salad, and Irish soda bread.  The bread was delicious!  The soup was different, but I think I would do it again.  

Well, this post took me over an hour to do, so I hope it is a little smoother and easier next week.  In any case, here is the recipe for the irish soda bread... try it out!  

Irish Soda Bread

Larger photo

Quick and easy Irish soda bread recipe with flour, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, raisins, an egg, and a touch of sugar.

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Makes one loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup currants or raisins
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

2 Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add in the currants or raisins.

3 Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead!

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.

4 Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet). Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.) Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_soda_bread/#ixzz3xYyUaQzd