Cheddar Cheese Bread

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For the record, I’d like this Cheddar Cheese Bread to also be known as cheesy-buttery-bread-goodness. It’s like bread taken to the next level with flecks of cheese woven throughout and a slightly crisp crust. I should know, I ate nearly half a loaf all by myself…

YOLO. 

(YOLO is such a cheesy phrase, I thought it was appropriate for my cheese bread post)

Cheddar Cheese Bread
via Shutterbean

  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp butter 
  • 5 ounces sharp orange cheddar, shredded
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk 

Preheat yo’ oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add 2 tbsp butter in to the mix with your fingers (it will be a little pebbly but do your best!). Add the cheese, tossing to coat. Add the buttermilk. Stir until dough just comes together (I added a couple more splashes of buttermilk since mine had a little difficulty). Divide your dough between the plans and smooth the tops. 

Cut a shallow cross across the tops of the loaves. Thinly slice the remaining tablespoon of butter and place the butter in the cuts. Bake 22-26 minutes. The top will be browned, your house will smell like butter and cheese, and the tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Now wait the longest you’ve ever waited, 30 minutes, to let the bread cool in the pan before slicing. 

Insert slices into face. 

Note: My recipe testing companion, Jayme, suggested adding jalapenos or green chilis. I think I might try sprinkling jalapeno slices across the top the next time I make this cheesy-buttery-bread-goodness. 

Sincerely, 
Erin 

What Not to Wear

Crap-o-la.

Am I a What Not to Wear story?

This was my thought  as I stared into my closet one dreary morning. As I looked around for something to wear; something to combat the the gray day, all I found staring back at me were t-shirts of black, blue, and muted maroon. Well, everything is muted as most everything in my closet is worn on a frequent basis.

To be honest, I kind of love that all my clothes are worn. Gone are the days where my closet is overflowing with Forever 21 disposables and Urban Outfitters weekly trends. No, my closet is now filled with clothes I am actually comfortable wearing for never ending workdays and urban weekend exploring.

… but now the clothes are just making me complacent. Wait, that’s the wrong word. The words I’m really looking for are bored and depressed. Clothes aren’t supposed to make you depressed, right!?!

So, I purged.

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I tried to edit a pretty picture of my ugly clothes but ugly clothes are ugly.

Out went the clothes that were too long, too short, no longer flattering, faded and/or did not make me feel good throughout the day. The unfortunate thing is that purged clothes encompass about 50% of my wardrobe.  It’s sad really.

I’m now on a quest to rebuild a better wardrobe. Until I get to that point, it will probably feel like I’m wearing the same outfits twice a week. But that’s ok because these are the clothes I want to wear to help combat the gray Seattle days…

and to avoid showing up as a guest on What Not to Wear!

Sincerely,

Erin

P.S. Love you Stacy and Clinton!

“Great Cursive”

Does every Grandma and Great relative have the same cursive scribbles? You know the kind, the cursive they made you practice in your workbooks for hours and hours in the third grade.

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I love my Great Aunt Loreen. She is the lady from whom I received my middle name. Unfortunately, for the life of me, I cannot read her old fashioned cursive scribbles. Her scribbles are what I can best describe as “Great Cursive.” But even though I struggle, I still try my darndest to read her words because those written words are displays of love. It’s love via letter.

There is something intrinsically personal about a handwritten letter. I am not sure if it’s the smell of ink, the impressions on the paper, or the stain of spilled coffee… it’s all part of the snapshot of the writer’s time.

And even though I love the pace of sending an email, the speedy reply of a text message, or the fact that I can see you are typing on Gchat, there is nothing quite as personal as receiving a handwritten note. So, dear reader, what I would like to offer you is a chance for you to receive a snapshot of my time via letter. I’ve gathered all the notecards, stationary, and postcards I’ve acquired  but never had a chance to send.. and I’d like to send some love via letter to you.

And more than likely, my love will be coffee stained.

Sincerely,
Erin

P.S. Email your address to notestoerin @ gmail.com and I’ll write to you soon!

Community

“Bye, talk soon.”
“Def. Later!”
Click.

Do you know the feeling of getting off the phone (or Skype, Facetime, GVoice, etc.) with someone you had a really great conversation with? For me, it feels like my heart smiles.

It begs the question, if it feels so great, why don’t I do it more?

And here comes my internal list of excuses…
Because I’m SO busy with work.
Because my friends live in other time zones.
Because it’s too late to call.
Because they are probably busy.
Because I have nothing to say.
Because blah, blah, blah.

These are all dumb excuses BECAUSE if something as simple as talking to friend makes you feel good, why wouldn’t you do it more?

So, I’ve decided that for the month of March I will focus on the community around me. I will be trying to visit with and/or talk to as many people as I can. It’s time for me to put all my excuses aside and prove once and for all how important community is to me. I am striving to connect more with those around me on a more frequent basis. It’s to make my heart smile a little more more.

Since it can be difficult to hold yourself to a goal of “Focus on your community,” I have devised a four point process to hold myself accountable to my intentions. The goals that I have set accomplish to prove that no matter how busy you are, it’s still important to interact with those around you.

Weekly:
1x In person
2x Phone a friend
3x Mail
4 x Online

Wholly moly! Do I even know this many people?

Well, its the month to find out!

See/Talk/Write/Blog soon!

Sincerely,
Erin

Timeless Fitzgerald

Amory to Tom:

“Why don’t you tell me that ‘if the girl had been worth having she’d have waited for you’? No, sir, the girl really worth having won’t wait for anybody.”

Boom.
F.Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise.
Published 1920.

Thanks for reminder Fitzgerald.

Sincerely,
Erin

What’s a Korean Spa?

“What’s a Korean Spa?,” I asked. 

 
My friends promptly looked at me over their cocktail glasses like I had asked if the Earth was round! 
“Oh, it’s the greatest thing” 
“Get a scrub, your skin will feel wonderful.”
and “Be prepared for extreme nakedness.”
 
Umm. Extreme nakedness? Like, nakedness beyond regular nakedness?
 
So, with heightened curiosity I booked my first Korean spa visit. 
Alone. 
Because I’m not sure what extreme nakedness is, but I’m not entirely sure I’m comfortable with it. 
So, you ask, “What’s a Korean Spa experience like?”
 
All I can say is that what my friends said was extremely right on. The Korean Spa is for ladies only and you spend the day extremely naked. Well, that’s not true. You also have to wear a shower cap. 
My spa day was spent walking around in my robe (and shower cap), trying every sauna under the sun. There was a room with coal floors. Another one with a sand floor. And one that said danger!, time limit is five minutes. And while I love danger, the other rooms had no time limit and I could barely handle them at 10 minutes at a time so I passed on that one. Maybe next time I’ll be down for the danger! room. 
 
Did I tell you there is a restaurant in the spa? Heck, ya! I ate Korean BBQ barefoot and in a robe. It was bliss. 
 
This story doesn’t have too much nakedness. Yet. 
 
In addition to the saunas, the spa also has a handful of whirlpools of various temperatures for you to spend time in. Naked. With ten other ladies. Where do you look? Is eye contact acceptable?  How do you ask someone to scootch over so they don’t touch your naked leg? 
 
I have no answers fo you but my actions were 1.) down 2.) no 3.) leave
 
In all, it was the most relaxing and awkward experience I’ve ever had. I’ll have to let you know when I go next … so I won’t meet you there ;)
 
Sincerely,
Erin