The Sarge

"Listen up! Your Sergeant is going to hold your hand and kick you in the rear every day to get you in shape. We call it tough love. Our program will jump-start your day and tone your butt, you’ll have a blast, and you’ll learn to take care of your body. After a few weeks with us, you’ll walk taller and see your gut shrinking in the mirror. We’ll see you soon or more of you later."

This was the blurb my overindulged eyes landed on tonight as I explored what I had just been talked into by my sweet sister.

I cannot believe that I just signed up for this. One full month of butt kicking, sweat-inducing, hardcore workouts. 5 days a week. I am slightly intimidated, but really excited! I may die a little the first week, but I know it will be great. My hind end will be a high end again!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Hair is so tricky. Some days it looks good, other days it's kind of blech, and on those rare occasions... you look like a rock star. Recently, I have been caught in a run of those "blech" hair days. So, I cut it. All. Off. I had been thinking about cutting my hair in stages, you know, shoulder length first, then shorter later. That isn't exactly how it happened though.

Last Tuesday, I woke up with a start, realizing that I had approximately 10 minutes before I needed to be at the bus stop. I smelled to high heavens since I had worked my patooti off the night before running and exercising (I have been falling asleep as soon as I get to my bedroom lately). I had to shower. I busted out an outfit and hurtled myself into the water. Did the fastest shampoo job in the history of my hair, shut the water off, dove into my clothes, stuffed makeup in my purse and grabbed a towel to dry my drenched hair on the way. While I was drying my hair at the bus stop, I realized how ridiculous the situation was. I had super long hair that was sopping wet, making my clothes sopping wet. I looked like I had hopped out of the washing machine with no time for a hop in the dryer.

On the way to work my hair kept getting caught underneath my purse strap and I kept having to yank it out from underneath. This was quite the process as I am neither a light traveler or a highly coordinated person. Luckily I was sitting for part of the time.

When I got to work, still dripping wet and my shirt now a little more sheer than was intended (it was white...) I sat down at my desk. My hair flopped and flipped and dripped and dried. I was sick of it. I had a ribbon in my hair and that was probably the only cute thing about it. I was done. I looked up haircuts, some semi-short ones, and then I looked up super-short hairstyles and stumbled upon an the article that empowered me to take my hair and my life back into my own hands. I was not going to be stopped.

My dear friend Hailey was moving in with us that night, and I asked her if she would cut it right away. She was quite obliging, and pretty excited.

After we got her all settled in that night, we set to choppin' my hair off.

The last picture of my hair dry didn't seem to get saved on the camera, but here is a picture of it long and wet!

I decided to go big and donate my hair to Locks of Love. Hailey put my hair into 3 ponytails so all of the hair could be used. Each one was about 10 inches in length. She just chopped those suckers right off! (I'll admit, I freaked out a little bit. But after that, I was pumped!)

Hailey just kept cutting and cutting and cutting! She was so good! After that first ponytail went down I knew I was going to be super happy with my hair!

Here's me with my ponytails!

And today I actually styled my hair! I absolutely love it! It took everyone a while to recognize me! I am so happy! I feel like myself again, just hotter.

In Other News

Since both of my most recent posts have been about food, how much I love food, how I love to make food, how I love to eat food, how I love to make others eat food (subsequently getting plump), and how I wish I could eat more food, I thought I would tell you something that is not food related.


Molly and I are running! I am pretty slow. But I am getting faster and I don't feel like I am going to die anymore! It's great! And, we have a goal!

And our goal is....






The Disney Princess Half Marathon! In February! In Disneyworld!

Yes, it is a lofty goal for me. But I am going to do it. And hot dang, I am going to look great doing it. 13.1 miles, here I come! (If you want to run with us, we would love to have you! There's also a Royal Family 5k... hint hint...)

Snack Time

As I was sitting in my office at work today, it suddenly became snack time. I pulled open the second desk drawer down and popped out a pudding cup. It was delicious. Thank you Target for having a sale on pudding cups.

Unfortunately, my pudding cup was gone far too quickly. My blissful moment of creamy chocolate was over.

And so, I plead to you, Makers of Pudding Cups, please make them just a little bit bigger, for me? Oh won't you please?

Or make my mouth smaller, but that won't happen, will it.

Karl... I mean Farl

Saturday, my lovely sister Molly and I decided it was time for a trip to the bookstore. So we went. We browsed and browsed and browsed some more. Keep in mind, some Christmas wishes were made. Whether they were for us or not, I will let you use your imagination.

My purchase of the day was 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood. Delectable looking, yes, I know. Anyway, as I meandered around the rest of the store with this book in tow, I kept hugging it and drooling over it and thinking how fat and happy I could make everyone that I know. It's my new hobby.

I decided before I got out of the store which bread recipe I was going to attempt that night. After a lot of internal struggling, I finally settled on Farl. You heard me. Farl. (Although I did forget what it was called and told my roommate that I made Karl and she should try some. That's probably why she hasn't had any yet...) Farl is an old English loaf. They knew how to eat.

Now Breezi, this part is for you. In true (almost true) blogger fashion, I documented most of my bread making experience!

Recipe:

• scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 oz/ 30 g yeast - turns out, that is 10 teaspoons of yeast...
• scant 2/3 cup stick butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups water

makes one large loaf

(seriously, how could I resist this book?)

(This is the page the recipe is on. I am apparently looming over the page casting quite the shadow)

Step 1: Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix for 4 minutes. (I read in the book that you don't actually have to dissolve yeast in warm water first. The slower bread rises the more flavor it has! You can even let it rise in the refrigerator!)

Step 2: Tip out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth and pliable. (I didn't really do this for 5 minutes... Actually I may have forgotten to do that part altogether. I know I let it rise though!) Let the dough stand in the bowl to rise for 1 hour. (It literally doubles in size!)

Step 3: Line a baking sheet. (I just greased one. It worked great.) Tip the dough out onto your floured counter and shape into a ball then flatten into a circle about 2 inches thick. Put on the baking sheet and let rise for 1 hour. (Again, it got considerably chubbier.)

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius. In case you were wondering. Cover the top of the dough with flour and, starting with the middle, make vertical slashes down the dough all the way round. Bake in the over for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. (It's that easy!)

My cutting vertical slashes weren't as pretty as the pictures but I am determined to make pretty gashes in bread before I am through with all of these recipes! And, I intend to make each and every bread recipe.

So, this bread is pretty good. It was delicious right out of the oven with a little spray butter, because that's how I roll, and a glob of jelly!

And that's Farl. Yum.

Blogabore

I would like to apologize for being a bore these last few months. Rest assured I only appear boring on the internet. My life is full. And fun. I do stuff, okay!

Anyway, you may expect new posts and wild and crazy updates soon!

Yours Always,

Ruthie K