Random Sevenness

Rebecca tagged me for this one, and since I haven't blathered much (at least lately) about my non-writer self, here goes: Seven random things about me you probably didn't know.

1) I clean left to right. Or right to left. But I can't stand cleaning randomly. I have to see my progress and what needs to be done next. For example, when I'm cleaning the kitchen counter, one end will be clean and clear while the other is still messy with dishes and junk mail as I move my way across it.

2) I select my clothes left to right. Unlike people who organize their closets by color or whatever, here's what I do: I hang up clothes on the right side of the closet. When I get dressed, I try to find something from the left side first. This tells me pretty quickly what clothes I don't really like to wear (or which no longer fit or whatever), because they end up lingering on that end of the closet. If they sit there too long, I know it's time to get rid of them. Goofy, I know. But it has an additional bonus: I often stumble across clothing combinations I never would have thought of otherwise.

3) When I was a kid, I had toenail fungus in my left pinkie toe, which made it thick, yellow and weird shaped. We tried all kinds of home remedies to get rid of it. Somehow it's gone now. No clue why.

4) I'm becoming my parents. I'll pass a mirror and notice a facial expression or gesture that's totally Mom. Or I'll hear myself saying something that sounds eerily like Dad. (Notably, "Giiiiiirls . . . go to sleep!")

5) I had mumps as a kid. Twice. That's not supposed to be possible.

6) I have a scar on my chin thanks to my brother. Considering this is the guy who dragged me around in sleeping bags, locked me in the closet, and set my hair on fire (not kidding), you'd think it's a miracle that I don't have more scars. But here's the thing: I got my chin busted open while he was playing nicely with me. I think I was three.

7) I did my own nails for my wedding, complete with acrylic. They were bright red and looked awesome.

I'm Tagged; You Get Chocolate

I don't get tagged all that often, but on Sunday Amanda D from The Little Things tagged me for this one I'd seen going around blogland:

Post the sixth photo in your sixth folder.

Here's mine:

To explain:

This is my daughter's hands as she makes the first layer of Chocolate Bark. I took pictures of her doing the entire process as part of a query for a girl's magazine article. The department I was shooting for likes recipes girls her age can do with little to no adult help. Chocolate Bark totally fits.

I'm far from a chocolate expert, but I have had some fun with it, and I've collected a lot of recipes. At some point (in the relatively near future, I hope), I plan to write a chocolate cookbook. More on that another time.

In case you're interested, here's how to make it. (Some day I may post more specifics, like how to actually melt the chocolate and so forth, but today, I'm going for simple.)

Chocolate Bark

Spread parchment over a cookie sheet.

Melt three kinds of chocolate, making sure you don't overheat them (they'll seize, turning into a grainy, icky mass). Then stir them a bit to get some air into them, cool them down slightly, and to get the chocolate tempered right so it won't bloom.

You'll be using different amount of each chocolate, so decide how you want to layer them. I prefer to use dark chocolate for the bottom layer (the most you'll use), milk chocolate for the top layer (you'll use slightly little less), and then white or some other fun color for the drizzle (you'll need the least of this one).

Spread the first layer of melted chocolate into a 1-2 mm thick rectangle.

Spread the second layer of melted chocolate on top of the first, leaving a small margin so the first shows around the edges.

After putting the final kind of chocolate into a zip-style bag (some day I should post about the nifty trick for filling the bag), seal it off and snip the corner with scissors. Use this as a decorating bag to drizzle over the entire surface. If you're using a color that contrasts well with the other chocolates, the effect will be really cool.

Sprinkle whatever crunchy item you want over the top. (This is what makes the end product "bark.") Possible items: chopped nuts, peppermint crush, toffee bits, sprinkles, etc.

Put the cookie sheet into the fridge and leave until the chocolate is set, half an hour or so, depending on the thickness. Remove from the fridge and break by hand into bite-sized pieces.

Just for fun, here's the final shot we took of the project:

YUM!

For the tagging (I don't remember where all I saw this tag, so forgive me if I'm forgetting to tag someone or forgetting that you've already been tagged!):

Tristi, Luisa, Lisa, Lara, and Josi.

Today, A Tag

Meant to do this one from LisAway for ages now, and since I have a minute . . .



Where is your phone? In my purse.

Where is your significant other? One room over, watching TV.

Your hair color? Formerly blonde. Now boring blah-ish brownish.

Your mother? Gorgeous: looks like Meryl Streep. Seriously. Way smart. Gospel scholar.

Your father? My favorite Word Nerd in the world (surely where I get it from). Wisest and kindest man I know.

Your favorite thing? Um . . . could we be a bit more specific? That could be anything from chocolate to writing to my family to a hot bath.

Your dream last night? I don't remember it, but I woke up thinking, "Weird."

Your dream/goal? I have lots. One of the biggest is to raise four children who are happy, moral, well-adjusted adults.

Your hobby? What's a hobby? Okay, I suppose knitting, when I get around to it. Which is far less often than I'd like.

Room you're in? My office. Which I love. I'm hiding from the kids. It's not working very well.

Your fear? Claustrophobia. I've got a bunch of others, but trust me; you don't want to know.

Where do you want to be in six years? Still living in this house, doing what I love (writing and publishing, only more). Coping with my son being on a mission. (Bizarre thought, that.) Living with a better version of me.

Where were you last night? Playing Scrabble with my son. I totally won. (He trashes me in chess all the time, so we're even.)

One of your wish list items? A new dining set that actually matches our cupboard and doesn't have kid paint and stamp stains all over it.

What you're not? Male.

Where you grew up? Mostly in Utah, although those three years in Helsinki were pretty darn formative.

The last thing you did? Cleaned up dinner. Be impressed. I'm trying hard to get it cleaned up at night instead of waiting until morning like I often used to because at night I'm always so darned tired. I've done pretty well the last few weeks. Don't be horrified at my old habit, please.

Your TV? Rarely watched by me. Watched a lot by everyone else in the house.

Your pets? White Siamese mix with flame-tipped markings. A bit cross-eyed. Has serious mood issues. Is destroying my computer chair by climbing up it and sharpening her claws on it.

Your computer? New laptop. Woot!

Your mood? Worn out. A bit blue.

Missing someone? Mom and Dad. Very much.

Your car? 10-year-old Dodge Grand Caravan Sport. It served us faithfully until last summer when it decided to fall apart. Lots of repairs later, it's plugging along. For now. Cross your fingers. We need it to last awhile longer.

Something you're not wearing? Pajamas, but if I were typing this around, oh, noon, I'd have to say something else. I tend to wear PJs way too long every day. But, hey, they're comfy!

Your summer? Was hot. I guess. Whatever.

Love someone? What kind of lame question is that?

Your favorite color? Burgundy. And sage. But not together.

When was the last time you laughed? At dinner. The kids crack me up.

Last time you cried? At church. I tend to tear-up easily when others share emotional experiences.



I'm pulling a Lisa and saying that if you comment, you're tagged.

But only if you want to be.

So whatever. No pressure or anything. :)