Massive Update

So, I needed to make a massive update. There is SO much that I want to post and etc, but I always want to post PICTURES! And it never happens that way. SO I might as well just update.

The Car.
So no, I didn't end up getting a hybrid. :( Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards due to money. I probably could have gotten a used one, but for some reason, I felt uneasy about it, and I liked the new Civics a lot. I ended up getting a regular Civic, but I'm hoping that one day when money isn't so tight that I can get a hybrid. :)

The Pets.
Poor Moochie, he recently got a urinary tract infection and the vet's thinking it could be cystitis. We were originally using World's Best Cat Litter for him (which is still a great brand) but I found that it created WAY too much dust for my taste. I would find yellow paw prints everywhere! So I ended up switching to Swheat Scoop which is basically the same thing, but with wheat instead of corn. It produces much less litter, and I think it hides the odor better too.



On top of that, I found a litter box deodorizer (plain baking soda didn't always cut it.. my cat's stinky!) called Mrs Meyers that is basically baking soda with essential oils. I found it at Target too :)



On Food.
So my boyfriend has been having dietary problems and after some poking around, we thought it could be dairy related, so we've eliminated dairy from his diet. So far so good, but it is SO HARD trying not to eat dairy because our culture puts cheese on EVERYTHING. Plus that's his favorite food. :( So we've been experimenting a lot with foods, and tried Namaste Waffle and Pancake Mix which was really good! We used egg substitute too, and rice milk, which the recipe calls for, and the waffles were yummy! I'll try and post more recipes and things we're trying out :) Also, during my research, I found this website, Go Dairy Free. Lots of interesting information on why we should consume less dairy as a whole. I think ANYTHING in moderation is better for you.

On Relaxing.
For a while now, I've been wanting to get a massage just to relieve any stress and loosen up, and my friend wanted to take a spa day so I agreed and went with! We chose to go to Ecotique because of it's claim to "natural ingredients" although under further inspection, their products still contained parabens and other things that aren't good for you, their salon is very nice. Great service, although a bit disorganized. I enjoyed my massage a lot - she told me I was tight in my hands and feet, although it was easier to relax my feet than my hands. Perhaps it's due to using my hands all the time?? :P



For the record, none of these images are mine. :P

I guess that's all for now... at least, all that I can think of! I'm going to try to update more, and not feel bad for not always having my own images to post. :P

Authentic French Meringue Cookies

For Valentine's day, I made my boyfriend mint meringue cookies. They're wonderful, simple and tasty - the recipe itself does take a lot of energy, but it's a wonderful treat in the end. Taken from All Recipes.

INGREDIENTS

4 egg whites
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Butter and flour a baking sheet.
2. In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip.
3. Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

My own notes:
* Instead of flour and butter on the baking sheet, I used unbleached parchment paper.
* I used organic sugar and free-range eggs
* I used 1tsp of mint extract to add some flavor and 1/4 cup more sugar to make up for the added liquid.
* You can also set the oven to 185 instead of using the spoon/door method.

Mmmm! Enjoy!