April TV

I realize April is almost over, but I still have 3 or 4 days to sneak this in. This won't come as a surprise to many of you, but I love tv. My favorite shows are reality shows, even though they're usually far from any reality I live in, but that doesn't stop me.

To recap the month of April...

Shows that ended in April:
'Shear Genius' (Bravo) 3rd season finale - I was mad that Brig won
'Melrose Place' (The CW) 1st season finale - Yes....I watch the new one
'Millionaire Matchmaker' (Bravo) 3rd season finale - Gotta love Patti
'Ugly Betty' (ABC) series finale - SO SAD to see the end of this show happen
'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution' (ABC) 1st season finale - Very inspiring

Shows that started in April:
'Intervention' (A&E) 8th season mid-season premiere - Some people find this show depressing but I think it's amazing, especially when people stay clean
'Glee' (FOX) 1st season mid-season premiere - Loved the Madonna episode, can't wait for the Lady GaGa episode, and word on the street is they might do a Britney Spears episode too
'Dhani Tackles the Globe' (Travel) 2nd season premiere - Sports-related, but Dhani sure is nice to look at
'Say Yes to the Dress' (TLC) 5th season premiere - I'm not planning on getting married, but I can't help watching the random bridezilla
'The Hills' (MTV) 6th season premiere - see below
'The City' (MTV) 2nd season premiere - I love Whitney but I'm not sure she's a big enough star for her own show. 1st season was alright, we'll see how this season goes
'Friday Night Lights' (NBC) 4th season premiere - Mom will be happy about this one too, starts on the 30th

Shows I wish I watched but no one has convinced me to add them to my DVR...yet
'Little People, Big World' (TLC) 6th season mid-season premiere
'Celebrity Fit Club' (VH1) 7th season finale
'Top Chef Masters' (Bravo) 2nd season premiere
'Tori & Dean' (Oxygen) 5th season premiere

Don't worry, I don't actually track all this information in my head. I'm not that obsessed. My source is here.

Season 6 premiere of The Hills
I promised Rachel that I would blog my reaction to tonight's season premiere of The Hills, so here you go.
1. Why is Stephanie friends with everyone now? She's only there to ask "loaded" questions. I don't like her and wish she wasn't on the show...ever.
2. Did Heidi and Spencer rob a pawn shop? What's with all the gold jewelry?
3. FrankenHeidi is going to be in my nightmare tonight. She's straight scary looking!
4. Brody ...need I say more.
5. Since when does wearing sunglasses mean you do drugs? Jack Nicholson's been wearing them to Lakers games for years. Oh...wait...
Final Thoughts: Overall, it was a pretty boring season opener although clips from the rest of the season look pretty juicy. I think it's a good thing that this is the last season though. It's starting to be same old, same old.

BTW, did I mention that I love reality tv. I love it so much, that I read both of Lauren Conrad's books, L.A. Candy and Sweet Little Lies, which are about reality tv. They are "fictional" although a lot of the story lines and people sound very similar to those in The Hills. Regardless, the books were fantastic and I highly recommend them.


On a side note, a commercial for Sex In The City 2 came on during The Hills, and I just want to say...I can't wait! Aidan's back..yeah.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

It was a beautiful weekend in San Jose. Saturday morning was spent making cupcakes for Rochelle's birthday BBQ, which was planned for the afternoon. I had heard that she likes yellow cake and strawberries, so immediately thought about the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes I had previously made for work. They are moist and sweet, and the perfect dessert on a warm day.



Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
found at Food & Wine
Ingredients:
CAKE
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
FROSTING AND TOPPING
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Strawberry jam (to taste)

Directions:
MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating well between additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full.
Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20 to 23 minutes, until springy and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FROSTING: In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Mix the frosting with strawberry jam to taste. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and serve.

Make Ahead:
The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. The white buttercream frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days. Return to room temperature before using.

As you can tell from the ingredients, the frosting is SUPER sweet. I still haven't mastered how to tone it down, although fresh strawberries on top seem to help. I've also found that the frosting can thin out and get runny if the cupcakes are left out for more than an hour. If you have tips on how to make it thicker, please feel free to share.

TGIF

I'm happy to say I made it through my first week in my new job. My main responsibility is still to be a sponge, but I'm understanding more, and definitely have a feel for what I'll be doing in the future. That being said, it's all still overwhelming, but I'm excited to do something so new to me.

When I got home from a long day at work I was welcomed by the smell of a home-cooked meal. My Crockpot was waiting with one of my favorite slow cooking meals...chicken tacos!! Sounds simple, right? Well it is, which is why I love it so much. I first had these during a Superbowl party earlier this year and it's been a staple in my weekly meals since.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients:
4 frozen chicken breasts
1 cup of water
1 small can of green diced chili
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1 package of taco seasoning

Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low. Shred and serve.

If you want to use fresh chicken you can, just cook it on low for 4.5 hours. For tonight's meal flour tortillas were used, but corn tortillas are great as well. In terms of garnish, the tacos were joined by the usual suspects - mexican shredded cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream.




After dinner I sat down to continue reading Breaking Dawn, which is the final book of the Twilight Saga, only to find that Banana must have been hungry at some point and tried to snack on it. Luckily, not too much damage was done so I'm hoping to finish it up tonight.

All Moved In

I was able to take an hour yesterday to finally move everything to my new desk and set things up. I have a few new items as a part of my office decor thanks to my family, which I thought I'd share.

First, are my cork people. My nephew Sam, who is now 9, is currently in a class where they've been asked to create a product and "sell" it to other students at the school. Sam decided to make cork people, which entails using wine corks and push pins to create "people". Here is a pic of the cork people I received on my recent visit.


The second items are Dachshund related. About a month ago, I was reading through one of my favorite decorating blogs, Decor8, and saw these adorable bookends by Jonathan Adler. I obviously wanted them, but realized they were a "want", not a "need", so I decided not to make the purchase. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephews must have read my mind because for my birthday I opened up my present to find the exact bookends, plus a matching paperweight. The bookends look perfect along the window at work, and my paperweight is ready and waiting to weigh down some important documents.

Happy Birthday Banana!

It was Banana's 2nd birthday last Friday (April 16th). For those of you that don't know, Banana is my handsome chocolate dachshund. Unfortunately for him, we were on a long road trip Friday so he wasn't able to enjoy his day. Therefore, he got to celebrate his birthday all weekend long, which included a doggie cookie (in the shape of a bone), and a doggie cake (see pics below). The treats came from Gussied Up Dog Boutique in Downtown Willow Glen. I can't tell you what they were made out of although the girl at the store said something about peanut butter, and the cookie was very hard.

Banana got the bone cookie on Saturday and seemed to be unsure about whether he was supposed to eat it or just carry it around. He ate half and then proceeded to fall asleep on top of the other half until the evening, when he finished it off. (He obviously has much more willpower than his mother. Sunday he got his cake (see pics below). Initially he licked frosting off the top, and then things took a turn for the worst. After most of the frosting was gone, he kept turning around, staring at me, whimpering, and then growling. I'm still unsure what he was scared/hurt/angry about, but after about 30 mins of his strange behavior I felt the cake was at fault and ended up taking it away. His behavior seemed to return to normal once the cake was out of sight.

All-in-all a good birthday weekend. Happy Birthday Banana!!

I'm A Sponge

Yesterday was the first day of my new job. I'm still at Google but after 4 years in Analytics (which I will miss dearly), I needed a change. I'm now working as a People Program Manager for the Engineering function (still in HR). Today was Day 2 of my new adventure, and my first day at my new desk. Check out the view from where I sit.


Not too shabby huh? Anyways, I'm super excited about my new responsibilities and new team. So far, my main job is to be a sponge and just let anything and everything soak in until it sticks. I'll let you know how it goes...

Testing, Testing 1...2...3

Well, I think I've started a blog two times before this, but neither had any longevity so I'm hoping that third times a charm.