Bhudda, Biscuits and Life in General

I am back home with Daddy and Chris, finally....after a much needed break in New Hampshire...I did get to make some delightful biscuits, scones, and more....but now just need to find employment, yet again!, in the baking field.

I couldn't wait to be back here. I love the family that I re-found, but my place is here, NOW, in Vermont. I love it here, and my heart truly did grow more fond of this place, being away for awhile. At least I am in my element here, and I am back with my immediate family and my friends, instead of trapped out there in the sticks with only my worldly possessions and an unclear sense of what I can do with myself. Moving taught me that just because you have blood relations that look like you and share some of your personality traits does not mean it is all-encompassing...I feel guilty putting this family through the gauntlet, emotionally, but I absolutely refuse to stay and change my entire self simply out of guilt and shame.
I am who I am, good AND bad, and I will deal with the repercussions on my own. Rehab my ASS. Today makes 15 days without a dr0p, and I am extremely grateful and appreciative of the support. This is a good thing, but I felt trapped, especially with everyone breathing down my neck about it. And honestly, if I had a way to get a drink right now, I would snatch it up in a sec0nd.
I want to smoke a cigarette without feeling bad about it. I want to chug wine without needing to explain myself to anyone or needing to hide it. It truly sucks that I had to return my sweet, yet costly, phone but at least my daddy, chris, jo, nick,and their families are right here :)
What needs doing must be done. Even a little bit of work will keep me afloat. I'm going stir crazy and need to occupy some free time! Particularly by baking?!?!
BTW: for those of you who seem to have a very close minded opinion of BHUDDA: let me ENLIGHTEN you...Siddhartha Gautama did not seek out GODLINESS. He was merely a man, much like JESUS, who believed that the soul lives on, in various forms, and that we should be conscious of the actions that we take in each of our life-times, because, KARMICALLY, we are held responsible for our actions and how we affect the natural and living world around us.
I do not, in any way, shape or form, agree with the fact that the Tsunami in Japan is a sign from "Jehovah" decreeing that the world, as we know it, is coming to an end. I have more than a healthy amount of respect for the beliefs of others; however, this I think is a bunch of bullshit. Jehovah's Witnesses I believe to be a cult and I WANT NO PART IN IT, OR ITS TEACHINGS. Any religion that can shun members of its immediate family is foul and ridiculous and deserves no second glance, in this writer's opinion. Guess what. As it turns out, JWs, blood means nothing. I would take my "SINFUL, PAGAN, DISFELLOWSHIPPED" family over you any second of any minute of any hour of any day of any week of any month of any year. Here's WHY:

No matter how often or how atrocious, our fights don't battle over souls. I would NEVER want to be in "paradise" without my dad, my brothers, my sister and their families. My newborn niece is important, too, BTW. I wanted to see her more than anything in the world, thank you very much, and I should have been there, in the delivery room, just as when Collin was born, except that I was away, and that was my fault. I should have never left. This is where I belong, and unfortunately it was an inopportune time for me to realize this.

I know I'm not going to clug around making nothing of myself. I am a talented cook and baker, and cake decorator extraordinaire...I have no doubt I will make my way, successfully, through whatever I have to offer the world; I will not sacrifice myself, though. I will not give up that in which I believe, and I will not meld myself to a lifestyle with which I do not 100% agree.

Thank you for everything, dear family. I love and respect you all.

TOR

Dinner Time :)

So tonight I'm taking a break from making sweets...that's right, I cook, too :) The plan is risotto...chock full of chantrelle and crimini mushrooms, vidalia onion, peas, and plenty of thyme...I am soooooo excited. Jerry gets to taste my home cookin' at last haha! It will be so delicious. I think the plan next is either homefries, because let's be honest everyone, I do make the best...or maybe red flannel hash! It's the season, fo sho. ORRRRRR...butternut squash lasagna! I am 100 % starving, and also salivating....can't wait to start cooking xoxoxoxox

Pnut Butter Blossoms!!!!!

Today, i'm working. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I so do not want to serve people! However...Michelle (Bubbles!) and I are making cookies for the football-y stuff later :) We are going to make peanut butter blossoms! (for those of you who don't know...those are the pb cookies that have little hershey kisses nestled atop their golden brown peaks.) By request, of course...and I'm more than happy to oblige :-) Yay! Nothing better than baking on a chilly day!

<3 Victoria!

4-EVA

Holy crap, everybody...it's been forever! January 16th was the last entry! I am disappointed to inform you that I'm no longer baking full time. However, I am pleased to report that I have indeed still been at the old mix-and-whip. I've had a request for key lime pie! Little out of season, maybe, but indeed one of my favorites to make, and of course, EAT! I always make the standard graham cracker crust, but I use cinnamon-sugar grahams, add toasted coconut and ground, toasted almonds to it...with, of course, plenty of butter :) Oh, happy little pie. I can't wait!

Also, my birthday is less than two months away, so I am planning my birthday bash extravaganza and i'm very excited about coming up with a crazy cake!!! I'm thinking red velvet with the marshmallow icing...I keep trying to broaden my personal taste horizons, but it just keeps coming back to that dense red luciousness with its fluffy teal marshmallow frosting cushion resting daintily on top. You can't beat the color contrast either. It's striking. Last year was the breakfast-for-dinner bash, complete with my veggietastic homefries, banana and zucchini bread french toast, and bloody marys. One of my dear friends (Alyssa!) made my cake, which was a decadant black forest cake, dripping with dark, sweet cherries and bejeweled with sparkling tufts of whipped cream. YUM! I am now going to get a snack...thinking about all this has awakened my desire for lunch.

Well, adieu for now friends....more very soon! <3

Ahoy from...ah....yup, still Burlington

Hey there everyone! It's been awhile...still baking o'course, but this time at Fresh Market Cheese Outlet Bakery on Pine Street...meaning I'm still in Burlington. AAAAAAAaaaaaagggggh! You know, one day I do plan to get on outta here. However, I do love my job. I get to work with awesome girlies who love to bake as much, if not more than I do! Cool peeps, creative freedom, elbow deep in cookie dough....(imagine very contented sigh....now!)

I'm working through some personal poopie as well at the moment, but have no fear! My sparkly joie-de-vie will prevail! Though, I would appreciate some happy vibes sent in my general direction if ya got any to spare...I love you all and I'll be back in the bake blog mode in a snap...promise!

Cake, cake, cake...blondies!

And now, news from the cakefront...there are sweets to be had...even when life isn't so sweet. Not to be overly dramatic, but I find myself in the throes of yet another boy (or man, rather, since he's got 10 years on me...oh shut up) fiasco...living loving and losing. And still baking away. The dude is moving away far away...to WA to be a part of the reality that, unfortunately for me, does not include me. Apparently our feelings are very much not the same when it comes to pain of leaving/being left. I am incredibly unhappy to report that this incurable romantic, willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond in her search for real true love, finds herself no more than simply a summer fling. Ouch. I think I need a cookie. That's right, everybody. The skinny girls gonna go eat her feelings. Think I might have two. Oh, Zack. You're a big ass. And now I'll be one, too.

And the beat goes on....

All right, folks...after much time spent slinging cocktails and spending daylight hours being hungover, thanks to free and cheap drinks, looking for work and generally BSing around (mostly watching HBO and eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) I find myself waiting for the meaning of life to hit me hard in the face. Not having any real luck here, I've finally found a couple of new jobs and things are looking up! And I'm baking again like crazy!

It's true, I'm not in school at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'm not still teaching myself everything I can about baking, cooking, and decorating cakes...I just started work at Juniors, waiting tables in the evenings, and started working over at the Fresh Market bakery. I've spent my first 3 days there mixing and scooping cookies, making crumb pies (cherry-raspberry-rhubarb & peach-blackberry!), decorating and putting together an 8" heath bar cake [chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache filling, caramel, and brown sugar cream cheese frosting complete with crushed heath bars on the sides of the cake].

It's wonderful because everyone at FM is talented, knowledgeable, creative, and driven...what an excellent atmosphere in which I find myself continuing on the way to baking paradise...more to follow...this week should be a full one. My nephew, Colin, is turning 1 on August 19th so I'll be coming up with a great big yummy cake for him....plus I'm putting together a fondant tutorial for 2 friends in the near future...need to get more luster dust in gold and pearl...so much baking, so little time! A bientot, lovelies...in the meantime I'll be spreading the love, one cupcake at a time :)