Entering the Unknown

After my internship at Scripps Networks Interactive ended in July, I had the opportunity to work for another month (paid this time) as a contractor in the same department, Corporate Communications. After a little decision and a lot of praying, I decided to come back for the month of August and fill this temporary position. This week begins my last week and in this short time I have learned so much. I served as Corp Comm Coordinator and assistant to our SVP. Life lessons and professional skills is what I acquired from this position. I dealt with people a lot and worked on my professional communication and organizational skills. There were good days and bad, as with any job, and I learned how to deal with them and move on. Everyone in my department is such a joy to work with and they have helped me continue to grow in my professional career. On Friday I will officially leave Knoxville, TN and move on to find a permeant job. Not having one lined up has made me very anxious because I am a big planner and like to anticipate what will happen next. I know this is another opportunity for me to learn about myself and rely on God. I know the plans he has for me are perfect in his timing and I need to let go and let him direct my life. I am very thankful for this temping opportunity because I not only learned more for my future career, I met/lived with the most amazing family. Because one month leases are so difficult to find, I found a family who let me live with them for free. Not knowing them made it a little strange at first but it could not have been a more perfect situation. They are a loving and strong Christian family that have taught me a lot about generosity and sacrifice. I was so blessed to have met them and thankful for their hospitality. It is so funny how everything happens for a reason. Now the job waiting begins. Hopefully not for too long!

Ashley Anne's Bakery

After being "closed" for the past two months, this weekend Ashley Anne's Bakery was back in business. Ashley Anne's is the name of the bakery my college roommate/friend hope to one day have, and we will. We are proposing in the next 5-10 years we will open this bakery and be wildly successful doing exactly what we love. 


Baking is so much fun, especially when you have a great partner. Our dream began when we would bake cupcakes once a week in our small apartment, also known as Club 65. We have now graduated to slightly more advanced desserts, which you can find below. 


We do not claim these recipes to be our own originals, however, we do believe that we make them even more delicious than before. We are not advanced nor are we perfect bakers. We are not afraid to make a mess and enjoy laughing while creating these edible master pieces. 


This past weekend we baked three desserts; Funfetti Cake Pops, Snickerdoodle Surprise Cookies and Pecan Pie Pretzels. We got a little carried away baking them all at once, but we are great multi-taskers! Note: this took place at 11 p.m. We are considering a midnight bakery ;)


Funfetti Cake Pops:
This was my first, Olivia's second, attempt at making cake pops. Well, they are a lot easier said than done. These little treats are hard to master. 


Ingredients:
1 Box cake mix (additional ingredients needed)
1 container of icing
Meltable chocolate
Sprinkles/candy
Cake pop sticks
Styrofoam (optional)


First, bake a box cake of any flavor you wish. Let the cake cool and then crumble it in a mixing bowl. Next, add 1/2 a container of icing and mix it with your hands until you can form a ball of dough that sticks together. Roll out small balls-this is the key. We made our balls too large so they did not hold to the pop sticks. Make them about a two bite size. Dip your sticks in the melted chocolate and stick in the ball. Allow time to harden then roll the ball in melted chocolate and top with your favorite sprinkle/candy. We did not have styrofoam to hold our cake pops up so we had to make them upside down. Considering our lack of experience, I think they turned out beautifully! And they were DELICIOUS! 

Snickerdoodle Surprise Cookies:

This recipe was taken from The Baker Chick Blog and they wonderful. We followed her recipe exactly and wouldn't change a thing. It is posted below!

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

2 large eggs

48 soft caramel candies or Rolos unwrapped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough. Break the ball into two and place the caramel into the middle. Form one large ball and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Pecan Pie Pretzels:

These are a simple and delicious bite size snack. 

Ingredients:

Bag of square pretzels

Rolos or caramel squares

Pecans (crumbled or whole) 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Lay out your pretzels and place a Rolo or caramel on top. Heat for 3 minutes and remove. Stick pecan on top. Refrigerate and serve. These also make great gifts in individual baggies!

Believe

You are your number one fan so never doubt yourself.

Instead, believe you can and you will accomplish great things.

Pintrest

Pintrest is the most precious website ever. Every time I pull it up I smile because it is full of things people love and want to share with one another. I picked a few photos from the site to put on this post because they made me happy. It is a true reminder of just how beautiful life is and how it is meant for FUN. Everywhere you look there is color, excitement and vitality. Never take for granted this life you have been given. You are here for a reason and a purpose so enjoy it and live it to the fullest! :)

Living an Extraordinary Life

My sorority, Phi Mu Fraternity, posted this article on their alumnae website "Living an Extraordinary Life" and I wanted to share with you. These are simple lessons to have the best life possible, because as we all know, you only live once!

Choose.

Don’t let circumstances wash over you like a flood. Understand that by not choosing, you have also made a choice. Be clear that you are always choosing … always.

Transform.

Make choices that are transformative. This is distinct from “doing something different;” this is about making choices that take you in the direction YOU want to go, even if the point of destination seems far away. You are not going to arrive somewhere different if you stay in your comfort zone. Make small choices, every day, along the way.

Have dynamic vision.

Create your vision anew, every day. This vision of your life needs to contain elements of a passionate perspective, an ever-changing experience of moment to moment life as if you have already arrived. It’s like picking a point on the horizon -- say, Hawaii -- and every day, imagining yourself there sipping on a tropical beverage and feeling the salt spray on your face. Achieving the extraordinary requires that your intention remain firm.

Take action.

Magical thinking gets you nowhere. Sure it’s good to be aware of the weather, of planetary shifts and of your religious beliefs but do not expect that God or the Universe will pay your bills. Take action toward your vision or you will never reach the point you’ve chosen on the horizon. Take the sailing course, sign up for the trip.

Observe.

Notice that you will receive assistance from unexpected sources. This is not magic although it seems like it is. Passion is contagious! When your plans are for the greater good, there will be helpers along the way.

Plan and then go beyond the plan.

Human beings tend to go toward guarantees in life; toward safety and zero risk. The risk is where the real creativity lies. Can you imagine that you never ever had a challenge in your life? How would you grow? Challenge yourself to have more than you have ever dreamed of before.

Expect the very best from yourself.

This is not the same as being critical of you. It is, in fact, the opposite. Champion yourself. Always think the best of you. Expect the best to happen. Expect that you will perform at your best. When you expect the best you come closer to receiving the best.

Have fun.

Sure the dishes must be washed, the kids taken care of, the paper written, the report filed. Would you rather complain and be miserable, or be happy and have fun while doing those things? Having fun, keeping an eye on your dynamic vision, taking action steps toward that vision, your life can be very exciting and that’s extraordinary.

GAC Bus Tour Video

The Event Intern, Carla Gibson, and I made this short little video after the GAC Bus Tour stopped at the Knoxville office. We hope you enjoy!

My friend recently posted these super cute Watermelon Cupcakes and I wanted to share with all of you. They look delicious and I can not wait to try them! They are a perfect summer treat. Enjoy!