HOORAY FOOD

Ever since I got back from the U.K. I've been inspired by the times I had afternoon tea there to cook more. Buying the necessary equipment to do this in Berlin would've been inconvenient and overly expensive (since I would've had to leave everything I bought there), so I haven't gotten around to it until now.

So far, the only new thing I've tried making is scones, which I've developed a strong appetite for (though I've only made plain ones so far. I think I'll try adding raisins next.) They're surprisingly easy to make, and very filling (the recipe is here if you're interested.) I made my first batch for a pair of visiting friends.

Another first from last Friday was my first actual lolita outfit 8D. I ordered a petticoat last winter but had it shipped to my parents' address to save money, so I haven't been able to wear it until now. It really turned out to be the last thing I needed, since it fits well under two skirts I already own (though I've still got an additional jumperskirt in the works. As for when that will be finished... well. It certainly won't be next week, and after that I start a new semester at my university. We shall see.) Over the past several years I've been keeping an eye out for loliable clothes (especially blouses) and accessories, and now that I have a suitable petticoat the effort has paid off nicely.

On Sunday, I'll be spending about nine hours in a car traveling to Missouri, for which I'll also be doing some baking (muffins for sure, scones are a maybe. I'm running dangerously low on strawberry preserves, but maybe if I add the raisins that time they'll be good enough by themselves.) I think the next thing I'll try will be matcha madeleines (once I acquire a mold for them.) Of course, none of this is nutritious lunch food.

Now that I'll be spending whole days on campus without an opportunity to go home again (hooray suburbs XP,) I also need figure out what to bring with me so my stomach doesn't start trying to devour itself while I go about my schoolwork. I mostly solved this problem sophomore year by making cereal bars with lots of peanut butter and whole wheat cereal, but I got pretty sick of eating them every day even if they were tasty. I may go back to making muffins, but muffins alone will not be enough. I foresee lots of hummus and pita bread o__o. Or at least, until I get sick of that again, too.

Update

Hi o______o. It's been awhile. I haven't been posting because I was busy moving back to Minnesota from Berlin. The move back was a lot less stressful than the move there, although I was working on a paper up until the very last full day I was there in between packing, cleaning, and doing paperwork. I didn't get much sleep, but that somehow wasn't too much of a problem. I didn't even get sick like I did after I lost two nights of sleep on my way to Berlin last September =D.

One advantageous side effect of having been away from most of my stuff for so long is that it's become really easy to get rid of things. I've been meaning to get rid of pretty much everything except the clothes I wear the most, a few old toys, and my books/CDs/DVDs for awhile, but some of the things that I really liked as a teenager were hard to part with. Not so anymore. So I've been rushing to get rid of things I don't actually want before I get used to having them again. After this round of purging it's looking like I might actually feel like the amount of stuff I've accumulated is under control, which isn't a feeling I can recall experiencing before now. A lot of stuff is going to the thrift store, but I should be able to sell some of it, and I'm hoping I'll be able to make enough money to pay for Christmas presents and pre-registration to Anime Detour.

Right now I'm also catching up on the comic series I wasn't reading in Berlin. But more importantly, I have access to my mom's sewing machine again, so I've started working on a black jumperskirt. I'm hoping to have that done in the next two weeks, and I've also got plans to make a blouse and a pair of short pants if I have enough fabric. But we'll see.

So far I haven't been here long enough to get sick of Minnesota. Minneapolis and St. Paul are still slightly novel to me, and I'm keeping myself busy with reading and sewing, so I'm not missing Berlin too badly. That may change once the new semester starts in September. All I can do is wait and find out.

I'm hoping I'll manage to post regularly for the next two weeks in spite of the distractions. The last week in August I will be traveling again, so there will probably be no posts then, but I will be back after Labor Day (first Monday of September if you're outside the US). Hope your summer is going well!