Crying Unicorn

Life got back to normal this past month after the craziness of Funemployment and starting my new job, but most of my brain capacity was taken up with work and prepping for Thanksgiving. It was also my birthday! More on all of that below:

  • First of all, shout to all the fans of The Hills (Kristine) who understand this picture! Danielle made a Unicorn Cake this month, and froze it fully decorated, only to have it start crying when it began to thaw. I immediately thought of Lauren Conrad’s iconic mascara tears in her final confrontation with Heidi (“I want to forgive you and I want to forget you”) and made this little split screen. It honestly makes me laugh every time I look at it.
  • Quick Thanksgiving Recap!  My brother made the turkey this year (it was outstanding!), and I did all the sides and dessert. Everything I made was a hit, except my family is hesitant to try new things, and to that end, there was a lot of Cornbread & Bacon stuffing left over, but hey, I tried. I also abandoned any hope they’d eat something green, so there was no fresh autumnal salad this year or any type of green vegetable. Here’s the final rundown:
  • I got to be a judge at the International Chocolate Awards which my friend Heather hooked me up with, and was a very interesting experience. I thought I’d have no problem eating artisan chocolates all day, but PALATE FATIGUE is a very real thing. We were also taught that you have to put all of your personal biases aside and impartially judge based on factors such as execution, interpretation, appearance and creativity, not just on flavour (i.e. I hate the chocolate and orange combination, but I couldn’t score anything with that flavour profile low just because I personally don’t like it). I would definitely do it again next year, but perhaps only two sessions instead of three.
  • My birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, and because I’m still on probation at my job, I don’t have any days off yet. This means that I had to work on my birthday for the first time in about 12 years (#firstworldproblems). I decided it was the perfect time for my cupcake briefcase to make it’s debut, and I brought in chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and some cute sprinkles. My co-workers were a little confused “You made US cupcakes on YOUR birthday?”, but excited nonetheless. I used the party cake builder in Smitten Kitchen Everyday, and the one-bowl chocolate cupcakes were absolutely perfect. Might be my new go-to!
  • I discovered my #1 new favourite lunch spot near work: Me Va Me. I always heard my new team raving about it, and finally checked it out and I’m addicted. They told me that the move is to get a 1/2 laffa with a salad, so I’ve now tried both chicken shawarma and falafel and can’t decide which one is my favourite. Everything is so fresh and delicious, the hummus is a dream, and they have lots of different sauces to choose from, so I’ve been experimenting with combinations (current fave: tahini and chipotle). I’m obsessed.
  • I wanted to bring in a little Halloween treat to my new team, so I made a batch of Confetti Cookies with Halloween sprinkles!

Other non-foodie things I was obsessed with this month:

  • A STAR IS BORN. I’m not joking when I say I probably watched the trailer for this movie like 25 times since it came out. I was so excited to see this and it delivered on every level. Loved Beef Coop as a rugged country singer, loved Gaga as the ingenue he takes under his wing, loved the music, loved everything. When the lights came on at the end, I was still crying and couldn’t move for about 5 minutes. I can’t wait to see this win so many Oscars.
  • Busy Phillips’ memoir came out this month and it was a very intense but enjoyable read. It’s definitely more stories about her life and some issues she’s gone through, rather than a Mindy Kaling/Tina Fey kind of book with funny essays. I would say if you love Busy and the shows she’s been on over the years (Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, Cougar Town), it’s a must read. I also read The Light We Lost this month, but it was only okay for me. I didn’t like how it was written in the second person.
  • I have not been hooked on any new (network) shows this year! That is crazy for me! I’m trying really hard to love A Million Little Things…but it’s not doing it for me. Other than that I just re-watched Season 3 of Insecure a couple more times before cancelling HBO.

Flashback!