So I'm officially Debbie Homemaker.

I spend a ridiculous amount of my time at The VUE, a college hangout full of TV's, study rooms, and a coffee bar. Not only does le boyfriend actually live here, but it's run by our church. Whether I'm playing video games with the guys, dominating a paper in one of the study rooms, or attending the worship service on Wednesday nights, I love the atmosphere of being surrounded by good friends. Yes, The VUE has become like a second home. Tonight is no exception.

This evening at The VUE,  I have the privilege of attending what I have dubbed "50's Woman Class".

(Ironically enough, this looks EXACTLY like my kitchen)

It's a course for college and young single girls following the directions of verses in Titus 2, which directs the older women to teach the younger women. So far, we've learned to bake, organize a kitchen, use a crock pot, and git us a man (just kidding!). I'm really interested to see what we'll learn tonight. Maybe it'll be CASSEROLE MADNESS!!

Oh well. I'm off to enjoy my last few hours of 50's Woman-free time. Sushi with my man and the Smash guys, my favorite :)

Om nom nom.

(Ahem.....clearly this whole not-procrastinating thing is going splendidly. Aaaaanyways...)

Have I mentioned how much I love to cook? Well, I do.  I feel so blessed to have my apartment with Courtney, and I must say that other than having my own room and a hot tub within twenty feet of my front porch, my absolute most favoritest part is having a kitchen :)

Most recently, I've been obsessed with baking.  Much to the delight of my roommate, le boyfriend, and various friendly klingons that frequent our place, I've been testing my skills. Our the counters are endlessly filled with batch after batch of cookies, cupcakes, and my particularly excellent pumpkin muffins. Healthy, pumpkiny goodness certainly should not be kept a secret. So go forth, bake, surprise yourself, and astound your family and friends!

 MissTurnips's Dericious Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Step 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.

Step 2)  Use a food processor, blender, or any creative method of your choice to crush the Fiber One into a breadcrumb-like consistency. Transfer into a large mixing bowl, and combine with the rest of the dry ingredients. The first eight ingredients should now be in the bowl. Mix to combine.

Step 3) In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the last five wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly, then add to the contents of the larger bowl. Stir until well blended, being sure to scrape down to the bottom of the bowl. That flour sure does like to hide down there!

Step 4) Pour batter into your pre-greased muffin pan, filling the cups nearly to the top. Bake for 35 minutes with regular muffin cups, 60 minutes for mammoth muffins.

Step 5) Remove muffins from the oven and ALLOW THEM TO COOL. Pumpkin is a finicky substance. I promise they're done, but you have to give them time to set. Then sprinkle with the topping of your choice. The roommate and boyfriend like powdered sugar, while I prefer Cool Whip.

Step 6) NOM.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday, my lovelies!

Previously Uncharted Territory.

In true MissTurnips fashion, I've just started this blog and I'm already procrastinating. You'd think I'd learn. But with God's help, I really am trying to get better at keeping on top of things. I'm of the persuasion that sometimes if, for example, you pray for patience, God doesn't directly give it to you. Rather, he gives you the opportunity to be patient.  I'm looking at this little blog as God giving me an opportunity to keep track of something.  Hopefully he'll also give me the mental capacity to remember to do it :)

Lots of things have happened in the past month or so that I've been slacking.  I've got a new boyfriend, Josh. He's a strong Christian, smart, and funny. I'm completely blown away by his kindness and strength of character. But more mushy stuff later. The current topic of this post concerns the fact that he is a huge nerd. Which brings me to the topic of this post. I write to you, dear follower(s), from Mississippi State University, where Josh and I have roadtripped this rainy Saturday afternoon.  Why are we here? you may ask. I have ventured into previously uncharted territory for your average blonde sorority girl.

Yes. I, MissTurnips, am at a Super Smash Bros videogame tournament.

As you might imagine, I'm the only girl in the room. And here I sit in my black Steve Madden suede boots, just as excited as anyone else here. I've been thoroughly embracing my own nerdy side, which certainly exists, and having a complete ball doing it.  

Well, I'm off to forge bravely ahead with Shiek, my character of choice.  No doubt, I will go down dreadfully to nerds more skilled than I.  Ah well, I've fought the good fight!

This is pretty much my life.

What an enchanting duet! I'm ridin' solo, y'all :)

Thankful

Sitting here on this beautiful snowy evening, I realized that I'm almost halfway done with the best semester of my life.  So I thought I'd make a Top 10 list of the things that I'm exceedingly grateful for in 2011 :)

1) The Lord. I'm thankful to be the blessed, beautiful, and beloved daughter of the King. Despite it's ups and downs, my work-in-progress prayer life has been a constant source of comfort and guidance for the past month. ""For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34

2) My new apartment and roommate. After an absolutely dreadful room situation last semester, I feel so blessed to have a beautiful 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment with Courtney. We have our own space, yes, but we generally just crash in the living room doing homework, or more often than not, watching girly movies. (Unfortunately, the picture is much swankier than the reality)

3) Snow Days. There's just nothing so satisfying as waking up to find your classes canceled and the world covered in a sparkly white blanket. Rhodes is somehow even more magical in the snow. I'm convinced it brings out everyone's inner 5 year old :)

4) After Christmas sales. I just purchased a formal dress from Express that I've had my eye on for months. Only cost me $11.99. Epic victory against the world of fashion merchandising markups? I think so :D

 

5) Sex and the City. I'd never watched it before this year and, courtesy of Netflix, Courtney and I have been working our way through all the episodes. The trust and companionship shared between these four women is remarkable and inspiring. We just finished Season 3, and I've already had so many of what I call "Aha! Moments". Most notably, a week ago I realized something about my most recent ex, who here I'll call Whack-A-Mole. I'd spent the nearly six months we've been broken up convinced he was my Mr.Big, when in reality, he was only Ray. Um....BREAKTHROUGH!

6) Working out. I'm so incredibly grateful to have developed a love for exercise. Prior to this year, you wouldn't have caught me dead near a gym. I was of the school of thought that if I wasn't being chased by a mad axeman, running was to be avoided at all costs.But now I run at least a mile daily, go to various aerobics classes, eat healthy food, and even do crunches voluntarily. And it feels FANTASTIC! My clothes are fitting better, I feel great, and for the first time in my life, I have abs! I've even training for my first 5k in April. Will keep you posted on how that goes >.<

7) New friends. I've made some fantastic new friends in 2011. Between New Year's Conference, Tuesday Fellowship, and the Vue, I've met some people that I know will be a significant positive influence on my life. So to my new, sweet friends, I love you already.

8) New Bleach episodes. Don't get me wrong, I'm as normal as anyone is. But I have a mild Bleach obsession. For those of you who are more traditional in your television preferences, Bleach is an anime/manga following the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a normal teenage boy who through a twist of fate becomes a substitute soul reaper: one who shepherds those who die into the afterlife in the Soul Society. Long story short, there have been a lot of filler (non-plot) episodes recently, and I'm super pumped that we're now back on track. Getsuga Tenshou!

9) The recent floral fashion trend. Yep. I stopped into the mall last week to return a shirt, and couldn't help but stop into Claire's on the way out. Naturally, thirty minutes later I had re-spent all of the money I'd gotten back from returning the shirt and then some. I scooped up a pretty little floral hair flower for $6.50, and I'm just in love with it. My next purchase will be a dress of some sort. Perhaps one of theses :)

10) The strength to cope with Valentine's Day.  This one I owe all back to numero uno, God. I'm so grateful that He's giving me the confidence in Him and myself to be absolutely fine on what is going to be my first Valentine's Day single in six years. I've spent the past six months giving my heart back to the One who made it. I praise You for Your unceasing love. When I received a Facebook invite to speed dating on V-day, I laughingly hit "Not Attending". Not only because attending would be akin to social suicide, but because I know You've got a great guy out there for me, and we'll find each other in Your perfect timing. February 14th
can suck it!

Happy 2011, everyone!

Turnipseed.

First blog post. I suppose this should all start with a mild explanation. So here it goes:

My last name, I swear to all that is good and holy, is Turnipseed.

If you're going to laugh, now is the time. Get it all out. I've been called "Seed", and most recently, "Turnips". My mother met my father in church when she was in high school. Looking back, she claims that marrying him was a bit of karma, considering she laughed out loud during after sermon announcements when she first heard his last name.  I, however, have been born a Turnipseed. Who knows, at this rate, I may die a Turnipseed.  But that's another story.

I love the sunshine. I love days that I can sit down with a good book. I love spending time reading my Bible and talking to God. I love to cook.  I love attempting to be crafty and artsy, despite the fact that it never works out correctly. I'm an undercover fantasy and anime nerd. I love staying up til 3AM getting to know someone I've barely noticed beforehand. I love LOVE.

I will be blogging about faith, fashion, exercise, college events, music, cooking, dating, and my life in general.

Turnips OUT.