new digs

Almost exactly a month ago, I moved into my new apartment, and, much like my new major, I love it! Financially, I'm better off, saving significantly on rent. Esthetically, I'm much better off, with a big kitchen, big bathroom, and big windows in both the living room and kitchen. Seriously, I love my current home. My roommates know how to clean and value such a state. I get to come home each night to a clean, bright, cheerful apartment, and it is wonderful!

Do you see this counter space? Notice all the cupboards??? Yeah, this is my kitchen. And it's in apartment right across from campus.

Depending on the angle at which I'm sitting on the couch, I can look out at the greenery on the side of campus and pretend that I'm in the mountains. Nice, eh? Further, how do you feel about our apartment guard dog? One of my roommates brought this home a couple weeks ago, and he now sits in our window, alert and creepily life-like.

Stylistically, the couches leave much to be desired, but they're comfy. That's all I can say for them. And what doesn't say style like a camp chair with built-in foot rest? I'm learning quickly that college is the time for style compromise when it comes to furniture. But in no way else, to be sure.

The kitchen window is one of my favorites. Further, my roommates don't mind that I keep Grandma's last cake picture in the corner above my flour/sugar canisters. I love having her with me in the kitchen.
This presents the perfect time for a great story! Two weeks ago, I found myself working across from Grandma's picture making Poppycock, a family recipe for kettle corn. I called home from the recipe, and since Mom was away, John read it off the card for me. The recipe seemed simple; all I had to do was mix sugar, Karo, and other stuff together until "hard ball." It was this particular instruction that caused me some trouble. I was puzzled over how, if I stirred sugar and Karo syrup together over heat until it formed a hard ball in the pot, I would be able to then pour the mixture onto popcorn. But who am I to deny recipe instructions?

As I stirred over the stove, waiting for the mixture to form a hard ball and not entirely trusting my interpretation of these instructions, a memory popped into my mind. When Mom and Grandma would make caramel corn, they would always test some near the end of cooking by putting a sample in a cup of ice water to test for its consistency. They would test for hard ball stage!!! (epiphany!)

At this very moment of clarity, I tested my own candy mixture, and though it had not formed a hard ball in the pot, it was definitely at hard ball stage. Grandma saved my Poppycock. :)