When you're too broke for Schlotzsky's

Today was kinda disappointing....I woke up this morning excited because I was going to go pig hunting with the guys in my bible study.  We discussed it briefly on Sunday evening and I've been looking forward all week.  So my buddy who was taking us called up this morning and asked if I was ready to go shoot some birds.....Birds???? What happened to pigs?????  Apparently I am an idiot, deaf or just don't pay attention, something about attention deficit or something like that.  He never said pigs! We were never going to wake up Thursday morning and go kill pigs!  It was always birds, so you can imagine my surprise, cuz as we all know, Pigs Don't Fly!  But what the heck, I like shooting up into the air aimlessly and not hitting a thing as much as the next guy, so I was on board.

Random picture of the most beautiful little girl in the world!!!

But then, after dodging out of work early, our fearless leader got tied up at his job, and he's a plumber so it was probably pretty crappy, so we didn't get to go fill the sky with lead like we had planned.  Instead I came home and stared at the wall for a while......

...until I had a most amazing idea.  Cinnamon somethin 'er other!!!!! Just brilliant I tell ya.  I was pondering my love and affection for one of the most blessed inventions of all time, Cinnamon Toast, when the thought struck me that the thing that makes this treat so divine is the caramelized buttery layer of cinnamon and sugar it's not the toast.  And that got me to thinking about other possibilities with cinnamon, sugar and butter....what else in the world could be made more perfect by this caramelized concoction?   What about a pizza crust??? I know there are places that put cinnamon and sugar on top of pizza crust and serve it up, but they don't achieve that perfect dark crystallized bliss that I love so much.  In fact nobody but me and mamma seem to be able to get that just right.  What about cinnamon rolls without the glaze but topped with the special crust?  Would they be the most absolutely amazing thing in the world or what??????  I honestly have no idea.  I couldn't tell you one way or the other so I did what any pig hunter would do, I got barefoot (and my wife's pregnant) and I got in the kitchen!!!!!!!  If you knew the story of the early beginnings of my relationship with the woman to which I am now married, you would have chuckled just a little (not a LOL but just a :) probably) cuz I used to call her the pig hunter.  I know I know, I'm such a romantic and you all are jealous that she snagged me instead of you, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

So I have ripped off Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe and am going to experiment.  I want to see just what will happen if I try to recreate all that is good and holy about cinnamon toast but on a cinnamon roll.

And what does all this have to do with Schlotzsky's?????? I'm glad you asked!

While I'm waiting on my dough to rise I started reminiscing about the good ol' days in high school when we'd skip out and go to Schlotzsky's for a ham and cheese original which we would then douse each bite in their hot sauce.  Wow!  Now that is what I'm talkin 'bout!

So I made this:

It's a hot ham and cheddar sandwich on toasted white bread with green olives and mustard...if you look closely you'll notice that's 4 pieces of toast there....that's right, I'm takin a walk on the wild side.  And I would have loved to have used black olives, but all i had was green so I chopped them up and threw them on.  Then as you can imagine, I splashed Frank's hot sauce on before each bite and barely slowed down to take this picture!  Aren't you lucky.  It's a great sammich you should try it sometime!  And remember "Frank's, I put that sh*t on everything!"  Hey don't look at me, that's what that old granny said, I'm just the messenger!!!!!  

So look forward to the results of my cinnamon experiments, they're sure to be a delight!

Back in the saddle again!!!!!

You know how sometimes in life you have really good intentions and want to do absolutely everything and over commit like a big dog and then end up failing and letting everybody down.....well that just ended yesterday!!!!!!

If you aren't familiar with my blog, I am a guy who loves to bake, and one of my favorite things to bake is cheesecakes.  For a living I am a carpenter and have been running my own business for a little over 3 years.  I am married with a 1-yr old daughter and another due in November.  

So let me explain.  I have been desperately trying to run my own business, while working an almost full time job, spending time with the family, and trying to build furniture for our new home.  As you can imagine by my opening sentence up there, I have been failing miserably for most of this year.  I have been over worked and under paid.  I have been grumpy and irritable.  I work until I'm so exhausted that all I can do is come home and fall asleep in the floor while playing with my baby girl.  I have picked fights with my wife and probably been a pain to live with. But it's finally time to admit that this little venture did not work and I gotta get out there and earn a living.  That's a hard thing to do though.  If you've ever started a business you can probably relate.  It's not just a business, it's a part of you, and to admit that it failed often requires admitting that you failed.  Some people might not have a hard time with that, but for a guy like me whose greatest passion in life is starting things, it's hard to watch it end sometimes.  I've failed at many things in my life.  Like singing...I was thrown out a window my freshman year in high school because I wouldn't stop singing in English class and it was driving the other kids crazy.  Obviously the teacher had left us unattended. I am a terrible singer and I'm ok with that.  I failed at learning to play the guitar, even though just last night I had a dream that I was jamming out with my buddy Ryan and he was totally impressed.  Meanwhile, back in reality, I failed at learning to play because I wasn't dedicated enough to make it happen. 

The difference though is that I never had my identity tied up in being a singer or a guitar player, but I have tied my identity to being the owner of a small business.  That's the difference, failing at what you consider to be who you are is devastating.  But it is all a matter of perception.  Because, after all, I am not really a business owner.  I never owned anything, except maybe the tools to do carpentry work.  A business is not a tangible thing, so how completely ridiculous is it that I would define myself by being the owner of it.  Even defining myself by my carpentry skills (some smart-mouthed individuals might say "what skills") could be a bit silly, because who I am is not about what I do but about what I am on the inside.  Which might be scary to dive into.  I'm not very nice to people most of the time.  I cuss like a sailor(thought they got nothin on us Marines).  I have done a horrible job cherishing my wife.  I complain about everything, nonstop.  If asked to describe me, I'm sure some of these details would come up.  On the bright side, I am typically very generous.  I go out of my way to help people.  Aren't these the things that define me, rather than the fact that I build things for a living?  Aren't these the things I will be held accountable for before God, and not the fact that I built fences instead of writing computer software?  

So these are some things I have been learning as the failure of my business has come to an end.  I phrase it like that because this has been a long drawn out process.  It's not like everything failed overnight.  It has been a series of events, bad decisions, laziness, and sometimes just plain bad luck drawn out over time.  And now, as I wrap up the final jobs I have scheduled I have faith that everything is going to be fine.  I'm not sure what next week is going to look like.  I don't know what I will be doing next month or how things will play out exactly, but I know that God is faithful and will take care of my family.  

On the bright side, now I don't have to work 12 hour days to be broke....I could do that sitting at home on my couch if I wanted to.  Ha ha...but seriously, I am looking forward to having more time at home without the stress that comes from trying to get a job done on time and on budget.  I hope to have more time to play with my baby girl, and to truly cherish my wife, and to make pies!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Because life is just better with pies.  

So be on the lookout for new posts and new pies.  I'm sorry I left you hanging without any delicious stories for the better part of this year, but it's time to get back into the kitchen!!  See ya out there....