Salted Caramel Shortbread

Was thinking about giving my neighbors a homemade treat for Christmas but I wanted something spectacular, not some regular run of the mill Christmas cookie. Well, I found it!

Thanks to Pinterest, I did a variation of recipes. I used my mother's recipe of Scottish Shortbread and doughmesstic's recipe for homemade salted caramel. I put it all together using the Betty Crocker image I found on Flickr via Pinterest. Voila! I now have the perfect spectacular Christmas cookie that I *might* give out to my neighbors.


SALTED CARAMEL SHORTBREAD

The Shortbread:
1 c. Butter, softened
3/4 c. Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 c. Cornstarch

The Salted Caramel:
1 c. Butter
1/3 c. Light Brown Sugar
1/4 c. Granulated Sugar
1/3 c. Light Corn Syrup
1 tsp. Sea Salt
2 TBS. Heavy Whipping Cream
3/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Sea Salt Flakes
Wilton's Chocolate Melts

For the shortbread: Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the flour then corn starch. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a dusted flat surface. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out round cookies. Bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.

For the salted caramel: In a heavy bottom pot combine all the ingredients except the vanilla, sea salt flakes and chocolate. Stir over medium heat, bring to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to 235 degrees. Stir continuously. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool just a few seconds. The caramel will set fairly quickly so you want to be diligent in getting it on top of the shortbread. Sprinkle sea salt flakes on top. Once cooled, decorate with melted chocolate.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

15 Ways to Celebrate Christmas

My husband and I are a 40-something couple with no children, living in Florida far away from our families in California. This post is a list of things this childless-familyless-middleaged couple do to keep their Christmas spirit soaring during the holiday season.

Over the years I have learned that celebrating Christmas is a month-long celebration, not one day. Many a year have I walked away feeling disappointed and unfulfilled because so much effort and hope was put into one day. I've learned that when I take time to savor the moments throughout the season, meaning is brought back to Christmas. In this house Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving, not December 24.

Also, because we do not have children, Christmas is an easy trigger to set off the bitterness of "Scrooge" and self-pity. To combat that along with society's portrayal that Christmas is less meaningful without children, we've created adult-sized traditions and focus our thoughts on thankfulness and the real reason we celebrate.

Here's some quick thoughts to bring a little emotional stability to the holidays:

• Self-pity cannot dwell where there is thankfulness.
• Expectations most likely always lead to disappointment so try not to have too many.
• The best way to get out of a funk is to do for others. And drink wine.
• The grass is always greener. What is desperately wished for is another's source of pain/stress/curse, etc.

So here it is...
15 ways to celebrate Christmas for the single/childless/no family adults.

Photo Credits: Gingerbread House Challenge, Savory Sweet Life,
Harry and David's, Maple Spice

1. Attend a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert - amazing light show, great music and all held together with a touching Christmas story. They will not disappoint.
2. Have a Gingerbread House Making party - they BYOGBH and you supply all the extra decorations. Spice up the party even more with some wine and appetizers!
3. Visit an amusement park's holiday celebration - this includes your local zoo, museums and civic centers. Someone is hosting a party-of-sorts somewhere. If you are lucky enough to be a stone's throw from the "big boy" Disney, spend the money and go. They do Christmas right. 
4. Hand make some Christmas cards for a few special people in your life - for me, crafting of any kind is therapeutic but I have to be intentional and make the time so I do. And who doesn't love something handmade? 
5. Send a handwritten Christmas card to a military hero - you cannot put a price on their sacrifice.
6. Sip spiked eggnog out of a wine glass under the Christmas tree - who knows, it may turn into a "sleep under your Christmas tree lights" kinda night and that may not be a bad thing.
7. Be on the lookout for a new ornament - don't forget to mark the year on it. Best part about decorating the tree is pulling out all the ornaments and remembering where they they were collected from.  
8. Bake your favorite Christmas cookies - nothing says Christmas more than a home filled with the scent of fresh baked cookies!
9. Attend a Christmas Eve candlelight church service - even if you are not the religious kind, Christmas Eve is the perfect time to go. Church's experience so many new faces on Christmas Eve, it's impossible to feel like you are the only new guy stepping in to the place. Plus, the candlelight service is simple breathtaking.
10. Order a fruitcake from Harry & David's - after years of not eating fruitcake, I gave it another shot and upon one bite I was instantly transported to my childhood and the days I could barely sleep at the thought of Santa coming, kinda like the smell of playdoh and crayons taking me back to Kindergarten. Fruitcake is traditional in every sense of the word and quite delicious. You should give it another try. 
11. Have a countdown to Christmas movie list. There are some great movie lists out there in Googleville so compile a list along with your favorites!
12. Build a box for Operation Christmas Child - great organization giving to children in need.
13. Plan a homemade gift for your neighbors - baked goods, homemade tea blends, soaps and scrubs... when all fails, look up some ideas on Pinterest. 
14. Find a reason to get dressed up - whether it be a company Christmas party or a nice dinner out, gettin dolled up is always special.
15. Go away for the holidays - take the opportunity that most do not have!

Lastly, we attended Epcot's candlelight processional last week. It was a beautiful presentation of the Christmas story. At one point I found it hard to hold back my tears. Here are the words.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled more than two-hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials, but himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to the cross between two thieves. While he was dying his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone and today he is considered by many to be the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not effected the life of man on this Earth as much as that one, solitary life.

The lonely, the unmarried, the childless, these are the people who Jesus relates to. Christmas is about Him and what He came to give us. Christmas is for everyone.

Season's Greetings!!

Race Day Words of Encouragement

I love these words of encouragement during a race. Not only would I love to be running behind these words but I'd love to wear them in hopes that someone else would find strength in them.

I could not find the origin to give photo credit so please contact me if this is your photo or you know where I can give credit. Thanks.

Pie Season is Here!

Love pie? I mean who doesn't, right?

Well today I took a little trip to Bed Bath and Beyond, with my 20% off coupon clutched tightly in my hand and bought me a lil' pie maker. I was originally going to buy a mini pie pan but then I found this baby and just had to have it!

My Lil' Pie Marker... can you spell a-w-e-s-o-m-e!

See, the Crooked Tiara household loves pie and today marks the beginning of pie season. YIPPEE! Only lately we've been mindful of our waistlines and the days of baking and devouring countless pies is over. But in walks mini pies! I can now bake the standard pecan-pumpkin-apple pies for the holidays but on a much smaller scale. I can hardly wait to try it out!

The set came with a recipe book so besides good ol' holiday pies, I can make chicken pot pies and fruit tarts. There's even a recipe for s'more pie... o-m-geeee. The set also came with a handy pie crust cutter which cuts a perfect circle just big enough for the pie pan and a lattice cutter for the top crust. $10.99, $8.79 if you have a 20% off coupon.

Happy Halloween and Happy Pie Season!  

Disney Princess Half Marathon Training - Revised

Let me start out by saying how grateful I am for the training program that is provided by renowned marathon trainer Jeff Gallows and Disney for the Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013. I realize now that almost all large event races offer up training and I think it's awesome!

Being a beginner runner running 2-3 miles comfortably at a 12-ish mpm (I'm almost slower than a walker!), I made some minor revisions to the Disney Princess Half Marathon Training. I decided to do a mash-up between the mileage of the 22-week Time Improvement Program and the long run schedule of the 19-week Program. In other words, I'm accomplishing the mileage of the long run in a full 22-weeks of training.

My running partner and I started DAY ONE on October 1, 2012 which was right at the 22-week mark. We have no room for time off or heaven forbid, injuries. Because this is a very scary reality (I'm no spring chicken) and because there are some pretty awesome apps at my disposal, I was able to make these adjustments and so far it's worked out great!

First of all, I adjusted the mileage so that each week never exceeded a 10% increase. Running more than 10% can lead to fatigue, stress and injury; all the things we are trying to avoid. The original training had us running 4 miles a day right out the gate which was further than what we were use to. Instead our mileage goes like this:
Week 1: 2.75 miles a day
Week 2: 3 miles a day
Week 3: 3.3 miles a day
Week 4: 3.6 miles a day
Week 5: 4 miles a day (suggested mileage for the rest of the training)
and eventually we catch up with the training program's long run around week 8.

To carve out that time in the already compact time frame, I eliminated the "Miracle Miles" part of the training. Miracle Miles is a tool you use throughout the training to check your pace. I use the Nike+ app which conveniently works out my pace for me. Again, just a baby runner here so I'm not all juiced up on pacing. I'm completely satisfied with letting my iPhone do all the work.

The other training option we picked up was the run/walk interval training which I was NOT open to. The whole idea behind interval training for a half marathon is that running for three minutes and then walking for one minute will actually improve your overall pace and race time (the training gives you a guideline for the run/walk interval times). It also allows you to finish the race upright.

Let me take a moment to back up. My running partner and I ran in a 5 Miler just a few weeks ago (wrote about it here) and she unfortunately had issues with her knees. Now, back in July I overheated during a race and I remember running afterwards being so scared that I would overheat again and unsure that I could even run. Naturally my partner is experiencing the same thing only it's with her knees hurting and the fear of becoming seriously injured. Totally valid. She does not have the confidence she can run the distance so she asked if we could try the interval training. I believe the interval training breaks down endurance. I'm not 100% sold that it's a good training tool for me. Granted I began my "calling" with the interval app C25K but I feel like at this point we're moving backwards. Having said all that, when using intervals our time has improved as much as one minute and more importantly, my partner feels like she can finish.

This week is a perfect illustration that intervals work. I'm trying to allow myself to walk but it's hard... running a half means running not walking, right? So on Monday and Wednesday of this week, using intervals, our time was 11:39 mpm. Today I ran the same distance with no intervals and my time was 12:21 mpm.

At this point in the training we are using the interval of 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking. Who knows, it may be the way we go for the big race but I'm really hoping that as my partner's confidence grows and her knee adjusts we can get back to running with no intervals.

The last tidbit worth mentioning is Disney offers a "beginner runner's training" for those who have been running 6 months or less. I did not choose this path because I wanted more of a challenge and more mileage under my belt. Having said that, only time will tell if I made the right choice or not. I only mention this if in the very slim chance someone off the street reads this, they know there is another option that is less aggressive.

If you are considering running,

no matter your athletic ability, size or age,

there is a way!!!!

My BIG NEWS!!!

After calming down from yesterday's tech meltdown, I'm ready to share my big news with the 3 people who read my blog, who are also most likely my Facebook friends and already know my big news...

I am running my first HALF MARATHON
in February 2013!!!

I just realized my last post on running was preparing for my first 5K and here I am, 4 months later announcing to the interwebs my plan for a half marathon. Talk about a giant leap! I am simply smitten with the sport and am excited (and a little scared) to be at this phase of my own little game.

The half marathon is the Disney Princess Half Marathon set for Sunday, February 24, 2013 at Disney World Resort, 119 days from today. Yup, I'm 40 years old running in a Princess race.

I am running with my running partner and our training has already begun. We are following the Jeff Gallows training provided by Disney, a 22-week program. I am learning so much from this experience and want to be able to share it here in hopes that it can help a beginner runner just like me.

Our goal for the half marathon is to finish, plain and simple. Disney does have a strict pace requirement so we do have to be mindful of our pace. Our goal is 12 minutes per mile. I never said we were fast. =) Naturally, if through the course of the training our pace improves I'd be ecstatic! But intentionally improving our pace is not a focus. Our focus is endurance, mileage, running 13.1 miles.

Our training involves 2 maintenance runs a week at 4 miles each and 1 long run a week. The long run's mileage goes up by 10% every week to where eventually we will run a full 14 miles. I will elaborate on the adjustments made to the Jeff Gallows training in an upcoming post.

I also plan to ramble on about

• Nutrition. Believe it or not, there's not a lot of concrete info out there!
• Recovery routine.
• My ability to pick worthless heart rate monitors.
• Other running equipment.
• Running apps.
• Energy gels and fuel belt reviews.
• Random Disney Princess experiences.
• and I need a Princess costume!

So stay tuned!

Now for a little catch up...

We ran our first 5K on July 4, 2012 at the Watermelon 5K in Winter Park, FL. Our time was 36.38 minutes which made our pace 11.47. We made a rookie mistake and had no other race lined up. That, along with the Florida Summer heat, we found little motivation to run. It wasn't till mid-August or so that I started getting serious again. I could fill this entire blog with posts on running in the summer but I'll save that for another day.



Here's me, my awesome supportive hubby and my running partner
at the Watermelon 5K on July 4, 2012

And just a few weeks ago on October 14 we ran the U Can Finish UCF 5 miler here in Orlando. My finish time was 1:02:53 with a pace of 12:34:6. Sadly, my running partner's knee gave out and despite her unimaginable pain, we walked most of the last mile and a half or so. But we FINISHED!

Here we are at the finish line of the U Can Finish 5 Miler at UCF

I am so thankful to have a place to share my journey and to hopefully help others along. Never would I have thought that at age 40 I'd pick up something as physically and mentally challenging as running. It goes to show that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. And if you are not a runner and made it this far, I really appreciate you reading.

Technical Difficulties

I have spent the last FOUR hours trying to fix my Twitter feed and sync my Nike+ running data, to which I have still yet to accomplish either.

Fixing a Twitter feed is not rocket science, right? Why can I not find a simple solution? In some ways I feel like I've missed the Twitter Bus. I'm asking basic questions that were answered in the infant-stages of Twitter and are now lost to the very technical questions that everyday users are asking. I feel like my Grandma asking how to turn on a computer. I just want a simple gadget that goes on the sidebar of my blog that updates my tweets. Even better would be a way to pull keywords or hashtags so the only tweets that show up are the ones with specific hashtags but I can't even get my feed to work!!

And then there's the Nike+ app. It's a great little app I use for logging my runs. It gives time, distance, pace and even allows me to journal the run. I want all this data to come here to my blog but Nike+ updates to Facebook, Twitter and Path only. I even went so far as to set up a tumblr account in hopes that Path could update tumblr and tumblr could update my blog but nope, won't work. So I went back to the basic solution, Twitter. But then look where I am with that.

And all I really wanted to do was announce my BIG News...

But I'm just so frustrated and after all my complaining about my lack of technical abilities, the Big News seems overshadowed and that's not how I want to start out.

So I guess it'll have to wait.

Here's to my hair, in the hope that it's still around after all this. Ciao.

Pumpkin Eclair Cake

If you love pumpkin like I love pumpkin, be prepared for the most glorious pumpkin dessert since pumpkin pie. I'm not kidding, I don't kid about pumpkin.

I simply did a spinoff of my new second to favorite dessert, the Extremely Easy Eclair Cake and it worked like gangbusters. This eclair cake, original or pumpkin, has got to be the easiest recipe ever and the end result will taste as if you labored in the kitchen for hours. You can confidently display your achievement like an accomplished MOF chef. The sun will shine down on you and a choir lost in the clouds somewhere will sing. *ahem* well, it does for me atleast, in my head.

Pumpkin Eclair Cake

PUMPKIN ECLAIR CAKE
1 - 3.4 oz. package of instant Pumpkin Spice pudding (seasonal)
2 cups of fat-free milk
1 - 8 oz. tub of Free Cool Whip
1 sleeve of graham crackers
1 oz. chopped pecans
dash of nutmeg



1. Whisk instant pudding and milk together until it begins to thicken.
2. Fold in 3/4 of the tub of Cool Whip. You don't have to waste a bunch of time measuring, you just want enough Cool Whip leftover to layer the top the cake.
3. Using a small 7x9 pan**, layer graham crackers to cover the bottom of the pan. My pan happened to fit 3 full-sized crackers side by side.
4. Pour half the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
5. Layer another row of graham crackers over the pudding mixture.
6. Pour the remaining half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
7. Put a final layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture.
8. Take the leftover Cool Whip and "ice" over the graham crackers.
9. Sprinkle a handful of pecans and a dash of nutmeg over the top.
10. Refrigerate overnight (if you can wait that long). This allows the graham crackers to become soft like an eclair pastry.

Yields 12 "lady-sized" slices or 6 large generous slices or 1 "man-size" slice.

**I used a small pan simply because we inhaled the whole pan in 1.5 days. The same thing would happen in the same amount of time if I made a larger pan (doubling the recipe).

Other Notes:

• Using fat-free milk and Free Cool Whip, the entire pan is 1,676 calories. A "lady-sized" slice runs a lovely 140 calories! Only problem is being able to stop at the one piece.
• The Pumpkin Spice pudding is a seasonal item so you may have to search for it at your grocers. Trust me, that's the biggest hassle of this whole recipe.
• Again, you can easily double this recipe.

A Pinterest Project - Raw Orange Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Today's Pin: Raw Orange Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The Pin's Source: Addicted to Veggies

The Gist of It All: Pumpkin cookies made with almond flour and dried in the oven.

Hours: 3.5 hours

Modifications: The only modification I had was I used pureed canned pumpkin instead of the fresh shredded pumpkin. I also halved the recipe.

Notable Comments: There is something strange about the texture of almond flour. I am desperate to acquire a taste for it, as it has so many health benefits but blah. I'm beginning to think I need to half the almond flour with whole wheat flour... I'm trying almond flour cold turkey and it's just not working.

Anyway, my cookies look NOTHING like the author's and again, the texture is just gaggie. The flavor is good although I would leave out the orange zest next time. I love pumpkin flavor and the orange just masks the pumpkin... not good when pumpkin is the draw. And I must say this picture actually makes the cookies look appetizing. They almost have a peanut butter sugary look to them but this is very misleading.

Raw Orange Pumpkin Spice Cookies

28 Days of Doing - It's a Wrap!

28 Days of Doing - The Pinterest Challenge
In an attempt to DO more than PIN, I've challenged myself to 28 days of doing. I'm tackling 28 projects found on Pinterest in 28 days. You can see the entire collection of pins here.

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My Favorite Pin: Pumpkin Spice Vietnamese Coffee. This pin shocked me. It was the hidden gem among the 28 Days of Doing pinboard. Such a great recipe and soooooooo delicious.


The Overachiever: The Eclair Cake was by far the easiest recipe to make while also achieving AMAZING results. So good we ate the whole pan in one day. I'm planning a pumpkin version of the eclair cake so stay tuned! 


Other Keeper Pins:

• Cake Batter Protein Shake was yum and packed full of protein.
• Candle Upcycle, a trick I will use all the time now.
• Sweet Potato and Roasted Veggie Burrito, can't wait to make it again.
• Easy Cupcake Stands turned out adorable!
• Healthy Breakfast Cookies, versatile healthy snack.
• The Cinderella Pumpkin Cake if only for the desire to make more bundt cakes.

Worst Pin: Bandanna Dress, couldn't even get started!


The Disappointing Pin: The Halloween Tulle Wreath. I was so excited to make this and it just didn't turn out like I thought it would.

Day 28 of 28 Days of Doing - Cinderella Pumpkin Cake

28 Days of Doing - The Pinterest Challenge
In an attempt to DO more than PIN, I've challenged myself to 28 days of doing. I'm tackling 28 projects found on Pinterest in 28 days. You can see the entire collection of pins here.

__________________________

Today's Pin: Cinderella Pumpkin Cake

The Pin's Source: Lick the Bowl Good

Cost:

• $2.67 for a can of pumpkin
• all other ingredients are kitchen staples

Hours: 2.5 hours

Modifications: The recipe calls for a whopping 1 cup of vegetable oil so I substituted the oil with 1 cup of applesauce. My cake looks more dense then the author's and that might be why.

I also ended up not using half the icing AND the icing that was on the cake was way too thick in my opinion. In the future, I would make a half batch of the icing only. And to be honest, I thought the cake was rich and delicious enough without the icing and that says a lot coming from me, the icing-lush. It could easily have been dusted with powdered sugar or nothing at all.

Notable Comments: When I think of bundt cakes, I think of my grandma. She's always making cakes out of her bundt pan and usually has one sitting under a cake dome. It may just be me and my inability to remember that I have a bundt pan and never remember use it and the fact that bundt cakes are associated with an 83-year old woman, but bundt cakes are a lost art. Bundt cakes *can* be less fattening than regular cakes and I think there are more variations to a bundt cake than traditional cakes.

After making this delicious pumpkin cake which btw has the cutest name ever, I'm on a mission to incorporate more bundt in my life. I love cake people, but I'm trying to turn a new leaf here... and cake just doesn't fit into the equation. But BUNDT, bundt possibly could. So stay tuned... this may become a bundt blog.

Amour le bundt!

Cinderella Pumpkin Cake

Day 27 of 28 Days of Doing - Chalkboard Painting

28 Days of Doing - The Pinterest Challenge
In an attempt to DO more than PIN, I've challenged myself to 28 days of doing. I'm tackling 28 projects found on Pinterest in 28 days. You can see the entire collection of pins here.

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Today's Pin: Chalkboard Painting

The Pin's Source: Just Short of Crazy

Cost:

• $3.99 for a small bottle of chalkboard paint
• Dollar Store plate and wine glasses

Hours: 1 hour

Notable Comments: I tried to find a large platter so I could make a chalkboard cheese platter like this one but never found a cheap enough one so I settled for a large plate I found at the dollar store. And I had a chipped wine glass that I used to dip the stem.

The chalkboard paint was easy to use. I didn't want brush strokes to show so the paint ended up going on kinda thick. The only hesitation I have is the chalkboard paint safe for food? I see no warning signs on the bottle???

All in all, the project was easy and I got the results I was looking for.

Day 26 of 28 Days of Doing - Ruffled Christmas Tree Craft

28 Days of Doing - The Pinterest Challenge
In an attempt to DO more than PIN, I've challenged myself to 28 days of doing. I'm tackling 28 projects found on Pinterest in 28 days. You can see the entire collection of pins here.

__________________________

Today's Pin: Ruffled Christmas Tree Craft

The Pin's Source: Shanty 2 Chic

The Gist of It All: Sew ribbon in to a ruffle and wrap around a styrofoam cone. Add a few embellishments and you've got a cute tree decoration.

Cost: $3.99 for a styrofoam cone (had a 40% off coupon so it was really $2.40)

Hours: I wasted so much time on this project I lost count.

Notable Comments: The concept of this project is simple enough, my choice in ribbon may be the main factor that this project didn't turn out. Basically, I think it's ugly... the ribbon is too thick and the wooden embellishments are too small. Hot gluing the ribbon to the cone was not as easy as I thought it would be and because I could see it was going no where good, it made me not excited to finish it.

I don't think I would attempt this again for two reasons. One, it's labor intensive with a small payout. If it was over-the-top adorable, the work would be worth it. And two, ribbon is not cheap. I happen to have had some giant spools on hand but to make this with the ribbon you find in craft stores would cost a small fortune. No thanks.

Ruffled Christmas Tree Craft

Day 25 of 28 Days of Doing - Kool Aid Lipgloss

28 Days of Doing - The Pinterest Challenge
In an attempt to DO more than PIN, I've challenged myself to 28 days of doing. I'm tackling 28 projects found on Pinterest in 28 days. You can see the entire collection of pins here.

__________________________

Gosh, four more projects to report on in the 28 days of doing and I'm dragging my feet. The last 3 of the 4 projects are lame so I guess that is playing into my inability to get motivated to blog about them. So here it goes...


Today's Pin: Kool Aid Lipgloss

The Pin's Source: Meet the Dubiens

The Gist of It All: Mix petroleum jelly with kool aid and you get a lip balm of sorts.

Hours: 20 minutes

Notable Comments: In a nutshell, this was a bust. First of all, Kool Aid by itself is not sweet hence the addition of sugar when you mix the drink together, so the balm was not sweet either. It was that horribly salty sour taste, not good. And when I applied it to my lips I got that Kool Aid stain on the inside of my lips. I thought this would be a cute party favor to use someday but as it stands, I won't be making this again.