On nytimes.com today there was an article which discussed how cost for individually purchased health insurance is significantly higher for women. Insurers are saying since women tend to use health care and are going to have annuals and checkups is why the premiums are higher. I see a really problem with this. I mean, because a woman is being proactive in taking care of her health and going for check ups for early detection, we have to pay more. But since men typically avoid the doctor's office like the plague, and wait for things to be worse and have more expensive treatments, they pay less? This really doesn't make sense. On top of that, what gives an insurance company the right to make a cost decision based on sex? As a country, we need to make so significant changes to how we look at health care and health care providers. If you have time, read the article and let me know what you think?

happy birthday babe! hope you enjoyed your birthday party this weekend!

thanks to everyone who came out and tried blue star cafeteria with us. i have to admit...it was quite yummy. we'll def be going back.

this year i decided to bake brian a cake instead of going out and getting one. so to make it easier for dining out i decided on cupcakes...mini ones :) his fave is carrot so i found this fab recipie on cupcake bakeshop by chockylit. she has the most innovative and fun recipies around. I used her carrot-ginger cupcake recipie with the ginger cream cheese frosting recipie. all in all not so hard...just a lot of washing of bowls and kitchen electrics. i will probably make it all again. the only edit i made was to the frosting...i added the juice and zest of one lemon. if you're looking for a good carrot cake...this one rocks!

makes 30 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup pecans

1 pound carrots

3 large eggs

1/2 cup 1% fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger (I grated w/ microplane)

1/4 cup candied ginger

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes

2. remove from the oven, let them cool, then chop coursely

3. peel, rinse, then grate carrots coursely

4. in a large bowl, combine carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, vegetable oil, fresh ginger, and candied ginger

5. in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon

6. fold flour mixture into the carrot mixture

7. fold in pecans

8. scoop out into cupcake pans

9. bake at 350 degree oven for ~20 minutes or unti cake tester comes out clean (15 nin max for mini cupcakes)

10. cool in pan for 15 minutes, cool on wire rack completely

Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese

1/2 stick butter

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or chopped fine

1 teaspoon ground ginger (the spice)

1. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours

2. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment

3. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy

4. add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined

5. add gingers and beat until combined

NOTE: If you are not sure how much ginger taste you might like, start by adding half the amount and taste/adjust until you get the ginger flavor you like.

6. add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

I miss the sound of your voice

I miss the rush of your skin

I miss the still of the silence, as you breathe out and I breathe in

If I could walk on water

If I could tell you what's next

Make you believe, make you forget

Come on get higher, loosen my lips

Faith and desire and the swing of your hips

Just pull me down hard and drown me in love

Come on get higher loosen my lips

Faith and desire and the swing of your hips

Just pull me down hard and drown me in love

I miss the sound of your voice

The loudest thing in my head

And I ache to remember

All the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said

If I could walk on water

If I could tell you what's next

Make you believe, make you forget

Come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard and drown me in love
Come on get higher loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard and drown me in love

I feel the pull of your heart

I taste the sparks on your tongue

I see angels and devils and god when you come on

Hold on...

Come on get higher loosen my lips

Faith and desireand the swing of your hips

Just pull me down hard and drown me in love

Come on get higher loosen my lips

Faith and desire and the swing of your hips

Just pull me down hard and drown me, drown me in love

It's all wrong

It's all wrong

It's all wrong

It's so right

Come on get higher

Come on and get higher

Because everything works love

Because everything works in your heart

~matt nathanson from the album some mad hope

earlier this year i was obsess with collecting all 12 of the Urban Outfitter's Hello Kitty Series 1 set. and i succeeded thanks to ebay!

Now to torture all the fanatics, series 2 is out and i have to say, i think i like this one better.

to make things worse, there will be one more series after this one. so anyone want to guess how much it will cost me to collect all 12 this time?!?!