food network is finally on!!! it's so exciting. tip of the day: did you know that if you want to pick out a tender steak, you need "marbled" meat - meat marbled with fat.

too bad jamie oliver is only on at 4 am and 4:30 am... :(

in honor of food network, here's a cool recipe I saw today, from a woman I hadn't seen before (but then again, I haven't had the food network in a little over a year).

oh! first day of lab today, it went really really well. i think i'm going to have a good time, hopefully. maybe this is the lab i'll end up in...?? who knows~ it was a great start tho.

Pecan Dreams Recipe
courtesy Paula Deen

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 25 small squares

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup flour
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup almond toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Begin by greasing a 9-inch square pan.
Using a bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and flour. Using a fork, cut the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Press the mixture into the pan evenly. Pour the nuts over the pressed dough and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and allow to cool completely.
To make the topping, whip the cream and sugar together, using a mixer, until stiff. Fold in the almond toffee bits, and spread mixture over cake. Cut into squares and refrigerate.