Intro/Blacksburg's Steppin' Out

     Hi, blog world!  My name is Kelly, and my best friend is a corgi named Scout.  We're both kinda foodies (of course she is, she's a dog and will eat everything if given the chance), so having nom-inspired adventures is only natural for us (although the corgi usually just watches, unless I'm making dog cookies, then she participates by eating all the apple bits that I drop).  I'm also a veterinary student, taking 20+ credit hours per semester, so this blog will most likely get pretty neglected (sorry, but at least I'm honest).  However, I want to delve into something not vet-school oriented because, well, when you're a complete academic masochist, it's probably a smart thing to have different activities to take a break once in a while (not that I don't love what I do and study, because I'm wicked excited to be a vet student).  Last school-year, a bunch of us had Iron Chef battles, including secret ingredients of pomegranate, tuna, cucumber, citrus, and chocolate.  I'm still trying to collect all of the recipes to put in a cookbook to share/sell as a class fundraiser.  That will come out eventually.  Maybe I'll post some of my favorites.  Coming soon are plans for a cupcake war.  Hopefully there will be an update on that, too.
     I'm also thinking of getting a little artsy-fartsy.  This past weekend was Blacksburg's annual Steppin' Out festival where a bunch of local (and less-than-local) craft-makers sell their awesome crafts--along with food and music, of course.  I go every year (since I've been at Virginia Tech, including undergrad) and always get more stuff than I really need, but it's just so friggin' cool.  I have developed a serious candle problem, and the scents have inspired me to want to make some of my own stuff.  I don't think I'm candle-ready, but I've ordered some ingredients to make natural soy-based lotion and bath/shower gel that will ultimately smell like food (my favorite smells, including the blueberry muffin candle I got at Steppin' Out yesterday, are usually food-inspired).  I know, I already have to restrain myself from eating the candle, but now I'm going to make me want to nom myself.  Maybe I'll find some cool recipes to satiate that problem.  But seriously, you should go to Steppin' Out and try out all the cool stuff.  My favorite things that I've discovered there are Anne Vaughan Designs (she makes really awesome jewelry, I'll try to post pics of the necklaces I have from her eventually), and this soy-wax (better for the environment than your standard store-bought candle) blueberry muffin candle that I'm burning as I type made by Blue Butterfly Candles by Danielle Jaszewski.  You should look them up and get them.  Seriously.  Amazing stuff.  And it's good for the community.  Local stuff is awesome.  I also have a stained glass portrait of Scout, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the artist; there are many talented artists at Steppin' Out though, and many of them do glass work, so that's even more of a reason to go next year.
     Two more weeks of free time, then the blog will get slow and my time will be mostly devoted to studying.  I probably should have decided to be creative in June...