Oh my goodness, guys – I don’t even know what to say! I’m sorry for the silence – apparently, moving halfway across the country and starting a real job is a bit of a time drain. Who knew?! I’m surprised and happy to note that even in my silence, my wee humble blog has been getting a fair amount of daily hits, so thanks for that! And kudos to those bloggers who manage to post regularly even during busy periods of their lives. You are better bloggers than I!

I “officially” moved into my apartment a week ago, and began work last Monday. Eventually I’ll be doing support writing, but at the moment I’m taking orientation/training classes and will be doing so for the next few months. It’s kind of like being in school again, but I don’t mind – I’m learning lots and lots about the healthcare industry, which is pretty neat. It’ll be great once I start taking classes that pertain to my actual job, but that’ll come later. For now, I’m just enjoying getting paid to learn. :)

Other than that, I’ve been settling into my apartment and learning how to live with a bit less than usual. We don’t have any living room furniture, and my bedroom is pretty bare. Right now I’m blogging from the kitchen table, but generally I sit on my bed or on the floor when I’m using my laptop. Heh. At least my new roommate is really wonderful; we get along swimmingly and I really couldn’t ask for a better situation.

Foodwise, things haven’t been too exciting lately. My company pays monthly, but because I didn’t start at the very beginning of December, I won’t get a paycheck until January. Between paying my security deposit/rent and buying a bed and some random things for the apartment, I’m pretty broke at the moment. Actually, I had to take out a loan from the Bank of Mom and Dad to cover my starting expenses! So, as you can imagine, my eats lately have included mostly potatoes and peanut butter, but, um, not together. Heh.

However, I did receive a sweet package in the mail a few days after I moved in. I won a giveaway from Hungry Hungry Veganos, and the lovely folks from Sweet and Sara sent me a sampler pack of their marshmallows. Needless to say, it was wonderful to receive this little box after a hard day’s work. :P

A sweet surprise.

The sampler included four yummy varieties: Vanilla, Toasted Coconut, Cinnamon Pecan, and Strawberry. I’d never tried vegan marshmallows in the past, so I was extremely excited to give these a shot. Although I’d have liked to do something creative with them, my limited kitchen pantry compelled me to just eat ’em plain for dessert.

Sweet samples.

I didn’t know what to expect, texture-wise, with these little guys, but boy, was I pleasantly surprised! They’re sticky and sweet and chewy and just plain wonderful. Cinnamon Pecan is a fun flavor combination that adds a bit of crunch, while Toasted Coconut is just absolutely delicious. Strawberry is probably my least favorite variety, but it’s still a solid flavor. The plain Vanilla ‘mallows taste like the classy, grown-up version of your standard non-vegan marshmallow, and they are EXCELLENT in a steaming-hot mug of Chocolate Peppermint Stick soymilk. Just sayin’.

I’m so glad I won this giveaway! Sweet and Sara makes a damn good vegan marshmallow, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to try them.

Now I’m going to finish up my handmade holiday cards – I need to mail these out pronto! Ciao, all!