Double Layer Cupcakes

yum

I have several posts pending from the last couple weeks and they seem to all be recipes.  I have found a lot of fun dishes lately so keep checking back for all the deliciousness!

While recently celebrating my birthday, I decided I wanted to bypass the whole "birthday cake" thing and do something more fun.  I love cupcakes so I immediately went to my favorite obsession site to find inspiration.

I came across a layered cupcake that looked so good.  I decided to try it out and it was a success!  So many possible variations so you will never get bored!  The picture is a Neapolitan-inspired version with chocolate brownie, strawberry cake, and vanilla icing.  I also tried chocolate brownie, funfetti cake, and rainbow chip icing.  You really can't go wrong and the recipe couldn't be easier:

Ingredients:
1 box of brownie mix (any kind), prepared as directed
1 box cake mix (any kind), prepared as directed
1 container frosting

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven according to package directions.
2.  Prepare mixes in separate bowls.
3.  In a greased (or lined) cupcake pan, fill each cup 1/3 the way up with brownie mix.  Then go back and fill them up another 1/3 with the cake mix.
4.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or according to the directions on the box. 
5.  Once cooled, ice them and enjoy!!

I love Reese's Cups so my next variation might be brownie, vanilla cake and peanut butter icing with crushed mini Reese's Cups on top.  Anything goes!  What variations do you want to try?

Rice Whiskey Treats

I'm a scotch drinker.  It's a very non-girly thing to enjoy but I love it.  My husband, of course, shares similar taste buds.  While at a friend's Super Bowl party, we were eating regular rice krispies treats and thought to ourselves "although delicious .. this needs something .." and then in dawned on us .. bourbon!!

After some googling I realized we were not the first to come to this realization so I do not lay claim to inventing this, however, the recipe below is my own.  Feel free to tweak it as you see fit.


Ingredients:
5 ½ cups Rice Krispies
½ stick butter
10oz bag mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup bourbon (I used Maker's Mark because that's our fav bourbon)
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
- Melt butter and marshmallows in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Mix in vanilla and cinnamon. Remove pan from heat and add the bourbon*.
- In a large bowl, pour the marshmallow mixture over the Rice Krispies and stir to combine.
- Press into greased 8x8 pan (for thick treats) or 9x13 (for thin treats). Let cool and set.

* The alcohol will smell A LOT stronger than it really is.  Don't worry if it seems too boozy.  I promise it doesn't taste that strong at all!


For regular treats:
- Reduce Rice Krispies by 1/2 cup and leave out bourbon and cinnamon.

For Orange Creamcicle treats:
- Double the vanilla, leave out the cinnamon and replace orange liqueur for the bourbon.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

Love is

friendship on

fire.

That quote is from Jeremy Taylor, a royalist for King Charles.  I think he was absolutely correct.  Today, my best friend and I are celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary.  I say this all the time because it's true .. I can't believe it's been this long!  I simultaneously feel like I have known him all my life and yet it all happened yesterday.  I have been insanely blessed from the beginning and I am so thankful for every moment. 

Happy Anniversary, Mark.  I love you!

Review: Unwind

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I already had a heart for dystopian novels before I came across Unwind but this took it to an entirely new level. It's creepy and thought-provoking in its realism. Usually the "World War 3"s of dystopian novels are so futuristic, and the results so drastic, that although disturbing they leave a considerable gap that can be a stretch to bridge sometimes. Unwind was different in that it hit a little closer to home.

This story is set in the not-so-distant future. "World War 3" in this instance was a Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice war called the Heartland War. The result was a "compromise" that resulted in parents being given the 'right' to unwind their troublemakers kids if they didn't want them anymore. Basically the unwound kids would be dissected because they would be more useful to society divided than whole.

Have eyes you don't like the color off? Get an unwound's. Have a cancerous liver? Get an unwound's. Lose an arm in an accident? Get an unwound's. Nevermind they were unwillingly taken and come with their own memories intact.

This story is facinating and disturbing. The part that gave me the most pause was when we experienced an unwinding through the senses of a patient. This is technically a YA novel but it has a message that anyone should read. I loved this book and I won't soon forget it.



View all my reviews

midweek confessions

I love to cook.
I love to cook things that I have never made before.
Since we are adventurous eaters and I get bored easily, this means that I cook new dishes all the time. I have people often ask me “What are some typical meals that you make?”. This should be a fairly easy question to answer yet I am always left stumped. Every week I sit down and plan my meals/create my grocery list. I’m always pinning/googling new recipes and so therefore I have a seemingly unending supply that I rifle through. This means that I very rarely repeat meals. Since it is hard for me to keep track I try to use the HWE platform as a sort of online cookbook by documenting the ones that we really liked because otherwise I would never remember them.



With the previous confession in mind … I am so used to cooking new recipes for just Mark and myself that I tend to cook brand new recipes when guests come over because that’s “normal” for me. Welllllll I may be a good cook but that doesn’t mean I always find success. Sometimes a recipe just isn’t quality… and it seems like I always make those when people come over .. which leaves me scrambling to save dishes at the last minute. Guests might be none the wiser because the end result is ok .. but I know it could have been better.



With THAT previous confession in mind … we recently had my birthday party at my house and I cooked for everyone. I wanted to make tortilla soup so I went online and started searching. I found a crockpot tortilla soup that seemed pretty decent. I figured using the crockpot would be great because that would free me up to finish chores and then mingle once guests arrived. Guest were supposed to start showing up at 6:00pm. At 4:45pm (amidst a slew of last minute chores I hadn't counted on) I decided to taste-test the soup. B-L-E-C-H! It was inedible. Often times a dish is just not as amazing as a thought but still good. Nope. Not this. It was gross. So with about an hour until guests arrived, I had a hot crockpot full of a ruined dinner. I decided I would just have to come up with a Plan B fast and ran to the store to find SOMETHING to throw together for 10-15 people expecting dinner. I ended up finding a dry soup base mix for tortilla soup. Six dollars later and with 5 minutes to spare I had dinner ready.



What did I do with the piping hot soup that I couldn’t throw in the trash because it was a whole bunch of chunky piping hot liquid, but couldn’t put down the garbage disposal because it was a whole bunch of chunky piping hot liquid?? I stuck the whole thing in the oven. Yep. I hid the ruined dish and some other random dirty dishes in the oven and just hoped no one looked in there because I didn’t have the time between the last minute grocery store run, last minute cleaning and showering/getting ready to actually do the dishes.



So see? I may be a clean freak and an über planner but I can guarantee that sometimes it’s just a façade. I feel like this entire month has been like this.  I have only blogged 6 times this month and usually I would have approximately 20 posts by now.  Maybe it's time management or maybe I really do have more on my plate.  I'm not sure.  Either way, I haven't abandoned my little bloggy home and I will really try to get back to the daily grind.  It just might take me another week or so.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!  You guys are the best ;)


Have you guys hidden any flaws in your oven lately? Any dishes that went awry? Any dishes that were awesome and you want to pass along? I would love to hear from you!

midweek confessions

~ Remember how I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to start waking up earlier?  And then do you remember me mentioning it was a big FAIL because I was trying to wake up at 6:15 which is after Mark leaves for work?  Turns out 5:45 is the key.  Ironically, if I wake up 30 minutes sooner.. it's MUCH easier.  I know the reason and it's because of how I function.  I am a morning person in the sense that once I wake up I am awake for good.  The biggest hurdle for me is actually sitting up and not rolling over.  By forcing myself out of bed when Mark's alarm clock goes off and onto the couch .. it guarantees that I will stay awake.  Then, by the time Mark is leaving for work, I am wide awake.  After that .. working out is a breeze because there is no reason NOT to.  I still haven't broken the 2-week mark so I'm not home free yet.  If I can manage to keep consistent then I will be good to go.  Here's to hoping..

~ My birthday was on Saturday.  I love my birthday and I love getting older.  I think I am one of the few that is excited by the idea.  I think I am looking forward to the big 3-0 like most people look forward to 21.  Even though it's given me a ton to think about, I know this will be an awesome year.  I can't wait.
~ I'm a little anti-Valentine's Day.  Is that bad?  (No offense to those people that love the roses, chocolate and hoopla ..)  I don't know how I originally got the bad taste in my mouth.  I always got my fair share of classroom valentine's and then went on dates once I became older.  I think it's just when I realized what love truly meant to me, I realized Valentine's Day, a day when I feel forced to proclaim my feelings in a very specific way, felt fake. 
     I want to tell you how much I love you because it's Tuesday .. because I can .. because you deserve to know that you were on my mind and I needed to share. And NOT because the calendar comes with a heart icon on this day .. everyone else is getting presents so I feel obligated to keep up .. or because it's required in any way.  That may sound pessimistic but it's how I feel.  It also seems entirely unfair that all the pressure is on the guys.  What about the girls?  Shouldn't men feel loved, too?  If you are my friend or family and you are reading this .. know that I love you.  I love you every day of the year.  Not just because I am told to.
~ On a little lighter note .. my work did celebrate V-Day by having everyone bring food to share.  I tasted the fondue and chips and fruit.  It was all delicious.  Then I spotted a crockpot full of cheesy goodness.  It had what looked like hot sauce floating through it.  In my mind I thought "spicy cheese dip!" and dug right in.  It wasn't until halfway through that someone pointed out to me that it was Buffalo Chicken Dip.  Oops.  I only had a few tablespoons of it left .. and you know what?  I ate it and I don't regret it.  A little bit won't kill me and it was SO good.  I don't miss meat (except sometimes bacon .. just saying) but man that particular flavor can not found elsewhere. yum yum!

~ When I get really animated I talk so fast that sometimes I get out of breath. haha. Seriously.  This happens most often when I talk to one of my friends at work, Allie.  She talks fast too but not like me.  Well, actually, maybe she does but she sounds normal-paced to me.  The thing is that, in my head, I say everything clearly so when people make me repeat myself it takes me a second to realize why.  I think everyone around me has gotten so good at decoding what I say that I just don't pay attention.  Mark has had to ask me to repeat myself a lot lately and THAT is bad.  He practically knows what I say before I say it so if he can't figure it out .. I'm in trouble.  I should probably start to work on that ...

Do you wake up early and work out?  Did you celebrate Valentine's and think I'm just a big Scrooge? Has the holiday had you eating things you normally avoid?  Are you a fast talker or have some other habit you need to work on?  Let me know so I can feel a little bit more normal ;)

27

I turned 27 three days ago. I think I am still absorbing what that means. With that being said, it's not the actual age that is giving me pause. I think I am one of the few girls that actually loves getting older. It's more about what comes with said age.


When I was younger I came up with an estimated timeline of my life. It's one of those far-fetched things that I am sure a lot of people do. It's the "by the time I'm __ I will be ___" schedule that you compare your life with to see if you're "on track" or not. This can be both a good and bad thing. It can be good because it can fuel your dreams and push you to achieve goals. It can be bad because those dreams and goals were set at an age when you most likely didn't know what went into making them happen.

I have been blessed. Aside from only one or two aspects .. my life is "right on track". School, work, marriage, etc all happened when I expected. It may not have turned out exactly how I originally planned but the timing was nevertheless perfect. I have spent a few years now floating along with no big adjustments on the horizon. It's been more about maintenance and fine-tuning. Well, things are about to change.

I know I've shared my baby fever with you .. frequently. My want ebbs and flows. There are days when it's all I can think about and there are days when I am shouting praises that I am child-free. This will probably never change. The main factor is though that we want kids and I have always planned to have my first one at 28. That's what this monologue boils down to. Considering the 40 week delay and my crazy math ... instead of having a year left .. I feel like I have 2 months left.  Twenty-eight feels a lot closer than it used to.

Are we going to plan a family based on my own neurotic schedule for my life? Absolutely not. I'm not THAT crazy ;)  It's just that all the other goals have come and gone fairly effortlessly and this is the first one that really has me taking a step back, taking a deep breath, and looking at the bigger picture. Who knows what will happen and when. Maybe this is the point at which the path splits. Maybe not. It's just a whole lotta food for thought .. and I'm stuffed.

Belated Weekend Update

Sorry about the mini-hiatus but I'm back! 

Last time we chatted I was planning for my solo weekend at home.  Mark went on a guys' weekend in the mountains and so the pup and I were on our own.  Naturally I wrote down a huge to-do list to keep myself busy.  It looked something like this:

~ Read 1 book (maybe 2)
~ Detail inside of my car
~ Start (complete?) taxes online
~ Deodorize/clean carpet
~ Finish organizing and decorating the guest suite and lounge from the room swap a couple weeks ago
~ Come up with an appetizer for the Super Bowl party (and then attend said party)
~ Laundry
~ Come up with menu/grocery list for the week
~ Clean the house (dust, bathrooms, etc.)
~ Go to a birthday party for a little friend that is turning 1 (this depends on the sick status .. no need to spread germs!)
~ Go to Target for items to complete tasks above.

So how did I do, you ask?

~ I finished one book and got through a big chunk of the second.
~ My car remains un-detailed .. but I bought an awesome air freshener that clips to the car vent so that makes everything ok ;)
~ I gathered some tax docs together that were already sitting on top of the desk in a messy pile to prep for actually doing it.  That counts, right?
~ Yes!  This was actually one of the priorities.  A few days earlier, while laying in Downward Dog (don't be fooled by the yoga-speak .. I just started), I had my nosed pressed into our carpet .. and was mortified to realize it REEKED of actual dog.  Merlin is cute but GEEZ!  He is bathed regularly and I keep plug-ins around the house so I guess kudos to them for actually doing their job.  I had no idea!  Now, thanks to Arm and Hammer .. we are back to being so fresh and so clean clean ...
~ Ohhh buddy .. this little bullet point shall continue below..
~ I copped out on this one.  I was going to do individual veggie cups but ran out of time.  Instead I went to the store and bought a veggie tray and hummus.  Oh well..
~ Done but the clothes weren't actually put away until Mark got home .. which might have actually been part of the plan .. because I will wash clothes all day but I hate hanging them ..
~ Yup!
~ Check!
~ I felt much better by the time Saturday night rolled around and so I went.  It was a ton of fun!  I don't often (ever?) hang out with that crowd stag so it was a nice change of pace.  The topic of my birthday came up (which was 3 days ago) and it was decided we would throw a house party.  Just something simple, easy and fun.  I will recap this in another post.
~ OK SO!  This was one of the major highlights of the weekend.  Yes .. I know .. I saw great friends and went to a sweet birthday party but OH HOW I LOVE TARGET!  My original intention for the guest room (thus Target trip) was to get some missing essentials.  We repurposed/donated a lot of the items that were in the previous guest room so all that I was left with was pretty much JUST a bed and a couple chairs.  Since this room was painted a different color, I couldn't even use the bedding because it clashed so badly!  So I made a list of what I needed: a lamp, some sort of side table, a hand towel holder for the bathroom and a comforter that didn't make you reach for sunglasses. Four things.  That's it.  And really it was possibly just three because Mark could build me a side table or two.

Off to Target I went. 

I started in the lighting department.  I didn't really have a budget in mind but cheap (without looking like it) is ALWAYS what I'm going for.  I saw several lamps I loved but didn't feel like dropping $40 on a lamp at the time.. especially since I really wanted two.  I kept perusing and then I saw this little red sticker that said "clearance".  Usually Target uses their endcaps for clearance so when I saw the lamps above the sticker (shoved way in the back) I figured the whole thing was misplaced.  Just on a whim though I checked.  FOUR DOLLARS!  Say what!?  They are medium/large ceramic white lamp bases, in perfect condition, and only $4.  There were two sitting there and so I grabbed them up.  They were meant for me. 

I figured it had to be a fluke until I was heading out of the lighting department and spotted a second little red tag.  It was for a smaller black lamp with a cool oval shade.  SIX DOLLARS! Then halfway down the aisle a stainless floor lamp with remote for TWELVE DOLLARS!  I had been in Target all of 15 minutes and my cart was full with three ceramic lamps and a stainless floor lamp for a whopping $26.  I was totally elated.  The extra lamps weren't really on my list but how can you turn down a sale like that!? 

I looked around for signs advertising some sort of crazy sale but there was nothing.  Just these little red tags stuck amidst the regularly priced items.  I immediately started to amend my shopping list in my head to include all the "wants" and not just the "needs".  I thought about how I wanted to dress the room and began to practically skip to the other departments.  All in all I came away a HUGE winner.  Turns out those little red stickers were everywhere!  This is what I ended up with:

- 2 large white ceramic lamp bases
- 1 black ceramic lamp with shade
- 1 stainless floor lamp with remote
- hand towel holder for bathroom
- embroidered curtain panel
- sheer curtain panel
- curtain rod
- super soft throw
- 2 accent pillows
- glass vase
- welcome mat
- makeup

What was the grand total?  $114.76! I think the checkout girl thought I was nuts because I totally asked her to repeat herself (even though it was on the screen in front of me) and there may have been a very small happy dance involved.

Needless to say it was a success :)  I will post pictures soon of the finished results.  Below is the photographic evidence.  Consider this me bragging ...


Sorry for the bad pic.  Mark took the good camera with him to the mountains.



Lesson Learned?  ALWAYS look for the little red tags. 

Do you love Target like I do?  Have you scored some insanely good sales lately?  Where is your favorite place to shop?  Have you ever embarrassed yourself with a happy dance?

I'm still here.

These week has been crazy!  I promise I am still here.  I have about 6 posts in the works but none of them are 100% finished.  I will try and tie up the loose ends and start pushing them out.  Thanks guys for your patience ;)

Jesus Calling: February 4th

This seemed especially pertinent today.  This is from Jesus Calling and it's vital:

Bring me your weakness, and receive My Peace.  Accept yourself and your circumstances just as they are, remembering that I am sovereign over everything.  Do not wear yourself out with analyzing and planning.  Instead, let thankfulness and trust be your guides through this day; they will keep you close to Me.  As you live in the radiance of My Presence, My peace shines upon you.  You will cease to notice how weak or strong you feel, because you will be focusing on Me.  The best way to get through this day is step by step with Me.  Continue this intimate journey, trusting that the path you are following is headed for heaven.

The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
~ Psalm 29:11

The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.
~ Numbers 6: 24-26

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
~ Psalm 13:5

Weekend Outlook: The Single Girl Edition



 Normally I write a post with a specific topic in mind.  I don't feel like it today.  I guess if I have to label it then we will go with "weekend".

Mark left this morning for a guys' weekend in the mountains.  He really deserves the mini-vacation so I am happy for him.  That means, however, that I will be single until Sunday. 

Mark is definitely not one to get in the way when I am trying to clean or organize or anything but yet I always get excited when this weekend rolls around annually.  I get the chance to not cook full meals, organize/clean at whim, and read hours on end.  It's my own little retreat, too.

I set out yesterday making my to-do list for the weekend; a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish on my own timetable and without distraction.  Unfortunately, everything might not get done as I planned (surprise. surprise.) because I woke up this morning with a cold.  Right now I am just looking forward to quickly swinging by Target for a couple things and then going home to bed.  NOT how I planned to start my weekend.  I am kind of bummed about it because I haven't been sick since April.  I was hoping to go a full year but no cigar. Maybe I will get a second wind when I get home.

Nevertheless, I have a to-do list and I am sticking to do.  I may not complete the whole thing but at least some is better than none.  In the spirit of organizing my thoughts and making myself accountable to my goals, here is my to do list as it stands now:

~ Read 1 book (maybe 2)
~ Detail inside of my car
~ Start (complete?) taxes online
~ Deodorize/clean carpet
~ Finish organizing and decorating the guest suite and "lounge"* from the room swap a couple weeks ago
~ Come up with an appetizer for the Super Bowl party (and then attend said party)
~ Laundry
~ Come up with menu/grocery list for the week
~ Clean the house (dust, bathrooms, etc.)
~ Go to a birthday party for a little friend that is turning 1 (this depends on the sick status .. no need to spread germs!)
~ Go to Target for items to complete tasks above.

I think that is about it.  There are ton of little individual tasks on my written list in front of me but they all generally fall under the categories above.  Honestly, the list is totally doable.  It's actually pretty doable with a cold (minus the birthday party) but you never know.  I may wake up tomorrow healed or I may wake up feeling dead.  We'll see. 

The point of all this is that I plan on having a productive, happy weekend.  I wish the same for all of you. Whether you are hammering out a to-do list like me or just want to sit on the couch for 48 hours...  I hope it's everything you want it to be.  I will report back and let you know how I did.  Happy Weekend!

* Ever since the man room moved downstairs it has kind of lost it's exclusivity.  It's not longer separated from the main living space and so "man room" or "man cave" just doesn't feel appropriate.  Right now it holds two lounge chairs, a bookcase and a small beer fridge.  (It used to have a couch, TV, etc but those were repurposed for other rooms)  Since its main purpose right now is reading or listening to music, we jokingly deemed it "The Lounge" .... and it kind of stuck.  It's embarrassing but we really just don't know what to call it.  So with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek .. I will now be referring to the former office as "The Lounge".

midweek confessions

~ "Operation: Wake up earlier and exercise" is a FAIL.  I started a week ago and officially only managed to wake up early on Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday.  I did, however, exercise 5 of the 7 days so that's something.  Once I am up then the rest is easy.  It's just motivating myself to get out of bed because I know I could sleep in for another hour and a half (if I push it).  The first two weeks are the hardest (I remember that from last time) so I need to just man up and do it.  Last time I did this I got up at 5:45 with Mark and that was my motivation .. to be up when he was and be able to say bye.  This time around I have been attempting to get up at 6:15 (right as he leaves) but once that happens the house is quiet and sleepy.  I think I may need to push my alarm back 30 minutes to get me through the first couple of weeks and then I can adjust once I get it under control.  As per usual .. you will be updated ;)


~ Sometimes I struggle with inadequacy.  It comes upon me every once in a while and seems to color everything.  It's my own personal cloud cover.  I can usually get a grasp on it and kick it out the door but it nevertheless comes back.  It came back for about 3 days before I realized what was going on and pulled myself together.  It's not that I feel inadequate in a certain area of my life .. it affects everything.  I just see how I can be better in so many ways and I play the "compare" game.  The reason I am bringing this up now is because Mark made an innocent joke (one in which we've made a million times) and I took it the wrong way and burst into tears.  That was the big fat clue that I need to self-check and find out what was going on.  Needless to say I gave myself an attitude adjustment, notified Mark what was really going on and moved on.  I'm sure this happens to others and I hate it.  I wish I could rid myself of those thoughts forever.  Just another foothold...


~ I'm a reader.  A big reader.  I average about 100 books a year (and yes I keep count).  My mom is a reader, too.  I think it's genetic.  I read a little bit of everything but I mostly camp in fiction.  I try to cover the classics, the bestsellers, and everything in between.  I have standards though and I admit to sometimes being quick to generalizations.  I have excluded an author's entire collections of works out of "principle".  It's not fair and it certainly means I sometimes fail at the whole not-being-narrow-minded thing.  An example of a couple of these authors are Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts. 

Nicholas Sparks is on the list because I feel like it's overly sappy, it's this "perfect love" and then someone goes and dies in the end from cancer or whatever.  I read for enjoyment so why would I want to sit around and cry reading his books?  No thanks.  Nora Roberts is on the list because I thought she was the one with Fabio on the front and everyone is from the 18th century and sex-obsessed. Ugh.

My mom read Nora Roberts (and the like) growing up.  I thought I would never read "crap" like that (sorry Mom!).  I wanted to read real books.  Wellllll I eventually caved and I read one of her books...just to see what it was like.  What is it like?  It's like a cozy blanket.  It's the book version of a contented sigh.  It's effortless and comforting.  I have no idea why but I just love her.  I always end up throwing in a couple of her books (or a series) each year.  It's happy ever afters and they just make me smile.

I know it's silly but at almost 27 I feel way too young to be reading Nora (even though that's the general age of her characters).  I always stereotyped her for the 50+ set.  I've kept our relationship a secret long enough .. so here I am .. claiming my adoration.  I still hold my grudge against Sparks and his followers.  I have yet to drink that Kool-aid.  Maybe one day .. maybe not.