What I Did This Weekend

On Saturday morning, Logan, Nikki, & I made these pictures. Aren't they awesome? Kind of a poor picture of the pictures, but they are awesome in real life. :)


Then, since my family is inbetween houses, we had them over for dinner Sunday. It was fun to have everyone over, and to have an excuse to make this!



Egg Nog Spice Bundt Cake

1 box spice cake mix
1 (4-serving) box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup light egg nog
1 egg
3 egg whites
1 1/3 cups toasted chopped pecans
Powdered sugar (I topped it with glaze instead of powdered sugar)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a nonstick bundt pan with cooking spray. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggnog, egg, and egg whites in a large bowl. Mix until creamy. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or use the glaze recipe below.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup pecans, chopped & toasted

Stir brown sugar, whipping cream, and butter in saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth. Boil three minutes, stirring often. Stir in pecans. Spoon over warm cake.

So this post is a little late

The week of Halloween, I made these cookies for my Young Women to give to them after my lesson.

Candy Corn Cookies

2/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
2 pouches Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
Wilton's yellow paste food color
Wilton's orange paste food color

Pick one set of extracts for flavoring cookies

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

or

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Line an 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan.

In a stand mixer beat the eggs until mixed. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the butter. *If adding the vanilla & almond extracts do so after adding the butter* Then, stop the mixer & add the sugar cookie mix. Beat until just combined.

Divide the dough into three equal parts. Put 1 section back into the mixer & add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, if using. Beat until combined, then set dough aside.

Next, add another section of dough to the mixer with 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract if using & a very small amount of yellow food color paste until desired color. Beat until combined and set aside.

Add the last dough section to the mixer with 1/2 teaspoon orange extract if using and a very small amount of orange food color paste. Mix until combined.

Pat the yellow dough into the wax paper lined pan. Press gently with the back of a dry measuring cup to even out the dough. Next, add the orange dough and repeat. Then spread the plain dough across the top.

Fold the wax paper over the cookie dough and refrigerate overnight, or freeze for 1 1/2 hours, and thaw on the counter for 20 or so minutes until workable.

Once chilled, dump the dough out onto a cutting surface. Pry the dough apart from the pan with a spatula between the wax paper and pan if needed before turning out.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut dough into 1/4 inch thick slices. Then cut slices into triangles as shown. You'll have some edge pieces left over. These can be kneaded together gently and made into marbled drop cookies or rolled out and cut with a cookie cutter later.

Place cookies on sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 7-8 minutes until very lightly golden on the sides. *To make candy corn shape: working quickly after cookies come out of the oven, take two spatulas & gently move the two sides back into shape* If the cookies harden before you can finish the sheet, stick them back in the oven for two minutes to often.

Cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Then, move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes many dozens of little cookies.

The Thrifty Mama rocks my world!

I love The Thrifty Mama's web site more than you will ever know. Thanks to her, I have found some killer deals on just about everything. Right now, she is giving away a $100 Target gift card in a contest sponsored by ShopAtHome.com which is another awesome source for printable coupons and online coupon codes. Go here to get in on this giveaway!

A Small Weekend Getaway

This past weekend my family & I headed to Colorado for another of Paul's Strongman competitions. This particular competition was convenient because my Aunt & cousins live in Colorado, which inevitably made the trip more fun. :) The trip was way too short & we came back feeling way too tired, but it was well worth the drive. Here are a couple of fun moments from the trip:



1. Saturday's Strongman competition. This is a photo of Paul & a few of his Strongman buddies that went along to compete. Jared (in the middle) took 1st place in his weight class; Go Jared! I will post videos later of Paul's events as soon as I can figure out how to take out the audio...I know, I said that about the last competition, but I'll try to get it done this time. *Also, little plug for Strongman: It is way fun to watch, & it just so happens that Paul will be competing in a competition in Lindon, Utah (close, right!) in October, so check it out for yaself! :)


2. My cousin was raving about this restaurant in Broomfield called Original Pizza so we ate there after the competition Saturday night. Their food is amazing! I created this glorious calzone with artichoke hearts, fresh garlic, olives, & mushrooms...Wow. If you're ever in the area, go there. Check out their Web site, too; I think they have locations all over the place.



3. The biggest Forever XXI west of the Mississippi was just built in Broomfield, & it is awesome! I bought a couple of cute shirts there...minus the small holes I neglected to spot until I got them home. Sigh. But the store was great. Really, it was.


4. This is a bad picture of "the cousins," but I had to put it up. It was right before we were leaving on Sunday, so don't judge my sweats! :) My favorite part of the entire trip was spending time together as a family; I'm willing to bet that I have the bestest siblings in the entire world. Hopefully we can travel together again soon...and for a longer period of time. :)

A Post For Scholarshippoints.com

Every month, I accrue points on scholarshippoints.com that can be used for entry in many free scholarships. This month, they are offering 100 points to those that blog about online education, so bear with me on this post.

Online education has been very important to me throughout my undergraduate education. Online classes have provided me with the flexibility in my classes that I needed, since I work & go to school. With most online classes, you are able to finish them as quickly as you would like, or at the regular pace of a semester. You are able to log in whenever works for you and complete your assignments as you can around your schedule. I particularly enjoy online classes because they require me to do the work all on my own, & I like it that way. I feel like I learn more if I am obligated to push myself to do the work and gain the knowledge. If you prefer to work in a group setting or in a place where the teacher is right in front of you to ask questions, this could potentially be a setback for you. Another setback could be that online education requires you to be self-paced. If you tend to be a procrastinator, online classes probably aren't for you. If you are self-motivated, however, I would strongly recommend looking into different programs that offer the option of getting online degrees.

As many of you know, I plan to get my Masters degree in Social Work. I have found a few online schools that offer an alternate route of getting this degree. It is great to know that the education system is realistic about the fact that people have commitments outside of school. More and more, degrees are becoming more attainable for people from all walks of life and in various circumstances.

For the Love of Cooking

This recipe comes from Joy the Baker's blog; she adapted it from The Pastry Queen recipe book. If you like to cook at all, stalk her blog. Seriously. I. Love. Her. The way she writes is fantastic; I feel like I know her. And, every recipe she shares is so tasty & reasonably easy to make. Today, I made her recipe for Blackberry Pie Bars, except I used Raspberries instead of Blackberries. Ashley at work used Blueberries and brought some to share - Yes, they were amazing. Make these right now; I promise you won't regret it!

Blackberry Pie Bars with Lemon Sugar

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat flour & 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

zest of two lemons

Blackberry Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained (You can also use 6 cups of fresh blackberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries and 3 cups of fresh blackberries)

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!

To make the crust and topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the blackberries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Mud Pie

Okay, seriously. This would be so good with pistachio pudding, or even banana cream. Mmmm....I have to make it. The recipe comes from Favorite Family Recipes.

1 cup flour
1 cube butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix thoroughly and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 min, then cool.

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
9 oz. cool whip (1/2 of carton)
Mix well and spread on first layer.

2 small pkgs. of instant pudding
2 1/2 cups cold milk

Beat for 2 minutes then spread on second layer.
Spread on remaining cool whip and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

More Paint!

For my birthday, my family painted my living room. It was such a great gift! Here are some pictures of the finished product, along with some pictures I've been meaning to post of the kitchen, bathroom, & bedroom since they're mostly finished now. *P.S. Yes, we need to finish the trim on the top of walls in the kitchen - I HATE THAT PART!

Peppermint Cookies

I made these to share with my Data Team friends but know this is a recipe I needed to post on my blog so I would have it forever! It comes from an amazing food blog called Dozen Flours. These cookies really are fantastic, & fairly easy to make. *A tip, any time you make cookies, you should follow the instructions below about rolling the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. It makes cutouts so much easier to do & doesn't leave you with a sticky, floury countertop.

Peppermint Heart Shaped Cookies

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups of all purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. With the mixer on low/medium speed, slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, being sure to scrape down the bowl frequently. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Separate the dough ball into 2 balls and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the ball out to about 1/4 inch thick being sure to keep all the dough between the sheets of paper. Transfer to a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until firm (you can also cheat by putting them in the freezer).

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut out desired shapes (I used a big heart shaped cookie cutter plus a slightly smaller one to create a heart shaped frame) and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Bake for 8-12 min. Keep a careful watch on your first batch so you can establish the correct cooking time. After 6 minutes, keep checking them every minute until they are firm to the touch and just the slightest bit brown. Cookies will continue to bake as your remove them from the oven. Let them sit for a minute, remove the cookies from the baking sheet with a spatula big enough to support the entire surface of the cookie (or they may break) and cool on a wire rack.

Repeat steps with left over cookie dough.

When they are completely cool, store them in an airtight container or a big zip-lock bag. You can even freeze them and save them until later.

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (if you don't like peppermint, use vanilla)
pink food coloring gel (optional)
4-5 red peppermint candies or one candy cane, crushed but not pulverized (optional)

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar or you may find you need to add more milk. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly until you get your desired color. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Assembly
Carefully spread each heart-shaped cookie with a generous dollop of pink frosting. Top with a heart shaped cookie frame (if desired) and sprinkle a little crushed peppermint candy in the center.

Yield: About 16-20 sandwich cookies

The. Best. Frosting. Ever.

Seriously though. I LOVE this frosting, so I'm using my blog as a recipe book.

This comes from The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course 1 book, provided by Karly. :)

1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon Wilton flavor (Vanilla, Almond or Butter)
2 tablespoons milk or water
1 lb. pure cane confectioners' sugar (approximately 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Wilton Meringue Powder
A pinch of salt (optional)

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

For chocolate buttercream: Add 3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, and an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water to recipe. Mix until well blended.

Makes 3 cups of Stiff Consistency icing (used for flowers with upright petals, etc). Add one teaspoon water to each cup of stiff consistency icing for medium consistency (used for stars, flowers with petals that lie flat, etc). Add two teaspoons of water to each cup of stiff consistency icing for thin consistency (writing words or icing a cake).

Corn-on-the-Cob Cupcakes

Seriously, I'm going to get addicted to blog posting if I don't stop looking at all of these treats. I saw these cupcakes on Jenifer's blog awhile back but haven't thought to post them on mine until now. The recipe is here on the Martha Stewart Web site.

First, you can use the recipe for vanilla cupcakes on Martha's Web site. This recipe also comes from the Hello, Cupcake! book.

Vanilla Cupcakes (Makes 2 dozen)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, oil, & vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup or a small bowl.
3. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light & fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended.
5. Spoon half of the batter into a ziplock bag. Snip a 1/4-inch corner from the bag & fill the liners two-thirds full. Repeat with the remaining batter. Bake until golden & a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pan, place on a wire rack, & allow to cool completely.

Here's the recipe for these corn-on-the-cob cupcakes:

You'll need:

Vanilla Frosting

Yellow liquid food coloring
24 Vanilla Cupcakes, baked in white paper liners
3 1/2 cups small yellow, cream, or white jelly beans, such as Jelly Belly
4 pieces yellow fruit chews, such as Laffy Taffys or Starbursts
1 tablespoon black decorating sugar
1 tablespoon white decorating sugar
8 sets of corn holders (optional)

Directions

1. Color the frosting pale yellow with food coloring.
2. Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, frost cupcakes with yellow frosting. Arrange 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the 3 cupcakes side by side on a corn dish or serving platter to resemble an ear of corn. Repeat process with remaining cupcakes, frosting, and jelly beans.
3. Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares. Soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look like melted butter. Place 1 square on top of each ear of corn. Sprinkle with sugars. Insert a corn holder in the end of each ear of corn, if using. Serve.

Flower Pot Treats

Jenifer put a link on her blog to this Web site that shows you how to make flower pot desserts. I've always wanted to be the type of Mom that makes cute little desserts for her children, (and NO, I'm not pregnant - I'm just sayin'). I may as well start practicing now so that by the time I do have kids they (& all of their friends) will think my treats are awesome! The ingredients for these cute desserts are as follows:

1. Ice cream (any flavor) softened
   
2. Pound cake (the recipe says that frozen works best)
3. Oreos
4. Gummy worms

You'll also need:

1. Small clay flowerpots
2. Straws
3. Fresh cut flowers

Using a serrated knife, cut the frozen pound cake into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices. Find a biscuit or cookie cutter that fits in the bottom of the flower pot & begin cutting the slices into rounds. Drop one round of cake into each pot, lightly pressing to make sure it's all the way down.

Hold a straw up to the side of the pot & snip it so that it's about 1/2 to 1 inch shorter than the top of the pot. Use that straw as a guide to cut the rest of the straws. Stick a straw into the center of each pot, anchoring it into the cake. Spoon the ice cream into the pot, working around the straw, until it almost reaches the very top of the straw.

If you are making the ice cream pot for a boy, you might want to throw in some gummy worms about halfway through. Use a damp paper towel & run it along the inside of the top of the pot when you're done spooning in the ice cream to clean up the edges a little. After the pots are filled with ice cream, return them to the freezer & let the ice cream get very firm.

Put the Oreos in a food processor & crush them until they look like topsoil. You can put them into a Ziploc bag & crush them with a rolling pin if you don't have a food processor.

Once the ice cream is frozen, take the pots out of the freezer & begin spooning the crushed oreos over the top, trying to cover the ice cream completely. Then, if the pot is for a girl, stick a few flowers into the straw. After you stick in the flower, spoon more cookie crumbs up against the top of the straw. It the pot is for a boy, stick a couple more gummy worms on top of the cookie crumbs.

Mashed Potato Cupcakes

On the bake at 350 blog, I found this cute recipe for mashed potato cupcakes. I can't wait to make them! The author of the blog talks about following a recipe for doctoring cake mixes that comes from the book Hello, Cupcake!. I assume this recipe is awesome since Karly makes cupcakes from the same book & they are divine.

For these cupcakes, choose any cake mix you like. Substitute 1 cup of buttermilk for the liquid, add the amount of oil called for on the box and use 4 eggs. This makes 24 cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost each cupcake with 3 tablespoons vanilla frosting, mounding it in the middle. Use a teaspoon to make an indentation in the middle; put a yellow Starburst or any 1 inch yellow fruit chew, (taffy, etc.) in the middle of the cupcake. Drizzle with gravy (store-bought caramel sauce, heated).

Family Photos

My Dad loves to take photos more than anyone I know. It's actually a good thing because I always forget my camera despite good intentions & probably wouldn't get around to taking pictures as often as do. We took these pictures this last weekend so I thought I'd post a few, mostly for my own photo journaling. :)

My brother thought this would be a good one to send to our brother on a mission.
Just go with it.

And another he thought would be funny to send to the missionary.
Again, go with it.

San Francisco

After the Strongman competition, we drove to Sacramento to spend a few days with Paul's old friends. While we were there, we decided to take a day trip to San Francisco. Too bad we didn't plan this - seeing WICKED would have been fabulous! Here are a few pictures I took during our short trip to San Francisco. I had never been there before, so I was a bit picture happy, mostly because I love love love the ocean & boats. :O)

A semi-blurry picture of the famous bridge. I would have liked to explore the town a little more & to have examined the bridge up close, but it was neat to see it any way!

Alcatraz - which I thought was AWESOME. We were going to take a little boat trip around Alcatraz but the boys (Paul & James) protested because they thought it would be hot & that they would get sick. It was pretty hot outside.

I loved watching these guys. :O)

Beautiful.

Paul & James

My cute husband - we have not been on vacation at all since we've been married, so this trip was a lot of fun.

Golden State Strongman Competition

I haven't posted on this thing in forever, I know! But, I've been sick for the past few days & have had quite a lot of time to lie around & try to feel better, so I decided that, this time, I had no excuse. It's (finally!) time to post some pictures & info about Paul's first Strongman competition. For starters, I was REALLY nervous that he would get seriously injured, but all went well!

Some stats on the competition:
1. It was a Platinum level event - this meant that much of Paul's competition had competed in multiple events previous to this one. If you ask me, it was quite a steep level of competition to start at, but he did a great job, all things considered.
2. They CHANGED the weight from what was previously mentioned in the event information, and not by a little, by a lot. Like 30 pounds. What the heck?! That is a TON when you're lifting things! But oh well, right?
3. There were 15 competitors in Paul's weight class. P.S. Yay! for him losing 20 pounds to compete in the class he wanted. Yay also for the gorging that occurred after the competition - I must say, I did enjoy going to several places & eating whatever we wanted. :O)
4. Paul struggled with some events that he didn't have much experience with but ROCKED the truck pull (took 4th!) and the car deadlift (took 7th - best deadlift he's ever done!).
5. Again - NO INJURIES!!!! Yeah yeah yeah.

Paul's buddy Russ & his wife Abby (whom I adore) came to support Paul & that meant a lot to us. Russ was such a great coach/support to Paul, in a way that I couldn't be. You know...something about Strongman comradery & feeling each others' pain. Russ came prepared with Powerade, extra knee wraps, elbow supports, and plenty of protein - he is great! Yay for good friends.

Here's a picture I took before the competition. I am so proud of Paul for being able to accomplish something that he has wanted to do for so long & has worked so hard for. He goes after his dreams no matter what obstacles get in the way & I admire him so much for that! There will be plenty more Strongman competitions to come, I am sure.

** I'll post a few short videos later, if I can figure out how to mute myself! There is no reason why you should have to hear me saying "Come on Paul" over & over AND over again. A little plug for Strongman competitions though - SUPER fun to watch!