Jenny's cupcakes

My sister, Jenny, was in town visiting last week.  She has discovered her new talent and favorite pastime, making cupcakes!  These cupcakes are delicious and I'm not just saying that because my sister made them.  My husband took some to work to share and they were almost gone within the first hour. The one I posted is chocolate with peanut butter frosting.  She also made espresso and spice cupcakes.  I keep thinking, "how did you come up with that?"  She could open a cup cake shop with how good these cupcakes look and taste.  The funny thing is that I think she had as much fun coming up with ways to transport these cupcakes as she did making the actually cupcake.  She made cupcake trays with cardboard and plastic cups so they wouldn't get smashed.  The crazy thing is they actually looked good!

My sister is one of the most creative people I know.  She's one of those people that could see anything and figure out how to do it whether its baking, gardening or arts and crafts (I'm still a better cook than her:).  When we were growning up I would always go to her when I had a school project.  She's always my go to person for any creative project I have.  It is frustrating sometimes because she is so artistic and creative and I'm not.  I decided I wanted to start a scrapbook and it looked pretty good.  Then, my sister decided she wanted start scrapbooking too. She ruined my scrapbook because her's looked so much better. I've learned over my 28 years that's just the way it is and some things will never change (I really didn't mean to quote Bruce Hornsby but it just fit).

I'm trying to convince Jenny that now she needs to make a carrot cake cupcake like the carrot cake cookie I had from Trader Joes. Mmmmm.

Did I plant that?

This morning I woke up to a very welcome greeting from June, like it had been forever since she's seen me (isn't it funny how dogs do that?)  We went straight to the back yard so she could take care of business. It was raining and things always look greener in the rain, so I really noticed how well my herbs were doing. I do not have a green thumb like my mom or sister, so to see how well they're doing made me smile! Greg's dad has grown this giant orchid that looks too good to be real.... really, I thought it was fake until I saw him watering it, while I can't even keep a fern alive.  So the herbs are one of the first things that I haven't killed in the past year, and I probably haven't gotten into gardening because of all my previous failures.  This herb pot may be the confidence I need to keep going. I've got to give my husband some credit.  He was the one who said my old herb pot was way too small and picked out this one.  I just don't have an eye for these things...thanks Greg.

Well, I love to cook, especially with fresh herbs. They really make dishes taste better.  Dried herbs will suffice, and can get me through the winter, but everything is better fresh.  I'm still experimenting with what I can grow. So far I have chives, parsley, rosemary, and oregano. The chives starting growing purple flowers when the weather warmed up...  I didn't even know they did that.  I'm saving the bare spot next to the chives  for basil.  Surprisingly, June hasn't tried to eat the plants... like she has with all the other flowers in the yard!  Now my mission is to find some recipes with parsley and chives because they're taking over in that pot.  Any ideas??

One year anniversary

This morning my sweet husband surprised me with this necklace!  Our one year anniversary is this Sunday.

The funny thing (or not so funny) is that last night I did not think my husband was so sweet. We had a typical fight that was really over nothing, but I wasn't going to let him off the hook (I hate admitting this but its true).  Therefore, I did what I always do when I'm mad... give him the silent treatment.

My father-in-law once told us that its so much better to discuss issues when you're both rested.  I don't necessarily agree in going to bed angry, but I've learned that that sometimes this is true!  So, this morning we finally talked and I realized (asI always do) how insignificant our augment was. I'm very slowly learning that it's not worth it to fight over the small stuff.  When we were in marriage counseling my pastor said marriage means that you both give 100% not 50:50. If I always did this in my marriage it would save us both from a lot of upset and disagreement.

Greg was, of course, the first to apologize.  He then surprised me with this necklace. He wanted me to have it so I could wear it for the weekend. (He may have also picked today just to make sure he was really out of the doghouse.)  I've got to say, I love him so much!

Princeton

My parents used to live right outside of New York City until they recently moved back home. I would visit them often, and it was so fun because we would always go into the city and shop (of course!). We also visited Princeton which was just down the road from them. While my best friend and I were recently visiting we decided to tour the campus. It's so beautiful. If you ever get the opportunity to see Princeton you absolutely should. There's so much architecture and history to see. As we were walking around the campus my friend looked up at this dorm room window. We were both fascinated with all the books in the window. We tried to decide if this person read all these books for study? leisure? or are the books just there for the dramatic effect... so people like me will stare into their window in awe of all their academic endeavors. Either way we thought it was a really cool picture.
For whatever reason this scene makes me happy. I have actually framed this picture in my house. Maybe  because it brings back good memories of a fun weekend I had with my friend and family, or it could be that I somehow wish I could be as as studious and read all those books. (I'm afraid I'd probably fall asleep before I finished). Now, I'm wondering which books I'd want to spend all this time reading?!

Carrot cake cookie!

I was at Trader Joe's and decided to try these cookies. I've seen them there a few times and wondered if they were any good. I decided to give them a try. I'm being totally honest when I say these cookies are amazing! If you like carrot cake you will love this cookie. The actual cookie taste like carrot cake and then it has a cream cheese icing filling that melts in your mouth. Normally I don't like cookies with an icing filling if its too sweet but its just right with this one. I feel like one of those chefs on a cooking show who tastes the food and keeps saying "mmmm" and "this is fabulous". I'm always jealous when I watch those people on tv because I want to try the food too.

Have you ever tasted something and it reminds you of something you ate growing up? Or you would eat something and it tastes like something your mom would make? Well, this cookie reminds me of carrot cake that my mom would make. Maybe that's why I like them so much. Its funny how you grow fond of things that you had growing up and it brings back childhood memories. Its as though we want to revert back to those times of being a kid with kool-aid and fruit roll ups (or maybe that's just me?).

When my husband got home I made him try one. He thought they were pretty good too. I think it was all he ate for lunch today. My goal now is to figure out how to make them myself!

June LOVES the lake

My husband and I spent this past weekend at my parent's lake house. Here is our dog, June, and her reaction when arrived. I love this picture. It captures the sheer joy and happiness that she has almost all the time. The only time she isn't happy is when I won't let her play with another dog. I only say "no" because I fear our neighbors will think I'm crazy letting our dog loose in their backyard. She gave me the saddest look this morning when I would not let her go into our neighbor's yard to play with their rottweiler. June, I promise it was for your own good.

My husband surprised me with June, a cockapoo, for my birthday several months ago. At first I was a little nervous about sharing our newly built and decorated home with a puppy. I quickly got over that and have fallen in love with her... and so have my parents. I never thought of my dad as a dog lover but he's definitely become one. He and my mom spoil her as if she were their grandchild. I can only imagine what it will be like when we have kids!

We haven't had many issues with her being in our home, although we put her in her crate at night and while we are at work. June is almost seven months old, so Greg and I finally decided to allow her to roam the kitchen while we gone, hoping she would be okay. The first day she did great. The second day she peed on the floor... no big deal, we just wiped it up. Unfortunately, yesterday she chewed a puppy pad into tiny pieces and gnawed on the floor molding in the corner of the kitchen exposing the unfinished wood. I was okay, but my husband is still trying to get over it. Her cuteness is about the only thing that kept him from throwing her out. Sorry June, it's back to the crate.

June has never met a stranger. She must sniff and greet everyone she meets. In my opinion, she's a great example for how I want to be. OK, that sounded really weird. I have no desire to sniff people. However, I would like to be as excited about meeting people and saying hello as she is. When I'm at work I so often look down or act too busy to say hello to customers. I am a pharmacist at a very busy retail store so a lot of time I am really busy but I never want to be too busy for people. Before I had a dog I had friends tell me they're so great because they love you unconditionally. Why can't I be that way too? I know this probably sounds so crazy that my dog is convicting me of being unfriendly to people. Sometimes I can be a little crazy so I'll accept it.

June is one of the many blessings that I have in my life. I smile as I sit here and watch her dig a whole in the back yard (sorry Greg) and then get distracted by a butterfly. She's another reason why I have so much joy in my life.