Week 4 (Grapefruit Cupcake Recipe)

Highlights from our week:

• It was my momma's birthday this past week.  Happy Birthday Binks!
• We had a fun game night with another Seminary couple.  I won a game that I had never played before.  I'm pretty competitive and I like winning.  We ate a grapefruit cake with them.
• The eating of aforementioned cake sent my lovely husband on a mission.  Within 24 hours of eating the grapefruit cake, we were making grapefruit cupcakes with a grapefruit infused cream cheese frosting and garnished with fresh raspberries.  Yes, I have watched Cupcake Wars one too many times. Scroll down for the recipe.
• Ian finished his J-term class!  Wootwoot!  He did really well in the class!  Second semester starts Monday.  
• We (unexpectedly) got to see a friend from IL this weekend!  Thanks for hanging out with us Ben!  
• I am throwing around the idea of running a half marathon in mid-May.  I would need to start training in the near future (The half is 16 weeks from today).  There is also a 10 miler.  It seems like a unique race, so maybe I will do it as part of half marathon training for a different half.  

What I've been making:

Jonah 2:8 - now hanging in our pantry

What I've been running: Hills, hills, and more hills. 
What I've been listening to: Mars Hills' Esther series
What I've been enjoying: the longer sunlight hours.  It was 5:30pm the other night and it was not completely dark out!  Wootwoot!
What I've been smelling: sweet-scented candles (and grapefruit cupcakes) and it is in plan to make some pumpkin cinnamon woes this afternoon.
What I've been humming:

 

Are you still with me?  Here is the recipe. Knock yourself out.

Grapefruit Cupcakes (makes 30ish cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar (I used 1.5 cups and they were still delicious)
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups cake flour (we used regular flour and it turned out just fine)
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon grated grapefruit peel
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FROSTING:

• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 (scant) cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 (scant) tablespoon grated grapefruit peel
• Optional: a splash of vanilla extract
• 30-60 fresh red raspberries

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake tins or grease them whichever floats your boat.  

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with grapefruit juice. Beat just until combined. Stir in milk. 

Fill prepared muffin cups so they are about 1/2 full. Bake, rotating pans once, until cupcakes are just golden brown and spring back to the touch.  This took about 14 minutes, but we live 5,387 feet above sea level.  Basically when a toothpick goes in and comes out clean, you are good to go.  Repeat with any remaining batter. Let cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the grapefruit juice and peel.  If you want to add vanilla extract, beat that in too.  Frost your cupcakes.  Top with a raspberry or two.  Enjoy!

Sources: Cake - Taste of Home   Frosting - Food Network

Week 3 (and one of the best quotes I have heard in awhile)

Hi!  I am still finding my rhythm with my New's Years Resolution of blogging once a week.  Exciting moments from our third week of 2013.

• I bought honey wheat bread (for the Chicken Salad Sandwiches) from Panera.  So good!  I don't know if I will ever be able to go back grocery store bread.  If you buy it and they give the option of slicing it thick or thin.  Pick thick!
• The Wee One that I nanny for (she will be 3 in March) comes up with some great quotes sometimes.  For example, this week, while strolling through Target in her purple princess puffy fufu dress (and light up Disney Princess snow boots), she had a fantastic quote.  We were walking past the CD sampler section (you know the aisle that plays the music).  There was some classical/elevator music playing.  She said, "Dat sounds like Cheesuz!"  (That sounds like Jesus).  I asked her what Jesus sounds like.  She told me, "Pweety"  (pretty).  Then launched into her own unique rendition of  "Cheesuz Lobes Me" mixed with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Wittle Star".   Pre-cious!
• We saw a hawk this week.  
•  I made Alfredo Sauce for the first time in my life this week (recipe).  It is not hard at all!  I will say that the first time the sauce was GREAT, but once we refrigerated it, we had a hard time reheating it without it separating.  My next idea is to ask My Amazing Husband to make homemade pizza and see how chicken alfredo pizza turns out.  Basically the story of my life is, "mmmm this taste great!  Can I make it into a pizza somehow?"  I just googled it - Chicken alfredo pizza DOES exist.  
• I am tired of moving.  I can not wait to be done.  I keep thinking we are almost done, and then I realize we have 20394820385 more carloads of stuff.  I feel like we have been moving since last June.
• We attended a seminar this weekend at church.  It was very informative!  I did not realize that there are places in America less than 1% Christian populations - mind-blowing!
• Ian only has 4 more days of Old Testament J-term to go!  Wootwoot!

This was sitting super-close to our new apartment - crazy!

What I've been making: Chicken + Alfredo Sauce + Pasta, Meatballs, Chicken + Feta + Pecan + Craisins + Spinach, Chicken Salad Sandwich (We used my friend's Sara's recipe, but toasted a piece of bread, put on some Chicken Salad, topped it with a slice of cheese and broiled it.), Lasagna
What I've been reading: Esther and Ephesians 
What I've been wearing: T-shirst - who wears t-shirts in January!?!?!
What I've been enjoying: getting to know more people in church family
What I've been buying: we bought a microwave cart for the new apartment this week - best.choice.ever.  It makes us feel like we have a lot more counter space.

Week 2

Some highlights from the last week:

My mom gave us this amaryllis at Thanksgiving time...It actually bloomed.

• Playing tennis with my sister-in-law.  Oh my goodness gracious!  We laughed so much.   I think the "workout" was running after the ball more than actually playing.  There is a reason that I am a runner and not a tennis player. 
• We tried a new recipe this week {30-minute Buffalo Chicken French Bread} and it was great! It has been added to our rotation of meals.  Mom, if you try this, it might be a bit spicy for your tastes.
• I got to Skype with some dear friends from college!  It was so much fun to talk to all of them and catch up.
• Ian survived his first week of Old Testament.  Only 2 more weeks to go!
• I fixed our printer.  Don't ask me how.  Sidenote: if you are ever on the phone with a person in the Philippines and she says, "I as in Idaho, C as in Cedar...", she does not mean C, she is actually saying P as in Peter.
• I finally decided what my word will be for 2013.  Emmanuel :: God with US.

What I've been making: Nutella French Toast (Ian made it), Thai Chicken Pasta (actually Ian made this too), I did make the 30 minute buffalo chicken french bread mentioned above :), Grilled {Pepper-jack} Cheese and Tomato Soup, and BBQ Chicken in the crockpot
What I've been reading: I finished High Call, High Privilege  (by Gail MacDonald) this week.
What I've been wearing: Comfy jeans, hoodies, and wool socks
What I've been enjoying: It has been COLD here the last few days - perfect weather for snuggling up with blankets on the couch.  (I have not been enjoying the cold and snow while running, but once I have had a hot shower, I'm back to loving winter.)

Week 1

Okie-dokie, I made a New Year's Resolution to blog once a week (and to run my fastest half-marathon in 2013...get it? fastest 13 miler in 2013)

So here is a recap of our week (or at least what I can remember):

• We had family in town at the beginning of the week!  Yay!  We took them out to Korean - yum-o!  It was so fun to play Apples to Apples with these guys!
• I stayed up until about 9:17pm on New Year's Eve.  Yes, I am 79 years old on the inside.
• I am finishing up my 2 weeks off from running.  Goodness - I can't wait to jump on that treadmill tomorrow morning.
• Ian starts an intense 3 week Old Testament class tomorrow, so I tried to soak up all the "my husband is not studying" time I could this week!  
• I was introduced to the following youtube video this week.  I cried because I was laughing so hard.

What I'm making: BBQ Chicken, Omelets, Sloppy Joes, Chili, French Toast
What I'm buying: plane tickets to see some friends when they come to visit America in February
What I'm reading: Orthodoxy from G.K. Chesterton
What I'm watching:Biggest Loser is starting this week!

Because you can't go an entire month without blogging

Oh goodness - it has been forever!  I keep taking pictures with the intent to blog and then it does not happen.  Sometimes, I miss all those desk-warming hours.  Oh wait, I just bumped the heat up to 68 degrees and our bathroom pipes aren't frozen....maybe I don't miss desk-warming after all :)

I do miss having time to blog.  Maybe that should be a New Year's Resolution.

Okay, here are random pictures from my life. Enjoy!

This is Michigan's first State Penitentiary Unit.  I ran past it (and thought it was a castle).  So I had to stop and check it out. (We were in Michigan for a wedding.)

Ian and I attended a wedding of some dear college friends AND we got to see a lot of the girls and guys I ran cross-country with in college.  AND I got to hang-out with Kristi and her two sweet kiddos.

We got to spend Christmas Eve with my parentals and one of my math ed. buddies from college.  We played Scrabble.  She won.  It was quite the game.  I did come up with the word, "wavey" it is a type of goose.

This is one of about 247 pictures my sister-in-law took for us.  This one did not make the cut for the Christmas card, but I still like it.   Speaking of which...

Here is our 2012 Christmas Letter.

And this is the back of the mini-van before we drove back to Colorado.  Thanks Mommabomma and Daddio for letting us ride with you and for hauling all of our stuff too. 

Thankfuls 2012

Every since I was like 10, I have written a list of 100 things I am thankful for on Thanksgiving. The tradition began one year when I was bored while riding in the car to Grandma and Grandpas. It is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving now. (Thanks Phumi for joining the fun this year - you rock!)

You would think with 28 hours (24 hours of driving and 4 hours of gas/food/etc breaks) of traveling this past Thanksgiving season, we would have had more than enough time to write out our thankful list.  Alas, we did not.  But better late than never.

A thought I had several times this past Thanksgiving season: Whom are you thankful to?

For me, the answer is easy: Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  

But what if you do not believe in God?  Then whom?  I mean in saying, "Thank you" there is clearly a someone referenced...so who do you reference?  Just my two cents.

As always, this is no particular order.

Here we go: (the ones in blue were stated by Ian - p.s. he was in the middle of something and I started with the "what are you thankful for?")

1. God is good.
2. and He is faithful.
3. My Love (that would be me)
4. Jesus
5. family
6. a big oven
7. Emily P. Freeman
8. Kakao Emoticons
9. Christmas lights
10. a good, patient, funny, husband that eats whatever I cook with only compliments
11. a vacuum
12. spell-check
13. M, B, & C - the kiddos I nanny for
14. G & K - the amazing parents of the kiddos I nanny for
15. books
16. computers
17. Seminary
18. warm blankets
19. big closets
20. gift cards
21. towels from the dryer
22. 908 lovely and fabulous days of marriage - and many more to come!
23. pretty authentic Korean restaurants in America
24. coffee
25. coffee creamer
26. Tsh
27. starting AND finishing cross-stitch projects
28. the ability to run
29. American grocery stores
30. God provided, God is providing, and God will provide
31. cereal + milk
32. warm (or cold) running water
33. being able to own and read the Bible in my language
34. Christmas music
35. Grandpa + Kathryn
36. treasured memories of my grandparents who have already finished the race set before them
37. America
38. cookbooks
39. pizza
40. making potato cakes
41. sex
42. Colorado weather
43. running club
44. friends (there is a lot here I could say, but I will keep it short - friends.are.vital.)
45. hamburgers
46. meatloaf
47. meatballs
48. our car
49. being part of the Church
50. the freedom to vote
51. World Vision
52. treadmills
53. checking the mailbox to find it is not empty
54. ice cream
55. paper snowflakes
56. grace
57. Facebook
58. the view out our window
59. libraries
60. those who have gone before me in high-altitude baking and left a record
61. slippers
62. smartphones
63. GPS
64. electricity
65. ranch salad dressing
66. lazy days
67. our Korean adventure
68. the Holy Spirit - our seal and guarantee
69. being done with the "I am adjusting to the high altitude" phase of running
70. candles
71. Laura
72. going on dates
73. Skype
74. touchscreens in the back of airplane seats
75. the change of seasons
76. the hubs making amazing, delicious food
77. the space heater
78. early birthday presents
79. the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
80. good health
81. places to pass along items that we no longer need (Goodwill/Salvation Army)
82. Google
83. beer
84. airplanes - getting us from point A to point B quickly
85. jokes
86. Therefore now, there is no condemnation for those of you who are in Christ Jesus...
87. discount grocery stores
88. online sermons
89. things that make running more fun, mainly my Garmin and the Zune
90. being able to get-up and go whenever we want, where ever we want (cough, we don't have kids yet, cough)
91. time to reflect
92. cheese
93. board games
94. staplers
95. my memory
96. alarms, timers, and watches
97. music
98. Ian giving me sips of his coffee or bites of his food
99. Advent
100. knowing and being set free by Truth

Menu Plan :: Mid-November

Can you see how long this hill is!?! The bottom of it is way back by the river...wowzas, it was not all that steep, but llooonng

 
Here are some of the meals we have been enjoying/will enjoy in the near future:

• Banana, Blackberry, Spinach, Yogurt Smoothies (sounds gross, tastes awesome).
• French Toast Casserole
• Mexican Goodness (I used less meat and added black beans, onions, green pepper, and my own taco seasoing.)
• Chessy Casserole
• Egg Bake
• Mac, Cheese, and Hotdogs  (Mom, if you are reading this, it was NOT my idea to eat this meal)
• Chicken and Stir-fry Veggies (we may or may not get free chicken and free stir-fry veggies bi-weekly...so we eat it a lot)
• Chocolate-Chip Pancakes (what is better than getting back from a FREEZING run Sunday morning and being greeted with some hot pancakes?  Further proves that I have the best.husband.ever)
•  Homemade Pizza (which I still say "pee-ja" in my brain)
• Two-tone Fudge Brownies (only make these if 5 men are coming to your house for a game night, and make them about 5 minutes before people start arriving - otherwise the pan maybe empty.)
• Leftovers  (I seem to be really good at making enough food to feed 4 or 5 people, not just 2, so we eat a lot of leftovers...I am trying to get better about scaling back recipes.)
• Coffee, creamer, and stevia (It seems "that time" of the semester has hit.  Pray for the amazing hubs.)

And now for more pictures that I have taken recently, but not shared:

These are my running shoes that are DEAD but comfy so I am still wearing them at 550 miles.  And my new running capris...that we are calling a {very} "early" birthday present.  And it snowed {again}.  And I slipped on the snow/ice about 3 seconds after taking this...nice, Alissa, nice.

This is what you get to see after running the long, not-so-steep hill...gorgeous!  {I am secretly trying to convince everyone I know to move to CO, it.is.nearly.heaven}

It seems I only take picture when I run.  Weird. 

What are you eating and/or enjoying about your week?