Friday, September 30, 2011

Catching Up!

TGIF!!!! This has been one of those weeks from hell and I could not be happier to have Friday finally be here. Yesterday was a crazy day and I didn't get a chance to do the photo challenge, so today I am going to do days 8 and 9!

Day 8: Technology
This one excites me since I am a bit of a techy geek. I am totally weird like that! LOL! The stuff that I love! First off I have my priced possession (well, 1 of them), my MacBook! I am a Mac girl and will not tolerate any PC! (Ok, so I know that my phone is NOT an Apple product, but on my defense, I got my phone BEFORE Verizon got the iPhone, so I didn't have a choice there.....and I was NOT going to switch to AT&T!!!!!) The hubs has an HP laptop and, at the ripe old age of 6 months, it is already having problems! Even with anti-virus programs and the whole 9 yards of protection. I love my MacBook!!!! :D

Then you see my iPod Touch, 3rd generation. Of course it has a PINK casing on it!!! ;) My iPod is a bit beat up since it stays in my car as my musical entertainment. Gotta love the USB hook-up on the cd player.

Lastly is my phone.....the P.O.S. Droid 2. I can get an upgrade at the end of October, and depending on how the reviews come back for the iPhone 5 (that is if it ends up coming out October 4th.....see, keepin' up on my geek news!), I just may be getting that upgrade. I despise my Droid and want to chuck it against the wall on a daily basis.

Well that is my geeky technology stuff in a bundle!!!!! :D Hehhehe! Sorry, geek laugh there!



Day 9: Faceless Self Portrait
Here I am in my sweaty glory! I had just gotten off the treadmill after a hard run! I love how sweaty I get while working out. Some girls hate being sweaty, I love it cuz it means that you got a good workout. I am even sporting my super awesome "Senior Girls" shirt I got during my senior year of high school. Which school did I attend??? Hmmmm......IDK, maybe my shirt will let you know! LOL! I remember this shirt didn't fit me for many years, and now it fits me a little loose! :D Yay for losing weight!!!


A couple of days ago I asked which recipe you all wanted me to make. Only 2 people answered, and so there you have it.....my new baking adventure will be Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread!!! I can't wait to bake it up tomorrow! Have to make 2 since one will be going to a friend and co-worker, Jenika, for her birthday on Thursday!!!!

Have a great night everyone!
Amy<3

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

On to Day 7! One week in.....3 more to go!

Today is a new day! It is also Wednesday, which means I only need to make it through today and tomorrow before sailing off into the weekend! :D I love Fridays and look forward to them almost as much as I do Saturdays (except the one Saturday a month that I have to work). I am hoping for a good day today for not only myself, but for everyone! :) 

Day 7 of the photo challenge is "something new"......hmmmmm.....I don't really have anything new and exciting to share. I had to really think about this and came up with only one thing. Its new(er), but not as exciting as I was hoping this one could be (like say a new car, or a new LV purse ;)....I can only wish! LOL!) So here you have it.......

Day 7: Something New

This candle is super yummy smelling. Pumpkin Caramel Latte! Mmmmmm!!!!! Reminds me of a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks! <3 LOVE <3 I just adore these candles from Bath and Body Works. It's so awesome how they can make a whole room smell delicious just by removing the cap; don't even need to light them. I always go crazy in the fall months with these candles and keep buying more! I have 16 of them right now!!! Hahahaha!

Well, it's off to work I must go. I am excited for the weekend to do some baking. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what I want to bake. I know something pumpkiny since it is officially pumpkin baking time and I have yet to make something with my [fairly] large supply of pumpkin I have hoarded.....and my 60+ eggs in my fridge, along with 4 pounds of butter! =-0 So please, help me decide what I should make!!!!

Here are some ideas, please leave a comment letting me know which one I should make this weekend! Thanks!!!

-Iced Pumpkin Cookies (I would get to use my new Silpat baking sheet!)

-Pumpkin Blondies (I have never made blondies before, so this would be a whole new experience! And actually, I have never even had a blondie before!!!)

-Low-Fat Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies (Get to use the Silpat and they are low-fat! Double plus!)

-Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread (because cream cheese is in the recipe!!! ;) )

-Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Pepita Streusel Topping (This just screams deliciousness......streusel.....yuuuuummmmmm)


Ok, so comment away please!!!!!

Thanks all and have a wonderful day!!!!!!
<3 Amy

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Day 6 of the Photo Challenge

Today was such an awful day. I could not wait to get home and go for a run to relieve some stress. Thankfully I work with the bestie and had her to lean on when times got really tough. Once the clock hit 6:30, I was out of there as fast I could possibly be. After venting with Casey for about 10 minutes out in the parking lot (she had some venting to do as well), I got home and had dinner with Davey! <3 I then went for a run and am now here, looking up day 6 of the photo challenge. Today's topic is a childhood memory. My fondest childhood memory is not having to deal with the crap that comes with a full time job! ;) Ok, that might just be my anger right now! LOL!!! I just hope you all had a better day than I did! :)

Day 6: Childhood Memory
This picture was obviously taken around Christmas time. The reindeer that are on the mantle were made by some lady and each had our name on it. Every year my mom would put them up above the fireplace and hang our stockings. My dad used to always light a fire in the fireplace and we would sit and watch tv in front of the fire. :)

I love Christmas time. It's such a great holiday and I love that the family comes together to celebrate with each other. 

Well, according to the countdown app on my [not so] handy-dandy Droid, there are only 89 days left until Christmas!!! Wooo hoooo!!!!

Good night everyone and hopefully tomorrow brings more smiles and laughter!!!!
<3 Amy

Photo Challenge Day 5!

5th day! I have made it 1/6th of the way through this already! Yay! Today's challenge is someone you love. Someone I love......how can I pick just ONE person that I love? There are so many people in my life that I love, that have been there for me and loved me. I don't think that it would be fair to pick just one person. I thought long and hard about this one and decided, instead of picking one person, I am going to give you all the people in my life that mean the most to me.


The first person that came to mind and is a total given is my husband, Dave.
We have been together over 11 years and just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We have done so much growing up together and I can't even imagine life without him. We have a great relationship and I am so thankful to be married to him and spend every day with him! <3

The second person that I love is my mom. 


We had so many good times together and had become best of friends. I believe that every girl (by a certain time in her life) should be best friends with their mom. Moms will never steer you wrong and know you like no one else does. Unfortunately, she passed away in January of 2010. I miss her every day, but know that she is in a better place and looks down on me, hopefully proud of me! <3

The next person, or people that come to mind when I think of someone I love are my grandparents. 
These are my dad's parents. I am very close to them and love them so dearly. They would do anything for me and I am so appreciative of that. I just hope they know how much I do love and care about them. They are the sweetest little couple!!! <3

The next people on my list are my family in Michigan. There are 5 of them and I figure that I can add them all in one spot. 
 Me with my cousin, Katelyn

 Me, my Aunt Debbie, Uncle Billy, Nick (not part of the family, hence the frowny face), Sara, and Brianna

 My cousin Sara and me

Brianna and me

The hubs, my Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Billy

These people are the most fun people you will ever meet! There is never a dull moment in the Scott household. No one knows the meaning of "indoor voice" and with only one bathroom, you are forced to follow by an "open door policy"! There is no privacy with them, but I love it that way. You can share anything with them and never be judged. You can't stop laughing when they are around, yet you can feel the love radiating out of all of them when we are together. After my mom passed away, my aunt (which is my mom's sister) stepped up and took me under her wing as her 4th daughter. She really is like a mom to me and I consider my cousins as my sisters. I hate the fact that we live thousands of miles apart, but I guess it just makes our visits that much more meaningful!!! <3

Next up is my Uncle Bruce. 
He is so caring, and just like my grandparents (his parents), would do anything for anyone in need. I only get to see him on holidays since he lives in Arizona, but we keep in contact often and I always look forward to getting an email from him! :) <3

Another person that I love is my dad! 
My dad with his grandpug, Scrappy! :D

My dad and me!

We have had our ups and downs, and we disagree on some things, but he still has been there for me and I am glad to have him in my life! :D <3

Alright, here comes another one.....see, I told you I can't just pick one person......
My second cousin, Mary Ann!

Mary Ann and I have only met like once, I believe, but I was too young to remember. We reconnected over Facebook and I am so glad that we did! We chat on an almost daily basis and I look at her like she is my older sister. In fact, we call each other sis. I hope to one day make a trip out to visit her in Arkansas. I know we would have a blast together and Arkansas would never be the same after that trip! ;) She also has the cutest son, Griffin. I am not too fond of kids, but I really like this one! LOL!!!! <3

Last, but certaintly NOT least, are my friends!!! Each of my friends holds a special place in my heart and I hope they all know how much I do love them and appreciate them being in my life! <3

My friend Kelly, whom shared her bed with me when I had no where else to live (for a brief period of time.....until I moved in with Dave). We go way back. She was always my go to friend that was up to go do anything! I miss her since she now lives in Vegas, but I am so excited every time I get to see her! :) <3

Karyssa (aka Gyl)!!!! OMG! This is that one friend that no matter what happens, will always have your back and be there in an instant. She would give you the shirt off her back or stay up for hours with you if you just needed someone to be there. She does not have a single judgmental bone in her body and always has such a positive outlook on things. She keeps me sane when all I want to do is break. We can make the best out of all situations and my face always hurts after being with her from laughing so much!!!! She is just such an amazing person, beautiful inside and out!!!! <3

Deliesse (aka Leesey)!!! Man, we have had some good times. Like Karyssa, Deliesse does not judge and is always so happy and positive. She has such a strong drive to succeed and I love that about her. We love to hang out, shop, and get our drink on with some margaritas or mimosas (if we are having brunch)!!! There is never a bad moment with Deliesse and I look forward to seeing her when she comes home to visit. <3

The group! Ryan, Biffy, the hubs, Casey (aka the bestie), Shmanny, and myself. Well, Shmanny (aka Anna) isn't really part of our "group" but she is definitely someone I love. This picture was taken at my most recent birthday bash. These people are all so fun to be with and I would do anything for any of them, just as much as they would do anything for me. Ryan and Dave have been best friends since they were kids and I am glad that I gained such an awesome friend when I met Dave. Biffy, well, he is just Biffy......just a kid, but hey, if you need a DD or whatever, he will be that dude (as long as he doesn't need a DD himself....LOL). Casey, well, you all should know about her by now. The bestie.....always up to bake with me, get food, or some frozen yogurt!!! Yummmm! Shmanny, well, she is just an awesome person and so fun. <3

Well there you have it! All the people I love! And yes, all my friends have nicknames, so be ready for that! It will get confusing! ;) 

Have a wonderful day!!!
<3
Amy





Sunday, September 25, 2011

Day 4 of the Photo Challenge

Day 4.....can't believe I have made it this long. This photo challenge thing is actually pretty fun.

No baking for me today, just lounging around and being lazy, even though baking something DID cross my mind at one point during the day.....but I will save that for next weekend.

Day 4: Favorite Color


If you know me AT ALL, you will know that my favorite color is pink, specifically HOT PINK!!! I will stop at anything that I see if it is pink, no matter what it is. I even used to have pink hair.....yes, no lie!
Chubby and with pink hair! LOL! And who is that chick next to me??? The bestie, whom else??? 
Can't believe that this picture was taken over 2 years ago!!!!! How time flies!

Back to the pink......my cell phone cover is pink, most of my clothes are pink (as you can see from the first picture), my headphones are pink, my iPod cover is pink....I even had to get my pepper spray in pink! Uh huh.....gotta accessorize with the safety equipment. I even almost bought a pink gun,

 but California said that it wasn't legal here.....damn you California and your weird laws!!!! I would totally have a pink car if Davey would allow me to. He once had to shield my eyes from a hot pink sparkly Mustang that we saw on the freeway because he knew I would want one! LOL!!! 

When it came down to time to buy me a bike for my triathlon I wanted a nice bike. We are talking full suspension and even possibly the new 29'er (29" rims instead of 26"). I sat there and looked and looked and looked. I then saw one that was pink and black and it was all over from there. I didn't care that it wasn't full suspension nor that it had 26" rims.....all I cared about was that it was pink and black! I love my bike and am so glad I chose that one!!!

But yes, hot pink is my favorite color, so you know you can't go wrong with anything in pink for me!!!!! :D


Here are some more of my hot pink obsessions:
 My riding gear!!!


 The tri-suit I really want!!!!


Our cupcakes from our wedding! Of course my colors were pink and black (along with white and silver)


Monday is just a few hours away... :( Time for another week. I hope this coming week goes faster than this past week did. Enjoy it and until tomorrow....for Day 5!!!! :D

<3 Amy

Day2, Day 3, Fun Times, Cake Balls, and Mini Funfetti Cheesecakes!!!

Wow, that sure was a lot........so much to blog about tonight, but it will all be worth your time! :)

First thing's first.......I skipped out on the short blog last night to do Day 2 of the Photo Challenge (see, told you I am not good at these things), and decided to add it to tonight's blog.

DAY 2: What I Wore
This is the dress that I wore for mine and Davey's romantic night out during our last night in Vegas. I bought this dress and the sparkly heels (yes, they have sparkles on them, you just can't tell from the picture) specifically for this trip and this night. I could NOT wait to wear them out on the town!!!

Now, on to day 3.......

Day 3: Clouds
Here are some clouds that were in the sky today. It was funny because today started off very overcast and it wasn't until about noon that the sun actually started to make an appearance. Casey was over and I told her about the photo challenge and we decided to go out and get a picture of the clouds. Here comes the funny part.....we went out and there were NO clouds in the sky, besides these ones!!! That is SoCal for ya! Even if these aren't much of clouds, I think the picture is actually really pretty! Love how the sun's glare is a magenta color!!! <3


All riiiiiiiiiiight.....now on to the good stuff! The bestie, a.k.a. Casey, came over this morning to go for a walk to a winery that is just under 3 miles from my house. We were both feeling a little lazy, and I was soooooo excited to start baking, that we decided to hold off on our walk and just start baking. The first thing we started with was the cake balls. I used a red velvet cake for these delicious balls. I baked the cake last night, let it cool, and crumbled it all before bed last night so that it was ready to go for today. I had never made a red velvet cake before and found a recipe from Cake Man Raven from another blogger girl, Lindsey, who runs Gingerbread Bagels. I get so many awesome ideas from her, so she deserves so much credit (which I will definitely give her when I do make one of her recipes). Back to the cake......it was so moist and delicious, I had to stop myself from eating it so that I could make the cake balls.

Red Velvet Cake
Thanks to Cake Man Raven!!!

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used Baker's Sugar........like I do for most my recipes)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt (I used just regular old table salt and it all seemed to work out fine)
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 oz red food coloring (I used a whole tube of the gel food coloring......the batter was coming out orange so I kept adding more until I ended up using the whole tube......oh well, it was the perfect red!!! :D )
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
  • Sift together all dry ingredients
  • Put wet ingredients into a stand mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are incorporated
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to the bowl until all the ingredients are combined
  • Pour into cake pan and bake for 20-30 minutes (mine took 30 minutes)
  • Remove from oven and let cool
Red Velvet cake batter! See the perfect red color!!!! The color of looooooooooveeeee!!!! <3



After deciding that we WEREN'T going to walk first thing, I started right in on making the frosting. I split the cake crumbles into 2 separate containers and made two different batches of frosting. I started with a cream cheese frosting (since that is normal for a red velvet cake). The second frosting I made was a peanut butter frosting! I am going to give you the "whole" recipe for each frosting, but I split each in half since I didn't need all that frosting for the cake balls (I only used half a cake for each frosting, after all).

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Thanks to Lindsey at Gingerbread Bagels

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
  • Sift the powdered sugar and then set aside
  • Combine the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until both ingredients are combined
  • Add in the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar until it is all combined
  • With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl and then give the frosting one last mixing

Butter and Cream Cheese!!!

Finished Frosting



Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
  • Cream the peanut butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl
  • Beat in sugar gradually
  • When completely incorporated, add in the vanilla and keep mixing until all ingredients are combined
*Note, frosting will be "non-sticky" and kind of oily. This is normal and just try a bite! Yummmm! ;)


CAKE BALL DIRECTIONS:
-Once the cake has completely cooled, crumble up into a mixing bowl (I used two bowls since I was making two different flavors)
This is what a whole tube of red food coloring gel will do to your cake!!!! :D

-Make your frosting, then add it to the cake crumbles
-Mix together with a wooden spoon or your hands (I used my hands cuz I like to get dirty that way! ;) Plus, it gives you an excuse to lick the cake/frosting mixture of your fingers!!!! Followed by washing your hands, of course)
Mixin' like a meatloaf.....hey, that could be a new song! ;)

-After the frosting is completely mixed into the cake, do a small taste test to make sure it tastes all right! 
     *Ok, that is NOT an official direction, but you know you want to, so go ahead and follow the directions.....
-Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper (I actually used my brand spanking new Silpat baking mat to store the cake balls on.....but only because I just bought it and wanted to use it. I also ended up using parchment paper for the second batch and that works just fine.) 
Modeling the new Silpat! I was dressed and ready to go for our walk that we didn't do right away, so pay no attention to the nerdy running shoes! ;)

-Roll cake mixture into 1" balls and place on sheet
Yay for the Silpat!

-Put cake balls into the refrigerator and let cool for a very long time. If you have room in your freezer (like I never do) you can store them in there to cool faster
-Now, go for a walk or a run, or go ride your bike, go for a swim (if the weather permits), or grab a glass of wine or margarita and relax (of course I opt for the physical activities since I need to burn off all those tasting calories). This is a direct order because you are going to become waaaaaaaay too impatient just sitting there waiting for those cake balls to become very cold!!!
-Once the cake balls are cold enough that they don't fall apart when you grab them, heat up some semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl on medium (50%) heat for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. 
     *The chocolate will be very hot, so please be careful
-Insert a toothpick into a cake ball and roll around in the chocolate until it is completely covered.
     ***I opted to use my fingers for this and it resulted in a huge mess and the cake balls have missing spots from my fingers holding onto them
-Place each cake ball back on the parchment paper and place in the refrigerator until the chocolate is solid hard
-You can then decorate them any way you like. I left mine with just the chocolate, but have thought about white chocolate drizzle on them. Get crazy cuz you just made some delicious cake balls! Go to town!!!!!
Not very pretty but oh so yummy!


After making the cake balls, I jumped right in to making my next treat!!! A very wonderful patient at my work (I work as a Registered Dental Assistant [RDA]) always brings us treats and stops in just to say hi to us. Him and his wife are the sweetest people I think I have ever met (right up there next to my Grammy). They even offered to buy me lunch on my birthday! :) So sweet. The couple has been through a lot this past year. Their dog had gotten out and went missing for 9 days. They searched and searched for her but couldn't find her. Just when they thought they had lost her forever, they received a phone call from a vet saying that they had their dog and she was in critical condition. She had been attacked by some other animal and, well, the details are too saddening and this is supposed to be a happy blog, so for the happy part.....the vet got her all fixed up and she is back at home and a happy doggy once again! :D Love happy endings when it comes to animals! <3 The wife is also dealing with another hard circumstance. Her twin sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer! Man, what a hard year these two have had. The husband's birthday is Wednesday (September 28th.....which also happens to be Grammy's birthday!!!! <3) and he is coming in for an appointment on Monday, so we decided to do something special for him. 

I have been wanting to make these fun little mini cheesecakes ever since seeing them on Gingerbread Bagels' blog. They are mini funfetti cake batter cheesecakes, made with actual Funfetti cake batter!!! They are colorful and festive and seemed PERFECT for a birthday treat! So without further ado, here they are!!!

Mini Funfetti Cake Batter Cheesecakes:
Adapted from Gingerbread Bagels <3

INGREDIENTS:


1 package Golden Oreos ( I decided to add my own little flare to these and used the golden Oreos with chocolate cream!!!! Oh yeah, yummy!)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar (once again I used Baker's Sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, slightly beaten, and at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup Funfetti cake mix
1 TBSP rainbow sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 275 degrees
-In a stand mixer bowl, cream the cream cheese on medium speed for 3 minutes
-Add the sugar and mix for 2 more minutes
-Add in the vanilla and mix
-Slowly add in the beaten eggs on medium-low speed and mix until combined
-Add in the sour cream and mix on medium-low speed, but be careful to not over mix the cheesecake batter
-Measure out the Funfetti cake mix and sift into a separate bowl. Of course the pretty little sprinkles won't sift through, but add those right in! 

-Pour cake mixture into cheesecake mixture and then add in the 1 TBSP of EXTRA sprinkles! Yay for colorful sprinkles!!!!
-Fold everything together 
Mmmmmmm!!!!
-Line cupcake pan with your favorite cupcake cup things! (I used ones with balloons on them since these are for a special birthday!!!!)
-Place 1 Oreo into each cupcake liner

-Spoon cheesecake batter over the Oreo and fill until it is about 3/4 of the way full
-Place in oven and bake at 275 for 30 minutes
     *Once done, the tops will be slightly sticky.....you have to remember, these are cheesecakes, not normal cupcakes
-Place in refrigerator and let chill for 4 hours
So pretty! :) And yummy!





Once we were done with the baking, Casey and I decided we should go for our walk now! We had planned to walk to that winery and so off we went. Casey isn't a runner like I am, so we just kept at a decent walking pace. We both got a little lazy and only made it about 2 miles in and decided to turn around and come back home. 4 miles round trip isn't a bad walk!!! :) We got back to my house and looked up that winery.....good thing we came back home since they were closed!!!! Hahahaha! We would have gotten there around 5pm and they closed at 4:30. We could have taken pictures while there, but oh well!!!! 

After our walk we were hungry for some real food and decided to head out to dinner. Do you know how hard it is for two girls to decide where they want to go for dinner???? Ohhhhh Emmmmm Geeeee......we had such a hard time that we finally wrote down a bunch of places, placed them in a bowl, and picked one out. Red Robin was picked (that is so weird cuz we always settle on Red Robin and for it to picked out......I guess it was meant to be!?!?!) and Casey headed home to freshen up. I have been craving meatballs and penne since we were in Vegas and I had a not-so-yummy dinner at an Italian restaurant there (the food was great, just not my meal.....Davey's food was delicioso!!!!). I really wasn't feeling Red Robin.......SHOCKER!!!!!!!!!!! I can ALWAYS go for Red Robin, but dammit, I wanted pasta tonight! LOL! When the bestie showed up to pick me up I told her I wanted Italian, so we ended up at this little restaurant down the street from our houses. I got my penne and meatballs and Casers got linguine! Yummmmm!! It totally hit the spot!



Us at dinner!!! Always gotta take pictures, especially since the bestie is going to be leaving me in November to move back to Colorado!!!! :( Sadness, but you can't stop love...........uhhhhhhhhhhhh......Ok, enough sulking. After dinner she dropped me off and I threw my running clothes back on and went for a 30 minute run while watching Modern Family! I love that show!!!! So hilarious!

Well, it's off to bed I go now! Hope you all had a great Saturday like I did! Enjoy the week ahead of you and let me know if you try any of these recipes. Good night everyone!!!

<3 much,
Amy!


****Sorry about ALL the pictures! I am loving my new camera and can't help myself! :) Thanks Davey for it!!!!! <3