Beer Cupcakes

I think I found the next cupcake recipe I am going to try. 

 

Blue Moon Cupcakes

 

For the beer cupcakes: 

3/4 C        unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-3/4 C     sugar

2-1/2 C     flour

2 tsp        baking powder

1/2 tsp     salt

3 eggs      room temperature

1 tsp        vanilla

1/2 tsp     orange zest

1 C          Blue Moon, plus more for brushing on tops

1/4 C       milk

Orange wedges and sanding sugar for garnish

 

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

- In another bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

- Add eggs, beating after each addition then add the vanilla and zest.

- Combine milk and beer and alternatively add this mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed, starting and ending with the flour.  

- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

- When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks and brush some beer on each while still warm.  

 

For the citrus cream cheese frosting:

12 oz        cream cheese, cold

6 Tbsp      butter, at room temperature

1 Tbsp      freshly squeezed orange/lime juice

1 tsp        orange/lime zest

4 C           powdered sugar (or to taste)

 

- Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.  

- Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined.  Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.

- Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled. Or just use a ziplock bag and pipe onto cupcakes if you don’t have the fancy stuff.  

 

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes. 

Potato, Tomato and Oregano Bake

Potato, Tomato and Oregano Bake

2-3 lb baby light-skinned potatoes
1 package cherry tomatoes
1 package faux chicken, seitan, tofu or tempeh (or chick peas like I use)
1 bunch oregano
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.

If your potatoes are on the big side, cut them in half or thirds to make them uniform. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until they’re soft when you stick a fork in them. After they’re just soft, drain the water.

With a small knife, poke a little hole or make a small slice in the skin of each of the tomatoes. Boil the tomatoes for 1 minute. Immediately drain them and rinse with very cold water. Because you poked a little hole in the tomatoes, you can now easily peel the skins off. Start peeling!

Set aside 3 sprigs of oregano and chop the rest. Make sure to chop it super fine. In a small bowl, add the oregano, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Wisk this together until the oil and vinegar have cominbed. If you have a blender, food processor,etc. you can skip chopping the oregano and just blend all of this stuff together. I usually just chop and wisk.

Add the potatoes, peeled tomatoes and chick peas (or seitan, tofu, etc.) and pour the oregano mixture on top. Gently stir the stuff in the pan until everything is coated (I like to toss it around with my clean hands). Put the last 3 oregano sprigs on top and push them into the potatoes a little bit. They’re not just for decoration, you want the sprigs to add some extra oregano flavor. Remove them before eating, or decorate plates with them.

Put the pan in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Let everything cool for 5-10 minutes and then dig in! This usually serves four.

Day 7

Continuing yesterday’s post…

I was out and about in the wee hours of the morning with my friend Nikki and two guys that we met at the Cruise Room. I was too distracted to snap any pictures. We tried to hit up the strip club but at 3 in the morning (I hate you time change) that didn’t work out too well so we decided to go to the Denver Diner. We waited for what seemed like forever and then enjoyed some greasy food. By the time we left it was a little after 5 AM. By the time Nikki and I were walking to our cars there were people setting up tents for a race, construction guys working on the roads, but no one else walking around. It was eerie and like taking the walk of shame, but without doing anything to be ashamed of. It was about 5:45 when I headed home but I snapped this picture on my way. I love Denver.

This is my city.

I got home a little after six, crawled into bed and tried to sleep. I woke up at about 9:30 but didn’t get out of bed until…

I got up and got ready to meet Nikki for lunch. After lunch I took a little trip to another Barnes & Noble

While I was there I bought some books for my grandma and I adopted a zombie!

When I got home my roommates were fixing up dinner and I got to enjoy it. Mmm… a mini thanksgiving dinner.

After dinner it was time for the Walking Dead. OMG. I knew what was coming and I still flipped out.

And thus ends my week in pictures. If you’ve joined me on this journey, I appreciate you. If you are here by accident, I suppose I’ll thank you for making it to the end of this post and welcome you into my life.

Take care. Be love. xoxo

Day 6

I stayed in bed as long as possible but I only slept a few hours. I read and I wrote and then I updated the blog. I didn’t take pictures of any of that though because it is nothing I haven’t already shown.

After I got ready for the day I made a trip to the good ol’ Hobby Lobby.

I had to get some materials for a necklace I’m making for one of my new friends. We found out that we share the same favorite flower so I’m making a necklace for her. I’m kind of excited about it.

Then I ran over to Barnes & Noble to look for some books for my grandma. I didn’t find what I was looking for. I forgot to take a picture while I was there. I did grab a pretty picture of the sunset on my way home though.

I stopped back home for a few minutes to change my clothes and then I headed out for Maria’s birthday. We met up at the Rio for dinner and then headed to a fancy old time-y cocktail bar in LoDo called Green Russell. It was spectacular. I also hear that they have great pie there.

The drink that I got was called the Stone & Spice, and it was one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. I’m so glad that I decided to be adventurous and try something new.

Then we went to the Cruise Room, another spectacular bar. We made lots of friends, like these lovely Greek gentlemen who posed for a picture with Lisa.

We also met up with a guy that Maria had met out for her birthday last year. It was very random that he was there at all. We ended up hanging out with him and his friend for the rest of the night and into the morning. I’ll go over the rest in the next post since it technically takes place on day 7.

See you on the flip side! xoxo

Day 5

So, Thursday night was Ryan’s show, as I said in the last post. Well, I got home at 3 AM and basically emptied out my pockets and crawled into bed. I woke up on one of my pillows.

I went to work and had my usual morning drink before I eat breakfast. I chug one of these babies each morning. This is a new habit I obtained during my first few weeks on the South Beach Diet and now I feel off if I don’t have one in the morning.

Since I was out so late/early I spent most of my morning answering emails and drinking coffee. When it was time for lunch I went out so I could get some fresh air and try to wake up. It was nice being able to drive around with the window down. Loving the beautiful weather lately.

I was driving around trying to decide on lunch when I felt Which Wich calling my name. Yum. The Mediterranean is so yummy!

Feeling refreshed after lunch I powered through the rest of the afternoon, ran to the gym for a quick workout and then headed for another concert. The night featured Pull the Alarm/State and Madison/The Heyday/My Body Sings Electric.

{Pull the Alarm}

{State and Madison}

{The Heyday}

{My Body Sings Electric}

After the show my friend and I went to Scruffy Murphy’s for a beer.
My view from our table.

After our drinks we parted ways. I was exhausted and we both knew we would be out late on Saturday for her birthday. I got home, went to sleep, and I was dead to the world.

Only two more days to go. See you in the next post for more fun!

Day 4 — a post with more words than pictures

If anyone cares, I apologize for not having this done on the correct days. Life got in the way and I didn’t have a chance to update until today. So…here is Day 4, Thursday.

On my way to work I decided that it was a good morning for Starbucks so I made a stop at the drive-thru.

I had a rough night on Wednesday due to some bad food for dinner so I was feeling uneasy about eating much so I made a run to Safeway to get some soup and crackers.

Tomato Bisque always hits the spot. I was feeling well enough to head to the gym after work.

I didn’t do more than my 12 minute BodyRock workout and a little stretching because I had places to be and needed to go home and get ready.

Now I’m going to tell a little story. In 2007 I was going to see a couple shows on the Flyleaf/Kill Hannah/Sick Puppies/Resident Hero tour with my friend Robin. Neither one of us had heard of the opening band, Resident Hero, at that time. We were in MD and RH came on stage my first thought was, well, this is a good looking group of guys. Physical attraction, check! But once the music started I was floored and I was an instant fan. I have very few “favorite” bands and I can be picky about the music I love. Within the time they played their set I was changed. I’ve never been moved by music in the way I was moved by RH. Each member of the band played with such passion. I was captivated. Every word that was sung pierced my heart. I was overwhelmed with feeling and I knew that Robin was too. We bought their CDs and as we drove to NY we listened to their songs over and over. I wanted to memorize every word and I think I came fairly close. That’s not really important to the story but I was kind of proud of myself for that.

Anyway, we were in NYC and my feelings about RH were very intense. I honestly didn’t care about any of the other bands (actually, that’s a lie, I cared about KH) and felt like I was going to a RH show. I sang along with every word I knew and I may have cried at one point. I was moved by their songs and as cliche’ as it sounds, felt like every song was being sung just for me. After the trip we returned to our lives and sometimes after I see a band in concert I stay away from their albums for a little while because I had just seen them live. It is weird, but it is something I do. I couldn’t do that with RH though. I think I had their songs on constant repeat in my ipod and when I drove from VA back to CO I listened to them more than anything else. I honestly couldn’t get enough of RH. I told everyone I knew about them and turned a few other friends into fans. One in particular because she lives in CA and knowing that they were from LA I figured she could attend their shows. I basically wanted to live vicariously through her. I even got a tattoo inspired by the heart that the band uses. RH became part of my heart. I wanted to represent that on my body.

Thanks to social media I became a “fan” of the band or “liked” them, or whatever it was at the time on FaceBook. I also sent out friend requests to each of the band members just because. I never thought that they would add me back because, well, they’re in a band and didn’t know me from Eve so why should they. But they did. All of them. It probably seems silly but I was honestly excited that they were my internet friends. I would message with them and they would “like” things I did or said, and comment on my posts. I would talk about them and refer to them as my friends. I do have a voicemail of Ryan singing me happy birthday, so I was okay with calling him my friend.

So, a few years passed and the next time I saw RH was August 2009 when they came to Denver. I drove 7 hours and stayed with friends just so I could be there for the show. All of the guys welcomed me with open arms and I really felt like they were happy to see me. I was mesmerized during their set. It was fantastic to hear new songs. It was fantastic to get to hang out with the guys. I was on cloud 9. Their new album was fantastic and I was trying to spread the word about them to everyone I knew in the other cities that they were going to visit. My love for them was ignited once again and then I got hit with the news in early 2011 that the band was breaking up. My heart broke. I was’n't that surprised based on the things I could see through FB but it still broke my heart. Jay had moved to TX and Luke was kind of everywhere for his job so the fact that they broke up made a bit of sense. You can’t be a productive band if you’re on different continents. I continued to follow their lives and the bands that they ventured into. Jay started playing with the Bart Crow Band and Ryan started a new group, Birds of New York (which I also loved).  It seemed like the past year was a difficult one for Ryan and when he announced that he was doing an acoustic tour I poked at him over and over about coming to Denver. When he made the announcement that he was coming to Denver I did a happy dance.

A few days passed and that brings us to today. I drove 15 minutes to the bar, got a drink and settled in. Ryan hugged me and we chatted for a few minutes before he got set up to play. I met Ryan’s friends and we all hung out while Ryan did some sound check. 

At one point Ryan asked what song I wanted to hear. Without skipping a beat I responded, “Almost Home” which is a song that means a lot to the me for various reasons. He agreed and when he performed it I took video. I sang along with every word and one of Ryan’s friends captured this photo of me.

{Photo credit: http://backtomadison.tumblr.com/}

I took lots of pictures and some video (these will be on my facebook soon if you are my friend and care to see) and felt happier than I had felt in a while. It makes me happy to see people doing what they love to do, and do it well. And Ryan does it well. He loves music, he is passionate about what he’s doing, and that passion infects those that watch him.

After the set was over we all got to hang out and I stayed out later than I have in I don’t know how long.

We prepared to go our separate ways and there were hugs all around and I realized that Ryan was my friend. Not just a guy from a band, not just someone I know from facebook, but a real friend. And I feel like I might have a few other new friends too.

That’s all for day 4. See you next time!

Day 3

It is day three and I’m realizing what a truly boring person I am. Anyway, here is day 3 in my boring life.

 

Nails! I needed to paint my nails (it is what keeps me from biting them) so I grabbed one of my favorite colors and got to work.

After taking my time getting ready I took a look at the weather on my phone and saw that we were getting some lovely freezing rain. I grabbed my coat and started my car to warm it up. This was the view from inside the car.

As I was heading to work the sky looked gloomy. I desperately wanted the 70 degree weather from yesterday back.

At work I enjoyed my breakfast:

Breakfast was quickly followed by my first coffee of the day and some goldfish (I’m addicted to those damn crackers).

Work was crazy for a few hours but things got better when I was offered a free lunch from Panera. They had ordered one too many lunches for a meeting so they gave me the extra. Not more than ten minutes beforehand I was thinking about how much I wanted a salad for lunch.

Here’s a random picture of the stairs I climb every day. There are three floors below me. I walk up and down these stairs at least three times a day… except in the following two circumstances: 1) I’m wearing heels. Not fun to climb all those stairs in heels. 2) I’ve just finished a 1hr+ workout. I’m often so exhausted that I can barely stand which makes walking up stairs nearly impossible. I have almost fallen down these stairs about 5 times after going to the gym.

Speaking of the gym…that’s my next stop. Today’s interval circuit training station!

I was turning off the tv before leaving and had to stop for a minute to watch this trailer. It looks like such a good movie.

I got home, ate dinner, and did a little bit of writing. I was about to start uploading the photos from today and I noticed that one of the cats was full of yawns and I managed to catch him mid yawn. Not bad for my last picture of the night. After this my phone only had enough power to send today’s pictures. I’m too lazy to go plug my phone in so this is all for the day.

 

Thanks for joining me for day 3 of my awesome life adventures. Goodnight and I’ll see you tomorrow!

XOXO

Day 2

I woke up inspired this morning so I got out my jewelry making materials and started making a few pieces.

The first creation of the day was a pair of purple robot earrings.

I cleaned up my jewelry stuff and got ready for work. It was a gorgeous morning as I was getting in my car so I had to snap a picture.

I made a quick stop at Panera on my way to work…

Work was a little busy so time passed pretty fast until lunch. I went and took a walk outside in the sunshine and I was going to sit in our little picnic area but the wind picked up and it wasn’t too nice out anymore.

So I went back inside and enjoyed leftover Butternut Squash Lasagna (you can see the recipe a few posts back).

The day went on and eventually it was time for the gym! Hooray!

I got home, ate some salad, and then I noticed that some cupcakes were sitting on the counter. Pistachio Mustachio ones (The best cupcakes I’ve ever had in my life).

These were made by my roommate for my other roommate’s birthday. Happy Birthday Ted!

And now I’m off to eat a cupcake and read in bed. I’ll be back tomorrow.

XOXO

A week in the life… Day 1

One of my friends gave me the idea to do a photo diary of a week in my life. I’m not the most exciting person but I figured, why not. Plus, I don’t use this blog enough so this will get me using it more often. So, join me on the not so exciting adventure of my life.

DAY 1:

I’m training my body to adjust to my new sleep cycle now that I have a new work schedule. I don’t have to be up at 5:15 AM anymore so I’ve recently been able to sleep until the sun comes up. I woke up when the sun came in enough for it to get too warm to stay under the covers.

I threw off the covers and grabbed one of the books I’m reading and read for about 45 minutes before starting to get ready for work.

Once I was ready for the day I made my lunch and headed off to work. This is what I get to look at all day. I have a lot of trinkets but these are all things that make me happy and they give me comfort in my daily life. I keep two calendars on my desk for a good laugh or at least a smile each day. The one on the left is a daily “would you rather…?” question and the right is a daily someecard. To the right we have a Whitman quote that inspires me daily. And then, of course I’ve got my music.

Next up is my lunch. I’ve got a salad, sweet potato crackers, and jell-o pudding. And of course I’ve got my nook so I can read one of my other books, (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane).

I made it through the work day and ventured to my second home…the gym. As you can see I’m about to start my interval training exercises with the Big Bang Theory playing on the tv in the background.

Once I was thoroughly exhausted I headed home to dinner and basketball.

and then it was time to do a little writing/editing.

Someday this story will be done. Now that I’ve told you all about my day I will do some more writing and editing and then head to bed.

Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow.
XOXO

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

I was walking around Sunflower market today and saw some frozen Butternut Squash on sale so I grabbed a couple bags. I love butternut squash and I wandered around trying to figure out what to make with it. Then it hit me. I saw a recipe on Pinterest the other day for Butternut squash lasagna. I didn’t have a way to look up the exact recipe at that time so I thought I would wing it and create my own thing. Below is what I came up with.

 

Ingredients:

lasagna noodles, cooked
15oz tub ricotta cheese
1 bag frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out water
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoons minced garlic (more if you want)
salt & pepper to taste
3 bags frozen butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups italian cheese mix

Directions:

Preheated to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, spinach, sage, and garlic. In a second large bowl, stir together butternut squash, olive oil, and 4 cups of italian cheese with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the spinach mixture on top of the noodles. Sprinkle half of the butternut & cheese mixture on top. Layer more noodles, then the remaining spinach and butternut squash mixtures. Top with the rest of the cheese (or noodles and cheese if you want).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.

 

This is extremely filling. I had one small-ish piece and I could barely finish it. I now have lots of leftovers… but that is good so I won’t be eating out this week.

 

SOUNDTRACK:

Gotye – Like Drawing Blood