What I am Thankful For

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Pumpkin Cider Cupcakes

 

Recently my aunt started to make a monthly newsletter for our family (which is around...60+ people) and she suggested that I contribute a tasty recipe. I could not have agreed more. So for October I decided to test out this new and improved pumpkin cupcake.

Just so you know pumpkin cupcakes are my favorite and this recipe is now my go to for them.

Pumpkin Cider Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup apple cider

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liner; set aside.

2.     In a large bowl, beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully mixed.

3.     In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Slowly incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture until smooth. Wisk in pumpkin puree and apple cider.

4.     Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 the way. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 25 minutes.

5.     Poke the cupcakes carefully with a fork. Pour Cider Sauce on top of warm cupcakes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Apple Cider Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs. salted butter
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar

Directions:

1.     In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a boil, add the vanilla and cinnamon, and cook until the cider reduces to about 1 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2.     Add the butter and sugar. Cook until the cider reduces to about 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

3.     Transfer the mixture to glass bowl. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until reduction is cooled completely. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1.     Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly beat in cinnamon and vanilla.

2.     Mix in confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time. Add more if you want to increase the thickness.

3.     Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

 Adapted from:

• Martha Stewart Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Food Network Sweet Potato Cider Cupcake

Adventures in Geekery: V.2 - My very first comic books!

I have read lots of comics (Sunday morning newspaper comics, webcomics, borrowed-from-my-boyfriend comics, graphic novels) but never have I went out and bought a geniune superhero comic book. That is until this past month! My first was Ultimate Comics: Spiderman (part of Marvel's Ultimate Universe). The following week I bought DC's new Batman (part of the new 52) and Ultimate Comics: X-Men. I really like them all and I am planning on keeping them all nice and pretty in their plastic sleeves. My cousin, Aaron, pointed out that they are no longer collectibles, but I told him that isn't the point. They may be worthless to others but they are special to me.

Let me tell you that now that I have bought comic books of my very own I feel officially cool. :)

Adventures in Geekery: V.1

So here is the deal. This past year (okay, probably more like past 3 years) I have grown more and more interested in all things geeky. I have always love things like Harry Potter (in seventh grade I was in a Harry Potter club) and Lord of the Rings, but I have discovered and a new and true love with science fiction, Marvel comic books, and Dungeons & Dragons. And that is just the beginning of it. Well I really wanted to share with you all that I have learned and become so interested in and so I decided that I could do a weekly feature on my adventures in geekery. Who knows, maybe you will all agree with me that these things are interesting and awesome.

So without further ado:

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If you had asked my step-dad what my interest in Star Trek was 2 years ago, he would have just laughed because thought of even measuring my interest in such a dorky thing was just silly. I used to make fun of him all the time. But things changed when I saw the trailer for this new movie. My interest shot way up. It looked awesome. And it was awesome. So awesome in fact that two years after it came up, every time Angelo asks what movie I want to watch I say "STAR TREK!" I just loved it.

So I thought that I would start watching the original Star Trek series and may I say that it is quite silly. I have only watched the first few episodes so far (just after I started the series I moved into an apartment with no internet) but they are all pretty interesting. I have noticed a lot of telekinetic and mind control centered episodes so far and my favorite by far is Charlie X. He makes the best faces.

That is all for now. If you have Netflix and some free time I strongly recommend watching either the movie or original series. It's fun!

Till later,
Amanda

I'm Back!!!

I realize that I have been horribly absent from my blog for quite sometime, but my life is falling back into a routine. This summer was pretty crazy between school and well life. But that is just life and this is a new blog and I am back.

I just moved into a new apartment last week and things have been crazy. So crazy, in fact, that I enjoyed going to work just because it was something that I was used to. I also never knew how much work it takes to move into a new apartment, I can only imagine what it is like to move into a house.

School is starting today and I am…well let’s just say I am ready. Mostly I have been excited about today because I am going to play Dungeons and Dragons tonight at the comic book shop downtown and I have been so looking forward to it!

So consider this post an official “I’m Back!” post, and check back regularly for more from me!

<3

Amanda

Book Review!!

 

·      Stardust: This was a wonderful love story and one that leaves you feeling great. It is a story about fate, coincidence, adventure, good and evil, and learning about love and growing up. I have never actually read a book by Neil Gaiman before but I know he has written some awesome episodes of Doctor Who. (My favorite TV show) and I did see the movie version of Stardust, which is a pretty cute movie. I would definitely suggest reading this book if you are feeling something upbeat and happy.

·      Brida: Paulho Coehlo is most definitely one of my favorite authors. His writing forces you to think really think about you life and your beliefs. This book was about a young woman, Brida, who is searching for meaning and for something to believe in all while looking for her soulmate. Many of the ideas presented in this book are things that I have thought about a lot before and this made me think about them even more.

·      Salting Roses: This book had a good story, but to be honest I wasn’t a fan of the writing. It was just…obvious and very cliché. It was a fun story about a girl who discovered that she is actually the heir to a multimillion-dollar estate, but I am not sure I would ever recommend this book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Soundtrack

I bought the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I have been listening to it a lot. For every song I try to picture what will be happening in the movie and, frankly, I keep coming close to tears. This one is a favorite so far. Gosh. I love Snape so insanely much. He is by far the most amazing character in the entire book. I cannot tell you how much I admire him. J.K. Rowling is brilliant. For real.

A Very Harry Week

I found this video yesterday and I posted it on my Facebook, but I felt like it would be a good start to my Harry Potter posts this week. The very last movie is coming out Thursday at midnight and really the only way that you could understand the way I feel about it is if you, too, found the beauty of Harry Potter as a young child and not only fell madly in love with this world, but also through this beautiful novel fell in love with reading itself, and then continued to follow (and maybe obsess over) the story for the rest of your life all the way into adulthood.

My favorite part of this video is definitely when Michael Gambon says his favorite line. I would be lying if I told you that it did not prickle my own eyes.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!

And I am so excited. I am working then going out with my favorite person ever. :) Here is an awesome song that I am really loving.

Fireworks!

I caught some beautiful fireworks last Friday with some beautiful people. My friend, Beth, and I headed up early so we could get a good spot on the hill and everyone met up with us later.

Birthday Wishlist

My birthday is this Saturday and I might be a little excited. (Okay, A LOT excited.) These are some pretties I have come across that I think are so dreamy that are on my wishlist.

This pretty little necklace is perfect.

I love this dress.

And this beautiful blouse.

I LOVE this top.

I am in need of a new watch and this one is so pretty.

Blackberry Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze

Oh my goodness. I am really not lying when I say that these cupcakes are amazing. I am so in love that all I want for my birthday is stuff to make these again. (Just kidding on that being all I want for my birthday. lol.) These are definitely my new favorite. They are so moist and sweet. I think they would also go great with my favorite cream cheese frosting. (of course, I think everything goes great with cream cheese frosting.)

So here is this awesome recipe for you to enjoy.

Blackberry Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze
modified from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup blackberry puree


Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, continuing to mix.

In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla and blackberry puree. Add half of the dry ingredients to the electric mixer bowl and mix until just combined. Add the milk/blackberry mixer and continue to mix. Finally add the rest of the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake tin and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.


Blackberry Puree:
Puree 12 oz. blackberries together with 2 tbsp sugar and a splash of water. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the seeds. This should make about 1 cup but you may have to fiddle with it a little.

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients:
2 lemons
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Mix together with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour over cooled cupcakes.

Bridal Shower Invitation

I get to host my sweet cousin, Nicole's, bridal shower in July and I am so excited. I have been brainstorming tirelessly for the past month on planning ideas and I think she may just have the sweetest bridal shower ever. Here are the invitation I came up with. I am sending them out as we speak. They are headed out to seven states plus South Korea. That's right South Korea. Nicole's sister, Sarah, is living there and teaching English. We made sure to plan the shower for a date after she arrived home for a few months to celebrate her sister's wedding and be a dutiful Maid of Honor.

My day :)

I spent my day in school (I got an A on my anatomy lab test!), making bridal shower invitations (I will show you those tomorrow), making this awesome crown for myself, and I got this book in the mail. I can't wait to read it.

I'm off to make dinner! Adios!

DREAM PETS

It is no secret that I love and adore animals. I love all types of animals and I would love nothing more than to move to a country house and have a farm with tons of animals. However, that will probably never happen. I do have a list of dream pets, though, and if I do ever get a dreamy house with lots of room I will probably get them all.

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Old English Sheepdog: I have wanted one of these since the very first time I saw The Little Mermaid. (Max was my favorite part of that entire movie!)

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Beagle: I used to have a beagle. His name was Domino and he was my favorite doggie ever. I miss him and because of how great he was, I love beagles.

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Teacup Pigs: Okay, these are the babies, but in reality they get much bigger. In fact they get anywhere from 60-10 lbs. But that is much smaller than normal pigs who can get up to 300lbs! They are brilliant animals.

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Pygmy Goats: I have only ever heard great things about these sweet guys. Both my cousin and I want them. Our goats can be friends! Have you ever read this gal's blog? She has a couple of these sweeties.

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Ducks! I so want a pet duck. It would just be so sweet.

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Sphynx Cats: I hate cats but these cats are so sweet and ugly I don't think I could ever resist if the opportunity presented itself. One of my best friend's has one, Puma, and she is seriously the sweetest kitty ever.

In reality only some of these animals will ever be my own, but they are all so sweet I would settle for the dogs and a couple goats. ;)

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

It is hot here in Michigan, which is my most favorite weather ever. However it is not my mother's favorite weather and she is the one who sets the house rules and she has banned use of the oven between the hours of 7:00 am and 10:00 pm, and even nights on days when the temperature is especially high. Like today. So I stayed up late last night and baked up some peanut butter cupcakes for my momma.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

by Nina Jones

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into cupcake cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Extras: I added extra peanut butter to the batter and a dash of cinnamon on top of each cupcake before I baked them for a little something extra. I topped them with chocolate ganache frosting. (for frosting you let it cool in the fridge for about a half hour while mixing it every five minutes.)

What I Wore

Outfit Details

Shirt: aerie

Belt: Forever 21

Skirt: Gift from my true love

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Bracelet: aerie

This is by far one of my favorite skirts. It was gifted to me by my true love who picked it out when he was in Italy a couple years ago. I love that I can make a reference to a couple years ago and be talking about a time when Angelo and I were dating. (I just love being with him and I love that I have been with him for almost 3 years. :D)

Sloth Love

Sloths have become one of my favorite animals recently and about a month ago I went to Angelo's Senior Art Show at College for Creative Studies. Across from his display Gracie Cole had her art set up. Among her pieces were six or seven stuffed creatures. Among them were a couple sloths. I fell madly in love the very instant my eyes fell upon them. I knew I had to have one, and in particular the one with a green face and hands and feet. (Green is my favorite color after all.) However was not so in love with the price tag. So I decided to wait. Fast forward to the very last day of the show. My mom and step-dad still wanted to see Angelo's show so we heading downtown to see all of his brilliant work. Low and behold my sweet green sloth was still available. Well if no one bought her by then obviously it was a sign that I should splurge and bring her home as a new member of my stuffed animal collection.

She doesn't have a name yet, but I surely do love her.

Friday Five!

Hello everyone! It's Friday which means it is the one day of the week that I get to sleep in. Today I slept in till 9:30. Which is three hours later than any other day of the week. It has been crazy the past couple of weeks with my anatomy class, but I did do really well on my first two exams. Yay! So any way, here are some lovelies things that I am loving this week. (Besides the beautiful 90 degree weather we had Monday and Tuesday. That is my most favorite weather ever.)

I bought me some of this lovely stuff because I don't like wearing makeup but at the same time I do. I love it. It brightens up my face and makes me feel extra pretty.

I also bought some awesome TOMS. So comfy.

So true and important to remember.

My sister and mom got the three of us some of these. Oh my goodness I am so in love. They are great and completely make the use of plastic sandwich bags unnecessary.

I love this art. It is right up my ally and I would love to one day have one of these pieces of my own.

Now I am off to study and watch some Fringe. Adios!

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

 

Today is a very special day. 19 years ago today I went from being an only child and the center of my family’s attention to being a big sister for the first time. You might hear me say that it was a sad day since I no longer was the center of attention all the time, but really it was probably one of the best days of my life.

Taylor is my best friend and even though we fight like a cat and dog (which is very appropriate since she is a total cat person and I am a total dog person), we always find a way to get along again and be there for each other. My favorite times are when the two of us hang out in the bathroom at our house and chat for what seems like hours. I don’t know why, but we end up hanging out in the bathroom all the time.

So happy birthday to my little sister. You’re awesome and I love you always.

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope you are all enjoying this lovely day. It is supposed to be sunny and 80° here in Southwest Michigan today. I am so excited, even though I will be spending my day working until 4pm and then studying like crazy. I have my first big human anatomy test on Wednesday and I have to know all 11 chapters, all the bones, and all the muscles by then. (Class just started a week ago, by the way.)

Have a great day everyone. And thank you to all the men and women who are or have served our country in the military. You are all very appreciated.

Song for Saturday V.3

I have been listening to country music as late and this song has really caught my attention. I relate to it very much. All throughout my childhood my momma taught me that God loves me just as I am. One time she even let me go to church (Catholic church, at that) in a mini skirt, fishnets, big chunky knee high boots, and a skull and crossbone t-shirt. All the old people gave me looks but I thought it was funny. My mom just said, "God doesn't care how you are dressed. He loves you just as you are, no matter what."

My Grampa Alt

This is my Grampa Alt and my beautiful step-momma and his daughter, Susie. My Grampa passed away last Saturday and his soul will surely be missed by us here on Earth. He was always opening his arms to me for a hug and always smiling. Over the past few days my mind has kept returning to one memory when our family was all at the cottages they managed, probably for Christmas or maybe even a summer vacation, and he was making everyone biscuits and gravy for breakfast and it was delicious.

And so, Grampa, Dad, Bud, and any other name people may call you by, know that you are so loved and so very missed by all of us.

I Went to the Zoo!

Friday my sister and I were planning on going to the beach for the day but decided that going to the zoo would be a better choice. So we went. It was so much fun. I love seeing all the animals and getting to photograph them. I wish I could get more up close and personal with them though. That would be amazing.

I was taking pictures of this guy and just as my camera snapped he opened his pretty wings up for me. It was pretty awesome.

This GIANT salamander was pretty insane.

I can't remember what this is called, but he is so cute. I wanted to take him home.

My old friends, the crocodiles.

The red pandas are always hiding on me. It is fun to try and find them though.

You think kitty cat yawns are cute? Check out this tiger yawn.

Baby zebra!

This is one of my favorite photographs form the day. These guys roam around freely throughout the entire zoo.

Don't you just want to cuddle with him?

This was Taylor's favorite animal of the day.