Just wanted to share the flowers that I received today from my husband, Andy. :) It was a very big surprise because he woke up early and went out and got them before I woke up. They really do brighten up a place.
I love you Andy!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Very Fruity Muffins
Since the last muffin post, I've made two more muffins from the "1 Mix, 100 Muffins" book.
The first one is Buttermilk Berry Berry Muffins. Instead of the oven, I used the mini muffin maker that Andy's mom gave me. The muffins came out really well, moist and perfectly cooked. I used a combination of frozen and fresh berries. I took the muffins to work and they disappeared in less than 2 hours.
The next muffin recipe I have done is the Apple Streusel Muffin. I decided to make the regular size because of the streusel topping that was added to the top of the batter. I used Granny Smith Apples. This was also very moist and you got apple in every bite. :)
The first one is Buttermilk Berry Berry Muffins. Instead of the oven, I used the mini muffin maker that Andy's mom gave me. The muffins came out really well, moist and perfectly cooked. I used a combination of frozen and fresh berries. I took the muffins to work and they disappeared in less than 2 hours.
The next muffin recipe I have done is the Apple Streusel Muffin. I decided to make the regular size because of the streusel topping that was added to the top of the batter. I used Granny Smith Apples. This was also very moist and you got apple in every bite. :)
Scrappy Purple Table Liner
I really needed a table liner for the China Cabinet where the liquor sits. I came up with this table liner after finding a lot of purple fabrics in my stash. It took me a while to finish this, but I really liked the overall outcome of it. The other great thing is I made a little dent in my stash. :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Return of the Muffins!
It's been a while since I've made any muffins from the book. I've been on somewhat of a diet and to avoid ruining it, I've been on a hiatus with baked goods. I went on out of town these past few days and decided to leave my husband with some muffins.
I made the Brandy and Peach muffins for him:
These muffins were really good! I had to try one myself because they looked and smelled so good coming out of the oven! They were not very sweet and had a good balance of brandy and peach in them. The toughest part was just draining the peach and cutting them small.
I have also made the Jelly doughnut muffins from the book. I totally forgot and never blogged about them.
These muffins were definitely not my favorite. The jelly in all the muffins sunk close to the bottom. It was a pain having to spoon the jelly and then cover it up with more batter. I am definitely a bigger fan of the fruit muffins.
Wonder what muffin I will tackle next??
I made the Brandy and Peach muffins for him:
These muffins were really good! I had to try one myself because they looked and smelled so good coming out of the oven! They were not very sweet and had a good balance of brandy and peach in them. The toughest part was just draining the peach and cutting them small.
I have also made the Jelly doughnut muffins from the book. I totally forgot and never blogged about them.
These muffins were definitely not my favorite. The jelly in all the muffins sunk close to the bottom. It was a pain having to spoon the jelly and then cover it up with more batter. I am definitely a bigger fan of the fruit muffins.
Wonder what muffin I will tackle next??
Saturday, June 5, 2010
My Latest Projects for Myself
I've been really into knitting lately. Since I've been slowly backing off on swaps, I decided to make stuff for myself. I made two shrugs that I really like wearing.
Here is the front of the Unshape Shrug:
Here is the back of the Unshape Shrug:
Here is the front of the 2nd one, Shop Hop Shrug:
Here is the back:
Here is the front of the Unshape Shrug:
Here is the back of the Unshape Shrug:
Here is the front of the 2nd one, Shop Hop Shrug:
Here is the back:
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Birthday Celebration At Westin La Paloma Resorts
Yesterday was Andy's birthday. Initially what I wanted to do was take Andy somewhere to celebrate, but due to my procrastination, airline tickets were too expensive to really go anywhere. I decided to settle and take him to Westin La Paloma Resorts in Tucson.
I had found a great package there that included Champagne when we arrived and breakfast the next day. It wasn't badly priced and we were able to get away from our cats one night and enjoy each other's company.
Weather was great on his birthday. The sun was out. It didn't rain, and there were no clouds. Since we were able to stay out of the sun, it was very enjoyable to sit out on the balcony and eat dinner and drink champagne. The view was also really beautiful.
We spent the rest of the evening out by the pool and hot tub. The one thing I really liked about the La Paloma resorts was that they had a lot of pools. They specifically designated some of the pools as adult pools. It was great because there were no kids throwing balls and splashing randomly as they played. I wish more hotels did stuff like that.
Breakfast was wonderful. The food was great, I didn't have to cook, and we got to sit outside. :-) I enjoyed a very delicious turkey, tomato, and mozzarella wrap with fruit.
We had a very great view while we ate also.
Overall, the stay at the Westin was great. It was a great way to celebrate Andy's birthday and enjoy a relaxing weekend before going to work. We will definitely be doing this again. :)
I had found a great package there that included Champagne when we arrived and breakfast the next day. It wasn't badly priced and we were able to get away from our cats one night and enjoy each other's company.
Weather was great on his birthday. The sun was out. It didn't rain, and there were no clouds. Since we were able to stay out of the sun, it was very enjoyable to sit out on the balcony and eat dinner and drink champagne. The view was also really beautiful.
We spent the rest of the evening out by the pool and hot tub. The one thing I really liked about the La Paloma resorts was that they had a lot of pools. They specifically designated some of the pools as adult pools. It was great because there were no kids throwing balls and splashing randomly as they played. I wish more hotels did stuff like that.
Breakfast was wonderful. The food was great, I didn't have to cook, and we got to sit outside. :-) I enjoyed a very delicious turkey, tomato, and mozzarella wrap with fruit.
We had a very great view while we ate also.
Overall, the stay at the Westin was great. It was a great way to celebrate Andy's birthday and enjoy a relaxing weekend before going to work. We will definitely be doing this again. :)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Spicy Shrimp and Corn on the Grill
The one nice thing I can say about Tucson is that the weather is great for grilling. I've never really been much of a grilling person till I moved here and Andy and I got a grill of our own.
We've been eatting lots of steaks for dinner lately and it's been great! I decided to change it up a bit because we have lots of meats in the freezer and I really didn't want them to go bad. I pulled out the raw shrimp and found a recipe that I wanted to try.
I did not have cayenne pepper in my pantry so I tried it with chili powder instead and it turned out really good. It was a little on the salty side so I definitely will try with less next time. The original recipe is from allrecipes.com, but here's my modified version:
Ingredients
* 1 large clove garlic
* 1/2 tablespoon or less coarse salt
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* 1 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
1. Preheat grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.
I think the shrimp would taste really good on a sandwich with some lettuce and tomatoes. The flavor really reminded me kind of like the South, maybe I'm just a little inexperienced. :)
We've been eatting lots of steaks for dinner lately and it's been great! I decided to change it up a bit because we have lots of meats in the freezer and I really didn't want them to go bad. I pulled out the raw shrimp and found a recipe that I wanted to try.
I did not have cayenne pepper in my pantry so I tried it with chili powder instead and it turned out really good. It was a little on the salty side so I definitely will try with less next time. The original recipe is from allrecipes.com, but here's my modified version:
Ingredients
* 1 large clove garlic
* 1/2 tablespoon or less coarse salt
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* 1 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
1. Preheat grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.
I think the shrimp would taste really good on a sandwich with some lettuce and tomatoes. The flavor really reminded me kind of like the South, maybe I'm just a little inexperienced. :)
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