7.4.14

Dear DAD, yay for you being in town!!!! Dear Nicole, I'm so glad you're here! Dear Spaz and Nate, So excited you guys are in town too. Can't wait to hug on ya! Dear Momma, thanks for sitting at our house multiple times this week. You're the best. Dear Best Friend Megan, I'm sad we won't be spending the fourth together this year but I hope you're ready for our tradition of a flag cake. I really brought it this year! Dear Aubrey, I'm so proud of you for starting your personal blog back up. You're amazing and funny and I can't wait to read every day. Dear Friends, you should check out my friend Aubrey's blog The Found Life. She's crazy funny, a talented photographer, and has such a big heart. You'll love her, I swear.Dear friends, I'm doing ok. I still really struggle with our miscarriage and sometimes it hurts so much I don't know what to do. But Dave and I are so strong and so good that I know I can get through this. Just an update that I'm doing much better and the sadness is kept at bay most of the time. I just don't like thinking that people think we're fine and healed, because it's far from the truth, but we're ok. Dear Nicole, I loved sitting in my closet among all my pretty clothes and talking till midnight the other night.

pinky's out

Sometimes it's fun to get a little dressed up and go out with your Momma for tea. So that's just what we did. Although it was Father's day, Mom and I went out and had ourselves a nice little girl time this past Sunday. We explored a new place in Tampa (the Oxford Exchange) ate wonderful finger sandwiches, scones, and treats, drank tea, and had great conversation.

 

I love having my mom literally minutes away from our house. On Saturday Dave and I were running some errands and what do you know but my Momma in the turning lane about to pass us. We all waved wildly and my heart about burst. I love that random things like that can happen. Feels like home down here, having her nearby. And that's great because this is our home now. I can't wait until my dad is down here with us full time too.

Mini Apple Pies

Usually when I attempt a Pinterest recipe it ends in an epic fail but this one was fantastic. Not only was it delicious (seriously people raved about it at work), but it was so easy to make. I'm all about simple recipes especially when it comes to baking.

I found this recipe on Pinterest that was originally from the blog Little Bit Funky. For step by step instructions click the link.

Mini Apple Pie

Start by cutting up eight cups of apples into small 1/2in bits.

Mix the apples with:
12 tablespoons of flour
1 1/2c of sugar
4 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon

You will also need: 
4 tablespoons of chilled butter cut into 24 equal portions.  
two boxes of pilsbury pie crusts 

Unroll your first pie crust and cut several circles out, make enough for your cupcake pan. To make the circles I just used a cup. Line each cup of your muffin tin with a tiny pie crust. Gently fill the crusts with your apple mixture so that they are slightly mounded. Then add the butter to each mini pie. After that use the excess dough and add them to the top. I personally like to add as much dough as I can because the crust is my favorite part. Then brush melted butter before putting them in the oven.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. I would check them at 2-4 minute intervals after about 16 minutes in the oven. The crust will be a little browned on the top. Let cool before using a knife around the edges to get them out. I tend to have problems getting food out in perfect pieces when they're in muffin pans but honestly if you pam the pan beforehand and let them cool you'll have no problem. They come out in great shape and make perfect little bite size treats.

Enjoy!

Friday's Letters

Linking up with Ashley for Friday's Letters...

Dear Momma, I'm so excited you're visiting this weekend. I'm excited to have some quality time and show you Dave and my place.

Dear Breaking Dawn II, OMG! Finally, it's here. Kind of bittersweet actually. 

Dear NYC, you're always fun to visit but I'm glad to be home. My feet hurt from all that walkin.

    

Dear mini mini cupcakes, I love you, you're just my style. One little bite and that's enough for me. Yum.

     

Dear Dave, I love you. Every day I find more things I love about you, your personality and our relationship.
Dear Spaz, I'm so glad we were able to Skype the other day and that you received your package. It makes my heart smile to make you happy. Love you sister friend. 
Dear iPad, you're so fun, i like you a lot.


Hope you all have a great weekend! 

Decadent Cupcakes

He ate 9!

Last week Nicole and I had a bake fest. One of our bosses is leaving and we wanted to make something special for his last official day. He likes chocolate so we decided to something a little different than the normal cupcakes we bring in. We made fudge cupcakes (from a box), once they were cool we cored the middle of the cupcake and added a filling.Then we made ganache and dipped the cupcakes in. They ended up looking amazing and everyone at work gobbled them up.

We made two different cupcakes. One was chocolate with chocolate fudge filling and a ganache topping. For that one we just used Smuckers fudge you find in the ice cream section....but don't buy the shell kind because it gets hard when out of the bottle. 

For the other cupcake it was a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, ganache frosting, and mini Reese's cup cut in half on top.

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Look at that filling!

I was a little worried about attempting to tackle ganache because I'm not great at baking, but it's really simple. You basically just melt chocolate and heavy cream in a pan over water. Click here for instructions!

Hopefully this will encourage you all to try something a little out of your comfort zone. I know that next time I'm excited to tackle something NOT in a box. Home made all the way....whaaat?!?!?!