Class is in Session

In the spirit of school being back is session, I saw this and knew it had to be shared!  

Zucchini Cupcakes wtih Caramel Frosting

Oh my word...this has to be one of the best frostings I have eaten in a long time.  I am thinking my next carrot cake needs this frosting...or a spice cake...or pumpkin cookies...or pumpkin muffins....you get my drift.  

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 
  CARAMEL FROSTING:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25. Cool and Frost.
• For frosting, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.
• Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Maddy's Summer Fun

Mad-Dog is somewhat of a celebrity in the eyes of Ruth (Trisha's kiddo)...we talk about Maddy alot, we look at pictures and videos of Maddy alot and we draw lots of Maddy pictures.  Ruth drew this picture for Maddy and wanted to give her a treat! 

Mad-Dog certainly enjoys all the attention and is so gentle when Ruth gives her treats, poor kid has been slobbered on more then one in the face though.  Maddy is a good kisser.

In other note-worthy Maddy summer days she got to take a ride in Ellie (my car) to town to go to the groomers...we even stopped at Trisha's store to visit Ruth. She loved it. I folded up the seats for her and so she could come up front and hang with me.  She sat next to me the whole time and checked out the scenery!

Summer Days

Aunt Cheryl sent me this picture the other day and it brought back so many memories of house boating on the lake in the summer...how I miss those lazy days of summer.  House boating trips are my favorite childhood experience...well it's actually a toss up between showing horses and house boating...I digress, my point is just that I love this picture...look how young my dad looks...

Summer Sunsets

As much as I love fall, I am just not ready to give up summer yet...we have been having some awesome summer sunsets!

Apple Muffins

Baking muffins is what I do when I want to procrastinate on things like vaccuming, editing photos, or laundry...I especially love making muffins because they are something that can be easily distributed to multiple people.  Part of why I love baking is because I get to give it away!

Apple Muffins

Cream together:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Sift: 
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
Brown sugar for topping 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (I never sift and they turn out fine). Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.

Fill paper liners almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Grant Co. Fair and Little Big Town Concert

I have been going to the Grant. Co. Fair since as long as I can remember and I love it, I love the smells, the fair food, the animals, the people, the rodeo, I don't even mind the lines.  

One of the best thing is the space burgers...we go every year to get em!

 Ashley and I in our cowboy boots!

 Tuesday was the Little Big Town Concert at the Fairgrounds and it was awesome!  Jonda got us 2 box seats it was so much fun!

 Jonda, Julia, and I