Brad is not a fan of road trips. He is not a very patient driver to begin with but anytime I plan a trip I try to find something close because he doesn't like to be in the car more than an hour. Two hours is really pushing it.
Rightfully so. As a kid, his vacations consisted of trips to Kansas or California to visit grandparents. Apparently these trips were not fun.
I, on the other hand, love road trips. There is something so peaceful about staring out the window for hours looking at God's creation. Even if it is cornfields for hours on end. I have fond memories of family vacations to Florida, driving through the night, and spending time with the family.
When we go somewhere as a family, I love the relaxing drives. Well, I love it until we get close to our destination and we need to find exactly where we have to go.
We have a Garmin that is a few years old. I love how she tells you where to go and gives you an estimated time of arrival. Unfortunately, she is not always the best at giving us the correct directions and it ends up with me and Brad yelling, turning around a million times, and trying to figure out exactly where we are supposed to be.
It always ends with Brad saying, "That thing is going in the garbage as soon as we get home."
I of course nod, knowing that I will not be throwing it out and our next trip we will play this fun game again.
We've had trips to Chicago where we keep losing satellite and she keeps saying, "Recalculating."
Brad: Where do I need to turn.
Me: I don't know. Just a second.
Garmin: Recalculating
Brad: I need to know where to go.
Me: I know but she's not telling me.
Garmin: Turn on ____.
Me: We needed to turn on that street.
Brad: You need to tell me before we get to the street.
Garmin: Recalculating.
You get the drift. And I should probably add a lot of exclamation marks and I'm not really sure how to add frustration.
Then there was the trip to Iowa. We missed the street we needed to turn on and she told us to go to the next street and it would bring is around in a circle. Well, it did not bring us around in a circle. It brought us to a dead end and we were pulling a trailer. Not fun to try and turn around.
Then on our way home from Iowa, she brought us a completely different route. We were on a time crunch and then she just turned off on us. Thankfully, my phone helped us a little and a quick stop at a gas station to ask directions.
This past weekend, Brad and I took a trip to Indianapolis. We were cruising along just fine until it was time to get off the highway and drive 2 miles to our hotel.
Me: Take a right. Now take a left.
Brad: This is weird. This is a subdivision.
Me: I know but that is what she said. Maybe it takes us through to the next street.
Nope, dead end.
There was some landscaping and then we could see the street we needed to be on. We turned around.
After finally figuring out how to get to the other street, going through an Industrial area, we finally got close to the hotel. And because we don't like to do anything easy, we passed up the street to the hotel and turned around once again.
We figured out the next day that at the first right she had us take, we could have gone straight and it would have taken us directly to our hotel.
I am convinced that she can hear us. She purposely brings us the wrong way and then laughs at us as we fight and try to figure out how to get to our destination.
Can't wait to see where she brings us on our next trip!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The Most Amazing Cupcakes!!!!
A couple months ago our family went to visit some friends out of town.
It just so happened that we went a couple weeks after my friend celebrated her birthday and since she is weeeee bit older than me, I tend to give her a hard time. Seeing that I seem to be surrounded by people younger than me, my poor friend must take this abuse from me. Thankfully she is a good sport! (I feel like an old lady using that word but can't think of a better word.)
I brought her a nice bag filled with goodies for OLD people. Things like a nice housecoat, rollers, denture cream, arthritis rub, and a rain bonnet. I can't remember what else was in that bag. Give me a break, it's been a couple months! Unfortunately her husband videotaped my gift presentation, so I'm sure it will all come back to haunt me some day!
But after being a little mean, I did make it up her by giving her something nice.
Enter........our shared love for peanut butter.
I made her the MOST amazing cupcakes! Actually, the cupcakes were good but the frosting.......out of this world. Who wouldn't love peanut butter mixed with a lot of butter and then add some powdered sugar. I could have eaten the whole bowl!
WARNING: These are very dangerous. You will not be able to get them off your mind until they have all been eaten.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth all natural peanut butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Frosting
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter, natural
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
For Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Combine baking powder, flour and salt in another bowl.
Beat butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and blend until smooth. Slowly add peanut butter.
Alternately add half of the flour mixture and milk mixtures, mixing slowly, until all is incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Put into lined baking cups. Recipe says it makes 12. I actually got 16.
Bake for about 22 minutes or until golden brown.
For Frosting:
Combine sugar and salt in a bowl and combine milk and vanilla in another bowl.
Add Peanut butter and butter in mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Alternately add sugar and milk mixture until fully incorporated.
If you want your frosting thinner add more milk. If you want it thicker, add some more powdered sugar.
Spread on your cupcakes and enjoy!!!!
Note: I am one to fudge on some the ingredients but on this recipe I did exactly as I typed it, so I am not sure of the outcome if you don't use Whole milk or natural peanut butter. I figure the natural peanut butter made them healthy. Right?
On a different note, what fun is a trip without a good game of find the dead cat and throw him in a corn field.
And, yes, I just posted about cupcakes and a dead cat in the same post. This blog is going downhill fast! Sorry about that.
It just so happened that we went a couple weeks after my friend celebrated her birthday and since she is weeeee bit older than me, I tend to give her a hard time. Seeing that I seem to be surrounded by people younger than me, my poor friend must take this abuse from me. Thankfully she is a good sport! (I feel like an old lady using that word but can't think of a better word.)
I brought her a nice bag filled with goodies for OLD people. Things like a nice housecoat, rollers, denture cream, arthritis rub, and a rain bonnet. I can't remember what else was in that bag. Give me a break, it's been a couple months! Unfortunately her husband videotaped my gift presentation, so I'm sure it will all come back to haunt me some day!
But after being a little mean, I did make it up her by giving her something nice.
Enter........our shared love for peanut butter.
I made her the MOST amazing cupcakes! Actually, the cupcakes were good but the frosting.......out of this world. Who wouldn't love peanut butter mixed with a lot of butter and then add some powdered sugar. I could have eaten the whole bowl!
WARNING: These are very dangerous. You will not be able to get them off your mind until they have all been eaten.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth all natural peanut butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Frosting
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter, natural
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
For Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Combine baking powder, flour and salt in another bowl.
Beat butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and blend until smooth. Slowly add peanut butter.
Alternately add half of the flour mixture and milk mixtures, mixing slowly, until all is incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Put into lined baking cups. Recipe says it makes 12. I actually got 16.
Bake for about 22 minutes or until golden brown.
For Frosting:
Combine sugar and salt in a bowl and combine milk and vanilla in another bowl.
Add Peanut butter and butter in mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Alternately add sugar and milk mixture until fully incorporated.
If you want your frosting thinner add more milk. If you want it thicker, add some more powdered sugar.
Spread on your cupcakes and enjoy!!!!
Note: I am one to fudge on some the ingredients but on this recipe I did exactly as I typed it, so I am not sure of the outcome if you don't use Whole milk or natural peanut butter. I figure the natural peanut butter made them healthy. Right?
On a different note, what fun is a trip without a good game of find the dead cat and throw him in a corn field.
And, yes, I just posted about cupcakes and a dead cat in the same post. This blog is going downhill fast! Sorry about that.
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