New Favorite Breakfast Food: French Toast Bake

Last week I mentioned that not only do I love brunch, but Chris' family was coming in town for the weekend. Now, Chris and I don't make that fancy of meals for ourselves, since it's just the two of us, but when people come in town to visit we think it's nice to prepare a nice dinner or breakfast for them. But, let's face it, I can't really cook, so Chris usually cooks for them. My cooking repertoire consists of pigs in a blanket and other apps, grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, and, yes, breakfast food. I can definitely fry a mean piece of bacon (because what's breakfast without bacon!) and flip the fluffiest pancakes like the best of them, or, at least better than Chris. I can also bake much better than Chris. But, back to how I can cook a scrumptious breakfast . . .

For Chris' family's visit, I decided to try out a new breakfast recipe, because, well, I love breakfast, this recipe looked yummy, and, like I just explained, breakfast food is pretty much all I can cook . . . So, I made French Toast Bake, and, of course, I found the recipe on Pinterest . . .

And, let me just preface the recipe by letting you know that it was a hit!! Everyone liked it, even Chris who thought the picture of it below made it look gross. Not only was it fairly easy to put together, but it was also inexpensive (all I needed to do was buy the texas toast) and I made it the night before so all I needed to do was pop it in the oven that morning!

Here's the recipe for French Toast Bake (via Rach's Blog):

 Photo from Rach's Blog, Pinned by Kristin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 loaf Texas toast
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar for sprinkling, and syrup, as needed!

Directions:

1. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave and then add the brown sugar. Stir until mixed.
2. Pour the butter/brown sugar mix into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread it around so it's even.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
4. Lay a single layer of Texas Toast on the bottom of the pan. (I kept the crust on the Texas Toast, which I liked, but Chris said he would have preferred to have cut off the crust.)
5. Spoon egg/milk/vanilla mixture on top of that layer of bread. (The original recipe says to use 1/2 the mixture, but I probably only used about 1/3 because I didn't want it to end up too mushy. I just made sure the mix covered and soaked into the bread a little.)
6. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon,a s desired. (I also added pecans to half of it, and we all agreed that it might be good with sliced bananas or strawberries).
7. Add another layer of Texas Toast.
8. Spoon on more of the egg/milk/vanilla mixture. (Again, the recipe says to use the remaining mix, but I only used about another 1/3 of it. I made sure it soaked into the bread and I also spooned it into the cracks between the slices of bread. Yes, I dumped the remaining mix, sorry!)
9. Cover and let it chill in the fridge overnight.
10. In the morning, or whenever, bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, syrup, etc. and Enjoy!!

I thought it was scrumptious!! The top slice of bread was a little crispy and the bottom slice of bread was still gooey = heaven in my mouth. Chris said it was like a french toast sandwich (and I think that's a good thing)! Hope you decide to make it as well, and if you do, let me know what you thought and if you made any changes too!

Also, I'm hoping I can get Chris to share his peach-glazed pork chop recipe that he made for dinner that night. It. was. awesome!

Mid-Week Mumblings

Why do I keep thinking today is Friday? Seriously, I keep thinking it's Friday and have to remind myself that, no, it's only Thursday. One more day in my work week, not one more hour. Ergh.

Chris and I have had a fairly boring last couple of weeks since the Half Marathon and I'm in between house projects (for the first time in a while!) so I figured I'd share what's been on my mind lately instead of boring you with a description of me falling asleep while watching television or Chris doing homework, because that's literally what we've been doing. We lead an exciting life, no?

Anyway, here are my mid-week mumblings, since it's still kinda mid-week (darn you, Thursday!):

• I lied, Chris and I haven't been completely boring lately. Last weekend we actually had a "date night" where I was able to persuade Chris to go see The Hunger Games with me (eeks!!) and take me to P.F. Chang's, which for some reason I've been craving. First, The Hunger Games was AWESOME! Loved every minute of it.I'm also kinda loving on The Hunger Games inspired pins on Pinterest . . . here are two of my favorites: 

 

• Oh, and in between the movie and dinner I caved on one of my 2012 goals - I bought some clothes. BUT, it was the first time I bought clothes since 2011, so that my friends, is awesome! Chris and I walked into a Banana Republic and I couldn't resist snagging a Mad Men collection skirt and two tops, especially since they were already on sale AND had an additional 20% off. Score!

 

• I'm experiencing a curtain-crisis. See, I want (we need) curtains in our living room and master bedroom, but I just can't seem to figure out what I want to do. I recently bought some plain white Ikea curtains but I want to do something to spice them up a bit. I'm thinking of stenciling them, or adding some kind of colored fabric to the sides and/or bottom of them, or adding some fringe. Who knows, I just know I need to do something because right now they are a boring, and wrinkly, mess.  To Pinterest for some inspiration, I guess . . . .

• I love breakfast food. I mean, LOVE breakfast food. I think that Brunch is an awesome thing, but Chris could careless. I also think that Brinner (breakfast for dinner) is perfectly acceptable, but Chris thinks that it, along with the word Brinner, is "stupid." So, last Sunday I met a new friend at Acadiana for a New Orleans-style brunch, and boy was it yummmy. Acadiana has a pre fixe 3-course brunch with $1 mimosas. That's right, $1 mimosas. (If anything pairs perfectly with breakfast, it's a mimosa!) I had a banana fosters and pecan french toast, eggs benedict (mmmmm), and beignets. I have to go back asap, who wants to go?!

 

• When we first moved into our house we wanted to decorate our master bedroom first, so that we had one "finished" room. Well, now, it's probably one of the most disheveled rooms (besides our office, which is literally just piles of stuff with two bookcases and a desk and computer), and I really want to make it nice for real this time. I want to paint the walls darker, finally decorate some shelves we have, and do something with the boring, white curtains. And, of course, Pinterest has been giving me some inspiration, I just need to decide if I'm leaning towards bold and dramatic, or serene and quiet . . . 

 

• Like I mentioned last week, Chris and I "gardened" last weekend too, if that's what you call it. It was more like me yelling at the ivy and weed barrier fabric and Chris trying to avoid me. But, we got new mulch down and grass seed, flowers, and herbs planted. Now, we just have to wait and see how they all work out . . . (I'll post some pictures once there is more to look at!) 

•  Lastly, this weekend Chris' family is coming in town (yay!!), so if this post is too rambling for you, next week I should have something more exciting to write about. I'm hoping we finally check out a DC site that's on my "to do" list out here! (Can you guess which one it is?!) 

Have a great weekend ya'll, even if it is only Thursday!

It's a Washingtonian Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

This year, Chris and I are celebrating Thanksgiving in the complete opposite fashion that we did last year. Last year was our first year in our new house so we invited both of our families in to town to celebrate the holiday with us. It was great for everyone to see our house for the first time, to cook them a huge Thanksgiving meal, and just spend a few days enjoying everyone's company, but it was definitely completely exhausting.

Our table was set for 9. . .

My brother was anxious to eat. I just wanted to get that bottle of wine open . . .

My family and sister-in-law, Courtney, ran the Washington, DC Trot for Hunger for So Others Might Eat.

An intense game of Sorry! after dinner . . .

While we'd love to be with family again this year and repeat all of the fun we had, we couldn't make the trip back to Missouri and we didn't want to make everyone come back out here, so we decided to take the very low-key, Washingtonian-approach to Thanksgiving. We're staying here, working on house projects, catching up on some movies and TV, and going out to dinner for our Thanksgiving meal! Yes, that's right. We are going out for Thanksgiving dinner. No cooking, no mess, and no carry-out, but waiters, a restaurant, and a check at the end of the meal! It seems to me that anyone who stays in town for Thanksgiving just goes out to dinner. At least that is what I've seen from other Washingtonians I've run in to!

Chris and I will be headed to Jackson 20 in Old Town Alexandria for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. We love taking advantage of all of the great restaurants around here, and a lot of the deals they run for things like Restaurant Week and holidays, and tomorrow is no exception. Jackson 20 is offering a three-course prix fixe meal option, that includes a turkey dinner complete with pumpkin pie! I am all game for dressing up, not cooking, not cleaning, and still getting to enjoy a big, yummy turkey meal at a steal of a price!

On top of that, Chris and I will be focusing a lot of our attention the next few days to Operation Finish Bathrooms. Yes, that's right, bathrooms plural. Not only is our guest bath still not finished, but now our Master bath is a mess. By the end of the weekend, my goal is to have them completely done and checked off my house to-do list finally. I promise to have a post about it next week. I am so looking forward to that being done!

How are you all spending your Thanksgiving? With family, friends? Out of town, in town?

We hope that where ever you are and who ever you are with that you have a great and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend!! Also, I used to work retail, so be nice to those men and women up at the crack of dawn to work so that you can shop on Black Friday!!  ; )

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm cooking.

For some reason I get a subscription to Cooking Light magazine. I am either getting it for free or I paid next to nothing for it... I honestly can't remember. Anywho, because of this Cooking Light subscription, I have started this really bad habit of going through each issue and tearing out the recipes that sound good. And as I sat down this past weekend to do my monthly ritual of tearing out yummy recipes I realized that I had gathered a nice little collection of these over the past year, but I had yet to make one of them. Not one. Oops.

So, I sat down and picked a few that I wanted to make first: Herb & Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Cheese Ravioli with Pesto. Now, I have to preface these recipes with the fact that I cannot cook. I do not have a palate for flavors and oftentimes screw up even the easiest boxed mac & cheese. I rely heavily on Chris to do the cooking around here since he seems to enjoy it and is actually really good at it. But, come this fall, Chris will be busy being a PhD student so I figured I might as well try my hand at cooking actual meals for once and stop relying on Chris or Ms. Lean Cuisine to do it all for me. (Lord knows I will not allow myself to go hungry!)

Sunday evening I made the Herb & Goat Cheese Chicken, and I was completely surprised that 1) I did it all by myself; 2) It was actually fairly easy and quick; and 3) it actually tasted good (aka, Chris approved and recommend making it again).

My camera phone doesn't do it justice.

Here is the recipe, slightly edited, from the Cooking Light version:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Reviewers say regular breadcrumbs work too)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint rosemary (we used rosemary from our herb-garden)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
• Lemon wedges (optional)

 Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side or until browned (I would suggest browning both sides). Arrange chicken on a baking sheet (browned side up); broil for 8 minutes or until done (ours needed another couple of minutes).
4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red pepper, and spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Like I said, it was yummy! Who doesn't love goat cheese?! Recipe # 1 = success!

Then, last night I made the Cheese Ravioli with Pesto. Again, I was surprised how easy it was and how good it actually tasted.

I really need to get a new phone,
or use my real camera to take these!

Here is the recipe, from the Cooking Light version:

Ingredients:

• 1 (9-ounce) package fresh 3-cheese ravioli
• 1 1/3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• Fresh basil leaves (optional)

 Preparation:

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions; omit salt and fat. Drain.
2. Combine spinach, basil, salt, red pepper, and garlic in a food processor. With processor running, add broth, olive oil, and lemon juice through chute until mixture is smooth.
3. Combine ravioli, pesto, and tomato in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until warm; sprinkle with cheese and about nuts. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.

Recipe #2 = another success! Quick, easy, and yummy! While the cheese ravioli I bought was kinda cheap, so I would suggest buying "nice" cheese ravioli (maybe not even frozen), it was tasty and filling. I cannot wait to go home and eat the leftovers tonight! (and I'm one of those people that doesn't usually eat leftovers.) Oh, and I cannot say how much I recommend everyone investing in a food processor, even if it's a tiny 3-cup one. They are genius, and absolutely amazing for non-cookers like myself!

So do any of you stock up on recipes and never make them like me? (Don't even look at my Pinterest "Yummy in my Tummy" board!) Or, are you fantastic chefs and can share some tips or recipes with me?!

Versatile Blogger Award!

Well, I found out this weekend that I have been nominated for my very first blog award - the Versatile Blogger Award - by the ever-so-lovely, Megan! Let me tell you, this means soooo much! Sometimes I feel like I'm just rambling on about stuff that only I find interesting, so it's great to hear that not only do I have an interested reader out there, but that she likes my ramblings enough to nominate me!

Here are the "rules" of the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Thank the award-giver and provide a link back to their blog.
2. Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
3. Give the award to up to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
4. Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news!

So, of course this calls for more rambling from moi! Here we go:

Thank you, thank you,  Megan, for nominating me! You should check out her blog because she does some pretty awesome Glee-caps - Glee recaps - and is a 30x30 re-mixer! (Oh, and she also just started a photography business, Megan Stoll Studios, in the S.T.L. that you should check her out at too. Pretty awesome stuff!

And, here's 7 random things about myself....

1. I am the oldest of three. As Megan mentioned, I have a younger sister, Danielle, who is pretty awesome,  and a younger brother, Will, who is pretty stellar himself. Danielle is a much better blogger than I am (you can check her out at Addicted to Television and Danielle's Other Blog) and she is my go-to person for all social media and fashion-related questions (she just helped me pick out a purse this morning). Will is a runner. He ran for his college cross country and track team and is always trying to fit in a workout. Every time he has visited us he has run a race here in DC - He totally won the SOME Turkey Trot last Thanksgiving here in DC, and will be running the DC Rock N Roll half with us this spring! The three of us didn't really get along all that great as kids, but I'm so glad that we're close now as adults and cannot wait until we can all get together again - miss you two!

The three of us being silly at a rainy Cards game!

2. I watch a lot of TV. Probably too much TV. Chris always asks what's on my "line-up" for the evening, and I'm guessing that's not a good thing. Some of my absolute favorites are So You Think You Can Dance, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, True Blood, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Games of Thrones, Friends, Project Runway, and Design Star. I'm also a fan of all of Sarah Richardson's HGTV shows, Grey's Anatomy, and some of the Bachelor/Bachelorette stuff. Oh, and my guilty pleasure is definitely some Days of Our Lives. And, I was a huge fan of Brothers & Sisters, Greek, and, of course, LOST before they all ended/got canceled.Ok, so I know I just listed a lot of shows, but it really feels like I missed some??... Although, to my credit, I do read and workout too, on top of doing "home" stuff and going out occasionally, so a little TV is okay, right?

3. When I was younger I had a strange obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House on the Prairie series. Not only have I read her books countless times, but I would watch the TV series regularly (I even own the VHS set of one season), and have even visited her final home in Mansfield, Missouri, Rocky Ridge Farm. To top it off, for Christmas two years ago, Chris got me the most spectacular gift ever: tickets to see Little House on the Prairie, The Musical! Even though Melissa Gilbert didn't play Ma that night, it was ah-mazing. I credit Wilder for developing my passion for history and it is a secret wish of mine to travel around the Midwest visiting all of her "homes." Now, if I could only find a way to travel back in time....

4. I used to be (knock on wood) somewhat accident prone. Or, as my dad put it, "I liked to play (too) hard." For example, I have 2 screws in my foot and a bone floating in my butt cheek. Attractive right? Long story short, I pulled part of my hamstring from my pelvis - and it took some bone with it - hence the bone "floating" in my booty and I also broke my foot which needed two screws put in to heal. If I've learned anything from all of my broken bones and pulled muscles it is that crutches suck. Sure, they might be a good workout for your "good" leg (I became a pro at hopping around) and a great workout for your triceps, but they SUCK. Be safe out there (and knock on wood)!

 5. For those of you that don't know, Chris and I met in Greece and got in engaged in Greece. We met on a travel abroad summer trip through our undergraduate college and then went back there again when we graduated, where Chris decided to propose along the way... I think we have a pretty cute little love story, no? Either way, Greece should be on everyone's travel lists because it is seriously the best place ever (I'm not biased or anything). Beautiful landscapes, yummy food, and amazing history. I absolutely love it so if you are planning to go there and want travel tips feel free to ask me, but be prepared for some major ramblings!

One of my own photos of Oia, Santorini, Greece. Swoon.

6. As you might be able to tell from some of my posts, I really love to decorate and really love learning about interior design (my Google Reader is full of design bloggers and hello, HGTV!). Ever since I got my own room when I was 13 (?) I've had the itch to decorate. Back then, that meant that I spray painted my bed with textured paint akin to a popcorn ceiling, painted each wall of my room its own pastel color, and even painted my closet light blue, complete with clouds. Classy stuff, right? If only I had a picture! Now that I have my own home, I am absolutely loving the freedom to decorate however I want, although, I hope that my aesthetics have improved even slightly since that first bedroom!

7. Although I really really love living in DC 95% of the time, the 5% of the time that I miss living back in Missouri is when I think about my family and when I think about all of the great St. Louis food. Sure, DC has a great food scene, but when I want a simple sandwich there is no P'sghetti's or Mom's Deli to swing by. Or, when I want something really bad, I can't drive to a White Castle's or Imo's. And, when I just want a super delicious and easy finger food, I can't go out and buy some toasted ravs. I was hoping I would find food in DC that would curb my cravings for my St. Louis food, but I haven't found anything yet and I'm starting to think those places are irreplaceable...sigh. Anyone want to mail me some toasted ravs or Imo's?!?

My mouth is seriously watering just looking at this. Yummmmmy!

And, last but definitely not least, here are two recently discovered fellow bloggers that I would like to bestow this award on as well:

Lacey from A Little Bit of Lovely. I had the privilege to meet Lacey during our unfortunate trip back to MO earlier this summer and could not help but to stalk her via the blog-o-sphere when we returned. Her insightful and funny thoughts put a smile on my face!

Sara from Running from the Law. I stumbled upon Running from the Law when Sara blogged about her map wall,which I instantly fell in love with. Her design aesthetic is inspiration for my own home-making and her pups are too too cute! While I do not personally know Sara, I love her blog and I'm so glad I found it. Plus, she is from St. Louis which gives her mad points in my book!

Things I'm loving lately...

I know I've been a poor blogger lately, but I thought I didn't really have anything to write about.... Until I found some inspiration from a recent conversation g-chat with my trusty sister and uber-blogger, Danielle. (Thanks, Danielle!)

While there hasn't been too many exciting things going on in my life, there are some things that I've been loving on lately that I thought I could share with all of you:

#1. Insanity. Last summer I was looking for a way to get in shape and get into an exercise routine. I decided to buck-up and purchase Insanity by BeachBody. (You've probably been mesmerized by the infomercials just like I was . . . right?) Insanity has been compared to P90X, however, Insanity uses your own body as the strength training instead of weights and emphasizes cardio (or, so I've heard). The Insanity plan consists of 60 days of high intensity interval training divided into 2 months. Go ahead, you can laugh at the thought of me jumping around my living room and basement to an exercise video dvd, but Insanity is no Buns of Steel (and you really might want to watch the video on that link. Hil-larious!) Last summer, Insanity kicked. my. butt. After the first month of training, I thought I was doing great, and then I hit the second month whose exercises are absolutely brutal (in a good way, of course). I think I tweaked a muscle in my leg doing the half marathon earlier this spring which would hurt when I ran, but I still wanted needed to stay active. So, in true "Kristin" fashion, I decided to repeat Insanity. I've already done about 6 weeks and I feel great. Not only am I feeling and looking more in shape (I think), but I have to brag and say that I'm rockin' my workouts. Sure they are hard, and sure, sometimes my thighs or triceps or lungs are burning, but boy do I feel good afterward. Gotta love endorphins. I'm liking it so much that after I finish the remaining 2 weeks I must just repeat it. Or mix it with half marathon training, or yoga, or dance (see love #4 below).

#2. Green Smoothies. If you follow any nutrition or health blogs or news like I do, you've probably heard of the components and benefits of green smoothies. Basically green smoothies consist of raw veggies and fruit thrown in a blender. Not only are they good, but they are good for you. I've been cheating and easing my way into making real green smoothies with raw veggies and have been using the drink Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness with a little non-fat plain frozen yogurt (with active cultures, thank you Trader Joe's), and then chocolate protein powder. While it's not made with raw veggies and fruit, it's close enough for now and is definitely delicious and nutritious. I've been drinking it directly after my Insanity workouts as a way to get protein and nutrients into my body to recover. Yummy! Maybe I'll graduate to real green smoothies after I go grocery shopping . . .

#3. Pinterest.com. I love Pinterest. One blog that I follow and adore, Young House Love, has posted a few times about Pinterest, so I finally requested an invite to join and see what all the hype is about. And let me tell you, I instantly fell in love. Basically all it is is a collection of mood/inspiration boards of pictures online. So, when I find a great skirt at Gap, or the perfect designer room, I can "pin" them to my Pinterest boards. My favorite board that I've created is "Making My House My Home" where I'm pinning inspiration and ideas to decorate my house. Although, my "Yummy" board is looking pretty good right now... Anyway, I'm such a visual person that it is proving to be a great way to collect my ideas and see the patterns of my styles, likes, and desires. Check out my boards, or, better yet, request to join and follow me!

#4. SYTYCD. Yes, this might be a little over-the-top, but So You Think You Can Dance started Season 8 last night and I am so so so excited! Besides my new found obsession for the Bachelor/Bachelorette, SYTYCD is the only "contest" reality show I watch and I LOVE it. Every time I watch SYTYCD, I get a yearning to dance again . . . swoon. In preparation for this season, I looked up adult dance classes in the area and am prepared to start taking classes this summer just in case . . . I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, watch SYTYCD on Fox Wednesdays and Thursdays 8/7cst. (And, be prepared for some commentary posts about the show from me. I might not be able to resist!)

Anyway, those are things I am loving lately. I'll find more to write about soon. Promise ; )

Mint Julep Cupcakes!

So yesterday, I made Mint Julep Cupcakes for a Kentucky Derby party, and while they sound delicious, sadly they were only just "okay." (although, they look yummy, right?!)

First, I used a recipe I found on Hostess with the Mostest (I definitely cannot take credit for this masterpiece!). They looked super cute with the tiny straws and mint leaves, and, the silver wrappers were a perfect touch for that "julep" look. My problem with the cupcakes were that they were just too too minty. Don't get me wrong I LOVE mint; I love the smell of it, one of my favorite ice cream flavors is mint chocolate chip, I usually only chew mint-flavored gum, and don't get me started on how amazing Thin Mints are (thank you, Girl Scouts). But, these cupcakes were just too much. I mean, the recipe calls for bourbon and, unlike a real Mint Julep drink, you couldn't even taste the 1/2 cup of bourbon in it, but boy could you taste the mint!  So, below is the original recipe, along with my notes/edits:

MINT JULEP CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup bourbon (or whiskey)
• 1/2 cup Creme de Menthe 

Icing

• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mint extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• milk

Directions:
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350º F, and grease or line 30 cupcake cups.
Combine salt, baking powder, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup). Mix as little as possible (seriously), just until the batter comes together. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool & then icing.

Icing

Combine the powdered sugar, salt, extracts and melted butter and beat until creamy. Gradually add milk until the texture is right for piping. When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the icing on top. Garnish with cake sparkles or sprinkles, a straw (trimmed to size), and mint leaves.

Kristin's Notes

So, since I've noted how minty these cupcakes were, I would suggest changing a few things to the recipe if you try it out:

1. Make sure the butter for the batter is really soft (practically melted) so that it blends well!
2. Halve the the Creme de Menthe, OR, leave out the mint extract from the batter mix. The Creme de Menthe gives the batter the green color, so I wouldn't want to leave it out completely, but there is just a LOT of mint flavoring going into the batter so something needs to go (unless you LOVE mint!).
3. Maybe only use 1/2 cup of milk as well. There is so much liquid in the batter and even though I am not a "master-baker," I'm afraid that the liquid is causing too much steam/aeration to take place, which causes the cupcake to lose it's "fluffy" texture (although, cutting back on the Creme de Menthe would help this too).
4. Leave out the mint extract from the icing. The cupcakes have enough mint in the batter. (Again, unless you really LOVE mint.)

I will definitely be experimenting with these cupcakes again because not only are they great Derby cupcakes, but they would also be perfect for St. Patty's Day! (maybe some Irish Whiskey or Bailey's instead of bourbon!?)

Let me know if you try these out, and what you thought! ENJOY!

(PS - Chris' horse, Animal Kingdom, won the race so our lovely hosts are giving us a Derby Pie which is truly DELICIOUS!)

Tourist season is upon us . . .

Is winter, followed by summer these days? 8 days ago we woke up to a dusting of snow. Today it is supposed to get up to 80 degrees. What happened to spring? (80 degrees is "it's-pretty-much summer" weather to me.)

Anyway . . . despite the snow and 80 degree weather combo, Spring is finally upon us in DC. The key indicator being the Cherry Blossom Festival. It's a big deal here. A BIG deal. The news even reports the bloom schedule in the weeks leading up the "Peak" bloom dates. This is the 3rd year in which Chris and I have lived in the DC area and have had the joy of experiencing all that is the Cherry Blossoms (sarcasm font needed). Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful and are a great historical tradition in the city and even worth wrestling through crowds to see and photograph, but to me (and probably other Washingtonians), the Cherry Blossom Festival only means that from then until October you must avoid the National Mall and surrounding streets. Because, when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom, tourists take over.

Thunder clouds rolling over the Tidal Basin's Cherry Blossoms

For example, this past weekend Chris' mom made her annual trip to town to see the Cherry Blossoms. We walked the Tidal Basin, which was crowded but manageable. We used the metro, which was mildly crowded, but nothing crazy. And then, we decided to go to a "trendy" burger place for lunch - Good Stuff Eatery. We've been to Good Stuff before, and it is goooood. If you haven't heard of this place, it was opened by Top Chef Season 4 and Top Chef All Stars contestant, Spike Mendelsohn. They have fresh and yummy burgers (including an Obama Burger), hand-cut fries, and shakes to die for (I like the Milky Way shake with bits of actual Milky Way bar in it, Chris likes the Toasted Marshmallow shake, with a toasted marshmallow on top). Anywho, it's delicious and always has a crowd, but the crowd mob that was there on Saturday is the biggest I have ever seen. The line to order filled the entire first floor of the building and wrapped all the way outside to the corner of the street. We even watched a woman argue for our table. Awkward...

Anyway, the crowds at Good Stuff just bummed me out and reminded me that DC no longer belongs to Washingtonians. For the next 6 months it will belong to tourists. Which is fine. Heck, I was a tourist in DC not once, but twice, before we moved here. I get it. I'm just bummed that now I must navigate my way around town through the throngs of tourists lost on the corners of streets, going to my favorite places, and standing on the left of the metro escalators.

As Chris aptly stated, it is "time to put your patience-cap on" . . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

(It only took 10+ tries to get this photo . . .)

                                            
We "celebrated" Valentine's Day with some low-key, and low-cost, mini-dates this weekend:

• I taught Chris how to make my family's favorite meal of bacon, mashed potatoes, and green beans. And, to be some-what healthy we used fresh green beans and turkey bacon, mm mmm! (Recipe: fry up some chopped bacon and mix it in a pile of mashed potatoes and green beans. Easy schmeezy and yuuummmy!)
• For dessert we had mini-cheesecakes from Capital City Cheesecake. Yummy.
• We finally watched The Social Network. Which was so good. Thank you, Netflix!
• We enjoyed the nice weather and walked around Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle, stopping at The Brass Knob to check out, not buy, some architectural antiques and vintage house decorations. (Although, I do foresee a future project using some old porcelain doorknobs.)
• We also walked around and browsed the goods at Eastern Market and the Flea Market at Eastern Market, spotting a 1910 University of Missouri sports card that we may have to go back and get....
• And, we explored Barracks Row before popping in Ted's Bulletin for yummy adult milkshakes, a burger, and a homemade pop-tart!

While Chris and I don't do the stereotypical Valentine's Day celebrations of chocolate, dinner, champagne, jewelry, etc., we did take the time to do something we love doing together - exploring our new home. We hope everyone else gets the chance to share some time with the person and people that they love! Happy Valentine's Day!!