Easter Hoppin'

Easter is always one of my favorite holidays...Between the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs and Jellybeans those two things come close to crowing Easter on their own! 

This Easter Sunday happened to be a beautiful, wonderful, warm and blue bird day. The crocus flowers enjoyed themselves...

Dyeing Easter eggs...Even at age 19 I still make my mom wait for me to join in on the fun!

Easter seems to play the sweet music of spring time finally showing its wonderful change of weather...be it sunny and warm or raining/snowing in the next ten minutes! It's Utah.

This year gave me the chance to try out cute new baking cups (new favs) and a new yummy recipe. These cupcakes turned out deliciously moist and full of flavor with the perfect touch of smooth Cream Cheese Frosting. Also a healthier alternative to the normal cupcake, seeing this one has carrots in it. Go ahead, treat yourself to two for your veggie intake of the day! This recipe comes from Smithfield.com

The Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup apple sauce

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 8-oz. can of crushed pineapple, well drained

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Small pinch of ground cloves

• 3 cups grated carrots, grate on larger side of cheese grater

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• For Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pile the frosting high on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the toasted coconut if desired.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars, pineapple and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and small pinch of ground cloves. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into muffin tin lined with beautiful paper or foil liners. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 min. Let cupcakes cool completely. While cooling, prepare frosting.
Frosting: 
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

I decorated the cupcakes with a large round tip and topped it off with chocolate shavings to represent a nest with two cadburry eggs in the middle.

They were a success! I would give this recipe a 10 out of 10 and encourage you all to try this delicious somewhat healthy cupcake! 

At the end of yesterday's beautiful Easter Sunday full of laughter, yummy food, gorgeous spring weather, and family I find myself grateful and feeling more blessed than ever! Here is a selfi-Sunday pic....Couldn't resist!

Love Is In the Air

Like every love story...this one has a beginning, middle, and a happily ever after. It begins with a girl and boy venturing out on their own to find the adventures of life. Jami came from the far away land Queen Creek, Arizona...Austin from little old Logan, Utah. They first crossed paths on their missions in the Netherlands. Coincidence? Maybe...

It wasn't until later they captured one anothers hearts...We have watched Jami and Austin grow together as one for an entire year!! Austin was whooped. They both agreed it was time to seal the deal. I was lucky enough to be apart of the proposal and watch from a safe distance. The air was freezing and almost unbearable that chosen night. Austin and Jami would soon be sledding down into an open field with candles lit in the shape of a heart...There in the middle Austin proposed to the love of his life.

They were beaming from ear to ear....Talk and plans of wedding were on the countdown. This is where they asked me to become part of their fairytale day. 

For some reason or another I have gotten into baking, I quite love it actually. Austin and Jami wondered if I could and or would bake cupcakes for their wedding reception. I gleefully accepted the challenge of baking 500 cupcakes, three different kinds. Have you ever seen 500 cupcakes? Me neither... till now. The flavors?

 Banana Cream Pie: Banana cake with and graham cracker crust, banana pastry filling, whipped cream frosting, topped with toasted coconut. 

Skore Cake(Austin's fav): Chocolate cake with a caramel center, bits of heath candy bar, with a whipped cream frosting.

Stroopwaffel(it's a Dutch treat from the Netherlands): Cinnamon caramel cake, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, topped with a cut out heart shape in the Stroopwaffel cookie, drizzeled with caramel sauce.

I bravely took the challenge to bake all of these. Yes, they are all made from scratch. I began in mid February baking 2-3 batches and then freezing them. On the day of the wedding they were set out to thaw.

(this isn't even all of them...this is about 350)

Due to the whipped cream frosting it was extremely important to frost the cupcakes as fresh as possible. The morning consisted of setting out butters and cream cheeses to become room temperature. It was getting near time to get myself put together and head to the temple to see the beautiful couple.

We all took position to be ready to greet the new bride and groom...It was a little brisk-which of course I forgot my jacket....

Dear sweet Cole...Just as handsome as his older brothers! This will be his first time he gains a sister-in-law and he's pretty excited.

Grandma Elaine poses with Ian...They both are good looking people who I absolutely adore!

Aunt Pattie, Uncle Todd, and my dad Jeff wait patiently while giving advice to the camera about marriage... I can only imagine what they have to say!

Grandma Elaine has attended many of the cousins weddings with many more to come.

Such a good looking couple...I will be expecting beautiful babies! They add more vibrance to our already colorful family

I love the pictures when the groom can't take his eyes off his bride!

Another adorable couple Channing and Jaren...what cuties!

A couple quick family pictures and I'm off back to home to begin the messy task of making the frosting and the actual game time of frosting the cupcakes. This was unfortunately the part where I had to stay home and miss the family dinner. Hey, you need fresh frosting! That is my name and rep that people will be eating!

I called for more reinforcement troops to help me get to the finish line on time.

I frosted like a mad woman and finished just before the reception got into full swing...I breathe a heavy sigh of relief realizing that maybe I had almost bit off more than I could chew.

With the 511 cupcakes, to be exact, out of the way won and done it was time to have some fun!

My cute mom and my adorable grandparents...However Teresa is looking a little tipsy with those eyes? Mom who gave you the bubbly tonight?!

One of my most absolute favorite parts of being part of the wedding party is the flowers you get to take home...

As the night came to a close...we were all pretty exhausted wanting only to sit down and not lift a finger.

But I think I can make an exception and lift a finger to take a cute picture with the Big E...Here's to the bride and groom, may the odds be ever in your favor! As far as cupcakes go, I don't want to bake one or eat one for a LONG time! Thank you Austin and Jami for giving me the opportunity to see what I could actually do with my baking. Cupcake Wars? Nope. Nope. Nope. Oh and another nope.

It's a little late to tell you about my new resolutions, goals, and traditions to be carried out for the year of 2013, buuuttt....I'm gonna let you in on one of my new favorites for this year. Red Lip Friday. Yes, you heard me, it has officially been dubbed Red Lip Friday. 

You may wonder what and why Red Lip Friday is a thing. Well, one day I was pondering about all the crazy things we do up at our home turf Beaver Mountain and I thought to myself, we need something to set us apart from the rest of the skiers. Something new. Something bold. Thus the red lipstick idea was born. 

The red lips are to be worn every Friday, and every Friday is a day to be skied at the infamous Beaver Mountain. Before we take off to ski, we apply the ever moisturizing Jiggy Stick , following with the rich color red lipstick named "Red Zin" Sometime be sure to ask us the story of trying on EVERY single tint of red in the makeup store Ulta. We ended the night looking like clowns...

 

As we jump in line to aboard the ski lift, the lifties appropriately gives us a hard time about our freshly applied lipstick. Asking if "they could have some?" Nice try lifties...no kisses for you!

We have established a name for ourselves on the mountain known as the "Lipstick Girls" It's got a nice ring to it...

Be it snowing, blowing, shining, or bitterly cold we proudly wear our red lipstick every Friday, skiing to our hearts content. 

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."

-Liz Taylor

These ski days give me time to enjoy the beautiful nature and literally pull myself together after a long week of work and school. 

(and by pouring a drink I mean pouring myself a nice Diet Coke) 

I can't help but think that a certain red head would love this new Red Lip Friday tradition of daring the new red lip look while skiing and enjoying every second of it.

At the end of the day the saying runs through my mind, "Classy, Sassy, and a little Smart-assy." You could say we are trying to follow through with that...What is it that you love about the New Year?

Well folks, as I come to the conclusion of this Fall 2012 semester I can only think but of one thing...Where the did time go? Have I really grown up this much? I review my years in all their simplicity and realized just how much I underestimate the growing up process. Whether they be simple life lessons or huge impacts on your life that you never dreamed would happen to you, they all change you for the better.

To my simple days of having my family as my best friends. I learned from a young age that family is here to stay forever and no matter what I love them. 

My beginnings at kindergarten...socks with sandals I learned, was a big no no. 

From the endless summers at the family cabin I learned to appreciate the beauty of fun, sun, summer, family, and that laughing can cure anything. 

From simple beginnings freshman year of high school. The loss of a friend will force you to grow up in ways you could never imagine. You learn the important things of life and see the bigger picture. You learn that through it all there are people who care all around and the saying "Go Big or Go Home" can apply to any part of your life. 

A trip to Europe to see the world and understand that where we live is a blessing I count everyday. 

 

A summer you will never forget with friendship and so much fun it's hard to believe you fit it all in 3 months. 

The humanitarian trip to help others in need and again realize how good we have it and the importance of reaching out a hand to those who need help. 

My years at Logan High learning the importance of friends, family, school, and putting in passion to what you want to do with your life. 

 

The first year of college where you learn the adjustments of finding out about hard work, dedication, and dating the many boys on campus! 

 

And how could one forget the summer you moved out for the first time and worked your butt off all while having a blast living in a trailer, exploring Yellowstone Park, making new friends, memories and spending ample times on the lake. The summer you learned about getting along with everybody and how hard it is to live too close to friends.

The  most recent...Getting in my first car crash with the Aggie Shuttle is just another thing that adds character in your life, no matter how embarrassing it was, and no matter how hard you cried when you called your mom.

 

 All the way to the now where new family members are added to the group and you are in your 2nd year of college wondering what is the next step. Every little thing we do in our lives teaches us something new be it small or large. I have come to find being happy is a choice of how you live and what you do with what you have in the now. To truly be happy you have to find the joys in everything, be a friend, and push forward with all you have. 

One of the best things I have ever read was this, "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit...what a ride!" 

Now...back to studying for finals and quit procrastinating.

A Beautiful Birthday....

 

Yes, a tad late but a memory never to be forgotten.

 

 

Jiggy Day is all about going big, doing someething that makes you feel fearless. Also a time to reflect on the soul of someone who taught you so many life lessons it's impossible to put it all down on one blog. Jocie would be turning 20 on this beautiful day. Last year we took on the adventure of sky diving for her birthday. How do you top that? You can't, it's nearly impossible. However hiking the Wellsvilles comes pretty close.

 

 

The Wellsvilles are said to be the steepest mountains in the world. Naturally, if were going big it's best to take on the steepest mountains in the world. No doubt in my heart and mind, Jocie would be here every step of the way to reach the top with us.

 

 

With ski poles in hand we hiked a slow steady pace. Leaving at 3 P.M was not exactly the brightest decision which you can ask me personally at a later date. Let's just say it was one of the many things that added to this memory.

 

It was a beautiful day to hike. On Jiggy Day, no questions asked you are going to end up doing something crazy, fun, and hilarious.

 



 

Along the way Sid and I run into some jumpy grouse. Flying in front of us they scared us so bad I fell flat on my butt...Yeah not a shining moment in my life.

 

 

As you get closer to the top you are surrounded by evil bushes that feel like needles. If you are fun size in height, like Sid and I, you will be walking through a maze of bushes. At this point due to the time of day, it was getting quite cold and shaded on the side of the mountain the trail leads through. Our legs were getting scratched by imagination cats.

 

 

Once feeling as though the top of the Wellsvilles would never come the view of Brigham City and Willard Bay come into view. A feeling of complete satisfaction and that "ahhhh" moment fill your body. Before the hike I made a sign of "Go Big or Go Big Home" on a scrap piece of fabric which we then tied to our hiking ski poles. For Jocie we leave our mark at the top knowing full-heartedly she would be there right with us every step of the way.

 

 

It was a gorgeous evening that could not be topped. "Go Big or Go Home" is a simple phrase. One I try to live by every single day of my life. It's hard to believe how much time has passed. Some days I feel as though it was just yesterday we were all skiing together and times when it feels distant...

 

 

As we begin the descent down, the sun illuminates our surroundings. Tears fill my eyes as I look around and soak it all in. It's amazing to me that even when their was a time in life that was sad, overwhelming, confusing, and life changing there is still things in this life that are beautiful.

 

 

On Jiggy Day it's a time to remember that life is full of fun, love, laughter, joy, beauty, family, faith, friendships, adventure, spontaneity, and doing the best you possibily can.

 

 

After a traditional Jiggy Day eating at Angie's for a breakfast dinner we retire our shoes and socks to reveal absolutely FILTHY feet. Mother Teresa was not pleased to hear we walked across the carpet.

 

 

Jiggy Day gives you the chance to remember a girl who lived and loved so deeply for the people and life around her. I will forever miss our skiing days...

 

"So much of me is made from what I learned from you. You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine, by being my friend..."