Cupcakes and Commentary |

Weekend adventures

September 18, 2017 No Comments

We’re at the point in the year where all of us are two feet jumped in with work, school, volunteering, sports, etc. so my blog is on a bit of the back burner at the moment. However, in a few weeks I’ll have some fun fall posts to share, so stay tuned! Until then, I’m playing catch up with our weekend highlights.

J got the golden star at his soccer game for scoring five goals! This kid LOVES soccer.

We celebrated B’s birthday and I surprised him and the boys with a Nintendo Switch:

B’s parents came into town for the weekend and we hiked part of Monte Sano during their visit:

And checked out the stream below:

Adventures in cub scouting, Favorite Recipes, Mini Cupcakes

This and that

September 13, 2017 No Comments

This is one of my current favorite meatless meals:

Trader Joe’s cooked harvest grains + diced tomato can + laughing cow herb & garlic cheese in a red pepper baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. So good!

That is J climbing a rock wall barefoot:

And this was the first time A whittled with a knife for Cub Scouts:

Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Four fall sweaters

September 12, 2017 No Comments

In anticipation of approaching fall weather (these sweaters are actually more for our winter here), I’m updating my sweater wardrobe. I already bought 3 (Target!) and 4 (Banana Republic). Both have a slightly 1980s fit, but still slim enough that I wasn’t swimming in them. Number 2 is in my Jcrew shopping cart, I love the details on the collars and pockets. And finally number 1 is on my Christmas wish list. It’s a splurge, but so pretty!

Family Style

Blevins gap nature preserve

September 11, 2017 No Comments

After J did well hiking the Keel Mountain Preserve, we decided to test out the Blevins Gap Nature Preserve. This trail has a significant amount of elevation, and is about two hours round trip. It is quite shaded, which was nice, and has a spectacular view of our city at the top.

The beginning of the trail is sunny and open…

But a few minutes in…

You can see a difference! Much shadier. After awhile on a straight path, we started heading up the incline:

And found a cave along the way:

And after awhile we finally reached the top:

Gorgeous view at the top of the rock!

Friday Favorites

September 8, 2017 No Comments

J making a careful choice of what to use his Target gift card on after getting his flu shot.

It’s finally Fall temps here, so I already have my eye on the perfect winter jacket.

The sheet pan chicken I’m cooking next week, and the skillet chicken Parmesan I made this week.

Styling a floral midi dress here and here

I reference this book when discussing the walls of my work building. I feel like I need to read it again as an adult to see if I’m indeed accurate with my comparison.

I laughed so much over these Game of Thrones memes.

Prepping our yard for Fall, and it feels like Fall! This week, anyway.

These tahini cookies would be a great way to use tahini, besides making hummus.

And finally, A asked at dinner why he needed to learn cursive, and like magic I found an article.

Family Style, Favorite Recipes

Having our cake

September 5, 2017 No Comments

So besides it being Auburn’s first football game this weekend…

We also celebrated my 35th birthday! Thirty five doesn’t seem right, but so it is! A’s about to be nine, y’all. Nine.

So besides opening presents and general birthday chaos,

B made me an amazing brisket, and I made my own cake with some help from J.

There’s recipe I got from my sister and it’s essentially a combination of this Mix and Match Mama recipe (minus the vanilla bean paste), and this Kevin and Amanda frosting (with butter instead of Crisco). I made it in sheet pan form and followed the lowest time on the funfetti box. It is so good! Especially with ice cream. Perfect for celebrating half-way to forty!

Favorite Recipes, How was your weekend?, Mini Cupcakes

This and that

August 29, 2017 No Comments

This week J started soccer (year 3), he is so pumped about this season!

We tested out campfire recipes, some that worked out (apples) and some that didn’t (hot dogs):

Sliced apples with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, wrapped tightly with foil and roasted for 4-6 minutes:

That we snacked on while star gazing, after a little bit of basketball playing and bike riding:

School is back in session, but we are still relishing in the last of summer.

Mini Cupcakes

Total eclipse of the sun

August 28, 2017 No Comments

While we didn’t experience totality of the solar eclipse, 97% was pretty awesome. We checked the boys out early from school and watched the eclipse on tv and studied its movement outside with pin holes, a colander, and our eclipse glasses. The boys are already looking forward to the next eclipse in 2024!

Seriously. Fashion. Love.

Beauty insider

August 22, 2017 No Comments

I could also call this “confessions of a beauty junkie”, however I have to say that my make-up choices have refined over the years and settled down a bit. Yet, I can still remember my first NARS eyeshadow purchase, and dropping sixty dollars on Dior shadow without batting an eyelash as a college student. Now, I stick tend to stick to my tried and true favorites, NARS and Urban Decay shadows, Anastasia brows, Maybelline mascara, and L’Oréal foundation. Yup, my foundation is cheap, and honestly it works as well as the fifty dollar ones I’ve tried. And believe me I’ve tried them! I’m much more discerning with new trends now, because I don’t like the clutter in my make-up drawer. However, this past weekend, while picking up my Sephora moisturizer, I grabbed this:

And I tried it out on Sunday with my Sephora birthday sample gloss:

And it was awesome. It didn’t budge all day. And my lips didn’t feel dry or cakey like most lip primers. I’m considering it my new favorite!

Favorite Recipes

Turkey calzones

August 21, 2017 No Comments

This dinner is sooo easy, perfect for a hot weeknight when I really didn’t want to make a huge meal. It’ll be ready in twenty minutes or less!

Ingredients

Turkey slices

Cheddar cheese slices

Thin pizza dough from the tube

Egg wash (egg mixed with 1 tsp water)

Marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat oven according to pizza dough directions. Heat marinara sauce in a pot on low on the stove. Roll out dough on a floured cutting board and cut into four equal pieces. Layer turkey slices (I did four) and cheddar cheese slices (two) on each piece, then fold in half. Press edges closed with the back of a fork. Cut a small slit in the top and then brush the egg wash on each calzone. Place on a nonstick pan (or nonstick foil on a pan) and bake for about 12-15 minutes (check periodically to make sure they don’t burn). Serve warm with marinara to dip!