Improving on Perfection

A few posts ago, I told my readers the way to make ding dong cup cakes. Scooping out the middle, adding the filling, warming the icing...well, I've improved what I thought was the perfect way to do it!

Some of my readers have asked me about the way I make my cake mix for the cup cakes. Yes, this is true. All I use is diet cola!

One box of cake mix
12 ounces of diet pop (1 1/2 cups)

That's it!

Mix one box of cake mix with the diet pop. If you are using a white cake mix, use diet 7 Up or diet sprite. For a dark cake mix, use diet coke or Pepsi. I have used root beer because that was all I had at the time and everything turned out fine. The cup cakes tasted great!

What I've made easier is the way you add the filling. I purchased an icing bag with the little attachments to make the decorations on a cake. I use the one with the biggest hole in it, fill my bag with the filling, then stick the tip into the cup cake, squeeze until the cup cake expands and begins to crack, then I stop. The filling is in the cup cake...without the mess! No scooping, no packing the cake back into the hole, and NO MESS!

I still heat my fudge chocolate icing for about 15 seconds to get it a little smoother and easier to spread. Stir the icing and spread onto each cup cake.

Last week for Christmas I made around 80 cup cakes in one evening and was done before I knew it! I gave most of those away to my great friends for their holiday enjoyment!

Tonight I made about 50, to give away again tomorrow. This time I got a little fancy:





Be prepared. I just might be knocking on your door again tomorrow with an awesome treat for you!

Happy New Year to everyone. May you be blessed in the new year with everything you attempt. May your health be perfect and may you be surrounded with love from great friends and family!

Time for Some Rest and Relaxation

The tree is down, in the box, and in storage for another 11 months. The gifts are washed, or put together, or in their proper places until they need to be used again. The carpet is swept, the dishes are done and put away, and the 2009 Christmas season is now a memory...and a good one it is!

I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas with friends and family. Again this year we were blessed by everyone that came to visit with us, telephoned, or sent a card. Friends and family from Florida, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Kentucky and of course Indiana made this season special.

Today we are preparing to spend a quiet, relaxing, couple days at our favorite Inn, Spring Mill. The heated pool, game room, dining area, or just some quiet time in our room. It all awaits us as we make our way southwest. Yes, it's time for some rest and relaxation!

Favorite Time of the Year!

I love this time of year and I also love shopping on Christmas Eve. Ric and I have always went to the stores on Christmas Eve. We never need anything, yet we still go to enjoy the people.

For the last 15 years we have taken Patrick. Now, like us, he enjoys his shopping experience almost as much as we do!

When we left the home this morning, this is what I saw:



Almost a roll over!

As we continued to Clarksville it kept rolling:



Tada! 100,000 miles!



Whew! What a ride!!



Finally we arrived to our destination to begin our shopping:



Once inside there was several in line to see Santa and give him their last minute requests. Some weren't too happy to tell him what they wanted...



...while others brought along their beloved pets:



I really wish I could have read Santa's mind in the above photo!

Ric was involved in some last minute shopping...



...and it looks like he thinks he's found a bargain:



Patriots vs Colts??? Both of these guys look a little confused with their surroundings:



We took a little breather:



A few of my favorite shots:



This one is for Shelley:



and a much better angle:



He's off shopping again:



...then back for a rest:



Sometimes I would really like to know what he's thinking:



And finally...



...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

Be thankful...always!

Friends II

More good times are always had when Shelley and I are together.



When this photo was taken is no exception. This is the best of the three shots taken, or should I say, the only one worth posting, lol. I'm sure sometime in the near future the other 2 will surface somewhere :-P

It's always fun to visit with great friends and share memories from the past and make new ones to talk about the next time we are together. Thanks to Shelley and Perry for making this a fun evening and a great memory!

Friends

Good times:



It's always fun when good friends get together. There is always laughter and new memories are made. Tonight was no exception!

Thanks to some great friends!

New Equipment!

I'm pretty excited today. I ventured outdoors and got some fantastic (or at least I think they are) shots with my NEW camera!



My new Canon Rebel XS is amazing.



I also purchased a zoom lens for the far away shots.



It's easy when you are quick with an unwilling participant.



God makes it easy if you are in the right place at the right time.



And some shots are just fun to take.



Check back soon for some new shots with my new equipment! The new adventure continues!!!

It's Up!

When I came home Thursday evening, my son had a surprise for me! Last year we had went Christmas shopping at the Clarksville Bass Pro Shop and noticed their trees. My husband and son took notes of a particular one that caught their eye.

If you know my husband and son, you know they love to hunt and fish. It doesn't matter if it's cold outside, rainy weather, snow on the ground, or 99 degrees with the sun bearing down. Day or night, they will hunt or fish if they have a spare moment.

So, since you know that,this should make sense to you:



Patrick calls it our 'Red Neck' Christmas tree. Notice the bobbers, shot gun shells and the angel, err, the Red Man camo hat on the top, and yes, that is a fish strainer as the garland!

I can just hear Patrick telling my grandchildren about his red neck tree when he was a child! Ahhh, the memories!

Thoughts...

I've not been ignoring my blog lately...I have alot on my mind. Friends, family, former co-workers, neighbors and Paul Graupe have been on my mind lately.

Paul is the missing Austin man people have been looking for the past couple weeks. I went to school and graduated with Paul in 1978. Sort of lost track with him, as most do once you graduate.

When I started working for the Town in the 90's, I started seeing Paul again when he'd come in to pay his utility bill. It was the same Paul I hadn't seen for years. Kind, generous, and always worried about how everyone else was doing.

I was shocked to hear and see the information of the missing Austin man the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This couldn't be the same Paul I knew. Sure enough it was.

This is a picture that has been posted on several blogs, facebook pages, and on the news. Look closely. If you know his whereabouts, or know anything about his disappearance, please call the police!



My prayers will continue for Paul and his family.