2 years ago today...

I married my high school sweetheart
Today is also the 8 year anniversary of our first date

And ironically enough, the weather today is like the weather on our wedding day.

A quick look back...

8 years ago...first day of senior year of high school - a couple weeks before we started dating

2 years ago...

Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband!!

family room carpet

as promised (and a little late), pictures of our family room put back together with the new carpet

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

If you haven't noticed, I've been in baking mode lately.  I can't help it - fall does that to me (even though it's about 85 and humid here today).

I always bring my baked goods into the office and the other day I had a few people ask me if I baked anything with pumpkin, since it's "that time of year".  I honestly never have because I don't like pumpkin and neither does MrT.  But in response to the not-so-subtle hinting by my friend, I decided to try it this weekend.

I browsed recipe sites for a highly rated pumpkin recipe (since I won't taste-test it, I wanted to be sure I picked something that was already tried-and-true).  I found THIS recipe and decided to give it a go.

Beware, the recipe makes a LOT of batter.  I made 3 mini loaves and 18 cupcake-sized muffins.  I hope my coworkers like it because they're getting it all!

Ingredients

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
3 C white sugar
2/3 C water 
3½ C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the pan(s) you'll be baking with or line cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar, and water.

3. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until well-blended.

5. Distribute batter evenly amongst the pans.  Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Baking times will vary based on pans used.  The mini loaves I made took about an hour (however, I believe this is due to the fact that I used disposable foil tins - based on size I thought it would only take about 45 minutes); the muffins took 30 minutes.

Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Found this draft unpublished from a month ago - not sure what I was waiting for!
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Like most of the recipes I have, I can't take credit for this one, I got it HERE.  I love it because the spices make it my kitchen smell wonderful.

I also can't tell you firsthand how these taste because I don't particularly like oatmeal raisin cookies.  But MrT requested them once so I found a recipe.  He loves these and so do some of the people I work with.  In fact, "love" may be an understatement - I brought a batch into the office a few weeks ago and they were gone by the following afternoon.  A good friend I work with had eaten 4 before he left work that day!

Ingredients
1 stick margarine (softened)
1 stick butter flavored shortening (I typically just use a stick of (real) butter, softened)
2 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
3 cups oats
1 cup raisins

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl, mix together margarine, butter, eggs, sugars, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Then add this mixture to the sugar mixture.  Mix well.

4. Mix in oats and then raisins.

5. Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I can take zero credit for this recipe, as I got it from my good friend, MrsD, but it's too delicious not to share!

One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is!  It's very easy when you need a quick dessert or need/want something to bake on a weeknight.

Ingredients

Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I used 3 bananas; frozen, then thawed)

Frosting
1 8-ounce package of regular cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease your desired baking pan: either a 13×9x2 inch pan, two 9-inch round layer pans, three 8-inch round layer pans, or line cupcake tins with liners.

Measure all cupcake ingredients into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend for 30 seconds on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next, beat for three minutes on high speed. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, or fill cupcake tins about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake oblong 45-50 minutes, layers 35-40 minutes, cupcakes 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on racks.

To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla, and blend. You may add extra sugar or add a little bit of milk to thicken or thin the frosting to the desired consistency. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Source: adapted from Vintage Victuals 

Enjoy!

bathroom progress - 95% complete

I am happy to report that after almost 2 months, our bathroom renovation is basically done.  The reason it's not 100% is because we're waiting for our shower head/tub spout set to be delivered and MrT still needs to hang the shower curtain rod (but drilling through porcelain tile is not easy.  It takes over 1 fully charged drill battery per hole.  He needs to drill 4 holes - he's done 1.  And he broke a drill bit.)

Long story short, we hired this plumber.  He was good in the beginning, got the plumbing in, etc.  Then he had to wait on us before coming back to finish.  We had to do the electrical work, new walls, tile, etc.  Basically he just had to come back at the end to hook up the sinks and the shower.  Well, we've been ready for him for about 4 weeks now.  Week 1 - he just plain forgot.  Week 2 - he apparently hurt himself and spent all day at the hospital.  Week 3 - he was later than he'd planned to be and we were having people over so we told him not to come.  Week 4 - we didn't hear from him (and still haven't - and it's been 9 days since we last talked to him).

So MrT decided to take matters into his own hands.  We've been talking about him finishing it for a couple of weeks now, but we kept thinking the plumber was coming THIS time.  But when T couldn't get a hold of him at the end of last week, that was the last straw.

To say I love it is an understatement.  I stand in there and stare at it on no less than 2 occasions per day.  I can now brush my teeth, use the toilet, and do my hair in there.  And hopefully after this weekend, I can shower and even take a bath!

Without further ado - pictures!

In the midst of this project, we also got new carpet (I think I mentioned that in my last post with the pictures of the hardwood floors.  Well the new carpet was installed last Thursday and I am in love with that too.  I don't have pictures of the room set up yet, but here is my beautiful new carpet, in all its glory!

Before:

After:

more pictures tomorrow probably with the furniture back in place!