Bittersweet Farewells

This week was my last week at my job here and I had to say some "keep in touch" farewells to some great friends I've made here. Thankfully, with all of the ways we have to stay in touch these days, we won't be "far" away in the social media world, but it's a change for sure. I'm a very relational person so my friendships are dear to my heart so the good news is we can keep in touch. Friends - if you're reading- you all mean a lot and have a piece of my heart:)

Minnesota and I on the other hand, aren't good friends at the moment. This week has been dreary, rainy, gray skies and chilly. I'm ready for summer warmth and it isn't here in the Twin Cities yet! We've seen a few glimpses, but it's been back and forth. And remember, our apartment turned off the heat (with no going back) early in May. We've had some of the coldest nights in our apartment since then without heat! Texas has plenty of that warm air for us though, so I'm preparing to jump right into summer this coming week.

Minneapolis vs Dallas:

Notice the Minneapolis highs are just about the Dallas Lows. I cannot wait to feel the warmth! 

Here are some of our rainy dreary (April-like!) days in photos lately...

Last Saturday:

Wednesday:

My body doesn't love this type of weather either. Too many rainy {and painful} days for me lately.

Signs of spring are still happening around here though. These little buds from last weekend...

 ...Turned into beautiful blossoms this weekend. So precious and full of life.

That's the blessing of spring we've waited for during our {LONG} winter months. New growth and everything coming back to life. It's a beautiful process (...minus the long winter part...).

Back to the farewells - my co-workers joined together for a going away happy hour that made my heart happy! These friends are great and will be missed. 

 I also had a great dinner {that was nearly rained out toward the end - ha!} with two sweet friends I met within weeks of moving here nearly a year and a half ago. These girls are funny, are adorable fashionistas and have such big hearts. 

I hope you all know you're invited to Texas anytime you want ;) Friends grow the heart bigger and deeper, I've definitely felt that living here.

I have to throw in a photo of this adorable dog that belongs to one of my friends from work. Does he not melt your heart?! Oh my goodness, that face. Someone help me convince Nick that we need a dog when we get settled into our new place ;)

 

Take-out cashew chicken we enjoyed last weekend. Oh my deliciousness, it was so good. 

This post has already gotten long, but I can't pass this week without mentioning the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday. My heart completely broke watching coverage of the recovery efforts that night, the clean up as the week as gone on, etc. We've driven through Moore so many times on our way to and from Dallas and it's just hard to imagine living through/in that area right now. They're in our prayers.

My aunt and uncle were visiting my parents in Dallas last week for a vacation and actually drove home (back to Iowa) on Monday. They passed through Moore (driving on I-35, which the tornado crossed) a few hours before the tornado touched down. Too close for comfort. 

I watched many videos this week (I'm sure many of you have too), I thought I would share these (from youtube) if you hadn't seen them:

A blogger I follow lives in Oklahoma (I think about an hour from Moore) and posted this post with photos that show more of the devastation. Not to mention the lives lost in that tornado. So hard to grasp. Our prayers have been going to all of the families affected by all of this severe weather, especially in Moore. I read that more than 13,000 homes are damaged or destroyed from that tornado. It heavies my heart, but I know how communities can rally together and that sounds like what is happening in Moore. 

Now, I have to get to packing/organizing, etc. Honestly, I haven't started, I've been so exhausted. We have some time in our timeline before we're out of here completely (though I'll go down earlier to start my new job), but we have some work to do:)

Today's Pinspiration:

(Pinterest source)

(Pinterest source)

Cowboy Cookies and Our Move to the Land of Cowboys!

The first item on the agenda is to announce.. 

that we're moving back to Texas! 

This is very bittersweet for us as we've learned so much and enjoyed so many friendships during our time in the Twin Cities over nearly the past year and a half. We are also excited for our future. Texas has been on our hearts for quite a while and this spring has been {really rough} for my fibro symptoms. We're looking forward to the nicer weather year round, being closer to my parents, and for future opportunities as well. 

If you're counting, this is our 4th move (across the country) since just before we were married in 2009. It's been a wild ride, especially for the two of us, who are known to prefer stability over spontaneity:) God is growing us new skills or shaping us one way or another through it all, and we're thankful He's guiding our steps in this process.

My phone crashed last week, we think because it didn't have enough space left to save to "the cloud" (I had nearly 5,000 photos on it... since I got the phone last September... don't judge;)). My sweet husband, despite all going on in our lives right now spent some time helping me restore my phone. Thankfully, everything saves onto my computer too so everything was backed up/saved, but we had to re-load my contacts, apps, etc. I had fun exploring with some new apps like the one I edited above. Note to self: delete photos from phone more often... :)

We also made it up to a record breaking 98 degrees this week which felt lovely - my bones finally thawed from this long winter! Our apartment has now gone from 60 degree to 80 degrees in just one week - I completely prefer the 80 degrees! 

A fun weather related comparison...
April 23rd:

May 10th: 

I made these cookies last week that happen to be pretty fitting with our news:
Cowboy Cookies

These cookies made an appearance on the blog in this post about gifts I made for family members with the cookie ingredients in the jar (such cute and convenient gift items). I hadn't made the cookies prior to giving them, but they had great reviews so I was confident they'd be good. 

I've been seriously missing out by not making these until now! Nick said they're the best cookies I've made, then corrected himself, saying "the best gluten free ones" haha:) I think they're great and they definitely don't taste gluten or dairy free. They're just delicious! 

Ingredients

  Liquid:
1/2 cup melted butter (I use Earth Balance (dairy free) - you could use regular)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

  Dry:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/3 cups gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill - you could use regular flour too)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand (dairy/soy free))
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 and 1/3 cups rolled oats

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together liquid ingredients, then stir in the dry ingredients, using hands to mix if necessary. Shape into walnut sized balls. Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheets (or use parchment paper on the cookie sheet- my fave for easy cleanup!). Bake for 11 - 13 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy these tasty cookies! 

Today's Pinspiration:

(Etsy source)

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes {gluten and dairy free!}

So many things to catch up on, where to start?!

I'll start with cookies:) I've been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately (recipes coming soon!). 

Chocolate Chip

Cowboy Cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip)

Trisha Yearwood's Fancy Chili

I got a pedicure a few weekends ago with my co-workers (I realized I hadn't had one since before Nick and I were married - over 3.5 years ago which seems crazy!). 

Our lovely landlord turned off our heat to our building. But we live in Minnesota and it's still been cold here. I was completely bundled in numerous layers to survive the weekend inside our apartment. I didn't even complain about it (ok.. that was sarcastic.. I totally complained - sorry honey:)).

Yesterday was Fibromyalgia Awareness Day! I wore my purple today (since I wore my PJs yesterday.. :)) to support it. The butterfly is also a recognized symbol for fibromyalgia. One day, fibro will no longer have a grip on me. 

(source)

The good news is that our high jumps from 70 today to 92 tomorrow and I'm quite excited about it! I got a pedicure you know and I've hardly been able to show to the world yet with chillier temps! Things are also finally turning green outside (longest winter evvvvverrrrr).

Speaking of things I've baked lately, these cuties really take the cake! Cupcake that is ;)

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

I baked these for a co-workers birthday a few weeks ago. OMGosh, if you like chocolate, make these. You won't regret it. 

I texted another co-worker to see what the birthday girl's favorite flavor was. Chocolate. So I went for it! The more chocolate, the merrier. 

These cupcakes are so dense, filling, and satisfying, I must say.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour (or regular if you eat gluten)

2 1/2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (I didn't add this since I used salted butter)

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (mine is Ghirardelli's 72% cocoa (dairy free))

11 tbs Earth Balance butter (or regular dairy butter)

3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin pan with liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave in 15 second increments until it is melted and smooth (careful not to overcook). Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, 10-15 mins.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour mixture until no traces of flour remain; do not over mix.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 fill. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 22-24 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes and transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. While they cool, whip up the buttercream frosting below. 

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar

8 tbs Earth Balance Butter (or regular)

2 1/2 tbs almond milk (or regular), plus more if needed

Cocoa powder - I didn't measure, but maybe added 2-3 tbsp

Hershey's syrup (optional) - I didn't measure, but maybe added 1 tbsp (I tasted the frosting and tweaked it until I liked the amount of chocolate flavor)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt 

1 dash of cinnamon (optional - I just love it)

Mini chocolate chips as garnish - grated chocolate would be really cute on top too!

Directions:

Have all ingredients at room temperature

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, almond milk, and the vanilla and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Then add the cocoa powder, let that get mixed in well, and add the hershey's syrup (this is optional) and allow it to mix together. When you like the chocolate flavor you've reached, increase the speed to medium and beat until you reach your desired consistency, adding more milk or powdered sugar if needed. 

I put the frosting into a ziplock baggie and cut off the corner to use to pipe on the frosting. I start on the outside, making a large circle, and keep circling in until you get to the middle, I typically build the middle a little higher for fun. I added the chocolate chips individually to get them to stick into the frosting.

I ended up having a little bit of frosting left over (warning - this frosting is highly addictive, and once you eat one spoonful, it may be difficult to stop). It's great on cookies, graham crackers, etc. to use up any extra. 

You've got to try these ones. 

Today's Pinspiration:

From Instagram - credit on photo

Hello Spring and Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I'm jumping on quickly because it feels like so long since I've updated and I have so many delicious recipes to share and things to update on. 

Here's a recipe that is great for this spring weather we've been enjoying lately!

These are Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps I've posted about before. Definitely worth trying if you haven't already!

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 celery rib
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 16 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Tabasco sauce)

For the wraps:

• 6 large lettuce leaves, Bibb or Iceberg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (I used these on our first servings, but ran out so didn't have them for the photo)
• 2 large celery ribs, cut into 2 inch matchsticks (same for these)

Directions:
In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough), and I added some hot sauce here too which I really liked. Cover and cook on high 4 hours, or low for 8 hours (I did low).

Use large lettuce leaves, or as I did below for leftovers, I used the smaller pieces which I really liked too, and add the chicken and the shredded carrots and celery. 

More to come and many delicious recipes to be posted soon! 

Today's Pinspiration