Happy Birthday to my Husband!!!!

What If....

When Art & I started dating I remember him asking me how I felt on 9-11? My reply was scared.  Art's answer was ANGRY and that those bastards needed to die.  I didn't understand why he felt so angry, but today I can understand more of his anger. While people around the World are celebrating the death of Osama I feel angry!!!!  Yes, I am glad the monster is dead, but it doesn't fix the past 10 yrs.

Our world was completely turned upside down almost 10 years ago.  We can't live with the what ifs, but I can't help to think what if.  What if the monster has been killed 10 yrs earlier. My husband wouldn't have had to go off to war, see his friends killed, or deal with PTSD.  My in laws wouldn't have had to worry for 18 months if their son would come home alive. Amber wouldn't have had to worry as a young teenager if her dad would come home one day.

One monster has caused heartache for thousands of families.  Almost 3,000 people were killed on 9-11 and thousands of military have been killed in war. 

One person caused this whole mess.  I am going to take this as a lesson that one person can change the World by doing good.  We often think we are just one itty bitty person in such a huge World.  What are you going to do to make this World better?

Menu Monday!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo on Thursday I asked Art if he would be willing to eat Mexican food all week long.  I would eat Mexican food every single day!  I will be sharing some of these recipes throughout the next 2 weeks.  I don't plan which items we are going to have each day.  I make a list, make some of the food ahead and decide what I am going to heat up on my Bart ride home.

1. Shrimp tacos

2. Creamy chicken enchiladas

3. Stuffed flank steak

4. Fajitas

5. Nachos

Reno Part 3

Day 3

We went to visit the Peppermill Casino & hung around downtown Reno.

Day 4

We got up at 6:30am to head home....oh that was the worst!  We had stayed up until 12:30 the night before.  We had a sleeper car on the way home.  Art pulled the top bunk down, climbed up & went to sleep for 2 hours.  On the way home they served us breakfast & lunch. They ran out of eggs, so we had the choice of cold cereal or french toast. The french toast was quit tasty!

Carrot Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

This is the most AMAZING cake ever!!!!! The combination of the carrot cake & marshmallow fluff frosting is incredible. I made this cake for my mother-in-law's birthday. Everyone loved the cake. I sent half the cake home with the in laws, otherwise I would have finished it off.

Krystal also made this cake for her husband birthday.  Take a look at her adorable cake with the little carrots decorating the top.

Carrot Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

¼ cup melted unsalted butter, cooled, plus more for buttering pan

1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

3 large eggs

½ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pound carrots, peeled and grated on the small holes of the grater (about 3 cups, lightly packed)

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups organic cane sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

⅓ cup finely diced crystallized ginger

¾ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting, recipe follows

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with rounded parchment paper. Butter the parchment well too.

In a food processor, pulse the pineapple until it is finely chopped. In the bowl of the stand mixer, add and beat the eggs for 10 seconds until combined. Combine the oil, ¼ cup melted butter, vanilla, carrots, chopped pineapple and grated fresh ginger and mix until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt until combined. Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Remove and fold in the crystallized ginger and pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans.

Bake for 40 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Place a toothpick in the center to make sure it comes out with few crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment from the bottoms of each cake. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 tablespoons water

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved or vanilla bean paste

2 large egg whites

Pinch salt

Pinch cream of tartar

8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened

1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 pound organic powdered sugar, sifted twice

2 cups Fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the water, corn syrup, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla bean to 246 degrees. Before adding the syrup to the egg whites below, carefully remove the vanilla bean. (Or add in the vanilla bean paste).

While the sugar warms up, whip the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until creamy and foamy, about 2 minutes. Still whisking, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and continue to whisk until the whites hold very soft peaks, about 2 minutes. While mixing on slow speed, carefully drizzle in the hot syrup. Turn the mixer to high and whisk until thick, fluffy and just warm, about 7 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and whisk in the reserved vanilla seeds. Scrape the fluff into a bowl. Wash the bowl and whisk and return them to the machine.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of the mixer and mix until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Increase the speed and whip until light and fluffy. Add about 2 cups of Fluff and the vanilla and whip until combined. Refrigerate for an hour & a half until ready to frost the cake.  Let the frosting get very cold before you try to frost the cake; otherwise, the fluff runs like in my pictures.

When ready to frost the cake, slice the top layers of the cake so they are even. Place one layer on your cake plate. Add a big dollop of frosting, and spread evenly. Add the top layer and evenly distribute the rest of the frosting on the top and on the sides of the cake

Reno Part 2

Night 1

We went to see Bo Bice.  He was the runner up on American Idol season 4.  He lost to Carrie Underwood. We were sitting pretty close to the stage, but the Nugget crams you in there like a bunch of sardines.  I thought the concert was very good...Art thought it was ok. He said he wouldn't buy any of his cd's, but he wouldn't turn the station if he came on the radio.

Day 2

Virginia City!!!! I was on the look out for the Cartwright's!  I was hoping maybe they would have some business to do in Virginia City!

 I love how beauty of this church!

 I looked across the street & there is the Sheriff!!!!

 I walk out of a store & there is a gold miner & donkey coming up the street! This guy reminded me of the movie Brighty.  Billy, Lacey & I use to watch Brighty all the time when we were little.

 Dentist Office above

 I want one of these moustache cup's for my house!!! OMG it's sooo cute!!!

 Art went to jail! I bailed him out & they threw me in next!

I had a grand time in Virginia City....didn't run into the Cartwright's though! It was fun to go there & walk through all the cute stores.