1 Cupcake 3 Frostings..O the possibilities

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Chiffon Buttercream, Coconut Infused Buttercream topped with shaved Coconut and Classic Vanilla Buttercream. Nathans birthday was Friday the 18th and my best friend Sams birthday was this Tuesday the 22nd. I made them each a dozen of these babies! Sam had 2 in one night!

Lucky number 13

To date since the end of January I have lost 13 pounds. I have being eating lighter and working out at least3 to 4 times a week. My best friend Sam and I are starting our Zumba class this Thursday and have the class every Tuesday and Thursday. Every other day we plan on just working out with with a lot of cardio and some strength training. I have also been working on my core as well! I am so happy with the results and I even get to enjoy a lot of my favorites foods but with smaller portions. My goal as stated before is about 30 if not more! Wish me luck!

Cast Free

Audrey's cast came off yesterday afternoon after 3 weeks. We had x rays done and it showed that her tibia is back to being nice and straight. Although she did not appreciate the saw they use to cut off the cast or the x ray technician holding her down she was awesome. We were so proud of her that we took her out for some ice cream after wards. I am so proud of my little girl for being so brave. I have not even had to wear a cast, EVER in my life so for my daughter, only being 1, having to sport one no matter how cute it was broke my heart. She was pretty nervous about putting weight on these last 24 hours but for about the last 2 she has been walking all around the living room! She is so brave and growing up so fast!

UPDATE::Life

This is me at my heaviest, I wont disclose the number yet because I am on a mission to lose at least 30 if not more before my Wedding which is in 6 months from now. I am on a eating and workout routine that is really working for me!

This is after I lost 10 pounds! I have lost a total of 12 to date!

For my Mom's birthday I bought tickets to the Harry Potter Exhibition.It was amazing. Thousands of props, costumes and items from the movies!After the Exhibition we spent the rest of the day in Seattle having lunch then doing a little shopping.

Valentines Day I was laid up in bed with a nasty stomach bug so we didn't do anything special but Nathan did get me these gorgeous pink tulips and really cute card that brightened my day!

Nathan's birthday was Friday the 18th, so I surprised him with a trip to the top of the Space Needle for a picnic because he had never been! Then I took him to Jubilee, a antique candy and cupcake shop, I think I am going to apply to work there!

Culinary School Creations

Orange Limade Cream Pie with Italian Meringue

"Perfect" Croissants

Chicken and Fig Bourgogne with cheese egg noodle salad!

Chocolate Mouse Cake with Raspberry Sauce Base and White Chocolate Swirls

Going to the Chapel

and we're going to get married!

Before he proposed

Nathans Seafood Linquine with scallops

My Crabcakes with a Ginger Plum Sauce and Buerre Blance

Nathan proposed properly finally last Friday at Anthony's on the water! I cried.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla and Dulce de Leche Ice Cream and Whiskey Carmel Sauce

My Gorgeous ring!

Last Friday Nathan and I got all dressed up and went down to the water front in Tacoma and had an amazing dinner at Anthony's. A week before dinner Nathan and I bought our wedding rings and I knew that he had my engagement ring on him at all times. Right before our food came out Nathan got down on the one knee and proposed with a very sweet speech that made me cry. I knew it was coming but it still made me emotional. After he proposed, which everyone in the restaurant saw, we enjoyed a delicious meal topped with an amazing dessert. It was perfect and I can't stop looking at my ring!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes

Nathan has been asking me to make him these cupcakes for months now and I finally got around to them last week. I made him 6 jumbo cupcakes that lasted him almost 2 weeks.

Cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
•  2 whole cherries in each cupcake
• 
  
• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
  
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
  
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.15 minutes into the baking process pull the cupcakes out of the oven and put 2 cherries in the middle of each cupcake. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

Cherry Buttercream Frosting 

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
  
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 1/2 cup cherry juice from jar of Cherries

n large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and cherry juice and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thin beat in powdered sugar until spreading consistency.Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Portland Trip

New outfit for Audrey for when she is 3!

Christmas Ornaments 75% off, $6 for both of these!

Butterfly Hairband from Ice, $10. im wearing in this in my hair for the wedding

My great finds at Williams Sonoma all this cost $16. Grater $4, Sandwich cutter and holder $2, Fig Bourgogne Sauce $5 and Tin of Spices $5

fun photos with our little family

My love and I of coarse!

We drove through downtown on our way to breakfast with family!

We were allowed to draw on the door!

Our awesome hotel room at the Jupiter Hotel

A few weekends ago Nathan and I took an impromptu overnight trip to Portland to spend time with his cousin and her husband. We had some drinks with them after dinner Sunday night in our really swanky funky hotel room that is in the heart of the industrial district of Portland. Monday morning we headed over to their apartment for some home cooked breakfast and then did a little shopping at Washington Square on our way home! It was a great quick trip and we enjoyed seeing our family! We are heading back down in July for his cousins 21st birthday!