Blueberry pancakes, gossip magazines, and BIG laughs!

Friendships top my list as one of the sweetest gifts God gives us.  Taking the time to reach really high and really wide, gathering bits of life, to step back and realize that your friendship launched itself to an entirely new level with what feels like no effort at all.  Those are the best kind of friends.

The kind that open up the gate at the lake when they hear your car door shut, and make you feel like the weekend really couldn’t start until you arrived.

The kind that so lovingly ask you the really hard questions after a really hard season…especially when you don’t want to be asked because it hurts.

The kind that talk you out of ridiculously stupid thoughts and ideas based on your own stubbornness.

The ones you enjoy so much that when 2:00am rolls around, you still don’t want to go to bed.

The kind you talk with about things you wouldn’t dream of talking to anyone else about, but once you do the laughing and tears are like a flood of joy that seeps into your soul so slowly and surely.

The kind that make you forgo sound reasoning about what time to leave on a Sunday night in order to get back to town at a decent hour, knowing full well just how difficult Monday is going to be.

So when you find those sort of friendships, here’s what you do…

You “oooh” and “aahh” over the sweet new baby and her cute little face.

You sit in big circles and laugh while you catch up on each others last few weeks.

You share ideas, thoughts, and stories over blueberry pancakes and strong coffee.

You flip through the latest gossip magazines while laying in the sun.

You talk about brothers, sisters, parents and children over perfectly grilled steak, baked potatoes, summer cucumbers, fresh ears of corn, and hot out of the oven bread.

You hope and pray and wish for the clouds to pass quick and the sun to show its rays, and then when it does, you ride wakeboards, stand up paddle boards, and go on late afternoon boat cruises.

You watch as the boys build the perfect fire each night.

You rejoice and smile and give big hugs to the one that joins us late due to an overly busy work schedule, and then once he does, you finally feel like things are complete.

You collect laughs and tears over Twinkie cake, sour gummy worms, peanut M&M’s, and watermelon.

You share tips and styles that will propel some of us over the hump, and will challenge some of us to slow down. 😉

You experience moments of quiet and waves of chatter.

And you take it all in with the hope that it will somehow tide us all over until the next time we see each other.

Yes, those are the kinds of friends you want.  The ones you want to live life with, knowing that you don’t deserve such sweetness, but God is so happy to bless you with it.

♥

Loving the Lake

I’ve been taking a much needed break from baking!  After 30 days of nonstop mixing, pouring, beating, kneading, stirring, and measuring…I went to the lake.  We spent three full days laying in the sun, eating good food, laughing, adoring the new baby that entered our little circle, sitting by the campfire, talking about life, relaxing on a giant water float, motorcycle riding, boat cruising, wakeboarding, and soaking in every last precious minute with each other.

Life is so good when it’s filled with picnic tables, lake views, and a good book…

Or building campfires that will give us toasted marshmallows…

Or little boys enjoying 4th of July sparklers!

After a weekend filled with barbecued ribs, delicious desserts, waffles and fresh Oregon strawberries, more gummy bears than any one person should ever consume, and stories that made us laugh until we cried, I feel refreshed, relaxed, tanned, and more thankful than I could accurately describe in words.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

I promise to be back to baking soon!  Until then, hoping you’re enjoying your family, friends, and glorious weather as much as I am!

#2 Campfire Delight Cupcakes

Summer is upon us!  At least that’s what I hear.  Bend has really yet to see a decent Spring, which only makes me think we may be skipping that season completely and going straight for Summer months.

Ask me how I feel about that.

Irritated.  Really, really irritated.

However, knowing that Summer can’t be too far away, I can’t help but think of my favorite thing to do in the summer…days and nights at the lake with some of our favorite people!

Being at Triangle Lake means laying in the sun, late afternoon boat rides, reading magazines, lots of food, tons of laughs, floating in the water, naps, lazy mornings and cooked breakfasts, way too many cups of coffee, sitting around the fire at night…and s’mores!  So when I found this recipe for Campfire Delight Cupcakes, I was more than a little excited.

Campfire Delight Cupcakes (recipe found at http://www.sweetapolita.com/blog)

Makes: 18 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong black coffee (okay to be hot)

1 cup buttermilk, room temp

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients.  Add all remaining ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Pour into prepared cupcake liners until 2/3 full.  Batter will be liquidy.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with few crumbs.  Try not to overbake.  Cool on wire racks in pans for 5 minutes then gently turn cupcakes onto racks until cool.

Malted Chocolate Frosting:

Makes enough f0r about 18 cupcakes

2 sticks butter at room temp

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup Ovaltine or malt powder (brown in color)

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted

1/4 cup whipping cream

• In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.  Add vanilla and Ovaltine and beat on low until well combined.  Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).  Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute.  Best used right away, but once piped it keeps well at room temperature.

Toasted Marshmallow Filling

Makes enough to fill 18 cupcakes

8 large white marshmallows

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 stick butter at room temp

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 oz. marshmallow cream

pinch of salt

• Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place on lower rack of oven and broil marshmallows until nice and brown.  Be sure to keep an eye on them–they burn very, very quickly.  Combine butter and powdered sugar in electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on low until blended (about 1 minute).  Add vanilla and mix on high for about 3 minutes.  Add marshmallow cream, toasted marshmallows, and salt, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute.

Cupcake Assembly:

• Once cupcakes are cool, cut a cone shape hole from the top center of the cupcake downward, using a sharp paring knife.

• Using a small spoon or a piping bag fitted with a plain round piping tip, fill the cupcake hole with the toasted marshmallow filling until it’s level with the top of the cupcake.

• Fill a large pastry bag  (fitted with decorative tip of your choice) about 2/3 full and swirl on the malted chocolate frosting in a circular motion, beginning on the outside rim and moving inward.
• Top with real chocolate sprinkles and a malt candy like Whoppers.  *I toasted some smaller marshmallows and used those as my decoration on top.

• The cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made, but these keep particularly well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.  If you do refrigerate them, serve at room temperature.

Here’s what I love about these cupcakes:  The marshmallow filling is to die for!  Marshmallow filling is awesome any day, but toasted marshmallow filling?  Heck yes.

Here’s what I hate about these cupcakes:  The name.  Can we all agree that’s a really stupid name?