Best Friend

I missed him this weekend! It was nice seeing my girls during our annual girls trip but I couldn't wait to get home to him. I'm blessed to have such a great husband that listens and cares for me.  Is this mushy for my blog?

Instagram Frame

I printed a bunch of Instagram photos from our wedding in September. We used the hashtag #lorynpluskyle. I didn't have a way to display them since 4"x4" frames are hard to come by.  I saw this idea a few times on Pinterest and I thought I would try my hand at this crafty project. I used a rustic wooden frame that I used during the wedding and some leftover burlap fabric and twine. 
Materials: Wooden frame, foam support board, burlap, twine, duct tape, scissors, hot glue gone. 

Step 1: Stretch burlap to fit the foam support board. Fold the corners over and duct tape the burlap into place. 

Step 1

Step 2: Cut twine to the correct frame width and hot glue the twine into place. I was able to make four rows of twine to hold the pictures. Place a small drop of hot glue on one side and attach one end of the twine. Drape string across the width of the frame and hot glue the other side of the twine approximately across from the other side. 

Step 3: Fit the burlap covered foam board into place. Apply hot glue to the corners and along the side and place the board directly into the frame. I started on the top and worked my ways to the sides and finally the bottom so that the glue didn't cool before I got there. Make sure that the board is straight in the frame. 

  

Step 2

The end product turned out really cute. I have it hanging up in my craft room displaying all of my wedding instagram photos. I absolutely love it and get complements on it frequently. It is really easy to do and does not take a long time at all! The best part is you can apply it to any size frame or with any size photos.

Make sure to buy some cute pins to hang the pictures on twine--finishing touches are always a must. 

Chopped Party!

My husband and I love watching cooking shows together , especially cooking shows like Top Chef on Bravo and Chopped on Food Network. We brainstormed an idea for a dinner party that resembles the Chopped challenge. We chose four mystery ingredients and assembled them in a brown paper bag or what we called the "mystery basket" and delivered these to our friend's places the night before with strict instructions not to open until 6pm. Our participant guests would have one hour to cook a main course using the mystery ingredients as well as anything they could find in their own pantry (kitchen). Then they needed to be at our house by 7:15ish for the judging. My husband and I along with another friend provided drinks, dips and desserts--the essential triple "D's" at any party. We knew the idea was fun and would be fun but we thought the execution might not be up to par but we were so impressed with what our guests came up with! The mystery ingredients were Chicken Drumsticks, Carrots, Dijon Mustard and Salt and Vinegar Chips.  We asked each couple to explain their dish and how they used the ingredients and then we dug in and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. At the end of the evening the three judges gathered together to determine the winner. It of course was a close call but it came down to creativity. All dishes were amazing and yummy. The salt and vinegar chips were supposedly the hardest to incorporate in the dish. 

Top: Sweet and Sour Chicken; Middle: Fried Chicken Crisps with Crispy Skin and Carrot Puree; Bottom: Friend Salt&Vinegar Drumsticks with Rice. The nights winners created the middle dish. The crispy chicken with carrot puree dipping sauce. 

What would you have made using the above mystery ingredients? 

Flying Solo

Kyle is gone this week (and a over the next few weeks) for work and that leaves me alone with the Mozzster. Adjusting to having a puppy has been difficult. It is a lack of sleep during the potty training phase-- does that ever end? We can't keep the floors clean, we spend a few hours cleaning on Sunday and within a half hour of letting him out of his kennel, the floors were a wreck. I want a running partner so taking Mozzy out for a walk/run will only get better right? No, he is actually a pretty good puppy.
However, this is his first time without Kyle his bestie and first time in the kennel all day with only one break at lunch when I am able to come home. Today we had our first explosive diarrhea incident in the kennel.... awful. Is this real life!? But in the end it is all worth it--I guess that is love--cleaning up your puppy's poop no matter what. How can you not love Mozzy's little face?

New Puppy!

My husband, Kyle, and I got ourselves a new puppy! A German Wired Hair Pointer. We bought him from Griffs Grassland Kennel in Sioux Falls, SD. He is just precious and so cute! He slept the whole way home in Kyle's lap. They are definitely going to be good buddies. Man's best friend, right!? 

We named the pup, MOZZY, after Mozzie from the TV Show, White Collar, on USA Network. It's one of the only shows Kyle and I can watch together and actually enjoy. Our Mozzy has a lot of spunk too. We are definitely learning a lot as being first time parents! This is hard work. Not going to lie, as I am writing this post, Kyle is corralling Mozzy and trying to keep him from chewing his shoes and all of our rugs. Even though Mozz decided he needed to poop in our house right as we got him home and then pee on our WHITE rug in the bathroom, I think we will keep him. 

Angel in the car sleeping on Kyle's leg

First Family Selfie

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

I have been on the wedding diet so have not been baking in order to avoid over indulging in delicious confections. However, with the first warm weekend on the horizon, I had an intense craving to bake some summer time cupcakes. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Garden Cupcake Special Edition. I am completely obsessed with these Lemon Drop Cupcakes. They are light and the buttercream frosting with lemon is to die. Enjoy!

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 20 minutes

Oven Temp: 350F

Ingrediants:

¾ C. Salted Butter-Room Temp.

3 Eggs-Room Temp.

1 ¾ C. All Purpose Flour

1 t. Baking Powder

¼ t. Baking Soda

¼ t. Salt

½ t. Vanilla

2/3 C. Milk

¼ C. Limoncello (Italian Lemon Liquerur)

            or sub Milk

1 ½ C. Sugar

1 T. Finely Shredded Lemon Peel Zest

Mix together Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt in a medium blow.

Pour Milk and Limoncello in a measuring cup and set aside.

Beat Butter and Sugar together for 30 seconds on high.

Add Lemon Peel and Vanilla.

Add Eggs, one at a time.

Alternate adding Flour mixture and Milk mixture; starting and ending with Flour.

Fill Cupcake cups ¾ full and smooth batter on top.
Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes.

Lemon Buttercream

½ C. Salted Butter

½ C. Shortening

1 t. Vanilla

1 T. Lemon Juice

4 C. Powdered Sugar

Beat together Butter and Shortening on medium for 30 seconds.

Add Vanilla and Lemon Juice.

Slowly add Powdered Sugar on low until fully incorporated.

Mix for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish:

Crushed Lemon Drop Candies

Sugared Lemon Slices

Lemon Peels

Finishing Sugar

Los Angeles Birthday

For my 24^th birthday (also my golden birthday), Kyle surprised me with tickets to visit my best friend, Emma and her boyfriend, in Los Angeles. I was thrilled! I love LA and Emma is such a fabulous host. It is always fun to visit her and experience things that you would never find in the prairies of South Dakota.

I had a wish list of things that I wanted to do and see while there—

First, I am obsessed with Cupcakes. I love Sprinkles Cupcakes, the first Cupcake Bakery in the United States, and it started in LA.

Outside Sprinkles Cupcakes at The Grove in LA

Second, I wanted to see a celebrity. I didn’t think this would be too hard, since the Oscar’s were in town the same weekend. We enjoyed watching the Oscar's from Emma's apartment which was less than 5 miles away from the location the Oscar's took place. However, on Saturday night, we went to the Comedy Store in Hollywood. Daniel Tosh, from Comedy Central's: Tosh.0; made a surprise stop and it made our night complete. It was so much fun to laugh at these comedians jokes. 

Third, I wanted to go to the beach and enjoy being a California girl for a weekend. We went to Venice Beach on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and we saw performers, artists, dancers and muscle men. I also got to check "Run along the beach" off my Bucket List. 

Kyle and I enjoying the beach

A little jog along the beach, and Yes, we are racing

Fourth, Kyle and I love  to eat, so we wanted to experience some LA cuisines and LA did not let us down!

Macaroons, Coffee, Key Lime Pie,
Lark Cupcakes and Sprinkles Cupcakes

Egg Slut Breakfast sandwiches

Sushi Roll from Tenno

French Toast from Local