(Throwback) Thankful Thursdays: Week 4

Since I didn't blog last Thursday (because it was Thanksgiving and all), here's the fourth and final edition of Thankful Thursdays.

Day 21: My Momma

I'm thankful for her everyday - but particularly every November 21st. Hope you had a Happy Birthday, Momma!

Day 22: My guard-cat

Even if that does mean he brings me dead spiders and picks fights with 65lb dogs. He spent the entire first night that my folks were in town running interference between me and my childhood dog - who he apparently had deemed a threat. Crazy cat. Bless it.

Day 23: Cozy, fireside evenings and good conversation

After a day of packing, we were able to spend the evening at my future-in-law's - complete with a home-cooked meal and warm fire. Loved having (almost) everyone in the same place (we missed The Boy).

Day 24: Take-out after a long day of packing

We started early, and kept going til late. But we got most of the house packed! As a reward, pizza. 'Cause sometimes you just need to sit on the floor and watch a movie without having to worry about cooking or cleaning up.

Day 25: My sweet, thoughtful Fiancé and Moving-day Treats

We drove half of my stuff to Oklahoma to drop it off at the new house. When we arrived, this note was waiting for us - as well as the treats it promised. Love this kid.

Day 26: Sweet Bo

Loved gettin to spend the week with this crazy pup - compulsive circles, crazy ears, and all. There will never be another dog like this one.

Day 27: Annual Thanksgiving prep with Momma

We have a routine, me and Mom. We do the same things every year - no matter where Thanksgiving happens (Memphis, Cleveland, an apt in New York, or an empty apartment in Fayetteville). It's so nice to know that some things never change. Especially tiny turkeys.

Day 28: Thanksgiving with my favorites

We spent Thanksgiving at the Valentine's and loved every minute. My new family is just as loud and crazy as my original family - which means we all fit together perfectly. Hope yours was warm and happy, too.

Day 29: My Daddy

I skipped posting a photo this day because of the move, but it would have gone to this guy. He spent all week with me - moving stuff out of my apartment, half to Oklahoma, half into a truck, then taking the truck across town, moving the stuff out of the truck, and jenga-ing it all into a storage unit. All without complaining or cursing my multitude of things. Thanks for loving me so much, Daddy.

Day 30: Unfortunate Fortunes

Daddy got this one at dinner...after spending the day moving. It hit a little too close to home, but after a week of "moving" it was also a much needed giggle.

I hope your November was warm, full of happy, and reminded you of all the things you have to be thankful for - big, small, and ironic. I hate that our culture is squeezing November out to make way for the consumption that Christmas brings. I find far more beauty in thankfulness than I do in buying (and even getting) gifts, and it just seems that it's being pushed aside thoughtlessly.

Challenging myself to find something to be thankful for in every day this month really lifted my spirits - and I hope y'all enjoyed it, too.

Now, bring on the twinkle lights, Christmas carols, and snow days. 'Tis the season, after all. Happy Holidays, friends!

Thankful Thursdays: Week 2

Holy cannoli this month is going by quickly! Anyone else feel it?

Also, it's gotten COLD in Fay-town. We went from lovely fall weather (you know, the kind where "all you need is a light jacket") to coat + mittens + seat-warmer weather. I'm not complaining, it just seems like it happened all sorts of quick.

Enough of that, though. Let's get to the thanks!

Day 7: New Family

I love my soon-to-be last name. It's pretty much the cutest. But I love the family that comes with it even more. They've taken me in as their own and love on me as if I've always been there. My sweet Momma-in-Love-to-be got me this little happy the other day. It warms my heart every time I look at it.

Day 8: Cotton Candy Skies

Driving to OKC after work under daylight savings time = blinding sun and light induced migraine. Driving to OKC after work minus daylight savings time = THIS. The photo doesn't do it justice. I was absolutely in awe of the beautiful sky He painted for me on that long drive to see The Boy.

Day 9: Weekends with my Favorites

These faces, y'all. Gah. How can you not love 'em? This is pretty much irrefutable proof that I have the most adorable fiance AND the most adorable puppy on the planet. Don't even try to argue with me (not that you'd win anyway). Weekends with them are better than any other weekends. Can I just have a whole lifetime of them?

Day 10: Home-cooked Sunday Lunches

Since I was in OKC last weekend, I had the chance to join Paul for one of his new weekly appointments: Sunday afternoon at the Dahlem's. I'm tellin' you, as a born-and-bred Southern girl, there is NOTHIN' better than a home-cooked meal. Unless it's a SUNDAY home-cooked meal (or, you know...Thanksgiving...). And this one came with dessert - tiny apple pies and ice cream. I think I'm gonna like Sundays in OKC.

Day 11: The Smell of Fall

I've mentioned (once or twice...) that I'm a fan of apples. I particularly like apples when they're combined with cinnamon...or caramel...or both. There's a scent they give off that's just so very fall-ish. It's really difficult to capture that smell well (many have tried, very few have succeeded). These guys got it. This candle (and anything that smells like it) is good for the soul.

Day 12: Fuzzy Socks & Warm Toes

I've been stubborn thus far - refusing to turn on my heat (despite my above mention of Fayetteville goin' all crazy-cold on us). Instead, I wrap up in snowmen from head to toe - blankets, sweatshirts, and these little guys. They were a Christmas gift from one of my favorite little girls, and they're my go-to stay-warm buddies. They (and my portable heater), make holding out on the heat a bit easier.

Day 13: Movies that Feel Like Old Friends

You know those movies that you can watch over and over again, and they're still good even after three consecutive watches? This movie is that way. I can watch it on loop and still laugh at certain parts, without fail. I turned it on while I was stuffing invitations, and, after I sent The Boy a quote from it ('cause it made me laugh), he responded with, "How many times have you watched it tonight?" (he's learning my tendencies quickly!) No matter, it made hours of invite assembly more enjoyable.

Happy Thursday, friends! Til next time. 

Wedding Wednesdays: Engagement Photos

A couple weeks ago we had the chance to have our official engagement pictures taken. I’d told our photographer waaay back in June that I wanted to wait til the leaves were changing , ‘cause, well, fall in Fayetteville is breathtaking (really, if you haven’t been here in the fall, you MUST come. I swear it’s prettier than anywhere else I’ve been).

When we got to the shoot, one of the first things Dale said was “Y’all don’t seem nervous at all! That’s awesome!” What he didn’t know was that sure, we might not have been nervous then, but that was only because I’d had like three panic attacks about outfits a month before. That is one nice thing about my tendency to over-think and plan to the last detail – I freak out early!

I’d gotten so worried, in fact, that I’d planned out our outfits…not just in my head…but on paper...to the last detail. Ever heard of Polyvore? It’s this wonderful site that lets you visually layout outfit inspiration. Dale & Mere, rather than think I was insane for sending them Polyvore images of our outfit selections, LOVED it. Glad to have folks on my side that appreciate how my brain works. Here’s what we sent him:

Based on those, we’d chosen three locations in Fayetteville (all of them meaningful to Paul and me in some way): Old Main Lawn (for the leaves and the U of A connection), Dickson Street (where we went that first night almost a year ago), and the Square (which, of all of Fayetteville, probably has my heart the most).

We had a great time – it was really more like spending the afternoon with friends who are super photo obsessed rather than a session. They made it easy to relax and really enjoy the process, rather than obsess over what face we were making or whether our heads were turned just right.

And, of course, the photos turned out BEAUTIFULLY. I’m so glad we picked Dale & Mere – I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter, happier, more fun set of ridiculously talented people to be in charge of capturing these precious moments. Plus, we’re getting some pretty awesome friends out of the deal, too.

Thanks, Dale & Mere. Y’all are a blessing!

Check out their blog here! (unless you hate pretty pictures...)

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Caramel + Apple Cider. The person who decided that those should go together deserves a medal. And a hug. They win fall. I'm not sure there's a flavor that more embodies the season (yes, Pumpkin Spice, I'm lookin' at you.) 

And, when you take those two things and put them into a cookie...gah. Thank goodness it's sweater season. 

These little babies are one of my favorite treats to make during the fall. Partly because they make the ENTIRE HOUSE smell like cider (and I challenge you to find someone that would be upset by that), and partly because when enjoyed WITH a warm mug of cider (or tea or coffee or whatever warm beverage you prefer), the insides of these melt and create this creamy, magical, caramel center that complements the cider flavor perfectly. If you make them big enough, they fit nicely on top of a mug, and the steam is what makes the caramel do it's thing. 

It's really difficult to just eat one. 

Or just three.

They make fabulous little happies for all your favorite people, too.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Recipe credit: Scrambled Henfruit

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix (NOT sugar free)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment (or wax paper if you’re in a pinch, but you need a liner)
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add salt and then ALL 10 packages of apple cider powder (yes, all 10).
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and mix well.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined (it’ll be sturdy).
6. Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient (like me) you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)
7. In the meantime, unwrap your caramels.
8. Scoop out rounded tablespoon of cookie dough (a ball about the size of your cupped palm).
9. Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Roll in-between your hands to seal then place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
10. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges (they’ll still look puffy…they’ll firm up). Don't over-bake!
11. Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet directly onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment (about 5 min). When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down, either on the parchment or on a rack. (The twisting motion really helps the cookie pop off without the caramel falling out of the bottom. I’ve also found that gently peeling the parchment off the back of the cookie helps.)
12. If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

In case you were unaware, October is pretty much the best month ever. Don't even try to argue. Just admit I'm right.

Think about it: cooler weather, football, crunchy leaves, pretty trees, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, pumpkin shaped Reese's, pumpkins in general, an entire holiday dedicated to free candy,babies in costumes, puppies in costumes, this website, sweaters, scarves, tights, boots...

Oh, and these:

Apple Pie Cupcakes.

Yes, I know fall is the Season of the Pumpkin, but before Pumpkin made it big in the world, Apple had a pretty hard corner on the market - caramel apples, apple crumble, fried apples, and, the pie to rule all pies.

In my world, there is nothing that can top a warm, homemade apple pie. It has all of the good things - it's sweet AND spicy, flaky AND sticky, mushy AND crunchy...it's pretty much perfect.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted a way to take all the happy things I love about apple pie, and turn them into an equally fabulous cupcake. After a bit of experimentation, these guys were born. They're now my favorite cakes to make (and, unsurprisingly, my most popular). The best part? They're not super tricky to make! I tend to mix mine up a bit on occasion (using brown butter, combining different kinds of apples, changing up the spice ratios, etc), but the base stays pretty much the same.

I've had several friends ask for the recipe, so here ya go! Enjoy!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Cake

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 c flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c milk
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste

For the Apples

• 3 apples
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp butter

For the Buttercream

• 2 sticks butter
• 4 c powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• Cinnamon to taste

Directions:
For the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. 
4. Alternately add dry mixture and milk to the butter, beginning and ending with dry. 
5. Add in cinnamon & nutmeg to taste (you just want a light spice taste, nothing too overwhelming)
6. Divide the batter evenly among cups and bake 20 min (or til light golden brown). Let cool. 

For the Apples:

1. Peel & dice the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating well. 
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add in the apples and fry til soft but not mushy. Set aside.
3. Once the cakes have cooled, cut a cone from the top of each cake. Fill divot with a heaping spoonful of apples. 

For the Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter til light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add in cream until desired consistency is reached. Beat in vanilla and spices to taste. 
2. Frost each cake around the apple filling, up the edge but not covering the top. 

Y'all enjoy!