“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”~ Jim Davis

Last week so cake crazy! I made a birthday cake for Sean, birthday cupcakes for him to take to work, a birthday cake for my adorable niece Elly, and a batch of vegan cupcakes for Sean's birthday party. I have never made so much chocolate cake in my entire life. The batter was flying! LOL

Sean's birthday is on Halloween so we had a small cocktail party after trick or treating. It was a blast. We have made some great friends here.

Sean's birthday cake. Agnes designed the cake. She wanted her daddy to have a spooky cake!


Sugar skull cupcakes for Sean's work & his birthday cake. Agnes designed the cake. She wanted her daddy to have a spooky cake!


TRICK OR TREAT! AHOY MATEY!



We also made sugar skulls for our Dia de los Muertos ofrenda. I made a sugar Virgin de Guadalupe. She turned out so beautiful. It was so much fun making these with Agnes. It was her first year to decorate some all by herself. The one thing that sucks about making these is every year I have to make at least one more. This year we had to make one for Sean's dad Jim. I think it was really good for Sean to make it.


Agnes decorating her sugar skull.

Virgin de Guadalupe. She turned out so cool.

Our oferenda


Here is the cake I made for Elly. I was so happy with how it turned out. Elly loved it!

"Rocky Mountain High" ~ John Denver

We went back to Denver this weekend for Sean's family reunion. It was nice seeing everyone but it was a hectic, fast paced weekend.

We flew in Friday morning, went out to lunch with Sean's mom, went to happy hour with friends, got back to the hotel at midnight.

Saturday- we got up early drove 2.5 hours to Lily Lake for a reunion picnic, drove home, got ready, drove to a reunion dinner, got back to the hotel around 11 pm.

Sunday- Agnes and I got up early and went to my moms house. I wanted to be able to spend the whole day with my Grandma. I miss her so much! While we were sitting in my moms backyard visiting with my family I was attacked and stung by a wasp!! OMG! It hurt so bad when it stung me. I had no idea it would hurt that bad. My left hand is still totally swollen and black & blue. Will the throbbing ever end? LOL After my exciting day at Casa Ruby we met Sean and went to the last family get together. We got back to the hotel around 8 and all 3 of us crashed.

Monday - Checked out of the hotel, went by our old house to see all the home improvements that have been done (It looks okay, but it sure is small. I don't remember it being so small), went to El Tejado for lunch so I could get my green chile fix, went to the new Tattered Cover bookstore, drove around Denver, went to the airport, and finally got home around 11. Whew! What a weekend.


Here is Agnes at the airport. She was insistent that she be allowed to wear her pirate outfit. Who am I to say no? She was a dream on both flights. She is a born traveler.


Miss Agnes looking adorable at Lily Lake.


The Family on the dock at Lily Lake. I love this picture! It was such a gorgeous day. I am thinking of making this into an 8 x 10 to hang in our hallway.


My Grandma does not allow people to take pictures of her. Ever. I think it has something to do with cameras stealing your soul or something. Anyhoo, she was excited to have her picture taken with Agnes and me. Agnes and I haven't had our picture taken with my Grandma since Agnes was 2 weeks old. I love my Grandma so much. She absolutely rocks!

"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope." - Bill Cosby

Having lost my father when I was 3 Father's day was always a miserable day. Sure, I had my Grandpa and Uncle but it just wasn't what all the other kids had. After having Agnes I love Father's Day. I love watching her make a card for him and picking out the books for his present. The book tradition started with Sean's first Father's Day. I picked out a few books about children and their dads. Books like Hop on Pop and Daddy's Girl. For the past couple of years Agnes has been able to pick them out herself. It is such a fun time book shopping with her. Agnes has the best dad ever. Sean is an amazing father who loves his little girl more than anything in the entire world.

For a daddy that great he deserves a great food today. So, I got up a 6 a.m. made some of my blueberry muffins (which are the best muffins ever) and a big pot of Guatemalan coffee. For dinner I am making him orange-ginger marinated beef tenderloin and veggie kebabs with saffron rice and a spring mix salad w/a homemade raspberry vinaigrette.


Here is the muffin recipe. It is so amazing. My mom gave me this recipe. She got it from my dad's mom.

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 2 egg
1/2 cup milk + a splash or two if batter seems way too thick
Splash or two of vanilla
1-1/2 - 2 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature but not super soft.
2-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Be sure to grease the top of the pan between the muffin cups or the muffins will stick. Do this even if you use muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg, splash of vanilla and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Super easy. Super tasty! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who read this. I hope you were pampered and were able to take a long nap today. You deserve it!b