30 Years

Skip and I have been married for 30 years!   So...we celebrated of course.   We both took the day off and did some of our favorite things.   We explored the Natural History Museum in D.C.  and stumbled upon an amazing exhibit of orchids:

It was hard to decide which ones were our favorites.  Skip especially liked the white ones, and I'm always partial to yellows.   While at the museum we saw a 3D IMAX movie on Arabia.  Then we had a fabulous lunch at Oyamel, a Mexican Restaurant.  Other than the Guacamole, it sure wasn't typical Mexican food, but very interesting tapas style dishes.

For dessert we went down the street and found the best pistachio gelato we've ever had at a place called Pitango.  It was a wonderful celebration for both of us.

Although the food was good, those loving eyes are for me!

CHEERS!

Lemon-Honey Cupackes

I know.  More cupcakes.   It's a fun and delicious thing to be mildly obsessed with.  These are so good.  I don't have a lot of success with cupcakes, but when I do, and they turn out this moist and delicious, it's so hard to stop eating them.

 
Here's how I did it:

The Cupcakes:

Heat oven to 350.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together:   2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp. each baking powder and baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together in another bowl:   1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream,  1/4 cup milk, 1-1/2 Tbsp. lemon zest,  4 Tbsp. lemon juice

Beat together until light and fluffy:  3/4 cups softened butter, 3/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup sugar

Beat in 3 large eggs, one at a time, until blended.

With mixer on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture.  Beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

FROSTING:  Beat 1 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup honey, and and 1-1/2 Tbsp. lemon zest about 2 minutes.  On low speed, beat in 4 cups confectioners sugar until blended  Beat in 7 to 8 Tbsps. lemon juice.

Frost and enjoy!

First Projects of 2011

Here are some pictures of our first projects of 2011.  Actually, the bedroom by the stairs was the first one, but that was more of a repair than a redo.   It's all finished and Kara is moved in there.  It's the same color as it was before, just a new carpet.  It wasn't done by us either.  Insurance helped pay for someone else to do it all.  

It took three Saturdays to pick out paint and do the painting.  The bathroom color is called "smoked oyster", and the bedroom is called "Scotland Road".  The bed is new as well - from IKEA - not too hard, not too soft.  Goldilocks would love it! 

Downstairs bathroom

Downstairs bedroom