For Amy and Haleigh

Amy and Haleigh miss me so much in Italy that they have asked me to post "personal" entries every now and then about what's been going on in the good 'ol LBK. I'll just mix these in with my other posts. If anyone is upset with this slight change.......you can just get over it.

Anyways, classes of course have begun and it's back to the grind. Most of my classes are pretty boring..err..I mean GREAT. The other day in my public policy class our professor asked if anyone had done anything fun the night before (a Wednesday night I might add) and a young man from the very back pipes back, "I'm still drunk from the night before!...I thought you had to chug everclear?" Professor: "No, you really don't." It was entertaining to say the least. I'm still curious to know how he is hasn't been kicked out of the university.

Let's see..what else has been going on? I went to Snyder last weekend to lead a DNow for FBC Snyder. Chelsea went too and we had a lot of fun. I had the freshmen girls and when they found out I had a brother who was also a freshman, they freaked. It was so funny. The whole weekend I just kept remembering when I was that age and the things that were important to me. Who liked who, who broke up with who, which guy was the cutest in the school, etc. The speaker was a guy named Chris Body from (drum roll please).... PINE COVE!!! Do you know him Haleigh?

I haven't been going to basketball games, but even though we stink, we are getting better! We should still fire Pat Knight of course. Oh, and we are getting some pretty cool football recruits for next year. Our new DC is from TCU. Sounds pretty legit.

I'm getting a new car at Spring Break! The next time you see me, the Impala will be no more. It will be sad, but at least there will be no more mysterious clicking noise, dead batteries, ghetto-fabulous-ness, lack of drink holders in the back...did I miss something??!! haha.

Sorry this was so long. I just miss ya'll and wanted to keep you updated on life in the South Plains. haa. Love you girls and hope you are having a splendid time in Firenze.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Last Thanksgiving break I went home from school and decided I wanted to bake something. We didn't have a lot of ingredients to work with in the pantry, so I decided I would make some "snickerdoodle cupcakes" Haleigh had brought over one time. I found a delicious recipe over at Bakerella, and whipped them up. These really don't take very many ingredients that you don't already have, so keep them in mind next time you need a dessert. They weren't fancy, just cinnamon-y and cream cheese-y, but my ten year old brother must've loved them. This past Thanksgiving, a year later, I called and asked him what he wanted me to bake him. Out of every chocolate chip/brownie/fudge dessert out there, he asked for these cupcakes. Everybody in my family actually likes them too, so give 'em a try!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temp.

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup milk, room temp.


Preheat your oven to 350. Mix together your dry ingredients (flour, baking pwdr, cinnamon) and set it aside.



With a mixer, cream your butter and sugar.


Add eggs, one at a time. Then, add your vanilla until everything is combined.


Add your dry mix to your wet mix in 3 parts. In between that, add your milk in two parts. Here's how it goes: dry, milk, dry, milk, dry.



Line a muffin tin with liners and fill 3/4 full.
**NOTE**: I used paper liners. That was a BAD idea. See how funky they look? Use ALUMINUM ones, and they'll be much prettier.



Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they're slightly golden on top.


Bakerella actually got her recipe from Martha Stewart, who frosted these cupcakes with a meringue type frosting. I decided a cream cheese frosting would taste better. This is what I came up with. It's a combo of ideas I found on the web and my own tastes.

8 oz of cream cheese- soft
1/2 stick of butter at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2-2 tsp cinnamon ( I like a lot of cinnamon)
2 1/2 c powdered sugar (more or less depending on how thick you want it)
First mix your cream cheese and butter. Then add vanilla and cinnamon and finally the powdered sugar.





I scooped all my frosting and put it in a plastic sandwhich bag. If you cut a small hole in the corner you can pipe it on the cupcakes really easily.

It's just me for awhile

It was really hard for Amy and I to cook together last semester since we didn't live together. And the times we did cook together, I usually forgot my camera or forgot to snap pictures.

But now, we are going to be separated by more than a few blocks.
Amy is going to study abroad in ITALY! If you're jealous, it's OK. I'm jealous too.

Even though I've been the main blogger, Amy will for real not be around this semester.
I hope you're OK being stuck with little ol' me.

Classes have started back up and hopefully I'll be around more often!

Salsa

My Uncle Ronald from Capitan, New Mexico makes the best salsa in the world. He grows his own peppers. And eats a pepper with every meal like we do a side salad. Cool, right? When he and my aunt lived in the Panhandle, he nonchalantly gave his neighbor the recipe and didn't think anything of it. Later he finds out she's been selling it in her store and never told him or gave him any of the profits. That's how GOOD his salsa is.
Of course I REFUSE to ask him for the recipe too, because I think I can hold my own in the salsa world. This is what I've come up with. Everyone who has tried it likes it, but I warn you, its SPICY!
If you think you can take the heat, come on over!


The first time I made it I used whole tomatos and Rotel.


The second time I added diced tomatos instead of whole tomatos and took away one can of Rotel. So, the final "base" consists of a can of diced tomatos and a can of Rotel (make sure you don't pick the spiciest one- trust me-it will be spicy enough. I learned that the hard way.) You can add cans of tomatos and Rotel depending on how much salsa you want to make.



Next you will need an onion diced up and a jalepano pepper diced up. The onions in Texas are huge so feel free to only cut up half an onion if you make this in the Lone Star state. Cut up about half a cup of cilatro too. The cilantro isn't exact- add or subtract however much you want depending on your personal taste. Chop up about four cloves of garlic too. Garlic makes everything better.


Then, get out the food processor. This is the one extra appliance you will need to make this recipe. Food processors are super fun to use. . .they're also a great way to exert anger.
I recommend using the lowest setting for making salsa. I like my salsa a little chunky.
Add the tomatos first and slowly add in the onion, pepper and cilantro.
As you can see I added cumin the second time I made this. I couldn't taste a difference, except maybe even more spicy. haha So no cumin unless you have a large amount of milk handy to wash it down with.

Salsa is my favorite condiment because it's versatile, healthy and refreshing. Make some today!