Happy Halloween

Mornings

Saturdays.

Soccer.

Love it.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

In a cast and fumbling around on crutches has left me with few things I can do around the house. Baking in my little kitchen is one of those activities I can still manage, so I have been baking my heart out. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin... I think even my kiddos are tired of my treats.

My favorite has been this yummy recipe of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. I usually don't eat much of what I bake, but I could keep my hands off of these...

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C).

Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition.

Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.

Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

In a stand mixer beat all frosting ingredients on medium until fluffy. Refrigerate cupcakes to set frosting.

Enjoy.

In Recovery

I've been in the cast for 1 week now.

To catch you up on my latest physical impairment, I'll remind you of my injury from last May. After weeks of running on a sore foot, I finally quit my training for Utah Valley, realizing some severe damage had been done and it was only getting worse.

I self-diagnosed myself with a possible stress-fracture or terrible tendonitis.

Surely, taking the summer off from running and wearing a boot would heal my foot (...and hopefully the occasional bike ride and stair climbing wouldn't hurt.)

August came and I was aching to get running again. The Tucson Marathon was in my sights and I was aching to run it.

I got on the treadmill for the first run. It wasn't too bad. I dismissed the slight ache as a figment of my imagination. Denial. Denial. Denial. (Denial got my into this situation in the first place.)

My second run left me in tears. The pain was back. Nothing had healed.

I broke down and went to a doctor. He ordered an MRI.

It came back with some clear answers.

It showed a definite stress fracture in my heal.

A cast was in order!

I was happy and relieved...an answer and a solution.

So, I'm in this cast for the next few weeks.

Laundry is a pain, vacuuming an- exhausting task, and grocery shopping- impossible.

Showering has proved to be a chore not worth the effort. So, I've resorted to baths (not my favorite).

But, all of it worth it in the end.

I am counting down the days until I can lace up my running shoes

and head down the road.

Wedding Day

Wedding Day

One of the best days of my life.

Since October ninth, I have been overcome with a sense of peace and calm, like all of the uncertainty of my future has been put to rest.

Everything was beautiful, sweet, and simply perfect.

Wedding Day

"Hurry, kids. Mom's getting married."

*Thanks for the photo, Natalie.