Well, I figured it was about time I updated this thing!

One of the most exciting events of the year for a lot of us Army people is the battalion ball, which happened this past Saturday night. I was particularly excited for this one since I have gotten to know so many awesome people in the battalion during the deployment! It was a blast getting all dolled up, seeing my hubby in his dress uniform, and getting to hang out with all of my friends. The evening was over far too soon, but we all definitely partied our little hearts out! :-)

 

 

That night I and the other FRG leaders were also presented with the Commander's Award for Public Service, which none of us were expecting! It was such an honor, and I'm so thankful I've gotten the opportunity to volunteer for such an amazing and appreciative unit. Not everyone is this lucky!

In other news, on Monday I finally broke the news to my boss that I'm quitting next month. My last day will be October 15th. I am so excited and nervous at the same time at saying goodbye to full-time office work. As much as I've grown to dislike it (my brain feels like it's atrophying here!), it has become my niche, in a way, and it's always intimidating to venture out of your comfort zone. But I'm so relieved that I'll be done here soon and can set off on the road of being able to spend more time with my husband, devote my full attention to the FRG, and start working toward my goal of going to college and getting a degree. I am hoping to find a part-time job on post but we'll see what happens.

Last week I started reading Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I'm sure I'll talk about it more when I'm done with it, but this book is without doubt a life-changing one for me. Partly due to my background, I'm a people-pleaser, very compliant, easily guilt-tripped, and have a very hard time saying no to anything. This book addresses people like me and helps them recognize these traits and pull ourselves out of them. It's written from a very Christian perspective, which I appreciate, and has been extremely eye-opening. I'll give a full review after I'm done with it, but I can't help but mention it now since I'm excited about it!

3rd Brigade is officially home!

Yesterday I left work for a few hours to attend our brigade's Welcome Home and Uncasing the Colors ceremony. I know I would probably think differently if I were the one wearing the green uniform and standing in a field for two hours, but I really enjoy military ceremonies. They make me feel especially proud to be an American and an Army wife.

1-23 Battalion, the "Tomahawks"

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The band, which also recently returned from a deployment to Iraq.

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So proud of these guys!

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Gen. Johnson and Col. Funk take a ride in a Stryker to inspect the troops.

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Fortunately no small children ran out into the field in front of the stryker this year.

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Parading out the colors

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Uncasing the colors

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Flag of 3rd Brigade

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Close-up of the Tomahawks

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I had to get a picture with my hubby, of course!

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Bake-N-Blog

So, a group of friends and I decided to carry out an idea that Jesstagirl and Her Officer came up with: "Bake-N-Blog"! All of us picked a cupcake recipe from Ming Makes Cupcakes and baked them, taking pictures of the process. I chose the "Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache" because I knew my peanut butter-adoring husband would definitely help me eat them. =)

Anyway, with that introduction, let's get started!

Here's all the ingredients:

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The dry ingredients mixed up, and my cup of peanut butter (I absolutely love this measuring cup from Pampered Chef for messy solids like peanut butter!):

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Mixing up the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla:

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Then I added part of the milk:

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And part of the dry mixture:

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And repeated that until the wet and dry mixtures were all mixed in and the batter looked deliciously silky and luscious like this:

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Of course I followed it up by licking the beater...who wouldn't??

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I lined the cupcake pan and filled each one:

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Then they went into the preheated 350-degree oven to bake up into yumminess.

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After 20 minutes, I wanted one RIGHT THEN.

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But first they needed icing, so I mixed up more peanut butter and vanilla:

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Then I added some milk:

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And powdered sugar.

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Then I started the ganache, which is just cream and chocolate chips. I did not own a traditional double boiler, and they were much too expensive to buy, so I put a metal bowl into a pan full of water and it worked perfectly!

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The finished icing looks amazing.

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The chocolate is melting:

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It's all melted after a very short time, so I took it out of the simmering water.

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Then I iced the cupcakes!

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And drizzled on the ganache:

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Ahhhh there is NO way these can NOT be amazing.

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I prepare to dig in!

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So, my official review: I give these cupcakes 5 stars. The cake is soft, rich, and peanut-buttery, and together with the icing, it melts in your mouth. The ganache was super easy and the perfect finishing touch. I will definitely make these again!

Here's the actual recipe:


P.S. Taking pictures while baking/cooking is an interesting process--I felt rather stressed about it. How does the Pioneer Woman do it almost every day??

Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my very favorite veggies. I had a zucchini dish at a friend's house once that consisted of roasted zucchini topped with basil and mozzarella cheese that I loved, and since I wasn't quite sure how she'd made it, I decided I'd come up with my own version. I have no idea what to call this recipe...several people I've made them for call them, "those zucchini things," so I guess that will have to do. ;)

Sarah's Zucchini Things

First you preheat your oven to 375 and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Then you slice the zucchini (I used a yellow squash this time too since I had one) lengthwise and put them on the baking sheet, like this:

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To keep the slices from rolling all over the place, cut a sliver of the peel off any rounded edges:

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Brush each piece with olive oil (or grapeseed oil, which is a staple in my kitchen--it's so healthy!):

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Sprinkle the pieces with salt and lemon pepper (or just plain pepper, but I love lemon pepper), and top with basil. I was blessed enough to find fresh basil at the store for once, but if not dried basil just has to do.

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Small slices of fresh tomato comes next--I had plum tomatoes this week, which were the perfect size, but if you are using large tomatoes, cut the slices in half.

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Now pop the pan in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. You want to start checking them at about 6 minutes--poke one with a fork to see if they are starting to soften. You want them tender but not mushy! While they are in the oven, slice up some fresh mozzarella cheese, the thicker the better.
Yummy roastedness:

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NOW for the delicious part. Top each zucchini slice with mozzarella. It's hard to resist eating them at this point!

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Put them back in the oven for about one minute. You do not want the cheese to melt and run all over the pan; you just want it warmed and softened, like this:

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Serve them right away! I enjoyed mine with a filet of baked fish. =)

Note: These would be prettier for a fancy dinner party with a bit more preparation, ie, choosing zucchini with a straight, uniform size; not running out of tomato (like I did, resulting in random little pieces stuck on); and not running out of cheese (like I did, resulting in some thick pieces and some thin pieces). Haha.

You know what I love? Biting into a perfect peach. Firm, but not hard; juicy and sweet but not overripe. It's like happiness exploded in your mouth.

I am eating just such a peach. It was from a local fruit stand (with the farm it was grown on just behind it), and I can't wait to go back this weekend and get more. One of my biggest frustrations is buying fresh fruit that turns out to be bad. It should be, like, a crime or something.