Mud Butt

 This is Bellingham in the Winter. It is wet windy and cold.  The only way to survive these winter months without going skiing is to go brave the elements regardless. 

Forget the mud, slick roots, mud and more mud - ride your bike.

 

John went for an early ride Christmas Eve.

I am not convinced he didn't just go roll in a mud puddle.

 Total mud butt.

Nothing gets in this man's way to go play.

My Texan's Birthday

My Texan has a birthday today.

Happy Birthday Red Beard.

My Texan obviously has a red beard and the biggest biceps possible. It might be all the spinach he eats. Spinach will not make you grow a red beard but may increase the size of your muscles.  

He is kind of my hero. He makes sure I don't run off to the funny farm to run barefoot in the ferns.

He takes really good care of me.

Protects me from evil does with machetes...

Moves mountains.... No big deal really.

Mushy. Mushy.

I love him with every fiber of my body. We kind of have something going on, it is for real.

Like we have lived through like a bazillion cluster fucks.

I am the jelly - he is the peanut butter. We are like that, different but better together.

Today is his birthday. He is going to ride his bike, probably climb if he could.

Not a day goes by when I'm not thankful for my red bearded Texan. He's taught me how to stay calm when I feel upset and how to just. let. go. of things.

 

He also taught me how to ride a bike like a pro, rock climb like a ninja and is trying really hard to get me to throw a Frisbee in his general direction.

 

 

J says:

Be a better person.
Keep trying.
Make good friends. 

Work harder.

Stay out of your head.
Just go play outside already.

Happy birthday to the man of my life, dreams and my future.

 We are totally going to go run away to mountains together.

 I love his $5 leather gloves.

Swing set skills...

Happy Birthday love!

Drunk Chocolate Cupcakes

See folks, I have myself a lucky charm.

A red bearded, beer drinking, rowdy little powerhouse of an Irish man who has a mind that works faster than the speed of light and enough wit to make the average person a little squemish.

Add caption

My red beard cracks jokes as he rolls out of bed in the morning, loves our dog with complete abandon, has been at my side during some dark times and takes amazing care of me.

I love him with all my heart. He makes me smile.

And blush a bright shade of red in public....

So it makes perfect sence to talk about an Irish holiday, my husband and drunk chocolate cupcakes right? Yeah that is what I thought.

 How about drunk chocolate cupcakes...

 Now I have your attention... booze, chocolate, butter, sugar..... ga ga.....

A while back I made the 25 pound chocolate cake. 25 pounds = 1 cake. It was good, there were lots of calories, chocolate and porter beer in the batter. This cake could win a wrestling match and then feed the entire audience.

I decided beer in good in cake.

Life lesson.

These are bite size Black and Tans. I tried to make a Black and Tan beer in order to impress you while showing off my superb bartending skills. I decided to drink the evidence that revealed I am not a bartender and don't have mad layered drink making skills. If you are wondering what a Black and Tan beer should look like:

VIA

There you have it, I have better baking skills than beer layering technique so this is what my black and tan looks like, which is way cooler....

Drunken Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Dinner With Julie
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes (using 12 tin muffin tin)

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup brown butter
1 cup Guinness or other dark stout
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 and line cupcake tins.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar and cocoa.

In a small saucepan, brown the butter; remove from heat, pour into a bowl containing sugar and cocoa, add the Guinness. Whisk until combined.

Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.

Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt just until blended.

Divide the batter between paper-lined cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are springy to the touch.

Cool completely on a wire rack.


 Guinness frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4-1/3 cup Guinness, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine the butter, cream cheese, Guinness and the vanilla in a medium sized bowl, beat them together until they are light and fluffy.

Add the sugar gradually, beating until smooth.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes 

A bit of a suprise!

Way back when Facebook was new and exciting I filled out one of the chain letter deals and wrote 25 things about me. It was actually a really fun thing (who really doensn't like to talk about themselves... really be truthful!). I read several friends 25 things and was rather intrigued by all the people in my life. So the other day J. sent me a little note during the day, he reminded me that he had also came up with his own 25 (oh wait, of course it is 26) random facts. What a surprise, it was enough to bring tears to my eyes and remind me why I LOVE this man so much!

Here is a glimpse into J.'s lovely little world.

1. I love solutions. They have a way of eliminating problems.
2. I am quite calculated and typically judge the situation dispassionately.

3. I love my wife Michelle and her unyielding patience for me…(see above)

4. Nothing makes me happier than going fast, period. Bikes, Skis, Shopping Carts, whatever.

5. My dog Natasha has impressed me more over the last 11 years than any of god’s creatures that I have ever come in contact with. I’d take another one just like her!

6. I don’t believe in fear, but certainly calculate risk.

7. I have a wonderful family. Immediate, extended and in-law. I am truly blessed and continue to learn from them all.

8. My idol would still have to be my dad. Stoic, poised, and surefooted in all endeavors.

9. I thrive on commitment. Whether soloing on rock or rolling into steep technical terrain on a bike, when failure is not an option you bring the A-Game goods. And that my friends, is what it is all about.

10. I love coffee and red wine. Because what goes up, must come down.

11. “I am a part of all that I have met” Tennyson, and I have been unbelievably fortunate in the people, places and moments that I have “met”.

12. Chicken and Dumplins’ are the shit! (that is a good thing)

13. I am grateful to have a beautifully creative wife. Because to second my friend Dale, I too have no use for art.

14. I absolutely believe in form following function. See above and see my car.

15. Duct tape is amazing.

16. I am confident that I can fix anything that moves or shakes, and if it isn’t broken I can make it work better. It is just in the blood. You should meet my Papa Ralph!

17. My sister Corrie is the Yin to my Yang and I think that is pretty cool. She is so full of ideas and creativity. She has an intuition for the subtly beautiful. I just want to know what it does.

18. I love taco trucks.

19. I am most definitely a morning person.

20. I can’t live without music.

21. I love chocolate, thanks Mom…

22. I rely on my friends for inspiration, energy and motivation as they rely on me for the same. Everyone can’t bring it all the time, but certainly someone can.

23. There is nothing quite like clean polished white granite. Can I get an Amen?

24. You’ll never get all those ducks in a row, so stop tryin’. Have faith that they will fall into place individually at that critical time.

25. I have battled depression my whole life. Enjoy all things in moderation, even happiness. It takes a little bit of darkness to balance an individual, don’t fret. The sun will continue to rise. “Strikes and Gutters”, the Dude.

26. ”I love lamp”, Brick Tomlin. That’s right 26. Bucking the system since 1978.