Good morning!
I finally had a good night of sleep – wheee! I’ll admit that Teen Mom sucked me in and I didn’t actually turn everything off until 9, but I was out like a light after that.
Apparently it was Ben’s night to toss and turn though, as he had a hard time falling asleep. That is, until he started counting my snores (I blame allergies!) One count for snore in, one count for breath out. The last number he remembered counting was 90. So there you go – when counting sheep doesn’t work, count your spouse’s snores! 
Breakfast is on the go this am – Cheerios, Banana & Berries!
Two peas in a po-
Two peas in a po-
Three peas in a pod! I love Cheerios with a sliced banana and unsweetened vanilla almond breeze. So classic, so satisfying.
I also packed some juicy blackberries for good measure. These are so sweet!
Oh, last night after dinner I made some treats for a co-worker’s last day today – Red Velvet Cupcakes!!! I used a Duncan Hines mix, which looked exactly like chocolate cake mix until some liquid was added and, like magic, it turned bright red!
REALLY red – don’t wear white while mixing this up!
And don’t expect to get away with tasting the batter and not have anybody know. I licked the beaters and, um, looked in the mirror about half an hour later to find that my lips and tongue were scarlet. Busted! How embarrassing.
This box made exactly 3 dozen cupcakes,
and the Pillsbury Cream Cheese Frosting I used covered all 36 of them without a dabble to spare. How often does that work out so perfectly?!
These were divine!
Moist, beautifully red, and slathered with luscious, cream cheese icing. Oh. Yum.
Sorry, the scratch baker inside of me adores making things from well, scratch, but boxed cake mixes and brownies can be super good!
We’re all going out to lunch today at a restaurant called Centro, to celebrate the aforementioned co-worker’s last day. I usually get the Tuscan Panini:
Wood-grilled chicken, mozzarella, roma tomato, basil and garlic mayo on country Italian bread.
But I might go with one of the signature coal-fired brick oven pizzas…we shall see!
TGIAF!
~~~~~
What would a Thursday be without Three Questions to go along with it? Here we go!
1. What’s your favorite cake and icing flavor?
2. How many different places have you lived in your life?
3. If you could meet one famous person, who would it be?
My answers:
1. Champagne cake (it was my wedding cake flavor) and nothing can beat funfetti frosting. SO GOOD!
2. Let’s see here – born in Ohio where I think I lived in 2 different cities, moved to Iowa, went to college in Cedar Falls, IA, lived in Japan for a summer, moved to Minneapolis after college, then back to my hometown in Iowa. So…6 total!
3. Ashley Olsen. Yep, I heart the Olsen Twins and I want to know what they’re like in real life!
Haha counting snores – love it!And those blackberries look divine – I think they photograph best out of all fruit
1. What’s your favorite cake and icing flavor?
Hmm…I love coffee, I love red velvet…I like banana too, with caramel frosting…there are too many good flavours out there! I’ve never tried PB but I bet that’d be a winner :p
2. How many different places have you lived in your life?
Three – my first house til I was 2, my current house, and my uni accomodation.
3. If you could meet one famous person, who would it be?
Arnold Schwarzenegger (I love him!!) or Brad Pitt – SO many people would be jealous :p or Paris Hilton, so I could smack her….
Yum!
1. Chocolate and chocolate – huge surprise, huh?
2. Only 3!
3. Ahh I don’t think I could only pick 1. It would have to be Pope John Paul, Mario Lemieux, or Lance Armstrong.
1. Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting…I can’t stray from what works
2. I was born in California, went to school in Utah, married in Utah, and now we live in Tennessee!
3. Jude Law!
1. Ice cream cake from Dairy Queen! I also love Hy-Vee cake (any flavor) with their whipped frosting. YUMMY!
2. I grew up in the same house in eastern Iowa; I never moved around growing up. When I was 18 I moved to Cedar Rapids and lived there for a couple of years before moving to Cedar Falls to finish my degree. Now my husband and I have lived in the same house for almost five years.
3. I would love to meet anyone famous!
1. Carrot or red velvet cake with cream cheese icing!
2. I’ve really only lived in Florida, except for a year of study abroad where I live on a ship.
3. Steven Tyler!!!!
1. Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting for sure!
2. 8 that I can count off the top of my head!
3. Really no idea….
you must try ghiradelli (sp?) brownies!! they are the best brownies i have ever had, even compared to ones from scratch!! you can get them at any grocery store next to all the other brownies. friends will rant and rave about them
1. Deep chocolate & chocolate chip cake w/ simple whipped cream frosting. Always a delicious classic. I’m not a huge fan of frosting unless it comes atop Sprinkles or Cara’s cupcakes
2. I’ve lived in the same town since age 5, but my parents are divorced so my mom has moved twice and my dad once. And I now live in the city while at school!
3. Jake Gyllenhaal, hands down. Or Natalie Portman. I think she’s fantastic.
1. Red velvet with cream cheese icing
2. Hometown in Tennessee; college in Tucson,AZ; college in Martin, TN; Dyersburg, TN; Wilmington, NC; back to hoemtown, TN.
3. Jon Bon Jovi I am in LOVE with him!!(don’t tell my husband)
1. Mmm I love funfetti cake with chocolate frosting!! Or any type of chocolate cake!
2. If you count where I’ve gone to college, only three!
3. I would love love love to meet Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order SVU!!!
P.S… did you see on Missy’s blog that she ran into Mary Kate Olsen the other day!?!
http://www.missymaintains.com/celebrity-sighting/
Oh my gosh, I loved the Olsen twins. I have all of their movies and I have literally watched every episode of Full House at least ten times. I always wanted to have a twin, so it would be awesome to meet them.
I just discovered your blog! Yea!
Ok, here are my answers.
1-I loved me a good marble cake with chocolate icing but I can only consume a thin slice now.
2-I have lived in 2 different places, Laredo until I was 2 and then Houston from then on which is now 31 years.
3-Alive-Jake Gyllenhaal Dead-Gregory Peck, I loved To Kill A Mockingbird.
1. I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! Yum!
2. Iowa, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Too many apartments and houses to count during those college years!
3. I think having dinner with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman would be a riot!!!
1. Lemon cake w/ strawberry cake a close 2nd (although there aren’t many I don’t like!)
2. I’ve always lived in IA – Ottumwa, college in Ames, WDM, Altoona.
3. Jerry Seinfeld… or Oprah… oooh or Anderson Cooper! (I just read some of the other comments – yeah, I’d have to change mine to Bon Jovi too!!!)
Love red velvet cupcakes! They’re even more scrumptious when baked from scratch… you should try it sometime. Out here in LA, red velvet is EVERYWHERE. Love specialty cupcake shops.
1. Red velvet w/ cream cheese frosting.
2. Cities or apartments? We’ll go with cities… 5… grew up in Council Bluffs, IA, went to college at Iowa State, moved to Chicago where I met my fiance, then we moved to Tallahassee, FL and now we’re out in Los Angeles.
3. Bono.
1. That’s HARD!! I loooove Red Velvet with Cream Cheese but I also can’t pass up GOOD plain vanilla cake with buttercream, yum! And carrot cake…
2. I’ve lived in the same town and city my entire life and only moved houses one time.
3. Jude Law, LOVE him!!!!!
My allergies make me snore too. Luckily my man is a heavy sleeper!
I love german chocolate with the caramel pecan frosting. Also carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, strawberry shortcake (does that count?) with strawberries (obviously). This champagne cake sounds interesting though, and I have yet to have a wedding, so… who knows!
I have lived in two towns. Four different places in DSM.
I could never pick just one, but last night I had a dream that I met Will Ferrell and was utterly speechless, but he just came up to me and we made out! LOL. One of those dreams you don’t want to wake up from.
1. Yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting (and really, I don’t even need the cake).
2. I’ve lived in 5 different cities in 4 states–I was born in Columbus, OH, grew up in Cincinnati, lived in Atlanta, GA & Williamsport, PA as a child (6 months in each place the year between leaving Columbus and moving to Cinci), and after meeting my husband, moved to Brookings, SD!
i always think i love red velvet, and then i eat it and remember i don’t. however, i DO use red velvet body wash by philosophy. smells just like the real deal.
ok, my answers:
1) carrot cake with cream cheese icing. AMAZE
2) grew up near philadelphia my whole life; lived in south africa for 5 months; lived in greece for a summer; and spent every summer growing up on cape cod. do those count??
3) anderson cooper. hes sexy AND smart. great combo
Oh gosh! All cake is good! I’d have to say Hiland Bakery white cake is probably my favorite. I’ve always lived in either Des Moines or Ankeny, but in my 47 years I’ve lived in 1 apartment & 4 houses. Who would I like to meet? Hmmm…probably Bill Stowe! What a hunk! (My grandma always made homemade red velvet cake for special occasions! And she made the best burnt sugar pie in the whole world! I miss her!)
This may be a stupid question, but I am never sure and always end up with too much or too little batter so…how full do you fill the cupcake liners?
Those look so yummy! I have never had red velvet cake. Does it taste like chocolate or cherry or chocolate cherry?
I love carrot cake and the more raisins and walnuts the better.
I’ve only lived in 3 places my entire life and I would love to meet Kim Kardashian….I love her!
My favorite cake is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting… YUM!
I’ve lived in 3 states, 10 cities.
Famous person???? I really dont know…
Centro in Iowa looks neat. I was just in Boulder, Colorado and ate at a place called Centro. You should check out my posts (I know you love to travel!! Boulder is amazing if you have never been….)
1) I’ll let you know after I choose my wedding cake. I love vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, any and all combos, I could never pick one!
2)Born in Cape Cod, MA where I lived my whole life in the same house in the small town of Yarmouthport. Went to College at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, and then moved to Boston. I’ve lived in a few different neighborhoods in the city. So that’s 3!
3)omg yes to A.Olsen. I’ll say Mary Kate so we can meet them both together.
I have to admit that I have never heard of Champagne cake. Maybe it is a Canadian thing? But…I would give it a try. I mean, funfetti frosting just sounds too good to pass up.
So to answer:
-Chocolate on chocolate. Yummo!
-Born in Ontario, lived in Ottawa for University, lived in Germany for 3 months so….3 in total
-Taylor Lautner just because he is incredibly hot to me.
Oh! I have to admit, I am so afraid to eat Red Velvet cake. I can’t wrap my head around red and cake and together. I am the odd man out I am sure as everyone says it is great but I just can’t. I can wear red no problem but don’t want it on my walls or in my food (other than natural products like apples). I am so afraid of that color for some reason in food. I went to the cheesecake factory once when we visited the U.S. and I ordered the cake b/c of everyone’s rave reviews only to send it back after the waitor placed it in front of me. I was blinking to suppress my suddenly watery eyes and having to swallowing big time (salivary glands working over time) after looking at the cake. I couldn’t do it. Strange right?
1. Carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting is a fav, for sure.
2. 3
3. T.Swift – just b/c I just saw her in concert and am now obsessed : )
I LOVE RED VELVET! ♥
1) I love plain white cake, it’s all about the frosting for me. Raspberry flavored cream cheese frosting.
2) I’ve liked 6 different places
3) I would love to meet Shakira.
1) I love chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.
2) I’ve lived 3 different zip codes but technically only 2 cities. I was born and raised in Cleveland and I went to college in New York City and stayed.
3) I would love to meet John Cusack. He’s my fav.
1. I love red velvet! Although, I could never pass up chocolate
2. Born in Houston, TX and lived here my whole life, except a year in Edinburg, TX, and for a few years in Huntsville, TX for college.
3. I’d love to meet Kendra Wilkinson. That girl cracks me up!
1. Cookies & Cream ice cream cake! I’m going to dessert tonight and definitely want to try Champagne cake flavor! Also, I’m a big fan of Betty Crocker’s Rainbow chip! MUCH MUCH better than funfetti
2. Umm….are we counting towns or actual house/apartments? Towns – 4. Apartments/houses? 7.
3. Oh Kendra is a good one! (to the person above me)
1. Carrot Cake for sure! I just love the flavour and then that frosting is ridiculous, out of control, to die for! And p.s. I have never heard of champagne cake!
2. Hmm. London, Faversham, Reading and Sheffield (all England), Austin, TX and Minneapolis, MN…so 6!
3. Tough one. Probably Cesc Fabregas, who plays for my football (soccer) team in England! I’m a little obsessed…
I do that with Hunni’s snores at night since I have trouble falling asleep too sometimes.
1. What’s your favorite cake and icing flavor? I love red velvet with real cream cheese frosting.
2. How many different places have you lived in your life? I couldn’t count. I’m a military brat.
3. If you could meet one famous person, who would it be? Matthew Gray Gubler of Criminal Minds. I love Spencer Reid.
1. funfetti cupcakes with rainbow chip icing. i could eat them all day everyday!!! if i ever get married, that’s what i’m having for my wedding!!!!!!!!!!
2. innnnn west philadelphia born and raised (and still living….). and by “west philadelphia” i mean the lovely suburbs of philly
3. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!!!!!!! i want to snuggle his face off. and my girl crush natalie portman
1. carrot cake with cream cheese frosting–the best!
2. born in Chicago, moved 3 times within a few miles each time until h.s. graduation, Iowa for college, Japan for a summer
, Nebraska for hubby’s first job, Kansas for hubby’s job relocation, and now Iowa to raise our kids!
3. Mark Ruffalo–absolutely adore him and I can not stop smiling when he’s on screen. 13 going on 30 is a movie that makes me want to cringe sometimes but I watch it over and over just for him!
(1) i don’t really like cake, but i do like me good piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting every now and again.
(2) minnesota, florida, texas, missouri, wisconsin, england, thailand.
(3) jake gyllenhaal…because we should probably meet before we get marrid
i have to make those cupcakes now for my fiance! he LOOOVES red velvet (its going to be our wedding cake too!)
1. What’s your favorite cake and icing flavor? I absolutely love pineapple upside down cake. no icing.. just brown sugary drips…. yumm…
2. How many different places have you lived in your life? I have lived in NY, RI, and CT!
3. If you could meet one famous person, who would it be?
Jillian Michaels… definetely… love her!!!
1. Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Icing…..LOVE IT!!! =)
2. Yikes, a lot, my step-dad was in the military…..let’s see…….7 if you just count states (Arizona, Colorado, Wyomming, New Jersey & Florida) and countries (Beligium & England)…….lots more if you count houses! =O
3. Bill Murray, just because I love all his movies! Not one do I not like……=)
Centro looks like its closed per the web site!!!! You are having a terrible time going out to eat!! LOL
Those cupcakes look oh so good!
1. My favorite cake is a Duncan Hines marble frosted with whipped cream cheese frosting.
2. I have lived 2 places in my life, Georgia & Minnesota.
3. If I could meet one celebrity…hmmm, probably Adam Richmond – haha
Those cupcakes look awesome!
1. Not much of a cake person, but if I had to choose, I do love the frosting on Carrot Cake
2. Born in MN, lived in 3 different cities (one of them for college), lived in Australia for a semester, and now Japan for the year…but back in MN in JULY!!!
3. I want to meet Ellen Degeneres. She is so dang funny!
1. Ghiradelli’s chocolate cake (traditional family b-day cake), and i could eat the frosting that goes with that cake for a couple hours a day.
2. Iowa (childhood), Northfield MN (college), Minneapolis (post-college), Raleigh NC & Long Island NY (last year for husband’s job), St. Paul MN (since husband’s job brought us back last April)…looks like 6!
3. I’m super intrigued by Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian efforts through the UN, so she’s a top contender; but I’d also love to sit down with someone like Matt Damon because he strikes me as being insanely intelligent. (Ask me tomorrow and my answer might be different, though).
Mmm red velvet always makes me think of my sister’s wedding–she had a red velvet wedding cake!
Massachusetts – 3 different places
Maine – freshman year at college
Connecticut – Summer job
Iowa – 2 different places
Pennsylvania – This summer!
Weeee! I need another country on my list!
1. Yellow cake with fudge frosting (family recipe).
2. Seven. Four cities in Minnesota, two cities in Iowa, and a J-term in Seville, Spain, in college.
3. Tina Fey. Did you see her on SNL last week? Hilarious!
!. yellow cake with sprinkle white frosting
2. Harlan, Iowa; Minneapolis, MN; Sioux falls, SD; Brookings, SD; Carroll, IA; Des Moines, IA; then met my husband then moved to Ann Arbor, MI; Lansing, MI; Lafayette, IN; McKinney, TX; Davenport, IA; and we currently live in Kansas City, KS! I have loved every minute of it!!
3. Jon Bon Jovi and OPRAH
1. Tie between rainbow chip cake and frosting (funfetti’s cousin) and red velvet. Can I have one of those cupcakes?
2. 5! Carmichael, CA, Boulder, CO, Perugia, Italy San Diego, CA, Sacramento, CA. But I lived in about 4 places in both Boulder and San Diego, so it feels like a lot more.
3. Hmm..tough one. I am not die hard for any one celebrity. But I bet it would be a celebrity chef.
[...] Comments « When Counting Sheep Doesn’t Work… [...]
[...] off with a Coke Zero and a Red Velvet Cupcake. The picture of health. Yoooooou’re lookin’ at [...]