Happy Halloween....

I love this time of year. Halloween is the holiday kick-off from now until we ring in new year. I loved it as a little girl, and I still love it now. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here and gone before we know it. It all goes by so fast.

I put together this fun Halloween video with a few safety tips I found on the CDC website to help keep your festivities fun and safe, and I included a delicious recipe from a previous blog post. All of my friends - with and without a badge - just love them. See below or click here for the original post.

Happy Halloween!

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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 (3.4 oz) package Jello brand instant butterscotch pudding mix

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (optional...I did not use in mine)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
Paper cupcake liners
2 muffin tins (holds 12 cupcakes) * Recipe makes 24 cupcakes. I do not recommend halving the recipe, but make all 24. They will be eaten!  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins (12 ea) with 24 paper muffin/cupcake liners. 
• Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves in a bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color.  Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next.  Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg.  Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.  Place one paper liner in each muffin space. Pour the batter into paper cupcake liner. (see my notes below)
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.  NOTE: I used a double-oven and put one tin in each oven.  If you have a single-oven,  I would probably bake one tin at a time.  I’m not sure how evenly it would cook w/ two tins in one oven, so use your own judgment there.
• After the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the cinnamon cream cheese icing.  

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (Delicious!)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth.  Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and ground cinnamon.  Beat until fluffy.  NOTE: You may need to add a little more confectioners' sugar to thicken the icing.  Try it with 3 cups first, and then add more if you want the icing to be thicker, but not too much, as you don't want it so sweet it won't compliment the taste of the cupcake.  I did add a little more, but not much. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before icing them.

Notes:  

• The first time I made this, I panicked because after I stirred in the flour, the batter was VERY thick and was NOT ‘pourable’ as the instructions given to me called for.  I scooped the mixture out using a spoon. 
• The second time I made this, I used a scoop like this and it went much, MUCH faster.  I use this scoop for my cream puffs also and it is such a time saver.  The scoop size is a 2” circle. 
• If you use the scoop, put one scoop in each of the 24 cups, then go back with a spoon and evenly distribute the mixture until cups are ¾ filled.  Keep swirling the mixture around with a spoon to get the mixture to settle down. 
• You won't use all of mixture, so don't worry. 

I used a 16" pastry bag for the frosting and the Wilton tip #1M.

October 27, 2017 - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Headquarters

I volunteered Friday night in the gift shop and set up my little treat table -- the first time in a long time. I thought it turned out cute. 

 ♥

Happy Mother's Day!

This isn't a typical AHOP post, but I am especially missing and thinking of my own mother this Mother's Day weekend.

My mom left me relatively early in my life. I was barely 32-years-old. Some girls lose their moms earlier than that, so I guess I should feel fortunate to have had her with me as long as I did, but I feel cheated sometimes....I wasn't ready for her to go. But her health was bad and it really was best for her. I just miss her. 

Since mom's passing in 1990, I have been blessed with several women in my life who are 'like a mother.'  I love them for it and feel so fortunate that they love me enough to consider me 'like a daughter.'  

My mom loved to read the bible. And she didn't just read it, she studied it like a theology professor. She used to type her favorite scriptures on little pieces of paper and would tuck them away in her bible. She gave me a few of them to refer to throughout my life. 

Several years had passed after my move to Charlotte in 1991 when I was going through a hard time (which isn't unusual when you're by yourself.) One Saturday I was cleaning out my closet and I saw a little slip of paper on the closet floor...it must of fallen out of a box. And right in the middle of whatever my little crisis was at the time, I found this:
 

You might call it a coincidence. I like to call it a miracle. 

Mom was still comforting me. This is now in a place where I see it often. I seem to need it more often. Life is not always kind and it can be down right cruel sometimes. I especially love this because it is from her typewriter, long before computers. After I married in 1977 and flew the coop, she turned my bedroom into a little office (celery green shag carpet and all!) I can still hear those typewriter keys pecking away.

I believe this is the only scripture that survived a few moves, however, I wouldn't put it passed my mom to place another in my path when I'm going through another crisis, and I can assure you there will be another. And if it's not in paper next time, I will hear her still small sweet voice in my head and she will comfort me again.

"Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my darling mother."

Thanks Mom...I love you.   

♥

Happy Val♥ntine's Day!

On Valentine's Day, I love to see the flower trucks running from one business to the other. I love seeing the boyfriends and husbands standing in the Hallmark line on Valentine's Day during their lunch hour sweating bullets (no pun intended) after all the really cute cards are all picked over and gone. 

And I love the thought that every person has a soul mate.... a 'split-part'.  

The Split-Apart Theory -- The first ever written reference to each person having a destined mate was given from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato (427 BC-348 BC). Plato's theory was that each human being is part of one soul, in which they only have half of. The idea is that the soul was "split-apart" and separated from each other– and, since that time, the two halves have been forever searching for one another in order to join together and regain their sense of original created wholeness. 

And here's a fairy-tale movie you might enjoy about mismatched people finding their way to their proper mates (their split-apart). It's called The Butcher's Wife. It's about a Greenwich Village butcher who returns from a NC fishing trip, and he can't wait to show off his prize catch....his beautiful wife, a country clairvoyant named Marina (Demi Moore). But the butcher's pride turns to prime concern when he hears gossip about a backwoods psychic whose charms are turning hardened city dwellers into love-struck kids. Great cast: Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels, Mary Steenburgen and Frances MacDormand. 

  

However you spend your Valentine's Day, I hope it is with someone who still makes your heart skip a beat when you get a text message in the middle of the day and she tells you your arms still drive her crazy. Or you text her to tell her she has nice legs, even though she knows she doesn't. The one who still surprises you with the teeniest little things so you can't wait to get home at night.  ♥

♥

♥

♥

All of the above vintage valentine cards were found on Pinterest.

♥

That Pooh....he was a wise old bear!
(Picture credit: Pinterest)

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.....Oh. My. Gosh!

Okay, so most of you who follow my little blog already know I am not a 'trained' cook.  I am just a working girl with two jobs who enjoys cooking for my friends when I can. 

Every new recipe I make is pretty intense and there is always self-induced kitchen drama -- especially when I'm cooking dinner for 2nd shift.  I freak out over lots of little things because I don't know what I'm doing half the time.

So I really love it when a recipe comes my way that is almost 'fool-proof' -- like this one.  These Pumpkin Spice cupcakes, although a little labor intensive, came out perfectly by just following the directions.  

The flavors in this cupcake (pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves) all blend together so beautifully to make this little cupcake exquisite.

In fact, they were so good, I sold three dozen the very first time I made them.  And, except for a colleague who needed some cream puffs for a PTA meeting, I have NEVER sold anything I have made. Three different people, after having just one cupcake, asked if they could buy a dozen for their Thanksgiving dinner. And they basically said....'just tell me how much you want for them.'  Wow!  Now that's a pretty good guarantee that these cupcakes are delicious.  And no thanks to me....I just followed the directions.  It's not even my recipe.  Thank you to my colleague, Miss Heather B., for sharing this one with me.  I hope I made her proud.

Here it is!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 (3.4 oz) package Jello brand instant butterscotch pudding mix

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (optional...I did not use in mine)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
Paper cupcake liners
2 muffin tins (holds 12 cupcakes) * Recipe makes 24 cupcakes. I do not recommend halving the recipe, but make all 24. They will be eaten!  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins (12 ea) with 24 paper muffin/cupcake liners. 
• Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves in a bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color.  Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next.  Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg.  Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.  Place one paper liner in each muffin space. Pour the batter into paper cupcake liner. (see my notes below)
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.  NOTE: I used a double-oven and put one tin in each oven.  If you have a single-oven,  I would probably bake one tin at a time.  I’m not sure how evenly it would cook w/ two tins in one oven, so use your own judgement there.
• After the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the cinnamon cream cheese icing.  

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (Delicious!)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth.  Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and ground cinnamon.  Beat until fluffy.  NOTE: You may need to add a little more confectioners' sugar to thicken the icing.  Try it with 3 cups first, and then add more if you want the icing to be thicker, but not too much, as you don't want it so sweet it won't compliment the taste of the cupcake.  I did add a little more, but not much. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before icing them.

Notes:  

• The first time I made this, I panicked because after I stirred in the flour, the batter was VERY thick and was NOT ‘pourable’ as the instructions given to me called for.  I scooped the mixture out using a spoon. 
• The second time I made this, I used a scoop like this and it went much, MUCH faster.  I use this scoop for my cream puffs also and it is such a time saver.  The scoop size is a 2” circle. 
• If you use the scoop, put one scoop in each of the 24 cups, then go back with a spoon and evenly distribute the mixture until cups are ¾ filled.  Keep swirling the mixture around with a spoon to get the mixture to settle down. 
• You won't use all of mixture, so don't worry. 

I used a 16" pastry bag for the frosting and the Wilton tip #1M.

♥

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The older I get, the more I realize all the 'little things' I haven't done -- especially when holidays roll around. For one, I have never been to a St. Patrick's Day party.  And I have never had green beer. Shocking, isn't it?  

Have fun today, whoever you are, and please....if you drink too much green beer today, designate a driver or take a taxi.  Don't wreck your life or the lives of others.  Drive Sober or GET PULLED OVER!

IRISH BLESSINGS

May you always have walls for the winds,

a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,

laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,

and all your heart might desire.

♥

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields and,

Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

♥

May the sun shine, all day long,

everything go right, and nothing wrong.

May those you love bring love back to you,

and may all the wishes you wish come true!

♥

Happy New Year....may the good Lord bless and keep you!

I love this picture -- a Norman Rockwell print titled "New Year's Eve" from January 1, 1944 -- of a young lady who, at the stroke of midnight, has fallen asleep after rereading love letters from her overseas soldier-boyfriend.

As I write my last post for 2012, I am truly humbled to still have the AHOP light in the window -- a 'safe place' for these officers to come for a meal, a root beer float, or a cup of hot coffee on a cold night.  It makes me so happy that they still enjoy their visits.  I have had so much fun this year flipping pancakes, making cream puffs and conjuring up a pretty darn good meatloaf.  Your support has also been very humbling -- thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This month also marks AHOP's 3rd Anniversary!  I hosted my first dinner on December 23, 2009.  I was so afraid no one would come to my first dinner, and as many officers as I knew at the time, oddly enough, four officers I (didn't) know knocked on my door.  I love to see new officers sit at my table who have been 'afraid' to come.  Some officers who don't know me feel really funny about coming the first time.  I always look at them as being fearless and afraid of nothing -- least of all coming to AHOP.  But it only takes coming once, and they come back -- just ask Officer H.

Wherever you live, I encourage you to reach out to your own local police department to host your own event.  I can guarantee you this -- you will enjoy every minute of it, and you will get back so much more than you put into it.  I wish you all could see my officers through my eyes.  You would see what I see.  They are big-hearted, thoughtful, kind, and courageous. 

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year.  And please, if you venture out New Year's Eve, drink responsibly.  Don't become another statistic.  Drive Sober or GET PULLED OVER.  Don't wreck your life or the lives of others -- designate a driver or take a taxi.

And that's all I have to say about that!

Happy New Year to you all!   ♥

Merry Christmas...God Bless Us, Everyone!

Remembering all of the police officers, fireman and EMS who are working this Christmas Day, for you and for me. You are appreciated!

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. ~ Luke 2:8-14

No one can recite Luke 2:8-14 like Linus....just had to add this.
That's what Christmas IS all about!

And one more....the Christmas Story as told by the children of St. Paul's Church
in Auckland, New Zealand. I love this video...and the 'donkey push' trying to get
Mary and the donkey up the hill...priceless.  

Enjoy!   

Wishing you all a joyful, safe and happy holiday ~ Merry Christmas! 

Strawberry Santas....HO-HO-HO!

You will be the talk of the party if you arrive with these cute little Santa's.  I made these little guys for the first time today for the 10th floor Holiday Potluck at work, and they were a big hit!  I also took a plate down to the CMPD South Division.  Served on a bed of shredded coconut to resemble snow....so cute!

Here's what you need...and strawberries, of course!

Santa Strawberries

Adapted from this recipe

1 dozen strawberries

1 8 oz. Cool Whip    

Handful of chocolate sprinkles
Pastry bag and tips (or) two large ZipLoc bags

Using a paring knife, slice the leafy end off each strawberry so they stand up evenly. Then slice the tip off to make a little hat.  I did about 7-8 Santa's at a time and lined them up on a folded paper towel to absorb some of the juice.  This way you can place the hat in front so the hats don't get mixed up (no laughing -- I'm sure I have a little OCD somewhere in my family.)

All shapes and sizes....just like us.  :o)

I used a pastry bag to pipe out the Cool Whip.  If you don't already own one....it is a very inexpensive kitchen tool that you will use over and over and over and over!  Pipe out the Cool Whip for the little head, then plop the little hat on top.  

This is the size pastry bag and tips I used.  

You can buy these Wilton products at Micheal's and other craft stores.  The tips are very inexpensive (something like $.99/ea.)  If you don't have a pastry bag or you don't think you'll use it often, a large ZipLoc bag works very well.  For the buttons and hat, the hole should be no larger than a pin-head. Super tiny.  Use a separate bag for the face and cut a slightly larger hole.  Cut a very small hole for the face and test it.  If it's not large enough, cut a little more and test it again.  Keep testing until you get the size face that looks like the picture.  You can make the cut larger -- you can't make it smaller.

  

A Zip-Loc bag works well to pipe out the Cool Whip if you don't have a pastry bag, but
Wilton pastry bags and tips are an inexpensive addition to your kitchen gadgets.
Don't be scared....go get one! ;)

Place two chocolate sprinkles on Santa's "face" for the eyes.  

TIP: I found the sprinkles very hard to pick up and put on the face without messing up the face.  Dip your finger in water and then pick up a sprinkle using the flat side of your wet finger -- that made it easier to place the sprinkle on the face.    

This was the first time I've made these Santa's -- the next time I think I will chop up some of the sprinkles so the eyes are smaller.
  

You're done! Store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Enjoy! 

♥ 

Updated photos from 2014:

2014 Gift Shop Treat Table

I served these little guys on a bed of shredded coconut to give the appearance of snow
(an idea I saw in a magazine). Very cute!

Happiness at Thanksgiving.....

I am thankful this Thanksgiving to have enjoyed another year of cooking breakfast and dinner for some of the kindest and most big-hearted CMPD police officers you'd ever want to meet.  They all mean so much to me.  I received three text messages this morning from officers wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving.  Their messages instantly put a smile on my face, but it also reminded me of how many officers around the country would spend this beautiful day in their patrol car instead of at home with their family.  Many officers worked an extra long day for the Black Friday retailers who opened their doors early.    

I shared my Thanksgiving with my good friends in Midland, NC.  I am thankful for their love and friendship throughout the years.       

Wishing all of my readers, wherever you are, a bounty of blessings and a safe and peaceful holiday season.  ♥

Happy Easter to YOU and my Cops of EGGcellance!

Have you missed me? Nothing makes time fly faster than when you're trying to keep up with a blog. Several contributing factors to my absenteeism … first, I hurt my back (much better) and, as usual, I can't remember to take pictures (not much better.) When I cook breakfast and dinner for these guys, they fix their plates and before I slow down long enough to even think about taking a picture, there is nothing left to take a picture of. Maybe I need to keep the camera ON THE TABLE, and they can help me out with this one little minor detail. I keep telling them "my friends think I'm making you up...I need pictures!"

Anyway, I had fun last weekend making lunch instead of breakfast for 1^st shift. I slept in until 6:00 am and actually had time for a cup of coffee and the morning news. Having these guys come for lunch instead of breakfast threw me off though – all day – my Saturday felt like a weekday.  I’m not sure why.  Regardless, it was a blast.

Another reason I haven't been posting....a big Easter project! I made three Easter baskets (324 candy bars), and this little Easter bunny hopped all over town – delivering them to three divisions – South (my division), North, and Central. So much fun to do! 

(Notice the handcuffs on Bugs Bunny)

(Back of wrapper - click once to enlarge photo)

This beautiful Easter lily was a gift from a 2nd shift officer who came for dinner
Tuesday night. Lovely! I will replant it outside to enjoy next year, and the year after. 

May the joy and the blessings of Easter fill your heart with special happiness.

Happy Easter! ♥