{partners in crime}

Week #22 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Layered Birthday Golf Cake

Well folks, this is officially my last cooking challenge post! I made it!!! I have learned a lot during this challenge! First, cooking is not that hard. Second, cooking is FUN. Third, I may in fact be just as good of a cook as my husband! There's a SHOCKER! Even though my challenge is completed, I will continue to post and share good recipes I find with my loyal readers!

Since this is my final cooking challenge post, I figured I would leave you with something that may just blow your mind! I volunteered to bake my father in-law's 60th Birthday cake. I know what you're thinking... I may be crazy. Here's how the madness unfolded!!!!

12" Round 3 Layered Chocolate Golf Cake (myself)

Ingredients

3 boxes of chocolate cake mix
9 eggs
1 1/4 water x 3
1/3 vegetable oil x 3
3 things of white icing
green food coloring

Mix together 1 box of cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 1/4 cup water, 1/3 vegetable oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes in a 12" cake pan.

You're going to do this 3 times...

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Once you let the cakes cool completely your going to cut the top off the cake that has raised up a bit...

Next your going to start icing the cake. I used white icing and added green food coloring to get the color I wanted.

After I got the cake all iced... I was disappointed because the cake was leaning a bit... then I started my writing on it and I was even more disappointed... BLAH!

Not very professional huh?

But... after I put all the decorations on it didn't turn out as bad as I thought.

The Rhoton's decided I needed to open my own cake shop called Kay's Cakes. It's got a nice ring to it doesn't it :)

The cake must have been decently good because there was not much left over.

Photo Friday - FALL COLORS

I have decided to participate in a Photo Challenge for the month of October. What will happen is a theme will be posted every week for us to take pictures of our interpretation of that theme. My goal with this challenge is to get a little better at my photography skills. It's no secret that I'm not that creative with my pictures. I will be posting my pictures on Friday of each week. This weeks theme is FALL COLORS! Enjoy!

More Mums

We are mum crazy around my house!!! Since I saw how lovely the mum we planted last year turned out... I talked Dan into going with me to Lowe's and buying three more! Our house pretty much has no landscaping what so ever, so I think they will be a nice edition to our outside area.

Here they are!!!! I hope they make it through the winter like the last one did!

I was so excited about our new mum editions that I wanted to show the whole neighborhood! Unfortunately, no one was really out except us. So I went upstairs hoping that Remington would be interested... I found him snoozing on our couch...

O'well... I think my mums are great and that is all that matters.

Beautiful Mum

Remember last Fall, how Dan and I ripped out a boring, stickery, thorn bush that was in front of our house and my Dad replaced it with a little mum???

August 2010

Remember how I was so concerned that this little plant would not make it through the harsh winter?? Well folks, it did... and today it's the most beautiful mum in our neighborhood! Well, maybe it's the only mum in the whole neighborhood, but still... it is gorgeous!

Ewwwww... Ahhhhh...

Look at all those blooms! Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!?!

Thanks Remington... you're silly!

Week #21 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is so easy peasy I had to try it! And... seriously... who doesn't like pumpkin tasting things in the Fall!

Pumpkin Muffins (pinterest.com)

Ingredients

yellow cake mix
16 oz can of pumpkin

Dump both ingredients into mixing bowl and blend!

Put in muffin pan.

Follow instructions on cake mix box on how long and temperature to cook.

And there you go... pumpkin muffins!

My taste tester wasn't around this weekend when I made these, but my parents were... they rated them as "good" :) I thought they were excellent!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of September 19th - September 25th... this past week my Grandma S. had hip replacement surgery. It was definitely bitter sweet for me. Bitter because I worry about her recovery and sweet because she was in such horrible pain and this will hopefully solve the problem. During the times I ran this week I choose to think about her. It truly pains me to see both of my grandmothers age and to not be able to do the things they once could. I take for granted how lucky I am to be healthy and in good physical shape. I decided to run this week for all the people who can't run... because no matter how much I dislike it sometimes, how sore I get, or how tired I am some days... I want to savor the moments that these two legs can carry me and I can run.

I think that I have finally came to the conclusion that I'm not going to be able to pull off running my Half Marathon this year. I'm disappointed in myself. I should have pushed harder, not let school and work get in the way of my training, and ran tons more than I have. It makes me sad and I feel like I let people down in the process (including myself). But on a positive note, I'm proud of myself for what I accomplished this summer. I ran my first 5K and 10K. For me that was a huge hurdle! I haven't given up on running a Half Marathon. I plan on keeping myself in good shape this winter so I don't have to struggle to build up my mileage in a short amount of time. If I am able to keep up running around 6-7 miles in the winter that will help a lot. My main goal is to run a Half Marathon before I have my first child. That of course gives me a lot of time, but I want to do it next summer if possible.

Monday, September 19th, 2011 - abs/stretch/strength

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 - sprinted 1.7 miles (I ran with Dan tonight... I couldn't do distance so I sprinted instead)

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 - ran 3.14 miles

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 - abs/stretch/strength

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 - ran 4 miles

Saturday, September 24th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Total miles for the week : 8.84 miles