What I'm Loving Wednesday Tired Style

I'm loving that harvest has started in my neck of the woods! It's still early in the season, but I did catch Dad unloading the last of the corn in his first field last week.

Unfortunately, the crop has been affected by the drought that many of us experienced this summer so harvest will probably be much quicker this year. However, we are thankful that there IS a crop out there. Many farmers can't say the same this year.

I'm loving that I have the next four days off of work! I have a silly habit of hoarding my vacation time until the end of the year (our year end is 9/30) and then having to take several days off so as not to lose them. Luckily, I work for corn & soybean farmers and they are a bit busy right now (see above) so our office slows down a bit this time of year.

I'm loving that I spent my first day of vacation with my two nieces and one nephew as a stand-in babysitter. We built a cool sheet tent behind my big red couch. Why? Because my nephew asked me to.

We had a good time, even with my youngest niece deciding to "paint" herself with her own poo (sorry for the oversharing but I had to) during her afternoon nap.

I'm loving that my baby sister asked me what I got done today. I told her that I watched a 19-month-old, 23-month-old and a 4-year-old. That's what I got done today! That and some browsing on Pinterest...

I'm loving that Starbucks has decided to load their free drink rewards coupon (that will come after 12 drinks, not 15) right to my card instead of sending me a postcard. I swear that I don't always get them!

However, I'm quite sad that they are taking away the free syrups. I may have to start re-considering my signature drink OR try to re-create it at home like I did this morning...

I'm loving that I spent last Friday night with a handful of ladies - both farm gals and not - touring some wonderful farms in Johnson County, Indiana - including Keegan Poe's farm in Franklin. He talked to us about how he raises his cattle, how he sells freezer beef, pork & lamb direct to consumers, and we visited the pasture to meet his herd, including this gal (or fellow, I'm not sure).

We finished the farm tours at Mallow Run Winery in Bargersville and learned that unlike the corn and soybeans, Indiana wine grapes endured and even flourished in this summer's drought. After the tour of the vineyards and the wine-making barn (not sure what to call it), we even got to taste! Yum.

I may or may not have taken 4 bottles (the box fits 4 bottles!) home with me and wishing I bought a couple others.

I'm loving linking up to What I'm Loving Wednesday over at this kind of love.

Divine Wine Cupcakes

I am thinking that this would be a great wordless Wednesday post but I want to share the recipe with you because these cupcakes are seriously delicious AND easy to make.

Remember the Friends episode when Rachel makes the trifle and accidentally mixes two recipes together and adds a layer of beef sauteed with peas and onions (I think) and Joey says..."Jam, good. Custard, good. Beef, good."

I promise that there's no beef sauteed with peas and onions in these cupcakes but there is an unusual ingredient...

Zinfandel wine! It's in both the cupcake AND the frosting...thus the blog post title "Divine Wine Cupcakes!"

Here's the recipe for all of you chocolate AND wine lovers!

Zinfandel Cupcakes

Batter
1 box devil's food cake mix (super moist recommended)
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. Zinfandel wine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box using cake mix, water, wine, oil and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about 1/2 full).

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Frosting
6 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. Zinfandel wine

In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, cocoa and salt with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in wine. If frosting is too think, beat in more wine a few drops at a time. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate curls (if desired).

I veered from the recipe in a couple of cases.

I didn't have mini chocolate chips so I used regular chips...however I failed to coat them prior to mixing them into the batter and the chips fell to the bottom of the cupcakes while baking. So I suggest taking a couple of tablespoons of your dry cake mix and tossing it with your chips. This should keep them from dropping to the bottom of your cupcakes!

Second, I just realized as I am typing the recipe that I forgot to add the salt to my frosting...I think it turned out OK.

And...I sifted my powdered sugar and cocoa before mixing them with the butter. I also started with four cups of powdered sugar and a quarter cup of wine and added more of each until I got the consistency and the taste I thought worked best.

I definitely recommend these cupcakes...they'd be great for a girls night in or a bridal shower or a Tuesday night.

Ending the Week OK

I've had a long week. I'm getting to the end of a really big project at work that is going to be awesome (more about that later) but there's still a lot of work to be done.

Take a heavy workload add a looming deadline and that equals STRESS!

But no matter how much stress I have at work, I need to keep it all in perspective.

So here are a few things I learned at work today...

First, that I have some AWESOME coworkers. On my desk this morning, I found a pick-me-up card and this...

What can I say...they get me! (Also, I'm loving Instagram on my iPad.)

Second, don't order 8 milkshakes and a Coke Zero in the drive-thru during Happy Hour at Steak 'n Shake and expect to get them in sooner than 20 minutes.

Third...

Source: wanelo.com via Megan on Pinterest

Fourth, a 20-minute wait for milkshakes is worth it when you surprise people with a Friday afternoon treat.

Fifth, I have always known that my brain works in a different way and that I have a habit of starting a conversation somewhere in the middle, not the beginning. However, I never realized how bad it is until we got a new intern and he point blank tells me - repeatedly -that he doesn't understand what I'm talking about.

Source: None via Megan on Pinterest

I guess he just doesn't get me!


Finally, I love the work I'm doing and that I get to things like this and consider it work!

TGIF, my friends!


Enjoy your weekend.

Indiana Wine...It's Fine

Way back when I visited the Indiana State Fair this summer (thanks to Indiana Soybean Alliance), I visited with Jeannette of the Indiana Wine Grape Council about Indiana's signature wine and a cool app the Council has for folks interested in Indiana wines.

First let me tell you that I enjoy Indiana wines. I'm not a wine snob and I tend to like sweeter wines over dry wines, white wine over red wine and free wine over wine I have to buy myself! My stand-by wines when I'm out (or at home) are Chardonnay and Pino Grigio.

After visiting with Jeannette and bringing home a bottle of Traminette (Indiana's signature wine) courtesy of Easley Winery and the Indiana Wine Grape Council, I opened up my special cabinet (it's in a lower kitchen cabinet...can you tell I don't have children) and discovered that I had some other Indiana wines already in the house!

The above photo was taken way back in August. I have since consumed two of the bottles and given the third as a gift! The Traminette was quite good. If you've never heard of it, check out this web site. Traminette is made from hybrid grapes bred to grow well in Indiana - especially survive our harsh winters.

Also, while I was at the Indiana State Fair, I visited the Council's exhibit in the Ag/Hort Building and learned that we have LOTS of wineries around the state.

Jeannette also clued me in that the Indiana Wine Grape Council was THE first (or at least one of the first) state council to introduce a free iPhone app - Indiana Winery Guide - allows users to look up their favorite Indiana wines and see pricing...

and to find their favorite wineries, get directions and contact information...

find Indiana winery trail lists...

and learn more about specific Indiana wines...like Tramniette!

It's a very cool app. I don't have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, so Jeanette let me use hers to look around. It made me not only want to run out and buy an iPad but also plan a weekend trip to some of the wineries around the state. Read more about the app at the Council's blog.

Don't forget to enter my CSN Stores giveaway. Deadline is November 24!

Butterflies, Chocolate & Wine...Perfect Birthday Gifts

Birthdays are not at the top of my "favorite" list anymore.

Once your 21st birthday passes and it's legal to do everything fun (that's not illegal for everyone), are birthdays really necessary?

However, I have some great friends and family who know me so well and gave me some perfect gifts. I'm not going to list them all here, but I LOVED them all and a big thank you to all!

Earlier in the week, my East Coast pal, Patti, sent me this beautiful framed butterfly that will find a home with my others shown in this earlier post.

I love this type (can't think of the correct term...don't you hate that?) of butterfly because even though it doesn't have the brilliant colors as most, the illusion of a pair of eyes is just breathtaking.

That takes care of the butterflies. Now comes chocolate!

My good friend, Bathtub Mama, is spending the weekend with me. As a birthday treat, she made me a pan of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies. If you've never had these, you must try them. They will change your life. OK, probably too dramatic, but they will become your favorite boxed brownie the instant they hit your mouth. And since they are "dark chocolate," I'm sure they have some health benefit to them!

Bathtub Mama wanted to add candles to these, but I already had a knife in them before she could find the candles and matches.

The next gift incorporates chocolate AND wine and was given to me by another good friend - I'll call her "S."

S loves shopping at Trader Joe's and loves buying wine with pretty labels. Combine these two and you have the perfect birthday gift...

Yes, you read correctly...Chocolate Wine!

I don't think I'll mind this birthday quite so much once I open this!