Cabin Party Round 2

Minus the Hawks blowing the game and losing it at the end, the weekend was still amazing and a huge success. I'm not sure how it couldn't be given the circumstances....all three Cross kids, Jordan, Kat, Suz and good friends of Scott and Kat's, Nate and Amber then add in the cabin in the woods, bon fire, lots of beer, good food and snacks...and like I said, the best people I know to spend a weekend partying with at a cabin. And well, that all adds up to one awesome time. Even Paisley had a fantastic time running around wherever she pleased while not hooked up to a leash or rope and she got to dig in real dirt (as opposed to our bed or the carpet). And holy shit can she dig! I am now fearful of our future yard that we have because I think she'll tear it up like it's her job....hopefully we can get that under control or if anything, maybe I can train her to just till up the yard in places I want to plant a garden?! I can dream at least. Anyway, she was a filthy dirt and burr covered, stinky (from rolling around and laying on anything and everything that smelled "good" to her...like dead birds and deer poop), exhausted pup by the end of the night! 

bros and their mexican sweatshirts

cabin chicks

what goons

fun weekend getaway together!

So many insides jokes and so many good chats with everyone. Great group of people and I couldn't have asked for a better weekend trip to Wisconsin! After making the drive home, Jordan and I both took a nap to recover and then I gave Paisley a bath...she definitely wasn't happy but there was so way I was letting her up on the furniture or in our bed looking the way she looked! Now she's all fluffy again, smelling good and free of burrs! And it's bedtime for all of us because Cabin Party Round 2 officially wore us out! Already looking forward to next year because I think we're getting t-shirts!!! CABIN TEAM, ASSEMBLE!!!!

Pumpkin Scones

The chill is in the air, the leaves are changing and the shelves are starting to be lined with Halloween candy which means one thing...fall is here so here comes lots of pumpkin and apple flavored food and drinks! YUMMM!!! Now that I'm a wife (and secretly still trying to impress Jordan when I can) I've been whipping up different meals and desserts but here is one that is blog worthy! I made these Starbucks Clone Pumpkin Scones from the Iowa Girl Eats blog! And boy were they delicious...they will definitely be a repeater for us, especially as the temperature keeps dropping! What is it about the pumpkin and apple flavors that are SO good in the chilly weather and so comforting?! Whatever it is, I'm not upset about it! 

I followed the instructions for the recipe but doubled it because I knew they would get devoured rather fast....and it's a good thing that I did! I also added a few extra pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg to make them even more flavorful. Ok and I increased the glaze ingredients a little to give them plenty of coating. AMAZING! And the best part about all of this is that I made this batch of 16 total scones for what 3 of them from Starbucks would have cost me! So, here's what you need so you can start making your kitchen smell delicious and fill you tummy with a great fall treat:
Ingredients:

2 cups flour
7 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 Tablespoons half & half
1 egg
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed

For the plain glaze: 
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons half & half

For the spiced drizzle:
1 cup + 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons half & half
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ground ginger
pinch ground ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a large food processor (or in a large bowl) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Pulse or whisk to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until well incorporated and mixture is the texture of cornmeal. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, half & half, and egg. Add to flour mixture and pulse until just combined. Alternatively, stir until the dough comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 4 or 5 times to bring the dough together, then flatten into a circle 1″ thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half, then cut each half into thirds.
4. Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. When scones are cool, whisk together the plain glaze ingredients, then spoon on top and spread slightly. Let harden for 10 minutes, then whisk together the spiced drizzle ingredients and drizzle on top. Let harden completely, about 1 hour, before serving. Store in an air-tight container for 1 day. **don't stack with parchment paper between rows of scones in container...just use more containers to avoid stacking them otherwise it makes the glaze runny! I learned this the hard way!**

YUM!!!  These are perfect for breakfast, mid-morning snack,
afternoon snack, dinner dessert, and bedtime snack!
So good!!!!

So besides baking, I'm really looking forward to the weekend! We all need a weekend getaway from time to time, right? Right. This weekend Jordan and I are hitting the road and heading northbound to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin for a good ol' fashioned cabin party!!! The cabin party is my sister-in-law Kat's parents and it's in the middle of 50 acres of land they own aka the middle of no where aka  there are NO NEIGHBORS!!! So what if we're all in our mid to late twenties and like to party as if we're still 19 and 21 years old?! Can't wait to see my siblings and all party together around a bon fire and explore the woods! And the Hawks play in the morning while we'll be driving up there so hopefully they give us a good game to listen to and cheer along with! Let's go Thursday and Friday, hurry up because we're looking forward to a great weekend!

Birthday Week!

Whoo whoo it's time for another birthday week!!!! Of course, I know this year won't live up to last year's birthday considering Jordan proposed and between him and my parents, I got the most adorable puppy to really top off the day! Seriously, it was the best birthday ever! It's so weird to think that we've had Paisley for a year already this Saturday, that we got engaged a year ago and two weeks ago, got married! We're celebrating my 25th birthday by going to the Journey concert at the Iowa State Fair along with Pat Benatar and Loverboy. It's going to ROCK!!! And The Hunger Games comes out on DVD....on my birthday! Looks like the odds are in my favor! Here's to a great birthday week and a fantastic weekend of celebrating with Jordan, my siblings and our friends!

sibling love

I love my siblings. And I especially love weekends together when it's my siblings plus all of our significant others. Just call us the 6-pack. We were always really close growing up that's for sure. I mean, my sister and I shared a bedroom until we were 12 and 14 years old. And my brother and sister are only 17 months apart in age. So to say that we're close and love each other, is an understatement.


This past weekend we all traveled to Madison, WI to cash in on our Christmas present from our parents. My mom and dad got us a weekend getaway which consisted of dinner, drinks, and a comedy show all on their tab. Amazing? Yes. Much needed? Hell Yes. Worth the two-day hang over? Absolutely. We all started off the night by having dinner at Cooper's Tavern. The drinks were flowing and it was set up to be a great night. Until I turned on my camera. Errrr or tried to and realized I forgot to put the damn battery back in it!! UGH! Nothing pisses me off more than my own stupid mistake! Thank god for my sister and her obsession with pictures as well that she had her camera with her. Ahhh problem solved!! Dinner was fancy and delicious, nom nom nommmm. We then decided to go on a mini bar crawl as we made our way to the comedy club. And of course we ended up at a bar that had some amazing mixed drinks for the lovely price of 2 for 1. Seriously, those bahama mama's were to die for! Turns out we didn't need to go to any other bars after that. We love some good drink deals! And we drank the shit out of those good drink deals mind you!


Finally, once we were all good and half way to stumbling, we made our way to the comedy club. And conveniently enough, they had an open table for 6 just waiting for us....IN THE FRONT ROW! No joke, Jordan stretched out his leg and his foot was touching the stairs to go up to the stage. Great, not only now were we front and center at the show but we were also the drunkest. And for anyone who's never been to a comedy club, you HAVE to drink while there! I'm not making this stuff up...they have a two drink minimum for everyone! A couple rounds of shots later and with the table loaded up with some drinks, we were set for the show to start. And let me tell you, these comedians, whose names I couldn't even tell you if my life depended on it, were all hilarious! Like, busting a gut-can't breathe-watering eyes-knee slapping hilarious! Well, let's be honest, from what we all collaboratively remember at least. Shockingly enough, for as obnoxiously loud and drunk and up close and personal to the comedians, none of us got heckled during the show. Probably a smart call on their part.


Naturally, once the show got over, everyone made their way out and made their way home. Not us though, of course not us. We made our way to another bar. Where we threw down a few more drinks. And then shit hit the wall. Next thing I know, us three Cross siblings were all getting into it and crying about family stuff and drama. Is there anything more bonding than bawling over beers and family drama with both of your siblings? I think not! Meanwhile, all of our significant others just stood to the side all thinking, "what the fuuuck have I gotten myself into?!" But that's the beauty of unconditional love and even in our drunken crazy emotional states, they all still love us in the morning. Before we knew it, it was bar close and time to head home. Janelle and I took off running, Jordan chased after us, and threw us both in the car. Classic Cross Sister scene. They all got Taco Bell and I got put to bed. Good night. 


Overall, the weekend was a total 100% success. I loved every minute of it. And Jordan loved that I was still drunk on Sunday until 4pm. And I love that he pulled over at an Arby's because I thought I was going to crap my pants. And then he bought me some curly fries, mmmm. Seriously, thank god for the unconditional love he has for me. So thanks Mom and Dad for the awesome Christmas present, it was totally worth every penny. I don't know what I'd ever do without my siblings and weekends like this definitely prove that. I can't wait until the next time that the 6-pack reunites because it's bound to be another epic weekend, that's for damn sure.