The mad cupcake scientist

   When I am asked to bring cupcakes for something my mind instantly goes into this weird warp and I turn into some strange robot that must find the best cupcake recipe known to man. After blacking out for a few hours and becoming some mad cupcake scientist, I have before me delicious cupcakes ready to be gobbled up.  Don't worry, I am never injured in the blacking out process.

   Ty and I had a couples babyshower to attend on Tuesday night and I was asked to bring the cupcakes.  Of course, I was ecstatic!  I instantly went to researching cupcake recipes.  Let me tell you, I always love unique recipes and will try all the weird ones JUST to see what they taste like.  This time was different though, I wanted something basic, but better than just the basic.  The best basic.  So I went with a chocolate cupcake and peanut butter frosting.  I, on the other hand, don't really like just making chocolate cupcakes.  I feel like they always come out kind of dry or just not the right flavor.  This time I finally found my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe.  Sour cream chocolate cupcake.  Its so moist, dense and delicious!  On to the frosting.  I. along with most chocolate cupcakes, hate frosting.  Probably 95% of the frosting I make has a cream cheese base.  It keeps it from getting too sweet.  So naturally I made a cream cheese peanut butter frosting.  It turned out better than I had expected, it tasted exactly like the inside of reeses pieces!  (Martha, feel free to steal this recipe for your website.  Email me and I will send you the secret recipe)  Enjoy the pictures, they aren't quite as yummy as the cupcakes actually tasted.

  

That same day I was asked to make cupcakes for Ty's work.  They were having a bake sale and he volunteered my cupcakes.  This one I wanted to do something crazy and completely out of the ordinary.  I found this recipe and HAD to try it.  Cream soda cupcakes with browned butter frosting.  Yes, browned butter frosting.  DELISH!  This was not cream cheese based but it had browned butter, enough said.  The cupcake was good, I didn't think it was amazing but it was good.  Ty's work loved them so that made me happy.  I thought they were adorable, so enjoy these pics!

The John Deere Way

So to start this post off, I want to first tell you how proud of my husband I am.  He has an amazing job and is even more amazing at it.  He works so hard to provide for us and is truly the most amazing and hard working  man I know.  I got the opportunity of seeing where all the magic happens this past weekend.  Not only did I get to see his work place but I got to see his NEW work place.  John Deere has been building this new building for a while and they finally got to move in 2 weeks ago.  It is a "green" building (not John Deere green!), everything in the building is made out of recycled materials or natural stone.  It is beautiful!  I sure wouldn't mind going to work there everyday!  So like a teenagers mother who constantly embarrasses them, I took my camera with me.  I tried to get as many pictures without being the creepy wife.  I know the pictures don't do it justice but I hope you enjoy them anyway!

They brought in equipment for the Grand Opening

Back in the late 1800's all the John Deere buildings had a bronze deer out front.  Over the years they slowly disappeared.  They found them in a warehouse and started displaying them again.  This is one of the last ones.  His name is Hershey, he looks like he is chocolate.

The Grand entrance!  I wish I could have gotten it all.  Off the right was a waterfall down the wall with a copper backing.  To the left is a hallway with meeting rooms and the cafeteria. 

Ty's cube!!!  He gets to be right next the window on the 2nd floor.

The view from his cube:

One of the meeting rooms

Another meeting room.  This building has tons of windows!

A small meeting room. They all have different names.  This one is representing good ol' DC!  HAD to get a picture!

Apparently its a common thing for birds to fly into all the windows.  There are these birds "prints" all over the windows.  I am sure this bird is fine though...... 

The cafeteria.  They have outdoor seating that overlooks the lake.  Its beautiful!

A new sprayer that was displayed.

A new 9670

This is the entrance to when you pull into the drive

They even have a lake with a fountain when you enter.