Yum Yums

I am going to try out this incredibly easy and delicious sounding recipe very soon. One of my co-workers has been recouperating at home after a fall on the ice this winter and I thought this would be a nice comforting treat to have as this bone chilling winter weather continues to hang around.

These are called Yum Yum Brownie Muffins (from the Cooking Channel) and you simply take a box of Devil's Food Cake mix and combine it with a 15oz. can of pumpkin pie filling to get some of the richest muffins ever. Click on the below link for all the steps and details. Then get a glass of cold milk to pair with these treats! I think you will need it!

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/lisa-lillien/yum-yum-brownie-muffins-recipe/index.html

Girl Scout Cookie Time!

Today was Girl Scout Cookie Day! My order of Thin Mints (4 boxes!) arrived via my co-worker whose daughter is a Brownie. Of course I would have liked to have ordered my other favorite, the Peanut Butter Patties, but I like to get my money's worth. You get the most for your money with the Thin Mints and they keep well in the freezer, which is what I intend to do with three, if not all four of the boxes...straight in the freezer upon getting home today. Obviously they are great straight from the box, but they are also great as an ice cream topper all crushed up. If you want to get your chocolate mint fix and don't have any Thin Mints on hand, check out this video on how to make this Girl Scout Cookie inspired martini. So easy! If you have your own ideas on how to use Thin Mints please comment below. Thanks!

Laughter

It is lavish to be able to laugh and this video of compiled animal footage combined with commentary really hit my laughter nerve today. Thanks to one of my sisters who sent it to me. Check it out! Click Here for a bigger version or simply click on the video below.

Camels and Coffee

There are two places in the small town of Culpeper, Virgina that we always have to visit when we are in town visiting family. On East Davis Street you will find the town's main retail section, where The Cameleer and Raven's Nest Coffee House are located. They are only two of the special businesses in town.

The Cameleer sells Aboriginal merchandise, much like a Ten Thousand Villages for those who are familiar with that store; however, there is something very different about The Cameleer. They sell traditional crafts from many countries including Sweden, Australia, Chile, and Poland. They also offer many contemporary goods for buyers. You can shop their array of jewelry, clothing, home decorating items, woven rugs, kitchen goods, soaps and stationary. At Christmastime they have many unique ornaments and tradtional, cultural Christmas items. I love visiting The Cameleer everytime to see what new items they have decided to bring in to the store. You can also shop online if you cannot get to the store on East Davis Street.  

While shopping in town, a caffeine pick-me-up is always needed. For that we head down the street to Raven's Nest Coffee House. The business is built around Raven's Brew Coffee, which has spectacularly clever names for all of their roasts. Deadman's Reach is their high speed, dark roast. Cherry Karma and Wicked Wolf are geared more towards the sweeter/richer side of the coffee spectrum. Anyway, it is always a treat to order one of their coffee creations (latte, chai or other), a baked good (I always go for their pistachio baklava or scones), a breakfast sandwich, or something for lunch. Art abounds on the walls asking the coffee sippers to gaze at them or even buy them. You can sit in the sun by the wall of windows overlooking the sidewalk or by the cozy electric fireplace. If you need something else to do while you eat and drink, talk to the friendly employees, pick up one of the many magazines or newspapers to read, or play one of the wooden board games that are available to customers. It is the perfect place in town to sit and plan your Virginia wine tasting route or read and learn about the places you want to visit during your next Virginia getaway! If you can't get there, you can always visit the Raven's Nest on their Facebook page.