High Altitude Orange Cupcakes with Orange Butter Cream Frosting

These are very tasty cupcakes and very pretty with the specks of orange peel in the frosting.  I sprinkled white sparkling sugar sprinkles on top which kicks them up a notch in the decorating department. 

I got this recipe from http://www.cupcakerecipes.com/ and adjusted it for high altitude.  I live at 7600 feet and they came out great.

Sift together the following:

1 3/4 cup + 2 TBS cake flour (place in a large sifter, see picture) over a medium mixing bowl.

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Sift into bowl and set aside.

Cream together in a large mixing bow and set aside:

3/4 cup + 2 TBS sugar

1 stick butter soften

1 tsp vanilla

2 large egg yolks

Measure out:

1/2 Cup orange juice

Beat egg whites in clean mixing bowl until stiff.

Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients 1/3 at a time alternating with adding portions of the orange juice to the creamed mixture.  Fold in beaten egg whites being careful not to deflate egg whites.  Spoon batter into cupcake liners until 1/2 full.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Cool cupcakes completely before frosting with Orange Icing.

Orange Icing:

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

4-6 TBS orange juice

2 TBS fresh grated orange peel

6 TBS softened butter

(I doubled the frosting recipe because I used a piping bag and tip to apply the frosting.  If you are just using a knife to frost it won't take two recipes unless you want thicker icing on your cupcakes. )Start with 3 cups of powdered sugar in large mixing bowl.  Add butter, vanilla, 4 TBS fresh orange juice, and orange peel.  Mix until blended.  If you want stiffer icing for applying with a pastry bag and tip add more sugar.  If you want thinner frosting add more juice.  Which ever you choose it is a tasty frosting.  Top with decorating sugar crystals. Makes 22.

A day in Lake City and Creede

Spending the day in Creede and Lake City Colorado.  Beautiful country and fun little shops.

Love the streets and the quaint house entries.

The memorial is in Creede and the cool board sidewalks are in Lake City. 

Stopped at Alfred Packard's site where he supposedly ate five democrats.

Stopped at North Clear Creek Falls.  Beautiful spot between Creede and Lake City.

Final Update on Don (for now anyway)

Just got back from the Doctors in Denver.  We saw the surgeon and the infectious diseases Docs. They both took him off all medications and gave him a "good to go" thumbs up.  The surgeon said that he should recover fully with no affects.  He should be as good as new.

Don went off the antibiotic last night.  He was so nauseated and he looked terrible and said he just couldn't do it anymore.  I just flushed the lines in his PICC and said okay. Today he looks great and we even stopped at PF Chang's where we met Josh who came in from NOSOCA Pines Ranch where he worked for the summer.  Don ate a good meal and felt better and better as we got closer to home.  Thank God for his wonderful watch care over him!!!

He gets his PICC line out tomorrow when the Home Health Nurse comes to sign him off. He has to take it easy.  The doctor said no heavy lifting and straining, but he can ride his bike and begin his stretches to get ready for the bigger stuff to come to get him back in shape.  He also talked about diet and how Don can maintain his weight now.  He has lost 60 pounds.  He looks good, but his clothes are super baggy. Guess we need to go shopping.  Now that sounds fun!

Yet Another Update

Many of you have wondered how Don has been doing since we came back from the hospital.  He is doing okay.  His incision is oozing still and I am a bit concerned about it but the Doc says it is normal.  How normal can that be three weeks after surgery?  So I change the dressing everyday, sometimes two or three times.

I worry that he is pushing himself too much.  He is riding his bike to the office again and around town.  He feels like his muscles have retreated into some unknown and has gone out to find them.  It does wear him out if he does too much and he will come home to rest for several hours before going out again. 

So far Don has lost around 60 pounds.  He looks really good, but again, not an ideal way to lose weight. 

We also have a home health nurse come in twice a day to administer the antibiotic IV that the doctor has extend him on until next Saturday.  This stuff makes him nauseated.  He has lost all sense of taste and only eats oatmeal.  Well he will force other food if he has too but that makes him sick to his stomach.  I hope he can get off these antibiotics soon.

We are going to see the doctors next week and see what they say.  I will post another update then.

As for me, I feel brain dead.  Putting everything on hold for over a month and only thinking about what I can do for Don has but me in some kind of "lala land".  I need to exercise my brain and get back into being useful again.

Something to Ponder Regarding Graphic Videos

I have many wonderful friends on FB.  In fact, there isn't a one that doens't have something wonderful about them that I admire. I have several FB friends that really shine that extra shine.  One is Shon Holderbaum.  He is always saying what a blessed man he is and that he is so in love with his family.  His posts are ALWAYS positive.  If you know him  or have seen him or is beautiful family you might think that he does have it made in the shade!  But I happen to know that life hasn't been a bed of roses for him or his family.  They have faced difficult circumstances but have drawn closer to God through all of it.  He exemplifies the Biblical saying to "Give thanks in all things!)

 I appreciate the comments and videos - well most of them.  Some of you put on videos that are extremely graphic.  I like comments and videos that are posted, but I think the graphic stuff like dead babies or people getting hit by cars or smashed against walls is far to graphic.  I am sure they must have their place to help people drive better or some such moral.

Let me suggest for your consideration that maybe we are way to saturated with graphic material.  The eye is the lamp of the body and science has proven that we never forget what we have seen....it just gets filed somewhere in our brain and can be brought up later in life.  We also become desensitized.  I remember watching a bunch of videos about the holocust.  At first I was shocked, now not so much.  These were people, someones family member, someones friend.  Seeing dead babies being slung on a truck from the earthquake in Haiti is very graphic.  It breaks my heart that this happened, but we don't need to exploit it by posting and reposting on FB. 

I don't want to tell any of you what to post and what not to post.  After all, it is my decision to click on the play button.  I don't have to watch them.  What I think might be a good plan is that if you decide you want to post something graphic, add in the section where you can write something that it is graphic.  Then I will know not to watch if I choose and others can if they choose.

Some have suggested that I just delete the FBF from FB.  But I like their comments most of the time and I don't want to lose touch.  I like the dialogue on politics and religion or just everyday stuff that goes on. 

Anyway, I just thought it might be a nice suggestion.  What do you think?

Update on Don (and Sue) - Back Home Again

It has been good go be home.  Don is resting peacefully in his own bed.  We have to have the home health nurse come in twice a day and give Don his IV antibiotic.  He will have to do this for two weeks.  Then we go back to Denver to see the Doctors again.  They want to check him out, do another CT scan and make sure that he is healing like he should be.  So we will see.  They may decide to forego the CT scan if he is doing okay since he has had so many already. 

I am cleaning closets and cupboards. The girls are having a garage sale today and then doing it again in three weeks.  That will be the last one.  So I think I have time to find a bunch of junk and get rid of it all.  I am also going to play golf every day.  Really early in the morning so I can spend the rest of the day taking care of Don.  It is also good to see the grandkids again.  Plan on doing a lot with them too.

I went over to Casey's and picked up Sebby to come and see Grandpa.  Abby had already seen him.  Sebby was very interested in Don's 8 inch incision.  He is very careful with grandpa.  "I'll wait till grampa is all well before I jump on him!!"  Good idea.