New Computer

I mentioned a few posts ago that Chase got me a new laptop. We'd been talking about it a while, but I thought that's all it was, talk. I had hoped though that maybe I'd get one for Christmas though. Luckily it did and it arrived in October! We went to Best Buy and Chase had a few computers in mind but wanted me to make the final decision. I ended up choosing a Sony VAIO. I was shocked when he said ok, and we bought it. I thought he was just asking so that he could get it for me later.
Anyways, I love my new laptop! I love Windows 7...although I am still learning my way around. I also love that I can be on the computer downstairs and watch tv/hang out with Chase at the same time.
My laptop is brown. I love brown.

Chunky Apple Cake

At the end of September my mother in law came to visit for a few days. One night we went over to my mom's for dinner. Mom put me in charge of bringing dessert which I was happy to do. I went back to my Betty Crocker Fall Baking book that I made the Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars from. This time I decided on the Chunky Apple Cake. I enlisted Chase and his mom to peel/cut apples for me. We had waaaaaaay too many and I ate/threw out quite a bit. The recipe turned out pretty good but next time I would bake the cake about 10 minutes less (it was a bit too hard on the outside), I'd ice it while the cake is warm, and I'd poke holes in the cake before icing it so that the icing runs into the cake.

-Ingredients-
Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups coarsely chopped peeled baking apples (I used Granny Smith's)
1 cup chopped Walnuts

Frosting
1/2 cup butter (do not use margarine)
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 tablespoons milk

-Directions-

1. Heat oven to 350*F. Spray 12 cup fluted tube cake pan with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in apples and walnuts. Spoon into pan.
3. Bake 50-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
4. in 2 quart sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup burrer over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. Gradually beat in powdered sugar with spoon. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and milk until desired spreading consistency. Generously spread frosting over top and partially down side of cake. Cut cake with serrated knife.

Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

For my mom's birthday this year (waaaaay back on September 19) we decided to have her and John over for dinner. I made French's Crunchy Onion Chicken, corn on the cob, and zucchini with melted seasoned cheese and crumbled turkey bacin. Dessert was the star though! I know it wasn't quite fall yet, but I love fall baking, and lucky for me so does Mom. I made Apple Streusel Cheesecake bars which I found the recipe for in my Betty Crocker Fall Baking book that I picked up at Wegman's. Everyone loved them and I plan to make them for Thanksgiving at my grandparent's. The recipe was extremely easy and I love that it calls for a can of apple pie filling which means that I didn't have to peel/cut apples. :) Oh and I WILL get a pastry blender before I make this again. The 2 knife method is useless.

-Ingredients-
1 pouch (1lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
2 packages (8oz) cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons AP flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 can (21oz) apple pie filling
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

-Directions-

1. Heat oven to 350*F. Spray 13x9in pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, place cookie mix. Using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through the mixture in opposite directions), cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture, press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
3. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. In medium bowl, mix pie filling and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Sprinkle with walnuts.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes. Refrigerate to chill, about 2 hours. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Sun City Carnival Tour Pt. 1/2 June 4

So way back on June 4th Chase and I went to see Kenny Chesney at Darien Lakes PAC. Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert were opening. The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm, but cool once the sun set. I did bring a zip up hoodie and was very happy that I did as I ended up wearing it most of the night. We bought our tickets from a broker and paid way over face value...BUT they were 9th row to the right of the stage. I was so excited when we got there I could hardly contain myself. We were so close to the stage!

Lady Antebellum was first out and I was really impressed. I liked the couple of songs that they had on the radio at the time, but didn't know any of their other stuff.

Miranda was up next and I knew she'd rock. I saw her quite a few years ago just before Me & Charlie Talking was on the radio. I knew that these days her show was much different not to mention then it was acoustic, this time she had her whole band. She covered I Love Rock N Roll and In The Midnight Hour (amazing!).

Finally as the sun began to set Kenny came out. In all of the other 6 shows I'd seen of him before this he closed with She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy. This time he opened with it. I was thrilled for the change up. He came out rockin' something fierce and didn't let up all night. In the middle of the show he surprised me by singing Me & You which was fantastic. He played all of his hits and owned that stage. In the beginning of one song early on (don't remember which one) Kenny's microphone died. He went and tried to use Clayton's but his wasn't turned up very loud, so he ended up sharing with Wyatt who was signing back up. They brought him a new mic after the song. During Don't Happen Twice Chase and I noticed that people had started to clear out around us, so we snuck up and stood about 2 rows back from the stage, knowing that the show as almost over. He then sang Jack and Diane. After all of the years I've seen his show, I've never seen him do it. Even back when he said he always closed his show with it. I just about lost it. It was amazing. The whole crowd sang along all night and they just seemed to get louder. After Jack and Diane he surprised everyone with an encore of covers which we watched from our new spot right up next to the stage. Amazing. He covered Travis Tritt/The Eagles, Bob Marley, Van Halen, Steve Miller Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd , Violent Femmes (!), U2, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's. About half way through a girl in the front threw the TN Vols hat that she'd been wearing up on stage. Kenny asked her twice if it was his now, and she just kept screaming so he put it on. He wore that hat the rest of the night and kept it. Miranda Lambert came out during Gimme Three Steps and sang/danced along. Then she went and grabbed a saxophone and played in the horn section during The Joker/Three Little Birds. Then Kenny called Tambo out and they sang Blister in the Sun. I was shocked and very pleasantly surprised. Not the type of song you expect to hear at a Kenny concert. They rocked it. Then they sang With Or Without You to which Kenny called Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum out and laid her down on her back on the stage and they sang to her. She was laughing hysterically. It was amusing.

Anywho, here is the complete set list and some photos.

Set List

1. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy
2. Live Those Songs
3. Summertime
4. Beer in Mexico
5. Keg in the Closet
6. Out Last Night
7. Big Star
8. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
9. I Go Back
10. Anything But Mine
11. Down The Road
12. Me and You
13. Old Blue Chair
14. Living In Fast Forward
15. Young
16. Never Wanted Nothing More
17. Back Where I Come From
18. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven
19. When The Sun Goes Down
20. Don’t Happen Twice
21. Jack and Diane

Encore

22. Take It Easy
23. Gimme Three Steps
24. The Joker / Three Little Birds
25. With or Without You
26. Blister In The Sun
27. Mary Jane’s Last Dance
28. You Really Got Me

Lady Antebellum

Miranda Lambert












Kenny!

New laptop

Last night Chase and I went to Best Buy and he bought me a fancy new laptop! It's a Sony Vaio and it's brown, I love it! Anyways, since I've now got a laptop, I have no excuse not to blog right? Beware! Over the next week or so I'm going to post reviews of the concerts I've been to this summer. I always mean to do it after the show, and I haven't done it at all. While I still remember them pretty well I figure I should blog them before I forget. Keep a look out, I'll be included photos and perhaps some video as well. Also, I've done a lot of cooking/baking lately so I'll have recipe updates too.