Lemon Meringue Cupcakes!

WHAT YOU NEED:

    Cupcakes

½ c. lightly salted butter, softened (I use regular baking butter.)

heaping ½ c. superfine sugar (I use regular white sugar.)

2 eggs

1 ¼ c. self-rising flour (if you only have all-purpose, you have to adjust other amounts…)

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 lemon (I use the juice, of about ½ the lemon, too.)

    Filling

Lemon curd (4-5 Tbls)

    Topping

2 egg whites

scant ½ c. superfine sugar (again, I use regular here)

* I also add a little more lemon juice to the meringue at the end, about ½ lemon’s

  NOTE: This makes only 12 cupcakes! Adjust as needed.

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line your cupcake pan with liners.

Put all the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer for about a minute. You want it to be light and creamy. Divide the cake mixture between the cupcake liners.

Bake in the preheated oven (350⁰F) for about 20 minutes. You want the cupcakes to rise a bit and be just firm to the touch.

Once the cupcakes are done baking, I remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. Meanwhile, raise the oven temperature to 450⁰F.

I use a spoon to scoop out about 1 tsp (or a little less) of each cupcake. Fill this spot with lemon curd. (This also permits you to do a “quality assurance” check of the cupcakes…)

Make the meringue topping – beat the egg whites in a thoroughly clean bowl until peaking. Gradually beat in the sugar, a bit at a time, to make a firm, glossy meringue. This part takes 10-15 minutes. I also add about ½ lemon’s juice into this topping.

Pile the meringue onto the tops of the cupcakes – swirling it with a palette knife. (or I just use a spoon to make little spiky peaks, super cute!). Return the cupcakes to the oven (I put them back into the cupcake pan) for another 1-2 minutes, sometimes I leave them for 4 or 5 minutes. Just WATCH THEM CLOSELY. You want the meringue to start to brown, but you don’t want the sugar part too burned. A little browning on the tips is ok if you need to get the whole topping sunned a bit.

Here are the last ones I made, getting ready to go into the oven:

And coming out of the oven:

These are best when served warm, but do hold up if you want to try to save them for later. That is TRY – they are very good and don’t last long at my house. Ha. Enjoy.

The last ones I made were actually for a cupcake auction. I have also done them for bake sales. For this, I put them in cupcake boxes in sets of 4:

You can really have fun dressing them up, like this:

 (lemon shaped tags with a label on one side and a Bible verse on the other.)

These cupcakes are beautiful and delicious! I may make a variation as one whole big cake sometime. Because it is lemon with lemon with lemon, raspberries or blueberries would compliment it well. 

Is your mind spinning with ideas now? Are you taste buds crying for you to please go make cupcakes now? Ha. Do you want to try it as listed above, or do you want to try something else with it?

How will YOU experiment with this base recipe?

Seems impossible and wonderful all at once...

11.12.13 (I know; super fun date! I'll post about that another time.)
  Happy Anniversary... to us!
  So here we are, on our second wedding anniversary. We are holding a picture taken on 05.12.13- our 1.5 year anniversary, wherein we were holding a picture from 11.12.11 (our wedding day). The idea is to take our picture next year, holding this picture, and so forth. This way, we can photodocument - really see us growing old together.
  Actually, I really didn't expect Eric to be home to celebrate our anniversary this year. I thought we would just be doing this picture, if we were lucky, on our halvies-anniversaries... yet here Eric is, in my arms, celebrating our special day with me! Hooray!
   The week that we got married, my mother sent me a long letter. In it, she talked about how (amongst all the excitement of our wedding and how we may have felt all in love and all then...) - we would actually love each other even more later... and she was (of course) right! Though it sounded odd at the time, it was true. We really do love each other even more now. Every day, though it seems impossible and wonderful all at once, I def. fall even more in love with Eric.
  Eric and I have talked about how marriage isn't quite what we expected... and, for the most part, it's even better! So what's the lesson here - well, I think it's multipfold. Expect the unexpected. Be patient. Be honest. God's timing is best and He has better things planned for us than we could ever imagine. We are so very blessed. May we humbly enjoy life and continue to be kind to each other.
  We got dressed up (I even went to the dentist AND got a hair cut, whew.) and went to dinner together on a special date night. I know two years doesn't sound like all "that long" and all... but we have learned to "live everyday like he deploys tomorrow" and we can celebrate if we want, we are, afterall, still newlyweds, right?

  Mr. & Mrs. Jackson, on our 2nd Anniversary:

Nice enough to be a Postcard?

    After I climbed the steps to the top of the lighthouse TWICE, as we walked back to the exit area of the grounds, I hunted a bit and found this place to snap a picture. You know me... I like to take pictures "through" the trees, not just around them. I thought it turned out pretty well, so I'm using it as one of my favorite (non-peopled) photographs from the trip. Should this shot be made into a post card? Ha.

Does it make YOU want to go visit this lighthouse? For more details of the trip, see my second post below...

Ponce de Leon Lighthouse 

August of 2013, Ponce Inlet, FL

Getting the story straight..

Mums & Jill, Aunt Lori & Debbie

As my Mums tells the story...
   "My sis and I got these beautiful Toni dolls when she was 7 and I was 9. My dad had chosen them for us and hidden them for our Christmas, in 1951. He died in an accident about 2 weeks before Christmas. Not a fun year for us, but we have cherished these and got them together for a quick visit in Florida this week. WOW! Debbie, the blond, fared better. Mine had to have lots of surgery to repair the effects of the years gone by, but Deb was nearly perfect. Guess blonds do have more fun. Ha."

   Sure wish I had a picture of Mums and Aunt Lori with their "dolls" in 1951...

Fantastic Florida Visit With/To the Fam

  My Mums had not seen her sister in about 9 years and they both missed each other dearly. My Mums asked me if I would drive her from my home to Florida so they could hang out; then my father decided he wanted to go... then they decided they were going this past week and taking me along, as well. I think they appreciated all the help driving; but they also "had" to feed ME... So, all was arranged and off we set for Florida.

   Monday was driving day...  with my parents, from my home in Kentucky to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Florida. They live in Oviedo, just north of Orlando. It took us about 15.5 hours, with stops at Cracker Barrel, of course. So the next day we were all happy to take a walk around my Aunt & Uncle's neighborhood. Here is the little lake area in the golf course that runs through their neighborhood.

Here is the same picture, this time with my Aunt Lori and my Mums posing.

Florida clouds... and trees, of course!

 My Aunt walks about 3 miles everyday and also has this "tricycle" - fun! While we were there, she was mainly walking, so she let my Mums (Joan, seen here in the green hat) take a turn:

 If you know me, you probably know I love trees... so I just couldn't help myself!

 It was VERY warm that day; but that didn't stop these Godfathers from hanging around to greet us on our walk.

    When my Mums was nine, her father died, just before Christmas. That year her Mom (my Grandma Frieda) later found Christmas presents for the kids - from their father - in the closet. It was the first time my Mums remembers them ever getting NEW dolls. Though she and her siblings lost both their father and santa clause in the same year; they did get special gifts, the last ones from their father before he died and even after he died. While growing up, I knew these dolls were very special. My grandmother never knew how my grandfather afforded these dolls for his girls.
  So, for this trip to Florida, not only were my Mums (Joan) and Aunt (Lori) reunited; but their "dolls", Jill and Debbie, were also together once again. Just do NOT let my Aunt Lori hear you call them "toys" or "dolls" ... they are REAL.

Here they sit, looking all innocent:

    Oh yes, they are just chatting like well behaved little girls...

Mums (Joan) with Jill; Aunt Lori with Debbie:

 Mums and Jill both want to look at their younger sisters...

After 9 and like 40 + years, they ALL had some chatting to do.

Jill and Debbie were almost as happy to see each other as Joan (my Mums) and Aunt Lori.

    However, Jill spent the whole week teaching Debbie all sorts of mischievous sorts of things... Every time we turned around, one or both of them was trying to get into the cookies or the coffee cups, or climb down off the table. Aunt Lori and I even caught Debbie trying to awaken Jill early one morning. She is so much older, she needed her sleep.

  Our first night there, I got a cool shot with the moon and night clouds. I often notice the moon and look at it wondering if my Sweetie (so very far away right now) is looking at the same moon and thinking of me.

   Wednesday, my Aunt and Uncle took us to Ponce Inlet to see the beach and tour the lighthouse. At lunch, we sat on the patio part so we could see the ocean while we dined. This restaurant is pretty cool because it is called the North Turn and is the exact location where racing history began in Daytona Beach. Starting in 1936, the races ran right past the door to this restaurant, which is right where the North turn was. My Uncle Jim even remembers coming to see races here as a child with his father.

    In attempts to embrace eating more fish, I selected a blackened salmon blt, no tomato. It was pretty tasty. The creole sauce with it was also pretty good, except that it had pickle (EWW, puke!) relish all mixed in, so I gave that to my Daddy to put on his cheeseburger.

    My Mums had a BIG salad:

    My Aunt and Uncle used to live on a condo right along this beach! I have seen their other houses, but I think they had the condo before I was even born. Ha.

    This is the beach area just beyond where we ate lunch; but we didn't really spend much time here because we were going on to tour the lighthouse and see the ocean elsewhere.

 Aunt Lori & Uncle Jim, my Mums & Daddy:

 This would be a nice spot on which to play beach volleyball; but no one was doing so right then.

   While at Ponce Inlet, we went to tour the lighthouse. Here is the view as you walk towards the entrance...

    This could be a postcard, right? Ha.

Daddy & Mums by the sign.

    Looking up at the lighthouse...

    Purple flowers by the sidewalk!

    Palm trees around the lighthouse grounds...

    My Aunt, Uncle, Daddy, & Mums all went to view the movie about the history of the Ponce de Leon light house. However, I didn't feel like watching one right then. Also, I didn't think anyone else was going to climb all the steps and I know I'm a bit slow... so I started the lighthouse tour by myself. Here is the view from outside, at the bottom:

    Then, once inside, looking up through the stairwell:

    Since my Daddy wasn't climbing, I stopped at some of the windows to snap pictures:

    Part of the way up, looking back down:

    Another view out the window, about half way up the inside of the lighthouse...

    Turns out, I like lighthouse shots ALMOST as much as cool tree shots...

    I like the little bracket details.

    Also, I took pics of most of the signs for my Daddy:

    Window shot as I climbed the steps:

    Some of the windows have more limited views:

 Looking down...

 I also like boats!

    Even when you get to the "top", you can't go to the very top!

    You can see the steps to the light part; but access up this ladder is restricted.

    This lighthouse has plastic around the top light, part of the restricted area.

    Therefore, it's difficult to get a very good picture at the top. I tried to look through the little viewing holes:

    Truth be told, the nerdy part of me also likes to read some of the signs. The history is interesting.

    While climbing the steps, I wondered about what it would be like to climb them daily. Then, at the top, I saw the "list" of daily duties. Whew. Tough job. Very cool.

    Light part at the top:

     Walking around the outside at the top of the portion you can climb... this lighthouse has wires around the top part. It was very warm inside the lighthouse, as you climb. I was thankful to get outside in the breezy part. It was windy!

    Looking down from the top...

    Walking 360 degrees around at the top...

   

     You can see the ocean!

    As I was by myself at the top, I noticed few others were climbing at that time. There was one other couple and then a little kid. About half way up the climb, I met a young girl who was PETRIFIED of heights. I got her up two more levels. She said that was enough for the day. At the top, I asked someone to take my picture:

    Looking down at the boats!

     Looking out at the water:

    Trying to look up at the top of the lighthouse from the outside near the top:

     Looking down to the lighthouse grounds...

    You can see all the houses around the ocean...

     Looking through the bar wires back to the base of the lighthouse...

     Leaning back as much as I can to get a better view:

    When I first got to the top, I turned back to the doorway at the top of the steps...

     Looking back down from the top. This part is a bit steeper and gets pretty narrow. I'm just VERY glad that the steps are not mesh. You can still stand at the next level down and look all the way around the spiral parts to the bottom; but it isn't nearly as "shaky" as the mesh steps. (like at the lighthouse in St. Augustine, FL...)

    More view from the top...

   

  Time to look back down...

    Look all the way to the bottom!

    I like that this lighthouse has the white and gray spiraled on the inside...

    The stairwell part has great details, as well...

    This is the climb on the way back down...

     Normally, climbing down would be easier... a bit tougher on my knee though...

    Can't stop with the pictures...

     In 1919, Joseph B. Davis died here while on watch. The Second Assistant Keeper, Ben Stone, went to investigate. He found the body and carried him down. Wow.

    Another window shot on the way back down the steps...

    Nice view, very dirty window!

    Do you feel like you are really there along with me, too, yet?

    History is interesting...

    Looking back down, almost at the bottom again...

    Looking back up, near the bottom...

    Guess they have to protect themselves... not sure how much more quickly people could get back down the lighthouse, if needed...

    Looking up at the sign when I was once again at the base, on the outside of the lighthouse...

    As I looked up from the bottom, it didn't look so big. I found my parents and Aunt and Uncle, and my Mums decided she DID want to attempt to climb the steps herself... my Uncle would go along to help as morale support, and I decided to climb to the top AGAIN so I could go with my Mums!

    One more look at the trees from the ground as we pepped up my Mums...

     Then, back inside again... here she goes! (She is in the front here, Uncle Jim a bit behind to give her some space; and I'm holding back a minute for the picture.)

    Mums was thankful for little rest areas on the way...

   But she was doing it! Over 70? Yup. Heart conditions - and a pacemaker? Yup. Still climbing!

    Sometimes she would stop and talk like she wasn't going to the top - but we weren't really having any of that. I mean, once you get a few flights up, you may as well go another... and another... and another... We let her take her time.

   Then I told her once you get half way up, you have just as far to go to finish the climb as if you went back down... never mind that, eventually, she would then have to go all the way back down still...

    Did I already take this picture?

   I went to the top twice in one day! Ha.

    I went ahead a bit to get pictures to document Mums' climb. Here she comes...

    Almost there... she stopped midway on this part. We told her to KEEP GOING...

    Mums was wise to look at the steps on this part. We knew she could do it!

    When she first got to the top and rounded the bend and could feel the breeze at the top:

    We told Mums to take her rest at the top and enjoy the fresh air before reentering the lighthouse for the downward climb...

    Mums, at the top of the Ponce de Leon lighthouse! 205 steps to the top!

 Boats! View from the top...

    At the top, Uncle Jim told us more about the view and the area. He is knowledgeable.

    We spotted Aunt Lori and waved. Mums even yelled down a bit.

   There is Aunt Lori, with her bright pink shoes. That's handy when trying to identify her from the top of a lighthouse. (Nice planning, Auntie!)

    View of the ocean from the lighthouse...

    I like to look at the houses from the top and see the different architecture...

    Mums at the top, hair blowing in the wind! Wonderful memories!

    Then we went back inside at the top to see what we could find...

    Mums tried to get as far up as she could...

    We could see the light part as best as possible...

    Then it was time to start back down the stairs...

    Careful here...

    Climbing down was a bit faster...

 Two times up the steps means two times back down the steps...

Yup, still looks cool...

    More people were climbing this time. Here comes my Mums...

    Back at the base of the lighthouse, exiting the climb...

   Uncle Jim, Mums

   Ooops, I got this one out of order a bit...

Here we are, at the top of the lighthouse! 

Hannah, Mums

Not only did she make it all the way up to the top, but Mums also made it back down safely. Wohoooo! Here she is, a little happy to be back at the bottom and have it "done". Ha.

   We found Daddy. He had been "pacing himself" (taking a nap) on the rocker at this little building. We couldn't quite see him from the top because he was on the porch, but I took TONS of pictures (clearly) for him...

    Trees! In the Florida sunshine...

    Since we couldn't go next to the light part at the top of the lighthouse, we did go tour the little building with the history of the lightbulb part itself. Daddy and Aunt Lori joined us for this. Here is a bell outside of the light-top building...

    Inside, you can see how big/little the light really is...

    It looked pretty cool...

    Upstairs, they had ship and hand lanterns lining the wall...

    Behind the lanterns was a wall with the view from the top of the lighthouse...

    Looking down the wall of lanterns; but it was difficult to get a good shot with the plexiglass in the front of the lanterns...

    The machinery is interesting to see...

    It used to operate on a clockwise mechanism with  hand crank...

    Mums noticed this, from Port Arthur, TX! 

    Mums & Aunt Lori were both born in Port Arthur...

     Again, with the glare from the plexiglass display...

    Leaving the lighthouse area...

   The Ponce de Leon lighthouse is a tall lighthouse. Actually, it's the tallest lighthouse in Florida, and one of the tallest in the country. The tower is 175 feet high. This lighthouse has been well preserved and is pretty authentic.

     Leaving the lighthouse...

    More trees...

   While we went to the top, my Daddy decided it was best to stay at the bottom and supervise the rocking chair. After we returned to the bottom, he walked around some of the lighthouse grounds with us. He really liked this anchor, so I snapped a picture of him with it.

    Looking up at the lighthouse from the bottom, near a tree.

  More trees!

    The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, found in Florida!

    Our view of the lighthouse as we returned to the car to leave:

Just some random cool flowers:

After the lighthouse tour, all five of us headed out to the other beach area. My Aunt wasn't feeling her best and decided to stay at the car. When we had to wait out the rain and started again, my Daddy stayed at the car, as well. So, my Uncle, my Mums, and I all started walking down this:

  We could look back and see the lighthouse. Once it stopped raining, the sky was still a bit gray and the clouds were pretty cool. The sun was trying to peek out to welcome us though!

   As we walked out, we could see the city in the distance, across the water.

  You know me, I love to snap pictures through the trees and other vegetation...

    Getting closer to the ocean!

 There are rocks along the water in some spots as one walks out to the beach area.

Rocks, water.

 Then, I saw the beach right by the ocean!

  Def. the Atlantic, but still pretty nice. I took off running towards the water, stopping only to take a few pictures. I really do love the ocean! It's only better when my hubby is with me...

     Mums, at the ocean!

   Mums, at the Atlantic Ocean, just south of Daytona Beach.

    Finally got Mums to wave and act like she was having fun. (She was.)

 Hannah at the Atlantic Ocean!

 Hannah & Mums in front of the ocean:

The ocean! The ocean!

   Normally, I could just sit here all day... this day, we did not.

 Looking back at the clouds when standing in the ocean...

 Looking down the coastline.

 More of the ocean! I just can't get enough....

  Looking at the ocean, we headed back over to walk even further out on the little boardwalk pier...

   The Atlantic is so much different than the Pacific; but it is still beautiful!

  The lighthouse under the clouds:

   As the sun fought its way out from the clouds to warm us, we found this boardwalk:

  Just starting the pier walk again, this time near the coastline.

I find the ocean mesmerizing.

  Here we go, starting to walk to the end of the pier!

    Can one really have too many pictures of the ocean? Nope!

    The water is pretty along the rocks.

    We didn't see very many surfers out that day; but a few standup paddle boarders were out playing. This area is known as the 4th most dangerous spot in the world for shark attacks. My cousin often surfs here and said that this week, the greater concern is jelly fish. Still pretty, from a distance.

     Looking back, keep walking:

    Waves crashing water on the rocks!

     "Here comes the sun!"

    At the end of the boardwalk! 

Uncle Jim, my Mums

 Maybe I climbed over the safety railing...

    Yup, I sure did climb over the railing. Well, more like through it. I was trying to get a good shot of me out on the rocks posing like a surfer; but this was difficult to ask of the photographers...

     So then I tried taking the pic myself, also not the easiest here. Does this shot look more impressive?

 No, really, I was along these rocks, right by the ocean - which my Mums didn't appreciate, but it also didn't surprise her. I seek adventure. I like new perspectives.

     Looking back at the end and the clouds.

 The lighthouse again.

    In honor of our ocean trip, I had pained my toenails blue. Hooray!

    I picked up a few shells. This is permitted here. I shall save a few for my Love.

    As we returned to the car, the weather cleared up a bit more. It was getting HOT.

     Walking back to the car.

Mums & Uncle Jim

     Vegetation spotted along the way...

    What a cute little tree!

     Driving back to my Aunt and Uncle's house... looking out the car window... this area reminded me both of the low country around Charleston, SC AND the tide pools on the Big Island in Hawaii.

    The next day, as I left the house where we got to stay for the week to walk next door to my Aunt and Uncle's house; I was greeted at the front door by this little guy. I named him Elmer.

    Actually, he looks like THIS, but I zoomed in to get a better look - on the camera, of course, NOT getting a closer look in real life. Ha.

    After spending the morning with my family and then eating lunch, my Uncle took my parents to see their church and my Aunt Lori took me to the Goodwill. Among some clothing and other treasure hunting, we saw a framing of "Rules for a Happy Marriage". We laughed at #10, which states, "It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking..." because we know who REALLY talks "a lot" in our family... However, I did like #6, "Neglect the whole world rather than each other." (Eric and I would happily do this today, if we could...) It was so much fun to spend some Auntie-Niece time, just the fun girls, shopping! (My mother also has her fun moments, but really doesn't enjoy shopping like we do.) Hunting for a bargain is half the fun, too! I'm thankful that my Aunt can put up with my crazy shenanigans, as well.
   More trees, as we drove back to my Aunt and Uncle's house.

    My Aunt and Uncle have some interesting neighbors... which means you can find some interesting things out on a walk in their Park. I spotted this big cat staring down a little turtle.

    After speaking nicely to Elsa, I braved a picture next to her. Nope, I didn't even need to hold her chain. She seems to like me. Yes, that IS her smile...

    This is her usual spot during the summer. Elsa seems to enjoy a bit of sunbathing.

    THEN, I saw the BEARS. Of course. I went all the way to Alaska and "only" saw one bear crossing the street... and then, in August, in Florida, spotted all four of these. Figures!

    A palm tree in the "park"...

    My Mums liked this little tree in my Aunt and Uncle's yard. Much of their yard work is done by my cousin, Jeremy. IF he lived closer, I'd try to hire him to help with our crazy out of control weeds in the flower bed, which needs to be redone soon... We all got to go to dinner with Jeremy on Wednesday evening; but other than that he was working and then left for a mission trip to Honduras on Thursday morning; so we didn't get to see him much. I was glad for the time we did get to see him; and we are so glad he is part of our family. We pray God's continued blessings on his work in Honduras and on those kiddies there; and then for his safe return to Florida in about a week and a half.

    The cactus fruit was starting to bloom:

    Another palm tree! (you know me...)

    The leaves are so varied and pretty. Reminds me of Hawaii.

     Time for another walk... this time we went to the mailbox.

Uncle Jim, Aunt Lori, Mums

     It was cooler this day, but they still don't look so thrilled here. Must have been a more serious conversation? I don't know - I was ahead on the tricycle taking tree pictures...

     Pretty purple flowers on a bush!

     We stopped at the library and used teamwork to finish the big puzzle. Someone puts a new puzzle out - until it is finished - and anyone stopping by can work on it. Uncle Jim and I had looked at it a few days earlier, and this time got to finish it! Aunt Lori and Mums helped a bit.

    Uncle Jim at the puzzle table.

    "We" did it!

     Walking home, I saw this tree. Reminded me of a more colorful version we had in Hawaii. I want to research to see if they are the same tree or in the similar family. I like them.

     One "last look" at the pond area. Today, no godfather birds were to be found.

    Another palm tree, of course!

    

 Looking up at the palm tree.

     Another cool tree:

    This tiny little lizard was probably born that very same day. SO cool.

    We were very thankful for a nice place to stay for the week. (Thanks, Aunt Lori and Uncle Jim!) It was also nice to be so close, so we could just walk over to see family each day. This is the bathroom that I used - the shower curtain actually looked like curtain curtains. I thought this was funny.

    Palm tree, at night. Still beautiful. 

     Though it seemed too soon, Friday morning we got up EARLY and started the long drive back to my house. Then my parents got a bit of rest, and started for their home Saturday morning. As we left Florida, I enjoyed seeing the morning sky:

    It looked like two of the clouds were kissing... tee he he.

     Spotted at Cracker Barrel... I do love bacon, but I still resisted.

     Driving home, we went by/through a few big cities... Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville...

    Our trip home took about 15.5 hours, with a few stops for food and gas and all. As the moon showed itself, I once again thought of my Eric. I'm sorry he couldn't share this trip with me/us; but I am also thankful for a trip and good family time to serve as a little "distraction" (as if that works) while I miss him so much.