It’s the first Friday of the month, which means I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date! I’m drinking Earl Grey tea (obviously) out of my favorite mug, which was a Secret Santa gift from Birchie a couple years ago.
The big news this week is that my son Paul, and future daughter-in-law, Isabel are here!!! So far I’ve failed to take any decent photos- here’s one they sent from the airplane.
We’re still getting to know Isabel, but she’s a very lovely person. She helped me make a cake for Muffin’s birthday! Yes, Muffin turned six on April 1st. We decided to make a carrot cake, but then my son said we obviously needed to turn them into muffins. Um- if you put cake batter into muffin tins, that’s called “cupcakes.” He said “They’re muffins until you put frosting on them!”
Yes, Muffin would have licked all the frosting off if I hadn’t stopped her. Since it was her birthday, I gave her a little frosting on her own plate.
The last thing I would share over coffee is, in an impetuous and optimistic moment, I signed up for the 2027 Hungryland Ultra! This is the same race I just ran. Registration for next year’s race opened April 1st, and they offered a discount on the first day. Okay, I’ll do it!
Next year it falls on the day before my birthday, but if I run a fifth loop, bringing my mileage up to 71, I’ll still be running on March 21st. Pretty cool, right? Well, either cool, or crazy, depending on your perspective.
What would you tell me over coffee?
Do you like making carrot cake? – I HATE grating the carrots! Luckily Isabel was happy to take on that task.
Top photo by Henny Kasa on Unsplash
27 Responses
A 5th loop! ACK!
Love the pic of your son and his fiancée, I hope you’re having a great visit.
I prefer buying carrot cake, but maybe that’s complicated if you’re vegan. I would grate my carrots in the cuisinart, because I always grate my fingers just a bit.
I guess that’s what I’m afraid of, grating my fingers. Ouch. And yes- we’re having a great week!
I hate grating everything. Cheese, carrots—HATE IT. I use a food processor to grate carrots for carrot cake.
I LOVE carrot cake. Well, mostly I love the frosting.
You’re right. Cake in a muffin tin shape (even without frosting) is a cupcake. Muffins are a different beast entirely!
Also, go you for signing up again. I love that you had such a great experience this year and what a wonderful thing to look forward to for the year to come.
I hope you have a wonderful time hosting Paul and Isabel <3
Thank you Elisabeth! We’re having a great week and I’m sad it’s already Friday! They leave Monday, nooooo!
Hungryland with 5 loops! Wohoo!! You’re fabulous.
I first thought you made cat muffins, like with cat food in them. 🙂
I haven’t baked anything for a few years, probably should at least try bread again because I still have all the flours. But I hate grating anything at all. I bought a wonderful electric parmesan grater in Italy years ago, so if it isn’t parmesan I won’t grate it.
There actually are recipes for cakes that cats can eat, made out of things like pureed cat treats. First of all it sounds disgusting, and second, Muffin has a sensitive stomach and will throw up everywhere if I fed her something like that.
Hurrah for cat birthday muffins! I had a cat who once climbed onto of the plastic lid trying to get at the frosting- squished some cupcakes in her efforts. ( She was an exemplary cat in all other ways though.)
Another birthday race? You certainly have a unique approach to celebrating! I bet you’ll conquer those loops again!
Ha, cats really seem to like frosting! We found that out the hard way a couple times when we left a cake/cupcakes uncovered on the table.
Oh yes, of course you are doing Hungryland again!
And if the 5th loop brings your mileage up to 71 – it means you will be running this race for another 11 years until you are running 71 miles on your 71st birthday, right?
Enjoy a lovely time with Paul and Isabel!
Ha, something like that! Who knows what I’ll plan for my 70th.
LOL, I feel like those next-year race sign-ups get you while you’re still in the post-race brain fog. I like the challenge to end on your birthday!
Yes- also I couldn’t resist the discounted price, ha ha. Maybe I’ll regret this in a couple weeks!
Oooh I love carrot cake!
Wow, you must have had a great time! A fifth loop! Hahaha I just saw Catrina’s comment about running the same race for 11 years!
Yes, I’m not so sure about that!!! Maybe I’ll have to take a break and then come back specially to run it on my 70th.
Happy Birthday Muffin!!! Paul was right, her birthday demands ex-muffins for the cake. I was chuckling at the difference between cats and dogs – if Doggo came anywhere close to a cupcake she wouldn’t lick it. She would gulp it down in one bite.
I’m with Julie in that my favorite carrot cake recipe is (1) buy a slice of cake and (2) eat it. Having Paul and Isabel make the cake is the next best recipe.
Congrats on signing up for next year’s Hungryland. You can finish the race just after midnight, go to bed, and then spend the day in recovery mode. It’s almost better than having the race fall on your birthday.
Hope you are having a lovely visit with your son and his fiancé! Of course you are running it again! Why not!?
I love carrot cake but no one else in my family does so I don’t make it. When I see GF carrot cake on a menu (which is rare) I order it! I would not hand grate, though. I would use a food processor. I will box grate carrots for a stir fry when you don’t need to grate many, but a carrot cake would call for too much for me to do (and risk grating my own dang hand!).
I am glad you are enjoying your time with Paul and Isabel! They are so cute together! It’s nice to do ordinary things with them, like make cupcakes (sorry Paul, they are not muffins!!).
Bringing in your 61st birthday on a dark trail in the early AM sounds incredibly epic and very bada$$!
Happy birthday, Muffin! That birthday card your sister sent is perfect. I love funny cards.
I’ve never made a carrot cake because there a many other desserts I’d much rather spend my time making. Carrot cakes is my d-i-l’s favorite and unfortunately she always gets one from the store when we celebrate her birthday.
Happy birthday to Muffin! Muffins are businesslike cupcakes, cupcakes are muffins dressed up for a special occasion.
How fun to have your son and future daughter in law home! I hope you have a blast together. And hooray for signing up for another Hungryland!!! You are a rockstar, Jenny.
Happy birthday to Muffin! I love carrot cake but it’s rare to find a vegan version so I haven’t had it in awhile, I guess I could make it but I’m not a great baker so it probably would be just ok.
How exciting that you’re gonna do the race again next year! Would you attempt 100 miles or are you just gonna go for adding a 5th loop? Either way I’m sure it’ll be fun! I’ve repeated a couple races so far but they both ended up being on different courses the second time around so they felt almost new!
Aww, happy birthday to Muffin. <3!! I kinda do agree though! 😛 It's a muffin til the frosting's added!
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever made a carrot cake but I do enjoy them! Nice that Isabel didn't mind doing the grating! 😀
What no 100 miler?
I don’t bake anymore. No time and hubby & I just buy our sweets. lol.
I always forget our cat’s bdays. But they are spoiled everyday.
Glad you like your future DIL. I like mine too
For a sec I thought it was HungerGAMES, not Hungryland. A 5th loop for your birthday? Ha! Why not!
I love making carrot cake but only a few of us like it here so I rarely do.
Happy Birthday to Muffin and yay for having your son and future DIL home!
Looks like registering for Hungryland ‘27 was a pretty easy decision:-) Whether you’re crazy or not…well… who’s to say? I have never attempted to make a carrot cake, but I certainly have sampled it on numerous occasions.
I love that you registered for the Hungryland again! Enjoy the time with your son and future DIL!
I hate doing ANYTHING related to chopping/grating/slicing/dicing. NO THANK YOU. When a recipe calls for diced onions, I will buy the precut onions because I just can’t deal with the chopping!
I hope this visit with your son and his fiancee is a great one!
I’ve never made carrot cake, but back when I ate gluten – I loved carrot cake. That b-day card is hilarious. If we were having coffee, I would tell you some funny stories from our trip to Florida.