tennis, anyone?

Kell and I headed to the Delta this weekend for a tennis tournament (he participated, not i) and enjoyed a few days in Greenville before the mosquitoes take over. The twins always enjoy getting to play with Marley, Kell’s parents dog, and this time they discovered squirrels in the Smith’s yard. It was cute for a while, but eventually they started to make everyone insane by barking at the back door and begging to go outside. Needless to say, they were a little disappointed when they got home and there were no rodents at our house.

Saturday I got to visit with Haley, and we had lunch with some of my sweet Greenwood friends. That adorable chunk in the smocked onesie is Price, my friend Elizabeth’s baby. She refused to be in the actual photo, so she handed her child off to Lucy. He’s the best smiler!

After Kell played his last match (if we ever want athletic children, they will have to get the gene from him), we headed home, and look what was there to greet me: my rose bushes bloomed! I think I’ll give them a trim before it gets cold tonight.

You can't really tell, but this one's purple!

I think this one looks like the rose on Beauty and the Beast.

And for the Delicious Dish, I decided to keep with the cupcake theme of a while back. I saw this one and just had to try it.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients

2/3 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup(s) (creamy) peanut butter
2 tablespoon(s) (unsalted) butter, softened
2 tablespoon(s) (unsalted) butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 box chocolate cake mix, plus additional ingredients as directed on package
1 container chocolate icing (I usually buy 2 because I do not want to be hindered in the amount of icing I choose to put on my cupcakes)

1. Prepare peanut butter filling: Beat confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Using a measuring teaspoon, shape mixture into 24 balls (they’ll be sticky and don’t need to be perfectly shaped). Set aside on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 muffin-pan cups with paper or foil liners.

3. Prepare cake mix as package label directs for 24 cupcakes. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon batter into each muffin-pan cup. Drop 1 peanut butter ball in the center of each; top with more batter to fill cups about two-thirds of the way. Bake according to package directions, or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cool.

**For an extra special touch, I melted a little peanut butter in the microwave and drizzled it on the top of my cupcakes so that everyone knows what deliciousness waits inside.