Spring has Sprung!

Ok - After many weeks of wishing for spring and not doing a whole lot around the house, I am energized! It's like 50 degree weather gives you a whole new outlook - it must be all that Vitamin D from the sun, you know the energy from Mother Earth...
Speaking of Mother Earth, the Dettinger family (ok, me, Jake and our kids) CANCELLED the garbage service this week. No can, no trash, NO BILL!
So, I created a recycling center underneath our sink, built a make-shift compost bin for outside and will take all remaining trash to the dump, along with the recycling. At this rate, I will only need to go every few weeks. After 2 days, we went from filling up 1 large trash bag per day, to probably 25% of 1 bag after 2 days. Amazing...plus, we'll be growing some big worms in the backyard.
By the end of this weekend, I will also have freecycled almost the entire contents of our backyard - including (but not necessarily limited to): a lean-to shed, a doghouse, a dog kennel, stone pavers, rock, stone edging, an exterior door with a kitty cut-out, a fireplace screen, various sizes of scrap lumber & a bird bath.
The contents were posted on Thursday afternoon, by Thursday evening, everything was spoken for. Jake told me - "You're never going to get somebody to come and haul all of this stuff out of here - you should take a picture." * Revision * Jake never said that I wouldn't get somebody to come here - but he did suggest the picture.
I said, "I don't need a picture, and you'll be surprised what somebody will take for free." Needless to say, I was right - and in approximately 2-3 weeks, I will have a newly landscaped yard complete with a grassy yard for the calves - I mean, the kids...
Tomorrow is Kutzky Park Clean-up Day, after that we are planting trees at the Groth farm, where we will be eating lunch & some yummy flour-less chocolate cupcakes & homemeade ice cream.
I made 2 batches - but I'll have to wait until mornig to freeze the second batch of ice cream. Seriously, I love my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker but you can only make one batch at a time - I need an ice cream maker with its own compressor - that way I can make multiple batches and fill our freezer with homemade ice cream in all sorts of flavors, yummy....highly recommended.
Here is the recipe if you're into flourless chocolate cupcakes, or just super yummy treats.

Chocolate Lava Cupcakes
1/2 cup (2 sticks) UNSALTED butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 T flour
1 T Cocoa
5 eggs
Foil muffin cups
Beat eggs & sugar with a mixer about 5 minutes, until the eggs are frothy & sugar is dissolved.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the butter & chocolate chips
Add to eggs & sugar, mix in flour & cocoa
Spray muffin cups with non-stick spray and bake at 450 degrees for 8-9 minutes, centers will not be set.
Serve hot, with vanilla ice cream, and have a lava pudding treat, or save until cool for a super yummy, creamy cupcake.
Enjoy!