(Our boat tour took us to a private beach, couldn’t get enough of this light)
This week Andy and I are in Turks and Caicos celebrating our five- year wedding anniversary, returning to the place where we honeymooned.
Five years ago we were newlyweds. At just-turned 23, some would say we were babies, but Andy and I knew from the moment we met each other at 20 that we’d never be apart. After two years of mostly long-distance dating, Andy proposed as we watched the sun set in a sand dune in Jodhpur, India. Less than a year later we were married at my dad’s church in Connecticut and we danced and celebrated in a tent in the backyard until the wee hours of the morning. Off into the night we went, in the back of our friend’s car, headed for Turks and Caicos.
(Grace Bay Club, our nightly nook on the beach)
Andy and I didn’t live together before we got married, so I remember on our honeymoon, I almost couldn’t enjoy our time here because I was so excited to get back to England and set up my life with Andy. We had all of our gifts to open, and a new flat that definitely needed a woman’s touch. I had to find a job too. It was all so exciting; our lives were a blank canvas.
And my, how we’ve painted over the past five years!
We have created a very full and rich life for ourselves, a life I could never have imagined. And the best decisions in our lives have always been the biggest risks we took. I hope that we continue to take bigger and more frequent risks for the rest of our married years.
I’m grateful for this trip, for the break from our admittedly chaotic and over-programmed, over-scheduled lives. For the chance to be with Andy, alone, uninterrupted for five days. To relax, to read, to write. To swim and sun. To plan for the future, whether next week or next year. And in such a beautiful setting.
As I lay here on the beach, I can’t help but wonder: What will our shared life look like in another five years? I only hope I’m here in Turks and Caicos to mark ten years, and that I’ll feel as good then as I do now.
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Not Exactly a Wedding Cake, but…
While Maggy’s off on her second honeymoon, I’m posting a recipe for a great little desert. “Tasty Bites.” Made in miniature cupcake papers, or directly in a mini-muffin tin, they’re a delicious chocolatey-peanut-buttery confection that today we’ll call Honeymoon Cakes. -Pam
- ¾ cup flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Big pinch salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (5⅓ tablespoons) butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baker’s chocolate
- Generous ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. For easy cake removal, generously grease and flour 24 mini-muffin tins, or line with cupcake liners.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix milk, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then increase to medium, until mixture forms pebble-size pieces. Add milk mixture slowly, beating until smooth. Add sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into cake’s center comes out clean, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove muffin tins from oven; let cool for a few minutes. Transfer pans to freezer; let cool until solid to the touch. Run a knife around each muffin’s perimeter and remove from pan.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double broiler or microwave.
- Working one at a time, spread each cake with a heaping teaspoon of peanut butter and then dip into melted chocolate. Place on a cooling rack until set. Serve at room temperate or straight from the fridge.
Happy Anniversary! And many, many more.
Pam, wow! Those looks irresistible!
Maggy, what a beautifully written and heartfelt post. It’s so important to take that time away to just “be” with each other, reflect. And how fun to discuss what lies ahead.
Your sentiment is so true – and was exactly what I was trying to convey at BSP- “the best decisions we made were some of the biggest risks we took.” I am certain that with each decision we make we grow individually and together as partners. It’s such an incredible journey.
I’m thrilled to hear you had a wonderful, relaxing time.
Lots of love, Stephanie
A) Happy Anniversary!
B) I need to stick those cakes in my face, right this second.
good. grief.
I just want that frosting–it looks divine!
Congratulations, Maggy. Enjoy your time and hold on to that excitement and enthusiasm about marriage and life. Sometimes it’s all in the attitude and perspective.
Happy Anniversary, Maggy!! And best wishes for many more to come. 🙂
(Also, those cupcakes look wonderfully celebratory. Yumyumyummmmm.)
Congratulations, Maggy. What a beautiful and love filled post.
Happy Anniversary, dear. Honeymoons are famous for being–well, underwhelming, which is why second honeymoons can actually be fun. So–enjoy. And give my best to Andy.
Love,
Dad
Love the ratatouille recipe–but–you may want to warn people that they should be careful opening their ovens after the initial and final baking. There is so much steam buildup that I burned my face!
Hey Maggy,
I remember your glorious wedding day–David and I declared it to be one of the happiest days of our lives. And my how you’ve grown these past five years. So proud of you two then, so proud of you two now! Happy Anniversary! Mom
Happy anniversary Mags and Andy! Thanks for sharing
Oh my goodness!! How beautiful!! Happy anniversay!!! What’s the secret? We just hit a year! What do you think of this fun recipe for Meditteranean kabobs…easiest appetizer ever!
http://www.MrsCapretta.com
Recipes Fashion Marriage
Happy anniversary, Maggy. I’m so happy you had a chance to unplug and enjoy each other. Every moment we have with our loved ones is so precious. It was a pleasure reading your beautiful story and see what Turks and Caicos looks like. I wanna go!
We went to Provo for our third anniversary 5 years ago, funny we could have been there at the same time. Its beautiful there. Hope you got to eat that fresh conch, ceviche style. We had one on a boat trip and it was so yummy, best conch on the trip.
Happy Anniverary, Maggy and Andy! Loved your post and the amazing pics — here’s to many more Turks and Caicos anniversaries!