Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes!

Days like today I desire to open a Cupcakery. :D Today I made for the first time Red Velvet cupcakes. This was the first time to attempt the velvet. After reading a lot of reviews on red velvet I was somewhat apprehensive but I reached success! Now, I just have to perfect a great butter cream frosting.

Recently for a Christmas party I made eggnog cupcakes with cinnamon whip cream frosting which were a hit. Although the recipe called for almond extract next time I will not be adding as much if at all. They reminded me of almond cupcakes. Good but was missing that extra eggnog love I was looking for. For Thanksgiving I made a cream soda toffee cupcake with brown butter frosting. The frosting was waaaay to sweet, I would have preferred a cinnamon dulce whip cream instead. The cake itself would be pretty versatile. Did not have a distinct flavor so any type of frosting would work.

I have a friend coming in from out of town and I would like to try a chocolate orange cupcake with chocolate ganache on top. We shall see how it goes!

~"When you look at a cupcake you've got to smile"

Stuffed baked pears and walnut blondies!

The brownies turned out delightful! Too bad there was a retirement ceremony a hour beforehand that had Panera Bread catered. The potluck was a fail. LOL Even though there were people, no one brought anything or ate anything because of this ceremony.... sigh.

Tonight I have a wonderful dinner planned! Making pork chops with baked pears stuffed with dried cranberries, walnuts, & blue cheese in a apple cider reduction sauce. Salad drizzled with apple cider vinaigrette. Homemade beer bread and for dessert...drum roll please.... white chocolate walnut blondies with a maple butter sauce. :D I am starving! This will be awesome!


"Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~Jim Davis

Last minute!

Isn't it so awesome when a child or husband waits until the absolute last minute to say they need something for a potluck or for school. I think my husband is training me for when our daughter starts this when she starts school. Last night he informed me "Oh we have a potluck tomorrow for a retirement..." I just looked at him. I shook my head and returned my thought to Criminal Minds on tv. This morning he told me that he will text me when he finds out what I should bring. I think he said the potluck is at 1pm but I am not 100% sure on this it was 11:30am and if I have to make something I gotta start it now...

I still haven't heard from him so I took matters into my own hands. I looked to see what we had for desserts since that is my specialty. I had a box of brownies and marshmallow creme. I guess it is going to be my marshmallow brownie brulee. Only this time I swirled some marshmallow creme into the brownies to bake. I hope it will be as good as I am imagining. After they are cooled, I will put a layer of marshmallow and toast it with our creme brulee torch. I think I will pass this last minute test that too many moms are faced with!

~"One should never ever Trust a skinny cook."

Adventures in Filipino food!

When I traveled to Korea in 2009 I ate at this amazing Filipino restaurant and had tosi-log. It was tocino (curried pork) with garlic rice and a fried egg over-easy. It was soooo stinkin good! I have been trying to mimic tocino since. I have bought the frozen packages and tried to doctor them up. It has not worked yet.

I have a Filipino friend who cooks traditional Filipino food and he learned the recipe from his mom recently. He made it for the 1st time this last week and gave us some of his. I let it set in the fridge curring and made it today...OH MY GOSH!!! It is the CLOSEST I have come to replicating the tocino! :D I made the garlic rice and the egg over-easy! :D Yum YUM YUMMMMMY!!!! I love ethnic foods! :D


"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?" ~Author Unknown

Those deflated heartless thugs!

Yesterday my pie turned out so yummy! Not quite the typical apple pie- it had a little citrus-y tang to it very good! The cinnamon dulce whip cream was almost to die for! It was spectacular!!!!! It had the perfect sweetness and cinnamon flavor and creamy-ness mmmm! I had also made homemade chicken noodle soup that was a hit and fresh baked bread was perfect! :D All in all everything was amazing!

I found out last night we are going to a barbecue for a birthday so I decided to make cupcakes and unfortunately from a box- hey it is last minute ok! I have added white chocolate chips to help spice it up though. Anywho chocolate butter recipe so it should be good. Cupcakes after a homemade apple pie should be cake walk lol yes, pun intended. well the 1st batch came out- well... they looked deflated and had a growth out the top of them! LOL Those deflated heartless thugs- my husband called them. LOL (they are in a heart cupcake pan) They have no flavor. I just took out my second batch- a little better maybe a great toasted marshmallow top would salvage these cupcakes. Ok, great would be stretching it, a lot. LOL


"Food is our common ground, a universal experience". ~James Beard

Gourmet whip cream, bread, and PIE!

Mmmm... so today I have made homemade chicken noodle soup for some friends that are feeling under the weather. I have fresh bread baking in the oven as I type and I am also about to start homemade apple pie- completely from scratch! :D I did not have any ground all spice in my pantry so I ground my own in a mortar and pestle. :D I did not take the easy way out and use a coffee grinder-well, I could not take the easy way out because we don't have one. LOL ... hmm... that could be a good investment. I am most excited about my cinnamon dulce whip cream! Mmm mmm mmm!!!!!

So, my bread just came out and I wish I could post free smells too, it smells and looks AMAZING! :D

Now on to the pie crust better get my old fashioned cute apron on but 1st mac 'n cheese for my daughter.

Live, Love, and Eat ~Wolfgang Puck

White chocolate chip marshmallow brownies with peppermint schnapp whip cream!

This dessert was kinda just thrown together with what I had in the pantry! My husband who is a self described "foodie" loved 'em. Very unique and so yummy! I would add a little more sugar and a tish less schnapps to the whip cream next time but very yummy still. Tomorrow I will try a Marshmallow brownie brulee... Doesn't that just sound so good if it were on a restaurant menu?! I should open a dessert cafe.