St. Patrick's Day - Rainbow Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Yesterday the boys and I whipped up some easy Rainbow Cupcakes for a bake sale. We are competing with donuts, a bake sale favorite, so this year we decided to take it up a notch. Yes it's still tastes like a white cupcake… but it looks much more fancy with a little lot of color!

Here's why it's easy--
White Cake Mix (I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme)
Eggs
Vegetable Oil
Buttercream Icing Mix (I used Wilton)… I don't usually like frosting, but this one was good.
Butter
Milk
Food Coloring (I used Wilton Gel)… The color is very concentrated and you don't need much.

Enlist the help of eager leprechauns to mix, stir & dollop.

Bake it…

Let it cool then… Frost it.

I didn't even bother with a frosting tip. I put the frosting in a ziplock bag, cut the corner and squeezed.

We'll see how these do at the Bake Sale!


It just occurred to me that the last time couple of times I've posted were also "holidays"… in February. Whoops, I really mean to post more often, but it's been a busy month (heck, a busy 6 months) and time keeps getting away from me. I do have a project that I'm working on… If it turns out I'll share it in the next week or so. Crossing my fingers, because it's a science experiment of sorts.  Have a great rest of the week!

Noteworthy // 1.10.14

I'm still trying to shoo away the last remnants of holiday decor. Christmas tree... I'm talking to you. However, although it may not seem like it, I'm mentally prepared to take on the new year. While the holidays are fun and hectic, January is like a sigh of relief for me. Aside from a couple of events that I'm responsible for towards the end of the month and keeping up with the kids' sports schedule, the rest of January is time for me to restart again on my own terms. Restarting includes setting some realistic goals for 2014. I want to think these through, so that there's actually a chance that I may fulfill some of them by the end of the year.

How about you? Are you ready for a new year? And are you setting any goals?

Here are some smart ways to kick off 2014.

Click "Read more" for the full post

[Make] Homemade Marshmallows

After years of wanting to try my hand at homemade marshmallows, I finally made some this weekend. I don't know why I waited so long! They were pretty easy to make and the recipe that I used turned out perfectly. They taste so much better than the store bought stuff too.

If the marshmallow shamrock looks ginormous... that's because it is. :)

Click "Read more" for the full post

[Eat] Pick-Me-Up Protein Shake

On hot, hot days like today I usually feel sluggish and don't feel like eating.  And yet I'm hungry and need energy... Protein shake to the rescue!  Frothy, creamy and fruity, it's the perfect hot day pick-me-up.

My "secret" ingredient for a creamy protein shake without using cow's milk?

[Read This / Eat That] Bringing Up Bebe & Yogurt Cake

Have you read or heard about this book? Just in case you haven't, here's the scoop...  Bringing up Bebe is about an American woman's experience bringing up children in Paris, France. While raising her first child, she begins to notice significant behavioral differences between her own daughter and the children of her French peers.  Most noticeably, the French children are better behaved, eat well-rounded meals (no snacking!), and are more independent and in command of themselves.

I won't go into a full book review (there are plenty of opinions), but here are some of the points that make a lot of sense to me.

[Eat] Dark Chocolate Baked S'mores

My kids have been begging for S'mores.  But what to do when you're nowhere near an open fire? BAKED S'mores!

Click "Read more" for the how-to

[Oh Martha] Watermelon

I can always tell that summer is near when watermelon makes its appearance at the supermarket.  I just picked up a delicious one and we devoured it in a couple of days.  So sweet and juicy, it's the perfect treat for a hot afternoon.  Here's some watermelon-inspiration from Martha Stewart--

frozen watermelon bombe

watermelon lemonade

watermelon basket

nice presentation for a party

watermelon potholder pattern

i'm pretty sure my grandma had one of these!

watermelon punch and bowl

just add seltzer!

watermelon feta salad

this is on my list of recipes to try this summer.

and if that's not enough, how about some watermelon for the walls?

Have a terrific Monday!

[Eat] Old Fashioned Lemon Bars

There are a ton of lemon bar recipes out there, but this one... this one... is the best! Really.  The lemon is great with a sweet tang and a slightly caramelized top, but for me, the simple crust really makes it memorable.

[Eat] Kiwi Berries

kiwi berries from trader joes

If you like kiwi fruit, you'll have to try out these kiwi berries.  They're about the size of an olive, fuzz free and sweeter than their larger cousins. They're a little pricey though and I could probably eat the tiny container of them in one sitting, so they definitely fall into the "novelty" category.  But they are good. Just make sure that the berry is soft before you pop one in your mouth.  I tried a crunchy one and my eyes bugged-out and my throat itched for a few minutes-- just like eating a kiwi fruit that is a little too green.

And they even look like a kiwi on the inside...

how cute it that?

[Wordless Wednesday] Trifle

via 100 layer cake

pssst... doesn't this look divine?

Hearts & Blooms

I made a special Valentine's lunch for the boys.

Before you start thinking I'm super (crazy) mom, these are all ideas that I've seen elsewhere but, unfortunately, I didn't bookmark the source.  Yeah, so it was another super (crazy) mom or dad that came up with the carved banana and heart sprinkles sandwich. Since my boys were so excited for Valentine's Day that they kept calling it Halloween, I decided they needed a fun (but not too girly!) lunch.

The Mister did good. I woke up this morning with that "if I lean over too far my head feels like a sandbag is on top of it" feeling.  You know that feeling? But when I came home to this bright and happy bouquet,  I found that I just need to gaze at those awesomely green chrysanthemums for a quick pick-me-up. Sandbag be gone!  He also wrote me the best card ever... but I won't be sharing that.  :)  I'm a lucky girl!

[Oh Martha Monday] Edible Hearts

Do you bake for Valentine's Day?  I usually don't, but after drooling over all of these heart-shaped goodies from Martha Stewart, I'm a little inspired to put on an apron and break out my whisk! 

Um, "hello" meringue ice cream sandwiches! "Hi there" uber decadent roberta heart cake!

meringue heart ice cream sandwiches

roberta heart cake

mini berry pies
how cute are these?


Click "Read more" for the full post

Gingerbread Cookies & a Winner!

This weekend was crazy busy.  So crazy that the whole family is now under the weather... boo!  But before we all got sniffly (kids) and grouchy (me), and in-between 3 parties and 2 basketball games, I decorated 150 gingerbread cookies...

1st row: scuba divers, flower people & cool girls, hula people

2nd row: sporty boys, spiderman, ballerinas

3rd row: clowns and school girls, kate & william (ha ha ha!), baseball & basketball players

i don't want to see or smell another gingerbread cookie for at least another year... okay, maybe a week. phew!

This is an annual tradition for my mom and me-- she bakes and I decorate.  Although we missed a year here and there, we've been doing this since I was 10 year old. I enjoy the tradition, but I think 150 was a bit too much... my hands hurt!  We'll be giving these out to schoolmates, playmates, teammates... and friends and family too.

In other news...

The winner of the Shabby Apple Give Away is...

Comment # 5 ~ Becky Greene

Becky, look for an email from me!

I should be wrapping presents right now, but instead I'm going to enjoy a piping hot cup of tea.   Have a nice rest of the day!

[Eat] California Black Figs

so yummy!  i've been peeling and eating them by the handful.  they're also really good as a spread on toast or tucked into a grilled cheese sandwich.  admittedly not the prettiest fruit in the world, but they say "autumn" to me as much as pumpkins and squash.  do you eat figs?



[Eat] Lemon & Triple Ginger Snap Ice Cream

Snurp... snnummm....yumrp.... yum, yum, smack... (that was me after the first tentative bite)

Lemon & Triple Ginger Snap Ice Cream.... Nope, it didn't make my "ooh, that sounds delicious, I must try it immediately" list either.  But after hearing rave reviews from several food-ista friends (plus a couple of TJ employees), I decided to give it a go. 

I don't know who dreamt up this combination-- lemon (think sweet lemon gelato as opposed to sour lemon sorbet) with chunks of ginger snap dough scattered throughout.  Seriously. Genious.

I couldn't even keep this "vanilla-only" child away.  He asked to try it, then downed my entire bowl--

Try it, you might like it!

Currently Noshing on... Something Sweet & Salty

Salted Caramel Yogurt

nom...nom...nom... slurp!

and if you're craving something really refreshing, watermelon is pretty tasty too!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Do you believe in Friday the 13th superstitions?

If you tread lightly on days like this, you'll be happy to hear that this is the only
Friday the 13th in 2011.

I thought we'd honor the notorious day with an interesting and slightly "spooky"...

so macabre... but so yummy!

maybe not the most attractive fruit in the world...

but i love it!

13 is a lucky number in our family, so I'm anticipating a really good day! :)

Oh Martha Monday - Strawberry Cake

I made this for Happy Vee's class.  Simple and so, so Y-U-M-M-Y!

Click here for the recipe

Here's how my cake turned out...

I doubled the recipe and made mine in a rectangle cake pan



If you're looking for something sweet without being overly-processed, give this recipe a try.  It'd be good with other fruit too-- next time I'm going to try raspberries.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Peeps

If you're in need of a good chuckle, check out the Peeps Show that The Washington Post hosts every year.  No, not peep show... Peeps, as in that marshmallow-y, sugar-y, Easter-y chick or bunny treat.

Can you recognize some of the inspiration?  There are some pretty creative peeps out there!