Cupcake Club

Yesterday I finally used the Groupon that Joe got me for my birthday and picked up my 6 beautiful cupcakes from Just Baked! Rowley and I had a little party and definitely ended up sugar-high, sprawled out on the front lawn. Rowley's always down for a good time- especially when cupcakes are involved!
All cupcake descriptions are from their website (justbakedlkn.com)- you can see all the flavors they offer- but beware: reading this will lead to mad scramble for cupcakes!
It will now be impossible for me to drive by their shop without stopping in. Great. :P


Triple Vanilla- Vanilla bean cupcake with a creamy vanilla bean center and topped fluffy vanilla frosting. Finished off with vanilla bean soaked sugar crystals.
I'm a huge fan of frosting, so the extra inside was an awesome surprise!

Midnight Orange- Dark chocolate cake filled with whipped orange mousse, topped with dark chocolate butter cream, chocolate shavings and a sugared orange zest.
Although Rowley and I aren't normally fans of fruit mixed with chocolate, this cupcake was AMAZING! and almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Chocolate Cream Filled- Our version of the old fashioned Hostess Cupcake. Cream filled
chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate ganache.
Also got big points with the extra frosting inside!

Little Italy- Our version of the amazing Italian dessert Tiramisu...Light and fluffy cupcake infused with a coffee rum syrup,topped with a mascarpone frosting, a dusitng of cocoa powder and a single chocolate covered espresso bean.
This one had so many different, delicious flavors...and a little mushier (technical term) on the inside, which i actually really liked! Rowley's second fave.

Strawberries and Cream- Sweet and moist vanilla cupcake filled with our house made strawberry puree and covered with a strawberry cream cheese frosting and a fresh strawberry
Hands down Rowley's fave! We tried to save some of each one for Dad, but this one didn't make it! For me it was a tie between this one and the Midnight Orange. Definitely pleasantly surprised with the fruit ones!

Signature Chocolate- Our signature chocolate cake, moist and decadent, topped with creamy chocolate butter cream and shaved valhrona chocolate.
Definitely delish, but wouldn't be my first choice only because I like to try more exotic flavors!

Are you hungry yet?!
Happy Friday Luvers! I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!
XO

Eat Your Veggies

Although I don't always eat enough vegetables, I just can't get stop looking at them! There's something so pretty about the colors, shapes and textures they come in. Veggie-tables (hehe) seem to be growing (pun intended!) in popularity for weddings and parties. I think artichokes are so cool looking that I just had to put one in my wedding bouquet (see last pic). I think I just inspired myself to get some fresh veggies for dins! You should too! Yum!

Cooking Pretty

I'm dying to give our kitchen a TOTAL makeover, but unfortunately, it's just going to have to wait a little bit. For now, I'm on a mission to find lots of fun accessories and gadgets that will spice it up a little! Enjoy, and happy Monday! I hope this week is awesome for everyone!

How clever is this little creamer!?

This is just too funny! It would be a fun trick to play on the hubs (and kiddies if you've got 'em!)

Animal shaped sandwich? Yes please! PBJ's are definitely a staple in our house, so these would be perfect for a little mealtime fun!

How pretty...and they'd go perfectly with my giant wood salad bowl!

I'm definitely a typography nerd, so I'd love this hanging on the wall!

I've been thinking about pimping out my mixer...this one's sooo pretty! Such an art piece.

Veggies and Mustard Legs

I don't cook very often because I really just don't enjoy it that much. I WISH i was one of those people that found it relaxing and fun, but to me, it's just stressful and annoying and i'm always left with a huge mess! Here's my attempt at something...really it just involved throwing any ingredients i could find into one pot and boiling them together! certainly was colorful, although, when it was done it looked 'kind like barf, but tastes ok' (direct quote from hubs!) haha and yes, we do end up eating out a lot!
Outfit post...it's been awhile, i know...i just always forget or am in a hurry...plus i don't have the most exciting wardrobe! anyway, wearing Karen Kane lace top, TSE sweater, United Colors skirt, Hue mustard tights, UGGS- that i have been living in!

Mmmm...

It's tuesday night, just hanging with the hubs. Took rowley to the dog park today and made a pair of shorts (pics to come!).
Craving these soooo bad right now!
If you haven't had pretzel M&M's yet, you're seriously missing out. just saying.
hope you're having a fun night!
p.s. what do you think of the new layout!?

The New Cupcake!?

OMG! Can it be true!? Here's a fun NPR story:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/02/132477830/cupcakes-are-dead-long-live-the-pie&sc=fb&cc=fp
I've been a cupcake maniac for as long as I can remember, and I'm not against pies, but I'll definitely have to do some sampling to be convinced- not that I mind!
It's always been funny to me how many food fads we go through. The acai berry is the new pomegranate. Pistachios are the new walnut.Kale is the new spinach. (oh and did you hear vegetables are the new meat!?) Anyway, I'm all for trying new things, and expanding my pie tastes definitely sounds like a fun New Year mission to add to my list! What is on your 2011 mission list?!

Sweet Medicine

A little sad today because I'm missing my friends wedding this weekend back home...I guess it's just one of those things that happens when you live far away and don't have a private jet, or just can't get off of work and make the 15 hour drive...
So, to eat away my feelings, I went to this AMAZING bakery/cafe near my house and had the most DELICIOUS french toast ever! Croissant bread? check. homemade whipped cream? check. strawberries and bananas and syrup. triple check. So good, that I just had to get a pic...
Okay, I think I might need to be sad a bit more often...
Anyway, happy friday lovers, and I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Spend some time with someone you love, and if you're far away from that someone, I think skype is the next best thing!
xoxo

Cupcake Crazy

You may have heard already, but there is some serious cupcake madness going on in my house! for the last week, I have been averaging 4.3 cupcakes per day, and probably about 2 cups of icing, since that's my fave part! Yeah, not so good when I'm supposed to fit into my wedding dress in a month! eeek! I don't think the all-butter-and-sugar diet is recommended for brides...i'll let you know when I roll down the aisle! Anyway, here's a little peek into the goodness that's been going on!

My very first attempt at vanilla butttercream, to put on vanilla cupcakes! Unfortunately they were so good that I ate them all before I got pics! :(

Dark Chocolate Mint cupcakes with Mint Buttercream, topped with Andes mint crumbles

I had a little Project Runway Premiere party at my house, so I made these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese buttercream. Joe's handsdown fave.

Up next are coconut cupcakes, and then I think banana...
Omg, I can't stop!
Happy Weekend Lovers!
xoxox

New Treats

I've always be a loyal (to the max!) consumer of M&M's, (recently, the Coconut ones have me TOTALLY addicted!) and I'm so excited to try these new ones coming out in May! Mmmm pretzels and chocolate...LOVE sweet and salty!
I'm such a sucker for pretty packaging and there's something about M&M's- the colors, the cute little guys...
Have an awesome monday everyone!
XOXO

Holi-daze

Here is a mini-montage of random holiday pics- it was such an awesome Christmas! I overpacked- as usual, drove 10 hours with my fiancee to Florida- shopped along the way, gave huge hugs to the fam, spent a whole afternoon underwater taking pics, I went to the beach, hung out with family I don't get to see enough, made gingerbread houses, ate Christmas food, talked about the wedding, shopped, watched tons of Christmas movies, got to wear my new Katy Rodriguez dress and brightest lipstick I own, hung out in the sun, and just generally had a super fun time! Home now, and I miss everyone- and the sunshine! But, I get to do some more work on our house which is exciting! I didn't make any resolutions this year- I guess I usually don't because I forget about them after about 2 weeks! Did you guys make any? Hopefully everyone had an AMAZING holiday and I know 2010 is going to be the best year yet!!! XOX

Best Food Ever

It was 8:52 pm last night, and the BF and I were driving home from the mall where we watched an fashion show. We were both so hungry and immediately thought of IKEA. I guess I probably haven't mentioned this before, but a new IKEA opened up pretty close to us and we go there a lot- to EAT (well, sometimes we work up an appetite by walking through the place)! If you live close to an IKEA, and want to get the most inexpensive (50cent hot dogs, people!), most delicious meal ever, seriously, GO THERE (we hang out in the 'bistro'- the snack bar by the exit)!
So back to last night...IKEA is about 10 miles away. I call our friend Aaron to see what time it closes, and he tells me what I was afraid of...9pm. Uh oh...But we bet we can still make it, so we book it down the highway (safely, of course!). We make it there at 9:02, and sneak in- GREAT SUCCESS!!! 5 hotdogs, 1 bag of chips, 1 pop, 1 ice cream, and 1 cinnamon bun later, we are way too excited about making it! Hahaha so nerdy! What do normal people do on Friday nights!?
xxx