Mini Funfetti Cupcakes

Look at these cuties right here. Don't you want to pinch their cheeks and then gobble them right up?!

If you are feeling down, just scroll through these pictures and I can guarantee a smile will start to creep up on your lips.

Let's make homemade funfetti cupcakes, and let's make them into little bebes, and let's top them with a creamy dreamy vanilla buttercream. I think this is a great idea.

For me, funfetti instantly brings me back to childhood. The nostalgia alone has me craving a second batch. These cupcakes have a nice soft crumb thanks to the use of Greek yogurt, which replaces about half the butter of a traditional cupcake.

This recipe is just like the wonderful boxed cake mix and frosting tub-o-sugar cream of our childhood, elevated with a bit of adult class. Since we are never too old for sprinkles, we are using two kinds. First, traditional waxy rainbow sprinkles (some people call them jimmies? I don't trust those people) get mixed all throughout the cake batter. Then, after piping our buttercream, we are going to make-it-raaaain non-pareilles. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

You could also use those flat, circular sprinkles in the batter. Whatever you do--do NOT use non-pareilles anywhere within the cupcake. They will bleed their color right into the batter and leave you with very unappealing tie-dye batter rather than fun speckles of color.

OK, that's enough business for one day. It is cupcake time!

Halloween Round Up

Before all last memories of Halloween pass and we jump right into the Thanksgiving season, I wanted to give you guys a quick peak at the table I set up for a very impromptu Halloween party we hosted last night.

I snapped these pictures on my very pitiful iPhone 4, but I think you can get the gyst. This spread was all about being festive and cute...I think I did ok :-)

First off...let's talk costumes.

Cory and I were Gru and a Minion from Despicable Me! We made Cory's horrifying nose out of silly putty, and the rest were just items from his closet - a striped scarf, black zip up, black pants. For my costume I found a pair of blue overalls and made the "G" symbol. I found a yellow shirt with yellow stockings that matched perfectly and then made the goggles with some electric tape and black toy glasses frames. I am all about making a costume out of things that can be re-used or that are already in your closet--I think we nailed it!

As for the food, I didn't want to go crazy. I just wanted to make a few treats that people could snack on throughout the night. But everything was super yummy. Here's what I made.

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip a la Skinnytaste. Served with whole wheat tortilla scoops and celery sticks. Added bonus -- this is a Crockpot recipe!

Spicy Whiskey Barbeque Sliders a la Ree Drummond from her new holiday cookbook (which I'm obsessed with by the way). Also, these appetizer picks...how fabulous!

Roasted Corn, Bacon, and Feta Guacamole. This was a total hit and I am going to make a fresh batch with some nicer pictures and share it here! The consensus: bacon makes everything better. Words to live by.

Chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream. Moist and sweet and great to eat. I tinted my buttercream orange using 1 drop red gel food coloring and 2-3 drops of yellow. I also decorated a few with black decorating gel to create a spider web. Just make a dot in the middle then 3 circles about 1/2 inch apart. Take a toothpick and drag from the center dot, outward to create the web effect. So fun, especially when adorned with (non-edible) spider gem rings.

I hope you all had fun this Halloween! Can't wait to see what crazy recipes November brings.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes for Kitty!

 One year ago today, I fell in love.

One year ago today, I think I became a cat lady. I was NOT a cat lady ever before. I was more of a dog lover (sidenote: I still love dogs).

One year ago today, the boyfriend and I took a little trip to the MSPCA Angell animal shelter around the corner. We just wanted to "check out the place," see what the shelter had to offer, see what the process was to adopt. We were foolish.

One year ago today, this darling face stared up at me, cradled in my arms in the cat room. His eyes said "please take me home with you."

One year ago today, we signed some papers and we took him home.

I think pets are such an important part of our lives. They offer a kind of love that's different from human love but just as endearing. They don't care what you wear or what you say or where you live. They just want to be near you.

Our cat, Dot, is funny, handsome, mischievous, and just a bundle of joy. He's ALWAYS hungry (like mother, like feline).

Sometimes he makes me really mad. Like the 3 times he has ripped holes in our new windowshades because there was a moth taunting him. Or that one time when I was sound asleep and he dumped an entire glass of water on my head. Or the way he knocks over any decoration or cup or vase simply because it's there. Or all the holes he has made in the screens when he tries to get at the birds flitting around outside. For shame, kitty cat.

But when he isn't making me mad, he makes me laugh. Like when he yawns these big giant yawns (because staying home sleeping all day and then resting afterwards is hard work), or when he literally watches what's playing on the tv, or when he begs for chicken even though I'm cutting up carrots, or when he chases around his own furballs because he thinks it's a mouse, or when he jumps in the dryer.

So one year ago today we welcomed this handsome boy into our home and we couldn't be happier. And I thought the occassion called for something special. Cupcakes are always special. And since it's Thanksgiving (tomorrow!!) pumpkin cupcakes seemed like a logical choice.

Special pumpkin cupcakes for Dot's one year adopt-iversary and 2nd birthday!

You can mock me, but just this once.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

When someone says "summer" what do you think of? Here's what I think:

Baseball.
Beaches.
Sunshine.
Air Conditioners.
Pink Lemonade.

Pink lemonade is probably one of the most refreshing beverages on the planet. I cannot say why. When it is poured over a mountain of ice, it's just always the most desirable beverage after a long day in the sun.

On an unrelated note, another thing that I love to use in cooking and baking is lemon. The flavor is  so aromatic and it brings a note of freshness to any dish.

Fresh. That's another thing I think of when I hear "summer." Fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh summer cocktails. Everything is just so fresh!

I was poking around the internet for some new cake recipes a while back when I stumbled upon a Paula Deen recipe for Pink Lemonade Layer Cake. The thought of pink lemonade sweetness in a cake really caught my attention. I tucked the thought away in my mental "recipes to try at some point in my life" file and continued my day.

Now summer is upon us (and rapidly leaving us!) and cookouts are aplenty. And I'm sure many of you would agree that bringing a dish to a cookout is a given. I always rack my brain trying to think of a reasonable dish to bring to a friend's summer get together.

That's when Paula Deen's charming southern accent came flowing through my cerebellum saying "Piiink Lemonaddeee Caakkkee y'aaallll!" Of course!

Now, cake is not always a practical option for a casual backyard barbeque. And, also, I don't have any cake pans. But cupcakes. Well, cupcakes are always in style. (Cupcake recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom)