tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25973876611296182162024-02-07T06:01:16.866-06:00Cupcakes in ChicagoThe Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-70706533553793730062009-04-19T20:21:00.004-05:002009-04-19T20:44:54.753-05:00Holidays in Review<div style="text-align: left;">Since I've not been very good about blogging recently, I left out a few of the major things that I have made for the past few holidays. I do have to say that the green river and the festivities of Chicago were much missed this year. I had a hard time finding anything St. Pat's related in my new home and thankfully still had some green sprinkles leftover to decorate my cupcakes!<br /></div>So, here's a pictorial review of the past few holidays. Note, there is nothing for Valentines Day as I was flying through the sky on my way home from Korea at the time....<br /><br />First up, and most recently, we were invited over to my BIL's Parents for Easter. I couldn't decide what to bring but was assigned dessert. After much deliberation, I settled on lemon bars and a Spring Fling cake. I failed to take pictures of the lemon bars but here is the Spring Fling cake. This picture was post glaze on the fruit....<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s8KQh7yn3I7sQlVinnMq3g?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDtG8XkaQsKdkb_8CyiFCf2oxl9sNQ9GLwFlvx_QlG40Bx3eNjNs06Kp99YCqdGaGSUqnGOAI0N7bhv67Fl0goRauSwsqVK1B0Z_yu9symgRuFGfwcXUiDYfbLrNv-QeO3MLiHliTRx5K/s400/DSC_0414.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />And this is pre-glaze. Yes, I am aware that the frosting job looks rather messy. One is not supposed to frost the side of this cake. I made a half attempt at trying to with the extra frosting I had. In retrospect, probably not a good move. But oh well.<br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RfvSnb8ggInBhwkCcFmasg?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAyOyOmAgqslQxR0mI6BdhaewIeb8bpVyWmcz98kI0z6m9AUZwhFpEN9UxN9zN6Lban4zidKAjb30eefZm1LR4DpL-ONqwCq2QNqRoaKUqDmjuzdKozVnCMI14OiscL0X4KrAplifS9Cw/s400/DSC_0402.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />So, like I said, no lemon bar pictures, but here is one more shot of the cutie cake pops that I made....<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pXaaE4WFqD0Ftpa5_zmvVA?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FtCSXqqQDkpKiso1Sf5yD-ez9LKkLitkGgPbd7YZ-gO2Jys1oUa-3WmU34GmELr1sk3Pq2TiLeyQBZQpT4RM70V2Oyb3SERUjIOP_MQEgE5KkE1rppZRpFQb6Vksn3vDN9s_Gp8iChi3/s400/DSC_0392.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Continuing backward in the holiday tour, we have to make an un-holiday pit stop. We were invited to a fish fry sometime in March and were asked to bring dessert. Hmm, are you noticing a trend here? In response, I whipped together the Hershey chocolate cupcakes. We and I say we because my husband who is quite creative decided he wanted in on the decorating fun, frosted the wonderful chocolate cupcakes with chocolate dream-whip frosting and with vanilla buttercream. Of course, we only have shots of half of what we made, so here are the chocolate frosted cupcakes.<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oM22IykKmTIRX8roC6a7HA?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6bb3ooz5hKA/SevNli2yGbI/AAAAAAAAAsU/Vh2_HOZF7eI/s800/DSC_0622.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Going back to oh, the 17th of March, for St. Patrick's Day, and to finish the un-celebrated culinary holidays on my blog, I bring you chocolate cupcakes with Bailey's Irish cream frosting...<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9-KGRE9fQJ6ajjPP3UkrVQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6bb3ooz5hKA/SevNjFK0CxI/AAAAAAAAAsE/R50yB_5nNK4/s800/DSC_0611.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />And, for those that maybe cannot have any liquor, I also whipped up some of the cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. Much to my dismay, the stores here don't really think anyone celebrates St. Patty's day, so I have some very boring sprinkles on top to set the mood!<br /><br />A SUPER DUPER close up:<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h8ziq3m9_frvodVV1vUzdQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_6bb3ooz5hKA/SevNimmz4RI/AAAAAAAAAr8/rgd-HwK23Xg/s800/DSC_0599.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />And, a few more with my unread pile of mail.<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SFa20XMgZRsLFddkrQMuhg?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_6bb3ooz5hKA/SevNg7YIlxI/AAAAAAAAArs/okMv-Ty7_ls/s800/DSC_0594.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCICrl5HBxbumggE&feat=embedwebsite">Easter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-47164841440454404762009-04-12T10:39:00.008-05:002009-04-12T11:06:28.098-05:00Happy Easter!!Happy Easter to everyone!!<br /><br />Once again, it has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I don't know why, I just haven't. However, a couple of my latest projects are too cute to not share.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z8GUhRyym_q8zrk8kSXqUQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHig6Q1iPe87kOOuA6UiuZ1UbYCVeiKBMfBZX9QsK59bbtFY2i4CDQqXtcwalUmbVOM2mDCBETVCZ1bWiqJzD98uZcij2vf9PxXn1kYSRMLfzJ8AR2ZN83DQu_mLPJZ0bEWwjYICLh_s7q/s400/DSC_0798.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />I got the idea from <a href="http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/03/spring-chickens.html">Bakerella</a> and then put some of my own twists into the mix. These are cake. Yes, there is cake underneath all of that cuteness. Each and every one is entirely edible. And, according to my side kick, they taste good too! Bunnies, carrots and chicks. The definition of Spring!! At least to me.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TqEz6woD3b3Gr7BA2awycw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_dn2ZMFZ7z8Nq9ZGPYx689O9ps4W-LEjuAl3YL2HtbO8L4JmnNHmEieGt80tN67GE8caoXCw65sjCyiLD0cDNawzfnSFrXzY27pYWxrXsKPWXcONgYe8VyKkZCEj_nwCkC_gBUa6beEq/s400/DSC_0797.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />While I haven't updated my blog, I've still been baking away. I wish I could harness the energy and focus that I have for all things creative into taking a certain pesky test that I am still trying to pass. I know that if I could find a way to channel that energy my chances of passing would be much greater!<br />This is the inside of the cake pop. I used cherry chip cake cause that is what I had around the house. They are suprisingly moist.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ul8YRgCeOYryiRe9ZQquOQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoALQE7Nf4fcVZU5hrgsk9kElNlmXnyb2i_sYbmdS5Ws6UeXa_Lg5l6XsDO9JaYJWc1PVUK_AP66kVRUwej1l8eDiAyAtKBZaQx5IetlbInxH_bo85KhtHCAqwf_PSiunX2vR68z9g2vk/s288/DSC_0722.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The cutest little bunny behinds!<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tZJZc9wnlaYw6kTANsc4xg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQARiVcpL2RnLFERRaVCjE-9rokRXNnD4VHHFLNOxgOvHEoNSZCuyXVT-ROtOFQZE_ohZMkq4Lgoo1ZCrR2Y-IePwQzri8L9WNVPLv4gxhYEDpIiHMaBL72NxJQajYtVJxPAyG2WYb0XhX/s400/DSC_0698.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Don't you just want to squeeze this little cutie!<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2k34ki-IMgkie4iNbdkm-Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKpf-iW6RUEcjH2Zs7l0j99o0n2mWuQ5EdtEjgDpi7SZ88YRUEedLpZILkw_LHBUkAh3aXsPk39zqzwAClqadOkm22tstTYDeHS4-A0wYnTIP4pKO5OrStwV8O-vFMvjShLsyc22UMHBh/s400/DSC_0776.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />I am blinded by the carrot!<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s9ZZ4hgVG3fd9UUZC0y8oA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nnzoDgBAtNhLN85gLxkOaHJ_14Mni4RjDQNLd4Qi4SxKhEcpdrJXDa-UZY7vQ0V5IgdTnUHGPu6nWPe9Kmz-Be9ER7bXQH9xl5E7uY5SIoTrwS6qsqfmTYis7hKuRtwxKhg1QOQ6Bwqn/s400/DSC_0718.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ali3454/Easter_baking?feat=embedwebsite">easter_baking</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-88325464438127489882009-02-12T23:08:00.000-06:002009-02-12T23:09:31.429-06:00Korean Impressions<o:p></o:p>I have not kept a daily journal on this trip to Seoul Korea like I did when I went to Russia.<span style=""> </span>I have however collected my thoughts and reactions to what I have experienced here.<span style=""> </span>I’ll cover as many as I can here: <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Soju-This is a traditional Korean alcohol, that has a high alcohol content, somewhere in the 20%+ range.<span style=""> </span>But it is smooth and goes great in a Hite or Max, 2 of the local beers in Seoul.<span style=""> </span>I am bringing some home.<span style=""> </span>The best part about it, it is SOOO cheap.<span style=""> </span>A bottle costs less than $1USD.<span style=""> </span>And no, that amount is not a typo nor is it missing a zero.<span style=""> </span>Cheapest hang over I’ll ever get.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Heated toilet seats-this is something that the US should adopt.<span style=""> </span>That’s right, sitting down to use the toilet and instead of being greeted by a freezing cold seat, there is a nicely warm but not too hot seat to rest your bum on.<span style=""> </span>Makes me want to hang out in the bathroom for much longer than I should!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fog-Out of the 13 days I was here, 12 of them were foggy and the one that wasn’t foggy was rainy.<span style=""> </span>Pouring actually.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t expect that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Service-Service here is phenomenal.<span style=""> </span>Everyone is very friendly and even if they cannot speak English, they will still attempt to help you.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kimchi-Every meal has kimchi.<span style=""> </span>That’s right, kimchi for breakfast, lunch and dinner.<span style=""> </span>Kimchi is pickled cabbage I think.<span style=""> </span>I’m not sure to tell you the truth but whatever it is it is pickled and then steeped in chili paste.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Coffee, Not Tea- I was expecting tea to be the drink of choice and I was excited because I am a lover of tea.<span style=""> </span>Not so much.<span style=""> </span>Coffee is on every corner and is the standard for the working crowd.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Meal Sides- As I said above, kimchi comes with every meal.<span style=""> </span>Along with kimchi there are typically other sides, sometimes it is bean sprouts with chili sauce, sometimes it is radish with chili sauce.<span style=""> </span>The constant is chili sauce.<span style=""> </span>I had an interesting “kimchi” offering while I was here.<span style=""> </span>I ordered pasta one night (yes, I ordered Italian in Korea) and as a side to go along with my olive oil and basil pasta I got bread and butter pickle slices.<span style=""> </span>Strange combo.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Markets-The markets have everything from bottled ginseng, to dried fish, and any knick knack that you can think of.<span style=""> </span>You could get lost at them for hours or find every random treasure that your heart desires.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Boxing Gloves on Motorcycles-Scooters and motorcycles are pretty common here and they all come affixed with gigantic gloves on the handlebars that resemble boxing gloves.<span style=""> </span>I haven’t quite figured out what they are used for; warmth?<span style=""> </span>Maybe.<span style=""> </span>Protection? Maybe.<span style=""> </span>To look tough?<span style=""> </span>Maybe.<span style=""> </span>They make me giggle every time I see them.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Reversing-Have you ever driven down a highway in the US and seen someone reversing down the shoulder of the road?<span style=""> </span>Have you ever said to yourself what a dumbass, I hope they get hit?<span style=""> </span>Well, I have found myself saying that when I see someone reversing down the shoulder as I’m driving 60 to 70 mph past them.<span style=""> </span>I’ve also always found myself asking why one would ever put themselves at risk like that.<span style=""> </span>Well, I’m not so proud to say that yesterday, while I was a PASSENGER in a car, a van actually, the driver missed the exit.<span style=""> </span>Instead of proceeding to the next exit and turning around, what does he do?<span style=""> </span>Pulls over to the shoulder and puts the van in reverse.<span style=""> </span>Oh my God, one of my worst fears come true (and there wasn’t anything I could do).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hazard Lights- Hazard lights are seldom used at home.<span style=""> </span>Maybe you pop them on if you pull over into a fire zone to go grab a coffee or your dry cleaning just to let the next person know that you don’t plan to be there long.<span style=""> </span>In my various rides around the greater Seoul area, I learned that hazards are used in another form here.<span style=""> </span>When one slams on his/her brakes he/she subsequently turns on the hazard lights of the car to warn the cars behind him/her of the impending slow down and/or stop.<span style=""> </span>I’ve never thought about using my hazards that way!<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mandu- And this is my own theory but so far has held true: when one wants to consume a mandu, which is sort of like a dumpling, the pinched mandu are savory and those that are smooth or unpinched are sweet-with bean paste in them.<span style=""> </span>I couldn’t find a Korean to verify this theory for me but it held true for every mandu that I ate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Juice-Aloe cures sunburns and is quite soothing.<span style=""> </span>Did you know that it is a delicious juice too?<span style=""> </span>I’m hooked and can’t wait to find some at home.<span style=""> </span></p>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-48024408792492634582008-12-12T14:15:00.002-06:002008-12-12T14:20:11.541-06:00The Moon Crater<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuU0zgXJH9MLqLmzzc34MnnGu_nSEBNSFnoaBqtAs48XbkiB2ysLN7uQ9QQ_Z7PBBDig6orU5L9EAN5SjYVlR1ZXTL7Sh8qaXdHmdaDqGb-gf6vjrPNJb8Hkvr3HKhvjykQH2K_-8Fr-0V/s1600-h/IMG_0296.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuU0zgXJH9MLqLmzzc34MnnGu_nSEBNSFnoaBqtAs48XbkiB2ysLN7uQ9QQ_Z7PBBDig6orU5L9EAN5SjYVlR1ZXTL7Sh8qaXdHmdaDqGb-gf6vjrPNJb8Hkvr3HKhvjykQH2K_-8Fr-0V/s320/IMG_0296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279000980123812002" border="0" /></a><br />I along with the help of my Aunt L last night made homemade peppermint marshmallows. They were amazingly beautiful and had a wonderful texture. All we had to do was let them sit overnight and cut them today. This morning, they still looked just as amazing. I was so proud of myself and so excited that I made homemade marshmallows. Aunt L wanted to take some to one of her co-workers so we cut a few and admired our handi work. We decided to cut the rest this evening as they were quite sticky and we both needed to head to work. So, we decided that since Colorado is fairly dry, we should cover them to avoid them losing their marshmallowy puff. Unfortunately for us, we hadn't had enough coffee yet and we pulled out the saran wrap to cover them. Unfortunately for them, they are no longer beautiful marshmallows but resemble an elementary school experiment to replicate the surface of the moon. OOOPS!!!!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-27570080656833815592008-12-10T21:57:00.003-06:002008-12-10T23:34:41.027-06:00It's about time...For me to get some updates on here.<br />First off, I was in Russia for a few weeks in November. It was an experience. I would go back, I just would want to stay in Moscow the WHOLE and I repeat the WHOLE time. And I'm not talking 10 or 15km outside of Moscow, in Moscow within walking distance of Red Square. I had a great time. I (gasP) purchased a silver fox fur hat that is incredibly warm. I drank the Russian standard vodka. I visited Red Square, St. Basil's, the Kremlin, went to the Izmaylov markets and got lost on the metro many times (darn cryllic alphabet). I ate some of the worst food I've had in my life. I frequently got yelled at for not giving exact change. And, I rode in a Russian lada.<br />I saw the most beautiful metro stations I've ever seen. They have mosaics and chandeliers in them. They also have the longest escalators I've ever seen since they were originally intended to double as bomb shelters.<br />I toured the history museum, drank a lot of coffee to stay warm and managed to catch a cold. All in all, it was a good trip! Here are some of the photos from my trip.....<br /><br />This is a Russian Lada..however, this is not the one I rode in. The last thing I would want in Russia is to ride in this thing (and not because it is a Lada but because of what is printed on the side of it)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5Kr2DscUsZ8dc2hqp7l49FVMYoKdP3t9G8R3Yx55dNiEB5G5nxU_ogi8L10GJFmrep4UPHFU8nXlDQlcgahHG3yBVRdRfjXIUCLnGBgtQ6b_NjSlmwLv6mEUHMTXoJNCmwe9zIirbw-N/s800/IMG_0117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 600px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5Kr2DscUsZ8dc2hqp7l49FVMYoKdP3t9G8R3Yx55dNiEB5G5nxU_ogi8L10GJFmrep4UPHFU8nXlDQlcgahHG3yBVRdRfjXIUCLnGBgtQ6b_NjSlmwLv6mEUHMTXoJNCmwe9zIirbw-N/s800/IMG_0117.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is Red Square ..They were putting up an ice rink here-the blue on the right. The pic is facing the history museum with the wall of the Kremlin on the left and one of the Kremlin towers with the Red star on the left too. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ3LKiTuDekuRLwrmqvc3TkNtrX1aUGGyVhNWwtSXXBucEc9UQ0UuL1lZe_jdcoqUbd7HrNrTckURrztmN0Pdq2RB-3A0hYRU84s0t5y680GaPDaLGP58qFAg7FClb0FU514opWn4Xd7f/s400/IMG_0159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ3LKiTuDekuRLwrmqvc3TkNtrX1aUGGyVhNWwtSXXBucEc9UQ0UuL1lZe_jdcoqUbd7HrNrTckURrztmN0Pdq2RB-3A0hYRU84s0t5y680GaPDaLGP58qFAg7FClb0FU514opWn4Xd7f/s400/IMG_0159.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This is one of the metro stations. Can you say museum quality?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL7gXcJkR5-Pf-6mAX1yiRzgu3ZtsVNuK7JOhxcsVQKevhBCx2JZ1g0rnO5m-RDziIvsohnTtJR__6fKxjifSOFPOtx5fiaO4PO35xvLfTbXPeIhcZcX-2DErISifDOArKza_xlBcK8tU/s400/IMG_0230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL7gXcJkR5-Pf-6mAX1yiRzgu3ZtsVNuK7JOhxcsVQKevhBCx2JZ1g0rnO5m-RDziIvsohnTtJR__6fKxjifSOFPOtx5fiaO4PO35xvLfTbXPeIhcZcX-2DErISifDOArKza_xlBcK8tU/s400/IMG_0230.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This is quite possibly one of the worst things I've ever eaten, especially after 4 days of hardly any food. Please note the poppy seeds and I repeat poppy seeds on this traditional Russian sweet (gag). I should point out that it is not the poppy seeds that make it awful. It's the raisny creme junk combined with the fluffyish cake like substance when the packaging had a chocolate square and a butter cookie on the front. I call farce, MAJOR farce.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrC5gUvm0KqemeptIPaII8UfAEjPq3El1ppaT1TjEW1IAHCOoJCLDZjwvR8fQF4TM-BPylR7P8_qhP4HY7Cngz86Qcl25nFzBCbbpdilI-UrIIfLFXtkJgnr8o7mK2we46l7lz3RXXP_o/s400/IMG_0133.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrC5gUvm0KqemeptIPaII8UfAEjPq3El1ppaT1TjEW1IAHCOoJCLDZjwvR8fQF4TM-BPylR7P8_qhP4HY7Cngz86Qcl25nFzBCbbpdilI-UrIIfLFXtkJgnr8o7mK2we46l7lz3RXXP_o/s400/IMG_0133.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is the history museum again. Just had to show you that the sun was out for at least a few hours of the trip.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbNCuzwP89mL8VX9G05_d6llY1syoh8wD4eQT46t9-HRXSpzEzuePODosCANAPIGc-9cK7rt6Lz3oxbC6VCuwQw67k3Buteu10JLDu_rE3krC6IindYdYq5rfC2YkTlLBGNZ_v4xMYemC/s400/IMG_0178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbNCuzwP89mL8VX9G05_d6llY1syoh8wD4eQT46t9-HRXSpzEzuePODosCANAPIGc-9cK7rt6Lz3oxbC6VCuwQw67k3Buteu10JLDu_rE3krC6IindYdYq5rfC2YkTlLBGNZ_v4xMYemC/s400/IMG_0178.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And, this is St. Basil's at night. Beautiful. It sits on the opposing side of the history museum in Red Square.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5wAz1y6dapZ4ZCVe83EQ4ZEKD9UjigQ9OVfxIBry5USHhDkwnTjHVqKqr1wVCKXZxOJQ6B4pvHmP_FPXLInjm6seGWRbapBca6eBQjhq-EbXM9yfvl1Vss7cVyBPqh545_Xy7f45LR9T/s400/IMG_0274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5wAz1y6dapZ4ZCVe83EQ4ZEKD9UjigQ9OVfxIBry5USHhDkwnTjHVqKqr1wVCKXZxOJQ6B4pvHmP_FPXLInjm6seGWRbapBca6eBQjhq-EbXM9yfvl1Vss7cVyBPqh545_Xy7f45LR9T/s400/IMG_0274.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, there will be no second in this post as it is long enough already. But I will post more, I have a lot to catch up on!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-82767711037258867412008-11-20T20:35:00.001-06:002008-11-20T20:37:39.239-06:00In Search Of: The Russian Cupcake (Pt. 3)UH OH! I'M Busted! The Mrs. found out! <br /><br />-Mr. Cupcake<br /><br /><p><span style="color: rgb(160, 82, 45);"><strong></strong></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><p><strong>I’ve learned that my blog has been hijacked, so you will be able to see these there, but not quite as timely. I am doing well and I hope that you all are too. I’m already looking forward to coming home :) Love you all!<br />Ali</strong></p> <p><strong>Day 3 evening</strong></p> <p>We had our first good meal tonight. By Russian standards, we went to a fancy restaurant, a steakhouse. I have to admit that this was the first decent meal that I’ve had since being in Russia. Everything worked out quite well. The ride in to the restaurant was about 25 minutes as we were heading into the city against traffic. We ate, drank and truly enjoyed each other’s company. We had a bit of confusion as our waiter did not speak Russian, but using hand gestures, we worked it out quite well. We weren’t quite ready for our taxi cab and apparently as we found out today from the Accounting Manager, they were running late too. They had called her because they were running late so she was very concerned this morning that everything went smoothly. Little does she know that this is the smoothest anything has gone for us since we have arrived.</p><p><br /></p>[<a href="http://myelectronicsheep.com/2008/11/in-search-of-the-russian-cupcake-pt-3/">Read More...</a>]</blockquote>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-33372518167899280272008-11-20T20:29:00.003-06:002008-11-20T20:33:29.984-06:00In Search Of: The Russian Cupcake (Pt. 2)Mr. Cupcake here... I have moved the main posts of the 'In Search Of' series to my new blog. So when you click the 'Read More' link, you will be redirected to the full post on my Blog. Day 2 is by far the funniest... Enjoy!<br /><br />-Mr. Cupcake<br /><blockquote><p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>Rest of Day 2-Monday November 11</strong></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">So, today at work went fine. I talked to one of the payroll ladies and while it was somewhat difficult to understand her we made due. We later learned that the head guy here, who sounds like he is from Texas, has lived here for the past 14 years and speaks perfect Russian. I would have never guessed.</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Alex, our interpreter/resource, recommended a few restaurants for us to try and a larger grocery store for us to shop at. So, off we went. It was about a 15 minute walk to the Ichiban. Yes, you read correctly, Ichiban. Apparently, sushi is very popular here, so we thought we’d give it a try. It was eh. Not horrible but not fantastic either. It certainly didn’t come anywhere close to my favorite or any of my favorites for that matter. And I don’t have a desire to go back. The more interesting part about the afternoon and dinner was that we were joined by another co-worker who is not in our group but works for the company and works on some of the same type of things. Her name is Dagmar and she is German. As one of my co-worker started to say tonight “so there are four americans here and people always think that the reputation of americans are spoiled, loud and ungracious” and I finished it with “until you met a German.” Which isn’t what he was going to say but was a perfect ending.</p><p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">[<a href="http://myelectronicsheep.com/2008/11/in-search-of-the-russian-cupcake-pt-2/">Read More...</a>]</p></blockquote><p style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><br /></p>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-34733685905810810662008-11-12T19:32:00.013-06:002008-11-20T20:29:27.241-06:00In Search Of: The Russian Cupcake (Pt. 1)Mrs. Cupcake is currently in Moscow, Russia for her new gig. So Mr. Cupcake (that would be ME) has decided to share the hilarious emails I've been getting from the Mrs. since they seem to revolve around food and electrical fires... I hope you enjoy the following as much as I did...<br /><br />-Mr. Cupcake<br /><br /> <blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">We are currently staying in an apartment that is attached to the same building that the office is in, so we are avoiding any kind of cold walk early in the morning, which is just fine with me. :) We will be staying in the apartments the first 10 days that we are here and then will be moving to a Marriott that is downtown Moscow.<br /><br /> We went out yesterday after we arrived to pick up a few groceries and get something to eat. The 'store” we thought was the grocery store, was actually a health club. English is hardly spoken by anyone. We did not encounter anyone who spoke English until we arrived at the office this morning-which made yesterday even more interesting.<br /><br /> <br />[<a href="http://myelectronicsheep.com/2008/11/in-search-of-the-russian-cupcake-pt-1/">Read More...</a>]</blockquote>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-89757851218301845082008-10-19T18:24:00.008-05:002008-10-19T20:09:27.681-05:00In Pursuit of ....<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />I'll let you fill in the blank but perfection wasn't what I was thinking. I tried for the first time today a new kind of frosting-swiss meringue buttercream. It is fabulous. Silky smooth, not too sweet and easy to pipe on cupcakes. Today's flavor was chocolate and the frosting was vanilla, with sprinkles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ubbhjkMzCFAYnBAKw4CrEw"><img style="width: 493px; height: 350px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/ali3454/SPvH57gN6KI/AAAAAAAAAOA/tedvwLd_wQ4/s800/DSC_0123.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I'm just practicing for my Dad's birthday which is coming up VERY soon. I will see him shortly after his B-Day and will be able to bake some treats for him. His choice, of course.<br /><br />And, I'm trying to clean out my pantry. We are in the process of moving. Moving so far away that the title of my blog just might need to change. I've already received some suggestions for the new name: MileHigh, Rocky Mountain (thankfully Trot was not a suggestion for this particular change)!!!<br />I did get to develop this week's creation in some new clothes. My Mother In Law fabricated an awesome new apron for me. As my husband will attest and probably pleaded with my MIL to make me an apron, I am M-E-S-S-Y in the kitchen when I bake, with capital letters. So, I now have a new apron to sport to protect my well not so fabulous weekend duds.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qj3v2tpPjRcaLlX0Vdk1VQ"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/ali3454/SPvJvofrFsI/AAAAAAAAAPc/xtHrRgTDdNo/s400/DSC_0103.JPG" /></a><br /></div>I used the Martha Stewart one bowl chocolate cupcakes for this recipe, in case you are interested. The recipe is very easy to make and turns out quite runny. I quickly jumped back onto the internet after mixing the batter to see if anyone else shared the same sentiments as me. Turns out, it is a common thought but does not hinder the texture or flavor of the cupcakes.<br /><br />Now, I need to concentrate on yet another section of the exam and filling my mouth full of tasty food from Chicago that is well, hard to get when you live 1200 miles away.<br /><br />One last final note, I owe my newfound frosting talents to <a href="http://howtoeatacupcake.net">howtoeatacupcake.net</a>. She has great ideas and is the superwoman of SMBC. I'm hoping to be one of her sidekicks in no time!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-49899645189878280962008-08-30T21:46:00.007-05:002008-08-31T09:45:51.771-05:00"These are your best yet!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/white3454/SLn6Z2U44TI/AAAAAAAADVA/l4kSA1vk26Y/s400/dsc_0383.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/white3454/SLn6Z2U44TI/AAAAAAAADVA/l4kSA1vk26Y/s400/dsc_0383.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I heard those words today from a rather tall man that I know quite well. Nevermind that his mouth was full of vanilla cupcake and chocolate frosting! That's right, I finally baked more cupcakes and started to work on perfecting frosting as this seems to be my weak area. Tonight I started off with a white cake which included pudding and a little bit of sprite. The combo of the two really makes for a great textured cake with a nice crumb. Then I decided I would mix up a batch of chocolate and regular buttercream frosting. But, after mixing the chocolate, I realized that I had enough to generously cover all of the cakes, so I decided that one kind was enough.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/white3454/SLn6OJD-kcI/AAAAAAAADT0/MZdpaKc6lUI/s400/dsc_0374.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/white3454/SLn6OJD-kcI/AAAAAAAADT0/MZdpaKc6lUI/s400/dsc_0374.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-48526858050257666852008-08-30T21:42:00.004-05:002008-08-31T09:35:56.994-05:00Catching UP: AirshowSo, these pics are a couple of weeks old but still worthy of a post. My parents came out from the State of Corn around the middle of August to enjoy the show. We had a great visit with them and got to attend the airshow on Friday and watch it from our deck on Saturday and Sunday. We also got some great glimpses in when we were walking down the street, riding in the car and on public transportation. It's pretty difficult to miss airplines rushing by overhead at mach speed!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/AirShowWeekend2008/photo#5240687637662209010"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/white3454/SLqpo92jE_I/AAAAAAAADak/ZpX05s6J48s/s400/dsc_0348.jpg" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-21778441482277869582008-08-13T22:50:00.002-05:002008-08-13T22:56:46.403-05:00A Science ExperimentI was always a fan of lab in chemistry and biology. I wish I could rewind and go back to the lab to test my skills again. To mix, to waft, to put all things unknown into my crucible and boil and boil. Those were the days. Since I can't go back to school and frankly don't want to, I make my own experiments and they always occur in the kitchen. This weekend, it was an attempt to mix two of my favorite things, cheese and cupcakes. Sound gross? It's not. It's actually quite tasty and simple. Mix up a batch of cupcakes, lemon or vanilla are best. Then mix together ricotta, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Spoon the ricotta over the cake mix and bake. The ricotta sinks to the bottom of the cupcake and provides dense cheesy layer. Dust the cake with a bit of powdered sugar and you have a successful experiment!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-6952546020105645592008-08-06T22:06:00.002-05:002008-08-06T22:12:28.056-05:00Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back to Work I go!So, after an extended weekend, I will be returning to work tomorrow. That means I will actually have to get up when my alarm goes off instead of rolling over and hitting snooze a bazillion times. It also means I will not have as much time to review my testing materials. While I can be a slacker studier at times, I typically have the best focus in the morning and will miss out on it for the next two days. It also means that I have two more short days to prepare for REG and well, I never feel like I am prepared. I think I could drink myself silly into a red bull high for the next two nights studying like a good little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cpa</span> candidate and still feel like a complete retard on Saturday at about noon. Not looking forward to it but will gladly suffer through it if it means it will soon be over! Good night everyone and if you don't hear from me anytime soon, rest assured I will be studying.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-64760566005978307622008-08-04T18:12:00.005-05:002008-08-04T18:30:44.713-05:00Finally, some cupcakes!!When I initially set up this blog, I did so because I was in the regular habit of baking frequently. I'm not sure if it is because it is now too hot to turn my oven on for extended periods of time or if I am too concerned with gaining some additional pounds but I haven't baked any cupcakes in (gasp) months! How can it be? Well, when you mix the summer weather with some good old Becker study books, the resulting combination is that there is no baking going on in the Chicago Cupcake lady's kitchen. Reluctantly, I have given up my hobby briefly in order to try to accomplish a personal and professional goal that has been in progress for quite some time and well needs<span style="font-weight: bold;"> significant</span> attention.<br /><br />Instead, I will share some of my favorite cupcakes to be purchased in Chicago. In honor of my Birthday, Mr. Cupcake took me to one of my favorites, Sweet Mandy B's. I had a cupcake for breakfast, yellow cake with buttercream frosting, and Mr. Cupcake had a homemade cinnamon roll. We then purchased a red velvet cupcake and chocolate with buttercream cupcakes to enjoy later. The picture below is of the chocolate with buttercream. The good thing is that Mr. Cupcake accepts the cakes from Sweet Mandy as a replacement for mine. Actually, based on his reaction I think he prefers them to mine. So, when I get around to baking again my first culinary goal will be to figure out the recipe behind these things. Trust me, you will be happy that I did when I make them for your next occasion!<br /><br />Please enjoy the flowers as well and pay no attention to the permarings on my coffee table. I promise we regularly use coasters, it just doesn't look that way.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 651px; height: 431px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/ali3454/SJSFfWU-jPI/AAAAAAAAAIM/w-TxP550uF0/s800/DSC_0734.JPG" /></div>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-71577766403874507762008-08-02T11:07:00.000-05:002008-08-02T11:25:29.060-05:00Aging gracefully....For those of you who have stuck with me since the inception of this blog despite the length between posts, you may remember that I chronicled the planting of my flowers at the beginning of the summer. Well, I can assure you that I have a green thumb and that the combination of direct sunlight and lots of watering from Mr. Cupcake has allowed these flowers to bloom into beautiful reminders of life and growth.<br /><br />See the pictures below for transformation from beginning to now:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/white3454/SENLk3emGQI/AAAAAAAAATY/kzEY2G9E9iU/s288/img_1742.jpg" /><img style="width: 386px; height: 287px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/ali3454/SJSFfttC4XI/AAAAAAAAAIU/sn0vIc8uNRw/s400/DSC_0735.JPG" />I<br /></div><br /><br />So, the true point of my post, for those that know me well, is that I too am approaching another year of what I hope is aging gracefully. While I am no where close to being old, I'm also old enough that when I was a kid I thought that being my age meant old. And yes, my body is showing some signs of age that I am NOT going to share with everyone as I don't want to give away all of my secrets.<br /><br />Let's just say I really enjoy attending the weekly yoga sessions in Millenium Park as it gives me the chance to stretch my body out. That's right picture about 100 people practicing yoga at 8am on Saturday morning in the splendor of downtown Chicago. This morning, we even chanted at the beginning and end of our session all in unison. It is fantastic. It attracts those who have aged gracefully and some that have not but all that are interested in finding a little time for themselves. Thank you Chicago park district for providing the opportunity.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-50554554371941441472008-07-05T20:49:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:36.329-06:00Belated: Fireworks for the 4th!It is an age old American tradition to honor our freedom, the bbq and fireworks, on the 4th of July. Fortunately this year I had the opportunity to witness the most fireworks I have ever seen in my life. The location of our home and the perfect weather for the day afforded the brilliant scene. First, from our living room, we could see multiple shows, probably about 5 at once. Then, I stepped foot onto the deck and could see a few more. As the evening grew from dusk to night time, the Mr. and I grabbed the camera and headed to our building's roof top deck. Who would have thought that a building with 6 floors would have such a great view? The pictures that I am going to display below will not do the scene justice. We literally could see all fireworks shows to the North, West and South for what seemed like a 30 mile radius. It was amazing. Everywhere I looked on the horizon and up close in the city there were fireworks. Here are a few pictures of the sight. Again, no camera can "show" you what I got to see! Mark this fourth down in the memory book for me, as it was spectacular!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OgSncTR7gmHV8sn09GhWyt2lJo3NR1xaYutojUm_S5r_zQxxfA_wd03BLBLw3EwCFbZ2D6okAI0Ur-ET42St1xzbuFSXNB8SjBFOhWXteQuG7FlzInOF6jsa9yn_sIfA0GMDgVaNupRr/s1600-h/DSC_0400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OgSncTR7gmHV8sn09GhWyt2lJo3NR1xaYutojUm_S5r_zQxxfA_wd03BLBLw3EwCFbZ2D6okAI0Ur-ET42St1xzbuFSXNB8SjBFOhWXteQuG7FlzInOF6jsa9yn_sIfA0GMDgVaNupRr/s400/DSC_0400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219716230901902418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fONfUklxSKbjT9WshcPzSFB-Re8fJBau8QW-Ts_2DX9daC3S-yyUatDehPBuo-h4f3D3lx09gp4MFem1-W2WOeQNfaGHb2YUAMEy4N2igg9BQYOvkKF2vnr6jFLlHN9qgtLYF1UYXKdx/s1600-h/DSC_0288.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fONfUklxSKbjT9WshcPzSFB-Re8fJBau8QW-Ts_2DX9daC3S-yyUatDehPBuo-h4f3D3lx09gp4MFem1-W2WOeQNfaGHb2YUAMEy4N2igg9BQYOvkKF2vnr6jFLlHN9qgtLYF1UYXKdx/s400/DSC_0288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219715041161171170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />It's hard to distinguish a firework from a street lamp in this picture. However, if you look closely at the light bursts, those are all various fireworks that were going off simultaneously.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-83387027613915819022008-07-05T20:34:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:36.829-06:00Spoils of today's farmers market!The Mr. and I started our day off early this morning. By 10am we had been to the farmers market, had our morning coffee and retrieved any remaining groceries that we needed for the week from the store. Since I've had a bit more time on my hands lately, I've spent some of that time looking for new ideas for things to cook. So, now you will be able to see the fruits of my search! At the market this morning we picked up green beans, cucumbers, snap peas, zucchini, yellow squash, tart cherries, flat parsley, rosemary and onions. It was a very productive visit to the market. Following our visit, I dug up some of the recipes that I had recently found to cook today. First we started off with a zucchini squash pizza. We modified it slightly by adding some grilled chicken to the mix. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSrJGeIpaQxYMR2eL6O_Vday0zFgQ5S7Iy6hnacvcJLEr-e0YrPWc3Y1xDoJoYwcdrZnCm4PX6pv4rcNSdsemPFAv9WkRofiK8F_B4wHBMqDpL3iwddMnQ4rID0qy7qBNRAjoiKuIOftz/s1600-h/DSC_0637.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSrJGeIpaQxYMR2eL6O_Vday0zFgQ5S7Iy6hnacvcJLEr-e0YrPWc3Y1xDoJoYwcdrZnCm4PX6pv4rcNSdsemPFAv9WkRofiK8F_B4wHBMqDpL3iwddMnQ4rID0qy7qBNRAjoiKuIOftz/s400/DSC_0637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219710666978662466" border="0" /></a>We finished our evening dinner with tart cherry crisp. I used my Aunt S's recipe for the cherry fruit filling and the crumbly crisp topping recipe came from one of the magazines I've had the pleasure to enjoy in the past few weeks. Both recipes are keepers that we will be adding to our rotation of things to cook. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QM9-ZOON6X6WOL0hJMfLydwBS8zUMLp_XIAfXCl_qQJ958_s3MPSx7jJKc81Ni-duhxYI2QFoXxfynHRNmMEjGyhMtSresYwhuwGRJ__o9txdLsEAZt0YMQuqgeJKUx_TmrWAtIOpSCY/s1600-h/DSC_0638.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QM9-ZOON6X6WOL0hJMfLydwBS8zUMLp_XIAfXCl_qQJ958_s3MPSx7jJKc81Ni-duhxYI2QFoXxfynHRNmMEjGyhMtSresYwhuwGRJ__o9txdLsEAZt0YMQuqgeJKUx_TmrWAtIOpSCY/s400/DSC_0638.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219711530045840914" border="0" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-9252039240854809042008-07-04T22:09:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:37.349-06:00Lots of Catching Up to Do!It's been a few weeks since I've posted...since then we've had family in town, we have our first baby tomatoes on the vine, I've been to Dallas and back, we've seen our friend Sue's new fabulous home, and it's officially SUMMERTIME!<br />During our family visits we have had the chance to go on an extended eating tour of Chicago. While managing to roll around town, we saw many of the more touristy attractions-the art museum, Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory, Millenium Park and the Bean, Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, the Buckingham Fountain, Soldier Field, Michigan Avenue and the Hancock building. While this list may seem rather long to squeeze into four days, the truth is we hit these attractions and squeezed in some shopping, caught the tail end of the Pride Parade and managed to relax at home. It was Waynie's first visit to Chi-town and we therefore had no choice but to have no restraint!<br />In other news, our flower and tomato and herb garden are progressing quite splendidly. As I said earlier, we have the first signs of fruit on the tomato plant and I can already taste the fresh red, ripe goodness on my tongue. Nevermind that our garden consists of one pot of basil, one mint and 2 tomato plants. But, when you live an urban lifestyle and your patios are about 30 square feet each, this is an accomplishment. I don't set the bar very high when it comes to gardening-can you tell?<br />That's about all that has happened at the cupcake house over the past few weeks. I'll be posting something in honor of our freedom in the near future.<br /><br /><br />This first shot might give you the wrong impression. No, we are not in the Carribean. These crystal blue waters are Lake Michigan ala the John Hancock building.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZwSW5T98m4P_WWx7rr-7LwvpU_eReFEEhgz__QQz78VEtHOL4qUmb3jwmXmpkLm7PjB5qifgcFhw0TchAlSt7Q2eDI-qf_Te-ZjoZxXlCn3s7698CCtEfPWXSXANkY06u2gD1vtqL-AA/s1600-h/DSC_0099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZwSW5T98m4P_WWx7rr-7LwvpU_eReFEEhgz__QQz78VEtHOL4qUmb3jwmXmpkLm7PjB5qifgcFhw0TchAlSt7Q2eDI-qf_Te-ZjoZxXlCn3s7698CCtEfPWXSXANkY06u2gD1vtqL-AA/s400/DSC_0099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219366169182954594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And this one is self explanatory. Home of Da' Bears!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMZd97AW0PDJm2fWEMeMgkPWEuIdmqa17kAZAepPUC0ry1iBMppzud2A6PoOOuciVhfshD85W_hrIBwwASavbjQEdjXG17YKByuYUIu3hws_Q3x-HlXwgnRWk0HcUdImBov4v7xKwP1ai/s1600-h/DSC_0185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMZd97AW0PDJm2fWEMeMgkPWEuIdmqa17kAZAepPUC0ry1iBMppzud2A6PoOOuciVhfshD85W_hrIBwwASavbjQEdjXG17YKByuYUIu3hws_Q3x-HlXwgnRWk0HcUdImBov4v7xKwP1ai/s400/DSC_0185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219368105884879330" border="0" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-15713497114977057402008-06-21T10:47:00.000-05:002008-06-21T10:57:01.151-05:00Pictures of ChicagoSo, last weekend, when the weather was amazing, we set out to see the sights of Chicago in the eyes of one that does not reside here. Here are some of the sights we took in.... Of course, there is much more to see than what two people can squeeze into a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, so please, stay tuned for more in the future....<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212447284044197426"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/white3454/SFZVMCfnbjI/AAAAAAAAAys/beSUMr41_Kc/s144/DSC_0200.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Welcome to Chicago!!<br /><br />We toured Millenium Park, walked along Michigan Avenue, took pictures in the reflection of the bean, and admired the boats in the river. <br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212443306017988642"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/white3454/SFZRkfMQoCI/AAAAAAAAAiM/2HsVcBIrOmo/s144/DSC_0072.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212443814750645682"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/white3454/SFZSCGXk7bI/AAAAAAAAAkg/IEy5YkfQyrk/s144/DSC_0090.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212445940023215810"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/white3454/SFZT9zoCxsI/AAAAAAAAAtI/Gi6oLTZOSSo/s144/DSC_0157.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212442825437481074"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/white3454/SFZRIg48CHI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/4zxp1A9VU58/s144/DSC_0049.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And, this picture is the view from our deck. On one gorgeous night when we were enjoying mojitos with Greta! <br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/white3454/ChicagoJune15th/photo#5212684538557933938"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/white3454/SFcs-EbqqXI/AAAAAAAAA0U/mz-WXgdVSoo/s400/DSC_0321.JPG" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-41777021298775478872008-06-21T10:36:00.000-05:002008-06-21T10:38:12.948-05:00Adding a new page??Does this work? Can it be done?? Let's try it...<br /><br /><br />YES! We are successful.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-35537005903928035802008-06-01T15:32:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:37.866-06:00Hot Diggity Dog!This weekend we visited one of our favorite places in Chicago. I happened to have some of these in my purse.....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVQ7barTrYrEFjCqY9jyK3l_CjhEes1Rqn2CsAi3K1dDfcscUBVdlpGPYdLqRgMw_9IXUYOfYT-yQWd43urUp3xh_usbSWi2QiNSCIjub3Ljq0q8Ydti6z8neN8X6DVp8Wej_cOS3bvEf/s1600-h/0531081327a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVQ7barTrYrEFjCqY9jyK3l_CjhEes1Rqn2CsAi3K1dDfcscUBVdlpGPYdLqRgMw_9IXUYOfYT-yQWd43urUp3xh_usbSWi2QiNSCIjub3Ljq0q8Ydti6z8neN8X6DVp8Wej_cOS3bvEf/s400/0531081327a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207014183270511090" border="0" /></a>And I thought I might need them. Fortunately, for me, I didn't. Even after enjoying the following.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHgjJSmx6XGMienhSjs-bzXJByowINhOWbgfgc1WvzY0zG4Z6dnz5cL6tTjAvaLBub-6L8CRUtsSspKpA8IlTZf-8doib3uBgJPGionSL57SYYlvpH5y0cil9dEOBCp8HYqXWFjp0bZle/s1600-h/0531081329b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHgjJSmx6XGMienhSjs-bzXJByowINhOWbgfgc1WvzY0zG4Z6dnz5cL6tTjAvaLBub-6L8CRUtsSspKpA8IlTZf-8doib3uBgJPGionSL57SYYlvpH5y0cil9dEOBCp8HYqXWFjp0bZle/s400/0531081329b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207014687200285858" border="0" /></a>Yes, we went to Hot Doug's. It's been almost a year since we have been here. While it is delicious, it is not the most healthy option for a Saturday lunch and well, it doesn't have the most accomodating hours for our schedule. Alas, we enjoyed a rib-eye (the green chimmichurri draped sausage on the left, blue cheese apple almond chicken and the white encased meat is the Harvey Korman- sundried tomato ala vodka sauce with borato cheese) And if those three weren't enough we gorged ourselves on duck fat fries. The perfect lunch that didn't require the rolaids I always carry in my purse. When you come to Chicago, we'll go to Hot Doug's. You won't regret it, I promise.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-17516564701290163842008-05-26T15:59:00.001-05:002008-12-11T18:16:38.152-06:00No, those aren't what you think!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261j8h9m62J2gPjseuXfEqQhStAwCPmF-S089nIa4Oh1hKmWZ68NeHp_NaHqkx7Lo0TpI-5D94bto3Bj3oFa-S1eE33n8kYHk8UsF3j4SnojUJ36Tk7y4kxgLgOuz7JkfyhCpg5rsvIny/s1600-h/img_1747.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261j8h9m62J2gPjseuXfEqQhStAwCPmF-S089nIa4Oh1hKmWZ68NeHp_NaHqkx7Lo0TpI-5D94bto3Bj3oFa-S1eE33n8kYHk8UsF3j4SnojUJ36Tk7y4kxgLgOuz7JkfyhCpg5rsvIny/s320/img_1747.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204795773703201266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfknMmHnb2T41RbLbgBoJZFHzJAEroKrc-JK7_wo-8OPXhUx3GqmnacVNztk9IeizMbPf-gorOcfpYwJfXMolei64N2aEvOoWESzehgpSqD2iiYYv203lxGInnn4zvdhwCn2bATJkJNLrT/s1600-h/img_1746.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfknMmHnb2T41RbLbgBoJZFHzJAEroKrc-JK7_wo-8OPXhUx3GqmnacVNztk9IeizMbPf-gorOcfpYwJfXMolei64N2aEvOoWESzehgpSqD2iiYYv203lxGInnn4zvdhwCn2bATJkJNLrT/s400/img_1746.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204794347774058978" border="0" /></a>No, you are not looking at green boobs. And, not those are not upside down green nut cups either. Those are a tool that we have been using to make breakfast for weeks now. They are "poach pods."<br /><br />After working on trying to perfect a free form poached egg, I gave up and purchased these two handy pods. You boil your water, float the pod, and break your egg in the pod. And wallaa, you have a perfectly poached egg every time. The best part is that for someone with limited storage space at their house, you don't have to purchase an egg poacher. You can utilize the tools that you already have. So, this morning, day three of the great weekend, A made me breakfast with these. Orange coffee, with poached egg and raisin toast! On the deck!<br /><br /><br /><br />And yes, I am catching up on posts today. I will have more after we finish the cupcakes!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-76722788479101303252008-05-26T15:27:00.001-05:002008-12-11T18:16:39.261-06:00Planting and other randomnessSo, today we planted our flowers for the season! As usual, we purchased more flowers than we need, so we will have to find an extra place to put the basil and mint. We planted flowers, tomatoes of two varieties, basil and mint. We had decided to forego planting hanging baskets that rest on our railings and use the pots that we already had. That was, until I spotted one of our neighbors gorgeous hanging baskets on their deck. I am jealous and I am a flower whore. So, I'm going to "think" about getting hanging baskets and if I still feel the urge to add to our mini garden in a few weeks, well then, I just might have to. Here's a good idea of what some of our pots look like. We have 5 in total, without planting the basil and mint yet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx0cxiYobAJBJtOmGoalRxH5Q5X0wfWhRF4WoSpK2EqXluQG7nD_NEo3uSWBD35e8vC3ipZWfLKXaC0P6f1VTiCEv7PDg0QjUEv9VjjDTSzgeYc0c5G6DaIfmZL8tH95_Hu9zyf4rHsl9/s1600-h/img_1742.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx0cxiYobAJBJtOmGoalRxH5Q5X0wfWhRF4WoSpK2EqXluQG7nD_NEo3uSWBD35e8vC3ipZWfLKXaC0P6f1VTiCEv7PDg0QjUEv9VjjDTSzgeYc0c5G6DaIfmZL8tH95_Hu9zyf4rHsl9/s200/img_1742.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204787063509524914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-V9_Q6xjGtR-KXGjOS877YPEhN2Yofe9-KQcrRHbAHPfzHT7v0uJRlJEtvee-xOuyiP5ucATUQInjIE8V3F2F52tX2ylzAnTiHliq8cMe5s4CU4ZFkGanBluCJRp4mo5JmiJPTyx9vb7/s1600-h/img_1744.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-V9_Q6xjGtR-KXGjOS877YPEhN2Yofe9-KQcrRHbAHPfzHT7v0uJRlJEtvee-xOuyiP5ucATUQInjIE8V3F2F52tX2ylzAnTiHliq8cMe5s4CU4ZFkGanBluCJRp4mo5JmiJPTyx9vb7/s200/img_1744.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204787334092464578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In other random events around our household, this is the first time in I seriously don't remember how long that I have not had to work on the weekend. Which, in and of itself is a huge cause for celebration. Nevermind that I worked late enough on Friday night for it to be considered working on the weekend! But alas, not only did I get TWO whole days to do as I please, I actually got THREE! Yes, a whole three days! And two and a half glorious days it has been. It's been great. Saturday we started the weekend with a trip to the farmers market. Our favorite market on Armitage street. With coffee in tow, we strolled the market and picked up some rhubarb and asparagus. We didn't see all of the vendors that were there last year and are hoping that the smaller turn out is due to it still being early in the season! Since we didn't spend as much time at the market as we thought, we decided to take a walk around the surrounding neighborhood. The neighborhood is the only place that I have heard my A say "If I could live anywhere in Chicago it would be here." Unfortunately for him, neither of us make that kind of money! But we can dream. Anyhow, our morning was followed up by flower shopping in the afternoon, a stop at our favorite fruit store, where we scored a case of strawberries for $2. Yes, that is right, $2 for more strawberries than two people can dream to eat. And we ventured back to our old neighborhood to one of its classics, the Paulina Meat Market. There we purchased some baby back ribs to bbq in celebration of Memorial Day! Saturday was chore day for us so we also stopped at Costco. We completed Saturday with some shrimp on the grill!<br /><br />Sunday morning came and we could finally brew some coffee in our french press. The press has been on the mend for over a week as the glass cylinder broke while being washed. As a part of our chores on Saturday, we picked up a new beaker and some orange coffee to boot!! Sunday morning A treated me to fresh orange coffee and we discussed what we were going to do with our strawberry loot from the day before. A immediately indicated that we must make more cupcakes. And, we all know how I can't resist a cupcake, so check that one on the list. We also decided to eat some strawberries fresh, combine some with the rhubarb into a compote, and freeze some to enjoy at a later date. So, to accompany the compote, I decided to try to make panna cotta. For this creme brulee loving girl, panna cotta was the right answer to enjoy the fresh garden tastes of the weekend. It serves as the perfect base. I researched strawberry cupcake recipes and we decided on two. Then we were off to shop. For those of you who are from Chicago, you can hit us over the head right now because where did we go? That's right, to Michigan Ave. And, yes, it was packed. Packed on the sidewalk but the stores were like ghost towns. We made our rounds on Michigan and headed to State St. as I am in desperate need of a purse, but having a hard time finding something that I want to spend my hard earned dollars on. Plus, I need some shoes to go with the dress that I am wearing (and recycling) to a party this Friday. I weighed my options for purses and A's comments consisted of "Can I buy you a motorcycle to go with that one?" or "Do you have to get black? That is boring." I scouted out a purse my sister and I had in mind for my Mom and his response was "It looks like a picnic basket" I didn't disagree so sorry Mom, but we left that one on the shelf this time. Anyhow, moral of the shopping story is that we came home empty handed. A did return the shirts that he mysteriously ordered in a quadruple extra large, that even he would swim in, but other than that our trip was unfruitful. On the way home, we stopped at the local store for any additional items we needed for the recipes that we researched. What grocery store does not carry cupcake papers? The one three blocks from my house. Clearly, the store manager doesn't know that I have moved into the neighborhood. We will have to change that.<br /><br />So, that is the recap of our day. We spent the evening drinking wine and enjoying our ribs that had marinated all day!The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-66517980992432370272008-05-11T20:53:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:39.975-06:00Mother's Day<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Mother's Day! Unfortunately, I couldn't be with my Mom or my Grandma's today but I still chose to celebrate. Despite the dreary weather in the Chicago area today, I was inspired to create something new and full of cheer! Here is the result....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltLeG6G1Fk6fSVdoYsEizfHoccIXFnF8D_j9LZD-osFFKV5du0YQDWh8AysGXZSC5xfqBdvpJ2_D_doi7W40x3MlI3KCHyDRecTG9raM-TbtV1H8DCZ90HlrlxYtq4JIianKJ7pTBr_4E/s1600-h/img_1738.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltLeG6G1Fk6fSVdoYsEizfHoccIXFnF8D_j9LZD-osFFKV5du0YQDWh8AysGXZSC5xfqBdvpJ2_D_doi7W40x3MlI3KCHyDRecTG9raM-TbtV1H8DCZ90HlrlxYtq4JIianKJ7pTBr_4E/s320/img_1738.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199304087855451154" border="0" /></a>These are chocolate cupcakes filled with strawberry chocolate ganache, topped with a thin layer of ganache and frosted with vanilla buttercream. They are scrumptious and I can't wait to share them. My husband tried one and then proceeded to attempt to convince me that I needed to allow him to take more into work than he has co-workers. I think he secretly wants to eat them. He even suggested that we eat all of them tonight until we get sick because they are SOOOO tasty. In his defense, he did help me construct and bake them today. And of course, he cleaned up after me because according to him, I am the messiest baker ever. I disagree but that is a whole seperate post. I'll break down the steps of making them.<br /></div>First, you mix your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients, that's right, no cake mix boxes here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPHh05WMcLMV_CVjv1XvtYRlDzD8KkTHAyaJ8uQJyE2isXzrl-w1p_q40Jnz5GfYdvGciA2L6gMTNDWJ-1qPcJRm9lhwFVDblV9rWZnm00ctJSB0Xxav1_3FphMJ5L97t3zrQiGoZmSSu/s1600-h/img_1686.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPHh05WMcLMV_CVjv1XvtYRlDzD8KkTHAyaJ8uQJyE2isXzrl-w1p_q40Jnz5GfYdvGciA2L6gMTNDWJ-1qPcJRm9lhwFVDblV9rWZnm00ctJSB0Xxav1_3FphMJ5L97t3zrQiGoZmSSu/s200/img_1686.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199305715648056354" border="0" /></a>After mixing the batter and putting the cakes in the oven, lick your heart out...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j80LthNyiqsosK2rGuBzUMRgSPPiTbBR0aVvAUYMS-5x68QnNpNBldT2ybiKXEhQNXNiZL4JaTSonmgtcVsAfvuOweWtr5Uki8Ad01FE5JbQF11M84hiCq8BeSdVT88JMtuQ_5Z3Iggv/s1600-h/img_1695.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j80LthNyiqsosK2rGuBzUMRgSPPiTbBR0aVvAUYMS-5x68QnNpNBldT2ybiKXEhQNXNiZL4JaTSonmgtcVsAfvuOweWtr5Uki8Ad01FE5JbQF11M84hiCq8BeSdVT88JMtuQ_5Z3Iggv/s200/img_1695.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199306913943931970" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And here is the tricky part, using the "cone" method, cut the tops off of the cakes, and fill with the strawberry ganache. Note for next time, more strawberries. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc4Eax0aUNVmkCul34buhk9pqG2o4u3G91BpyOD5yiXaSrHXB2fMv9B1AFJYfe8L8x2ZYlvWU8VnzvfvPMqpRytg5MITSqgDDMlAK5wV8T6H0iMscDvwFIbIG6dEhflo4eTMVFCZo-kLK/s1600-h/img_1702.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc4Eax0aUNVmkCul34buhk9pqG2o4u3G91BpyOD5yiXaSrHXB2fMv9B1AFJYfe8L8x2ZYlvWU8VnzvfvPMqpRytg5MITSqgDDMlAK5wV8T6H0iMscDvwFIbIG6dEhflo4eTMVFCZo-kLK/s200/img_1702.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199306351303216178" border="0" /></a>And, the final product.<br />A tribute to my wonderful mother who taught me everything I know about how to cook and bake. She continuously inspires me to learn more in the kitchen so that someday, my children will appreciate my creativity and delicious meals as much as what I have always looked forward to and enjoyed the time I've spent with my Mom in the kitchen, both eating and learning. I cannot thank her enough. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Happy Mother's Day!</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTVUClOoO0Dq29LW6rp-byENA-kRgSinNa-iCU3CnRNHeyQXP1ttqzosOIOuu7ZPq2-wHeyagV7iEw8bzLpAIze_JMqNO-emDNODZzSnyJjGM9oe8aGyJCbbqwNYNzwEB_n49_jLdg7i-/s1600-h/img_1740.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTVUClOoO0Dq29LW6rp-byENA-kRgSinNa-iCU3CnRNHeyQXP1ttqzosOIOuu7ZPq2-wHeyagV7iEw8bzLpAIze_JMqNO-emDNODZzSnyJjGM9oe8aGyJCbbqwNYNzwEB_n49_jLdg7i-/s400/img_1740.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199308520261700690" border="0" /></a>The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597387661129618216.post-86027907627863662192008-05-11T20:37:00.000-05:002008-12-11T18:16:40.434-06:00Black and Blue vs. Cider Blue = Belted Curtains<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEoPb66j0_UaWCAZoA924iOSBYoVPEb2j_JjiKc3vdkCtAN4AdZ4eQ5CWbFVh50ZMJJN2W97lgB2gBrbQWDZofKrjLCXOxymuJfHWFvfXLGaMrV0AZmllZE7c3b8rKpC2ms2xgFD_C0tY/s1600-h/img_1668.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEoPb66j0_UaWCAZoA924iOSBYoVPEb2j_JjiKc3vdkCtAN4AdZ4eQ5CWbFVh50ZMJJN2W97lgB2gBrbQWDZofKrjLCXOxymuJfHWFvfXLGaMrV0AZmllZE7c3b8rKpC2ms2xgFD_C0tY/s200/img_1668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199301072788409330" border="0" /></a><br />Nope, I haven't gotten into an accident and now have some grotesque wound to show off. Quite the contrary, actually.<br /><br />I introduce you to the liquid version of black and blue. Guinness meets Blue Moon. Yummy! This is actually my husband's favorite. I like to sip something a little lighter and often opt for a mix of Woodchuck Cider and Blue Moon. It kinda reminds me of my traveling days when I was a student in London and often sipped a Snakebite or a Shandy, depending on the pub. Double yum. You should try it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMfjSwknsG6GPlElJ9tJaVCY9ZDmcLFpRWhlgsxm7LxkSI9932xwshj0yjILe3g2MmYiN6XytEVrSNEiAXcui8Nt3CzjnuNAXkgEGwDkxdnIR5Cw4z3ufspkx3jafMEX65U5wn9Tyw21V/s1600-h/img_1673.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMfjSwknsG6GPlElJ9tJaVCY9ZDmcLFpRWhlgsxm7LxkSI9932xwshj0yjILe3g2MmYiN6XytEVrSNEiAXcui8Nt3CzjnuNAXkgEGwDkxdnIR5Cw4z3ufspkx3jafMEX65U5wn9Tyw21V/s320/img_1673.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199301893127162882" border="0" /></a><br />So, after imbibing in a few cider blues, I decided that the curtains needed to be tied back so that the wind would quit whipping them around. Hmm, what to use, well, that is my belt. Yep, it works like a charm and actually I kind of like it.The Cupcake Ladyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042276214237247759noreply@blogger.com0