Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Lauren's Birthday Cupcakes

My good friend Lauren Horton had her birthday party about a month ago. Her favorite cake is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, so I happily made them in her honor.



Her favorite color is blue, so I decorated them with blue stars and blue edible sugars.





We all sat around, played Rock Band and Nintendo, ate cupcakes, and had a great time!
For Christmas, I made my co-workers some white chocolate candies. They were a huge success. Even though I don't like peppermint, I was especially fond of the snowmen hanging on the candy canes.

Santa Lollipops


Penguin


Snowmen on Candy Canes


Snowmen


and Christmas Tree Lollipops

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Cupcake Musings

While I was making Red Velvet Cupcakes (baking in the oven right now) for Valentine's Day, I had a few thoughts. So I thought I would share them.

1. As exhibited by this blog entry, my mind truly wanders when I make cupcakes. I am off in my own baking la-la land, and I love it.

2. I am not yet a master of Red Velvet cupcakes. When I make them, it makes me think of my grandmother. I wish she was here to teach me how to make the perfect red velvet cake. My parents tell me that she made the best.

3. When I bake and decorate cupcakes, I truly feel like an artist. I may not have been very good at the violin in high school, but darn it, I can make some serious cupcakes.

4. That being said, I look at all the endless cupcake blogs that I follow, and realize that I still have a lot to learn. But I'm learning, and I think I get better each time.

5. I think my biggest and most important cupcakes will be next month for my nephew Ryan's first birthday party. Alex and I are hosting it at our house, and I am so honored that we get to host such a wonderful day.

6. Gel icing colors leave lovely stains on my fingertips...I may complain about it, but I consider them battle scars. :)

7. I spend A LOT of time in the internet looking at other people's cupcakes. I love how there are so many communities out there for cupcake-a-holics like me.

8. One of the things that give me the most pleasure in life is seeing someone enjoy my cupcakes. Some of my biggest fans are my co-workers.

9. When Alex and I had only been together a few months, his grandparents bought me a KitchenAid stand mixer. It was probably one of the best and most appropriate presents I have ever received. I can't imagine my baking life without it now.

10. Alex loves cake batter, and I love presenting him with the paddle beater.

11. I hosted a party at Christmas, with a cupcake/Christmas theme. I had friends and family over to decorate their own cupcakes. It was one of my favorite events that we have had at our home.

12. My friends and family truly support my cupcake habit. They are always sending me recipes and cute cupcake merchandise. My Mom frequently surprises me with new cupcake liners, and it is always exciting to me.

13. Sometimes I think I missed my calling in life. I love doing television for a living, but I often wonder if I could make it with my own bakery. I think the ultimate job for me would be doing television all about cupcakes.

That's all for now, but I'm sure my wandering cupcake brain will come up with a few more......