STOP Motion.

I stole this from a friend's blog.

Radishes The Other Day

I was chopping radishes the other day and came across a little heart.He just kind of jumped out at me, and said his name was Art.I was about to say hello, but before I could start.Little Lolly heart popped out and swore, never would they part.

But then I threw them away. Eh.. all in a day.

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are every bit as good as they look. At first I wasn't sure about the cookie, it was different than I expected. A good friend of mine gave me this book, and it's the first time I've tried a recipe. It's like shortbread. Yummy crumbly buttery shortbread. I modified it a tiny bit by adding white chocolate chips in place of coconut.(click on image for recipe)
I also watched the Kings lose to Ohio. At least these cookies turned out and my day wasn't a complete downer. So pretty and delicious.

Stowaway!!

This grasshopper held onto my car from the parking lot at work all the way to the garage at my house. About 7 miles. Little stowaway, no one rides for free. I made him clean my car.

What Made My Friday

What's As Cute As A Cupcake?

Baby sea turtles!!!!-

Happy (Belated) Birthday Candy Land!!

The bestest game ever Candy Land turned 60 last week. On Wednesday August 19th, in honor of Candy Land's birthday, Hasbro turned Lombard Street in San Francisco into a real life Candy Land board game.





Check out this cake I found on gigiscakeboutique's flickr. You should check out her other cakes on her flickr page, they are amazing!!

HA! I also found this Candy Land Gingerbread board on Arts Enthusiast's flickr page. Talk about incredible gingerbread houses!

Anyone wanna play Candy Land?

Real Men Of Genius

I know, this is completely non-baking/cupcake related. I just thought this is an amazing piece of art.

I came across something incredible in my stroll through the internet.  I found this picture of a Portrait of Jimmy Carter by Octavio Ocampo.It was a gift from José López Portillo the President of Mexico. This was presented to President Jimmy Carter in February of 1979.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies. No Wait... M & M Cookies... No... Walnut White Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Picture it, this morning, my kitchen, eating cereal. I look in my pantry and see a pile of an idea. So I says to myself, I says "What could I make out of this mini mountain of goodies?" I search through my recipe book and came across this: I can make sort of an Everything-but-the-kitchen-sick cookie. Then I get started on softening some butter. I had a little bit of dark brown sugar left over so I used that up with a little light brown sugar.La La La, finishing my cereal, drinking some tea, just about to mix all the base ingredients.. La la la... WAIT A MINUTE..... I can't just make an M & M coconut walnut toffee mini chocolate white chocolate chip cookie!!! That's just irresponsible, it can't be done. I have the dough all mixed up, now what?I actually saw the light bulb turn on above my head just then. I decided to split the dough three ways and make three different kinds of cookies, ALL FROM THE SAME DOUGH!!! It's insanity!!! My first cookie creation I'll use walnuts and coconut....and white chocolate chips!! YES!Into the oven, OH hello there engagement ring!For my next cookie trick... M & M's!! These pink M & M's were left over from my 30th birthday. My Mother had them made. Duchess is a nickname my parent's good friend Danny gave me when I was little.The dough looked too pretty to add anything to it, so off it goes to the oven!Ok.. last cookie.. what to do.. what to do..... what would the guys over at Apple, Inc. do? They'd keep it simple and sexy.... are you thinking what I'm thinking????? Walnut mini chocolate chip! It's crazy, but it just might work.LET'S DO IT!! The dough looks so good do I have to bake them?.... (fine)Like the Three Caballeros, I give you

Coconut Walnut White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pink Duchess M & M Cookies
and Walnut Mini Chocolate Chip CookiesWhat we've learned here kiddies, is that you can take any basic cookie recipe and fold in a bunch of yummy and pretty things from the pantry to make some destructively tasty cookies.

A Tuesday Treat: PERFECTION

Tommy Sparks "She's Got Me Dancing" from Eric Wareheim on Vimeo.

You're WELCOME.

They Eat Cupcakes In Laguna Beach?

Sunday brunch was spent with my fiance and my wonderful parents by the beach in Laguna. Margaritas, ocean views and fun! While walking along we came across this little shop.

Flowers, cupcakes AND gifts?!?! That's my kinda place!
How much is that cupcake in the window, ruff ruff. (wait.. what?)

I love the mini cupcakes!!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting: A Bakers Ultra Challenge

My sweet little Nephew turned 2 last week, and had a party on Saturday that I made red velvet cupcakes for! I borrowed this recipe from Martha Stewart. I'm sure she doesn't mind. Any cream cheese frosting will do, but you can't have my recipe! They turned out amazing! The only thing I'll do differently to this recipe next time I make it is add about a tablespoon more of cocoa powder.

Here was challenge. The cupcakes were for Saturday and I didn't have time to make them Saturday morning so I planned to make them Friday night after work. Friday rolls around and it turns out that I had to work late. I panicked a little and started to call around to find a bakery that could have 2 dozen red velvets ready to be picked up the next morning at 9am. After all the laughs I got, you would have thought I was Don Rickles!

I only had two hours to run home, make cupcakes and make it back to work by 10pm. I live on the other side of town. I left work at 8pm and managed to fight the Friday night dinner traffic, make 2 dozen cupcakes, chop a ton of veggies for a veggie platter, then fight Friday night bar and club traffic and made it back to work by 10pm. It's amazing what you can do in two hours as long as you have A) a boyfriend to talk you of a ledge while you drive like a jerk to get home to do everything and listen to you complain about how typical it is that you have to work late on the one night you have something really important you have to take care of, and B) a better attitude after talking with said boyfriend/miracle worker.

Here is the murder scene in my kitchen after that whirlwind.



It was a little disturbing that the batter looked like ketchup.

They of course turned out beautiful!

It was a good thing I made those sunflower seed butter cookies to bring to the party as well.

My Nephew had a guitar rock n' roll theme for his party, so I found these cute little guitar toppers on Shop Bakers Nook.

This one was mine.

I shared it with my fiance.

Not bad for slapping these together in less than 2 hours!!