opportunity knocks

We can't seem to stop.........forgoing responsibility and real life mundaneness, in exchange for family play.
Our kids are perfect ages to do just about anything right now. And while we still have a few more precious weeks of summer break, we are taking advantage of that. Any opportunity to do something together--we take it.
You see, not to brag (but really, I'm about to brag), our kids are

Lemon Love Notes ♥

I was writing my business plan tonight.

I was on the first page where I had to state my mission.  One of the my missions in my journey to start a bakery is to share joy and love with the world through my cupcakes.  Another vision of mine is to bring community together to just forget about everything on the outside world, and perhaps for even a moment there would be "peace" in the realm of cupcakes.

Think of the time when you were young, and looked forward to that grand cake entering the room, your friends centered around you.  The cake glowing with candles.  Sprinkles, sparkles, crumbs, wishes for the future.

Then I knew that I had to share something I had planned for over a year here on my blog..

and when I was the cupcake sponsor for the Fox Valley Technical College's scholarship benefit, I made this "vision" a reality.

To share an edible message inside of cupcakes. A love note, really.  In this case, a "Lemon" Love Note.

I cut up little pieces of fondant into small rectangles, used my edible marker, and wrote inspiring messages for the future on each piece.  This is for you! Daydreamers, starving artists, future business owners.  This is for you!  The ones who build starting from the bottom and climb your way to the top. The believers, the idealists, the optimists. 

Extra credit:  Mini raspberry pies inside of the Lemon Love Note cupcakes.

All that inspiration topped with a cloud of light, fluffy, lemon zested frosting!

When I displayed the cupcakes at the event, I made a sign to tell people to expect a special "note" on the inside of their cupcake.  Adding the note was a bonus perk for the people who ate the cupcakes! Instead of stuffing your face, you had to take your time...enjoy the flavor...and....discover....your lovely edible note.

Thank you to my lovely assistants Cassie & Lonnie who are the joys in my kitchen with me. They helped me write out all these messages while we laughed, danced, and sang to bad music while decorating these cupcakes.

Now that I have started, I can't seem to stop passing love notes.

I made some "girls night out" Lemon Love Notes.

Instead of hiding the message inside, I found the best possible valentine heart messages for a girls night out and displayed them as the love notes on top of the cupcakes!

Go Girl!

It's True.

 

On a deeper "note".....

I even added some inspirational tags to some mail order cookies for someone who really deserved a surprise uplift of joy in the mail.

"We can do no great things....only small things with great love."~Mother Teresa

it makes me very happy.....

....goat cheese, cherry tomatoes still warm from the sun, basil and cracked pepper on toast....small town rodeos, country music, and fireworks....camping trips, fishing, and cozy tents....the last Harry Potter. love love loved it.....so sad it's done....thunderstorms crazy eights, and old maid....running as the sun is coming up over the mountain....weekend. always, weekend.
what makes you happy?

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

There is a lot more Italy to come.

However, since we've been back, I've been doing my best to cool things down around here since it's so darn hot, so let's talk about a few things to beat the heat.

If macaroni and cheese is the fall's best comfort food, then ice cream sandwiches take the cake for summer's best comfort food.

And something about this cookie with that ice cream is about the most addicting thing I've ever had.

I've always been a Blue Bell girl, but Mr. Hungry requested these one night and he likes Hagen Daaz.  So I thought I would choose my battles and go with Hagen Daaz and man, am I glad I did.  There is something about the texture and taste of Hagen Daaz that fits perfectly with this cookie.

You really can't mess this up so I've got one piece of advice... make a lot.  They go quick.

{All you need}

A batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies  +  Vanilla Hagen Daaz ice cream

{All you do}

Leave the ice cream out and let it get really soft.  Or you can stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Scoop a small bit on to one cooled cookie.  Smash together with the other cookie.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Freeze sandwiches without touching each other for at least one hour.  After sandwiches have frozen separately, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy. 

whole wheat naan with chicken and veggies

I've posted this whole wheat naan recipe before--but it's one of our favorites and simple make, so I thought it would be worth the re-post.....right? It's also easy to fill with all your favorite summer vegetables for a quick lunch or dinner.



Before I made the naan, I quickly threw together some chicken breasts, chickpeas, minced garlic, lemon juice, oregano, olive oil, s&p, into the slow

Cinnamon Rolls in Cupcake Liners inspired by Grandma Fran ♥

Cinnamon rolls always remind me of my grandma Fran.

Her kitchen was always warm.

My grandma would pull the gooey goodness out of her oven like magic.

And just like that...the magic would disappear! Into my tummy.

This one is a tribute to my grandma.

Cinnamon Rolls disguised as a cupcake in a pretty liner.

Shameless indulgence.

Unafraid of butter.

First I picked out a pretty cupcake liner.

This was my big ball of dough that was too impatient not to rise. Inside of a bowl for about an hour.

A Heap of Love (interpretation: 2 1/2 Tablespoons of cinnamon!)

A sinfully amazing combo of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. I add even more butter than the recipe calls for.  That was one of my grandma Fran's tricks.  Look how thick and gooey and delightfully naughty this looks. It was so gooey I was able to draw a heart in all of the cinnamonaliciousness!

Look how pretty they are before baking. I will almost hate to cover with cream cheese later!

Early to Rise. This picture was taken at about 5am.  The sun rising, birds beginning to chirp, the warm smell of bread & cinnamon.  Grandma Fran's spirit alive in my kitchen. ♥

I adore that these cinnamon roll cupcakes rise "upward" like little edible towers. (It's because of the cupcake liner).

 

I always try to make the cinnamon rolls look pretty after. I don't let them cool before adding the cream cheese frosting.  I immediately use a frosting spatula to spread the frosting on, so it turns out like a glaze. This way you can still see the shape of the roll underneath the frosting.  Then of course I add some edible sparkly-ness. Sparkles do such a great job of accenting the cinnamon!

Grandma Fran's Recipe (all inside one cupcake liner..living the dream!)

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Rolls:

1 packet dry active yeast (7 grams).

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs

1/3 C soft butter

1 teaspoon of salt

4 1/2 cups of bread flour

Cinnamon Roll-icious Heaven:

1 C of Brown Sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon

1/3 cup melted butter

Instructions:

1.  Line cupcake pan with 24 liners.

2.  Take out a large bowl.

3.  In this large bowl, dissolve the yeast and half of the granulated sugar in the warm milk.  It will turn foamy after about 10 minutes.

4.  Add the eggs, butter, salt, and the rest of the sugar.  Add flour and mix until the dough turns into a ball.

5.  Put your big & beautiful dough ball in a bowl, cover, and let it rise for about an hour. (Dough balls rise the best in warm environments).

6.  Your dough ball will double in size after about an hour.

7.  Turn your dough out onto a floured surface, cover again, and let it sit for another 10 minutes.

**Meanwhile, you can mix part of your Cinnamon-Roll-Licious Heaven in a small bowl.  (The brown sugar and cinnamon).

8.  Roll dough into a large rectangle. (12x22 approximately).

9.  Now it is time to have fun with your Cinnamon-Roll-Licious Heaven.  Paint the melted butter on your dough (I actually add butter to both sides of the dough.  You can use as much melted butter as you want. I use more than 1/3 Cup.  My grandma used to *pour on the butter* and her cinnamon rolls were amazing!

10.  Sprinkle the Brown Sugar and Cinnamon onto your buttered dough. It will be sticky, gooey, delicious looking. And the smell..oh my. You can even draw shapes in it like I did if you are a big kid like me.

11.  Roll up the dough and cut into 24 little rolls of indulgence.

12.  Place rolls in cupcake liners and let rise for about 30 minutes (the longer you let the dough sit, the more it will rise. Not quite I Love Lucy breadmaking style though, so don't worry). I let mine sit overnight sometimes and get up early to make them for breakfast!

13.  Bake rolls in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

14.  If you want a "glazed look" like my photos above, add the cream cheese frosting right away.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

My cream cheese frosting recipe is a sweet little secret locked inside of my brain and I never write it down.  I just kind of make it, and it is magical. You should use a special cream cheese recipe  from someone you love ♥ .  That will make your cinnamon roll cupcakes even more special.

Call me cupcake turns two + some great news!

Scroll down for English text!

Idag är en dag att fira. Call me cupcake fyller två år! Jag kan knappt tro att två år har gått sen jag började. Tiden har gått så fort, men samtidigt känns det som att jag alltid gjort detta. Vad gjorde jag förut? Att starta den här bloggen är bland det bästa jag gjort, och det blir bara roligare och roligare hela tiden, tack vare er som tar er tid att besöka, läsa och kommentera! Ni ska ha ett stort tack!

Inte nog med att Call me cupcake fyller två. Jag har en annan sak att berätta med, som är ännu mer värd att fira.

Jag ska göra en bok.
Eller jag håller på att göra en bok.
Med Bonnier fakta.
Det är så stort att jag inte kan förstå det själv tror jag.
Ni kan ju tänka er hur det kändes när det damp ner ett mail från Bonniers i min inbox med rubriken "Vi vill göra en bok med dig". Hjärtat stannade nästan, och jag ville inget hellre än att berätta det för alla! Men det kunde jag ju inte göra.
Men nu, nu är det säkert att det blir en bok! En bok där jag bakar, stylar och dessutom fotar själv, vilket känns fantastiskt kul!
Så ni förstår säkert att jag inte hinner blogga jätteofta, eftersom jag dessutom har ett jobb.

Hursomhelst, idag får ni inga recept. Men ni får åtminstone bilder!





In English:
Call me cupcake turns two today! I can't believe two years have gone by since I started this blog. Time has just flown by, but at the same time it feels like I have been doing this forever. Starting this blog is probably one of the best decisions I've made, and it just keeps getting more and more fun, thanks to all of you who take the time to visit, read and comment. Thank you all!

But that's not the only reason I have to celebrate today. I have something else to tell you. Something even better.

I'm making a book.
It will be published by Bonnier Fakta.
I can barely believe it myself.
Just imagine how I felt when I saw that mail from Bonniers in my inbox. "We would like to make a book with you". My heart almost stopped. I've been wanting to tell you about it for some time now, but I haven't been able to. But now, there will definitely be a book, where I will bake, style and photograph by myself. It will be awesome I tell you!
This is my reason for not blogging (that does NOT mean I will stop blogging!). There, I said it. And also, I have a job.

Anyway, you will not be getting a recipe today. I hope you will be satisfied with these pictures, for now at least.

today.

He came home from work.What should we do tonight? he saidSomething summery, I replied.Pool?Park?Drive-in movie?.........Let's go up the canyon. Agreed.and just like that, we were there.

*It appears as though we eat a lot of s'mores......we do.

Little Kitchen Giveaway- NOW CLOSED

It's Monday... let's spice it up a little, shall we?  I have a really great giveaway from Taste Florence.

Taste Florence brings travelers to the city’s tastiest foods, educating them as they experience the best Italy has to offer.  Read all about the tour here. This is my kinda tour.  I don't mind learning about history as long as there is food involved.  And you are in one of the most amazing historical cities in the world so you can feel like you got your dose of history as well.

One lucky reader will receive two free tickets to "The Original Taste the Best Tour."  This is a 158 euro value (which in case you are not in the know about the dollar right now,  that comes out to over $200 U.S.).

Maybe winning these tickets will be just the nudge you need to finally book that trip to Italy! You have two years to use the tickets and if all else fails and you can't get there, this would be a great gift for a friend or family member traveling to Italy.

How to enter:
Simply leave a comment below that you want to be entered.  You can either leave contact info in your comment or check back to see if you won.  Entries who do not leave contact info, have one week to check back and see if they won.  If they do not respond, another winner will be chosen.

Extra entries:  

*Follow KitchenLittle on Twitter*

*Post about this giveaway on Facebook or your blog*

{Leave a separate comment saying if you are following on twitter or posted about this}

Good Luck!

{The Details}

One reader will win two tickets to "The Original Taste the Best Tour" in Florence, Italy. 

You have two years to use the tickets. 

Value: 158 euro

This is an international giveaway so you don't have to be in the U.S. to win!

Contest open until Friday, July 29.  Winner will be picked through random.org and announced on Monday, August 1.

summer eats

Every single time we sit down to eat something--be it a snack, or backyard feast--I feel so thankful for everything that grows out of the earth and goes straight to our plates....and is then shoveled into our mouths.(and then I wonder how we ever survive winter)
Our tomatoes are still a bit sad for the year--the spring was so cold and lasted forever, but we are fiiiinally starting to see some

Homemade Gnocchi

Homemade pasta use to scare me.  Maybe scare is the wrong word, but I would have never thought about diving into such a task on my own.  That all changed on my first trip to Italy and was reaffirmed this summer when I went back.  There are just a few ingredients and the taste you get doesn't come close to what you buy at the grocery.

I thought gnocchi would be a great first pasta dish to share because there is no special equipment needed... just patience.  This is not a dish for the faint of heart.  It can take practice and patience.  I am probably not winning you over right now on the idea of venturing into gnocchi making, but I don't want to make this seem like all rainbows and butterflies.  However, if you get it right, you will jump for joy at what you have created.

Gnocchi is little pillows of pasta made out of potatoes.  It pairs really well with fresh tomato sauces or thick cheese sauces.  I wanted to share the recipe I learned at Villa San Michele.  Simple and just so fresh.

So here we go.

Gather your ingredients. 

(We will chat about those riced potatoes at the end)

Place your flour, potatoes and egg in a bowl. 

Using your fingers, press the ingredients together until you get a nice ball of dough. 

Knead the ball of dough until smooth with no big lumps. 

Take about a 1/4 cup of dough and roll out into long strands about an inch thick. 

Cut into 1 inch pillows. 

To get perfect ridges, you would need a gnocchi paddle, but you can use the back of a fork to form ridges.  Press each pillow against the back of a fork to indent small lines.  This will help the gnocchi soak up sauce. 

Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water.  The gnocchi will float to the top when they are finished cooking. 

While sauce is still cooking add gnocchi and toss.  Serve hot. And just like that, you've made homemade pasta.

Go on, put yourself out there.. try this in your own kitchen.  If not, just make sure this class is on your bucket list.

Gnocchi
Recipe from Villa San Michele Cooking School
Recipe Notes
One more warning.  This is not the normal little kitchen recipe.  It's not quick, it's not something you are going to read and get on the table tonight, but instead a fun kitchen project that is rewarding if you stick with it.
Ingredients
About 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 or 3 large russets)
2 or 3 pinches of salt
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
Step by Step

Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the water and allow to cool only enough for you to be able to touch them.  You want to mash them while they are still hot.   Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. To get the potatoes mashed, you can either push them through a ricer or just use a fork.  If using a fork, you want to create a nice fluffy potato base so you do not want to mash it to death.  Run your fork through the potato until there are no noticeable lumps.  

Cool the potatoes enough so that egg will not cook when added to the potatoes.  When potatoes are cooled, place in a medium sized bowl.  Add the beaten egg and egg yolk, flour and salt. Mix together using your hands until you create a dough ball.  The dough should be moist, but not sticky.  Add a little extra flour if the mixture is too sticky.   Cut dough into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece out into a long skinny log, about a ½ inch thick.  Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut ¾ inch little pillows.  Dust with flour and repeat until you have used all of the dough.  Save the potato water.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes. 

To shape the gnocchi,  hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the back of the fork prongs.  With pressure, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork.   With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight curved shape, their backs will capture the impression of the fork prongs as tiny ridges, goodperfect  for catching sauce later.   Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them.  This is the step that takes practice.  My first five to ten always look a little rough, but you will get the motion down. 

When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Drop in about 20 at a time so they are not too crowded.  They will let you know when they are done because they will float to the top.  Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water about 10 seconds after they have reached the top.  Add to whatever sauce you will be serving.  Continue until all gnocchi are cooked.  Lightly drizzle with more sauce or olive oil.  Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Golf Pops

I am about to leave for Chicago for a few days.

But I couldn't leave you - my lovely blog readers - without some sweet eye candy.

So I enjoy saying this because it includes the words "cupcake sponsor."

Today I was the *Cupcake Sponsor* for the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation Golf Outing.

I donated around 200 cupcakes! (the blog with those photos will come later).

The cause? Providing scholarships to people who have a dream.

People like me. I was really honored that they called me up, and very excitingly asked me to make some *creative* cupcakes for the event.

This blog though is about what I donated to the silent auction.

And perhaps in some way this will inspire you too.

A Cake Pop Putting Green

(Thank you dad for building this!)

Cake Pops on Golf Tees instead of Sticks

 A Sparkly Celebration.

A hole in one!

♥ Will the winner please stand up?

just a little home movie....

our family*. out exploring. when can we go back?



Redwoods from sheena on Vimeo.


hide and seek in the redwoods.



song: "Keep It There" by the weepies






*i make an appearance for, like, .5 seconds

Buttercream roses!

Nu var det så längesen jag uppdaterade bloggen att jag nästan skäms. Det är tur att jag har så snälla läsare som står ut med mina sporadiska inlägg! Jag kan dock lova er att jag har en väldigt bra ursäkt, för en gångs skull.

Hursomhelst så kände jag för att baka något igår, mest för att få experimentera med en av de roligaste och mest användbara tyllarna jag har, nämligen en "petal tip" eller bladtyll (Wilton 127). Samma tyll har jag använt här och här. Den är otroligt användbar!

Click on pictures to enlarge








In English
I haven't updated in quite a while and I'm a bit ashamed actually. I'm very thankful for having such patient readers who put up with my sporadic blogging! This time I can actually say I have a very good reason for it!

I wanted to bake something so I could use one of my most appreciated tips, a petal tip (Wilton 127) which I've also used here and here. I love how versatile it is!