dear may

note: this is the most random assortment of photos....whoops

dear.........may?!! What?? Where did April go?



Dear May,

hello. Nice to see you again. You bring so many wonderful things.

(hopefully) something smallish from the garden.

spring in the mountains....more open trails!

maybe camping....please?

closer and closer to summer each day. 

yay, may.



Dear April,

WHAT HAPPENED? Where

Lomelinos tårtor är här!

Äntligen äntligen är den här! Som jag har väntat och längtat efter min kära bok. Även om jag jobbat med den länge och sett den på datorn i princip varje dag är det en helt annan femma att se den på riktigt, hålla den i handen, lukta på den (ja, jag vet, men den luktar sådär gott nytryckt) och faktiskt se den säljas i butikerna (fast det har jag inte gjort riktigt än..). MIN bok! Min fina bok! Fast utan grymma formgivaren Katy Kimbell och bästa förlaget Bonnier fakta hade det inte blivit någon Lomelinos tårtor. Det bästa är iallafall att den faktiskt går att köpa nu! Klicka på den här länken eller på någon av bilderna nedan för att köpa den.

In English: My book is finally available for purchase! After working with it for so long it's such a wonderful feeling to be able to hold it in my hands, smell it and see it in book stores (although that hasn't happened yet..). MY book. It's so pretty! It's only available in Swedish thus far, but hopefully it will be translated into more languages. I'll definitely let you know when and if that happens. If you have any questions about the book, feel free to contact me at linda@callmecupcake.se or via my facebook page.

a funny(ish) and totally true story

so here I am, going about life as usual.....and the next thing I know I am being told 

that my appendix needs to come out. 

like, RIGHT NOW.



So out it went, just like that. 

(well, there was some kind of science involved, I'm sure)



So if you need me, I'll be lying around eating ice cream for the next few days 

(minus one appendix)



We will talk soon.

dear moab, I love you

miniature me+delicate arch



After the race, we packed up and headed to Arches National Park right outside of Moab, Utah.



Wow.



Why haven't we traveled down this way before? We have lived here for 6 years now, what's wrong with us?!! It's only a 4 hour drive ( I realize to some this may seem excruciating, but since most of our roadtrips are 8+ hours a 4 hour drive is a breeze!), and it's

Chocolate crinkles

Jag tycker att chokladcrinkles ser så himla fina ut. De har stått på min att göra-lista i evigheter men först nu har jag faktiskt gjort dem. De blev inte så "crinkliga" som jag hade hoppats på, men de var ändå väldigt goda. Jag tror dock att jag måste prova ytterligare ett recept eftersom jag älskar när de är sådär snövita och "crinkliga" (eller vad man nu ska kalla det..).

På tal om något helt annat så har min blogg blivit nominerad i tidningen Saveurs "Best food blog awards" (om ni har missat den lilla bilden här till höger..)! Eftersom detta är ett prestigefyllt pris är jag såklart väldigt glad över detta och hoppas att jag lyckas samla ihop några röster. Tyvärr måste man registrera sig, men det är inga konstigheter egentligen! Du kan se mitt bidrag här!
Recept på svenska finns nedanför bilderna!



In English:
I think chocolate crinkles look so appealing. They've been on my to do-list for ages and finally I've gotten around to making them.
Unfortunately mine didn't turn out very "crinkly", but they were still delicious. I might have to try yet another recipe as I love the look of them when they are snow white and very crinkly.

Speaking of something entirely different, my blog has been nominated in Saveur's "Best food blog awards". I would be very very happy to get a few votes! You have to register to vote, but it's all very simple! You can see my contribution here.
Recipe adapted from Joy of baking.












Chokladcrinkles

175 gram mörk choklad (70%)
75 g smör
1/2 cup socker
2 ägg
1 tsk vaniljextrakt
1 1/2 cup mjöl
2 msk kakao
3/4 tsk bakpulver
1/4 tsk salt
Florsocker att rulla kakorna i



Smält och smör på låg värme i en kastrull. Låt svalna.
Vispa ägg och socker riktigt ljust och fluffigt. Tillsätt vaniljextrakt och blanda sedan i den avsvalnade chokladsmeten.
Vispa samman mjöl, kakao, bakpulver och salt i en annan skål och blanda sedan med smeten. Täck med plastfolie och låt vila i kylen ett par timmar.
Värm ugnen till 165°C och klä två plåtar med bakplåtspapper.
Häll florsocker i en djup tallrik och forma sedan degen till lagom stora bollar (cirka 2,5 cm i diameter). Rulla sedan varje boll i florsocker och se till att kakan är helt täckt. Tryck till bollen ovanpå en aning så att den blir något plattare. Grädda i mitten av ugnen, 10-12 minuter.

alter ego

For those who come to The Blog here for pictures and food and cuteness and such, the following post is a race report for the Amasa Back Trail race in Moab, Utah. If running is not your thing (you should try it), or you just don't like reading about races (a favorite subject of mine to read about) then here is short and sweet version:



"Running in Moab is my new favorite thing."



for the rest

oh whoops, I forgot to blog

me. arches national park.

It's been busy, let me tell you.
Last week was nothing much, but the weekend........wow.

It involved a race. maybe my favorite ever.
jumping over rocks and cracks that fell to the center of the earth.
and then hiking across the slick rock of the desert with my family.
climbing up and over boulders.
red sand in our shoes up to our noses.

I'll be back to business as

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes♥

Amanda Cupcake & Strawberry Shortcake.

 ♥

BFFS.

Made possible by a cupcake dream that came true.

I sandwiched summery strawberry hopes and wishes in between layers of vanilla deliciousness.  The pink sprinkled dots were definitely an Amanda Cupcake touch.  But I have to give the credit to Strawberry Shortcake for the delicious strawberry sandwich idea.

See what I mean?

This is inspiration for my strawberry shortcake cupcake creation.

It's kind of like my mission of uniting cupcakes & pie.

When I finished decorating the cupcakes...

I couldn't help but notice that the pink swirl on top sprinkled with pink dots looked just like one of my fave celebrities from the 1980s.

My childhood in a cupcake, that is now in my hand.

♥

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake-how to bake it yourself ♥

(If you really want to channel your childhood, dust off that EZ Bake Oven)!

To keep it simple, you can doctor up a cake mix:

The Best Vanilla Cake Mix (if I use cake mixes at all, I use Duncan Hines).

1 or 2 Vanilla Beans

1 1/4 Cup of Buttermilk (in place of water)

1/3 Cup Oil

3 Eggs

• Pre-heat oven to 350.    Line Cupcake Pan with appx 24 Cupcake Liners.
• Mix Cake Mix, Buttermilk, and Vegetable Oil in Stand Mixer.
• Open and scrape vanilla beans into batter. ♥
• Gradually add Eggs into mixture until well blended.
• Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill Cupcake Liners about 2/3 full and bake for appx 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.

For Strawberry Goodness Sandwiched into your cupcake:

Strawberry Gelee (recipe adapted from Sticky Gooey Chewy Creamy)

1 Cup Strawberry Puree

¼ Cup Sugar

1 T Lemon Juice

2T Cold Water

3 T Strawberry Jello

½ Cup  fresh summery strawberries, diced!

1.  Puree your strawberries (I use a blender and that works wonderfully).

2.  Now you can heat your strawberry puree & sugar in a small saucepan.

3.  Add lemon juice-then remove from heat.

4.  Combine cold water and gelatin in a small bowl.

5.  This water and gelatin combo will need to sit for 5 minutes.

6.  Add your strawberry puree/sugar blend to the water/gelatin combo and stir until gelatin dissolves.

7.  Stir strawberries into mixture and let this chill for 1-2 hours before sandwiching into your cupcake.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

by Amanda Cupcake.

1 lb unsalted butter

5 T of strawberry jelly or you can use 5 T of the strawberry gelee that you already made.

1 T of Vanilla Extract

3Tof Heavy Whipping Cream

3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar

**To help blend the strawberries into the frosting, use the whisk attachment on your stand mixer for this recipe.

Directions:

1. Using your stand mixer,  mix your unsalted butter until it looks fluffy and creamy.

2.  Gradually add strawberry gelee, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream.

3.  Once all ingredients are incorporated gradually add powdered sugar until you reach the consistency desired (the more powdered sugar you add the thicker the frosting will be).

Oatmeal Caramelitas

I am not a test taker.

Never have been, never will be.  I get hives.  I don't know how to study and I stand by the fact that cramming as much information in your brain is unhealthy and has no chance of sticking for the long term. 

Group projects are something I can get behind.   I work best in groups and I think it's the most real life thing you can do in school.  Does anyone have a job where they sit by themselves all day long and are not allowed to reference the internet or phone a friend for collaboration? 

If you do have this kind of job, I'm sorry.  I'm a people person... this would do me in. 

The best things in life come out of collaboration as far as I'm concerned.   

Cookbooks have proved to live up to my claim.  My favorite cookbook happens to be a collaboration and this one is on its way to the top of my list. 

Sugar, Sugar is a collaborative cookbook where the authors ask others to submit recipes and the stories that go along with it.   

This book is a treasure chest of sweet memories and perfect recipes. 

Oats, chocolate, nuts and creamy caramel couldn't be more perfect for each other. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Oatmeal Caramelitas
Recipe from Sugar, Sugar
Recipe Notes
If you love chocolate, you can add more chocolate chips.  If you are a caramel purist, you can take the chocolate chips out all together or reduce to a half cup so you have a stronger caramel. flavor.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats (or instant)
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft soft caramel candies, unwrapped (about 50)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (see recipe note)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or place ingredients in a bowl to use a  hand mixer.  Beat on medium speed until creamy.  Slowly add the flour mixture and blend until incorporated.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Transfer half (about three cups) of the mixture to the baking dish.  Use your fingers to gently press and spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes to set.

While the first layer is baking, place the caramels and milk in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Remove the crust from the oven.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans (if using) evenly over they top.  Carefully pour the caramel mixture on top of the chocolate chips and nuts, and spread evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.  Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the bars are set.  Cut into two inch squares.

how we weekend

This weekend was made of up everything a weekend should be made of. sleeping insunshinea perfect trail run through the stickiest of mudfiring up the grillstaying out until sunsetbike ridingskate boarding(both resulting in skinned knees)staying up too lateadorable Littles dressed up for churchan Easter feast!egg huntingchocolate cakekite flying over snow melting on mountains...this weekend just

Fearless Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes ♥

When I bake, I try to create a story.
The more out of my comfort zone the better.
I just dive right in, and somehow my inspiration turns into an edible storybook. ♥

The Purple Chocolate Maple Bacon Pancake Cupcake

Who says Maple Buttercream Frosting has to be brown?

Inspired by:

Willy Wonka.

Remember the 3 course meal gum he created?

This cupcake is like that.

It's an entire breakfast.......in a cupcake.

The frosting au natural in this photo, which is wonderful too.

The main course: The chocolate cupcake.

Instead of baking the pieces of candied bacon inside of the cupcake batter, I fill the middle of the cupcake with tiny little pieces of candied bacon immediately after I am done baking the chocolate cupcake. (While it's still warm).

The entree: Swirls of Maple Buttercream Frosting. ♥

And for dessert.......

a piece of chocolate covered candied bacon.

Some are intimidated by bacon on a cupcake.

Please don't be!

This is why I call these cupcakes the Fearless Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes. ♥  It's one of those things you have to try at least once in your life.  And if you do try a chocolate maple bacon cupcake, you'll want another one.  I know I did.

Recipe for the Purple Maple Buttercream Frosting:

(Adapted to an Amanda Cupcake version from an inspiration of mine, Brown Eyed Baker)

You will need:

8 oz Unsalted Butter

3 T Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2-3 Cups of Powdered Sugar (depending on the desired consistency of the frosting.)

Americolor Gel Color:  Regal Purple.

This is the French Fine Cut Star tip I used to decorate with.

It's a #869 and you can buy through Ateco.

1.  Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, cream the butter.

2.  Next, add the Maple Syrup and Vanilla Extract.

3.  Gradually add the powdered sugar to your frosting until you reach a fluffy frosting consistency. You can add more powdered sugar if you want more defined ridges and swirls in your frosting when you decorate.

4.  Now add a few drops of the Regal Purple Americolor Gel Color to the frosting. You have purple maple buttercream.  Inspired by Willy Wonka. ♥

Garnish with candied bacon at your desire. Don't be afraid to dip your bacon in chocolate too for a completely over the top cupcake. ♥ Recipe here for candied bacon!

Sunrise Smoothie

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Matthew 28:1-10 

He has Risen.  He has Risen, Indeed. 

Happy Easter.

This smoothie is a tad reminiscent of an old fashioned creamsicle.  It is refreshing and comforting all at the same time.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Sunrise Smoothie
Adapted from Peace Meals
Recipe Notes
If your smoothie is a little thick, use the milk to thin it out a bit.  Almond milk is my first choice, but any milk will work.  Depending on how sweet your fruit is, you might want to add extra honey to taste.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen mango chunks
2 cups frozen peach slices
6 oz. low fat plain greek yogurt (or regular low fat yogurt)
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup almond milk or regular milk, if needed
Step by Step
Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Smoothie will be thick and you might need to use a spoon to push down the fruit between blending.  Add the milk if the smoothie is too thick.

Serve Immediately.

Makes 2 to 3 servings. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

There is something about a weekend breakfast at a little greasy diner that I love so much. 

Mr. Hungry usually orders a breakfast plate... eggs, bacon and hash browns.  I like some sort of scrambled egg whites with cheese and maybe some grits and a good biscuit.  I love grits so I always go with that carb option, but only because I know I can sneak some hash browns off Mr. Hungry's plate. 

Now that you know more than you ever needed to know about our breakfast habits, let's get to the point.

There is nothing monumental or fancy about these breakfasts. Pretty standard food we could choose to make at home.  But Mr. Hungry loves good hash browns and they seemed to always to turn out tasteless and mushy in my kitchen. 

Until now that is. 

These little hash brown cakes have a crunchy crispy exterior with a bit of soft buttery potato inside.  

There is exactly one major secret involved in getting these incredibly crispy potatoes.  Wringing every ounce of water out of these spuds.  It was quite shocking to see how much water is in a potato. 

When you think you have all of the water out.  Wring a few more times.  Im talking squeeze-until-your-biceps-hurt kind of wringing.  

After that, all you need is a good cast iron skillet and a generous amount of butter.

These hash brown cakes are kind of like my hair.  

 

They start out a very unruly mess and all over the place, but with a generous amount of product... butter... and quite a bit of shaping and care, you can pull together a somewhat presentable hash brown cake. 

Nice and crispy too.  Hopefully not like my hair. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

Slightly adapted from The Kitchn
Recipe Notes
There are two keys to crispy hash browns.  Wringing all of the water out of the potato and generous amounts of butter.  When you think you are finished squeezing all the water out, squeeze again.  I can barely believe how much water is in a potato, but get it out of there if you want crispy cakes.  Half way through the cooking my potatoes had absorbed the whole tablespoon of butter so I added more half way through to make sure both sides got crispy.  Add butter as necessary. 

Ingredients

1 large (8 to 10 oz) russet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
Equipment
Cheese grater
Dish towel
Skillet, preferably cast iron
Spatula

Step by Step
Cover your surface with a clean dish towel. Peel the potato and discard skin.  Using a cheese grater, grate the potato over the clean dish towel.

Gather the dishcloth and twist the neck until you form a tight package. Over the sink, squeeze and wring the potato as much as possible.  Squeeze one more time just to make sure you have gotten every last drop.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and then add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to coat them with butter and then divide them into portion sizes using a spatula. Flatten each portion with the back of the spatula to maximize contact with the hot pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Cook each side until desired doneness.  Whether that is a little bit soft or overly crispy, you be the judge.  Try to only flip once so that the cake does not fall apart.

Serve Immediately. 

Makes 3 small servings or 2 large servings. 

Blondie cupcakes with raspberry buttercream

Här kommer receptet som tillhör den lilla filmen från förra inlägget. Kul att så många uppskattade den! Nu när det börjar bli ljusare ute blir det också så otroligt mycket lättare att både filma och fota och jag har redan börjat planera nästa film..
För en gångs skull har jag så många blogginlägg förberedda att jag knappt vet var jag ska börja! Vanligtvis har jag problem att klämma in ett inlägg per vecka, men inte nu. Nej då. Det känns så himla bra alltså!

Förresten så är min bok snart färdigtryckt. Snart. Nästa vecka får jag hålla den i min hand för första gången. Jag kan knappt bärga mig.




In English:
Here is the recipe for the cupcakes from the video in my previous post. I'm glad so many of you liked it!

On a happier note, for once I have so many blogposts prepared that I'm not sure where to begin! That's new. I usually struggle making one blogpost every week, but right now I'm on an inspiration high. It feels like I have so many recipes to share with you guys!

By the way, my book is being printed as we speak, and next week I will hold it in my hand for the first time. Mindblowing!









Blondie cupcakes
3 dl mjöl
1 1/2 tsk bakpulver
En nypa salt
125 gram rumsvarmt
1 1/2 dl socker
3 stora ägg
1 tsk vaniljextrakt
3/4 dl rumsvarm mjölk
100 gram vit choklad, hackad


Värm ugnen till 175 C. Klä en muffinsplåt med 12 muffinsformar.
Sikta mjöl, bakpulver och salt ned i en skål. Rör om och ställ åt sidan.
Vispa smör och socker ljust och krämigt i en annan skål. Tillsätt äggen, vispa ordentligt mellan varje ägg. Vispa i vaniljextrakt.
Tillsätt mjöl och mjölk i omgångar och vispa till en slät smet.
Rör ned den hackade chokladen. Fördela smeten mellan formarna och grädda cirka 18-21 minuter.
Låt svalna.


Hallonmarängsmörkräm
5 stora äggvitor
200 gram rumsvarmt smör
175 gram socker
Puré från 150 gram hallon


Häll äggvitor och socker i en värmetålig skål, ställ i vattenbad på spisen. Vattnet i kastrullen ska sjuda.
Vispa hela tiden med en handvisp, tills blandningen blir cirka 65 grader. Ta genast bort från värmen.
Vispa blandningen med elvisp eller med hjälp av en köksassistent tills blandningen är fluffig och vit, som en marängsmet. Vispa tills blandningen är sval, vilket kan ta upp till 10 minuter.
Tillsätt sedan smöret, en liten bit i taget. Oroa dig inte om smörkrämen skär sig! Det är lätt fixat. Är smörkrämen för kall, sätt skålen över vattenbad några sekunder och vispa igen.
Är den för varm så sätt skålen i kylskåp och vispa sedan. Tillsätt hallonpurén (silad om du inte tycker om kärnorna) och vispa några minuter tills frostingen är slät.

this weekend.....

aaallllllmost weekend.....where has my week gone?School has been out and I don't think I'm ready to go back next week.....can't we just start our summer vacation now?What are your plans for the weekend?I am currently planning out our Easter feast, and the only thing I know for sure is that we will most definitely without a doubt be shoving our faces with these potatoes.We had them last year

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

I found myself hopping out of bed feeling super refreshed after about 5 hours of sleep.

I took one look in the mirror and thought wow, my hair stayed perfectly put together during my slumber.  I slipped on a pair of jeans and had to grab a belt.  I seem to be shrinking.

I walked past my beautiful lawn and sat on a little chair next to all of the sun flowers that had sprouted in my backyard while I picked my perfectly ripened tomatoes to throw in a sauce that I would be simmering all day. 

And then I woke up. 

Oh yeah, that was totally a dream.  Gosh, it was good.  

My dream world consists of...

Cooking all day long with no clean up involved.  

A hair dresser that pops by every morning to style my hair and make it look pretty. 

Gardens that seem to weed and re plant themselves. Birds that find something else to eat besides my homegrown tomatoes.  

Hours in the day to keep everything nice and tidy (and these hours cannot be used for anything else so you will never feel like your missing out while you are reorganizing your bathroom closet).

My reality consists of...

A foot of bush like hair... wavy as all get out... with no morning hair dresser.  

Christmas trees that just cannot seem to figure out heavy trash day. 

Full days of work with precious minutes left to get dinner on the table. 

Gardens that so desperately need a re haul.  

But most importantly, my reality consists of Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls that give you that Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patty taste any time of the year.  

Reality just got a little bit sweeter.

Wow, these totally blew me away. 

Never underestimate the power of chocolate and peanut butter combined. 

Today, you should totally drop the task you deem to be way important.  Getting rid of that Christmas tree?  What's another week? Doing laundry?  Put on some old clothes that never see the light of day. Doing your taxes?  Okay, that is important but tomorrow is not April 15th, so what's another day?

Take a quick trip to the grocery store, buy just three ingredients and get to work.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Mr. Hungry's Thoughts...
And so it is, a house divided.  I loved everything about these.  Mr. Hungry's taste buds did not agree.  To him?  Too mushy.  But that's life, right?  Perfection to him is a coconut cream pie and I would rather skip dessert if that is my only option.  So let's just see where you land.

Here's to hoping you are equipped with a developed and refined set of taste buds like mine.

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

Recipe Notes
Now don't completely hold me to this being a replica of a Peanut Butter Patty.  You are missing one key ingredient.  In the real thing, there are two layers when you bite in... a crunchy one and grainier peanut butter one.  There is no crunchy cookie layer in this one, but I didn't miss it for one second. 

You use the whole cookie for this recipe.  Leave the icing in the middle when you place them in the food processor.  Dipping in chocolate can be a little tricky.  The method I prefer is to dunk the oreo ball in the chocolate, roll around to coat and then using a fork in one hand and your fingers, scoop the ball out and place on parchment paper. You will probably have a little bit of chocolate left over so melt only half a box at a time. 

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Golden Sandwich Cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (I like Baker's brand)
Directions
In a food processor, crush all of the cookies into a fine crumb mixture; place in medium bowl. Add peanut butter; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into one inch balls. 

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.  Heat chocolate according to directions on packaging.  Dip balls in chocolate and place on lined baking sheet to harden.  (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) 

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover oreo balls, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 42 oreo balls. 

Blondie cupcakes video

I just made a new video, check it out!
Music by my band Death in the afternoon.

Recipe will be up soon.

a healthy budget

I realize that slowly making changes to your eating habits can seem overwhelming in several ways. For instance, if you decide one day to head into a "health food" store at start looking at "health food"it's going to seem ridiculously expensive.So I've tried to break it down into a few steps so you can eat well on a budget.These are all things that I do, so I can try to feed our family the best I

More Than An Average Peep Cupcake♥

I think I am going to have to hostess a Peeps Cupcake Hunt for all the children in the neighborhood ---- Instead of an Easter Egg Hunt.

I dreamt up these Peeps cupcakes that look like they are all going to march together in the nearest Easter parade. 

..or maybe they are going to march right into your Easter basket to surprise you on Easter Sunday!? ♥

Yes, they are adorable-but they were made to be eaten.

Sixlet Pearls that look like bubbles.

Confetti.

Marshmallow Fluff based frosting.

Glittery Tiffany Blue Candy Melts dripping off the cupcake.

I went so Peep crazy, I started topping my cupcakes with other marshmallow delights.

Like making flowers out of Marshmallows.

And Frosting out of Marshmallow Fluff.

Perhaps the best part of finding the cupcake is eating it.....and then discovering another surprise?!! Like this Cadbury egg I baked inside of a cupcake...

I wasn't even sure if it was going to work. It was another late night cupcake experiment.  This is what my Cadbury egg looked like inside of a cupcake liner before pouring more chocolate batter on top of it and baking at 350.

♥

I really do try to make the world a better place through my baking.

A cadbury egg, a marshmallow peep, and a cupcake. ♥ Does this make your world a better place, if even for a yummy moment?

To make the peeps look like they are swimming in the frosting, all you have to do is (oh my, this sounds sad).. cut the peep head and tail off of the marshmallow body.  Then use the sticky chocolate ganache as your glue to hold the head and tail on.

Peeps are much happier swimming in cupcake swirls & sprinkles.