turns out i have a social life...

guess there is a fine line between binge drinking and blogging and i have yet to find it. nonetheless, it has been a while since my last post and i have been busy celebrating, creating, icing, taste testing, and rehydrating. so for my two followers out there this one's for you.

i have recently come up with a one in a million idea and decided that i want a cupcake store. i figure if i get a few really great recipes nailed i'll have the market cornered. i saw this recipe for champagne cupcakes and thought to myself that this would be a no brainer...turned out to be a huge FAIL. how i managed to mess up two of my favorite passtimes i'll never know, but at least the recipe only called for 3/4 of a cup of champagne so i was able to drink my "sorrows" away.

Recipe to follow (once perfected)

lobster fest!!

this weekend was one of the best i've had in a while. it was filled with great weather, amazing food and even better friends. it felt just like summer and i even managed to catch a few rays while nursing those brutal hangovers

 lobster cupcake recipe...(don't worry they aren't lobster flavor)

chocolate cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup  cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1. heat oven to 350°F. place paper liners in cupcake baking sheet.
   
2. stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). pour batter into prepared pans.
   
3. bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. cool completely. frost with vanilla buttercream frosting. makes 24 cupcakes.

vanilla buttercream frosting

• 2 sticks of butter (at room temperature)
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes to allow the whipping cream to become light and fluffy. makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes.

palm springs

those of you who know me, know that my idea of heaven is palm springs circa 1965. there is something so unique about this desert city which seems to be stuck in a time warp. maybe it's because i'm a borderline alcoholic or crave uv rays like whitney houston craves crack and fried chicken, but palm springs has always been my fave. while it might not be plausible at the moment (seeing that i am unemployed and live with my parents), i do plan on buying a mid century dump in the heart of palm springs and transforming it into the white modern abode fit for bob hope himself. 

here is a little of my inspiration...

 

 

 

snickerdoodle cupcakes...

here's a little peek inside the working of my fat kid brain...

being the middle aged stay at home mom (sans kids or husband) that i am,  i was watching food network the other day when the show "best thing i ever ate" came on. the owner (my idol) of sprinkles cupcakery, candace nelson was talking about her favorite cinnamon sugar donut muffin. at which point i thought yummm...cinnamon sugar donut muffin...cinnamon sugar donut cookie...snickerdoodles...snickerdoodle cupcake!!! considering that i don't like cupcakes myself,  i knew these were keegan's favorite cookies so there was a 100% possibility he would take them off my hands. with a little tweeking to my favorite yellow cake recipe and some cinnamon sugar these snickerdoodle cupcakes were born.

it offically happened...

whelp, it's finally happened. i've turned into one of those narcissistic twenty somethings who post pictures of the organic rack of lamb they roasted, and talk about the plans they have for painting their apartments that perfect shade of grey to match the mid century coffee table they just picked up at west elm. i have no idea what i could possibly have to blog about, but i suggest you stay tuned because who knows what this chola in paradise might get herself into.