Happy Birthday, Mini Mac!

Well, I can't very well call her "Baby Mac" anymore now that she is 2. I thought "Mini Mac" would be a good replacement.

My BABY is 2! What? How did that happen? Before I had her I often heard people say, "I can't believe my little one is already [insert age here]!" I would think, "Yeah, well kids grow up, what did you expect?" But I get it now. Time flies SO much. It seriously feels like it was only 6 months ago that I was in the hospital giving birth to that 9 pound baby. I swear, she came out looking like she was a month old.

I have mentioned before that she adores Caillou. I was so excited when I came across an edible sugar image in a birthday catalog I got in the mail. I hate junk mail but I am a sucker for any catalog or circular that sells fun stuff. And my curiosity paid off! The image is super cute and so easy to use!

I mixed up a Funfetti batter and divided it between three 8 inch cake pans. I had some Oreos on hand (I am as shocked as you are that they have made it this long without meeting their demise) so I crushed them up, mixed them with some buttercream and used it as a sort of filling. I piped a dam...

...and spread in the filling. It looks kind of funny because I used my off-set spatula to spread the dam into the filling to make up for some holes.

...put on a crumb coat...

...and tinted some icing. Caillou is drawn in primary colors so I decided to use red, blue and yellow for the accents. 

After I smoothed on the top coat of icing, I peeled the image off its backing and gently laid it on the cake. It reminded me of an iron-on transfer. Remember those? I had to be very gentle when peeling it off the paper, but it was simple to do. I will definitely be using these in the future. I can't wait to see what types of images are out there!

I piped dots all over the cake. I like the simplicity of the dots. I considered using a star tip but it just didn't seem to fit Caillou's personality. I think he would approve of the dots.

I can't wait for her to see this cake. I know she is going to flip!

Happy Birthday to the best thing that has ever happened to me. Words cannot express how completely blessed your daddy and I feel to have been chosen as your parents. You have defined love for us and it's greater than we could ever imagine. 

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Thank you SO much to my aunt Joanna for the beautiful cake stand! I did not have one and she thought of me at an antique store one day. I feel so fancy not having to put Mini Mac's cake on a plastic cake carrier!! I love you so much Joanna and I will think of you every time I use it! Which will be A LOT!!

Decisions, Decisions

So, a little while ago I mentioned that I won a gift card for Cooking.com and I was trying to decide whether I should be smart and get something I need or be fun and frivolous and get something I want. I decided on the latter and got something I have had my eye on for a couple of years but had forgotten about.

This is the Zoku Popsicle maker. It's pretty cool. You keep it in the freezer and pull it out when you are ready to make some pops. It makes 3 at one time and they freeze in 7-9 minutes. It comes with 6 sticks so you can make 3 more after the first round is done. I thought this would be great for Baby Mac.  I could make healthy concoctions right along with the sugary ones to balance things out!

People who know me know I am the most indecisive person on Earth. If I go into the grocery store without a list I am screwed because it will take me 20 minutes to decide what kind of peanut butter to buy.

I got the Popsicle maker this week and now I am not so sure about it. After reading the manual I realized you can't use some of the concoctions I planned to, such as ice cream mixes or pudding. They tend to not freeze well and the sticks just slip out. I also realized that if I make 3 pops and only one is eaten, what do I do with the other two? It's not really worth it to only mix up enough ingredients for one pop. This item would be fabulous for entertaining, but for my house with just myself, Baby Mac and Mr. Mac (who is not much of a sweets person) it may not be ideal.

Then, what really changed my mind was when I came across this item that I hadn't noticed before:

It's a Cuisinart 1.5 quart ice cream maker. I know I had mentioned the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Attachment, but this is actually cheaper and easier to use. It just seems more practical and I think I will get more use out of it. I can still make healthy stuff like sorbet or even encourage my new vanilla bean habit by making some homemade ice cream. Plus, Mr. Mac does enjoy ice cream from time to time, so he would be more apt to enjoy this as opposed to the pop maker.

This weekend my mom made some banana ice cream that Baby Mac just fell head over heels for. That will be on my Ice Cream To-Do List for sure.

Yep. I think I have talked myself into it.

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I have recently come to the conclusion that I have way too many "irons in the fire." As much as I would love to dedicate a ton of time to this blog, I just can't. I have a toddler and husband who I want to spend as much time with as possible, plus I work full-time and have a few other commitments that take up any extra time I have. I am still going to post, but just not as frequently as I have been. Once or twice a week as a general rule, but if I have lots of baking projects come up at once it could be more on occasion.

I am so grateful for my readers and I will not leave you hanging! Be sure to like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter or even Pinterest. I will always have updates on any posts there. 

I will be back later this week with a super special birthday cake!

Minnie Mouse, Take Two

My friend Karen's daughter, Kylee, is turning two tomorrow. We were pregnant at the same time and she delivered her a week before Baby Mac.  She asked if I would make some Minnie Mouse cupcakes for her special day and of course I said yes!

The last time I made Minnie Mouse cupcakes I used Oreos. This time I decided to work on my fondant skills. 

I piped on some pink buttercream and added some pink sugar. I made marshmallow fondant and cut circles out for the ears and fashioned bows from strips I cut from some fondant I tinted pink.

I was so happy with how they turned out! But the icing on the cake, or should I say cupcake, was Mr. Mac's reaction. See, he is a man of very little words. Usually when I show him my creations I get a head nod and a "That's cool, Babe." Which is great. I know in Mr. Mac terms that means he likes them and he is proud of me. But, when I opened the box to show him these, his eyes got big and he said, "Wow, those are awesome!" That let me know that I am getting better at my craft and that I made something extra special. My day was made. Heck, my week was made!

Happy Birthday, Kylee! I hope you have the best birthday ever!

Graduation!

The Rams (school colors, red and white)

I have three cousins on my mom's side of the family who graduated from high school this year. Three! I can't believe they old enough to be going off to college! (I am sure if they had a dollar for every time they have heard that over the last year they could fund their college educations.)

The Flyers (school colors, gold and navy)

My aunt asked me to make some cupcakes in honor of their accomplishments. I decided to use their Letterman images to make some flag toppers and mimick their school colors in the icings using the swirling technique. I was so happy with how they turned out!

The Knights (school colors, maroon and sliver)

Now, I photograph every cupcake I make. But for some reason this time around I had a major brain malfunction and forgot! How could I forget? I honestly think I was so much looking forward to getting the cupcakes to them that it was the last thing on my mind. Luckily, my cousin Amy was nice enough to take some pictures and send them to me. Thanks, Amy! This is your To Bake or Not To Bake debut!

The Graduates (Our family sure makes 'em good lookin'!)

Congratulations girls! I am so proud of you! You will go on to do great things!

Homemade Coffee Creamer

Photo Courtesy of Piece of Cake

The first thing I made with my newly purchased vanilla beans was this homemade coffee creamer I came across on Piece of Cake. In her post she discusses her love of "lady coffee", as her husband calls it. It made me laugh! Click either of the links above to check it out her hilarious post as well as the recipe for this oh-so-simple treat!

I love lady coffee and will until I die. It is the highlight of my mornings and sometimes my whole day!

You know the funny thing about store bought flavored coffee creamers? Most don't even have a hint of cream or milk. The great thing about this recipe is it contains only three ingredients! (Four if you count the sugar in the sweetened condensed milk.) The ingredient list on the store bought versions is a paragraph long and contains things I can't even begin to pronounce. Not to mention it costs much more per ounce. 

Give this recipe a try and feel free to play around with flavors. If you love your morning coffee like I do, you will not be disappointed!

Marshmallow Fondant

For the first time ever, I made marshmallow fondant this morning! It was a bit messy but hardly difficult. Regular fondant is just a bit more technical since it calls for gelatin. From what I have read, marshmallow fondant is easier to make and tastes much better.

Because I need black fondant, I followed this recipe but incorporated some of the tips for kneading and mixing from this recipe that I have had on my to do list for a while. I highly recommend them both. I didn't have an ounce of trouble through the whole process!

I can't wait to roll it out and start making the shapes I need! For now, it's covered in plastic wrap so the color can develop to it's full potential. Later today I plan on making some white, as well, since the upcoming project requires some pink accents in addition to the black.

One tip: try and wear food safe gloves unless you don't mind walking around like this for a couple of days. 

Have a great Sunday!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I have featured recipes for Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes and some basic Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes. Well, this go around I merged the two recipes to make one super FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC gluten-free cupcake! I know I said before that this gluten-free recipe is fabulous, but I have actually made a change to it that has made it even better, if that is possible. And the addition of peanut butter will just blow your mind. 

I made these for my cousin Ellen's birthday a few weeks ago and she agreed, no one would ever know they are gluten-free and in fact they are WAY better than lots of regular cupcakes out there. Even if you don't have  an aversion to gluten, these cupcakes are an incredibly delicious and healthier alternative to the standard version.

My co-worker Terri's husband, Tom, has a gluten allergy and she asked me to make something for his birthday. I knew immediately I had to make these for him.

He is a die hard Tennessee fan so I tinted the icing orange and made the flags I talked about in my tutorial yesterday. Don't give Tom a hard time, UK fans. Terri bleeds blue so it evens things out. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 can (15.5 oz) reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, or coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
7 rounded tablespoons cocoa*

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 Reese's cups, each cut into 8 pieces

Directions:   

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan.

~Blend the beans, 2 eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a food processor (or blender) until completely smooth.

~In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.

~In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the remaining two eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Beat in the bean mixture. Beat in the dry ingredients. 

~Pour the batter into muffin cups filling about 2/3 full.  Cut each Reese's cup into 8 pieces. (Cut them in the same fashion you would cut a pizza.) You should have 48 little chunks. Press 4 of those chunks down into the batter of each of the cupcakes.

~Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

 Peanut Butter Frosting

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

4-6 tablespoons milk

12 Reese's Minis, for decoration

Directions: 

~Using an electric mixer, cream shortening and butter. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. 

~If icing gets too dry and stiff to beat, add a tablespoon of milk. Once all sugar is incorporated, add the remaining milk if necessary then beat until fluffy, about one minute. (You don't want the icing too thin or it will not stand up on the cupcakes. Lift the beaters or paddle of your mixer and if the icing doesn't fall right away you are good to go.)

~Pipe or spread onto cupcakes and top with a Reese's Mini.

Happy Birthday, Tom! I hope you have a great day and an awesome weekend!

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*The original recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of cocoa. I found the batter was just not thick enough and the final cupcake could have more chocolate flavor. I played around a bit and found that 7 ROUNDED tablespoons worked great. It made for a thicker batter and a cupcake with the perfect amount of chocolate flavor. 

To get a rounded tablespoon, scoop out the cocoa without shaking or leveling off the excess. You should have a mound of cocoa in your measuring spoon.

How to: Flag Cupcake Toppers

If you're a regular around these parts you have seen various cupcakes with flags on top of them, like the ones up there and the ones over here. I once saw plastic versions of sports pendants on some cupcakes and realized, "Hey, I can make those cheaper than buying them, plus I can get the image I want!" 

These flags are a simple, yet fun and attractive addition to a cupcake. I am going to show you how I make them! Here's what you need:

~images printed in color
~scissors
~glue stick
~toothpicks, with pointed tips trimmed off

So, the first step is to find an image you like. (Google Images is where I search.) Copy and paste it into a Word document. Once you have pasted it, click on the image to enable size editing and drag it down to the size you want. I usually print it out just to make sure it is the size I need before I go any further. 

Once you have the size you want, copy that image, then space 7 times. (That white space in between each image will be wrapped around the toothpick and I have found that 7 spaces between them works perfectly.) Now, paste the image. Space 7 more times and paste another image. Repeat once more until you have a row of four. 

You are going to be folding two of these images around a toothpick to form the front and back of the flag. So if you have 12 cupcakes, you need 24 images. (I usually do a few extra though. Just in case I mess one up.) 

When you get your first row of images, copy that whole row and keep pasting it down the page until you get your desired number of images. (See my finished page above.) Copying and pasting by rows is much easier and less time consuming that doing one image at a time to fill the page.

Next, cut the images into pairs.

Trim the top and bottom of the images but leave the white space on the sides. Flip over and apply the glue. 

Then wrap around the toothpick, line up the images and press the white edge around the toothpick well. I use my fingernail to get it nice and tight. Also, I like to trim the pointed part off the toothpicks with scissors. I find that pointed tip makes it hard for the paper to adhere and fit as well as I like for it to. With it gone, the paper is flush with the top of the toothpick.

Finally, cut off the excess white space on the right of the flag.

And there you have it! A finished cupcake topper! These are my go-to when I just can't find the right embellishment. They are perfect for sports themed cupcakes, but would work for just about any theme. Have fun! And feel free to leave questions in the comments!

P.S. Tomorrow I will feature these in action!

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn't peeling well.

Why are bananas never lonely? Because they hang around in bunches. 

And my personal favorite....

Why did the banana go out with the prune? Because he couldn't find a date.

Thanks, folks! I'll be here all night! Don't forget to tip your wait staff.

Now that the funny is out of the way, let's get down to business. The business of banana cake with vanilla bean icing. It's wonderful business. The kind of business I want to conduct as much as possible.

Don't let the "vanilla bean" part of this recipe scare you. I just wanted to break in the ones I just purchased. You can just as easily use vanilla extract for this icing.  The banana cake is what packs the punch of flavor here. The icing, whether vanilla bean or extract is involved, accents it perfectly.

Banana Cake with Vanilla Frosting (Recipe credit: Baked Bree)

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons room temperature butter
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Vanilla Bean Frosting:*

2 tablespoons room temperature butter
1 & 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream, or milk
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded and scraped OR 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
pinch of salt 

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
~Cream together butter and sugar. mix in sour cream.
~Add the bananas and vanilla.
~Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Stop mixing as soon as it is all combined. 
~Pour the batter into a 9 x 9 sprayed pan.
~Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 
~For the frosting, cream the butter and and slowly add the confectioners sugar. 
~Add the cream or milk and beat until fluffy. (If icing is too thin, add more confectioners sugar.)
~Add the vanilla and pinch of salt.
~Spread frosting over the cake once it has completely cooled. 

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*I doubled the cake recipe and used a 9 x 13 pan. I also doubled the icing recipe but it didn't make enough icing for my tastes and was also a bit thin. I like a thicker icing. I played around and added a bit more butter, then added confectioners sugar and milk until I got them amount and consistency I wanted. The good thing about icing is that if it's too thin, you add more sugar. If it's too thick, you add more milk. Just taste it as you go along and you'll be fine.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Photo Courtesy of Buns in My Oven

I adore Mexican food and could eat it every day of the week. I have been known to eat just a cheese quesadilla for dinner with salsa and sour cream on the side. SO good. And SO easy!

I found a link to Chicken Tamale Casserole on Our Best Bites and knew I had to try it. It is a super recipe. Mr. Mac and I both raved about it. Plus, it makes a lot. We ate it again for dinner last night and I still had enough to bring for lunch today.

It didn't occur to me until we had demolished the casserole that I should feature it here. Since I didn't get a photo before its oh-so-delicious demise, I used BIMO's image above. Because I borrowed her image, I want her to get all the credit and traffic to her site so I am sending you there for the recipe. (You can also click on the link in the caption above.)

However, I want to share with you some of the alterations I made to the recipe to account for ingredients we like.

1. I am not big on red enchilada sauce so I substituted green. 

2. I used ground beef instead of ground chicken or turkey because it is what I had one hand. (I used ground chicken the other time I made this dish and it was just as tasty and less in calories.) Also, while I browned the meat I threw in a chopped onion and some taco seasoning. (I keep a big bottle of that stuff on hand.)

3. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of the total cheeses to be mixed with the cornbread batter and the rest sprinkled on top of the casserole. When I made this dish the time before, I found that there was a bit too much cheese on top. (I can't believe I actually said "too much cheese." Blasphemy, I know.) I just used more of the combined cheeses (1/2 cup) in the cornbread and left the rest for the topping. It seems like a better ratio for my tastes.

4. When baking the cornbread mixture, my oven took about 22 minutes rather than 15. Just touch the middle and make sure it is set before you proceed with the next steps.

5. When I searched this recipe online all versions were pretty much the same verbatim. However, I noticed that many of them use shredded chicken instead of ground meat of some sort. I am definitely going to try that next time. Shredded chicken is always yummy in a Mexican dish. The ground beef worked great though, especially with the onion and taco seasoning tossed in. 

This dish does NOT disappoint. It's a great weeknight or anytime dish, for that matter. It would even be fantastic for a pot luck!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Oh. My. Goodness.

So, yesterday I mentioned that I won a giveaway from The Hungry Housewife that included a jar of the stuff above. I also mentioned that I LOVE tart cherries. My grandparents had a tart cherry tree when I was little and there were more than a few times that I made myself sick on those heavenly little treasures. 

I actually got my prize package in the mail yesterday not long after that post. I really didn't have high hopes for these preserves. Lately I have been convincing myself that something I am about to try is going to be phenomenal and it ends up not being so. I didn't want to get my hopes up only to have them be dashed again. I knew they would be good, but I didn't think it would be possible that they would blow my mind or anything. 

I was SO wrong. They are fantastic. In fact, fantastic is not enough to describe how good they are. 

I put some on a thin piece of regular toast this morning and I feel guilty now for using simple toast as a vehicle for this scrumptious treat. (People who know me know that I mean business because I am not a fan of the word "scrumptious" and can count on one hand the number of times I have used the word. Most of those while expressing my distaste for it.) My mission is to find something to top these with that is worthy of their greatness. Though, I really could just eat them with a spoon and be happy the rest of my life.

I am not sure if stores around here carry these. I didn't know the existed until now and I am not usually in the jelly/jam section of my grocery. But if you enjoy tart cherries and you come across these preserves, grab some. You will not be disappointed. Another plus is that they are only 50 calories per tablespoon and a tablespoon packs enough flavor to go a long way!

What a Week

It's been a good week. And I really needed it.

I had a four and a half day weekend, which was super nice. One day, I even went back to bed at 10 in the morning and slept until 2 in the afternoon. I know! What is that? Moms don't do that! I haven't done that since my baby-less days. Heck, even before. But Mr. Mac knew I was exhausted and he didn't ask questions when I wandered back to the bed and didn't come out for a few hours. He took care of Baby Mac for me and it was the most glorious 4 hours of sleep I have had in a while. I didn't even feel guilty. Well, maybe a little. 

I made a trip to Sephora to replenish my foundation. How great is that store? I mean, it is the equivalent of Disneyland for grown women in my opinion. Or a candy store as one friend put it. I didn't want to leave. It was like being told it was time to get out of the pool and go home for the day.

I bought this per the recommendation of a few other food bloggers:

I have a passion for photographing food but still am not that great at it. This book puts things in simple terms and has lots of photography do's and don'ts in regards to food. I have little natural light in my kitchen and most of my house is not conducive to setting up photo shoots so I am excited to read about some solutions. I have skimmed through it and I can't wait to dive in. It's gotten some fantastic reviews.

I also bought these:

I have had vanilla beans on my to do list for some time now. I LOVE vanilla. When I was little I would open mom's extract and just sniff. It made me happy. I know that sounds really weird, but it was vanilla. Not canned air or cleaning supplies. I turned out just fine. 

Jennifer Love-Hewitt says she uses vanilla extract as a fragrance. People have laughed on gossip blogs about this but studies have shown that men react strongly to the scent of vanilla. I think she's got the right idea.

The Hungry Housewife

And to top off the week, I won a giveaway from one of my favorite ladies of food, Leslie Green, The Hungry Housewife! I have entered every giveaway on every food blog I follow and I finally hit the jackpot! I won a jar of Smucker's Orchard's Finest Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves (Tart Cherries are one of my favorite things in life) and a $50 gift card to Cooking.com. 

Now, I have made a list of some of the things I need for my kitchen: a salad spinner, an oven thermometer, a cake stand (can you believe I don't have one of those?), and some other boring but necessary items. But while I  was browsing this caught my eye:

It's the Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment for my mixer. I have made you guys fully aware of my love of ice cream. If given the choice of cake or ice cream I would chose the latter every time. 

But, I need this like I need a hole in my head. But wouldn't those vanilla beans come in handy for this thing? But, I would get myself in trouble. Or should I say, my backside in trouble. But it is summer, right? But I don't NEED it. But it's fun! But I have no where to store it. But, but, but....

It's been like this for two days. 

So help me decide? Sensible, necessary items I am going to have to pay for out of pocket at some point anyway? Or fun accessory for making sweet summer treats?

Have a great weekend!