Cake Bakers...

Sonja and I made a cake for a friend's baby shower... Had the most fun being creative!

The finished product!

Creativity Starts Here...

I've decided to try my hand at doing some homemade cards... I experimented with my Christmas cards this year, but after browsing online for more ideas - WOW! I've got a lot to learn. First, apparently I need to learn how to use my Cricut machine to the fullest and spend the money for Cricut cartridges, paper patterns, stamps, ink, colored pencils and pens, embellishments... The list goes on and on... It makes me giddy with excitment! I might even try making gift tags as well. There are so many possibilities out there!

Let the creativity begin...

Oh by the way... For you talented Bassett sisters, if you have any ideas or requests, please send them my way. If I invest in the necessary instruments and really put my heart into it, I might make it a side business... Hmmmmm... Ideas please.

Ccccccccoooooooookkkkkkkkkiiiiiieeeeeeessssss...

The Cookie Monster would be proud.

I spent ALL day, I mean all day, Sunday baking cookies for my co-workers as a Christmas treat. I started at 11am and didn't sit down until 630 that night for dinner. Good thing Joe came home to feed me... I probably would've been in the kitchen all night too.

I made Linzer cookies (sandwich cookies with raspberry jam in the middle) sprinkled with powdered sugar. I made lime hazelnut cookies shaped like Christmas trees with a yummy cream cheese frosting. I made sandwich cookies with a hazelnut/powdered sugar filling dipped a third of the way into dark chocolate. I made surprise cookies which were chocolate cookies with half a marshmallow shoved into the middle and covered with a homemade chocolate ganache. And I made a delicious peppermint fudge with dark chocolate and vanilla white chocolate chips colored green and peppermint extract added to it.

I must say.... THEY WERE DELICIOUS. My co-workers are lucky Joe and I didn't eat them all. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, so y'all will have to wipe your imaginary drool off your chins!

My feet hurt.

PS...

I'm thinking of starting a small cupcake/cookie shop out of my house. What do you think?

Delightful Cupcakes...

My boss decided to throw himself a birthday party for his 40th and decided to place me in charge of helping him plan it. For the past five weeks or so I have set up the caterer, I have purchased fake flowers and vases to make some bouquets, and I practiced making cupcakes.

The point of this post is the cupcakes... I told my boss that I am going to quit and open my very own bakery! (Actually not really, but at the time it seemed like a good idea). Anyway... I made lemon meringue cupcakes - my boss doesn't like meringue so I changed it up a little. Instead of spreading the homemade custard over the top, I injected the cupcake with the custard. And instead of the meringue frosting, I made a delicious cream cheese frosting. Then, since I was in the mood to bake some more, I decided to make some red velvet cupcakes as well... Yum-OH. I was able to use my tips and piping bags for the very first time too!!!!! It take some practice, but I eventually got it...

So now I'm on the hunt for some more cupcake recipes so that I can try and give them my own twists. I'm seriously thinking about doing some more of this - I found a really cute caterpillar cupcake design on Martha Stewart's website - I'm thinking it would be cute for my nieces birthday coming up!

So if anyone has some suggestions or websites with some really yummy cupcake recipes send them my way!!!! Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get some!

San Francisco ROCKS!!!!

Last weekend my girlfriends and I met up for a girl's weekend in The City!!! My friend from high school flew in from Texas - I hadn't seen her since she moved about three or four years ago. It was great to see Kwinny - I've missed her terribly. We stayed in my friend Lauren's cute new house.

Sonja and I couldn't get the keys out of the Fish's mouth, so we had to open the door with the fish. In the end it was all in vain - turns out one of her roomies was home and the door wasn't even locked!

This is the first night - it was like being in high school again, hanging out on the beds, talking, giggling, making fun of each other. I loved it!!!

Saturday we spent the day in San Francisco. Kwinny got a beautiful tattoo in the morning and we spent the rest of the day relaxing down at the Wharf.

Had the most beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The whole weekend was blue skies, cool breeze, and warm weather! We really lucked out.

Then Lauren decided that we were going to walk to the ballpark. Kwinny and I were stupid and we had decided to wear flip flops for the day - All I wanted was a tan! Kwinng and I were pretty grumpy when we arrived at the ballpark... It probably took us about an hour to walk there from Fisherman's

Wharf.... Geesh - Don't wear flip flops to the city!

We finally made it!!!! I was soo happy to just be able to sit and relax my feet for a while. But it turns out that our bleacher seats were right behind a group of guys who decided to stand up whenever an exciting play was going to happen. I think I probably missed about 45% of the game because I couldn't stand up fast enough. It was probably because we decided to watch a Giant's game vs the A's... Rowdy people!!!!

Aren't we cute?!?!? It was well worth the walking time - We ate nachos with jalapenos and onions, garlic fries, cotton candy, drank ice cold beer, and cheered on the Giant's. WE EVEN WON!!!!!

I'm such a die-hard fan that I even had special nails put on... CHECK IT OUT!!!

Well, you really can't tell, but they are an orange tip with a black sparkle fade and a Giant's logo on it! I did a black tip with orange sparkle fade and sticker on my thumb and then the opposite on my other hand. It's been exciting wearing them!

All in all, it was a great time spent with my girlies!!!

I forgot how...

I haven't posted for a really really really long time. I forgot how to. Can someone help me!?!? Step-by-step instructions would be great. Thanks!