Happy New Year?

Happy New Year everyone!  Yeah, I realize I'm almost a month late to that party......I have no idea how the month of January has managed to completely fly by!  Once school started back up after winter break, it feels like time just whizzed by, and now it's already time to start planning for Valentine's Day!

Well, here's a cake that could easily be changed up for Valentine's Day!  You've probably seen a cake completely doused in sprinkles somewhere on Pinterest.  I used the post I found at Raspberri Cupcakes for inspiration, and did an ombre layered cake inside.  The great thing about this is that you could use your favorite cake recipe (make sure it's a white cake if you're going to do the ombre effect).....heck you could even use a white box cake mix.....no one will know!

I decided to make this as a belated birthday cake......so after asking what her favorite color was, I did the ombre layers in shades of blue.  Just find your favorite color....divide your cake batter into however many layers you're going to do.....and dye each bowl a slightly darker shade (of the same color) than the last bowl.

Once the cake layers have baked and cooled, top with your favorite frosting.  My favorite is the Dulce de Leche Buttercream frosting from Bakers Royale that I use on the Tres Leches Cupcakes.  The only problem that I had was that the frosting I used has a tan tint to it once the dulce de leche is added to it......you could see that a bit where the sprikles weren't completely covering spots on the cake.  So I'd say to stick with a bright white frosting......it would be a better backdrop to the sprinkles (although possible not as yummy!).

A bit of warning about the sprinkles.....no matter what you do, you WILL get sprinkles everywhere.  Even after a very thorough clean-up yesterday, I still found some sticking to the bottom of my feet this morning.  I went through about 3 of the small bottles of nonpareils to cover this bad boy.  After sprinkling the top liberally with the sprinkles I used my hands to get the sides, and at the end used a spatula to scoop up any remaining sprinkles and slap them on the side.

Surprise them with the inside!

The best park of this cake is that while everyone is ooing and aahing over the outside of the sprinkles (because come on.....who doesn't love sprinkles)......you'll totally surprise them with the inside layers!  Love it, love it!  I'll definitely be doing this again and playing around with the inside (purple for me.....ooohhh, and what about rainbow??).

So get in your kitchen and have fun making a mess!  Check out Raspberri Cupcakes for pictures of her stunning Purple Ombre Sprinkles Cake as well as her cake recipe.....and Enjoy!!

Biscoff Pretzel Bites

Today is my little man's 3rd birthday!  I can't believe that he's already three years old.....and I also can't imagine life without him.  He's definitely a clown and a total blast to be around.....unless he's being grumpy......then he's super G-R-U-M-P-Y (just ask everyone at Kindergarten pickup that see him right after he wakes up from a nap) and stubborn.  Did I mention he can be stubborn?  I've been itching to start potty training for ages, but he just would not have it.  So, I would tell him that when his birthday comes around, we would start, because three year olds use the potty.  His response?

"I'll be one!"

Well.....we've started today.....Mommy can be just as stubborn!

So how about these little treats for something festive?  I mean, who can resist the pull of rainbow sprinkles?  And wait till you hear what are in these pretzels sandwiches......wait for it........Biscoff!!  Oh yeah!  They are fantastic!  So simple, and absolutely delicious!  I brought these to three different get togethers, and they were a huge hit everywhere we went.  And did I mention that they are super easy to throw together?  Yup, these might just be a perfect little bite.

Check out the awesome Two Peas and Their Pod for the recipe.....and Enjoy!!

My little monkeys enjoy sprinkles just as much as Mommy does!

This post is linked to:
Mix it Up Monday - What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Monday  - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - Tip Me Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday - Friday Favorites - Feed Your Soul - Friday Free-For-All - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Tooth Friday - Scrumptious Sunday

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that 2011 is over already!  This year absolutely flew by!  2012 will bring even more changes......we're planning on moving before summer (the moving/packing part is what I'm dreading)......we're applying to schools for next year (in the area we're moving to).....1st grade for our big guy, and preschool for the little monkey......my little sister is getting married in the U.P. in Michigan this summer (yeah!)......and there will be more travelling (hello Maui!).  You can bet that 2012 will go by just as fast!

So check out these Confetti Cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar.  To me they look like a party in a cookie!  Who doesn't love those funfetti box cake mixes?  Well, the peeps at Momofuku Milk Bar have figured out how to get that funfetti cake mix taste from scratch.  And, well, it tastes even better!

Like some of their other recipes......this one is a two-parter.  There is a birthday cake crumb mixture you will mix into the cookie dough.....absolutely worth the extra step!  The cookies come out crispy on the edges, and super chewy on the inside.  Not to mention the sprinkles and the taste of birthday cake.  

This is the third cookie recipe I've made from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook (I've also made the Blueberry and Cream cookies, and the Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow cookies).....and they have all been delicious!

Check out Serious Eats for the recipe.....Happy New Year and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Link Party - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tea Party Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Feature Friday Free For All - Friday Favorites - Friday Food - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays

Spreading the Christmas Cheer

The hubby was on Cloud 9 last night!  We were at the Mark and Brian Christmas show last night (the morning show hosts on 95.5 for anyone not in LA), and thanks to our awesome friend Preva, the hubby got to meet his guitar idol!  The hubby is a musician.......he's been playing guitar forever....and growing up, Steve Lukather (guitar player for Toto) was always his guitar god.  He was terrified of meeting him.....worried he would say something stupid, or worse yet, that Steve wouldn't be a nice guy. Well, it couldn't have gone better!  They chatted for a while, did a couple of bro hugs, got to talk gear......and the hubby looked like a kid on Christmas morning who just got everything they had asked for!  So thank you to Steve Lukather, for being a great guy....and a huge hug and thank you to Preva for making it happen!

Have you started making all of your goodies for Christmas Eve and Day yet?  I'm planning on starting this weekend...still trying to decide everything I'll do.  One thing I made, and really like, is the Cake Batter Chocolate Bark, from How Sweet  It Is.  You pretty much can't go wrong with anything from her site, and this one is no exception.

Can you melt chocolate in the microwave?  Then you need to make this!  Couldn't be easier.....you just need to give yourself time for the layers to harden up (sticking it in the freezer will speed it up).  I went ahead and used Christmas colored sprinkles, but check out Jessica's pictures with the rainbow sprinkles.....love it!

The cake batter flavor isn't overpowering.....so if you're not looking for it, you may not even notice it.  But if you're a fan, you'll notice it for sure, and you'll love it.  Just make sure to use some good quality chocolate, since that;s the only ingredient, you'll want it to shine!

Well, that's it......I'm off to start putting my list together of what I want to get done in the kitchen this week......and maybe try to get my Christmas cards in the mail, finally.

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe.....and enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.......Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Food

Spiderweb Cupcakes

So I can't decide.....do my white chocolate spiderwebs actually look like spiderwebs, or do they look like snowflakes?  I'm leaning towards spiderwebs, but I think they could probably pass for snowflakes too.....

These are the cupcakes that I brought to our neighborhood Halloween party.  I knew that it would be mostly kiddos eating these, so I just went ahead and did a box cake mix of Halloween funfetti.  But I knew I wanted to try doing those white chocolate spiderwebs that I had been seeing on Pinterest, so I made some chocolate frosting for the spiderwebs to sit on.  The chocolate frosting recipe I used was from Our Best Bites, and it has a great chocolate flavor, without being too intense for the kiddos.  The spiderwebs are from Country Living.  There's a recipe and a template to print out.....just follow the lines!

One of these days the weather will cool off and it will actually feel like Fall!  At least it's a little cooler in the mornings now......but by the afternoon it's still plenty hot.  We've been to our local pumpkin patch twice so far (Lombardi Ranch), and both times it's been pretty toasty out there.  Going to the pumpkin patch is one of the things I look forward to all year.......the pictures always come out gorgeous, and the kids have an absolute blast!  Half the time they completely ignore the pumpkins, and instead want to run in the hay bale mazes, play on the vintage fire truck, and ride the choo-choo.

Pure happiness!

Our big guy is getting so big!

Superheroes!

Jedis!

Check out Our Best Bites for the chocolate frosting recipe, and Country Living for the spiderweb template........and Enjoy!

The kids can spend forever just running through the pumpkins!

This post is linked to:
Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

What could be simpler or more delicious than good 'ol rice crispy treats?  I may love a lot of grown-up desserts, but I could never deny my love for a homemade rice crispy treat!  I find that the store made ones (Starbucks included) have a slightly strange taste that the ones that are homemade don't have.  Maybe they use margarine instead of butter?  I dunno......but if I make a pan of these bad boys, I need to quickly get them out of the house before I find myself eating them all!

Cake batter stuff seems to be all the rage in blogland and all over Pinterest, and with good reason.......it's delicious!  I've been seeing lots of people try these Cake Batter Crispy Treats, and it seemed like they were a universal hit.  Couldn't be simpler to throw together.....and they were fantastic!

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - T' Time - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food

Club: Baked - It's Donut Time!!

I've already professed my loved for the boys of Baked (and all of the goodies that they make).....so it only made sense to join up with other bakers who share my love of all things Baked, and bake their way through the latest cookbook, Baked Explorations.  So, I am now a member of Club: Baked.

I missed the very first round of baking, but I got my act together in time to whip up a batch of Farm Stand Buttermilk Donuts.  For the recipe, please go to The Ginger Snap Girl, who was hosting this challenge for us.

I could only get myself to make 1/2 a batch of them, so that the hubby and I didn't eat them all.....and that was plenty for us!  Had I made the whole recipe, I would have ended up with about a dozen donuts and donut holes......and would have had to eat them all!!  The dough was pretty easy to throw together, although as stated in the recipe, the dough is sticky!  You'll definitely want a little dusting of flour everywhere, or you, the board, and your cutters will be completely stuck to this dough!  

I don't really ever do any frying at home, so that was kind of a new experience for me.  It actually wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, apart of a small spatter burn I got on my hand (my bad!!).  Looking at the comments some other bakers had posted, I tried to keep the oil temperature closer to 350 so that the outsides didn't brown so fast as to not give the inside a chance to cook completely.

I decided to make only two of the three toppings listed......the cinnamon sugar, and the vanilla glaze, with sprinkles.  Both of the toppings were quite easy to throw together, and how cute are the donuts with sprinkles.....love them!

Check out The Ginger Snap Girl for the recipe, and go to Club: Baked to check out the others bakers' results!

This post is linked to:

Friday Food

Sweets for a Saturday

Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Monday, Mmmm........Dessert

These Chicks Cooked

Cast Party Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Sweet Treat Thursday

Turning the Table Thursday

Show Off Your Stuff

Yeah for Sprinkles!

I needed to make cupcakes for our little end-of-season T-ball party we had this weekend.  I think I've mentioned before that my oldest son does not actually eat most of the desserts that I make.....he pretty much will only do Oreos, ice cream, or sprinkles for dessert.  Seriously, if he was given a chance, he would eat a bowl of just sprinkles!

So, I decided if I made the homemade Funfetti Cupcakes from How Sweet It Is.  Since they are covered in sprinkles and there's sprinkles inside, he had to try them!

I decided to use the same nonpareil sprinkles that she used, since they are my kids favorite kind (coming in a close second are rainbow colored jimmies).  These gave the cupcake batter a fun psychedelic disco feel, since the sprinkles color the batter a bit after you stir them in.

The recipe is pretty simple and straightforward.....nothing out of the ordinary (which was great since I made these late at night!).   I also went ahead and used the buttercream frosting recipe she had paired with these.......why not right?

Instead of using a pastry bag to frost these guys I decided to just frost them using an off-set spatula.  I figured since they were getting eaten at the park, they didn't have to look all pretty and polished, but man.....it took so much longer for me to do them this way.  Next time I'll just stick with the pastry bag.......waaayyyy faster for me!  And I did have a couple of sprinkle spills.....I keep finding some strays hiding in the nooks and crannies of my kitchen.....ugh!

These were a hit with the kiddos!!  Of course, my oldest didn't eat them :(  He was much more concerned with getting his T-ball trophy and playing on the playground.  He did want to try one when he woke up, and wanted one for breakfast, but I made him wait the couple of hours till after T-ball.  Oh well......at least our youngest devoured his.  The hubby thought they were pretty darn yummy as well......another success!!

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Muffin and Cupcake Monday
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Sweets for a Saturday
Cupcake Link Party
Friday Food

Cake Batter Blondies

You might want to give your dentist a call if you make these......just a friendly warning.....

 I like sweets......I definitely have a sweet tooth......but these are actually almost too sweet for me.

While the recipe calls the Cake Batter Blondies, the hubby summed them up best when he said the tasted like a concentrated version of birthday cake!  That's exactly it....with the addition of sprinkles and white chocolate, you get the taste of a piece of birthday cake with one bit of these guys.

This is definitely one of those desserts that you can only eat a little of, but if you like your sweets sweet (I'm thinking of my sister-in-law), then you will like this.  It's also really easy to throw together....gotta love that!

Check out Girl Meets Life for the recipe.....Enjoy! (oh, and brush your teeth so your dentist won't get mad at me ;)

Update:  Took these bad boys to a family birthday party today......they were gone really fast!  They were a big hit with the kids and my sister-in-law ;)  Guess it was just me that thought they were too sweet!

This post linked to:
These Chicks Cooked