Cake Pops and Cupcakes

Lately I've been obsessed with cake pops and cupcakes. I make them as much as possible. Having a baby shower and need some cake pops? Sure!! I'll make cake pops for you!! Teacher Appreciation Day? Absolutely!! But every time I stay up till 3 am making those gorgeous little balls on a stick I tell myself this is the last time! But I know it's not. And I'm ever searching for the best cupcake ever in each and every flavor you could imagine. So far I think I've discovered the best ever chocolate, the best ever lemon, and the best ever red velvet. If you have a "best ever" cupcake recipe -- one that you believe cannot be topped by any other -- one you believe is the perfect in its category -- please share it with me! I'll share mine with you too!

I made cupcakes! These were for my niece Madison for her 18th birthday!

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Mocha Frosting -- yummy!!

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Spice Frosting -- super yummy!!

Four Months Later...

Oh how embarrassing. I guess I'm not much of a blogger. But I haven't given up on the idea of trying. It's November -- holidays are quickly approaching -- it's doubtful that I will blog again until after the new year so here's what I have for now.

I'll share a couple of yummy recipes. The first I just tried last night -- Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Pieces. I found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog. They are to die for. Everyone at the office loved them today.

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

The original recipe didn’t have white chocolate in it, but it really works wonderfully in here. Even if you’re a dark chocolate fan. Watch out, use the good stuff and this may even convert you.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)

1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

The second is one of my holiday favorite involving cranberries. I found it on Epicurious and make it every year at Christmas time.

Dried Cranberry and White Chocolate Biscotti

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)

1 egg white

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped, or white chocolate chips

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Freeze in airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.)

Well, those are my recipes for today. Yummy too -- I promise you won't be disappointed.

Finding Motivation

I've always found it hard to get motivated. I'm a procrastinator. I work better under pressure (I tell myself) so waiting to do things at the last minute works for me -- just me. But it doesn't work well for a family of 5. It makes my husband crazy and I have to say our household is, at times, a bit to chaotic. I try to make lists to help keep myself on track. I've always been an avid list maker. It helps -- a little. But with the July 4th holiday approaching and an out of town conference to follow, I think I better kick my list making into high gear today and get cracking. I have a LOT to do.

1. clean house and do laundry -- this is a permanent item on my list

2. buy a new suitcase -- my old one bit the dust on my last flight

3. make second list of all clothing, accessories and toiletries needed for conference (you don't need to see that)

4. go to grocery store to stock up for hubby and kids and to get items needed for 4th of July party dishes I'm taking to the annual party next door (big party at my neighbors house every year) (4th of July trifle I've never made but looks good and a barley salad I sort of made up -- I'll post the recipes below).

5. make another list for hubby of all the activities he will have to transport kids to while I'm gone at conference -- golf lessons and tutoring are the two going on next week

6. try to get nails done and maybe a pedicure

Ok I think that covers it. I better get started although all I really want to do is put on a bathing suit, grab my book, and go sit by the pool and read. (Thursday and Friday are the days I don't work and in the summer they are my pool days...but not today).

Wish me luck. :-)

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/4th-of-July-Trifle-10889

Barley Salad

This salad can be changed to suit your taste. Quinoa can substitute for the barley, balsalmic, white wine or rice vinegar could substitute for the lemon juice, cranberries could substitute for the cherries, etc.

Prepare 1 11oz. box of quick cooking barley (I use Mother's ) This is about 2 cups.

1 c. chopped red pepper

1 c. chopped celery

1/4-1/2 c. chopped green onion (I put less b/c I don't like onions)

1 cup chopped dried cherries

1/2 c chopped walnuts

big bunch of chopped parsley -- say 1/2-1 cup or so

Vinegrette

1/2 c olive oil

1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic pressed or minced

salt and pepper to taste

If you make with vinegar, you may want to add some dijon mustard and a little sugar or honey.

Just keep adjusting the vinegrette till it tastes good, then toss with the salad. Best if you refridgerate for a few hours and then bring to room temperature before serving.

Dividing Lilies

Every spring and summer I watch my beautiful perennial garden as it comes to life. It's full of irises, all kinds of lilies, daffodils, peonies, hydrangeas, butterfly bushes and hostas just to name a few. Many I don't know the names of. It's a beautiful sight to see. As one group of flowers starts to die down, a new one is coming alive. But do you know what happens to a perennial garden when you don't take care of it? It becomes a chaotic mess of overgrown flowers and leaves everywhere.

Now at first I thought it looked lush and full -- the more the better I thought as my garden expanded year after year. But then I began to see that more wasn't better. That the more flowers there were, the messier and sicklier they all became. That's when I learned how to divide bulbs http://www.daytonnursery.com/tips/Dividing%20Iris.htm. It is a scary thing to do if you've never done it before -- digging up the bulb or rhizome, in the case of an iris, and cutting or tearing it into pieces. It seems counterintuitive, right? Well, I thought about this concept -- dividing the bulbs -- thinning out the chaos to make things cleaner, simpler, healthier, and ultimately better in my garden. And I thought, hmmmm, I think I could apply this to my life. It's pretty hectic, chaotic and, one might say, unhealthy sometimes. Maybe I need to "divide my lilies". So, that is what this blog is about. Me sorting it all out, putting it back in order, and hopefully finding my perfect garden at the end. Ewwhh. That's so cheesy! How about, I just want to have a more organized, less stressful life. I think that would make me and everyone around me happier indeed!!