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Friday, May 25, 2012

Patriotic Cupcakes

So here we are. It's Memorial Day weekend, I've got family coming in from out of town tonight, the house is still a mess and I've got absolutely nothing planned. Fortunately, living in Las Vegas, there's never a shortage of things to do...even with kids. But if you know me, you know that no trip to my house is complete without cupcakes. This is a simple (but fun) recipe that I came up with last 4th of July. Its easy and inexpensive but festive enough for any patriotic holiday...thus, perfect for Memorial Day.

Red, White, and Blue Americakes

Ingredients:
  • White Cake Batter (How much depends on how many cupcakes you're making. If using a box mix, you each box will make about 24 cupcakes).
  • Unsweetened packet of Red Kool-aid Drink Mix (for this, I recommend Cherry)
  • Unsweetened packet of Blue Kool-aid Drink Mix (note: Tropical Punch comes in a blue packet, but it is NOT blue. The contents are RED)
  • Vanilla Frosting in red, white, and blue (hint: use food coloring to make your own red and blue frosting)
  • Cupcake Liners (red, white, and/or blue)

1. Preheat oven and prepare white cake batter according to the recipe of your choice. (Boxed cake mix works just fine with this recipe and will save you time. But if you are making a lot of cupcakes, homemade mix may give you more control). Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Separate batter in thirds, placing each third in to a separate bowl. The first bowl will be your "white" batter. To the second bowl, add half of the red kool-aid mix. To the third bowl, add half of the blue packet of kool-aid mix. (These measurements are assuming you are making a total of 24 cupcakes, if you are making more, add more kool-aid until you achieve your desired color. Drink mix will slightly change the texture of the batter and batter may expand, but it will bake the same).

3. Take a spoonful of each color batter and layer them, alternating colors in the cupcake liner until it is about half full. Repeat with each liner until the pan is full and bake according to the recipe you are using (or box instructions). As usual, cupcakes are ready when a toothpick can be inserted to the center and comes out clean.

4. Let cupcakes cool completely. Frost them with a layer of white, then use pastry bags (or ziplocks) filled with red and blue frosting to pipe patriotic stars and stripes on to each cupcake. 



Thursday, May 24, 2012

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Buns

I make it a point not to make dessert with every meal. Though I love to make desserts more than anything (and my 6 year old loves to eat them more than anything), I want my kids to grow up understanding the difference between "sometimes foods" and "anytime foods."

Well... last night was a "sometimes" kind of night. We've been eating healthy all month and I felt that my family deserved a little surprise indulgence. But I didn't have time to go the store or make something from scratch. So I looked deep in to the pantry and came up with this:

Easy Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
  • Can of biscuits (no need to be fancy, store brand is fine and about 1/3 the price of name brands)
  • Bag of Large Marshmallows (actually, you only need as many marshmallows as you have biscuits)
  • 1/4 cup cinnamon 
  • 1/2 cup Melted Butter  
  • 1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar mixture
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400ยบ.  Use hands to flatten a biscuit to about the size of the palm of your hand.

2. Drop marshmallow in butter and roll until coated on all sides and then coat with cinnamon.

3. Place cinnamon-coated marshmallow in the center of flattened biscuit and fold biscuit so that the marshmallow is sealed inside. (This is important because if too much marshmallow leaks out, it will burn and/or become too crunchy)

4. Drop (or sprinkle) marshmallow-filled biscuit in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place biscuit on a greased or nonstick baking sheet. Repeat process, placing each marshmallow-filled biscuit on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart from one another. 



5. Place in oven and bake 10-13 minutes, until golden brown. 

6. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and fluid (if icing is too thick, add a little more milk...if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle desired amount of icing over each bun.

7. Serve Warm. Buns will be VERY hot when they first come out of the oven, but they cool quickly. Let them cool for about 2-3 minutes and enjoy!

While I probably wouldn't serve this to guests or take them to a bake sale, this recipe is perfect for a family such as mine on a school night. It's a quick and easy treat that your kids can help you make and most (if not all) of the ingredients are already in your pantry! 



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mom. Wife... BLOGGER!

Why is the first blog always the toughest?

It seems like I always have so much to say about...well, everything; so I think to myself, "I know, I'll start a blog!" Yet here we are, blog-starting and I'm not quite sure what to write about. That's not for lack of things to say, but more so that I have too much to say seeing as how no one knows me yet. Which is why I'm beginning with an introduction. I hate describing myself, but I feel that it is necessary for my soon-to-be readers (fingers crossed) to understand where I'm coming from and from what perspective all future blogs will be written.

So here we go:

I'm Erika, 29 year old stay-at-home mom (aka domestic goddess). I'm a huge geek. I never take myself too seriously. I have an almost unhealthy obsession with everything Disney-related, I love books (especially those of the "comic" persuasion), art, theatre, music, and technology. I love life in general, live in the moment, and see each day as a gift and a new adventure...all amidst getting my son to baseball practice, changing diapers, getting dinner on the table, spending time with friends, and making sure my husband (who's incredible, btw) is happy.

I'm starting this blog because I love creating and sharing new and easy recipes and crafts that make even an ordinary chick like me feel like a domestic goddess.

And along the way I'll be sharing recipes, crafts, stories, and more. Thanks for joining me in the day-to-day chaos I call my life.  :)