Bring Me the Head of Bucky Badger

My older daughter is graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison later this month. Bucky is their beloved mascot so, I thought it would be perfect in cake:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Valentines Treat

This is what I threw together for our family Valentines Dinner:

Emergency cupcakes with leftover pastry cream. Drag a toothpick through the middle of the cream to make the heart and top with red sandy sugar. Simple. That's love:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Cookie Dough Balls for Charity

I have two charity events coming up in which I am donating my wonderful cookie dough balls. One was fall themed:

And the other were snowballs:

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Sugar Cookie Pumpkins

I relapsed this weekend but before I got sick again, I made these cute Sugar Cookie Pumpkins for my youngest's classroom party:

And, in order to keep on track with my new lease on life, I am making sure that there is always one dessert in the house. That way, we aren't jonesing for sweets. We have our reward for doing good at the end of the day:-) I made a few extra of these and without the embellishments, it is actually not that bad for you: One cookie is 133 calories and 6 grams of fat. Everything in moderation.

As for my health, I am still being tackled by my hormones. They are making me very sick and I have to be on them for another month until they can implement a permanent solution to my problem. So, send me all your positive energy. I am going to need all the help that I can get!


Playing along with Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom .

Lemony Fruit Dessert Cups

The perfect end to a 4th of July barbeque!

I am doing my menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. So, here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! Lemons were on sales at Pick N Save for .59/each (normally 75/each)and they are HUGE! The strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream was on sale too! So, I grabbed a bunch of all of those to make my featured recipe today:

Lemony Fruit Dessert Cups
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup Lemon juice
5 oz unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
18 dessert cups
1 lb strawberries
1 lb blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or any mixture of berries desired
8 oz whipped cream
Mint sprigs for garnish
Powdered sugar for garnish

1. Prepare and ice-water bath. Set a medium bowl in ice-water bath and set aside.

2. Place sugar and lemon zest in a mortar and grind with a pestle to combine and release the oils. Transfer sugar mixture to a medium heatproof bowl along with eggs and egg yolks; whisk to combine. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Add lemon juice and continue whisking until mixture is thick and reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add butter and whisk until well combined.

3. Strain lemon mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over prepared bowl. Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly onto surface. Transfer to refrigerator until completely chilled.

4. To plate, take one dessert cup and fill the center with a scoop of lemon curd. Top with strawberries and/or blueberries. Finish with a dallop of whipped cream and garnish with mint and a shake of powdered sugar.

Servings: 18

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/18 of a recipe (5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 2 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 270.91
Calories From Fat (34%) 90.92
% Daily Value
Total Fat 10.28g 16%
Saturated Fat 5.49g 27%
Cholesterol 145.75mg 49%
Sodium 113.94mg 5%
Potassium 140.55mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Fiber 1.37g 5%
Sugar 29.23g
Protein 4.46g 9%

Recipe Type
Dessert, Summer

Tips
This same recipe can be used to make any flavor curd by substituting another acid for the lemon. For example, I made passion fruit curd for an ICM challenge but you could do orange, lime or any other tropic fruit juice.

Source
Author: Susan Ewing



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Pro/Am Cupcake Clash!

Oh my gosh you guys!! This challenge was Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee on crack!!! 2000 people came through the doors this Sunday to sample the best that Milwaukee has to offer in "Perfect Pair" cupcakes. I mean, look at this crowd!!!



Of course, I was there with my submission: Titanic Cupcakes:

When I first heard the theme of Perfect Pairs, this idea of doing the love story from the movie hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't going to do the challenge. After all, it was 500 cupcakes. That's a lot of work. But, when I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about telling the story in cupcakes on a 6-foot boat display, I knew I had to do it. So Sunday was my exorcism of this idea.

The story of Jack and Rose was the center of my theme. Jack was represented in Cracker Jack Cupcakes:

These were peanut butter cheesecake on a popcorn crust with caramel topping and garnished with a single piece of popcorn.

And Rose was Heart of the Ocean Cupcakes:

They were blue velvet cupcakes with sea foam frosting.

I didn't win but, I did get to meet Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes:

A HUGE thank-you going out to Sandy Ploy who put this enormous event! This is definitely one to remember:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Birthday Bowling Cake

This weekend, I tackled a birthday cake for my youngest. Her party was at a bowling alley so of course, I had to attempt a bowling ball and pin cakes.


These were my first carved cakes so, they are very rough. If I was doing these for a paying customer, I would have redone them. But, the kids didn't mind the horrible work:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

There is nothing wrong with that title:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Ladies' Night Cookies

Welcome new readers from Ladies' Night. I hope you enjoy looking around and if you see anything you like, email me at sewing@wi.rr.com for a custom order:-)

For my regular readers, I was asked to make these cookies for a Ladies' Night event last night. I just made sugar cookies, dipped them in chocolate and topped them with a chocolate transfer. Chocolate transfers are designs that are made in coco powder and put on acetate sheets. When you put them on melted chocolate and peel away the sheet, it transfers the design...hence the name:-) Anyway, here is what I came up with:

White Chocolate Floral

White Chocolate Purple Shells

White Chocolate Rose

Chocolate Lace

Chocolate Damask

White Chocolate Blue Lace

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies!

Tackling Bone Soup

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . Last week, I volunteered to bring treats to the costume party at school. Of course:-) This is what I came up with:

I was inspired by Cookies and Cups' skeleton cupcakes. Mine didn't come out nearly as good as hers but I was happy with my presentation:-)

Tackling Apples

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . My MiL brought me a bushel of apples from the apple orchard. So, I spent the weekend tackling this...

...into this...

...which in turn became this:

An Apple Pie Sundae!! Vanilla ice cream with apple pie filling syrup topped with whipped cream and garnished with peanuts and Poor Man Cookie:-)

Tailgate Cupcakes

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Monday, I competed in the Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Tailgate Challenge. We were given the task of coming up with a cupcake that represents tailgating to you. Here is my submission:

Grilled Strawberry Short Cupcake

Grilled Sponge Cake

Dipped in Strawberry Syrup

Topped with Whipped Cream

Garnished with Fresh Strawberries and Mint

Since I just took my older daughter back to the University of Wisconsin: Madison, my presentation was all about Badgers. I love that you can see the arch of the Hoan Bridge behind us! It's a Milwaukee landmark that leads you to the neighborhood I grew up in so, I thought it was really fitting:-)

I didn't win but with a view like this, I didn't mind at all:

Birthday Cake

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Heck, I am even linking this up to Amy's Round Robin on Keeping Up with the Schultz Family on Friday.

We celebrated my oldest's 20th birthday last week and this is the cake I made:


This is a yellow cake with chocolate ganache filling and iced with chocolate buttercream. The cake is completed with marshmallow fondant and molding chocolate ribbon. It was delicious:-)

Tackling Extreme Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom and Cupcake Tuesday with Hoosier Homemade:-) Last week, I competed in the Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Extreme Cupcake Challenge. Here was my entry:

They were:

If you can read the signs from my stellar photography, they read:

Rock You Like a Hurricane Cupcakes
Lime Cupcakes with
Passion-fruit Curd Filling
Topped with Rum Brown Sugar Meringue Frosting

Just like the hurricane cocktails they serve in New Orleans. I especially liked the frosting. The brown sugar really brought out the rum flavor; more than regular sugar:-)

The display included a boarded up window with a spinning turn-table (which was the eye of the storm), a fan under some fabric to look like waves and those battery votive candles under cotton to look like lighting. I didn't win but I sure loved creating this extreme weather and flavored cupcakes:-)

Next month...tailgating cupcakes...hmmmm....what to do....what to do?

Tackling an Anti-Birthday Cake

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This weekend, I held a dinner party for a bunch of my friends who also turned 40 this year. To that regard, I thought it would be funny to make an Anti-Birthday cake:-) This is what I came up with:

I thought it was really appropriate for the ocassion:-)

Tackling Candy Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . I tackled another Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Challenge and this time, the theme/ingredient was Candy. Since I have a young daughter at home, I immediately thought of Candyland. Here is what it looked like:

They were Funfetti cupcakes with peppermint frosting and sugar cookie playing pieces. I did six of the characters in full size cupcakes:

Plumpy

Mr. Mint

Grandma Nut

Princess Lolly

Queen Frosting

King Candy

Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie with great recipes:-)

I am so glad that I have a lighter week:-)I have to take Mom for a haircut and volunteering twice. That's it!! Maybe I should not publicize that...my phone might start ringing:-)

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). I guess I was wrong; this is the last week and they left dessert for the last course!! Fitting, don't you think? The chef of choice is Warren Brown. There isn't much on The Food Network so, I took to the net and found his Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake. His recipes are dummy-proof because he breaks EVERYTHING done. Check it out below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-) Wish me luck:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Chicken and Pasta
Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake for Appreciation Breakfast (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Wednesday: Pork Chops (Hair Cut)

Thursday: Leftovers (Volunteering)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering)

Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp potato starch
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 ea very ripe peeled bananas
3/4 cup half and half
1 Tbsp rum
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks

Directions:
1. Spray a bundt pan well with a nonstick spray.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (conventional) or 335°F (convection). Set rack in the middle of the oven.

3. Measure the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and whisk for 10 seconds to blend. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should look white, fluffy, and aerated.

5. With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolks, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.

6. Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the liquid mixture in 3 to 5 additions each, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Move swiftly through this step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.

7. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl all the way down. Don’t miss the clumps of ingredients hiding on the bottom of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.

8. Fill the pan about three-quarters full by depositing the batter with the rubber spatula in small clumps around the prepared pan instead of by pouring it into one spot. Level the batter with the rubber spatula.

9. Bake 45 minutes.

10. Once the top of the cake doesn’t jiggle in the center and is golden brown across the top and edges, test for doneness by inserting a bamboo skewer in the center of the cake. When the skewer shows just a touch of crumbs or comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heat- resistant surface or wire rack.

11. Once the cake has cooled for 5 to 10 minutes, remove the cake by inverting the pan onto a flat surface. Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before glazing.

Servings: 12

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (5.5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 543.46
Calories From Fat (45%) 245.03
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27.82g 43%
Saturated Fat 16.64g 83%
Cholesterol 189.55mg 63%
Sodium 158.55mg 7%
Potassium 150.08mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 69.03g 23%
Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugar 49.64g
Protein 5.84g 12%

Recipe Type
Dessert

Source
Author: Warren Brown
Source: Cookstr
Web Page: http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/mr-banana-legs

Recipe Cost: $7.46
Serving Cost: $.62

Tackling Cheese Cupcakes

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This week, I tackled another Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Challenge and this time it was Cheese!! Well, I couldn't pass up a chance to showcase my famous Chocolate Cheesecake and here they are:

I made chocolate cheesecake cupcakes with a chocolate truffle snuggled in the center of chocolate candy clay to make Brown-Eyed Susan flowers. I added the flowers to a window box to make:


Can you believe that people actually thought that I was Suzy from Suzy's Cheesecake? Too funny!!! Here I am in all my presentation glory:

And I say glory because:

I don't know if you can make it out but, the score board says, I WON!! First for presentation and second for taste:-) Yeah Me!! What a fun event!

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Happy Friday Followers! I want to win some cash! Midday Escapades told me that Toothsoap.com is going to sponsor a special GRAND giveaway exclusively for Friday Followers: three $100 prizes....cash!! Check it out:

With all my giveaways and crafts and painting, I completely forgot to show you guys the cupcakes I made for my daughter's Student of the Week reign.

At my daughter's school, right around their birthday, each child gets to be Student of the Week in their classroom. As part of this wonderful celebrations, the kids fill out a book and a poster that tells all about them. They write about their hobbies, their likes, their dislikes and their favorite things. Since my daughter's favorite dinner is spaghetti, I thought it would be fun to do Hello, Cupcake!'s Spaghetti Cupcakes and here they are:

Don't they look real? She provides such great instruction, there is no way I could screw them up. The kids loved them and my daughter loved being the center of attention:-)

Tackling Yet Another Cake

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . Well, it doesn't look the greatest but it was soooooo good!!

Chocolate cake with Martha's Peanut butter frosting. Yummo!!