Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Cupcake Ear Buds

These cupcake earbuds will make music on your iPod (or whatever device you use) sound even better!


available from Amazon
$16.95

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Giant Hostess Cupcake

This is really a cake...but it is a cake that is supposed to be a hostess cupcake.  Sweet! 





Monday, July 11, 2011

Cupcake Costume

This is my halloween costume this year...except I must change the hat and the shoes!  It is available from many sources, but Amazon has the best price.


available from Amazon
$33.90


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Curd-Filled Angel Food Cupcakes

The inspiration for this week's recipe comes from a giant lemon I found at Wal-Mart.  I don't usually buy Wal-Mart produce, but this lemon was huge...so I took it home.  I also have the same cupcake wrappers used in the photo. I love these wrappers, but I had to buy 2000 of them for a wedding cupcake display.  That was the minimum order so I now have a lifetime supply.




(original photo by Beth Dreiling Hontzas)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Last Space Shuttle Launch

Today is a little sad for me because I just watched the last space shuttle launch. I started thinking about all the launches I have seen.  On July 20, 1969 I watched the first moon landing while looking out the window at the moon and thinking "there are men walking around up there right now."  I was at a nursing conference in Nashville, TN when the first shuttle landed.  The person giving the lecture stopped and asked the audio-visual guy to switch to the broadcast of the first shuttle landing....amazing to watch the shuttle Columbia on a huge screen.  My heart was beating out of my chest as the shuttle touched down and the astronauts got out. 

Over the years, I have been fortunate to watch most of the shuttle launches and landings.  I was driving at the time of the shuttle Challenger disaster but was listening to the launch on the radio and remembering the knot in my stomach as the announcer's voice said "something is wrong."

I got to see the shuttle flying piggyback on a 747 as it returned to Florida after a landing at Edwards Air Force Base.  That was impressive. 

I was presenting my dissertation data at a conference in Orlando and was flying home very early in the morning.  I knew there would be a shuttle launch that morning so I got up at 3 am to be at the airport and past security before the launch.  I remember running to the large windows just in time to see the shuttle clear the trees.  It was a clear day so I watched until the booster rockets were released and fell to earth. 

So...as I sat watching the shuttle Atlantis leave Kennedy Space Center for the last time ever, I was a little sad.  I don't know what NASA has in store for the future, but I feel privileged to have seen so much in my lifetime. 

A cupcake toast to the space shuttles!

Enterprise (test flights only), Columbia, Discovery, Challenger, Atlantis, Endeavor




Thursday, July 7, 2011

A Balanced Diet

A t-shirt is worth a thousand words...




via Etsy


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Cupcake Sandwiches

I have never been a big fan of sandwiches - just never thought of them as real food.  However, a cupcake sandwich is a whole 'nuther animal...give me a platter of these!








Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Cupcake Treasures from World Market

World Market has an abundance of cupcake treasures!  I was there yesterday and bought cupcake tissue paper to put in a gift bag.  They also have cupcake baking kits, plates, napkins....and more. 


World Market cupcake kit
$19.95

World Market cupcake napkins
$5.98 (32 napkins)

World Market cupcake purse gift bags
$11.97 (for 3)



 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy July 4th!

Celebrate our Independence Day with a cupcake!


from Chica and Jo

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Recipe of the Week: Red, White & Blue Cupcakes

Millions of Americans will pack picnic baskets tomorrow to celebrate the Fourth of July Independence Day and many of those baskets will contain cupcakes.  This week's recipe is a variation of the one I used for tie-dyed cupcakes....just with red, white and blue colors.

Red, White & Blue Cupcakes

Make a French Vanilla cupcake mix according to package directions.  Divide the batter into three bowls.  Color one bowl red, one bowl blue and leave the other bowl plain.  Prepare your cupcake pan with liners.  Add one tablespoon of batter to each liner...experiment with batter placement!  Bake as directed on the mix and cool completely.

Frost the cupcakes with your favorite vanilla buttercream or use premade Fluffy White frosting.  For toppers, I made red and blue gum paste stars, but you can also use patriotic sprinkles or July 4th cupcake picks!



from the photostream of TidyMom
via Flickr