Make Your Own Cupcake Wrappers

A reader named Josh Pearce sent me a comment on the blog today.  He and his wife have a site where you can download and make your own cupcake wrappers with 105 patterns to choose from.  (there are free patterns and premium patterns to purchase). Thanks Josh for sharing your link!

 Make Cupcake Wrappers

 

Here are two of my favorites....

London Day 3: Tower of London cupcakes

The Tower of London.  I lost my head over their cupcakes! 

Not really but I thought that was funny.  The cake was fairly dry, even for being purchased late in the day, but the buttercream on all three cupcakes was very nice.  The chocolate cupcake was topped with marshmallows covered in chocolate and coconut sprinkles.  Very nice presentation. 

I got to visit all my favorite Henry the VIII places at the Tower and even went in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula on the grounds to see the burial sites of Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard (wives 2 & 5).  The Crown Jewels were magnificent!

London Day 2: Harrod's Cupcakes & Jack the Ripper

Yesterday's passport drama is behind me so on to the cupcakes!  We went to Harrod's this morning and I have to say it was quite overwhelming plus it really is no fun shopping when there is little chance you can actually purchase anything. Well, you can purchase things but you must be prepared to pay...and pay...and pay. 

The Food Hall at Harrod's is worth the trip, even if you don't venture anywhere else in the store. Any type of food you can think of is there (and some I had never thought of).  Amazing!  I bought vegetable samosas with mango chutney and then picked out four mini cupcakes for $3 each. Since it is highly frowned upon to eat your purchases inside the store, we took our munchies outside and sat with the pigeons.  (message for Kristi...absolutely NO picnicking at Harrod's!)

We ended our evening with a Jack the Ripper tour that started at Tower Hill and ended near the Liverpool tube station.  We were starving after all that murder & mayhem so we found a pub and had fish & chips.  We drank shandies (a combination of beer & lemonade) and even though I do not drink beer, I must say that I could have drunk a pitcher of those!

Cupcake box from Harrod's

red velvet, coconut, lemon & chocolate minis

eating outside with the pigeons

cupcake carnage

London Day 1: A Tale of Two Passports but no cupcake

 

For those of you who didn’t follow our blog from the New York trip last fall, Shelly and I are having déjà vu all over again.  In NYC it was Shelly’s iPhone….in London it was my passport.  If you need a review, see the Day 1 NYC blog entry (www.whathappensinnycstaysinnyc.blogspot.com). 

We arrived in London late last night and got to the hotel around midnight.  We checked in with our passports, got into the elevator, and approached the door to our room.  Shelly opened the door with her key and I put my key inside my passport…and that was the last time I saw my passport.  We got up this morning and started out for our first day in London, but my passport was nowhere to be found. 

After searching frantically (emphasis on frantic), I decided to go to the U.S. Embassy to initiate the passport replacement process.  Did you know the U.S. Embassy in London is like Fort Knox?  You are not allowed to just go in.  You have to make arrangements in advance to get an appointment to be allowed access.  If you want to have a car accident or heart attack, please make sure to give them plenty of notice…and download the forms before you lose consciousness. 

To make a long story short, after six panic-filled hours, the passport was located in a slot in my suitcase, which had been searched no less than five times by different people.  Why a tale of two passports?  Because Shelly thought she had her passport in her messenger bag, and when we got back to the hotel, the passport was sitting on the nightstand.  Both passports are currently locked in the hotel safe.

On a better note...we went to the Queen's Theatre to see Les Miserables.  Fantastic production and the vocal talent was amazing, especially the little girl who played Cosette as a child.  After the show we ate a brilliant steak and shared sweet potato fries with a couple from Venezuela who were honeymooning in London.

Since we didn't have time to find a cupcake today, Buttercream (everybody's favorite traveling cupcake) insisted on posing with the two passports!

Recipe of the Week is on Holiday!

I am flying to London today...will be blogging from London and Paris for the next nine days!

Flaming Strawberry Cupcakes

My niece Payton sent me a link yesterday to a blog called Sprinkle Bakes.  The blog post featured a chocolate cupcake with flaming strawberry topper.  The author gives detailed instructions for creating the flaming strawberries....one of the most beautiful presentations I have ever seen.   You MUST visit the blog and make some of these (but do not eat the flaming strawberry)!

Sprinkle Bakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries

Sprinkle Bakes

via Google images

Henry VIII & A Cupcake

I am leaving for London in two days and I can't wait to get to the Tower of London.  I am a Henry VIII freak so when I found this on Yay!Tumblr I could not believe it.  My two favorite things:  Henry VIII and a cupcake.

I will be blogging from London & Paris over the next 10 days (if the InterWeb gods are willing and the creek don't rise).

Yay!Everyday

Dreamscicle Cupcakes

Worked a 12 hour shift in the ER yesterday and everyone seemed to be having a sinking spell mid-afternoon....so we sent someone down the street to the local grocery store to see what was available.  Orange Dreamscicle cupcakes!  And they really tasted like orange dreamscicles.  I am no great photographer, but I did sprinkle some coffee beans on the stark white plate for a garnish. 

Cappuccino Cupcakes

I came across this beautiful photo today and it made me crave a cappuccino.  I wanted to drink this cupcake and then look in the mirror to see my white icing moustache....that is the essence of art. 

  Tlemetry

(Flickr photostream)

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States.  First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 pm local time.  Please honor those who have given their lives for our freedom and thank those who are currently serving. 

GinaMig

via Google Search