For the Love of Cupcakes

 Pumpkin, spice, carrot pineapple, Margarita OH MY! I am dedicating this blog to my love of cupcakes. Slowly over the years I have learned the value of a good cupcake without Betty Crocker's assistance. A good homemade cupcake will have you throwing out the box the next time you have a hankering for chocolate zucchini cupcakes with a cream cheese glaze.

Recently I tried a new recipe, courtesy of my sister, Wine Induced Eats, for Margarita Cupcakes. With Spring Time coming up, it sounded like the most perfect, refreshing cupcake. Bonus? They have tequila in them! Carbo loaded alcohol? My favorite!

Last November on our trip to Mexico, we were lucky enough to have stayed right in front of the most wonderful beach bar ever. Fresh squeezed Margaritas for days! Fifty pesos for two? Yes, please.


These cupcakes surely brought me back to my Mexico days. Can I eat a margarita cupcake and walk down the beach? Probably not, but I really wanted to. Sauza tequila, fresh grated limes, lime juice, soy milk divinity. Not real divinity, but divine none the less. They smelled almost as good as they tasted. The aroma of the fresh lime made my desire for Summertime and fresh Margaritas explode. The buttercream margarita frosting was incredible. I sprinkled a little sea salt on the frosting, to give them the true margarita flavor. To my disappointment I ran out of confectioners sugar while I was making the frosting, making it extremely runny. The cupcakes themselves were slightly dense, with the oil involved they had good moisture but I would probably cut it down next time.

Girls annual beach trip next month, I am thinking these will be the perfect pair to our ocean side hot tub. Cheers!

Carrot Pineapple with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Pineapple

My Week in Pictures

As I sit on my enormous leather couch, munching on homemade Almond Roca, I am trying to come up with the appropriate words to describe my previous week. In Food Terms; Delicious, Aromatic, Crunchy, Decadent... Bittersweet.

Today I took my Sunday paper apart, page for page, and went coupon clipping. Cooking the way I do, you have to be a savvy shopper. Someday I aspire to be that crazy coupon lady on TV that has the grocery store pay her for all of her savings. Alas - I still break the bank nearly every time I go.

Today I got fixin's to make French Dip Sandwiches. Again. I added a little spin opposed to how I had made them last week; plain. Mashed avocado, sauteed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, all atop a toasted french roll with all natural roast beef and horseradish brown mustard. The words, "this is blog-worthy" came out of Ollie's mouth, mushrooms dripping off the back of his sandwich. It was absolutely the best sandwich I have ever made. Best? Yes, best. Mushrooms + Avocado = Bliss. The combination was absolutely divine, and I am pretty proud!

My descriptive skills are lacking this evening, as I am purely exhausted and already snuggling with my smallest pup, but I will not leave you without imagery.

Flavorful, Flamboyant, Friggin' delicious French Dips

Mushrooms Courtesy of FIS

Thursday Night's Chicken Ceaser Salad

Homemade Garlic Bread

It's true, I love salad.

Sauteed Mushrooms, NY Strip Steak & Garlic Bread