1.28.2011

what to do, what to do

I had resolved to not make any more cupcakes until I lost 5 pounds.
And then it snowed.
And I've been stuck in the house with kids for three days.
So I broke my resolution.
Happily.

Ingredients
  • 24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I only used 3 cups and it was plenty sweet)
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • Oreo cookie crumbs (for garnish)
  • 24 oreo cookies, halved (for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
  2. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and 6 tablespoons of butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Beat in 3-4 cups of confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

It was well worth it.





Cupcake Tuesday at HoosierHomemade.com

1.27.2011

Snow Day

We've had our first official "SNOW day" of the season today (ice and dustings of snow don't count even though the kids had no school)!  The snow accumulations compare nothing to last years, but the heavy, wetness of it all made for a fun storm.

The kids had no school yesterday.  
I'm still not sure why.
So we enjoyed the day before the storm came.
We had lunch at Pizza Hut.
Made some cupcakes.
Around 3 it started to hail hard.
 
And then it snowed.  And snowed.  And snowed.  
Within minutes our grass was completely covered with snow for the first time this season!
The kids were thrilled (so was I).
We shoveled.
We made a snowman.
 
When Rob came home, we went sledding. Can you see us in there?  The snow was pouring from the sky.

 
Too much play, no time for dinner.  I heated up leftovers for the kids.
Then the power went off and then on and then off again (around 6:15pm).


So we made a fire and put the little ones to bed in the family room. 
And the older kids, roasted extra large marshmallows in the fireplace. 
The snow was so bright and pretty and heavy and messy, but we were safe and cozy in our home.


 
We couldn't have asked for a better night.


And now for our first "snow day", I've kicked the kids outside for the morning to ENJOY it!!
 (Evan building his own snow cave.)
 (Anna following the neighbors around.)
(Tyler and pals beginnings of a snow fort.)

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the power came back on sometime between 4:30 and 6:00 am.  Rob purchased an indoor propane heater last year that toasted our place right up.  In fact, I was sweating.  So, no worries--we did not freeze!

1.18.2011

Happiness in Family Life

Something I've been thinking about ever since Christmas break when Michelle agreed to take a photo of all 38 of the Chiapelli/Mead family children and their children on one of the coldest days of the year...

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer,repentance,forgiveness,respect, love,compassion,work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

~ The Family: A Proclamation to the World ~
 
 
  I'm happy, blessed, and grateful to be a part of this.
 
 

1.11.2011

New Year. New Cupcake.

So, I told my friend that I would make cupcakes for her sons wedding reception on New Year's Day.

And then I made plans to go away over Christmas break.

I forgot about the cupcakes.  Oops.

But once I was reminded, we rearranged our schedule to come home a day early.

I purchased all of the supplies so I would be ready and we left for our trip.

The day we were to come home to commence the cupcake factory, I came down with a migraine.  It hurt to move and the thought of driving home made me even more nauseous.

My mom, sister and sister-in-law saved the day and helped me make all of the cupcakes at my parents home.  Rob went out and repurchased all of the supplies (never fear, I'll be using them again sometime soon I'm sure--like this Thursday when I make treats for Evan's class).  Seriously, I don't think I would have been able to do it without them.  Merci bien!

On New Year's Eve evening, we boxed the unfrosted cupcakes and drove home.  We made it in at 9:15 that night and I was asleep in my bed by 9:30!  And well rested the next morning to make fillings and frostings.

The three cupcakes made were  Vanilla Raspberry filled Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting, Sea Salt Caramel Cupcakes and Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.  We had cupcakes coming out of our ears!

That's not such a bad thing, is it?!




Linking up to...

HoosierHomemade's Cupcake Tuesday

1.07.2011

Let the crafting begin

So...I'm going to learn how to quilt in 2011!  I'm so excited and so nervous and so glad that I have people around me who know what they're doing and can hold my hand along the way.

This is the quilt I'm going to start with...

I love it!

Speaking of love.
I just finished my newest favorite craft project.  It sparkles.  It jingles.  And it just makes me happy.
And I'm calling it a "winter wreath" because I want to use it NOW!!

I was inspired by a wreath that I saw on a blog, sometime back in December.  I looked all over for it, but I can't find the source to credit them.  (If any one out there knows, let me know).

First I gathered together all of my sweet post-Christmas clearance items...
  And then I glued...
 And glued some more...
 And some more.  Glue strands everywhere.  EVERYWHERE!
I had the world's best helper, too.  She loves this kind of stuff.
 

 Seriously.  This wreath makes me giddy.
 Happy New Year!!