By Lisa Gutierrez on 04/13/2010
The cupcake of the month (and maybe the year..) is Chocolate and Chilli! Again, I got the recipe from 500 Cupcakes. The batter was pretty hot and I was a little worried. Then, I ate a warm cupcake and it was kind of amazing. THEN, I made the frosting (!!) and oh my God! It was DELICIOUS! Like, all the flavors melted together and kindly left me ugghhhmmming in the kitchen for a few minutes. Yeah, I ate two cupcakes today. SUE ME!
The frosting calls for Tia Maria, a coffee liqueur. I’m sure you can find it in any liquor store, but we used it as a reason to go to our favorite liquor/specialty foods & cheeses store, Spec’s. We visit the downtown Houston location, which is a pretty big warehouse with endless amounts of beer, wine, liquor, gourmet foods, cheeses, and an awesome deli ($2.50 po-boys! get ’em! they’re amazinggg). It was pricey, but I think it’s worth it. Same goes for the dutch-process cocoa and chipotle chilli powder. These are probably the priciest homemade cupcakes I’ve ever made! But. Seriously, guys. I wish I could email them to everyone I know because I think I’m going to marry it. They were that good.
I want to share the recipe, but that might be illegal, since it’s from a book. You should probably buy it, anyway. It’s cheap and there are 500 variations of cupcakes in it. A cupcake book! Everyone loves cupcakes.
By Lisa Gutierrez on 04/11/2010 I always want seconds. That’s how I remember how to spell the word. It’s true, though. Ask my gut.
If you’re friends with me on Flickr, you probably saw this photo, last week.
#4 on my 25 before 26 list was to try a new cupcake recipe each month. I JUST made the deadline, as it was already the last day of March. I made banana cupcakes. This isn’t the first time I’ve made these, but it is the first time I’ve shared a photo of them, so I’ll count it off my list.
I’m not too big on frosting, so these were naked. The recipe (in 500 cupcakes, which was gifted to me by my awesome mother-in-law on Christmas) called for a cream cheese frosting. I think the reason I don’t usually frost my cupcakes (MUFFINS?!) is that I suck at making frosting. Maybe I should practice, this year. Perhaps by my next birthday, I’ll be able to successfully ice an entirely from-scratch cake.
Check out all the desserts entries at I ♥ Faces, this week. They will make you crave something sweet, even though it’s almost midnight, you’ve just brushed your teeth, and are all ready for bed. Perhaps that cheesecake in my fridge really did call my name, as I was walking down the hall. Perhaps…
By Lisa Gutierrez on 03/18/2010 That’s me! Hello!
Well, it’s Spring Break around these parts. My kidlet has been home all week and has gone buckwild. I have even conceded to *gasp!* video games on a weekday, some afternoons! He’s usually only allowed to play Friday evening & Saturday afternoons. Alas, I need a break from wrangling and the never-ending “mama. mommy. ma. mom. mom. mommy…” parade. Who knew those 3 hours he goes to school every weekday were so coveted? Not I.
Another excuse for my lack of blog posts is that house-hunting consumes about 95% of my internet-time. That endeavor is just FRUSTRATING, to say the least. I’m getting discouraged. Really, really! It’s a seemingly never-ending cycle of find a house we like, get more info, walk through it, hate it, look some more, find another house we like, get more info, walk through it, hate it….and so on! That is such a first-world problem, but GAH! Make it stop, already. I want it to be July. I want to have a patio and get sun burned in my own backyard. Thankyouverymuch.
I did get a chance to take my weekly self-portrait, today. Little victories.
By Lisa Gutierrez on 03/07/2010
So. As you may very well know, I turn 25, today. I’m still a baby, yes. A baby with babies, if you will.
I have seen this sort of list on a few blogs I frequent. A list comprised of “goals” to complete before the next birthday. I’ve been adding to this list for the better part of two months. I don’t know what this says about me, but IT WAS TOUGH! If I do this every year, I have no idea what the heck I’ll be listing. I’d *like* to imagine this means I feel fulfilled, but maybe it just means I’m unimaginative and not daring enough. Either way, I hope to come back to this post through-out the year to strike some off. I’ll let you know when I do. A few will have to wait until next March to meet their fate.
In no particular order, here is my list of 25 things to do before I turn 26:
1. buy a house (Our new home!)
2. take a photo of myself every week
3. 25 handmade gifts
4. 12 cupcakes from scratch (1 recipe a month)
5. 52 TtV shots (1 every week, or all in one day)
6. learn to drive (*shame*)
7. take a road trip (San Antonio!)
8. make a big-people quilt
9. make a granny square blanket
10. sew something at least once a month
11. lose 25 lbs
12. kiss on a bridge
13. end the engagement
14. paint something
15. frame something
16. make a new friend
17. walk on a beach
18. make a wreath (I made a few!)
19. make a piece of furniture (I’m counting my pseudo-ottoman: http://goodknits.com/blog/2010/08/19/ottoawesome/)
20. have a giveaway every other month (starting today!) I had several giveaways over the year! So happy.
21. throw a party We had many in our new home!
22. establish date night
23. spend a night without Andrew (where’d my baby go?)
24. get the goodknits shop going It’s here! http://www.etsy.com/shop/omgknits
25. blog more consistently (at least twice a week) I believe I’m fairly consistent, now. I don’t leave you guys for weeks anymore. :)
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