cupcake heaven

Have I mentioned that Marko likes to bake?

Well, he does.

And he's really good at it.

Cakes,

muffins,

spiced breads,

and, as of this weekend,

cupcakes.

Delicious cupcakes.

This weekend we had a surprise 60th birthday party for Marko's dad

and Marko made 120 cupcakes.

Chocolate Mocha cupcakes with Cinnamon Mocha frosting.

Blueberry Pancake cupcakes with Maple frosting (don't knock it til you've tried it!).

Cream-filled Chocolate cupcakes with Cookies 'n Cream frosting.

Peanutbutter cupcakes with Nutella and Whipped Cream frosting.

And my favorite...

Cream-filled Key Lime cupcakes with Cocoanut Meringue.

Oh yum!

The picture doesn't even do them justice.

They. Are. So. Good.

Excuse me, while I go eat the rest of them.

rice krispie treats (not a recipe)

Rice Krispie treats are evil.

In a good way though.

This is the one treat that I can't get enough of.

This ooey-gooey, sweet and crunchy yumminess.

I could easily eat the whole pan by myself (but I didn't!).

This time, I had a little help.

raw(e) this week

The RAW(e) photo challenge for this week was...

This Week

The challenge was to take a picture this week and of anything and post it. 

Fresh, new, current. 

No digging through archives to find the photo.

Our week hasn't been very eventful (hence the late posting). 

But, this morning as Sam and I were eating breakfast, I glanced over and saw this

Sam had turned every one of his strawberries over and was balancing them on their tops. For some reason it made me chuckle and reminded me of some kind of abstract sculptural exhibit. 

Well, that was the highlight of my day (don't be jealous!). 

Now, for some real adventure, head on over to Sailor and Co. and check out the other RAW (e) photos. 

wedding fish

Here is a simple recipe for the yummiest fish EVER!!!  I call it Wedding Fish because if you are dating and you make it for your Honey, you WILL be marrying him/her in the near future!

Wedding Fish 

(otherwise known as Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce)

Ingredients

4 teaspoons flour, divided

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

large zip-top bag

5–6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley (optional)

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup white wine

Steps

1. Place 3 teaspoons flour and seasoned salt in zip-top bag; shake to mix and set aside. Chop (rinsed) parsley coarsely, leaves only, and measure (2 tablespoons). Slice (rinsed) lemon in half. Set both aside.

2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Check fish for bones by pressing on fillet with finger tips and remove. Add fish to zip-top bag; seal tightly and shake to coat. Wash hands.

3. Place 1 tablespoon butter in pan and swirl to coat. Add fish (wash hands) and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter to center of pan. Turn fillets, using spatula, distributing butter under each fillet. Cook 3 more minutes until fish is golden and flakes easily. Place fish on serving plates.

4. Place remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon flour, wine and juice from lemon in sauté pan. Heat 1–2 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir parsley into butter sauce and serve over fish.

Serves 4

raw(e) chocolate

 

What is RAW(e)??

A weekly photo contest from Sailor & Company! The object is to capture a themed photo each week and post it sans modification... no editing, no picnik, no photoshop, no lightroom, no boost....etc. Just click and post. The winner each week will have their blog featured on Sami's RAW(e) link...and maybe a tangible prize as well!

So...this week's theme is chocolate! Yum!

 

Now, head on over to Sami's blog to see the rest of these yummy photos!

sweet & savory mashed potatoes

Oh. My. Word.
This takes mashed potatoes to a whole 'nother level! It has become a new staple at our Thanksgiving Dinner.

 

Ingredients

• 3 1/2  pounds  baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1  tablespoon  salt, divided
• 1  (29-ounce) can sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed
• 1  (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 10  bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4  cup  light sour cream
• 2/3  cup  chicken broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  pepper
• Garnish: crumbled bacon

Preparation

Bring potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven ( or large pot); cook 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Return potatoes to Dutch oven. Add sweet potatoes and cream cheese; mash until smooth with a potato masher. Stir in 2/3 of the bacon, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining bacon over the top.

the greatest thing since sliced bread...

...or whatever other culinary invention fills you with delight. Okay, maybe that's taking it too far.

HOWEVER, I recently came across this site: www.e-mealz.com (thanks to a friend) that provides complete dinner plans for each day of the week for $5 a month! Hooray! No more staring blankly into the freezer or cupboard at 5pm, wondering "WHAT in the world am I going to make tonight!" The best part is that they utilize the sales at your local Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger, ALDI, or Ralph's grocery stores to save you cash as well. If you do not have one of these stores in your area you can still utilize the meal plans. The plans are diet specific as well: vegetarian, low-carb, point system, meals for 2, or meals for 4-6. What could be better?!?

Well, except, maybe sliced bread.