My Sweet Boy

Sweet Baby! {Part Two}

MY DAUGHTER IS 13!

So the big day went well. My plan was to make turning the big 13 a very memorable experience for Erinn ~ and it was.

We started the day off by making Erinn's favorite breakfast. I asked her what she wanted and she said BACON. So I took out the frying pan and cooked some bacon. I also made cinnamon rolls and added some grapes.

Erinn loved it ~ and so did Connor and I!

For the rest of the day, we let Erinn relax. Connor and I cleaned the house while Erinn was Princess for the Day {she ending up helping in the end ~ I think she felt guilty watching Connor and I slave away.}

Connor and I also made decorations for the party. I found a fun ~ and easy~ pom pom project on the MS website and made large and small pom poms with tissue paper and floral wire.

I also wrapped a few cheap pails that I picked up at Target for $1 each in some cute fabric and ribbon and filled them with flowers that matched the pom poms.

And finally, I made a "Happy Birthday" Banner that we hung in the living room. I found some paper designs on the internet and added the letters in publisher. I think they turned out great!

Erinn is developing into a fantastic cook and so she was in charge of making dinner. I know, who wants to cook dinner on your birthday. But when you are 13, it is fun!! Erinn made her world famous {or maybe just family famous} Stuffed Pasta Shells and Caesar Salad. DELICIOUS!!

In addition to decorations, I made a variety of cupcakes for our "cupcake bar" {I did a "candy bar" for Connor's birthday and wanted to do something similar but different}! I made lemon chiffon cupcakes with lemon curd buttercream frosting, margarita cupcakes with lime buttercream frosting, and "the best" chocolate cupcakes that need no frosting.

And they ALL disappeared!!!

Family came over for dinner to celebrate the big 13. {my dad, step-mom, brother, and aunt came ~ declan's brother and fiance were there as well. everyone else called to wish Erinn a Happy Birthday!}

Everyone raved about the dinner and couldn't believe how good it was! It was a great party!

Look for my next post. In a continuing celebration, I am taking Erinn out for a day of beauty tomorrow {thank goodness for gift certificates!}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERINN!

Sweet Baby! {Part One}

Today is my daughter's 13th birthday. 13. I am officially the mom of a teenager. The years have flown by. It seems like just yesterday I met her for the very first time. Now she is becoming a smart, beautiful, independent, incredible, young lady. I am so proud of her.

To celebrate this very special milestone, our family is coming over for dinner tonight. Erinn is making her world famous stuffed pasta shells {did I mention she loves to cook ~ and is becoming quite good at it?} I am making 4 different types of cupcakes. Check back later for pictures and more!

Happy Birthday Erinn!

Sweet Beets!

I love beets. I bought some at the store the other day and wanted to make a beet and goat cheese salad. But since no one else in my family likes goat cheese I had to think of something else. Instead, Erinn (my daughter) and I made an orange and beet salad. Boy was it GOOD!

First I roasted the beets in the oven for an hour and 15 minutes. Once they were cool enough to handle, I peeled off the skin and chopped into bite size pieces.

Next, we made the dressing - very simple. Just oil, vinegar, dry mustard and some seasoning.

Erinn peeled two oranges and I sliced half a red onion.



We put it all together with some mixed lettuce and candied walnuts.



Yummy!

A Sweet Win!

Tonight I entered my first cupcake contest and I came in 2nd place!

Since losing my job in April, I have discovered a love of baking. Initially it started as a way to fill my time and to have fun with my kids, I now realize I have a knack for this. I love the creativity of it all, especially when people finally taste the creations!

So after spending some time on the internet last month, I found a local group who "meets up" once a month for their own cupcake contest. Pretty interesting.... I decided to sign up for email alerts. A week later they emailed to say the next contest would be July 26th and the secret ingredient this month would be ..............wait for it .......................... CURRY.

CURRY! How do you make a cupcake with curry in it. Initially I thought this was going to be difficult. Then I remembered how much I love pumpkin bread and I thought that a curry pumpkin cupcake would be perfect for this contest.

But, after more thought, I wanted to make sure my cupcake was unique. Pumpkin curry seemed like something others would make {and they did ~ there were 2 pumpkin curries at the contest!}. Then in hit me. Curry Spice Cake with Apples and Raisins! My mom used to make Apple Spice Cake all the time when I was a kid and I loved it. And, when I was in college, I worked at a soup restaurant where we served Mulligatawny Soup {an apple curry soup from India}.

I found my mom's old recipe and made some adjustments {added curry and sour cream ~ my secret weapon to a super moist cake!}. To top the cupcake, I made a homemade cream cheese frosting and added cinnamon and curry. And finally, I chopped an apple and cooked it along with some butter, sugar, curry, cinnamon, and brandy. I made 6 dozen mini cupcakes ~ 3 dozen for the contest and the rest for home {although my brother-in-law ate most of those before I got home from the contest!}

They really were the perfect combination!!! AND I WON 2ND PLACE ~ WOO HOO!

Here are the recipes:

Curry Spice Cupcakes with Apples and Raisins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 apples ~ peeled, cored and chopped
• ½ cup raisins

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in the pan.
   
2. Cover raisins with warm water, let soak for 10 minutes and then drain.
3. Mix flour, spices, baking soda and salt together; set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
5. Stir in the flour mixture, apples and raisins and blend well.
6. Pour batter into cupcake pans.
7. Back each batch of mini cupcakes for approximately 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. {Please adjust cooking time if making regular sized cupcakes or a full sized cake.}
8. Cool in pan. Once cool, remove to platter, frost, and top with cooked apples.

Curry Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth; Mix in vanilla.
2. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and curry. Beat until smooth.

Curry Cinnamon Cooked Apple Topping

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 apple ~ peeled, cored and chopped
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon brandy

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add apple, sugar, cinnamon, and curry. Cook for five minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the brandy and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. When apples are cooked through, remove from heat and let cool before topping the cupcakes.

The Sweetest Pie! Peach Blueberry Heaven!

This is my son's favorite pie and the perfect dessert on a summer night! I know it looks messy...but it tastes sooooo good. Here is my recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Pie Crust Recipe
• 3 and 1/2 pounds ripe peaches
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Cups blueberries
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup {packed} light-brown sugar
• 1/3 Cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

__________________________________________________

1. Prepare your pie crust {or use a purchase one}. Gently transfer the curst to the center o a pie plate. Open the dough and press it lightly in the plate to fit. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Place in the refrigerator to keep cold.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
3. Cut an "X" in the bottom of each peach. Drop the peaches into a pot of boiling water or one to two minutes. Remove to a bowl. When the peaches are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off. They should come off easily. Cut the peaches into 1/2-inch slices and place in a bowl. Toss with lemon juice.
4. Add the blueberries, vanilla, brown sugar, 1/3 Cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Twoss well.
5. Lightly brush the bottom crust with egg white (save the left over egg white to put on the top crust befor baking).
6. Spoon the filling into the pie crust and dot with butter.
7. Cut the top crust into 1/2-inch wide strips and make a lattice cover over the filling. Trim the overhanging crust and press the edges together. Crimp decoratively.
8. Brush the lattice crust and the rim with the rest of the egg white. Sprinkle the top pie crust with the remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar.
9. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until it is golden and the juice are bubbling over, about 60 minutes. If the top is getting too dark, tent the pie with foil. let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving.
10. ENJOY!