two thumbs up.

what a fabulous 4 day weekend we had!
we spent the weekend munching on delicious food, sleeping in park city, celebrating this gal's bday and getting 99% of our christmas shopping done. it was so great.

now all i have christmas on the brain. school means nothing to me at this point...yikies.
i just can't wait to get our first christmas tree! but until we find the perfect tree, my mini pink tree from target will definitely do...

Sweet treats on a rather sh*tty day

After a grotty morning at work due to vile work colleagues, I escaped at lunchtime and happened to pass a branch of Book Warehouse when I spotted a really cute cupcake diary in the window and as we know if you can't have a cupcake to cheer you up, then cupcake shopping is second best. The diary was £3.99 and they knocked off 50p because the matching pen was missing (it was the last in the shop and I couldn't be bothered to wait for the man to climb into the window, and I thought the queue forming behind me might lynch me - city folks can be vicious at lunchtimes!) and I also picked up this cute little gift bag for £1.

Cupcakes with 20% off ...

Johnny Cupcakes online store has 20% off until 11.59 November 30th (remember the site is base in the US for timezones!). I spotted a couple of cute new tote bags at $19.99 each and I may get myself another tshirt but am deciding which one. I was going to get "make cupcakes not war" but I'm now undecided. I'm thinking maybe the Halloween orange Johnny Cupcakes x-bones logo or the glow in the dark day of the dead inspired one, which kinda reminds me of the old school tattoos I love. Decisions, decisions. If it wasn't for our stupid shipping taxes I'd get both.

All pics copyright Johnny Cupcakes.

Primrose Bakery Chocolate cupcakes = home baked heaven

Firstly, I apologise for the pics, the light and my camera were working against me.

So last weekend, I finally got round to making the chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting from my Primrose Bakery book that I'd been planning since October.

Making the base used pretty much every bowl in my house -there was chocolate to melt, egg yolks to beat, sugar and butter to cream, egg whites to peak - then there was sifting, mixing and folding - all of which took ages. But once they were in the oven all my hard work seemed to be paying off as the smell of chocolate wafting through my house was making my mouth water. The frosting was also a first for me - when I've made chocolate frosting before it's called for cocoa powder, however this recipe called for lashings of freshly melted dark chocolate, which I had to stop Manny from drinking out of the pyrex jug I'd melted it in!

I could barely get them frosted quickly enough for Manny who was hovering round the kitchen waiting to lick the frosting bowl clean. No Maison Cupcake left-over frosting issues in my kitchen! I could use Manny standing eagerly waiting for me to finish as an excuse for my slap-dash approach to cupcake decorating but I really prefer them to look home-made rather than fancy, which is just as well as my attempts at fancy haven't really worked! Next time though I'd just leave them plain without sprinkles or use the chocolate sprinkles as I think the colour sprinkles look a bit odd on the chocolate frosting! The silver balls are for Manny as he loves them for some reason - I find they just hurt my teeth!

So, the important part - how did they taste? Firstly I'm not a fan of chocolate frosting (much to Manny's horror) and I found this frosting to be one of the nicest I've ever tasted. It was almost like a thick chocolate mousse and not too sweet (maybe due to the dark chocolate in it?). The base was really soft and very chocolaty - the denseness of the chocolate reminded me of a chocolate brownie, but the sponge was lighter. All in all one of the nicest cupcakes I've ever baked. If you're a fan of chocolate cupcakes, or know someone who is, I highly recommend the Primrose recipe - these would be perfect to give to friends or neighbours as a gift - especially if your decorating skills are better than mine!

Oh and I also highly recommend the Squires cupcake cases I bought some time ago - this is the second time I used them and they are by far the best.

Tuna Salad with olives, eggs, and fava beans recipe

Tuna Salad with olives, eggs, and fava beans recipe

Serves 4
Preparation 20 min

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes from the moment the water reaches a boil. Drain and cool under cold running water. Shell the eggs and cut into segments. • Place the tomatoes, peppers, celery, onion, radishes, and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Add the olives, fava beans, and garlic.Toss well. • Add the tuna, eggs, and anchovies. • Beat the oil and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Beat again and then drizzle over the salad. • Toss gently before serving.

Ingredient :
2 large eggs
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into segments
2 red bell peppers (capsicums), seeded and sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
6 radishes, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup (50 g) black olives, pitted
1/2 cup (50 g) green olives, pitted
1 lb (500 g) fresh fava (broad) beans, shelled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz (250 g) canned tuna,drained and crumbled
12 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/3 cup (90 nil) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
10 basil leaves, torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese Salad with fresh fruit and herbs recipe

Cheese Salad with fresh fruit and herbs recipe

Serves 4
Preparation 20 min

Place both cheeses in a large salad bowl. • Add the lettuce, radicchio, endive, apple, pear, grapes, sultanas, orange, and gr-apefruit.Toss well. • Beat the oil and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add the mustard, dill, chives, parsley, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper and beat again. • Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss gently. • Serve at once.

Ingredient :

4 oz (125 g) Emmental or other mild cheese, cut into small cubes
4 oz (125 g) aged Pecorino or Parmesan, cut into flakes
4 oz (125 g) lettuce, chopped
1 small radicchio, shredded
1 head curly endive, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
1 pear, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
3 oz (90 g) green grapes, halved
2 tablespoons golden raisins (sultanas)
1 orange, peeled and cut in segments
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and cut in segments
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

blessed.

isaac and i are on the young married activity committee in our ward and i've really loved it! (i wasn't expecting to...) we've made some great friends and last week we had the opportunity to take the fixings for a big thanksgiving meal to a widow in our ward. i get so wrapped up in our own little world that i honesty forgot how good it felt to serve another.I love this quote by president monson from october's general conference:

"That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him. He speaks to you and to me: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If we truly listen, we may hear that voice from far away say to us, as it spoke to another, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” That each may qualify for this blessing from our Lord is my prayer, and I offer it in His name, even Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen."

read more of this talk here.

i am truly blessed.
i have the best husband, family and friends. you guys rule.

happy thanksgiving!

oh how i wish...

i fell in love with j. crew back when i was searching for clothes for our engagement pictures. before i never even stepped foot in the store because it was just too expensive, and now it's my favorite. it embodies my style perfectly. here are a few items on my christmas wish list.

this look is perfect for a holiday gathering. pair with a cardigan and you're ready to go.

i am absolutely in love with this coat. why does it have to be $395? why!?

i am a sweater girl. i wish i had one from j. crew for every wintery day.

the list could go on and on. on the day after thanksgiving we're hitting up the outlets in park city and i'm crossing my fingers for some fabulous finds at the j. crew outlet!

Tanya Cauthen's Merguez-Spiced Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas

How dedicated Tanya Cauthen in her field of cooking which made her open her shop in 2006, The Belmont Butchery in Richmond, Virginia. In fact, she likes flavoring supremely tender braised land with a North African spice blend that includes cumin and fennel seeds. Lamb shanks are great for serving at dinner parties, since they look so dramatic, but lamb stew meat-cut from the shoulder of the leg - is equally delicious. Of for a less gamey flavor, substitute beef short ribs.

let it begin!

i was grocery shopping yesterday and look what i found! the minute i saw them i knew the christmas season had officially begun for me. although i prefer homemade treats, these sprinkled trees hit the spot every time.

i also started my christmas shopping with my mom yesterday and we found so many goodies.
i'm ready to embrace the season...christmas here i come!

team jacob.

new moon.
totally made my weekend. kristen and i bought tickets for us and our lover boys about a month ago for saturday night and it was so worth the wait. we got to the theater a few minutes before our showtime and went right to our reserved seats, it was perfect.
and our husbands loved it just as much as we did.

are you team jacob or team edward?
i keep debating it in my mind...all i know is i can't wait to see it again.
then i'll really decide...

going nuts.

i have been such a mess this week. let me give you a few examples...

i haven't been home except to study and sleep. our apartment has been cluttered for weeks and my ocd self doesn't even care. my fingernail polish is so chipped (a pet peeve of mine) and i don't have "time" to remove it. i was coming home on the trax yesterday and i got so nauseous that i had to take seriously deep breaths to not barf. i was forced to take care of dummy patients for 16 hours on tues/wed in lieu of taking care of real patients in the hospital- wtf?! i had a crying fit wednesday night and isaac kept asking me what was wrong and i honestly had no legit reason for the tears. i went to turn on my computer at school yesterday and it wouldn't accept my password i've had for years - what!?!! oh, and i ate a giant bag of that delicious homemade kettle corn for dinner. sometimes do you ever just stop and think,
who am i?!!
i can't tell you how excited i am for the weekend. i need to relax, clean up, and take some time to get back to my normal self.

happy weekend!

Say it with a cake.

Words are best said with a smile. From light banters to text messaging, from small notes to online chatting, simple conversations are more earnest with a big smile - or a smiley for the techie bunch. But for some priceless moments, when words and smileys are not enough, people can always look for something sweeter - literally.

Recently, Makati Shangri-la Hotel launched the Emoti-cake, a delightful selection of adorable statement cakes that are sure to attract hopeless romantics and sweet tooth alike. The cakes come in two flavors, chocolate and cheese but with the quirky faces and messages printed over it, the fondant covered cakes are simply too cute to eat.

"We came up with the Emoti-cakes for people to give to their families and loved ones because sometimes it gets hard to express their feelings the way they want it to be," said Guillaume Bonnety, Makati Shangri-la's new executive pastry chef.

Designed with seven different faces and seven different expressions, clients choose from over 49 different cakes in petite (5.5 inches in diameter) and regular (7.5 inches in diameter) sizes.

"We use stencils to print the different faces and the text on the cakes so the designs will be consistent. Everything is edible. The chocolate cake is made of a gooey chocolate ganache which makes it very moist. While the lemon cheese cake is a light and creamy alternative with an interesting texture," Bonnety explained.

According to Bonnety, if the demands calls for it, they can customize Emoticakes for the coming Christmas. But as of now, let the emotive and expressive cakes inspire a thousand words ans "awws" from your family and loved ones with the sugary treat that fits any occasion.

Hinting for cupcakes pays off :)

You may recall a couple of days ago I posted that I must try the Crumbs and Doilies flavour of the month before the end of Nov as its on of my favourites, Red Velvet - my lovely hubby took note of my hint and popped along to the Covent Garden Food Market* in his lunch-hour and picked up a box of absolutely gorgeous cupcakes. Luckily my afternoon trip to the dentist sorted out my toothache and I was able to scoff mine :)

I had a red velvet and a vanilla - both moist, full of flavour and with absolutely yummy frosting. Manny had a green tea and a chocolate (of course) which he was very happy with - he was particularly chuffed that the chocolate one was very thickly frosted - he was also gifted a mini red velvet which he scoffed for his lunch by the lovely girl at C&D.

The Covent Garden Christmas Food Market is on Thursdays and Friday till Christmas (not sure of the last market date pre-Christmas - check here). Also - there is a mulled wine hut nearby until the 23rd of December - cupcakes and wine what more do you need!

I ♥ Cupcake

On our trip to Berlin last week for the Nuclear War Now Festival we managed to squeeze in a trip to one of my favourite cupcake cafes, Cupcake. The cupcakes were just as I remembered, moist, flavoursome, moreish and HUGE. The cafe is ultra cute, and as well as cupcakes does brownies, cheesecakes and has vegan options on cupcakes as well. Oh and they do savoury food too, including beans on toast..hurrah!

We had planned to visit again on the Sunday and pick up some cupcakes for the long wait at the airport (we were flying Easyjet so there's always a looooong wait) but after what was meant to be a quick after-show drink at the Halford bar, that turned into a very late night and us paying for an extra few hours sleep in the hotel, I wasn't even in a fit state to walk the 10mins from our hotel to Cupcake -which is a shame as I really wanted to try another flavour or two! However I am hoping we're going back to Berlin in May - and if the hotel will have us back we'll be staying within walking distance again, and this time no tequilla!

If you're in Berlin, or the surrounding area I highly recommend a visit to Cupcake, the cakes are great and Dawn and everyone in the cafe is really friendly and welcoming. Also the area is really nice (reminds me of the Lower East Side in New York) with great bars and really good food nearby and some nice stores as well. Sorry about my pics - as I said I was planning to go back and I didn't really get any good ones on my visit - we'd not slept in about 28 hours and I was shaking after having 2 large coffees in about 10mins!

Sorakaya Aavapettina Koora

Ingredients :

medium sized bottle gourd
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Bengal gram - 1tsp
Mustard powder - 2 tsps
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Oil

Method :

Wash and peel the bottle gourd and cut into small pieces. heat two teaspoons of oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds, bengal gram, urad dal. When they start to splutter add curry leaves and bottle gourd pieces & fry it. Now add turmeric powder, salt and sprinkle little water. mix well, cover with a lid. Let it cook completely. When it's done, add red chilli powder and stir well. Remove from the flame and add mustard powder. Mix well. Serve hot with rice.

Hummingbird Cupcakes new store details

I've just found out that the new Wardour Street branch of the fabulous Hummingbird Bakery is Lee Stafford's old Salon so I will be easily able to find it (used to get my hair cut there till they moved and upped their prices loads).

It's quite a little space - it did have a downstairs section as a salon, but I suppose they may use that as a kitchen? I can't wait to see what they've done to it - I know from their Twitter that their theme for the store is cupcake pop art! According to my sources it opens on the 9th December - I have a gig that night in Brixton but I'm hoping that my lovely hubby might leave work a bit early with me for a pre-gig cupcake :) Or maybe I should just take the day off and camp outside for the opening?

In other Hummingbird news Tarek will be at Heals in the Kings Road signing copies of the Hummingbird cookbook this Saturday from 1.30-3.30, and some cupcake demo's and a baking Q&A are promised. There are several cupcake outlets within walking distance of Heals if you want to make a cupcake day of it including Crumbs and Doilies, Love Bakery and Hummingbird - Buttercup is also less than 30mins walk away but after the last time I'd give it a miss. Oh and if you walk to Harrods you can have a Lola's cupcake or if you're all cupcake'd out a Laduree macaroon.

On a non-cupcake note - Paul A Young and Hope and Greenwood will also be signing their books at Heals on Saturday

Lola's Christmas Cupcakes

Are available to pre-order online now - I've mailed them to ask when they'll be available in store and will post dates as soon as I know. You can choose from the Ho, Ho, Ho box, the Snowflake box or the Giant cupcake.

Also available for November only is their rather yummy sounding Toblerone cupcake;

a limited edition delicious toblerone chocolate cupcake bursting with chewy honey-almond nougat pieces. It is finished with a heavenly white chocolate ganache and a generous chunk of toblerone.

Must get to Selfridges cupcake bar before the end of November!

Cupcake Calendars

For 2010 I think I shall get the Hello Cupcake calendar from Amazon as it would seem the page a day one is exactly the same as last years. I think the Cupcakes one, which you can also get in Paperchase, is the same brand I got last year (yes I had two cupcakes calendars) so will check in Paperchase before deciding - decisions decisions.

bday love.

today is my favorite dad's birthday. i wish i could spend all day with him but unfortunately life doesn't stop and i have to be in the lab until late tonight. grrr. we'll celebrate in style soon!

i've loved him the most from the very beginning, can't you tell?
i love you dad, happy birthday!

Cupcakes make people happy

And I'm sure this lovely calendar from ModCloth would do the same. Also from the same site is this really rather cute scarf - perfect for the long winter nights ahead as would these long cupcake socks - keep checking back will be blogging as many Christmas cupcake ideas as I can find!

Christmas is coming

and so are the Crumbs and Doilies Christmas cupcake boxes

Each box comes beautifully wrapped and features a mix of flavours, including our very special Christmas Flavour of the Month.

you can now pre-order your Christmas cupcakes for collection, or delivery by clicking here.

Oh and I MUST pop over to Covent Garden on Friday to get one of their flavour of the month - red velvet - or perhaps someone could pick me up one on Thursday as a after-dentist treat (hint hint!)

Thanks to Crumbs and Doilies for the use of their pics! The bottom pic is their red velvet - yum

weekenders.

we had a very busy weekend.
happy sumo. friends. hatch's hot chocolate.
hair appointments.
football. family time. shopping.
birthday celebrations.
sunday night concerts at the cathedral of the madeleine.

it was a great weekend. i can't wait for the next! 2 words: new moon.

ps: at happy sumo they have chocolate mints that we love, and no matter how hard he tries ike always gets it all over his lips. love it.

Free cupcakes

From Google cupcake news;

All UGG® Australia shoppers whose birthdays fall in the month of November are invited to the Covent Garden store on its official first birthday, Saturday 28 November, to receive a complimentary birthday cupcake. One lucky shopper will find their cupcake has an additional treat – a golden ticket for a £250 UGG® Australia shopping spree. The delicious UGG® Australia cupcakes will be provided by the Primrose Bakery, cupcake maker to the stars.

So pop in, shop for Christmas and let UGG® Australia wish you a happy birthday!

T&C’s: One cupcake per person, identification must be produced to prove date of birth, the £250 shopping spree must be redeemed by the end of December 2009. The promotion is only valid during shop opening hours, 28 November 2009 until supplies run out.

Pshaw - if I was born in November I might just chance the hellish queues that seem to surround that store on occasions such as this for the chance to win a voucher so I could get my hands on (in) some Ugg Mittens or ear-muffs (I refuse to pay for them but would use a voucher for them!) and a new pair of lovely warm boots.

More cupcake gift ideas

From the Gifted Penguin. I very nearly bought the recipe file before (I have the magnetic note pad of the same design) as it's rather gorgeous but I settled for a cheaper cupcake one instead :)