The Cupcake Blog!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Lavender Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

today, i was featured on The Cupcake Blog!! it's an adorable blog that reposts cupcake recipes and pictures from around the blogosphere!  i am thrilled to see that my lavender cupcakes and my irish car bomb cupcakes made the cut! to any new visitors sent from The Cupcake Blog - welcome! i hope you enjoy my blog - i post lots of cupcakes and lots of other recipes as well! the navigation bar on the right will help you find anything specific you might be looking for!
(also - i'll love you forever if you follow me. because i'm needy like that)

Michelle was featured on The Cupcake Blog too! Here is a link to her Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes on their bloggy.
it'd prob be a good idea if you went ahead and followed her too. she is my bestie and has a great blog!

washington, dc

 i just loooove this DC print and i think i need to make it mine!

from albie designs on etsy.com

i really love washington, dc. it's such a great place to live :)

cheesy cheesyness enchiladas - a la jess

this really needs no intro besides this recipe (and all of its delightful comments!) came from JMo and her Dad, Charlie! it was for potluck last night, and it.was.AMAZING. hands down the best enchiladas i've ever had!
{gotta give credit to sara shef for the prep - jess was too busy working to make them before din.}


{from jess}
hi! so you want enchiladas huh? well... here's how! follow these easy steps:

first youll need:
package of flour tortillas (they usually come in either 20 or 30)
~1.52 lbs of chicken breasts (i get the little chicken finger lookin ones)
8 oz of fat free sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 can chicken broth, low sodium
8 oz of monterey jack cheese (and another package to sprinkle on top
if you want)
1 small can of diced green chiles
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
cilantro
peppa
cumin

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

NOW for the chick:

saute onion, garlic and olive oil in a pan. when they start cookin add
your diced chicken. cook until chicken is done. set aside.

for the sauce:
pour can of chicken broth, sour cream, cream cheese, monterey jack
cheese, cilantro and mix together on med HI and stir until it looks
like creamy cheesyness. add pepper and cumin to taste. (i use a lot of
peppa bc i love it)

pour about 1/3 of the sauce mixture in your chicken/onion mixture.

now, take about 8 tortillas at a time... rub each one down with water
and stack em up and put them in the micro for 50 secs.

scoop about a spoonful and a half of the chicken mixture into each
tortilla, roll up like a mini wrap and stick it in a casserole pan.
keep doing that with each tortilla until the bottom of the pan is
filled on up. you can use multiple pans until you run out of supplies.
pour the rest of the cheesy sauce on top of all the enchiladas. top
with more shredded cheese. cook for about 30 mins, until theyre
bubbling and brownish. EAT YUM YMMIYMGUNGUND YUM.

enjoy!

 i especially like the last part "EAT YUM YMMIYMGUNGUND YUM." they really are that YUM!

below is a pic of our potluck spread! chicken enchiladas, guacamole, mango salsa, fruit salad, 7-layer dip, and more shrimp tacos! it was a good one, you guys!

the anatomy of a cupcake

{seen on *black eiffel}

beautiful cherry blossoms!

via *Peach and Pearl

it's time for cherry blossoms here in DC! can't wait to go see them. they are so beautiful - hopefully the weather warms up around here so that we dont have to get super bundled up to go see them!

such a pretty cake!

via *100 layer cake

any cake that is this pretty and colorful and happy makes monday so much better!

Dinner: Sea Scallops, Tabbouleh, and Sweet Potato Fries

this is going to be a jam packed post of pictures and recipes!! my new roommate (and sorority sistaaaa, holla!) Becca loves to cook as much as i do so i cant take full credit! we worked together to make this AMAZING meal, and while the cooktime was long, the real prep wasn't time consuming at all! :) perfect weeknight or weekend meal!

Seared Sea Scallops (how's that for alliteration!!??)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb jumbo sea scallops (wild caught - always!)
•  paprika, to taste
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• s&p to taste

Preparation:
pat dry fresh scallops with a paper towel to ensure that real crisp outside when cooked.  combine all ingredients in a tupperware bowl (or whatever you have!) heat a skillet pan with a bit (1tbsp will do) of evoo.  once the pan is heated and coated with evoo, place scallops in the pan. cook on each side for about a minute, or until opaque. you dont want to overcook these guys, so pay attention :)

serve immediately. enjoyyyyyy!! :)

Tabbouleh
(found *via GimmeSomeOven)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup bulgur (a.k.a. cracked wheat)
• 2 cups of water or chicken stock
• 2-3 cups of curly parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of scallions, finely chopped
• 3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• juice of half of one lemon (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:
In a large bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water (or chicken stock) over the bulgur.  Let it sit for 30-60 minutes until softened, and then strain the bulgur through a fine-mesh strainer.
Then combine the prepared bulgur, parsley, mint, scallions, and tomatoes in a large bowl.  Add oil and lemon juice, and stir until well mixed.  Add salt to taste.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one day.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut to desired size
• evoo
• paprika, to taste
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• s&p, to taste

Preparation:

pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. mix all ingredients in a bowl and place on foiled tray.  add extra cayenne and paprika if desired (we did!). bake for 35 minutes at 425. for the last 5 or so minutes, put the oven on low broil - this gives it a bit of a crisp at the end!

SO DELICIOUS!!!

Pretty!

just ordered this precious little necklace (and a few others) from "a lovely, little shop" on etsy.com! i've seen it on a few blogs and just had to have it myself! cute for layering, too!

Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Crispy Shrimp Tacos
(adapted from How Sweet It Is) 
 
1/2 pound raw, deveined shrimp (tails removed)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 corn or flour tortillas

Optional additions:
1/4 cup grated cotija or cheddar cheese
1 lime
shredded lettuce
cilantro
fat free sour cream or fat free greek yogurt
mango salsa (below)
fresh salsa

Make sure shrimp is clean and completely dry. Combine salt, pepper, garlic and cumin and sprinkle it over the shrimp. Add the flour to a small bowl, and dredge the shrimp through the flour to get a very light coating on it. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp and let drain on a paper towel.




Mango Salsa
 

Ingredients:
(for 6)
3 mangos, diced
1 medium red onion, diced small
1 medium red pepper, diced
large handful of cilantro, chopped roughly
juice of 2 limes
s&p to taste

combine all ingredients and serve!! it's so easy and this was everyone's favorite part of the meal!

mango salsa is always my favorite salsa - the fresh, fruity flavors mix so well with the acidic lime juice and fragant cilantro! i want some now......

quite the mexican spread for an irish holiday :)

White Bean Cilantro Lime Hummus

Cilantro Lime White Bean Hummus
(slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is)



1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp minced garlic (or more, if you are like me!)
1/4 cup cilantro (added more!)
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil (+ more to reach desired consistency)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine beans, cilantro, juice and garlic in the food processor and blend until mixed. With the processor on, stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. I blended mine for a good 3-4 minutes to make it super creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with any type of chip or cracker you'd like! Would also be great on crostini or as a condiment on a sandwich!

i couldn't stop tasting this before it was served! we made a roomie dinner on St. Patrick's Day and while this isn't Irish in any way, at least it's green! the texture is very similar to chickpea hummus, and the taste is so rich and flavorful! i highly suggest this as a party dip!

Cancun Family Picture!

our whole group in cancun! i had such a blast with my family, so much fun! love them so much!

....back in the USA

::sigh:: i'm back in the states.....

photo *via sunshineandpearls

It's Monday....

...because i'm in cancun, mexico!

be back in the usa on weds night!

{photo *via katespadeny}

..and i'm off!

...to cancun, mexico! i'm all packed and ready to go, leaving in the morning!

hope you guys have a super fun weekend and week!

{photo *via katespadeny}

pomegranate salsa

POM salsa

 

 

POM Wonderful Salsa

• juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate,* or cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 2 cups arils from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
• 3-4 teaspoons chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 

how amazing and healthy and full of antioxidants does this look!?! i need to make this asap!!

small talk

ever in a conversation you truly don't care about? 

the middle one best fits my personality....

buy these adam cohen prints *here ... found at *design blagh

Who cut the cheese?

gotta get myself this cheese set when i move into a nicer place! it's so presh and makes me want to host a wine&cheese party, asap!

from  *uncommongoods for $20!

My dog on a wine bottle?!! yes, please!

Just read about this Real Dogs & Cats Wine over at Design Blahg!
you can order whichever wine you choose from the site (cali wines) and get them custom made with your dog's picture on them! you can even choose your own caption like "Sienna will eat you alive and then chug this wine!" at the price of $16.97/custom bottle, it's really not too expensive.

and there is a rescue series - where 10% of proceeds go towards animal rescue! LOVE THIS BRAND!

friends & fam - i like sauvingnon blanc. keep this gift in mind. i'd like at least 6 bottles so that you can get the 10% discount.

Happy 50th Birthday Mommy!!!!!

happy 50th birthday to the best mom in the WORLD (i know we all think that, but mine really is the BEST)!!!!!!!

blow out your candles, wish for 50 more!!!!!!

yesterday was my mom's 50th birthday! we had quite the day with her - we made her open presents (a LOT of them) and then we had to celebrate at my grandmas house...she just got out of the hospital after a scary few days. probably not the ideal way to celebrate a birthday, but we are all very happy to know our grandma is on the mend (note all of the religious stuff in the pics, that's grammy's).
for dinner we went to this restaurant we've been going to for years - and ate more prime rib than i'd care to admit. here is a pic of my dad's...it was like a cowboy steak....too huge and ridiculous - he ate about 1/4 of it:

i love my momma more than anything in this world! she cracks me up constantly and is always there for me when i need anything at all. i cant wait to celebrate 50 more years with her, she truly is the very best in the world.  she deserves an amazing day and an even more amazing year - can't wait to celebrate more with her in CANCUN this weekend (and next week!)!

LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!

Cloudforce in NYC

chatty and sassy (mascots) dancing to Black Eyed Peas (blaring in our ears at 9:30am) while we waiting for Marc Benioff to speak

branding genius' - seriously.

had a great time in NYC at Cloudforce '11! learned lots of new things to bring back to our company! Salesforce.com has the best company culture - love it!

Empire State of Mind....

times square  (where i'll be staying)

hi! i'm off to NYC today on a 2pm train! i'm headed there for CloudForce '11 which is a Salesforce conference - love those!
Cloudforce


i'll also be catching up with a few really good friends who i miss more than anything! yay - i'm happy to get outta town for a few days!

happy march!

saw this on mimi+meg! so many days to celebrate! 

she did one for feb too!

happy march! it's almost spring time in DC - can't wait!