Cupcake Fever!

After sadly missing a cupcakes & champagne party in February I'll finally be able to make some stellar cupcakes for another friend's cupcake party this weekend...

But the BIG question is... what cupcakes to bring??

I've decided I want to bring both a sweet and savory cupcake... I've basically settled on the savory cupcake - a vanilla-maple-bacon cupcake. The sweet is up in the air... do I go classic with vanilla cupcakes from Magnolia, out on a limb with champagne cupcakes with blackberry filling and mascarpone cream from Darjeeling Dreams or go with my stand-by favorite cupcakes from Giada - mascarpone cupcakes with strawberry glaze?

I'll post recipes and pics next week! Whatever I choose... I'm sure I'll happily eat them all :)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(1) Magnolia Vanilla Cupcake - All Things Cupcakes (2) Blackberry Champagne Cupcake - Little Bitty Bakes (3) Mascarpone Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze - Food Network

White Chocolate & Cranberry Granola

I experimented with this recipe as a possible favor for our wedding guests. (It was good but we ended up going with s'mores.) My best friend was a taste tester and requested more granola for part of her birthday gift. I made a batch and packed it in cute mason jars to bring to her when Mike and I went to Houston last weekend.

The granola makes the house smell so good... warm vanilla and cinnamon. I make the recipe as is and add in a large handful of dried cranberries and another large handful of white chocolate chips. (I didn't have them on hand but I think throwing in dark chocolate chips in place of half of the white ones might be good too!)

Chicken Fajitas (Marinade)

Last weekend I made a quick marinade for chicken fajitas with onions and peppers. The marinade is from Pioneer Woman (!) and was originally meant for beef. It was really good, super easy and I had most things on hand.


Just a note, one small can of chipotle peppers is probably twice as many as you need for the marinade. I use what I need and then freeze the rest in a freezer friendly tupperware container to use later (maybe in butternut squash enchiladas). Chipotle peppers can be spicy... if you don't like spice but like the smokey taste, just cut the peppers in half from stem to bottom and scrape out the seeds.


(look below at the cool color of the marinade!)