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Aug 012010
 

  

And now for something completely different. Let’s talk about boob cupcakes (I really don’t know how else to start this posted except to dive right in).

How, you ask, is this relevant to a family-related blog. What do boobs have to do with family…well quite a lot actually…but I digress.

A month ago, I decided to make some special cupcakes for a girls get-together. I thought it would be easy. A quick google for the recipe and presto. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

A lot of research online got me nowhere fast, so I whipped some great looking boobies together all by myself, using the advice I’d collected from the 4-corners of cyberspace.  

So sit back and relax (your prayers have been answered), here are step-by-step instructions for some swell boobie cupcakes. They’re sure to be a hit at your next girls get-together, baby shower or even a breast cancer fundraiser. Now go forth and bake.

BTW…these were the easiest cupcakes I’ve ever made. You know how you give yourself a certain timeframe to bake and then find it takes you 4 times what you estimated…NOT THESE BABIES! That was a first for me.  It actually took me a third of the time I estimated…a modern day miracle.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sourmilk
1 cup strong back coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F
  2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and beat with hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin).
  4. Pour batter into a muffin tin lined with paper sleeves. Fill almost to he top ( I left 1/8th of an inch at the top of the paper)
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes and test with toothpick inserted into the center. When removed, the toothpick should be clean with no batter sticking to it.
  6. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before icing.

Decorating:

These cupcakes are dipped in warm icing which gives them a  smooth, glossy sheen. It also allows you to ice about 24 cupcakes perfectly in roughly 10 minutes…which is SWEET!!!! (pun intended)

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small containers of white store-bought icing (Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines)
Food colouring (gel works best) red, yellow, brown
Wilton pre-made fondant

Icing the cupcakes:

  1. Refridgerate cupcakes for 30 minutes prior to icing, this helps the cupcake stay together while dipping.
  2. Transfer icing into a small, deep bowl and tint with food colouring to achieve your desired skin tone.
  3. Microwave the tinted icing at 10 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the icing has the consistency of Elmers glue.
  4. Dip cupcakes in warm icing up to the paper, let excess drip off, and set back on tray.
  5. Let icing firm up.

Note: DO NOT overheat the icing or it will separate and you’ll need to head back to the store for more icing. If the icing is too thick it will pull on the cupcake and not give you a thin, smooth glaze. You may need to re-heat the icing halfway through the process to keep the perfect consistency. It sounds tricky but it’s not, just give it a try.

Creating the Nipple:

I laughed my way through this whole process. Initially, I made a demo out of bubble gum. Effective but sticky. In a pinch, I think the Bubble Yum would work but it may get mushy and bleed into the icing. If you ever try it, let me know the results. I opted to use fondant.

I’d never worked with fondant before and it was dead easy. A girlfriend ( thanks Bethie) gave me her fondant rolling pin and some white, pre-made fondant (a little goes a long way). The most tedious part was kneading the colour into the fondant for the nipple colour. It took a forever because I was uber cautious…a drop of this a drop of that. I should have been more agressive with the colour. Eventually, I ended up with an odd brick colour (perfectionism is overrated).  The metal lid from a salt shaker became my cookie cutter, which worked perfectly. I cut out small circles, then rolled a piece of fondant into a snake, cut 1/2 inch pieces, flattened the ends and attached one to each circle (nipple style). I suggest using a tiny bit of water and some pressure to attach the mounts to the circles (ok…that sentence makes me laugh). Finally the tray of completed nipples (that visual makes me laugh too…sorry, no pictures) were gently placed on the iced cupcakes and pressed into place…VIOLA!

BTW…Transportation was brutal . Perhaps if you left them out over night the icing would firm up more. Even with a few dings, they were still a big hit and super easy to make (all things considered).

Jul 302010
 

I know, I know…it’s as if I disappeared off the face of the earth.

Yes, I’ve been focusing my limited late-night energy elsewhere. I feel so guilty telling you this. YOU–loyal and dedicated–waiting patiently for my call while I cheat on you and stare lovingly at another.

Put another way…I’ve been setting up a store on Etsy to sell my jewelry. Yep, behind schedule and only 65% there after a month. I’ll be sure to keep you posted, as I inch my way towards launch day.

I really missed my blog. I have so much to say. There were the wildly successful boob cupcakes, the photo shoot, new parks, numerous trips to the play palace plus a few primo rants that you missed.Tomorrow is my “day off’ (Grandma has Caden in the afternoon). You know, “my day off “,the day I can clean and grocery shop and cook…yah that’s it. Bitterness aside… tomorrow, I write “like the wind”.

It’s odd, I haven’t been here in about a month but I still managed to get a heap of hits? Do you know what this means?

“You like me, you really like me”…go figure…keep those cards and letters coming folks…it’s the only thing keeping me going once 2:00am hits and I’ve eaten all the chocolate baking squares (you think I’m kidding).

Jun 202010
 

As far as cute, little community events go; the Point Grey Fiesta was a blast.

My 22 month old loved the parade, goodies and rides. The motorcycle display put on by the Vancouver Police Department’s Motorcycle Drill Team sent him over the moon. Everytime they roared by, he would sign, “more, more” furiously. Everyone around us seemed to be in a stellar mood. Even the shoe repair man across the street in his apron was cheering away. This event is full of warm fuzzies (as a friend put it, “shiny, happy people”).

The parade is fun and casual with lots of things given to the kids like candy, stickers, balloons, hats etc… The atmosphere is busy but not crowded which is good for small children.

Parade Highlights:

Most unusual thing: St Helen’s church had a man dressed in monk robes carrying their flag on roller blades. He literally floated down the street.

Most adorable thing: A 6 year old boy dressed like a pirate riding his bike which was decorated like a pirate ship.

Most counterproductive thing: Women from Curves handing out candy.

The rides and midway assembled at Trimble Park were also a lot of fun. Yes, the rides were pricey but hey, it’s once a year thing. Tickets were a buck a piece and the toddler rides were 3 tickets. For me, it was worth every penny to see Caden on his first amusement park rides. He loved the Merry-Go-Round, the Train and the Giant Strawberry that spun like a Teacup.

There were rides for bigger kids like the Octopus and Salt ‘n Pepper Shakers to name a few. Definitely something to make everyone feel woozy.

If you don’t feel like forking out the cash, you can spend your time at the playground and wading pool at the far end of the park.  There’s lots of fun to be had there for the little ones.

If you’re at Trimble park around lunch time, just know that the food is expensive and limited so bring your own picnic or grab something on 10th Avenue. There’s a Tim Horton’s about 2 blocks away.

We’ll definitely return next year, hopefully by then Caden can ride the “Go Go Gater” Mini Roller Coaster….wheeeeee!

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Point Grey Fiesta 2010 diversión para la familia (fun, fun, FUN!)