Cupcakes vs. Zoloft

Yesterday I made some cupcakes for my little brother, well, he's 18, but still 'little bro' status in my mind. I figured I'd make them bright and springy to break up the icy cold whites, greys and cool blues of an Upstate NY winter and bring us all thoughts of spring :) Who need's Zoloft for their seasonal depression when you can whip up a batch of cupcakes with bright yellow buttercream frosting? I'd rather self medicate with frosting, it's so much more enjoyable :)

Wait, have I told any of you guys just HOW MUCH I love frosting??? It's a problem...

Another Blast From The Past...

I kept digging through pictures after my last couple fabulous throwback picture finds and found this...and pretty much haven't been able to stop giggling about it for the past 5 mins. It's an excellently perfect 80's Sears Photo Center style family portrait of my parents and baby me!

It cracks me up! I hardly recognize my father in this picture, but my Mom hasn't changed much at all :) I pretty much look the same, I still wear that red jumper from time to time...

It's quite possible that I'm just a little punchy today, and will laugh at almost anything as I haven't gotten much sleep the past week. I've been a busy bee, not only with orders but with helping my Mommy bake things for tomorrows Thanksgiving gorge! I made a Cheesecake, Pumpkin Muffins, and some Cranberry Apple and Walnut Relish....Mmmm! I even spent some time in my jewelry studio, and it's only 3pm! Why am I being so productive? I need to cut it out! :)

Well, that's all for me today! I'm pooped and it's puppy nap time around these parts, and I'm thinking I just might join in! I'm sure I'll find time to blog tomorrow when I a bored to tears being forced to watch football :)

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Recipe Vault: Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Streusel

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~Jim Davis

Autumn is in full swing here in Upstate New York. Which means, the colors are vibrant, the air is crisp, and my family is baking Pumpkin Apple Muffins! Last weekend, my Mom and I baked the first batch, and it was pretty much gone in 36 hours! Pumpkin Apple Muffins are a tradition in my family as soon as Autumn gets it's foot in the door, we all LOVE them, we even have them on Thanksgiving. They are moist, flavorful and comforting. I'm hard pressed to find something more comforting and delicious than a fresh Pumpkin Apple muffin, still warm from the over. Mmmm! I'm drooling just thinking about it! But OK OK, enough with the chit chat, let's get to the good stuff, the recipe!

For Pumpkin Apple Muffins you will need....

2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 Cup Solid Packed Pumpkin ( Be careful not to use Pumpkin Pie Filling!)
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cups Peeled Chopped Apples ( We use fresh Macs or Granny Smith Apples)

In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients and set aside

. In a large bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil. Next, add the dry ingrediants into the wet ingredient bowl by sifting the dry ingredients into the large bowl (don't take shortcuts! It's worth the extra 30 seconds), stir until just moistened.

Next, fold in chopped apples (we chop them into about 1/4-1/2" cubes). Be sure not to over stir! Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. We like to use an ice cream scoop for this. Now your ready to set the muffins aside and make the streusel topping! Yum!

For the Cinnamon Sugar Streusel Topping you will need...

1/4 Cups Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and mix together well. Cut in the 4 tablespoons of butter, until the mixture is crumbly. Once the crumbly texture is achieved your ready to sprinkle over the tops of each muffin. Bake in a 350 degree over for 35-40 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean :)

NOTE: For more figure friendly muffins, skip the streusel, I do this from time to time, equally as delicious just a little less decadent!

Finally, let the muffins cool a bit before taking them out and putting them on a cooling rack, otherwise they might fall apart, and we don't want that! Enjoy with your coffee for breakfast, a mid-day snack, or as a yummy dessert! You might find you need to make a couple batches to share with your friends, because these babies don't last long!

Enjoy all! Happy Baking!

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss...

I'm back! Did you miss me? I know I've been a very bad blogger, but I promise I've been absent from blogland for good reason :) I might as well give you a quick rundown of what I've been up to for the past couple weeks...

Well, a couple weeks ago I started feverishly working on new seasonal items, Halloween items specifically. And, at the urging of my buddy over at Ponder & Stitch, I've decided to bring in oxidized sterling silver pieces as well, offering the bright silver and oxidized silver in my shop I think will be great for business and give my customers even more choices. I took a brief break from my jewelry making marathon to attend a Coldplay concert, which was incredibly fun and inspiring! I used to have a line of music inspired jewelry but got rid of it after a while. After going to such an incredible show, my urge to create some jewelry from some of the music and lyrics that inspire me is bubbling over! Right now I'm just trying to decide the best approach...

After my play date with Coldplay, it was right back to work. I'm proud to say I have somewhere about 40 new pieces! Not ALL of them are completed but it's getting close! I have some things I've sent off to the caster and am patiently awaiting their return to me :) All of my new Halloween items are finished though! Woohoo! I've become quite well know around Etsy for my Halloween pieces, so I certainly felt the pressure to deliver some great new stuff for this year! I'm spending the next couple days listing everything I can.

Aside from making jewelry, I've also been making and consuming lots of Broccoli Salad! No worries, photos and recipe for that coming very soon :) I'm not sure what it is but I've been really into cooking and baking lately. Right now I have a hankering to make some Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Cookies, both of which will have to wait for now, but I've been obsessing about them for some time! Anyone know of a great fat substitute/alternative for butter/oil for baking? I'm a novice baker, so any tips are welcomed!

Anyway, here's a sneak peak of the new seasonal and oxidized stuff, it's not up on Etsy yet so you are the first to see it! Hope you love it, I'll be working hard to list everything asap :)

It's good to be back, so sorry for my very long hiatus!