A new recipe

Caleb's preschool teacher made these cupcakes for my yard sale/bake sale/fundraiser last weekend.  Everyone raved about them (I never got to try one).  We were going out to my in laws house tonight for a Mother's Day party so I decided to make them.  They ARE DELICIOUS!  Try it out!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hi-Hat Cupcakes (From: http://www.cupcakeproject.com/) Yield: 18 cupcakes (I did a dbl batch & got 48 regular cupcakes & 18 mini ones)

Cupcake:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. smooth peanut butter
2 large eggs
1/2 c. peanut oil
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate regular size)

Whisk flour, soda & coca.  In another bowl mix sugar, peanut butter and eggs until well combined.  Mix oil, milk & vanilla into wet ingredients.  Slowly add flour mixture until fully incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 30 min (about 15-18 for me) or until done.

Frosting:
1 c. unsalted butter (room temp)
2 c. smooth peanut butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. + 2 TBSP milk

Mix butter and peanut butter until fully combined.  Mix in powdered sugar a little at a time.  Add milk a little at a time and keep mixing until frosting becomes light and fluffy (about 3 min).  Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.  Place frosted cupcakes in freezer for 1 hour (I did 30 min).

Chocolate dip:
2 c. chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate regular size)
3 TBSP peanut oil

Place chocolate chips and oil in tall microwave safe cup (2 c. pyrex cup).  Microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted.  Let chocolate sit a few minutes (you want it still warm but not hot to touch).  Take cupcakes out of freezer.  One by one take cupcakes by wrapper, turn upside down and dunk into melted chocolate.  Make sure frosting is covered.  Let excess chocolate chip drip off.  Store in fridge.

A multitude of cakes, sister pulls faces & a birthday party x 2

My niece had a birthday May 1st.  She wanted to have a Monster High birthday party theme.  My sister asked me if I'd do her cake.  After looking at pictures online I decided to create a coffin.  My niece had the Dracua Laura doll.  Here's what I came up with:

Brookelyn has recently learned how to XBox.  She rather likes her controller.  She thought she was pretty hot stuff playing with her brother and our neighbor friend, Alex.

Brooke is always doing this "OH!" face.  I haven't been able to catch it on camera for months.  I finally did it!  It cracks me up every time she does it and she does it ALL the time!

While Travis has been home this week he found my backpack I got when I went to Oregon a few summers ago.  In order to mow the lawn & keep sister happy, he put her in the backpack.  She rather likes it too.  The only problem is that my hair is so long she can reach it & yank it - HARD.  Guess we'll leave the packing to her dad for now.

Tonight we celebrated Nash's 7th birthday & Brookelyn's 1st birthday.  I was only going to make 1 cake for Nash, 1 cake for Brooke to have to herself & 1 cake for Brooke that everyone could eat.  However, I showed a picture of this amazing LEGO cake to Travis and his comment was, "That looks hard.  I don't think you can do that."  Thus, the bet was on.  So, FOUR cakes later.......the LEGO cake:

 I made marshmallow fondant from scratch & used fruit roll ups for the LEGOS on the side of the cake.  I used real LEGOS on top.  I'm pretty sure the LEGOS in the picture of the cake I saw were all fondant.  Yeah, I don't like fondant enough to do that.  So we'll just wash us some LEGOS!

Here's the cake that Nash picked the pan out for (easiest cake I've ever done for a birthday!):

Here's Brookelyn's cake I made to share with everyone:

This was Brookelyn's cake to have to herself:

Opening presents:

Grandpa Scott & Grandma Kris got him his own "big" camp chair:

They also got him this cool cooler/lunchbox to put treats in to take fishing (lucky for him he now also has a brand new fishing pole too thanks to Grandpa & Grandma Reeder):

Opening presents with Brookelyn:

Singing "Happy Birthday"

I love the look on B's face here:

Brookelyn vs cake (I absolutely LOVE the look on her face here):

Travis gave her a spoon & she proceeded to use it to eat the cake the entire time!

Can you see her double piggy tails?  I was so excited she had enough hair to do that for the first time today! She was not happy about it, but I think it's adorable!

Cousin Sunny

Our friend Heidi & her adorable kiddos:

Miss Sunny helping B eat her cake:

We had lots of fun tonight.  It was great to see everyone that came.  The only thing I was sad about was that I was dishing up cake/ice cream for everyone & didn't get to watch B dismantle her own little cake.  My mom was kind enough that when I said "Go take pictures!" she did it without pouting! :)  The kids got lots of fun presents & Nash has been building LEGOS since everyone left (even though he asked if he could have a movie night!)  

I can't believe my baby boy is SEVEN already and my baby girl is ONE!  It seems that every year goes by faster and faster.  I remember thinking when I was a kid that time dragged by so slowly that it seemed I'd NEVER grow up!  Now I wish time would just slow down!  Every age is so much fun.  They are all different and they all come with their own challenges, but I do love watching each of my kids grow into their own little person.  I'm just afraid that one day, way too soon, I will wake up and they won't be their own little person anymore.  They'll finally be their own person and out living their lives without me!

The next few weeks are going to be crazy around here.  I have one more week of work (next week).  Brookelyn is having another ear surgery next Wednesday.  Samantha has her end of the year dance recital on the 19th.  Nash has his last soccer game of the season on May 19.  Before long Sam & Nash will both be in summer school & Caleb will be going to summer camp with Miss Shannon.  I hope I can squeeze 1 session of swim lessons in before summer school too.  I'm afraid our summer is already half gone!  Don't blink!