Here are some treats that I've made in the recent past.
(Proof that I really am capable of making cute cakes,
despite the awkward birthday cake in the last post!
Here is my first big cupcake endeavor:
This is the cupcake tower I made for my sister CC's 30th birthday party in December. I made homemade red velvet and vanilla cakes with buttercream frosting. I colored some of the frosting pink, purple, and silver, as those were the party colors.
And here's a bit of trivia: I cooked ALL 85 of these cupcakes in a tiny toaster oven, 6 at a time, because the oven was broken! It took over two days. Now, that's sisterly devotion!
Next, I tried another recipe of red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day:
I tried one of those gourmet packets that include all the dry ingredients...
You just add eggs, water, and oil, and then make your own frosting. The batter was impressively red, and seems like it'd make some serious red velvet, but I will never again make any red velvet cupcakes that aren't homemade. The ones from December were much more delicious! I tried to jazz them up with hand-crafted red and pink icing hearts and festive Valentine's Day-themed baking cups (but you can't really see them in the picture).
I made these girly cupcakes at the end of February for my friend Kimberly:
Kim had recently found out that she was pregnant with a little girl.
I had a lot of fun making little feet with gel icing...
They were vanilla cakes with strawberry frosting. (However, I could definitely make these with vanilla frosting and blue coloring for anyone expecting a little boy!)
Most recently, in March, I had a bunch of friends over for a Spring Fling party, and I made these spring-inspired cupcakes:
These little cakes are my favorite treats of all the cupcakes I've made.
They were confetti cakes with vanilla frosting. Bright and cheery!
In my attempts to be more domestic, I've also learned to make real food,
not just cakes:
I don't mean to brag, but I've pretty much mastered breakfast. Here are some scrambled eggs, homemade homefries, whole wheat English Muffins with garlic-herb butter, and sausage.
Note: This is the Man's plate, not mine, shown here! I don't eat that much, I swear! :)
One morning, I decided to make my own breakfast sandwiches:
They were miniature, but they were good and surprisingly filling! (Thanks, Pillsbury biscuits!)
I recently made my own chicken quesadillas, too:
I used Garden Vegetable tortillas, which is why they're green! I seasoned my chicken and cooked it up with a nice blend of veggies, cilantro, and cheese. I served them with salsa, and they were deliciosas!
Here is the spread I put out for my Spring Fling party:
There was a variety of tortilla chips for the salsa, queso dip, and sour cream. I also made my very own spinach and artichoke dip for the first time, and it disappeared quick! I think my friends really liked it. I made a gigantic pumpernickel bread bowl, too. There was an assortment of fresh fruits, including mango and kiwi, and my dear friend Sara brought a veggie tray. Fresh food for a fresh season!
Since I've moved out on my own this year, I've had to be more proficient in the kitchen, but it's been fun! I love having my own kitchen to cook up all these goodies! :)
