Graduation

Oh, the cupcakes.  Jeesh.

Check out how to make these Graduation Cupcakes at Hello, Cupcake!

xoxox

Graduation Cupcakes

We had two high school seniors graduate on Friday the 12th, so some celebrating was in order.

"Hello Cupcake's" blog has struck again. I found these adorable Graduation Cupcakes and had no trouble making them from Healthy Choice Devil's Food cookies, chocolate covered grahams, and a little yellow licorice.

I made the vanilla "from scratch" cupcakes, and they are amazingly delicious. Here's the recipe:

VANILLA CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk (evaporated milk would be really good, or buttermilk)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1. Oven 350. Cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs.

2. Add the dry ingredients

3. Add the milk and oil, beat until smooth.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full, and bake about 20-23 minutes until golden.

To make the little diplomas, I just took a box of Golden Oreo "Fun Stix" and cut each one in half, wrapping a bit of licorice around it. Our school colours are black and gold, and honestly, the black licorice would have probably worked better. But the yellow was fine -- just a bit gooey in the middle, and we had to get creative with scissors.

I absolutely love Hello Cupcake in all its many forms. The blog, the book, it's all full of amazing designs that work with real ingredients -- and they work for those of us who are sewers and not chefs! Or bakers!

xoxoxox

JB's Panda-monium BD

Birthdays are a VERY big deal around our house. Although gifts are optional, the singing and eating are not. Here's what happened in our kitchen yesterday --

I found this book while doing some grocery shopping last week at Sam's Club. I couldn't get over the photography, and even in frugal times, decided it was worth buying. Babydoll and I stood for probably 10 minutes marveling over each creation.

Everyone helped (except JB) with the making of some Panda cupcakes. I think the making of the cupcakes may have been exceptionally more fun than the eating of them! Malene, our Danish student, proved herself quite the expert at icing. Babydoll swiped her cheeks with icing warpaint, and GB tried to help without being too much of a perfectionist. My philosophy? Hey, it's food -- it's going to be eaten, so just do the best you can.

I highly recommend this book simply because of the fun we had doing it. And check out the Hello Cupcake blog, too -- it's worth it!

Lighting the pandas, who hold black and white candles

The guest of honor as she gets ready to blow them out

Our beloved Malene, Asbjorn, and Sun, Danish exchange-students who did a lot of the work

"This is the best birthday cake yet, Mom."

A reluctantly photographed Marco Polo





GB, who put aside his OCD to help add the ears and arms of the pandas

"Look, Ma, a panda"

Barbie: "OMG, I just ate a panda's head. Does this make me pandaniverous?"

GB has no qualms about definitely being pandaniverous, and babydoll shows off her icing war-paint.


A fabulous time was had by all. I think the best of life happens in the kitchen.

xoxox