Best cupcake I have EVER tasted!

I was going through last year's holiday season photos and came across this picture of one of Brandi's gourmet cupcakes. And when I say gourmet, I mean it in the purest sense of the word. This is hands down the best, very best cupcake I have EVER tasted in my entire life, and I've been waiting an entire year for her to do them again. I wonder if posting this will inspire her. Brandi surprised us last December 18th, when she brought over a beautiful prime rib dinner and these gorgeous cupcakes. Imagine that. Having your daughter show up on your door step at dinner time....during the holidays...with dinner in hand!

Brandi's Gourmet Caramel Goat Cheese Gingerbread Cupcakes

Aren't they just gorgeous? She frosted them with an absolutely decadent cream cheese cheese icing that is so rich and creamy that you will shiver with delight when you bite into one. Mixing up the toppers brought a beautiful variety to the display, and just take a look at the inside. {Squeal} Yep, they're filled...goat cheese cheesecake w/homemade caramel.

There are no words for how delicious this cupcake is.

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. Really, there are no words. Don't you just want to take a bite out of that frosting? Yum. I'm wondering if this would work out in a mini version. The only problem would be having enough of them on hand, because you can't have just one! Ciao!

On a side note, you can get the recipe for these dreamy cupcakes here and if you want to know more about her delicious cupcakes and her techniques, Brandi blogs at Tweedle Dee Designs and guest blogs over at Somewhat Simple and Crazy Domestic.

The rest of the dinner

Okay bloggers, have you ever burnt the grilled cheese?

I've got the day to myself (well, the puppers are here) as Rick is off at a rifle shooting class so I have been working on a few projects. I tend to forget to eat when he's not around but this afternoon I started feeling a little hungry. Pondering what I could make without having to leave the house for ingredients, I remembered Oprah's show earlier in the week. She and Martha inspired another nostalgic episode in me when they prepared their grilled cheese bar on her show. Perusing the refrigerator I found that I have ham, turkey, Swiss, parmesan, and mozzarella. (not the gourmet assortment I usually have). However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a deliciously grilled hot Ham and Swiss, know what I mean? I also scoured the pantry and found a can of Wolfgang Puck's Organic Tomato Basil Soup. The only thing that would make this any better is a nice fresh crisp green salad.

Perfect Sunday Afternoon Autumn Lunchette

Now, you know you've gone too far with this blogging thing when you leave the grilled cheese cooking on the stove so that you can go and iron...yes I said iron...a napkin for the perfect photograph. I'm sure that has never happened to Martha. I got back to the stove and noticed that perfectly-grilled-on-one-side-grilled-ham-and-swiss sitting there sizzling in the skillet and near panic set in. I took my spatula lifted it up and turned it over to reveal a darker than desired flip side. Not too bad though, considering I had to wait for the iron to heat up. The worst part about the whole thing...I had no fresh basil to garnish the beauty with! Crazy, I know, and yet I'm wondering why the pic looks so washed out. :-/ It was delicious though. I would have made it a mini...but didn't want to cut off the crust. I really like it :-)

Restaurant Minis ~ Starbucks Mini Morning

Oh how I love my Starbucks, but I do try to curb my cravings and make them a special occasion. This was one of those mornings. Our little Minnie Mouse is having surgery to tack a cherry eye this morning and I had to have her at the hospital at 7 am. On the way back home I stopped off at Starbucks for this sweet little treat along with a java jolt. A few months ago, Starbucks started offering baby donuts and mini scones. This one is a delicious mini vanilla bean scone.

Starbucks Vanilla Bean Mini Scone

During her college days, my daughter Brandi, worked at Starbucks and would let us know about the "nutritional" content of all of the Starbucks drinks and sweets. WOW! I'm really happy they came up with a mini version so that we can still enjoy them and not explode from all the goodness!

Update on Minnie: She's out of surgery, waking up and recovering nicely. I pick her up after 4:30...

I've been bitten ~ by the Twilight Bug

I've been sitting on pins and needles waiting to be able to share Brandi's Tweedle Dee Designs Twilight inspired Halloween collection. As I mentioned in this post, I had such fun making the dessert "props" to go with her designs, and I tried to capture the essence of her theme in this collage.

Twilight inspired Halloween Party by Brandi at Tweedle Dee Designs

It all turned out beautifully, and I love the color scheme; blood reds, dark night black, shiny silver moon, and pure pure white. Brandi's printables bring an elegant celebratory essence to a simple dessert table, and she absolutely captures the essence of the Twilight theme.

I made the Mini Cheesecake Bites, Vampire Fudge, Brownie Bites, and Russian Cream. Brandi made the eerily delicious Love Bite Cupcakes and those To Die For Apple Pops (Darn those are good!) The amazingly talented Allyson Jane provided those gorgeous Apple Cookies. We also added Lollipop Sticks, Blood Sugar Swirls from Smeeks and Vampire Kisses to round out the table.

You cannot have a Cocktail and Dessert Party without the cocktails so here is a little sampling of the beverage table.

Twilight inspired Beverage Table

I just had to include that adorable photo of Brandi giving Minnie Mouse a little hug. She's her little helper and is always so excited when Brandi comes through the door. Back to the Party though...Love my new Pottery Barn Beverage server. I've purchased and returned three other servers from various places because they leak. This one does not!

The Beverage service included Plasma Shots, Vampire Punch, Cherry Coke, and a variety of wines. For an actual dessert party, I would include a couple of dessert reds and whites to compliment the sweet table. These wines were actually more suited to the Italian lunch we served. (Mini Meatball Sandwiches, Tortellini Bites, and a Veggie Platter) A girl's gotta eat when she's working hard...and we can't let the guys feel left out :-)

To fashion your own Twilight inspired Halloween party, check out Brandi's Printables. They are in her etsy shop now at 50% Off until October 8th. That's only $6.50...woo hoo, gotta love a Real Sale! :-)

Happy Hour and Honey at The Living Room

I don't cook on Friday nights. There are other nights during the week that I may or may not cook, but I definitely do not cook on Friday nights. Rick and I enjoy meeting up after work on Fridays to wind down over a glass of wine and some little nibbles. This is the night we sort of leave it all behind and just enjoy each other. One of my new favorite places to relax is The Living Room right here in Chandler. It is a sweet little spot with tables, sofas, end tables, board games and a delicious little menu. They even have a nice inviting patio to enjoy when the weather is nice.

Happy Hour at The Living Room

Delicious assortment of sweet and savory bruchetta

A beautiful glass of Pinot Noir

If you feel like a little more than noshing, they have an assortment of delicious sandwiches and salads. Fresh herbs and greens are picked right outside the front door from a nice little kitchen garden. It's like being home, but not having to clean up the mess :-) Enjoy your weekend!

Sunday Fun Day ~ A Twilight Collaboration

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun in a creative collaboration. Brandi and I put together a Halloween party every year and it is always a lot of fun, but this year was a little more special because she has started designing party printables for her new business, Tweedle Dee Designs. We did a photo shoot on Sunday that she will be showcasing on her blog soon. I just love the Black, Red, Silver, and White color scheme in her Twilight inspired theme. Part of what made this more fun was because it was a bit more of a challenge to coordinate because everything on the market for Halloween seems to be green, purple, orange and black and Brandi always like to have a bit of a surprise for her readers. She came up with a fabulous interpretation for the printables that will be going up for sale in her etsy shop this week and I am chomping at the bit to see the edited photos on her blog. I did ask if it was okay to share a sneak peek of part of my contribution. I hope you enjoy it. I prepared a combination of "from scratch" and "boxed" recipes for the photo shoot.

Russian Cream

Vampire Fudge w/Walnuts

Brownie Bites

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites

Plasma (Jello) Shots

You can tell I took the last two shots because Brandi is a much better photographer :-). And, my one regret, UGH! I made the cheesecake with graham cracker crust instead of Oreo....She told me so! If I were her, I'd either redo them or leave them out of the showcase. They were delicious though! Live and Learn and I can't wait to showcase a wide shot of the dessert and drink tables. Fun, fun, fun.

Small Plates at CPK

I absolutely love that restaurants have finally gotten the message and started offering "Small Plates" of delicious food. California Pizza Kitchen has several delicious additions to their menu and they looked so good that I couldn't choose just one.

CPK ~ Arugula with Asparagus Mini Salad

CPK ~ White Corn Guacamole w/Blue and White Corn Chips

These two plates were absolutely delicious. At first, I thought the guacamole was going to be wayyy too spicy, but I must have taken a bite right out of a jalapeño pepper. The rest of it was fabulous and I definitely recommend both these dishes.