Don’t get me wrong, I too have embraced the gift-to-self concept. I just believe in gifts for everyone, including self. So in the spirit of giving ~ gifts to yourself or to others, here are a few things anyone who loves to bake would appreciate.

I know a lot of baking friends that share in my fetish for cake plates. I love this Rosanna Rococo one in black, so classy!

Baking is messy, so if you’re going to get messy, at least do it in style. This Reversible apron is from Debbie’s Etsy storefront, DebzDoodlez . She has lots of other prints to choose from.

You might have read one of my posts about this before, but it’s worth repeating. I think this Wilton 50 piece decorating kit is the best out there for someone getting start. It’s reasonably priced and comes with tips, couplers, gel colors, spatulas, bags, and more!
Ruffles are all the rage, and this ruffle pie plate is on sale for $19.99 and ships for free.  If you know someone with a cake plate fetish, it’s probably an issue with pie plates too.

 If you’re looking for cookbooks, here are two great reads. As much as I love pretty cookbooks, I find most of the recipes I try from the Internet. These two books are not your traditional cookbooks. They explain the science behind cooking and baking so you can be successful in creating your own recipes. Ratio came out in 2010 and Ruhlman’s Twenty was just released this fall.

This is the only baking sheet worthy enough to go in my oven. These Airbake sheets are only $14.99 at Target and by far the best and only sheet I will use at this point. Just don’t submerge it when you clean it, trust me on this!

I love my Babycake Cake Pop Maker. When I bought one for my sister’s birthday in September, I bought one for me too. Happy Birthday to me! They are currently sold out online at Kohl’s, but they should have them in stock in the store. It’s on sale for $26.00 and with the $10.00 coupon they send every month, that makes a great present for a great deal. If you can’t find it at Kohl’s, you can also buy it at the BabyCakes online store.

When decorating cookies, I could not live without Kuhn Rikon squeeze bottles. Sur La Table is selling a new cupcake set which includes a cupcake corer and silicone baking cups. It’s $30… a great price for everything you get.

Anyone who bakes will tell you that measuring cups are not all created equal. I happen to think Williams Sonoma makes some of the best. They have a gift set right now with all of the cups and spoons for $39.00. It’s worth the investment.

Prince Charming, really you can skip the jewelry this year and get me this. Yes, I’m picking a Kitchen Aid mixer over diamonds. This KitchenAid®  7-Quart Bowl-Lift NSF Commercial Stand Mixer is the Rolls Royce of Kitchen Aids. Now I happen to LOVE my aqua blue 5 qt Martha Stewart Kitchen Aid. If there was a fire in the house, I’d grab the boy, the Naughty One, and the mixer. That’s how much it means to me. But I’m pretty sure I could fall in love with this one too. Christi from Love From the Oven was given one to try out (I am seriously jealous!) She wrote a great review of it on her site. The best part is this can make up to 14 dozen cookies at a time. But if you don’t generally make 14 dozen cookies at a time, go check out the rest of the stand mixers that Kitchen Aid has to offer. You’ve got to love the rainbow of colors.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It doesn’t matter if Prince Charming hasn’t appeared on my doorstep yet. I am a hopeless romantic, and still believe there is someone I’m destined to be with. I’m not the naive hopeless romantic who believes there is only one person out there for everyone. I think a lot of it has to do with timing, falling in love with someone who’s at the same place you are, and someone who’s heading in the same direction. The truth is I’m in no rush to find him. Unless, I wait another eight years, I’m not just looking for Mr. Right for Me. I’ve got a boy and his Naughty Dachshund to consider… and that completely overwhelms me. So for the next eight years, we’ll have to see if Mr Right for Us rings our doorbell, and if those two approve.

Partly, what has freaked me out about the whole idea of finding someone is watching my son struggle to deal with two other people, who he didn’t pick, in his dad’s life. I’ve watched his dad struggle too, knowing how much he loves our boy and having to accept things that played out in his life. The boy won’t be picking who we let into our life, but I’ve given him my word, if it ever happens, he is my number one priority.

Thankfully, the boy was blessed with a sense of humor, and as he has gotten older and understood more, it’s helped him cope with some of the challenges he’s been handed. Last week he shared with me some criteria that Mr. Right for Us would have to meet to gain access into our world. Top of the list… he has to have the means and willingness to put a pool in our backyard. This, of course, I fully concur with. Additionally, Mr. Right for Us cannot have a dog, unless it is a wiener dog, and the Naughty One has final say about adding another pup to the family. In terms of children, the boy prefers Mr. Right for Us has no children, however, if he happens to have children the boy’s age, and if the boy decides he likes them, he may make an exception. Probably the most challenging of all, Mr. Right For Us has to embrace our not so typical family dynamic. The boy, his dad, and I will remain a team, enjoying our lives together and parenting the boy as long as he needs our guidance (which pretty much means for life).

Upon telling my mom this story, she convinced the boy to add additional criteria. Apparently, the grandparents now have veto power in whomever we choose (which means I could be single for a VERY long time).

Whoever your sweetie is this Valentine’s Day, this is a quick dessert that’s sure to please. I made up a batch of brownies, using this Wilton silicone mold, which I definitely recommend (just spray well with non-stick spray). You can also make a batch of brownies in a pan and either cut or use cookie cutters to create the shapes you like. Using Wilton candy melts, dip strawberries and marshmallows and add sprinkles before it sets. Here’s the key, skewer the marshmallows and strawberries before they are completely set, otherwise the chocolate will break into pieces. The best way to do this is to dip a few at a time so that they partially set, and then skewer. This can be made the day before and then refrigerated, but not much farther in advance or the strawberries will become soggy.

For more specifics on making chocolate-covered strawberries (they’re really easy!), read through this post for tips. If you don’t know, I have a bit of a chocolate-covered strawberry fetish so there are several other yummy recipes I’ve posted.

Have a great week everyone!

I’m working on editing pictures from my girlfriend, Tammy’s shower that I hosted this weekend ~ Can’t wait to share!

If you’ve come here for something absolutely adorable and free you’re going to love what I’ve found! These are three of the most talented bloggers that I stalk visit on a weekly basis. I always leave their sites inspired with new ideas to add to my never-ending “to-try” list.

Thank you Amy, Kathleen & Laurie for making Valentine’s even sweeter!

iPhone Valentine Printable designed by Amy at LivingLocurto.com

This is what my son will be giving to his friends (I haven’t showed him yet, but this valentine is going to make him the coolest kid around). Each little iPhone box holds a box of conversation hearts. Amy even designed each app. icon with a Valentine’s theme.

Valentine Brownie Bags from Kathleen at Twig & Thistle

Do you remember Kathleen’s adorable valentine brownie bags from last year? She updated her design for 2011. To make it even easier, she sells these brown bags in her Etsy store with instructions on how to print them. They are also available in white and cost $5.oo for 25. Make a batch of homemade brownies and this becomes an inexpensive treat for your list of valentines.

Heart Cupcake Toppers posted at Tip Junkie and created by Kate at Smitten Blog Designs

Tip Junkie is one of those places I often discover creative bloggers to add to my weekly stalking visiting list. I’m amazed at how Laurie manages so many different topics on her blog. These cute cupcake toppers were created by Kate at Smitten Blog Designs. I love the color combo!

Enjoy this last week of January! Hope it’s filled with sunshine!

I used this same technique last winter to make chocolate snowflake cupcake toppers and have photos that show the same steps in that post. The snowflakes turned out beautiful. I did have some breakage making the chocolate snowflakes because of their shape, but made plenty of extra. I expected a little breakage with the stars, but all of them worked and were very stable once set.

The cupcake recipe started with a cake mix, but was then fancied up a bit. I used Duncan Hine’s Devil’s food cake mix and the amount of eggs and oil called for on the package. The package calls for 1 1/3 cup water. I used a cup of water and substituted Bailey’s liqueur for the remaining 1/3 cup. I also stirred 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Another great option I discovered last year was to use Godiva’s white chocolate liqueur to make the cupcakes. I have added soda, juice, and alcohol, tea, and coffee to cupcakes and have had a lot of success by keeping the amount of additional liquid the same as the amount of water that the recipe calls for. I usually grab my Wilton 1M tip to frost cupcakes (as seen in the snowflake cupcake photo). For these fancy cupcakes, I opted for the Wilton 2D tip. I love the ruffly effect it makes.

The last day of our break has been spent running around getting ready to go back to school and back to work. I have made sure my coffee maker is set to brew right before my alarm goes off in the morning. I’m hoping the early dose of caffeine will help me get out the door in time. I can’t wait to get back into the regular routine, but have a feeling making myself cute before 8AM may pose a challenge. If that’s my greatest challenge of the week, it’s going to be a good one!

Wishing you a happy week ahead!

I decided to forgo cupcakes and mini desserts and go BIG for our Christmas Eve celebration. With the help of my girlfriends and mom, we put together a great family-style Italian dinner. We enjoyed a great night with the kids running around giddy waiting for Santa to arrive. After Italian food and this dessert though, I’d never felt so full in my life.

I found the recipe for this layer cake on Saveur.com, one of my favorite foodie sites, and didn’t need to search any further. As if  eight layers of yellow cake and homemade chocolate frosting aren’t enough, bits of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are sprinkled throughout the layers and garnished on top.

The cake originates from Smith Island, Maryland and has been made for generations, dating back to the nineteenth century. I have yet to try the Smith Island Baking Company’s cakes, but take a look at the varieties they offer, and try not to drool on your keyboard. They look amazing!

The cake itself is actually pretty easy to make. The traditional chocolate frosting is made on the stove, but I opted for one of my favorite chocolate frostings instead. I’m not going to lie though, it’s time consuming ~ the finished product is  worth every minute you put into it. I made the cake layers the day before and carefully wrapped each individual layer in Saran Wrap. The cake tasted completely fresh the next day. On Christmas Eve, I made the frosting and put it all together. I was thrilled with how it looked and tasted! Cutting into it is definitely a show-stopper.

If you’re looking for just the right dessert for New Year’s, this is a great way to end 2010. I’m hoping to be hungry and back in my kitchen before New Year’s whipping up something sweet.

Cheers to a great end of 2010!

Smith Island Cake (from Saveur.com)

8 large Reese’s peanut butter cups, frozen
Nonstick cooking spray
1?4 cup flour
1  18 1?4-oz. box yellow cake mix, preferably
Duncan Hines
2 cups plus 3 tbsp. evaporated milk
16 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1?2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1?4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1. Pulse 4 peanut butter cups in a food processor into small chunks; transfer to a bowl. Pulse remaining peanut butter cups into a fine powder; transfer to another bowl. Chill both until ready to use.

2. Heat oven to 350°. Grease four 8″ round cake pans with cooking spray, dust with half the flour, and knock out any excess. Set aside. Put cake mix, 1 1?2 cups evaporated milk, half the butter, vanilla, salt, eggs, and 1?3 cup water into a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 10–12 minutes. Divide half the batter between prepared cake pans. Set remaining batter aside. Using the back of a spoon, spread out batter so that it covers the bottom of each pan, making it slightly thicker around the edges than in the middle. Bake until cooked through and golden around edges, 12–14 minutes. Set aside to let cool slightly, then loosen cake layers with a knife and invert onto cooling racks. Wash and dry cake pans. Repeat process a second time with cooking spray and remaining flour and batter.

3. When all 8 cake layers have cooled, make the icing. Combine remaining milk, sugar, and cocoa in a medium pot; stir well, then add remaining butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and icing is shiny, 4–5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir well.

4. Spread a cake layer with about 1?4 cup of icing; sprinkle with about 1 tbsp. powdered peanut butter cups. Top with another cake layer and repeat process to make 8 layers in all. Frost outside of cake with remaining icing; sprinkle top with peanut butter cup chunks. Let sit for 2–3 hours before serving. The cake can be stored for up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.

Here is the link to the chocolate frosting recipe I love.