{something sweet}

saturday and Oreo cupcakes

 

saturday mornings are for...

-sleeping in, coffee, waffles and then more sleeping in.

what could be more perfect? adding baking? yes!

well every sunday at church, we have a coffee break. it's fun to catch up with friends and chat with family and hang out. Also, every sunday, a congregation member who is on the schedule brings a snack for the whole church to eat. last sunday, it was my turn to bake for the church. usually i will just do a coffee cake or muffins or something simple like that. (i work 2 jobs so, sadly, that leaves little time for baking). now, there are a number of talented bakers in our church (uh...Bite Me Cupcakes? Debbie Fawcett? and who can forget Nella's classic biscotti?) so i don't dare think i'm on that same level but last saturday, i decided that i wanted to do something special for the church snack the next day. and i don't know about you but, in my mind, "special" is synonymous with "cupcakes"! so cupcakes it was!

so on saturday, i went grocery shopping at about 3pm but unfortunately had to leave for work at about 4:30pm so i couldn't start baking as the butter had not softened in time. so when i was done work at 11pm, i came home and baked til 3am. i baked the majority of the cupcakes and decided that i would ice them in the morning. i slept from 3am-7am and woke up and had to go shopping at the drug store (as safeway was out of icing sugar and there's no way i was going to buy store-bought vanilla buttercream for my cupcakes). once home, i iced, and iced and finally by 9 am they were ready! below is what i made: chocoate-raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and Oreo cupcakes with buttercream frosting topped with a mini Oreo. let me tell you...these bad boys were delightful!

though the chocolate cupcakes take up the majority of the picture, they're not the subject of this post. (i'm still trying to perfect that recipe and when i do...i'll let you know) but let me tell you about these Oreo cupcakes! my oh my! if i may say so myself...they were so good!

honestly...if you're looking for a yummy cupcake that people will love, then make these. i'm not saying all these things to be full of myself but only based on the excellent review these received. i've never had people enjoy my baking as much as when i made these. my heart was so warm and happy last sunday and i felt like, you know what? this is why i love to bake-cause it brings others so much joy. but...enough chat. let's get down to business...

the cake base recipe was found online via an amazing site called Annie's Eats. love her baked goods and am looking to follow more of her recipes! The base is basically a white cake recipe with chopped Oreos added. Amazing. and the best part is the Oreo surprise at the bottom.

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Line wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.  Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.  Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

for the frosting, i followed this recipe which i've also stored in my recipe box...it's extremely basic but very good and versatile.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency. Pipe frosting on to cupcakes and garnish with a mini Oreo cookie!

As you may have noticed, i topped these cupcakes with a different recipe than the original recipe suggested. i did this because i wanted the cupcakes to be as true an interpretation of an Oreo cookie as possible. As the original recipe called for a cream cheese frosting (and there is no cream cheese frosting in Oreo cookies), i felt it was best to stick with buttercream. But of course feel free to experiment if you're so inclined. Enjoy!

xo

 

 

design*sponge=love

 
{image via design*sponge}

My friends, I must share my happiness with you. I have recently fallen upon a wonderful site (which most of the cool kids have probably already heard of) called design*sponge! yes, so in love! what a great site, it's like a bridget paradise. it mixes everything i'm into like cooking, trends, design and best of all: DIY projects. Sorry if it looks like I'm trying to sell you guys something but I promise that's not the case, I just wanted to share. Besides, what would I be selling? you make everything yourself...

A few months ago, I had a strong creative urge and searched the web, unsuccessfully, for a source containing cool DIY projects. A lot of the projects I came across were really, um, ugly and so I'd just given up hope of finding a good source. until...last week when I encountered this wonderfulness. Check it out-here are a few of my faves that I hope to do this year! 

{brenna's pinhole artwork}

{vintage crate shelves}

and definitely one of the cutest things i've ever seen...just the size of an altoid case is {kate's miniature tin gardens}

i found these cool projects and more! sure i want to do them all but i need to be careful what i say. i'll often express that i'll do something only to end up not doing it and then disappointing myself. it's quite a sad cycle, really. which leads me to my next point...

"NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS"

ugh. i even hate the sound of that term. not to be negative or anything but i feel that the term "new years resolution" is a term strife with false enthusiasm and disappointment. people make resolutions cause they feel like it's the right thing to do or that it's healthy to. they feel, it's a new year, so why not a "new" me? yeah, blah blah blah that's great and all but the majority of people don't keep their resolutions which leads to feelings of disappointment in oneself (as i previously mentioned that i've been prone to feel). so, as it stands, i am done with nyr's and they are, after a series of failings, most likely done with me.

I'm opting for a different strategy. one wherein I recognize my desire to improve and also recognize just how difficult it can be to improve. so instead of giving myself one all-encompassing nyr such as "I resolve to be more creative", I will create a game-plan. I will ask myself questions like,

• what are my strengths?
• what are my weaknesses?
• what are things i enjoy doing?
• what am i good at?
• what kind of creative goals would i like to achieve?
• how can i achieve these goals?

I have a few ideas so far. things I'd like to do this year like: learn to crochet, sew drapes for my windows, get frames for some prints etc... all things that are simple enough when you put your mind to it but i'm a busy girl so i have to make time for it.

though you wouldn't know it cause i don't blog very often, I hope to make my blog a sort of drawing board for my plans. I'll tackle my goals month by month, one at a time starting in february. and by the end of december 2011 i hope to have finished 11 goals-things i've been wanting to do!

still deciding what february's will be but i will keep you posted...

meanwhile...some pretty pictures...

{above 3 via weheartit.com}

what are your hopes for the New Year?

xo

 

 

 

 

{we're home}

the hubby and i just returned from a much-needed vacation to vancouver. we spent a week there and really enjoyed ourselves. some highlights:

• tim and amy's wedding
• vancouver aquarium
• gelato at granville island
• vancouver lookout
• the historic architecture of gastown

and many more. some non-highlights:

• feeling nauseous on their public transit. twice.
• getting lost on the skytrain (i guess i had to get lost at least once, right?)
• falling asleep during a movie which we ordered from the hotel that cost $14.99 (that was one pricey nap)

but it was truly wonderful and i would go again in an instant. i hope to share some of my photos soon. for now we're glad to be home, are unpacking, doing some necessary laundry and catching up on work and with friends. it should all settle down pretty soon or so we're hoping.

for now, i have some triple espresso brownies in the oven and will definitely share the recipe if they work out. i'll leave you with some cute pictures that my nieces coloured for uncle aaron and me today. i love them so much! 

xo

a graduate's story

i know it's a bit late, but i finally got to check out the photos that the hubby took from my graduation day (june 9th) and i was very pleased. the memories came flooding back and i just knew that i had to share. it's been a long journey for sure. i got it done in 4 years which i was very happy with but the courseload was immense. my degree was the most stressful experience of my life but it's also been one of the most rewarding (my marriage taking top spot in the "rewarding" category ;))

i remember my first day of university. i was so scared. i ran into someone i knew right away so that was nice but alone in my first class, i was so nervous that my voice quivered even when i said "excuse me" to get to my seat. i gradually got used to everything but was still struggling with whether or not i should take political science as my major. i finally switched my concentration after my first sociology class. i found it perfect in every way for what i wanted to get out of my university career. as for a minor, i was stumped. i was only taking spanish as my LOE (language other than english) credits and because i thought it would be easy since i'd taken it in high school. however, i found university spanish more daunting and was really considering dropping it and taking something like sign language instead where no one could hear my poorly conjugated verbs but, a persistent friend of mine inspired me to continue with it and, though it was a more time-consuming minor, i'm very glad i took it and completed the required courses.

the university path was also difficult in that i really did feel like i didn't experience anything except school for 4 years. i can honestly say that i couldn't do a single thing without guilt (as in, i couldn't enjoy myself or go out cause i REALLY should be studying) and i don't believe that i even allowed myself to listen to a full new musical album because the guilt would consume me.

but ignoring all else, i studied away and found that i was reconsidering things i had always considered "facts" in a whole new way. i learned so much in those 4 years and realized things that i never really considered before: that my opinion matters, that i can think for myself, that i should challenge things i do and don't believe, that just because i don't understand it doesn't mean it's not worth trying to understand. i will always keep these valuable lessons with me.

however, regardless of how great school was, i was still looking forward to being done and the day i finished my last final, i was on cloud nine. i burst out of the doors and my sheer happiness and joy would have been enough to clear the skies of the rain and gloomy weather that day. i swear to you, it was one of the best days of my life. i'm so happy now that i'm done and have a degree. i feel like i have more opportunities and that my mind has become more open. i'm grateful for all my great professors who passed their knowledge on to me. some i will never forget-especially those who challenged me to think outside the proverbial box and to discover things for myself. also, special thanks to coffee, espresso, energy drinks of all kinds and cookies by george, and of course to my patient and understanding family and friends. oh, and to student loans whom i will be continuing to "thank" for, most likely, the next 5-10 years. awesome.

here are some more shots from the big day:

a silly graduate!

me and mama-i love her so much!

mom and dad-i'm so proud of them!

my greatest encouragement and the best person i know

and a mandatory "throwing-of-the-cap" photo (an extremely difficult act to accomplish without looking lame)

oh! and we had lunch at the Hotel MacDonald beforehand where they brought me this special dessert: mmm...

scrumptious!

we went to the ceremony promptly after lunch and, though quite long, was still exciting as i got to see over 600 fellow graduates receive their degrees. coincidentally, our guest speaker was none other than Albert Bandura! i was so excited about this as any student with an arts degree can tell you, the man is extremely intelligent and super influential in the field of Psychology. he is the 4th most quoted psychologist of all time after Freud, Jung and Skinner. i was on the edge of my seat listening to every word of his speech. the total nerd came out in me again and i was in my glory. i was very pleased that my class scored such a cool speaker.

so there's the story of my graduation. thanks to everyone who helped me along the way and aided me in becoming the person i am today. much love

xo

fancy friday

it's that time of the week again! here are my 5 favourite finds from the past week. 

1. this beautiful DIY found via the apartment therapy site which i follow quite regularly. this particular project was found in the re-nest section (my favourite). these are mirrors made from thrifted plates! can you believe it? they're so pretty you'd think they were originally mirrors. i'm definitely going to keep this project in mind for when i find plates this pretty! 

2. in keeping with the DIY theme, i'm loving this floating vase. it's from cupcakes and cashmere and she has a complete tutorial if you'd like to have this beauty in your home. i can picture it in mine filled to the brim with daisies. it would make me SO happy.

3. i was smitten with this blanket the moment i saw it on the blog of the excitingly eccentric dottie angel. and can't wait to crochet my own and add vintage doilies. so incredibly beautiful. but first, i must learn to crochet. i guess i have my work cut out for me! 

4. it's never too early to start thinking about christmas cupcake decorations! these "vintage village" decorations were found on the bakeitpretty.com site and i am very strongly considering sending away for these in time for christmas. you get an assortment of items which compose a beautiful, vintage christmas scene complete with silver trees, ballerinas and snowmen. so completely magical.  

5. and last but never least-this orla kiely kitchenware range! inspiring and genius. i love everything about it, its mismatched-ness, the warm, earth-toned colours and of course the cabinet presentation too. i want all this in my home. lovely!

that's all for friday! have a great weekend. i hope to post some yummy drink recipes this week!

xo

fancy friday

here's a new column that i'm starting on my blog due to the fact that my many hours of internet-browsing, thrift store shopping and experiences with others lead me to discover many items of interest which i "fancy". i know, i'm funny. i thought i would share 5 beautiful things which impress/delight/inspire me each friday. i hope you like them too! so here's my first shot at it. comment if you like what you see!

1. i came across Enjoy cupcakes on a blog i frequent and was so in love with these photos i just knew i had to share. the company is based out of california and, not only do they provide an amazing list of flavours to enjoy but they also offer their 1964 Shasta trailer as a rental if desired. i love the simple, summer-y colours that they use and the beautiful presentation for displaying their lovely cupcakes. on my dream trip to california, i'll definitely stop in

2. a friend told me about the site i am baker a while ago and when i checked out this lady's blog, let me tell you, i was definitely impressed. her cookies are of course incredible but i was more than impressed with this beautiful banana cake with old-fashioned cream cheese frosting which she had done for a bridal shower. delectable, i know. this particular post also features a recipe so check it out. i know that this cake is now on my to-do list too! 

3. my talented friend Stephanie from Clockwork Lemon made these beautiful fashion cookies composed of sugar cookies and marshmallow fondant for fashion designer Chloe Angus' store's grand opening in Vancouver. what an honour! i was definitely impressed when i saw these cookies. they're so beautiful, i personally couldn't bring myself to eat it and would probably frame it instead :) my favourite is the one in the middle. the draping button wrap with the tiny detailed buttons is muy fashionable

4. loving Grand Marnier's most recent ad campaign. something about the mix of the rich colours and the music of the commercial really caught my attention. i'm not a big advertising fan but i enjoy when it's well done. photo source: google images

5. last but not least, i'm so excited to say that i recently joined the coolest e-course ever. a blog i follow, a beautiful mess has launched a neat, affordable course which helps you learn more about your own personal style, how to achieve a certain look, and how to do so in a thrifty way. excited! check it out if you're interested, we can be classmates!

that's all for now. have a happy weekend

xo

 

i've been reading this, this and this...

i joined 2 book clubs this summer and am really loving it so far. the members are such interesting, intelligent people and i'm looking forward to learning a lot from the books we read and the opinions of my fellow book-clubbers. here are some of the books that i've been working on in my own time with the last one being one that we read as a club

i'd seen this book on the shelves at Chapters and always thought to myself that it would be something i'd like to read in the future. i finally got around to it and was really intrigued by the premise of the novel from the beginning. it's about a husband who must deal with a life-altering decision that he made on the day that his son and daughter were born and must grapple with his guilt as it destroys his family. upon reading, though very interesting and touching in places, i found some aspects of the novel quite unrealistic. it was a sufficient read to pass the time but i don't think i'll seek out more novels like this.

  i was raised on Audrey Hepburn's films and have always had a fondness for her and her immaculate style. Having watched Breakfast at Tiffany's many times, i always knew i'd like to read the book but i'd never really made the effort. maybe because i'd been told that the film diverges somewhat from the novel and i didn't want to be disappointed and have something that i love ruined. however, i knew that one day i'd need to face my fear and read Capote's classic. i snagged it at Chapters on sale and, as soon as i'd started, i couldn't put it down. it was such a fun read! i just loved Holly Golightly's quirkiness and spontaneous attitude and, as i'd assumed, Audrey was meant for such a role. if you want a short, fun read this summer, i would highly suggest Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Set post-Spanish Civil War, this novel did an excellent job of engaging the reader and bringing him/her into a plot of intrigue, rich history and danger. The choices of protagonist Daniel Sempere are played out inside a web of mystery, love and a desire to find the truth surrounding a haunting shadowy figure who stalks him. Though predictable at times, i still found this novel more or less suspenseful and full of surprises. I really enjoyed the character development and am looking forward to reading another of Zafón's works.

now, i'm currently working on Pilgrim by Timothy Findley and Orlando by Virginia Woolf-coincidentally, two of my favourite authors. i'll be sure to let you know how it goes. oh, and you'll find that i have fewer recipes up-let me tell you-summer + oven on 350 = a grumpy bridget. so i'm going to try to do no-bake recipes and i think i have a few that i'll try this week and next.

oh, and one more thing...i start a new weekly column tomorrow-so excited! stay tuned

breakfast remix/july 15th edition

fried eggs, toast with jam, vegetarian sausage with syrup and OJ

inspired by a certain blog i follow whose author has begun to do the same thing, every now and then i plan on taking a quick snapshot of my breakfast before it's devoured. it's called "breakfast remix" where one photographs his or her breakfast and shares with the world. i'm excited. hopefully it will inspire me to put more effort into breakfast.

join in on your blog too!

xo

{b. remix is also inspired by this blog too!}

love, cupcakes and buttercream

the hubby and i went to many a wedding this weekend. we're so happy for our friends who've tied the knot! both weddings were elegant and the respective brides were breathtaking. can't wait for the next wedding, which is in august. here are a few pictures that i took from curtis and kristin's on friday. (no pics of said bride as my battery was terribly low, very sad, i know). i did their cupcakes and top tier of a cake for them and they were very grateful. it was such a pleasure giving them such a gift but i will be honest and say that it was definitely a lot of work. if my ever-talented mother hadn't swooped in and helped, i would not have been able to do it all. a special shout out to her for all her amazingness-i love her so much! (oh, and she bought me pizza that day too! so sweet)

so i made 150 cupcakes composed of a 1/4 chocolate base with the remainder 3/4 vanilla. the cupcakes were topped with swiss meringue buttercream, taken from Martha Stewart Cupcakes (75 with blue icing and 75 with white). i really enjoyed this icing because it tasted different from the buttercream i usually use-i like to switch stuff up every now and then. i would highly suggest using swiss meringue if you'd like a taste that is more buttery than regular frosting but significantly less sweet. this frosting takes more time to prepare than my other buttercream recipes (i averaged 15 minutes for white swiss meringue and 20 for blue) but is rewarding to do. you wouldn't believe how many people LOVED this icing. i was really encouraged with the results. now, if only i could get all my cupcakes into a more uniform size and a less golden colour (ah, the embarrassment) 

as you can see in the pictures, there are little roses topping each cupcake. i made 160 (80 in each colour-mistakes happen!) and placed them in the freezer. they didn't freeze of course but just retained their shape long enough so that, when the cupcakes were ready to be topped with their roses, the lifter that i used didn't damage the roses. another positive about this icing is that it retains its shape despite the heat. we piped the icing onto 150 cupcakes on a hot day in an apartment with an oven running for 7 hours straight and the icing was extremely resilient-didn't even begin to droop. very happy with the results. 

here's the recipe for you to enjoy too:

swiss meringue buttercream

5 large egg whites, 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter cut into Tablespoons and at room temperature, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between fingertips)

2. attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool. about 10 minutes

3. with mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. yield: 5 cups

and..., you're done! keep at room temperature if using the same day otherwise buttercream can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth

this is aaron and i at curtis and kristin's wedding. he always manages to look so smart in his blazer. weddings remind me of how happy i am that he is my groom and i am his bride. 

xo

 

a busy weekend

this weekend has been so incredibly busy, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down this week either. it's a good busy though, i promise. some highlights were/are:

• finding some really great jobs to apply for online
• finalizing plans for our trip
• my mom generously giving me all her professional cake-decorating supplies
• re-thinking some of my priorities and giving more attention to 2 important people in my life
• planning the baking and decorating of the cupcakes and top tier cake for a friend's wedding
• gaining more inspiration for future crafting projects (hope to post about these later)
• baking a successful lemon meringue pie
• beginning to feel really comfortable with my volunteer position with a not-for-profit organization

on the other hand though, looking forward to a new month = july goals:

• second-hand shopping for some cute summer dresses
• organizing my craft space
• hopefully the introduction of a new column onto my blog to display one of my favourite things in the world :)

some pretties and inspiration that i love

 

{all images from weheartit.com}

xo