TGIF

Have a great one! I will be watching my friends skydive! And starting my new job on Monday. Ah!

cupcakes upon cupcakes

live

baby daydreams

How cute are these? Found here.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

I saw Mary Poppins last night at the Kennedy Center. It was surprisingly great! I didn't really care that much for the movie, and haven't seen it in about 20 years. But the show was really great! The actors were all fabulous, the songs and dances were fun, and the set and orchestra looked great. There was an amazing tap dance number where the chimney sweep tap danced on the ceiling! I highly recommend seeing it! 

AND I found out Wicked is coming to The Kennedy Center in July and August 2011. CANNOT WAIT.

hokie football

It's time to get excited for football season again!! First Game: September 6 vs Boise State.

inspiration pad

Wouldn't it be cool to write in this? I feel like every page would look great! I kind of want it....

weird

Stumbled across this... and of course, both applied. 

nakie

ROYGBV

Just because I'm in a great mood and love rainbow stuff!

spell it out

Obsessed with this cake.

big changes!

So it's official! I have put in my 2 weeks at KPMG, and accepted an offer with Marriott! I will be an internal auditor in 2 weeks. I'm SO excited. Goodbye late nights and working weekends, hello 40 hour weeks + traveling! My roommate recently took the same position and has already been to Cancun, and is currently in Russia for 15 days! It ends up being about 15% travel, but all over the place to audit hotels! And no weekend work, ever! I can't wait!! And the Marriott discount won't be too shabby either. Oh, and I get my own cube! YAY.

Macaron Cake

Ah, how adorable! Madeleine will die.

Cherry Limeade cupcakes

This weekend was our first country concert of the year! Nissan Pavillion (now known as Jiffy Lube Live) always has great country concerts every summer. Tim Mgraw featuring Love and Theft and Lady Antebellum was the first. We always have a big BBQ at my parent's house and then pile into the suburban for the concert. It was a great time. 


I made Cherry Limeade Cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. They are meant to resemble Sonic's drink. YUM. I figured it was very summer-y. And they were a great success! The recipe is from my fav, Annie's Eats.

Cherry Limeade CupcakesYield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:For the cupcakes:
3 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. limeade concentrate
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

For the lime syrup:
3/4 cup limeade concentrate
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:
3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 tbsp. (or more) maraschino cherry juice
red food coloring (optional)

For decorating (optional):
fresh lime slices
maraschino cherries

Directions:To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.  Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed.  Add in the limeade concentrate and mix to incorporate.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Add in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix ingredients just long enough to incorporate but no longer.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack over wax paper to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, whisk together the limeade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lime syrup.  Poke several holes in the top of each cupcake with a skewer and pour the syrup over the cupcakes, allowing it to soak in.

To make the frosting, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth.  Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture.  Add red food coloring if desired.

Frost cooled cupcakes.  Garnish with lime slices, maraschino cherries, and little straws if desired.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes and Truffles

My contribution to the dinner party with Madeleine was Cookies and Cream Cupcakes! I got the recipe from Annie's Eats, she makes the most delicious looking recipes!

I made half with Golden Oreos and half with regular Oreos. The Golden Oreo cupcakes were a little bit better, but the regulars were good too. Andrea also took advantage of all our materials and made Oreo Truffles! (Golden and regular). She stole all of the remaining Oreo's, which is why I decorated my cupcakes with chocolate drizzle instead of oreo pieces and crumbs. 

Madeleine's Peruvian Chicken

Madeleine came over last week and we FINALLY cooked a meal together! We talk/blog about great recipes but hadn't actually made a meal together. It was so much fun!! She made her Peruvian Chicken, SO delicious!! The chicken was so tasty and moist. click the link for the recipe!

And you know the yellow sauce you get at Peruvian chicken places? The one that is so good on everything? Mads made her own, it was SOOO much better than the restaurant kind. Here is the recipe, try it on everything!!

Peruvian dipping sauce (Madeleine's Way):
4 tbsp of lowfat mayo
2tsp aji amarillo
juice of 2 or 3 lemons
1/2 tsp of cumin
s&p to taste

combine all. dip away :) 

Happy 4th of July!

Off to a friend's river house for the weekend! Hope you have fun plans! :) YAY America.

summer lovin

You know what summer means... bust out the watermelon! Which is my fav fruit of all time! :)