cheers to the sun...

...because it gets butter to room temperature faster :p 

Our favorite view. I hope the dogs don't knock down the solar lights we just installed!

I think this kitchen view always makes our dishes better. It's THE little sumthin' sumthin' that makes food special,
not drool that gets mixed into my brownie batter, as some have speculated.

Rarely photographed but I love these trees. They make me feel...smaller.

The sun is one of the things I am really grateful for lately. I can go to sleep without a jacket on. I love the cool weather in the farm, don't get me wrong, but a little variation is always fun. I love how one day I need to wear a hoodie, socks, Crocs (yes, I do now), and terry cloth pants and the next, I can wear a shirt, slippers and, well, terry cloth pants still. :p 

This dude is missing his terry cloth pants but looks to be enjoying the sun too.

Even the cupcake frostings I made over the weekend are celebratory of the sunny days. As I was about to put the BEST frosting EVER on the now on-demand (mind the small audience I have here) red velvet brownies, I had to stop myself and put the spatula down. I don't know if it's the five-times-in-two-weeks-is-too-much syndrome or the general let's-get-out-of-this-before-it-becomes-a-rut panic attack, but I just wanted to put another frosting on those brownies. I like to change it up. I'm crazy like that. I'm also boring like that. However you want to judge it. Anyway, I decided to make this cream cheese frosting instead.  I know, it's the classic combo and there's a reason for it. The frosting cuts through and complements the richness of the brownies. PERFECT. I just wanted to be a bad-ass and frost it with something non-cream cheese-y. Go against convention. Be the cool, non-conformist new baker. I failed. 


Now with a bowl of the BEST frosting EVER (red velvet exception already emphasized earlier) sitting in the fridge, I decided to make the Amy Sedaris vanilla cupcakes. I wanted to make the Magnolia Bakery recipe but I had only one egg left in the pantry, so...there. A good recipe but not quite the super moist cake I was looking for. I probably overbaked it since it was darker than the picture called for BUT it had a really great egg-y taste which I loooooved. 


I divided the frosting into two and added one heaping (HEAPING) tablespoon of Nutella to one (I've been meaning to make Nutella cookies and haven't gotten around to it, so thanks to Kats for the cupcake inspiration) and smooth peanut butter to the other. VOILA. BEST frosting EVER now even BEST-er!! :) 

I know. I need to use frosting bags. I don't know if I'll ever have the energy for it though. 

There is no limit to the Nutella you can add to the frosting recipe. It is ALL goooood.

Ditto for peanut butter. Go ahead. You know you want to. 

Important note, in case the photo captions are not clear enough: add as much Nutella or peanut butter as you like. Of course, consider the consistency of the frosting as you go too. You don't want a thick blob on your cupcake that you can't handle. Whatever that limit is :p


xoxo, 
Janice