Fourth of July Fireworks Wreath

4^th of July Fireworks Wreath

A couple of weeks ago my friend, Amber, had me over for a crafting day. We started on these fireworks wreaths and only got a fraction of the way through over a 2-hour period. I just finished mine yesterday; these puppies are super time intensive (took me about 5 ½ hours total!) and it would have taken longer if it wasn’t for the Silhouette Cameo! If you have one, I SO suggest you buy the pinwheel image to make your life (and folding) easier! It scores the folds for you making it infinitely easier.

For directions on this project, check out All You.

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

I made these along with Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes for a morning baby shower I went to recently. I over-estimated how many cupcakes were actually needed (not a bad thing at all if you ask meJ) and ended up dropping off the extras with my husband at work. My husband is currently going through officer training with the Marine’s so I didn’t think twice about whether or not Curtis and the other Marines in his platoon would enjoy them.

When I dropped them off to Curtis our conversation went a little like this:

Curtis: So what type of cupcake are these again?

Me: Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese

        Frosting

Curtis: <3 second pause, then a smile lights up his face> Sa-weet!

 When he came home that night the cupcake carrier was empty and he had about 10 different responses to relay back to me from his fellow Marines. So cute, they’ll be getting cupcakes again soon!

Cook’s Note:

This recipe made 30 standard-sized cupcakes using my trusty 4-tablespoon scoop.

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 C butter, softened

1 ½ C sugar

3 eggs

2 egg whites

3 1/3 C flour

1 t baking soda

½ t baking powder

1 t salt

1 T cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

1 C sour cream

1/3 C milk

1 t vanilla extract

1 ½ C fresh or frozen blueberries

Maple Buttercream:

½ C butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

¼ C real Maple Syrup

1 t vanilla

5 ½ C powdered sugar

Milk, as needed

Cinnamon sugar and fresh blueberries for garnish.

Directions:

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 360 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together and set aside.

Using a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract and sour cream until combined, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.

On low speed, add eggs and egg whites one at a time until each is fully incorporated.

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the wet (milk, vanilla extract and sour cream).  Let each ingredient fully mix in before adding the other, be careful not to over mix.

Fold in blueberries. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full (I used my trusty 4-tablespoon scoop) and bake for about 16-19 minutes (rotating pans half-way through), or until an inserted knife comes out clean.   

Cool cupcakes on a wired-rack for at least 30 minutes before piping on the frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. 

Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and beat on low until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If needed add 1 tablespoon of milk to loosen.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with cinnamon sugar and berries.

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Source: adapted from Your Cup of Cake

Pad Thai Fried Rice & Cilantro Thai Chicken

I think I’ve made this meal 3 times in the last month, because it’s beyond good!  I have a weakness for Thai food, especially Thai food infused with citrus…and then you add some salty peanuts and cilantro on top and I’m sold!

This dish is extremely flavorful with crisp, clean flavors. It’s one of those dishes that are so good you need to stop yourself from hunching over your plate while shoveling it in!

Cook’s Note: This recipe calls for Ponzu (pictured below), which is basically soy sauce infused with citrus juices. I have personally fallen in love with the product and now prefer it over soy sauce. If you don’t have Ponzu on hand or can’t find it at your local grocer (I found mine at Food Lion, and also noticed that my local Target carries it), then you can substitute it for soy sauce. 

If you want to add some veggies to this dish, add some bean sprouts atop the rice after you take the rice off of the heat to steam.

Pad Thai Fried Rice & Cilantro Thai Chicken

 

Ingredients:

2 C Jasmine rice, uncooked
2 T brown sugar
2 T fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 T Ponzu (*see Cook’s Note above)
1-2 t Sriracha Chili Sauce
2 t vegetable oil
3 green onions, white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, light beaten
1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 C chopped roasted, salted peanuts

Directions:

Cook the Jasmine rice according to the package, fluff and set aside.

While the rice is cooking make the sauce, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, Ponzu, and Sriracha Chili Sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a Wok or deep, large skillet (like this one), heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the whites of the green onions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the eggs and cook, scramble until the eggs are almost set (they should still be a little wet), about 30-60 seconds. Transfer egg, onion and garlic mixture to a small bowl.

Next add the fluffed rice, the green parts of the onions, and sauce to the skillet. Cook, tossing/stirring constantly until the rice is well coated with the sauce (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking up the eggs gently as you go.

Serve the rice with lime wedges, and topped off with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Serves 4

Source: A Food, Folks and Fun Original

Cilantro Thai Chicken

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 C cilantro
2 T soy sauce or Ponzu (*see Cook’s Note above)
1 T toasted sesame oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 8-10 boneless skinless chicken tenders

Directions:

To make the marinade place the garlic, cilantro, soy sauce or Ponzu, and sesame oil in a food processor and process until smooth.

Pour marinade over chicken breast and let flavors sink in for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.

Prepare your grill or broiler. Cook until temperature registers 165F on the meat thermometer. Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before serving, this prevents the meat from drying up.

Serves 4

Source: adapted from Artsy-Foodie

Dark Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes

I made these adorable cupcakes for my little one’s second birthday. The cupcake itself was SUPER chocolately and delicious.

Mia getting ready to blow out her candles!

Cook’s Note:

Both the cupcakes and chocolate butterflies can be made a day or two ahead of time (this is what I did and I highly recommend it).

If you double this recipe, only bake one pan at a time as the cupcakes will not rise properly if baked with 2 trays in the oven. Store leftover cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, and let them come to room temperature before serving.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:
8 T unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 C Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 C sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t table salt

For the Frosting:

I used Wilton’s Vanilla Whipped Icing Mix – just follow the directions on the box (all you have to do is add ice water and whip!)
Lemon Yellow Icing Color

For the Chocolate Butterflies:

Wilton’s Dark Cocoa Candy Melts
Wilton’s Yellow Candy Melts
2, 6-Ounce Mini Melting Decorating Squeeze Bottles
Parchment Paper
Funnel
Toothpicks
Chocolate Chips

Directions:

For the Cupcakes:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350°F. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

For the Frosting:

Follow the directions as per the Wilton’s Vanilla Whipped Icing Mix for both making the icing and coloring it.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.


For the Butterflies:
To make your pattern, use a piece of cardstock or note card to draw the outline of your butterfly wing.

Cut out the pattern and trace onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Melt the candy melts as per the manufacturer’s instructions and transfer the chocolate to squeeze bottles using a funnel.

Flip the parchment over so you’re not going to make your chocolate butterfly directly on the ink/pencil marks.

First outline the edges of the butterfly with the dark cocoa.

Then squirt some of your colored chocolate into the voids.

Using a toothpick spread the chocolate, filling the design.

Using another toothpick (make sure it’s clean) swirl a little of the dark chocolate into the colored chocolate.

Let the chocolate butterflies set before putting them on the cupcakes.

To Decorate:

Place a swirl of frosting on your cupcake.

Place 4 chocolate chips in a line down the center of the cupcake.

Place your butterfly wings on either side of the chocolate chips.

Finally place the antennas into the cupcake and voilá, you’re done!

Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog