Red Velvet Cupcakes

I have been attending a workshop in Toronto this week, and, as is often happens, the conversation turned to food. Specifically, cupcakes. As it seems that I have a reputations for these tasty treats (did I mention that I found a bakery in the UK called .... Lottie Loves Cupcakes??? more on that on another post) while on her lunch outing, one of my fellow artists found this little number in the AGO members lounge and brought is back to studio, just for me. Yes, it looks like a red velvet cupcake, but it is made with beet juice to give it a shade of red that was unbelievable. Now when I tasted it, I got the impression that it was more dense than a cupcake, like a muffin really, but the cream cheese icing was the real deal. What a wonderful surprise, and so kind too. thank you again

Light and Happiness

According toTracy Moore and all her friends on home day on CityLine I can mix patterns and that It Is Alright. So I did. This is my kitchen table. Here is the cool stuff. The table cloths is two metres of outdoor type fabric I got at Fabricland ($4.00) The place mats are from "Loblaws" and are a couple of year old are actually all the same, I just flipped two of them over. and the lantern is a green version of the white ones we are using as part of the centre pieces for my son and future d-i-l's wedding. All of these colours compliment my new kitchen paint with is an orangie/creamy yellow. In others words ....... perfect.

Garden Treats

My friends have been good to me this week. Pam dropped by Tuesday with cookies and a 'Lottie Lime' travel mug which I will enjoy using next week at the workshop I am attending. Cyndy called me this morning and took me to the Bacon Basket Ltd. annual warehouse sale. Cookies and shopping are two things that can brighten even the darkest of days. In keeping with my word of the year - luscious - I came home with garden art. How can fat birds, dancing cranes, and colour glass not help, even a little bit???

Our Hershey is gone

We were unable to bring him home this morning. He was unable to rally overnight. He gave me a look that told me he knew it was time. I am devastated. We have lost both our loved 'D' to natural causes in three months. What will we do?

Bad news in our family

Hershey woke up not well yesterday. THinking that it was his hips again, we medicated him for minor pain. When he didn't improve we took him to our vet, who x-rayed and found a very large mass on his spleen. It is very large and moving everything else around so they can't do what they need to do for him, and due to his age there is little to do except love him to bits and spoil him while we still can. It's 4 in the morning and I can't sleep. He is spending the night in the hospital receiving fluids and hopefully we can bring him home in the morning.

My heart is broken. I never thought we would lose him like this. We only lost Bonny in February. Hershey is such a luvbug. Our family will never be the same.

I bought cupcakes - big surprise

I made the trip to Kitchener/Waterloo the The Cakebox/Sweet Indulgence this morning and ordered the cake for Luke and Katie's wedding. It will be everything we hoped it would be, but I am unable to share details as of course it needs to be a surprise for the guests. Stay tuned. But, while I was there, and in the interest of quality control, and sharing important information I purchased a small selection of their cupcakes - just to reassure myself that the wedding cake would be as yummy as I know it will be.

In the centre we have a lemon/blueberry cupcake. At 12 o'clock a vanilla with strawberry buttercream. Three o'clock is a carrot with cream cheese cupcake. Six o'clock is a chocolate mint. 7 o'clock is vanilla with white chocolate raspberry buttercream. Lastly, chocolate with a peanut butter butter cream. I really don't know why I needed to buy six as we will be heading down there again next month for a tasting and to select the three flavours for the three different tiers, but well, I was caught up in the moment, and well will you just look at them!!! I left six other flavours and they had cakepops in the coolest colours and flavours and everything and lets not even get into the decorated cookies ....... I'll let you know which one(s) where best (hahahha)

Late Saturday afternoon - Perfect Food Weekend - Day 2

I rode my bike, power walked the trails, and met with friends at the farmers market. I worked in the garden, got a pedicure with hot red polish, enjoyed a toasted St. Urban bagel with cream cheese then not one (but two) President's Choice vanilla ice cream cookie sandwiches. Lastly, I made my hubby and I electric blue martinis (blue creme to cacaco, vodka, and white cranberry and grape cocktail). I think I need a nap before dinner.

ttfn