Photo Friday- Breakfast and Fifty-Two New...week 3

For those who read my 'Cooking and Pictures' post, then you've read about my goal for 'Fifty-Two New' for the year 2011. Well, I thought I'd mix it up this time and link up to xoxo, Trina's 'Photo Friday' project. This Friday's theme for her is breakfast. So enjoy my 'Fifty-Two New' picture for week 3, as well as the fun project Trina is doing every Friday! Enjoy!

It's a yummy breakfast for those of you with a sweet tooth like me. I call it pull-aparts because I think it sounds so much better than calling it monkey bread. It of course is a new recipe for me and the first time I've ever made it.....I've always just enjoyed someone else preparing it for me :-)

Small Spaces

I don't know what it is about my love of small space living. Most people think I'm crazy, but I'm absolutely obsessed with it. Maybe it's my love of city life and my longing to be a part of it, that I know small space living is what comes with that lifestyle. Or maybe it's the coziness I love to feel every time I walk into my house. I'm not too sure, but all I know this obsession is somewhat ridiculous.

In 2006 we were living comfortably in our 1500 square foot home and I was loving it. Then in October I got pregnant with our first child. For those of you who aren't like me and don't count pets as children, then you can say she is our only child :-) Anyway, the minute I got pregnant my husband and my thinking went crazy. For me I can blame it on the hormones, but I don't know what his excuse was. Maybe he was afraid of disagreeing with his pregnant wife.....I'm not too sure. So as first time parents and not being exposed to many friends with children, we thought that our family was growing so its only right that everything else had to as well. We quickly called our realtor and told him that we needed to sell our house and get into a larger one asap! We devoted every weekend searching for the perfect house for our growing family. Our ideal house would be at least 4 bedrooms or more because "we at least needed one for us, one for the baby, one for guests or an office, and one when we had another child". Oh, and the backyard had to also be huge because we would be "spending all our time out there"! So we found our perfect house! LARGE, LARGE, LARGE! 3500 square feet large and it was perfect. Well, that's until we moved in. I can't say that I totally hated it. I mean it was great for having parties and friends over. Because that's what homebodies do right? Have lots of parties and people over! Well, having tons of parties and people over all the time must have been another thought that somehow got into our heads because of those hormones again. See, my husband and I are total homebodies who would rather attend parties that are not held in our house but at someone else's. LOL. I'm not sure if it was god's way of kicking our butts into gear to get into a home that would make us happy, but a job change happened that opened our eyes to finally admit that we needed to move.

So after 2-years in the home, we ended up moving into a home that I absolutely love. It's a wonderful house at 2500 square feet. While it's not the ideal size that I want, I still love every minute of living in it. And the location is perfect! But that's another story. But the time has come for us to make another move. That too is another story!! So my search for our next place has brought me back to wanting an even smaller space that we looked at this past weekend. To me it's the perfect place. It's a 3-story with 1800 square feet and reminds me of a NYC brownstone. While we're definitely not living in NYC, I can at least pretend :-) So now this longing to move into this new place has opened up a new obsession for 'small space living' blogs and website. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, here are a few of the many ideas I've come across that I absolutely love for our next cozy small space. Fingers crossed!!

Love the shelving.

I love this!

Check out apartment therapy for more awesome pictures!!

Pay it forward!

So I thought I'd switch it up a bit with my 'Fifty-two New' this week. This wasn't planned at all but I thought it is a great ending to the second week of the year for me. I've always been touched by the stories I hear about people "paying it forward". I used to work at a Christian radio station where they were famous for "make a difference Monday". I'd always look forward to getting into my car on Monday and turning on the radio to hear a story about a nice thing that someone did that morning for someone else. The most common mention would be of the drive-thru line at Starbucks. Now I'm sure you've all heard this story before. It started off with one person paying for the coffee of the person in the drive-thru behind them. That cycle continued for a while until it finally stopped. It made big news here with our radio station and that's when "make a difference Monday's" came about.

Well, today was my "make a difference Monday"! Yes, I know its Friday, but hey :-) I just dropped my daughter off at her sitter and made my way to Starbucks as I do every morning. I usually don't do drive-thru's, but today was different for some reason. I drove on up to the window and placed my usual order just as another car drove up behind me. As I continued on to pay for my drink, the thought came to my head. I'm not sure why at that very moment I thought about paying for the coffee behind me. I've had my share of opportunities to do this but for some reason now was the first time I've acted on it. Boy did it feel good! It brought me back to think of those times when I was younger that I would be more involved. Involved with helping others more. Yes, this guy behind me was driving a Lexus and probably could afford to pay for a year's worth of his own coffee right then and there. But that was not the point! I was reminded of how much more I could be doing just to make someones day a bit brighter. It may look as though everything is fine and dandy on the outside, but they may be going through a lot on the inside. Maybe stress, sorrow, loss- anything. And right now I am as happy and grateful as I can be. I have been so blessed for all that I have and for the family and friends that surround me. I don't know what the person behind me is going through. He may be as blessed and happy as I am. But it was such a great feeling to do the unexpected for someone today to brighten up their day. It's greatest way to express the thanks I have for all I have, the happiness I feel, and the life I've been given!

Happy Friday!!

Cooking and Pictures

So my love of cooking and baking started when I moved out of my mom's house in 1995. My love of picture taking started when I got my first SLR camera. Well, I take that back. It started when I first stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman's blog. And my love of blogging soon followed thereafter. I started a blog two years ago. Me being the picky person that I am, I just couldn't seem to figure out which one I wanted to go with. First it was WordPress. Then Blogspot. And until recently, Tumblr. And now back to Blogspot. Now I had all good intentions of keeping up with it, but just couldn't find the time between work, little cupcake, yada yada yada. I mean 'Pink Cupcake Momma' was just a "I'll get to it when I get to it" kinda thing.

Well it's a new year. And what does everyone do during the new year? They set New Year's resolutions. I've never been the type of person to write out a New Year's resolution. Probably because when I first did I practically failed most of them within the first month. But I've decided to go 'Julie and Julia' on you. Then add in a bit of Ansel Adams....well, not that extreme. I thought up the 'Julie and Julia' idea after reading xoxo, Trina's last 'Fifty-Two New' post. I just love her blog!! I usually obsess over her fun outfits and cute jewelry she posts about, but this time it was her post about baking soda and biscuits that I was really obsessing over. Maybe I was super hungry that day. I'm not sure what it was, but I just had to make those biscuits. While I was making them an idea popped into my head. Hey, why not do a Fifty-Two New for 2011. Genius!! I did have to switch it up a bit and make it my own. Soooo, I'm doing a Fifty-Two New using only NEW recipes (recipes that I've never tried before) and.....wait for it.....pictures (new pictures following this project as a guideline). Awesome right!?!? Well I can't take all the credit for it since it was all Trina's ideas. Hee, hee. And I think I'll cut the pictures down to one a week instead of one a day as the project states.

So, follow my journey as I make one new recipe and post at least one new picture a week. I promise not to make all the pictures be of food =) And to start it off, I've posted a new picture of the first new recipe I tried on New Year's day. It's from the recipe for bacon, egg and cheese biscuit muffins that Trina posted on her blog.

Happy New Year! And can't wait to share my posts with you for the rest of 2011!!

Uncrustables......

So my husband and daughter are HUGE fans of PB&J sandwiches. I think they could live off them. But the thing is they are pretty picky when it comes to what kind of sandwiches they are. They LOVE Smuckers Uncrustables. I have to agree, they are quite yummy and very convenient. But those suckers are expensive. So I was delighted when I saw The Pampered Chef's 'Cut-N-Seal'. Not only was I excited to be able to create my own for my family, but I knew I would finally stop spending $4 for a box of sandwiches that probably really costs less than a dollar. I jumped on the purchase right away!

After a week of waiting it arrived at my doorstep. I jumped at the chance to try this thing out. Who cares if it was 1pm and no one was hungry. I ripped open the box and pulled out the peanut butter. Voila! It was perfect!! I absolutely love this thing. But even more, my family is happy to have their very own Uncrustables maker at home. Ready to make their favorite sandwich in a pinch.

For the love of DOUGHNUTS!!!

So besides cupcakes, I am head over heels in love with doughnuts. As a child I would walk with my cousins to Winchell's Doughnut Shop and order the most colorful doughnut they sold. It didn't matter how messy it was- I just had to have it! It was a plain cake doughnut with pink frosting and colorful sprinkles. You could say that I loved anything pink from a very early age. And that did have a little influence on the choices I made when picking anything out =) I was also taught how to make homemade doughnuts by my mom. But they were nothing fancy. Just a plain ol' doughnut sprinkled with regular sugar and sometimes a little cinnamon added to mix things up a bit. Don't get me wrong, they were yummy and I still make homemade ones every now and then. But you will still find me sneaking into the local doughnut shop to buy my colorful treat at least once a week.

Now you all know my love of Etsy. If you aren't aware of Etsy, I highly recommed checking the site out. I have not bought jewelry from anywhere else besides Esty since my very first purchase from them online. The site is filled with a whole bunch of amazing and original pieces. Anyway, back to what I was about to say! As I was doing my nightly "browse" on the site, I came across this eye catching pendant. It was like I was in the Winchell's Doughnut Shop again. I was staring at this piece of jewelry as if it was the real thing. It looked so yummy that I was starting to crave a doughnut. Yes, I know it's crazy. But how could you not? Anyway, I convinced myself that I already had a cupcake necklace, so why not?!?

(Click picture to see Etsy seller)

Well, my necklace came in the mail today. And I have to say that I am so pleased with it. It looks exactly like it does in the picture and I can't wait to wear it tomorrow!

Cupcakes

It's been a while since I've been blogging. A lot has changed since. We'll, I've quit my job and am now the proud mama of a preschooler. Where has the time gone?!? It has been a wonderful 2-weeks and I am loving it! Of course given that I am at home....sitting, thinking, wondering "what if?", a thought crossed my mind. What about starting a business? Just a little something to start on the side. But what would I do? What do I LOVE? Then it hit me. I'm not called 'Pink Cupcake Momma' for nothing!! Soooo, I'm in the works of starting a home business. CUPCAKES!!!

I'll have more later. And even maybe a website- if I can pull my husband away from his own time devoted to his business. So I'm crossing my fingers that my idea will come to fruition. Because nothing makes me happier than cupcakes and baking them =)

Sunday's

I really think Sunday is the best day of the week. Yes, there is the little fact that work is the next day, but I just really LOVE Sunday's! It's a total family day for us. We do everything together from the minute we wake up.

Today we did our usual Sunday brunch, but not until we baked some yummy blueberry muffins for the week. Maddie is always insisting on helping me out in the kitchen, which was a tough transition for me. Being the neat freak that I am , I've finally learned to let go. The messes she creates no longer have an effect on me. I've come a long way =)

This Sunday was a play-in day. After a week long tease of beautiful weather; mother nature has decided to bring us back to the land of gloom. We decided to travel to Old Sac for a fun day at the Railroad Museum. Maddie and I have never been there, and Chris insisted it would be fun. Desperate to find something to do to keep our 2-yr old occupied, we made the 30 minute drive. Not being a fan of railroads, trains or crowds- I have to admit that Chris was right. It was pretty fun! And I also found something for myself at the end of our visit....shopping! Granted, it was the museum gift shop. But I never turn down the change to possibly find a "treasure" to take home.

It was a pretty fun weekend- minus the rain of course. But I can say that it was a GREAT Sunday!!

<<<---Can you find Maddie??

Shampoo and Conditioner

So it's been a few days since I've been using the Organix Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner. I love it! My hair feels great and smells delicious. I think I want to try some of the other fragrances.

Phone Case

So I'm on yet another spree for a phone case to add to my collection. Of course this is not on purpose. I just get bored with them.....so I guess it is on purpose then. UGH. I absolutely LOVE these two from Speck Products. I adore them both!!

Playhouse

I absolutely LOVE this playhouse featured in Design Dazzle's Blog. It is the perfect little playhouse for my little cupcake. Let's see if my hubby will go for it :-)

My Favorites

Watching Ellen right now and eating my new addiction. These dark chocolate pomegranates are so yummy. Damn you Costco!!!

Red Velvet Cheesecake

I finally found a recipe that I think I'll try to make. Found it on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Hope it turns out as good as it looks :-)

Red Velvet Cheesecake
For the Crust:1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs¼ cup butter, melted1 TBSP granulated sugar
For the Filling:3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature1 ½ cups granulated sugar4 large eggs, lightly beaten3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa1 cup sour cream½ cup whole buttermilk2 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp distilled white vinegar2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring
For the Topping:1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature¼ cup butter, at room temperature2 cups powdered sugar1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crust:Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
For the Filling:Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined.Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake at 325F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.Cover and chill for 8 hours.
For the topping:Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.Remove sides of springform. Garnish if desired.
Source: Souther Living Christmas Cookbook

Oh the messiness!!!

I do not know how one 2-year old could creat such a mess. Our weekend helper came over and helped me nicely sort and organize her toys and this is the aftermath a few hours later :-(

Fall

I love this season so much!! It's the perfect weather, and the introduction to the best holidays. This picture is from down the street. I couldn't resist! Can't wait to see them fall!