Fall Festival Cupcakes and Treats

My daughter's school is hosting their annual fall festival tonight. They offer games in each of the classrooms and a silent auction. Most of the items are themed baskets that each class puts together. This year my daughter's class' theme was art, and they put together a great basket full of art supplies. In addition to class baskets other items get added to the auction from local businesses.

The front desk staff has always been a great supporter of my cupcakes and even promote my business for me. :) Ms. Marlen asked me to donate some cupcakes for this year's auction and I was thrilled. I whipped up a dozen Halloween themed cupcakes and packed a Frankenstein bucket full of treats.

Inside the Frankenstein bucket I packaged sugar cookies made to look like candy corn. I also packaged up some "spooky smores" by putting graham crackers, snack size Hershey bars, and a Halloween peep in a bag! I hope that these treats get a great bid and raise money to help support my daughter's school!

Happy Baking,
AJ

{Fun Idea}: Skeleton Gingies

I ran across a fun cookie idea in a Taste of Home magazine and most recently in a blog posting on Our Best Bites. I decided to give them a try since we were going to a dinner party and needed something to bring.

I was short on time so they didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped, but they are chocolate cookies so that may makeup for it. To transport them I put them in a Halloween 4-pack cupcake box (without the insert), and tied a coordinating ribbon on top. They were fun to make, and it gave my gingerbread cookie cutter a warm-up for Christmas.

Happy Baking,
AJ

"Boo Boxes" on sale now!

Halloween is right around the corner. In fact, it is less than 30 days away! To help you celebrate AJ's Cupcakes is offering "Boo Boxes." Each box will include a variety of cupcakes (flavors and decorations) that are sure to spook up any celebration.

Top 3 reasons you need a "Boo Box" this Halloween:

1. They are a new twist on "Boo Bags." I bet your friends/neighbors would love to have a box of cupcakes on their doorstep!
2. They can add a unique touch to any celebration at work, home, or a friend's house!
3. You can hand them out to some of your favorite trick-or-treaters instead of candy!

So what are you waiting for? Place your order today! 

Pricing:
4 pack: $8.00
1/2 dozen: $12.00
1 dozen: $24.00

All orders must be placed by October 21st!


Download this free Halloween subway art from That's What {Che} Said!


Happy Baking,
AJ

Are you ready for some football?

We are. I love football season. It is such a great sport to watch and it signifies that fall is on its way! This season I am trying to get my daughter more involved in watching the games. Mainly because if she is excited to watch the games she won't ask to watch SpongeBob in the living room while it is on! :P

Today I whipped up some football cupcakes to help us get into game-time spirit. My husband was really glad that I was baking these because we only have one chocolate cupcake left, and he prefers vanilla anyway. Since we live in Texas I focused on two of the games that we are most interested in:

To help me decorate them I ventured onto the homecoming aisle at my local Michael's store. I bought these little helmets in packs of three. I did my research on the match ups first to make sure I got the right colors. Then I printed mini logos, cut them out, and adhered them to the helmet. I also picked up the football themed liners at Michael's.

I had full intentions of getting these baked before the game, but it didn't work out. I was doing laundry and making lunch etc. However, I did learn that baking during the game takes longer. Why you ask? Oh well let me explain:

• I had to take breaks to yell at the TV. I am an assistant coach, and they needed my advice.
• When we scored I had to run out and grab my daughter and show her how to do a victory dance. After I left her she said, "Daddy, Mommy is loud."
• When your team was winning and then starts losing you get upset. Didn't they listen to my advice?
• When they get close to winning again you have to focus all of your attention on them. They only started doing bad because you weren't watching the TV the entire time.

Needless to say my team lost, but we did get to enjoy a yummy post game snack. Oh, and the helmets double as new toys for my daughter. SCORE!

She wore her helmet on her head, and she is now putting them on her superhero figures. She might just become a fan after all.

P.S. She chose the Redskin's cupcake. I guess we need to educate her on picking teams next. Don't go after the pretty color first honey... *shaking head*

Happy Baking,
AJ

Never let a good cupcake go to waste...

I had 6 cupcakes leftover from the bling order last night. I put them away in the fridge undecorated, and 4 survived the night. :) Today I decided to decorate them and try out a new filling - strawberries and cream. I enlisted the help of my 4 year old to work on the filling and frosting. She was glad to help pour and count scoops. She was even happier when I told her that she got to sample her work! I think I may have a permanent assistant now whether I want it or not. ;)

The end result was unbelievably amazing. I shared them with my neighbors so they could sample the new creation. The first taste tester, Kristine, loved them. I think she called me a taste bud whisperer or something like that. LOL This just goes to show that you should never let a good cupcake go to waste. It may have been an extra, but it became extraordinary!

Here is the recipe for the filling, just in case you have any spare cupcakes, angle food cake, or a spoon looking for something the do. :)

Strawberries & Cream Filling 

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 6-8 tablespoons of fresh strawberries diced

Put strawberries into a food processor/chopper and chop until they are thick and a little liquidity.
Put the whipping cream and vanilla in a mixer and blend until thick. Then add sugar and blend.
Fold in the chopped strawberries

To fill your cupcake, cut out the center with either a knife or the large opening of an icing tip. Spoon in filling, and cover with part of the cake you cut out. The flatter the surface the easier it is to frost.

Happy Baking,
AJ

Bling, bling she's eighteen!!!

My neighbor Mikayla celebrated her eighteenth birthday this week, and tonight is her party. To help celebrate her big day her mom, Kristine, asked me to make cupcakes. When I asked what theme she wanted she replied, "bling." So I whipped up some yummy chocolate cupcakes and topped them with various bling - glitter high heels, candy pearls, and shimmering chocolate hearts. I then made her a special cupcake with an "M" topper and fake diamonds.

When I went to deliver them everyone was getting all glammed up for the event. They were very excited to see the cupcakes, and couldn't wait to put them on display at the party.

I hope you have an awesome birthday party tonight Mikayla. Happy birthday!

Happy Baking,
AJ

Craft Break!!

I have seen so many adorable Halloween decoration ideas lately. I primarily have been purchasing items to display cupcakes on, but then I realized something... I can't display these items unless they have cupcakes on them. That presents a problem for me, and my hips! There is no way I am baking a weekly supply of cupcakes/cookies. Not that it's impossible, but my jiggly parts have their own opinion!

It was then that I realized that I needed to release my decoration needs on my house! So what if I am a few weeks early. Instead of purchasing items that were already made I decided to make some of my own decorations. One thing you should also know about me is that I have two other hobbies - glue guns and paint! :) I don't pretend to be awesome with either of them. I ALWAYS burn myself with that darn glue gun, but I have so much fun making stuff.

This week I tackled an area of my house that I am often at a loss for how to decorate - the fireplace. I normally throw nicknacks all over it and tilt my head and squit one eye and say, "yeah that looks ok."

I knew that I wanted pumpkins, something for the mantle, and a way to dress up the large mirror that hangs above it. So here is what me and my trusty sidekicks came up with:

I will start at the top and work my way down. The mirror is decorated with mirror clings from Martha Stewart. These things are AWESOME. They are smaller than the standard window clings so they are just the right size for a mirror. Oh and they remove just as easy...

The mantle was probably my most favorite part. I saw this idea on a guest blog post from House of Smiths. I changed mine up a little bit because I don't normally decorate "scary" for Halloween. I like the cute fun side of things.

This was my first time making any sort of garland/banner for my fireplace. I think this concept lends itself to all occasions. I may make another one for Thanksgiving! :)

Finally, the pumpkins!

I am all about reusing stuff so these pumpkins are fake. I wasn't about to work so hard on them and then toss them out! I painted various pictures or words on them and then accented the ones in the back to make them stand out more.

I am very pleased with how this came out, and now I can't wait to get the rest of my decorations out of the attic!

Happy Baking or Crafting,
AJ