What is in your Easter Basket?

My other fun recipe over the weekend was Easter Basket Cupcakes. I made these for my family, the kiddos I tutor, my friend's daughter and now I am bringing two dozen to school tomorrow. They are so easy and are totally cute. I have also posted the recipe below. Enjoy!

Recipe Picture

My Photo

Easter Basket Cupcakes
Ingredients

·                     3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·                     1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·                     1 1/2 cups sugar

·                     1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·                     3/4 teaspoon baking powder

·                     3/4 teaspoon salt

·                     2 large eggs

·                     3/4 cup warm water

·                     3/4 cup buttermilk

·                     3 tablespoons canola oil

·                     vanilla icing tinted green (use store bought icing or try this recipe)

·                     Cadbury Mini Eggs

·                     12 standard pipe cleaners (brown works best); cut in half

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

3. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks, and let cool. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.


4. Make frosting if you will be using the homemade kind. I like to make homemade icing, as it always tastes better than the store-bought kinds. However, in a pinch, store bought icing works well. I also recommend that you colour the icing using a gel paste and not liquid food colouring. The gel paste allows for stronger, bolder colours and does not add liquid to your icing & make it runny. You can find the gel pastes at places like Michael's (craft store).


5. Frost the cupcakes with the green icing. In order to make the icing look a little like easter grass, I used a decorating tip like this one. Place 3 Mini Eggs on the top of each cupcake. Curve the pipe cleaners into a basket handle and stick right into the cupcake. And voila....adorable easter basket cupcakes! 

Time to Cook....

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Tonight I made some delicious homemade black bean veggie burgers. I am always a little hesitant on trying a new recipe; especially because my husband is a pretty standard eater and he gets nervous when I'm not making steak and potatoes. I am more experimental and willing to try anything, but this was a hit with both of us. It was so flavorful and moist. I ate mine plain with lettuce and tomato. Dave ate his on a whole wheat bun with some hot sauce and cheese. I was so excited to dig in that I didn't get a good photo until I was packing up the extras to put into the frig for leftovers. I highly recommend this easy and healthy recipe! See below.



Black Bean Veggie Burgers
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=85452&origin=detail&&Servings=4

Easter with the Fam

Easter weekend was spent in Ormond Beach; one of my favorite places to go to relax with the family. My in-laws have a beautiful town house surrounded by Tomoka State Park. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and nephew drove down from Raleigh, North Carolina and Grandpa Shutts flew in from Kansas City. We had a full house. It was so much fun chasing Roark around while he went on an Easter egg hunt, golfing, playing with water guns and eating out. It was so nice to get away and have some family time.

Roark collecting eggs

Listening to the ocean

Golfing with Uncle Dave

His first chocolate bunny from Aunt Amy

Water gun time with Daddy and Uncle Dave

Pa-Paw's Birthday Dinner

Happy Easter Weekend

The Proper Affair

Thursday night was an event called the Proper Affair. Boston Proper partnered with the Delray Beach Achievement Center for Children and Families.  It was held at the Boca Raton Resort and Club from 6:30-9:00pm. The event had a fashion show, silent auction, cocktails and dinner. They even had a raffle to win a brand new 2011 Honda! The room was filled with so much energy and when the children from the achievement center performed, you could feel the warmth and love in the air. The charity event was huge success.

Tara, Christine, Alex, Kate

Fashion Show

Boston Proper Clothes

Alex, Katie, Amy

Claudia, Jamie, Sunny, Tara, Christine

Wardrobe Wednesday along with a trip to Kansas City for Gina's Wedding

For this Wardrobe Wednesday I chose an outfit I wore in Kansas City to Gina's Wedding. Dave, Kevin, Leah and I all arrived in KC on Friday early afternoon. We spent the day touring the city and then we headed off to the rehearsal dinner that was at the Boulevard Brewery. We had Gates BBQ and spent the night catching up with people and getting an extensive tour of the Brewery. We ended the night at Johnny's Tavern with many family friends and high school friends too. Saturday we got up and ate a huge lunch at Stroud's. We then headed back over to Johnny's and met about eighteen of our closest friends for the afternoon. We quickly headed back and changed for the wedding. The wedding was beautiful and the room was full of energy. Gina and Blake brought tears to my eyes. We danced all night and even went out after the wedding. Sunday was an exhausting day of travel, but before we flew back to Florida, we indulged in Kansas City's finest Winstead's!! We all had a fast fun filled weekend.

Wedding Attire- I loved this look that I put together for a great price!

Dress: Jessica Simpson from Marshall's

Pashmina: Target

Shoes: Victoria's Secret

Earrings: Fannie's Finds (great store in Parkland, Florida but check out the website if you don't live locally http://www.fanniesfinds.com/Content/17.htm)

Enjoy the rest of the Photos

Giving my Mom her Birthday Present

The Girls

Lunch at Stroud's

Gina the BRIDE!!!

The Two Married Couples

Good-Bye Breakfast with Family



Passover in Pajamas

Our first Passover (Pesach) as a married couple took place in our own living room in pajamas!! It was just how we both wanted it to be, comfortable and relaxed. The wonderful thing about our new marriage is that we also are beginning to make our own traditions. Dave was raised Catholic. We feel so lucky that we get the best of both religions, and so we celebrate a little of everything (it is so wonderful). Tonight was the first night of Passover and so we had our own little Seder. Passover is a Jewish holiday that remembers the freedom and exodus of the Jewish slaves (Israelites) from Egypt during Pharaoh's power. The holiday lasts eight days and families gather together to retell the story of Passover through the reading of the Haggadah. The Seder is the main part of the Passover celebration because it includes songs, foods and customs. Dave and I did just that tonight. I kept our little Seder very simple considering I didn't have time to cook all day because I was at work and since we just got back in town yesterday. I made matzo ball soup, charoset, hard boiled eggs, green beans, chicken and matzo. We skipped dessert because we were stuffed, but we also have macaroons to enjoy during the week!

Scrapbooking Idea

I can't take credit for this cute idea; I have to hand it off to Cami Schaumberg. Our friend Gina is getting married April 16, 2011. As a gift to Gina from all her friends and family her maid of honor came up with the idea to have everyone make a scrapbook page for Gina. It could be front and/or back and it could be about anything. It could range from memories about childhood to crazy drunken college days or to her new life with her soon to be husband Blake.

I chose to recap our history together. I met Gina right after hurricane Wilma in 2006. We lived together as roommates and became instant friends. As she moved on with her life, we still kept our friendship and to this day we see each other about once a week. She is my only other friend from Kansas down here and we love to get together to watch KU games, Chief's games and talk Kansas talk!

I love putting together photos for scrapbook pages so this was the perfect activity for me. Michael's Arts & Crafts has a wonderful variety of stickers and paper to add sparkle to your page. You can also find some unique little things at the dollar store as well. I used fun scissors and backed the paper with colored construction paper to give it some pizazz.

Below is the poem that was emailed to us about Gina:

             Our friend we know and love so dear

Has met a man who's handsome and loves beer

We never thought this day would come,

When Gina would become a wife, and soon a mum

And now it's time for us to make,

A special book; Gina's own keepsake

Of special times, from her single day,

Childhood, college and living by the bay

So gather your memories for our bride to be,

And make a pretty page for us all to see

Include photos of great times, even drunk ones will do,

Notes, quotes, and stories are fun to add, too

And just so you know, this will be a surprise,

Don't spill the beans or you'll see your demise

At her bridal luncheon, we'll present this wonderful book

Here is the page I made for Gina:

Front

Back

If you are a maid of honor and want a cute idea! I think this would be really fun. Email me with any questions.