Jul 4, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
[Originally posted July 4, 2013]
For you new followers out there, thanks! This repost from a few years ago is still quite popular, and I didn’t want you to feel left out.
Happy Fourth!
What better way to celebrate a birthday than with delicious cupcakes? And what better celebration than the birth of our nation?
I wanted to do something fun for the Fourth of July that would inspire you into your own kitchen with a touch of creativity.
FREEDOM CUPCAKES
Freedom Cupcakes
Looks great, right? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! And the recipe? Easy-peasy.
But first, take a look at these mouth-watering photos:
Freedom Cupcakes with Flag
Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!
Look at those layers!
Independence Day Cupcakes
This festive Fourth of July cupcake is sure to please everyone from young to old.
Ingredients
- White cake mix from a box
- 1 1/4 Cup water
- 1/3 Cup cooking oil
- 3 eggs
- Red and blue food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare a white cake mix according to package directions.
- Divide uncooked batter into three equal parts.
- Set aside the white batter.
- Mix blue food coloring into the second batter.
- Mix red food coloring into the third batter.
- Line a cupcake pan with red, white, and blue cupcake liners.
- Drop one large spoonful of blue batter into each liner.
- Using a clean spoon, drop one large spoonful of white batter onto the blue.
- With another clean spoon, drop one large spoonful of red batter onto the white.
- Bake according to package directions.
- Allow to cool completely. Top with white frosting, then add red and blue sprinkles.
- Decorate with a small flag.
3.1
http://franklymydearmojo.com/2017/07/04/recipes-freedom-cupcakes-and-patriotic-kabobs/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
She’s a Grand Ol’ Flag!
And for a little more fun with your food, try these!
PATRIOTIC KABOBS
Patriotic Fruit Kabobs
Longer drink umbrellas, drink stir-sticks, or these cute pinwheels work great with this refreshing treat for the kid in all of us.
Carefully place foods onto the skewer.
I used a flavorful blend of red raspberries, white mini marshmallows, and blueberries.
Leave enough of a tip for the skewer to be “stuck” into a base before serving.
Serve with a small cup of whipped topping for dipping.
After you’ve enjoyed the food, you can add more or just play with the pinwheel!
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, My Dear . . .: Freedom Cupcakes and Patriotic Kabobs. @RealMojo68 #franklymydearmojo #freedom #food
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Oct 9, 2015 |
Pumpkin Soup
October is a beautiful month, isn’t it? Full of crisp air, sweaters out of storage, leaves changing colors and crunching under your feet. The start of the holiday season before the holiday rush. I think October is my favorite month.
On Facebook, I asked “What are some of your favorite fall/harvest moments?” Each reply was unique to the individual commenter, but there was one running theme: pumpkin. It seems pumpkin everything is what gets people most excited about October.
The Pumpkin Grinch
Each year I share this photo. It was taken by a friend about ten years ago. We were at the local pumpkin patch when I spotted this pumpkin. It looks so much like the Grinch to me. I asked suggested begged my friend to photograph it for posterity. A much better way of keeping it than, say, buying the pumpkin only to toss it out in three weeks or less, don’t you think?
As I was going through the blog last weekend, working to make it a better experience for both you as a reader and myself as the writer [read Under the Hood], I realized I’d not posted many articles on food for quite some time. No recipes, no foodie photos. No reasons to salivate or say “I want to try that!” And I’m supposed to be a foodie person.
It’s also been too long since I’ve posted a Five Things Friday as well. No connecting of the dots between A, B, C . . . you get the picture.
What’s This Girl to do? Why, combine it all together, y’all! So welcome back, October. Welcome back, Food. Welcome back, Five Things Friday.
Let’s get this post started.
- Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Creme Frappuccino. Oh, come on. You know you saw that one coming. I may as well get it over with right away. The first week of September ushers us into that wonderful realm of cinnamon, spice, nutmeg, and that must-be-in-everything-from-now-until-Valentine’s-Day ingredient, pumpkin.
Autumn Bliss
Now . . . who’s not a fan of Starbuck’s? I can’t even talk to you if you’ve raised your hand.
- Soups. Now is the time of year when the slow cooker and Dutch oven live outside the cabinets. They’ll take up residency on the stove top and counter, and stay there until January. Homes everywhere will be filled with wonderful aromas, not-so-quick but definitely easy concoctions of broth, creams, and one-pot meals.
Homemade chicken soup . . . Good for the body and the soul.
I love boiling a whole chicken with added herbs and seasonings to make freezable broth and stock. The only part I throw away are the bones and skin.
- Adult beverages. Please. I’m an adult. I find no shame in admitting I’m a fan of adult beverages. This time of year, I’m all about the pumpkin beer. Am I right? That crisp, dry flavor deserves to be imbibed with something special. Like a pumpkin muffin. Or a bowl of chili. Or a breath of autumn air. And let’s not forget my new holiday classic: The Chocolate Martini.
Chocolate Martini made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
Remember when I won that Scharffen Berger gift basket a few years ago? And that beautiful coffee table book came with it? In those magical pages I discovered this magical recipe. My holidays are oh-so-much happier now.
- Casey’s Cupcakes. Even though It’s been over a year since I’ve visited my beloved Riverside and my most favorite place, The Mission Inn, I still long for Casey’s most delicious treats. If you’re in Southern California between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I highly recommend you visit The Festival of Lights and indulge in a little holiday treat from Casey’s.
Glamorous Gingerbread at Casey’s Cupcakes
At any time of year, it’s an experience you’ll savor. (See what I did there?)
- And of course, last but not least, good for any day of the year, could there be anything better for This Southern Girl At Heart than a huge gulp of sweet tea?
Sweet Tea at Blue Ridge
It refreshes my body, it renews my soul. It reminds me of Blue Ridge and my trip to North Carolina. The writers’ conference. The connections. The beauty. We all need a little more sweetness in our lives, yah? Go on. Take a sip. You’ll be glad you did.
BONUS: To celebrate this unofficial beginning of the holidays, and the return of Five Things Friday with this Foodie Post, today only The Unemployment Cookbook Kindle edition is available for free download. Just click through the photo below to get yours.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Kindle edition
Happy start to the holidays. Happy eating.
Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment and tell me: What are some of your favorite foods this time of year?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . #FiveThingsFriday. What are your favorite foods this time of year? #pumpkineverything @realmojo68
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . #FiveThingsFriday The #Foodie Post. #October is a beautiful month, isn’t it? @realmojo68
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . #Starbucks #Pumpkinbeer #cupcakes A few of my favorite things. #FiveThingsFriday @realmojo68
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
Do you have a copy of The Unemployment Cookbook? Would you consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads? That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Jul 31, 2012 |
Well, we did it. We finished our Wilton Cake Decorating Course. As has been the standard for the last four weeks, Dot’s cake, well, took the cake. She always has the other students and the instructor oohing and ahhing over her gifted artistry.
In the four-week course, we learned
How to properly bake a cake and how to level a cake
How to fill cupcakes and how to fill a layer cake
How to make out own icing in stiff, medium, and thin consistencies and when to use each one. We learned how to color icing
How to ice a cake and how to later smooth it
And we learned how to decorate. Did you see me smile when you read that? Try again:
We learned how to decorate!
We learned tips and icing bags and angled spatulas and piping gel and color and consistencies and flowers and leaves and pom poms and writing and roses and more.
And these are our Final Projects.
Dot had a plan, but when we got to class she scrapped it and went freestyle. Have I mentioned how gifted she is? I couldn’t toss out a plan and come up with something this gorgeous on the spur of the moment!
I thought up a Summer Garden. I’m disappointed that I didn’t color enough icing for the cake; it’s a bit thin in places. But I forgave myself: I’m a beginner. And it turned out well for a beginner.
Dot’s cake was German Chocolate with a coconut-pecan filling
Mine was a lemon cake with a raspberry preserve filling
And we’re not sorry we cut into them.
Not.
One.
Bite.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
