Super Bowl and cupcakes

I think I have accidentally started a tradition with myself in relation to the Super Bowl. Last year, as mentioned here, I made cupcakes for a viewing party. This year I am again watching the big game and I apparently still have the need to bake cupcakes. Although, the cupcake inspiration was mainly due to helping some friends move yesterday and seeing the amount of baking supplies that were unearthed in the process. It made me realise that it had been a little while since I had baked. Cupcakes are always fun to bake because of the endless varieties and decorating options. However, most times I just can't go past a good old reliable vanilla cupcake. It didn't take me long to find a new recipe to try out with this one being my choice. One thing to note with this recipe is that I found I needed to bake the cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes. As you probably know by now I like to put my own twist on things. As such, before I moved my focus to the butter cream frosting, I melted a bar of Ghirardelli peppermint bark baking chocolate, which I had received from my Christmas visitors. I scooped out a small hole in each cupcake with a teaspoon and put some of the melted chocolate in there. 

Making butter cream frosting is one of my favourite things because I think I have gotten quite good at adding a little bit of this to a little bit of that and coming up with a batch of deliciousness. I decided to make vanilla butter cream frosting and tint it pink. I then turned half of the batch into chocolate butter cream frosting. The ingredients I used were:

• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pink colouring to tint
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tsp water (for the chocolate butter cream frosting)
• extra water for a thinner consistency

I combined all of the ingredients until I had a frosting consistency I was happy with. After I had removed half of the mixture, I added the cocoa powder and water to make the chocolate butter cream frosting. I used a Wilton 21 decorating tip to decorate the cupcakes starting with the chocolate butter cream frosting. Next was some of the pink frosting. I finished off the cupcakes with a sprinkle of chocolate jimmies and Nestle Toll House mini morsels toppers that I guess you could say was part of my reward for being a good helper yesterday.
Just to go back to the point of today - not that I have a vested interested in the outcome of this year's Super Bowl, but I do hope the Ravens win!

Musical musings for January

The first month of any new year always seems to fly by too quickly. Although I shouldn't be disappointed by this because it means not only do I edge closer to warmer weather, but also to upcoming fun adventures. I think I am doing a decent enough job of not turning into a bear and hibernating through winter. However, there are two things that could happily keep me entertained inside for hours, ice hockey (so glad to have it back) and having way too many TV shows to watch. Television, including reality shows, is responsible for the majority of songs that ended up in my iTunes library this month. I have grown particularly attached to How I Met Your Mother with song number six on the list below playing during one of my favourite scenes of the series thus far:

1. Love Like Mine (feat. Hayden Panettiere) - Nashville Cast
2. Kiss You - One Direction
3. If I Knew - Bruno Mars
4. Suit & Tie - (feat. JAY Z) - Justin Timberlake
5. Home - Phillip Phillips
6. Let Your Heart Hold Fast - Fort Atlantic
7. Stutter - Marianas Trench
8. Stupid Boy (The Voice Performance) - Cassadee Pope
9. Why Ya Wanna - Jana Kramer

Clearly I am in no hurry to get over my One Direction phase. I think it is safe to say I am a fan of their music. Having said this, I don't think I would ever go to one of their concerts, but a concert I am going to is Marianas Trench in April. I am really excited to see them live especially as I now have so much of their music in my iTunes. Also, I have to say how nice it is to have Justin Timberlake back in the music biz. I am sure I wasn't the only one that missed him and his music.

January's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Movie buzz

There are many award shows held throughout the year with The Oscars being one of the most anticipated, as much for the fashion as for the winners. I find that once the award nominees have been announced I become somewhat curious of the Best Picture nominees and even consider going to watch some of them either before the awards or after. This year is no exception, however the only difference is any intrigue or curiosity I had has now been satisfied. Of the nine nominations, I have watched the four movies that I was interested in seeing: Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Argo and Silver Linings Playbook. These movies are each so different, but definitely worth the watch depending on your movie preferences. I would have to say that out of the four, Silver Linings Playbook was my absolute favourite followed by Argo. I had no real expectations for Silver Linings Playbook except that the trailer looked good and that it must be a decent enough movie considering all of the awards it had been winning. Without revealing any of the plot, I thought it was a fantastic movie and I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw a better one. The plot, its characters and the actors that play them are a great combination. It is such a funny movie and what I would consider an unconventional romantic comedy with the pairing of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper a dynamic duo. I would even go so far as to say that if someone asked me to go see it again with them I would say yes without any hesitation. I think it is just that good, but enough of me overselling it, you should go check it out for yourself and any other nominees that have caught your eye.

Silver Linings Playbook Movie Poster (image courtesy of IMDb)