tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45489439582835393222024-02-18T20:44:10.456-05:00Kimberly can has KitchenAid?A non-baker's adventures in bakingKimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-31504825335531351332013-02-09T22:21:00.000-05:002013-02-09T22:21:06.816-05:00Long time no post!I have been doing the baking thing, but not so much the taking-pictures and posting-to-blog thing. I've been making cupcakes, for the most part, but also cookies of various kinds. I especially enjoyed the oatmeal-craisin-raisin-walnut cookies from a recipe I found on the internet somewhere, but neglected to note the website. I just cut the raisins back and added low-sugar craisins. I think it came out to be over a cup of raisiny things, but who's counting?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Oatmeal Raisin Cookies</span></strong><strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ingredients</span></strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br />
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened<br />
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)<br />
1 cup raisins<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Directions:</span></strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream
butter and sugars in a mixer until creamy, approximately 3 minutes. Add
eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes. Add flour, baking soda,
baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and continue to mix until the dough
has come together. Add oats and raisins/nuts until mix until raisins are
distributed. </span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16.5pt;">Drop by rounded tablespoons or
cookie scoop onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are
golden brown. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to remain on cookie
sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I also made a batch of pumpkin cookies that my Aunt Wanda (see beginning post!) used to make at Christmas time. I love making those cookies, and they're so tasty. Rounded off cookie land with some chocolate chip and sea-salt cookies from Alice's recipe. Fantastic, as always! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">In cupcake land, I've been so enthralled with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scharffen-Berger-Natural-Unsweetened-Canisters/dp/B004N5J568/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360466051&sr=8-1&keywords=scharffen+berger+cocoa+powder" target="_blank">Scharffen Berger cocoa powder</a> that I've been making yellow cake cupcakes and chocolate buttercream out the wazoo. I can't get over how fantastic this cocoa is, and I've ordered this through "Subscribe and Save" at Amazon for quarterly deliveries. The rich chocolate flavor can't be beat, and I've discovered that the cocoa is <a href="http://www.scharffenberger.com/beans/history/" target="_blank">made in the USA</a>! Pretty awesome.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I'm also pretty sure I've discovered why my cupcake liners flop open sometimes. I think it's because I may be leaving them in the pan too long. I'm going to try cooling them in the pan for just a couple minutes, then removing them from the pan and cooling the rest of the way on the wire rack. I think that will do the trick! The only problem is to keep the cats from eating the cupcakes while they're cooling. I <u>wish</u> I were kidding!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Next step, I think, will be to hollow out the cupcake and fill it with chocolate, then put chocolate icing on top. Or is that too much chocolate, do you think? </span></span></div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-79489582590257045712012-09-27T20:38:00.001-04:002012-09-27T20:38:00.716-04:00Donated cookiesI made a double batch of Alice's <a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/10/alices-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/" target="_blank">Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies</a> and sent them as a donation for a fund raiser happening weekend after this. It's for <a href="http://www.toledodogtraining.com/perrysburgevents.asp" target="_blank">Dexter's Birthday Bash,</a> an event benefiting <a href="http://www.cavalierrescueusa.org/" target="_blank">Cavalier Rescue, USA</a>. I can't go in person this year, but look forward to being able to attend in person next year. Tonya gave a thumbs-up on the cookies, of course. Alice knows her shit!<br />
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<img src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/60642_4660001546755_928598531_n.jpg" />
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-72208462747705666592012-08-06T21:48:00.001-04:002012-08-06T21:48:17.328-04:00Cookies!I am baking! I don't think my shoulder/elbow unit is up to piping icing, so I'm making cookies instead of cupcakes. <br />
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I am making <a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/10/alices-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/" target="_blank">The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER</a> from Alice's Savory Sweet Life cookbook. Man, are these cookies yummy! The sea salt kind of "grows them up" a little bit. Definitely going to do this one again, cause DAMN.<br />
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<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-65418505951163674072012-07-14T12:34:00.000-04:002012-07-14T12:34:30.655-04:00No baking yet, but...Doesn't this look yummy?<br />
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<a href="http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/2012/05/01/chocolate-cupcakes-with-biscoff-buttercream-icing/">http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/2012/05/01/chocolate-cupcakes-with-biscoff-buttercream-icing/</a>
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And look, a source for tiny liners!<br />
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<a href="http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/candy-making-supplies/gold-foil-candy-cup-2/39/601/1087/619376/">http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/candy-making-supplies/gold-foil-candy-cup-2/39/601/1087/619376/</a>
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<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-29433536508084062162012-06-20T18:52:00.000-04:002012-06-20T18:52:06.821-04:00Carrot cake reduxI made another batch of carrot cake cupcakes last weekend, and gave them to my house painters. Look - didn't they do a great job?<br />
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I've got one more weekend before my surgery on Monday, and would like to bake something. Maybe these <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/the-best-ever-chocolate-chip-cookies/" target="_blank">chocolate chip cookies</a> from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Savory-Sweet-Life-Delicious-Occasion/dp/0062064053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340231820&sr=8-1&keywords=savory+sweet+life+cookbook" target="_blank">Savory Sweet Life cookbook?</a> Not sure how my shoulder will be feeling this weekend, but I'll keep you posted. :-)<br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-37550956271635948752012-06-10T18:46:00.000-04:002012-06-10T18:46:02.401-04:00Second time on the carrot cake!The first batch of carrot cupcakes was so horrific I almost didn't even try a second attempt. However, I promised Jon of <a href="http://www.jonspaintingcolumbus.com/" target="_blank">Jon's Painting</a> a dozen cupcakes of his choice, for giving me such a fantastic price for painting my house. He chose carrot cake, so I searched online for a recipe that had good reviews.<br />
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And Google came to the rescue, as always, with this recipe for <a href="http://www.smithfield.com/recipes/recipe/the-best-ever-carrot-cake-cupcakes" target="_blank">The Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes.</a> I made them today, with hand-crushed pineapple (Thanks, Sweetheart!) and walnuts instead of pecans. The recipe made about 30 cupcakes, and they came out very well, says my husband. Whew!! So I made up a double batch of cream cheese icing (2 blocks Philly, 3 pounds or so sifted powdered sugar, bunch of vanilla) and iced them up. Stepson gave a thumbs up, so I think we're good to go.<br />
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I've got these ones in the fridge. It's HOT here today, and I just don't think that cream cheese icing has the same ability to be stiff and fluffy that buttercream does. Maybe THAT's why the <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/philadelphia-cream-cheese-frosting-50972.aspx" target="_blank">cream cheese icing</a> recipes always call for a little bit of butter, too. I leave the butter out usually, but maybe next time I'll try putting the butter in. It seemed to work very well in the lemon cream cheese icing, but I wanted it there to creamy up the lemon flavor a bit. Hm. Let's try, oh, I dunno, actually following a recipe and see what happens!<br />
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And while we're on the Philly recipe page, please join me in a SQUEEEEEE, 'cause, damn:<br />
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<a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-cinnamon-cream-cheese-126804.aspx" target="_blank">Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting </a><br />
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I want to make these, DESPERATELY, but I don't know if I'll have time before my surgery on June 25. I have only 2 weekends between now and then, and I've got to get my house in order. We'll see!<br />
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PS: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Savory-Sweet-Life-Delicious-Occasion/dp/0062064053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339367987&sr=8-1&keywords=savory+sweet+life+cookbook" target="_blank">Alice's cookbook</a> is out!! And for a $2.50 upcharge, you can pre-order the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Savory-Sweet-Life-Delicious-ebook/dp/B006FOI0CK/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Kindle version.</a> It might go OK on my Kindle Fire, but I am not sure enough to buy that version. I think I'll stick with the dead-tree version!<br />
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Lesson Learned: Recipes don't always know what they're talking about (witness the first carrot cupcake debacle), but it might be advisable to try following them before deciding to change them up.<br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-2383053463372853382012-06-09T18:42:00.001-04:002012-06-09T18:42:23.341-04:00Cupcakes from scratchI'm making my first batch of cupcakes from a recipe today! They're low-fat carrot cake cupcakes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-About-Cupcakes-Krystina-Castella/dp/1402719949/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339281603&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Crazy About Cupcakes</a> by Krystina Castella. And I'm going to make a double-batch of non-low-fat cream cheese icing to top them off. The recipe looks very simple, I've just bought the ingredients I didn't have on hand, and I'm getting ready to get started. Stand by for a review and pictures. Wish me luck!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-71225863082784350962012-06-02T18:52:00.002-04:002012-06-02T19:18:39.329-04:00Lemon cupcakes being mailedI made a really nice batch of lemon cupcakes today, with more lemon creamcheese icing. I used the same recipe as last time, only this time I actually followed the recipe for the most part. 1 block of Philly, half a stick of butter, 2 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons (actually, closer to three) of lemon zest, and a heaping teaspoon of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract. Oh, yeah - and a bunch of powdered sugar to make it work. :-)<br />
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I put mini cupcakes in Ball jars, then pipe on a LIBERAL layer of icing, then another cupcake and more icing, then this time I sprinkled the top with the vanilla sanding sugar I mentioned in my last lemony post. Then put the lids and bands on the jars and we're ready to pack them up for mailing.<br />
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A batch of icing is *supposed* to be enough for 48 mini cupcakes, or 24 regular ones. HAH! I scoff at that. When I make cupcake in a jar, it gets <u>at least</u> twice as much icing as a regular cupcake. So a whole batch of icing is enough for 16-20 mini cupcakes. NOM!! Cupcakes are merely an icing delivery mechanism. People look at you funny if you walk around eating icing by the spoonful, but they're merely consumed with jealousy if you've got cupcakes and they don't.<br />
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Half a dozen of these jars are going to Rebecca in North Carolina, and four are going to Lesli in Florida. I'll mail them on Sunday if I can make it out to the airport post office. </div>
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I've got plenty of cupcakes left over, looking for a home. Gretchen and her folks will likely get some, too. :-)<br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-84918404145288670392012-05-22T18:04:00.008-04:002012-05-25T20:35:03.019-04:00How much? Really?? Ummm...I took the box of cupcakes in a jar to my local post office branch on Monday after work to mail it off to my friend Kim in Canada. It turns out that one box containing a greeting card, some styrofoam packing piffles, and six 8-oz canning jars filled with cupcakes-n-icing costs<br />
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THIRTY SIX American Dollars<br />
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to mail to Canada. EEEEEEK!<br />
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After I picked myself off the floor, I asked the helpful post office worker WTF? He said that if I could get the box under four pounds, it would likely cut the price in half. So I asked him for a pair of scissors and proceeded right there to open the box and remove two of the cupcake jars. He put the box on the scale, and the postage had gone down to a WAY more manageable $16.<br />
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I asked the lady behind me if she wanted one of the cupcake jars, and she was delighted to take it. Gave me a buck to help defray postage, too! What a nice lady! And I gave the other cupcake jar to the post office counter man. His son doesn't like chocolate, either, just like my friend Kim! So he was happy to have a nice treat to take home for him. <br />
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Mission Accomplished! The cupcakes are on the way to Canada, eh?Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-71058578952222748382012-05-19T21:16:00.001-04:002012-05-19T21:16:13.657-04:00Now, we're talking!After I finished putting cupcakes in a jar for my friend Kim, I had a bunch of cupcakes left over. And for me, it's all about the chocolate! So I made a batch of <a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/04/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/" target="_blank">chocolate buttercream</a> and went to town on the rest of the cupcakes.<br />
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This batch of cupcakes in a jar went home with my friend Lori. It's so nice to have someone who appreciates cupcakes!<br />
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Don't they look yummy?<br />
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And I've still got a whole bunch left over, too. I'll send some home with Gretchen, maybe.<br />
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The chocolate icing is just SO YUM.<br />
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I have a batch of lemon cream cheese icing in the fridge, for Rebecca's batch of lemon cupcakes. I hope to be able to mail those to her next weekend!<br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-85449898956451940182012-05-19T17:19:00.002-04:002012-05-19T17:19:30.034-04:00Cupcakes, eh?My friend Kim in Canada doesn't like chocolate, poor dear, so she requested white cake with white icing. I'm not sure what 'white' icing is, so I made vanilla buttercream, and layered it in the cupcakes-in-a-jar. Look how cute!<br />
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I'm going to box these up all snug and safe and secure, then will mail to Canada. I hope to be able to take them to the post office Sunday. WAIT - do I have her current address? Eeeeek!</div>
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<br /></div>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-42455246651466214782012-05-09T20:51:00.001-04:002012-05-09T20:51:22.236-04:00Lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese icing. YUM!Cupcakes on a weeknight? Absolutely! <br />
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The box of Betty Crocker lemon cake has been blowing raspberries at me from the pantry shelf for some weeks. I've been wanting to make lemon cupcakes and either lemon or lime cream cheese icing, but just have not had the time. Today? Time! (So happy to be done with schoolwork for now!)<br />
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I actually made 48 mini cupcakes and 8 regular ones. I don't like to fill up the cupcake liners too much, and if there's a muffin top when it's done baking, that's too much! It's easier to pick up if the cake part stays in the liner, so I only fill about halfway up with cake batter.<br />
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The icing recipe is from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/" target="_blank">AllRecipes.com</a> and got a lot of positive reviews. I adjusted it somewhat: I left out the butter and used 2 blocks of Philly, and we ran out of lemons to zest before we got to 4 teaspoons, so it got lemon juice, some lemon zest, and not quite a teaspoon of lemon extract instead of the vanilla. I usually like a firmer icing, but stopped adding sugar while this one was still on the creamy side.<br />
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I used my #1 favorite 1M tip and then sprinkled the first 35 with yellow Cake Sparkles. The other ones that didn't fit into the pan for delivery to work were sprinkled with <a href="http://www.michaels.com/Duff-Vanilla-Sanding-Sugar-Premium-Sprinkles/bk0722,default,pd.html" target="_blank">vanilla sanding sugar</a> and that was surprisingly yummy! I made Gretchen eat the first one, but we are in agreement that the vanilla smooths out the bright lemon flavor very well indeed. <br />
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The ones in the picture above are going to work tomorrow, and the ones that didn't fit into that pan are being divided up! Some are going to Gretchen's folks, and I'm sure my darling husband will want one or two, and Gretchen might want to take a couple home, too. Free cupcakes to good home!<br />
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Lessons learned: Keep the butter in next time, and possibly add the vanilla, too. Also, get more lemons!! I don't know how much zest comes off of each lemon, but it isn't very darn much.<br />
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Nefarious plans for the future: I want one of those peeler thingies that makes tiny little citrus peel curls so that I can do <a href="https://alejandraowens.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/candied-lemon-peels/" target="_blank">this.</a> And I want a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40020-Classic-Zester-Grater/dp/B00004S7V8?tag=duckduckgo-d-20" target="_blank">microplane</a> too. Too much of that precious zest was lost in the knucklebuster. Wooo! Wouldn't candied lemon or lime peels be a fantastic addition to the top of a lemon cupcake?? <br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-81460626260243392882012-05-08T17:14:00.001-04:002012-05-08T17:14:53.149-04:00Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!The only name I've mentioned in this blog more than Moaning Myrtle, my KitchenAid, is Alice, of <a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/" target="_blank">Savory Sweet Life.</a> I haven't done much in the way of kitcheny things, but Alice made it seem so possible for me to make my first batch of buttercream icing! I love how Alice blogs recipes and techniques to make baking something that even I can do. And I'm so excited that Alice's book is coming out in June!<br />
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I have been excited about books before. I have met the postman on my porch and scurried off to read the new Harry Potter book. I have gone to Cincinnati to have a book signed my Laurell K Hamilton before her Anita Blake series jumped the shark a few installments ago. I have release dates in my calendar for favorite authors' new books on a fairly regular basis, and I snap them up on my Kindle and devour them.<br />
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But NEVER have I been worked up over a cookbook. <br />
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Ever.<br />
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So I'm sharing the momentousness of that on my blog! Alice has a cookbook coming out, and I want it!! And I'll even go to her book signing, if there's one in driving distance and if I'm able to get someone to drive me. I'll likely be in a sling and not allowed to drive by the time Alice takes her tour to the Midwest. <br />
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I'm excited! Over a COOKBOOK! Go figure. :-)<br />
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I'm a fangirl. <br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-90036893557567203502012-05-03T21:44:00.002-04:002012-05-03T21:44:42.459-04:00Light at the end of the tunnel!Whew! The first class in my MBA is almost over. I have a paper to finish, and an evaluation on my team. That's it, and everything is due day after tomorrow. The team evaluation is already done, and we were all awesome, I must say! And I'll bet you a shiny new quarter that I can get this paper done after work on Friday. Do you know what that would mean?<br />
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A WEEKEND. With no classwork. What a concept!!<br />
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And maybe I'll get to bake some cupcakes? Or maybe I'll just sleep all weekend. The luxury!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-14448919490397688932012-05-01T17:23:00.001-04:002012-05-01T17:23:27.773-04:00Savory Cupcakes?My tablemates at the VOICEcorps annual volunteer banquet got me to wondering about savory cupcakes. I found this recipe on reddit, for <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Baking/comments/t15xs/sweet_basil_and_olive_oil_cupcakes_recipe_in_the/" target="_blank">Sweet Basil and Olive Oil cupcakes</a>. Hmmm.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>3 eggs</li>
<li>1 cup sugar</li>
<li>3 tsp finely grated orange zest</li>
<li>3 tsp finely grated lemon zest</li>
<li>3/4 cup olive oil</li>
<li>2 1/2 cups self rising flour</li>
<li>1/3 cup milk</li>
<li>1/3 cup orange juice</li>
</ul>
Creamy basil icing (frosting)<br />
<ul>
<li>3 cups icing sugar, sifted</li>
<li>90 g unsalted butter, softened (but not too softened, as I learned..)</li>
<li>1/4 cup milk</li>
<li>1 tsp natural vanilla extract</li>
<li>2 tbsp finely chopped basil, plus small basil leaves to decorate</li>
</ul>
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 standard muffin holes with paper cases.<br />
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add the orange and lemon zests, then stir in the olive oil. Stir in the sifted flour alternately with the milk and orange juice. Stir the mixture gently for 30 seconds with a wooden spoon.<br />
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Divide the mixture evenly among the cases. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool.<br />
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To make the icing, place half the icing sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and chopped basil in large mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar until the icing is thick. Decorate each cake with the icing and a small basil leaf.<br />
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EDIT: recipe from a book called Cupcakes: a fine selection of sweet treats by Murdoch BooksKimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-81425112734752298332012-04-28T22:57:00.000-04:002012-04-28T22:57:35.560-04:00Cupcake BooksI visited one of the local Half-Price Books locations a few weeks ago, and picked up a handful of cute cupcake books. One of these days, after my class is over and before my shoulder surgery puts me out of commission for a while, I'm going to bake cupcakes from scratch!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Cupcakes-Love-Parragon-Books/dp/1407556282/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335667288&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Easy Cupcakes by Love Food</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1407556282/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Easy Cupcakes (Love Food)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41APZzaGjOL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-About-Cupcakes-Krystina-Castella/dp/1402719949/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335667337&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1402719949/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Crazy About Cupcakes" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FN50HKEFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-Year-Round-Recipes-Season-Celebration/dp/1584794038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335667387&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Cupcakes Year-Round by Sara Neumeier</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1584794038/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Cupcakes Year-Round: 50 Recipes for Every Season and Celebration" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41M86KX4DHL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-Susanna-Tee/dp/1405471387/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335667438&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Cupcakes by Susanna Tee</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1405471387/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Cupcakes" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51j6Hh9AChL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-31438874643371810082012-04-21T19:36:00.005-04:002012-04-21T19:36:45.058-04:00Hiatus!Myrtle's getting a rest. No baking this weekend, or next. Too much homework!<br />
Until I return to baking when my class is finished, I leave you with this: <a href="http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2011/03/lemon-cupcakes-with-lemon-cream-cheese.html" target="_blank">Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing</a><br />
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<br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-76022158868038908172012-04-15T21:43:00.001-04:002012-04-15T21:53:09.964-04:00Surprise phone callLast week at work, I got a phone call, completely out of the blue. It was Chuck, one of the audio engineers at <a href="http://voicecorps.com/" target="_blank">VOICEcorps,</a> and he was just calling me to tell me how much he had liked the <a href="http://kimberlyskitchenaid.blogspot.com/2012/04/deviled-eggs-cadbury-eggs-that-is.html" target="_blank">Deviled Eggs</a>, and all the other treats I bring in to the staff and volunteers there. He took the time to look up my work number in the volunteer files, and called me just to thank me and compliment my baking skillz. It absolutely made my day!<br />
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So, of course there was nothing else to do except make up a batch of cupcakes and take some to Chuck. I made a batch of Betty Crocker yellow cake (I don't think I like Betty Crocker, but am reserving final judgement. The mini cupcake liners peeled off of a bunch of the baby cupcakes again, and going back reading old posts, it was too crumbly once) and chocolate buttercream icing.<br />
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Chuck got 4 jars full of cupcakes, examples of which are pictured in <a href="http://kimberlyskitchenaid.blogspot.com/2012/03/cupcakes-in-what.html" target="_blank">this post.</a> Cheers, Chuck! <br />
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My cousin Jenny, who, over the course of a week, actually did eat all six jars I mailed her, visited me from New Jersey this weekend. She got another half a dozen jars, and of course, I put almond extract in the icing for hers. Six jars = 12 mini cupcakes, and should be about a third of a batch of icing. Except I used an entire batch of icing on her six jars and made a completely new batch, without the almond, for the rest of the cupcakes.<br />
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Lessons learned: Don't rush the cupcaking. I was a crazy woman on Thursday making cupcakes. I could have made the cupcakes on Wednesday and iced them on Thursday, and would have been a lot less stressed. Of course, the stress helps burn off the caloric intake from icing <strike>nibbling</strike> quality control. Doesn't it?Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-59817128613634661762012-04-08T18:52:00.001-04:002012-04-08T19:08:13.102-04:00Deviled Eggs... Cadbury eggs, that is!This is a first-and-only. The first and only time I'm going to make these "Deviled Eggs." <br />
I first saw them <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/cakespy-cadbury-creme-deviled-eggs-easter.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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They are cute as heck, but boy, what a pain to make! Here's an example of the cuteness:<br />
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Isn't that adorable? I thought so, and thus began my descent into madness. <br />
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Start with a bunch of Cadbury Chocolate Creme Eggs. I suppose you could use the regular Cadbury Creme Eggs, but I like chocolate, so ... decision made. Get about half again as many as you think you're going to need. Get a sharp knife, and cut them in half along the seam. Weep. Gnash your teeth. Because you are going to get a few that come out like this:<br />
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And (unless your knife skills are a better than mine, which is pretty likely because I don't set the bar all that high) you're going to get WAY, WAY more than you'd hope that come out like this:<br />
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Make a batch of buttercream or cream cheese icing. I made vanilla cream cheese icing, which made up for some of the weeping, because YUM!<br />
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I used Wilton Gel Dye in lemon yellow to color the batch (I probably should have started out coloring half the batch, because that was plenty for the number of eggs. So now I've got a lot of leftover yellow cream cheese icing, which actually works out pretty well, because I want to make lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese icing, and this will be a good start).<br />
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I chose a 199 tip, and probably should have gone with a different one to get a more traditional deviled-egg feel. I ate too many of the rejects, and now I am completely wired, let me tell you! And I still have to figure out how to carry these to work with me tomorrow morning.<br />
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Lessons learned: Don't do this again. Just. Don't. It is not worth all the broken egg heartache!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-5071427983258511512012-04-01T17:33:00.000-04:002012-04-01T17:33:15.658-04:00Actually, it kind of is easy being cheesyI used Myrtle's shredding attachment for the first time today. It was brilliant! Myrtle went through a 10-ounce wedge of parmesan cheese in about a minute, including the time it took me to cut the wedge in half to fit in the hopper. Way to go, Myrtle! This would have taken forever using the knuckle-buster.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelLL4eNIjN4njcpuXhN79ICANQY0qwL3_x2Dg70Dsr3hCU4FFcM64gzGwg2QfRpPj_D-gF-6eEcaOT9TUG84fYZJyIBx9_8SmYkqAzNEKxhAlTqBjKMZeKtx3E5S5wA5qlg2IPK6s2m0/s1600/cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelLL4eNIjN4njcpuXhN79ICANQY0qwL3_x2Dg70Dsr3hCU4FFcM64gzGwg2QfRpPj_D-gF-6eEcaOT9TUG84fYZJyIBx9_8SmYkqAzNEKxhAlTqBjKMZeKtx3E5S5wA5qlg2IPK6s2m0/s320/cheese.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-17123497919325829712012-03-31T21:43:00.000-04:002012-03-31T21:43:52.751-04:00It's not easy being cheesyI decided to make a batch of spice cake cupcakes today, and give cream cheese icing a try. The cupcakes were fine, but the icing was a bit of a dud at first. I used <a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/" target="_blank">Alice's buttercream recipe</a> and substituted 4 ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese (is there any other kind?) for one of the sticks of butter. It was ... okay. Not spectacular, by any means. Just okay. So I tossed in the other 4 ounces of cream cheese, added more powdered sugar and another slug of vanilla.<br />
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<em>Aside: I've been having problems finding a vanilla extract I like (#FirstWorldProblems). The first bottle I bought was McCormick's, and it was fine. I started looking for other kinds, thinking there might be a difference - boy, was I right! I bought a bottle of organic vanilla extract, and it was almost flavorless. I bought a bottle of </em><a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=604-2270" target="_blank"><em>Wilton's Madagascar Vanilla</em></a><em> thinking it would be more flavorful, and ended up using about twice the recommended amount. I need good vanilla!</em><br />
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Once I added the other half of the Philly, the icing really seemed to come together. It's extra creamy, and has that lovely tart Philly flavor. I think I did a pretty good job making it better than it started out being. I love that Alice has made it so easy to make a good icing: If it needs to be stiffer, just sift a little more powdered sugar into it. If it's too stiff, add a little more milk. No stress, just tweak it until it's how you want it!<br />
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I used a 2D tip instead of trying the new one I got at the bakers' supply shop, because the icing was so creamy. <br />
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I made one regular batch of 24 cupcakes, and a batch and a half of icing, and I still had 5 cupcakes left when the icing ran out! My husband said I might possibly be putting too much icing on the cupcakes. Philistine! Does he not know that the cupcakes exist only as a delivery vehicle for the icing? :-)<br />
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Lesson learned: Next time I'm going to do cream cheese icing, I think I'm going to leave out the butter and just use Philadelphia cream cheese. And I'm going to make a double batch, because that stuff is pure yum.Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-67851148791252196572012-03-25T21:55:00.001-04:002012-03-25T22:01:11.199-04:00Monthiversary?It's so hard to believe that I've only been cupcaking at home for <strong>one month</strong>. I brought Myrtle home exactly one month ago today. I've acquired so much cupcake gear in that time that it is now housed in a Sterilite bin on the pantry shelves.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Quite a difference from the first picture of Myrtle, taken a month ago:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-21533537798501817892012-03-25T15:41:00.004-04:002012-03-25T15:53:23.498-04:00Mission Accomplished!Moaning Myrtle is now ready for her debut appearance on Pimp My KitchenAid. What do you think?<br />
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I wipe Myrtle down with a damp cloth right away after every batch of buttercream, so I don't anticipate any problems with the polka dots on Myrtle herself. However, I'm not quite as optimistic about the dots on the hopper for the slicer-shredder attachment. I think that's going to need more cleaning than a damp wipe, so probably the polka dots won't last as long. But it's cute as all hell now! <br />
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I used a couple of different punches to get the polka dots. <a href="http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/ektools/Products/Circle_Medium_Punch-_1_inch_PSM88C.htm" target="_blank">1" EK circle</a>, and a mini 2-in-1 punch from Recollections for the smaller dots. I'm generally pleased with how the punches worked on the contact paper, but the large punch didn't cut cleanly all the time, and I had to discard quite a few that were damaged. <br />
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No baking this weekend. I've been decorating Myrtle, and don't have it in me to do any cupcakes. Lemon cupcakes will have to wait. I think we'll live. :-)Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-76309481855523111572012-03-24T15:17:00.000-04:002012-03-24T15:17:22.389-04:00Happy Hostess HouseI visited my first baking specialty shop today. I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of flavorings, decorations, and such were available, and I was definitely not disappointed. First, let me attest that <a href="http://happyhostesshouse.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Happy Hostess House</a> has just about every cookie cutter known to mankind. Tiny bitty ones, big giant ones, and everything in between. And they have candy-making supplies and molds, too. And wedding cake decorations, and all kinds of shaped cake pans (including some really tiny loaf pans that are just adorable), and oh, my gawd, they had so many kinds of colorings I had no idea what to do with them. <br />
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I had to tear myself away from tiny little jars of sparkly glitter. One of the ladies who worked there says she likes to use a horsehair brush to dip in the jar, then tap over the cupcake to make the glitter fall on the cupcakes. And they had all manner of sprinkles and candy to put on top, too. This will most definitely require further investigation at a later date.<br />
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The ladies at Happy Hostess House were helpful and happy to help this noob with her shopping. I picked up six flavors of <a href="https://www.lorannoils.com/c-6-super-strength-flavors.aspx" target="_blank">LorAnn Oils</a> to try out. At $1.45 each, I figured why not? So I got Natural Lime Oil, and Caramel, Key Lime, Chocolate, Eggnog, and Bavarian Cream flavors. They're so concentrated, you should use an eyedropper to add the flavors slowly, tasting as you go. You can see the eyedropper on the left of the picture.<br />
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I'm looking forward to trying some of these in my buttercream! Doesn't Key Lime buttercream sound yummy on lemon cupcakes?<br />
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I also got a new decorating tip, an <a href="http://goldas-inc.amazonwebstore.com/Ateco-Decorating-Tip-108/M/B0000VLDK0.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=froogle" target="_blank">Ateco 108.</a> It's a nice, big tip, and it'll be interesting to see how the swirls will look with this. Maybe I'll practice some flowers, too. Successful shopping accomplished! $12.50 for the lot, too. :-)Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548943958283539322.post-88056760780234085402012-03-24T12:04:00.000-04:002012-03-24T12:04:32.090-04:00Polka-Dotting In Progress - Opinion, please?The Contact Paper has come! I've punched out my dots, and am busily applying them to Moaning Myrtle. Question for my friends: Do you like Myrtle with the big dots only, or with the little dots mixed in?<br />
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I think I like with the little dots mixed in. What do you think? Comment here or on Facebook. :-)Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05689231019208812574noreply@blogger.com0