Eat More Grooms!

I surprised Mr. Filmschool with the wedding cupcakes for our anniversary! He was surprised! Since I couldn't get anyone to get married just so I could make them the wedding cupcakes...

Add your loved ones to the topper! Surprisingly this was not the most involved one of the recipes. That honor still goes to the Princesses! Although we were wondering if maybe you used the big gum drops instead of the spice drops for the dresses if it wouldn't be easier. Or fondant! The challenging bit of the wedding cupcakes was mainly hiding everything from Mr. Filmschool and breaking into the neighbor's kitchen to make the leaves. Well, I didn't break in, but I did have to cut leaves off her tree and paint them with chocolate in her kitchen. She had the brilliant idea of coating the leaves with shortening before painting them, so she let me use her organic vegan shortening, too. I am guessing butter might work as well. I had a brush but I used my fingers, I didn't break any of them until I started painting them later with the luster dust and the heat of my fingers melted them a little bit. But they were very impressive to the house environmental horticulturalist. I ate the groom, he was delicious. Mr. Filmschool ate the bride, it was really cute. Buster and Louie get lunch meat for posing, not cupcakes! I did the wreath, too. So we're all set with plenty of luster dust, mini dragees, white pearls and crystal beads if anyone else needs any wedding cupcakes! Could be good for showers, too! 37 down, 12 to go!

All Aboard, Aliens!

My friend has a band called "Sputnik" so I made him the Aliens for his birthday! Also his mom was scared of the Aliens so I had to make them. Don't let the neon green whipping, dripping, and dipping deter you from trying these, they are actually pretty simple. And I came up with the brilliant idea of putting another liner/cupcake cup on AFTER you whip, dip and drip to keep the frosting from getting all over the place. Of course I thought of this after I made some penguins for a five year old's birthday party- I bet that was a wee bit messy--- that black food coloring! I did carve a twinkie into the shape of a keyboard for the aliens and whipped, dipped and dripped it, and then added keys with white frosting- quite a hit! I did the starry night ones and planets with the same technique.

We also had a Muppet Sing-a-long for a big birthday- too bad I didn't get a chance to prop up the cupcakes with pieces of the espresso maker and take some serious pictures... At least I got one of the Swedish Chef, Mr. Filmschool's favorite, but then I ate him. Call me Chef! ;-) I found a recipe on the internet for super moist chocolate cake and it had no eggs in it- but it was super moist! All this egg drama has me even a little more cautious about the constant hand washing... What does the Swedish Chef say, "oshky boyshky..." I don't know why the photo is sideways. Louie just jumped on the keyboard to help me...

Must Be Summer!

It was a hundred degees on tuesday in San Francisco so we must be entering our glorious dog-days! Louie is not a fan. We may actually have to drive down to Sears and get a fan for our once a year hot day...

At least we have friends in sunny places! I had to order the fruit leather for the sharks' mouth off the internet, I have some extra weird colors like tie-dye if anyone has any ideas... The pool party was a blast and we had fun singing campfire songs, I even played a different guitar! When I'm in charge we're going to play "American Pie" twice!

The butterflies were pretty challenging, trying to get the chocolate to swirl around before it hardened. Mr. Filmschool took them to the garden where they'll find some real butterflies to befriend. We did play "You've Got A Friend" twice, and it wasn't even me that requested it again! Raise a cupcake everyone- "To Life, Friends!"

Sleeping with the Fishes, TV Dinners, and mmmm, Bagels

So many parties, so little time! They had a camp-over at the garden so we got to make more of Mr. Filmschool's colleagues- I love it when they love the cupcakes!

The TV dinner was a good time- remember before there were microwaves? I loved that little dessert! And who can resist a dee-licious bagel with a homemade-with-love cappuccino! I get to show off my other talent- foaming! We have a great idea to outfit the Prius with a little espresso cart and take it to the dog park to serve coffee drinks and dog pastries- I can't wait to make a giant cupcake to go on top of the car!

Off to check out more dog parks! So far we like the one with the sunshine, little dog area and astroturf....

Horses

So we counted up again how many recipes are in Hello, Cupcake! and it isn't 50, but 49. AND we recounted how many recipes we've completed- it's now 28 so we only have 21 left to go! And we're sad about that because it means that we won't have to hunt for any more weird candy on the internet or search out dusty old cake decorating shops in Daly City because we already found them all! We also finished reading Julie&Julia and we are sad that we perhaps are not neurotic enough to be a memoirist even though we are pretty dang neurotic. Oh well.

Of course one of the horses had to be pink as that is an immutable law of cupcakes. Extra circus peanuts and extra cookie wafers make it so.

We did the Horses for which we sent away for the white circus peanuts many moons ago and have been saving the dried onions since Thanksgiving. A little more room in the cupcake cabinet! I did have a crazy dream about the speckle-y jelly beans which might make me neurotic enough for something...

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

And plenty of Baseball as the Giants loose to the Rockies in 15 innings... I made lots and lots of cupcakes and had the gang come out to help me eat them all- the Flag recipe calls for 96 cupcakes. I made them out of organic fruit juice sweetened carrot cake with organic blueberries and strawberries since we had to eat so many...

Buster and Mr. Filmschool like carrot cake and we all looked super cute in our matching t-shirts and cupcake hats. Better to eat lots of cupcakes than weird stuff off the ground. Everyone had a great time and no cupcakes had to spend the night in the emergency room. 26 recipes down, 24 to go!

Take the Garden Gnomes Bowling, Take them Bowling

Bowling pins seemed a little drab- so we livened them up by turning them into Garden Gnomes- complete with leftover spice drop ale tankards! Always a party at the garden! It was Mr. Filmschool's birthday along with several co-workers so our little cupcake factory has been working over-time.

We have a friend who has some chickens- so we made her some special cupcakes- a friend in a big show so he got some comedy/tragedy masks- and we can all do with a little help from mother nature now and then.

25 recipes down- we're half-way there, it must be time for a big party!