Unlike most weeks Jess and I finally had some time to relax. Unfortunately, because we had some time to relax we may have over relaxed when it came to our normal duties (Such as grocery shopping). Our typical week has us visiting the grocery store 2 possibly 3 times a week. We do a relatively good job of buying ingredients that can be used for more than one recipe however, we just like to make multiple trips a week to ensure that our food stays fresh and we do a better job of sticking within our grocery budget.

However, with this week having nothing overly special going on we planned on devouring our delicious left-overs and clean out some of our snack stuff as well. Everything was going well until I came home towards the end of the week to find Jess sitting with a bowl of salsa and some pretzels…..

“Salsa…….with pretzels dear…..Really….?!?” I asked.

“Yup” she replies casually as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

“You know if we are that low on food I can totally run to the store today to pick up something up.” I exclaimed.

“Are you kidding me salsa and pretzels are an awesome combination!” She says.

Speechless I tell you speechless! And that’s what got me thinking about today’s post. What weird food combinations that you love that make most people cringe? I personally LOVE …. I repeat LOVE ranch dressing on my pizza. Is this healthy? HECK NO! But it’s delicious! I swear! Jess swears by salsa on her eggs in the morning too. I thought she was crazy until I tried it. Not too bad actually. Now she was swearing by the pretzels and salsa routine and when I tried it I have to admit it wasn’t actually too bad. This then reminded me that my dad loved catsup so much he would actually dip his potato chips in it…. I still haven’t given that one a try, but he says it’s deliciously sweet and crunchy. I’ll spare you the details on how he makes that into a sandwich some days….

So again I ask you… What are your favorite weird food combinations that might make others cringe? Continue reading

This weekend Jess and I hosted a baby shower for some good friends of ours. It was a relatively simple affair with a surprisingly large crowd of individuals and couples. I don’t know if Jess and I are missing a memo but it seems as though everyone we know is having a baby this year. I guess we are just getting to be the age where most people begin to feel the need to expand their families and begin this new chapter in their lives.

Everyone at the party seemed to be having a good time. Our friend Shanna wanted this to be a couples shower which to me was something I hadn’t heard of before. I was a bit apprehensive at first as not all of the guys who were invited were with someone but think that in the end it was a pretty neat idea. Even the single guys had fun especially when we broke out the string to guess how big her waist had gotten. While most people made a guess from their own waist however, these enterprising individuals thought the measurement of a bust line from one of our particularly busty single female guests was a better guess. Interestingly enough, they were the ones who came closest. Maybe they were onto something and I should have paid more attention?!

Since the shower we were hosting was for some really close friends of ours we wanted to make a cake for them that would be really special. We made this two tiered cake and separated each layer with a layer with vanilla buttercream frosting and strawberries. It was fantastically delicious! I also think that for amateur cake decorators we did a pretty darn good job with the fondant. It was a homemade fondant recipe that tasted way better then the stuff you pick up at the store! Tons cheaper too! I plan on sharing the recipe with yall once we master the art of decorating which I hope will be soon. The only thing that really disappointed me about the cake was that we didn’t make the royal icing stiff enough for the dirty icing, or we filled the layers with too much frosting which allowed the split layers to sag a little bit when the cake warmed up causing a little indentation. Other than that we were really pleased with how it turned out. But that’s one of the things I really enjoy about baking, sometimes you make mistakes and you learn from those mistakes allowing you to do better on the next one.

We also had the pleasure of making quite a few of the appetizers for this event as well. While all of the other appetizers we made were delicious I was particularly surprised and pleased with the recipe we used from the Taste of Home magazine that we had picked up the other month. I really love this magazine as they do a great job of putting together beautiful mouth watering pictures coupled with recipes that really taste great! Their recipe for Potato Salad Bites was fantastic. Submitted by Stephanie Sheridan, of Plainfield, Vermont, the potato salad bites were quick and easy to make and packed some really great flavor that basically made these reminiscent of deviled eggs only with baby red potatoes. This has definitely been cataloged for future reference! Continue reading

I don’t know why but sometimes I like to people watch…

Is this just something that I do or are there others out there who do this as well?

I find that sometimes you can learn something about yourself and others just by taking a few moments to step back and watch what others are doing. I was doing just that when I was at the grocery store this weekend picking up my groceries for the week. I happened to be in the olive oil isle when I noticed something that was somewhat frustrating. I was looking for a good extra virgin olive oil for salad dressing and bread dipping as I’ve been trying to eat healthier this year, but much to my chagrin I could not find a quality extra virgin olive oil in sight! While there were plenty of light oils and virgin oils galore I was limited to two extra virgin olive oil choices. Both were in plastic bottles and looked more l like vegetable oil then extra virgin olive oil. What’s up with that?!

Is it just me or has finding quality extra virgin olive oil been getting impossible lately? I guess this might have been why I started watching others who were in the isle with me. As I was standing there I watched as patron after patron selected the cheaper oils and then one couple came by and I became a little alarmed as I overheard them talking about their going on a diet this year and how they should get the “light” oil instead!

Is this the reason for the decline of quality oils in the stores? Misinformation? Sadly I believe that it is. So to combat this as best I can I decided to write up a little refresher course for those of you who are in the market for olive oils.

How to choose the right olive oil

Buying olive oil has become somewhat of an everyday experience for most consumers. With the explosion of olive oil companies over the past couple of years; choosing the right olive oil can prove to be as daunting a task as picking a fine wine. Like most products quality does come with a higher price, but price does not always guarantee the highest quality. According to the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) there are differing grades of olive oil that are derived from the ways in which the olive oil is harvested.

What does Cold Pressing Mean?

First, let’s get one of the most commonly misunderstood and confusing terms out of the way. Cold pressing and first pressing are interchangeable terms. The first pressing of the olives will produce the finest grade of olive oil. This process is typically done by hand and without the use of heat or other chemicals hence the interchangeable terminology. To extract more olive oil in the refining process, hot water is typically passed through the olive paste to extract larger amounts of oil. The difference in the two processes is where the term Cold Pressing got its name. Hot is usually the second pressing and produces a lower quality oil.

How do olive oils differ among each grade and what does this mean?

According to the IOOC there are many different types of olive oil. I have done my best to break down each type of oil that you will commonly encounter on your next shopping experience to arm you with the knowledge you will need to make an educated choice.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is regarded as the highest grade of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is a direct result of cold pressing and will provide the most natural and flavorful taste of any olive oil. To be classified as extra virgin it must have an FFA (acidity Level) of less than 0.8%. The olive oil must also have the perfect aroma, flavor, color and be free from all defects. The lower the acidity level, the higher the quality of oil, and the more distinctive the flavor and aromas will be. Extra virgin olive oil is great for use with salads and when used for bread dipping.

Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin Olive Oil is the 2nd highest quality grade of olive oil. Virgin olive oil is also derived solely from the cold pressing of the olives but will typically have a milder, fruitier taste and odor. While there are no differences in the way in which the oil is extracted, virgin olive oil typically has an FFA (acidity) level of less than 2% and contains slight defects.

Olive Oil – Light Oil – Lite Oil

Typically these types of oil have been extracted using heat or hot water. The oil will generally have a high to very high FFA level and will contain obvious defects. Manufactures will typically refine this oil which will make it colorless, odorless, and flavorless. To help give it some flavor, small quantities of virgin olive oil will be added; this is typically around 5%- 15%. Contrary to belief Lite or Light oils do not prove to be a healthier option then extra virgin or virgin olive oils. The FDA recently restricted oils previously labeled as lite or light to be relabeled as “Light in Taste” or “Lite Tasting”. Light Olive oil does not have fewer calories and the term light simply refers to its light color, flavor and aroma.

Olive Pomace Oil

Olive Pomace Oil is extracted from the remaining portions of the olives after the pressing or “Pomace” by the use of solvents. The oil is then refined and mixed with a higher grade of virgin olive oil. This is again around 5%-15%.

Infused or Flavored Olive Oils

Infused or Flavored Olive Oils are generally extra virgin olive oils that have been processed with another fruit or vegetable to add flavor. The fruit or vegetable is typically placed with the olives as they are being pressed. The oil is then extracted in either the centrifuge or decanting state leaving behind its flavor. These can be wonderful alternatives to the “normal” extra virgin olive oil as they can add sweetness and make perfect toppings for a salad or fruit.

Here is where things can really start to get complicated. Since the United States is not a participating member of the IOOC, there is a different rating system to govern US produced olive oils. The rating system is based on the acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor; it is graded as follows:

US Olive Oil Grades

• U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy possesses a free fatty acid content of not more than 1.4% and is “free from defects”
• U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice possesses a free fatty acid content of not more than 2.5% and is “reasonably free from defects”
• U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard possesses a free fatty acid content of not more than 3.0% and is “fairly free from defects”
• U.S. Grade D or U.S. Substandard possesses a free fatty acid content greater than 3.0% “fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C”

One of the largest problems I find with this rating system is largely in part to the vagueness of means in which the olive oil can be produced. Because it is so vague it does not offer the same quality assurance that is received with the IOOC guidelines.

Unfortunately, because the United States is not a participating member of the IOOC, a vast majority of olive oils are being sold under false pretenses as terms such as “Extra Virgin” may be used without legal restrictions. Perfect…right?!

A good olive oil should look somewhat cloudy, especially soon after it has been harvested. If the oil appears clear it means that it may have been refined during the manufacturing process, either in a centrifuge or by decanting process, and will most likely have an additional reduction in quality.

The oil should also be packaged in a dark glass bottle to protect it from the damaging effects of light and surrounding aromas. Since the olive is a fruit, olive oil is a fruit juice. Air, heat and light will cause the flavor or the oil to dissipate.

Finally, avoid buying extra virgin olive oil that is stored in plastic containers as they can absorb compounds in the plastic such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chlorides). The ideal storage temperature is 57 F although room temperature of 70 F works well if the oil is stored in a dark area. While refrigeration does not harm most oils, it is not recommended for expensive extra virgin olive oils as condensation may develop inside the bottle and will affect the overall flavor. I hope this gives everyone a little better idea of what the differences are and what to watch out for on your next shopping experience. Continue reading

Here’s to a new year and new beginnings!

In my last post I couldn’t help but mourn the loss of my long standing good friend the point and shoot camera that I had used it to create many a good memories. So I feel is only fitting to write it’s obituary here.

This Point and shoot camera having passed on Christmas Day 2009 was well into its fifth year of service and had become obsolete by today’s camera standards. In a world full of DLSR’s and high resolution photos this point and shoot camera struggled to make an honest living shooting food porn. Despite its short comings in megapixels, ISO and Aperture ratings, it had been known to be able to hold its own on a good day against many DSLR’s when it came to photographing its favorite subject of all; Food Porn. While many other cameras would shutter upon gaining such information as to its profession; this point and shoot was proud of its work and didn’t mind long hours of monotonously shooting food in the nude. This well known camera had been known to say many a nights “it’s a dirty job but somebody has to do and it might as well be me”. Survived by none, missed by many a food porn subjects past, the world will forever be a little less nude.

Well now that that is out of the way… Say hello to the new hotness!

This is my new baby! I finally decided that it was time to cough up the dough and get myself a camera that is truly worthy of continuing my food porn legacy. While I know my shots of the bistro salad are not 100 percent up to par with what one would expect from a DSLR. I must say I can already see a noticeable difference and cannot wait to learn all the fine tuning options that are now available at my fingertips.

I wanted to share one of my favorite salads with you because it is a time for new beginnings and I’m pretty sure many of you made a New Year’s resolution to eat a little healthier and possibly lose some weight over the next year. At least I know that was part of my New Year’s resolution and the bistro salad will probably be a big player in that effort. While I know this salad is not the healthiest of salad options out there (probably because we use the bacon fat in the dressing) it is a lot better for you then say a croquet monsieur (which is sounding pretty tasty right now).

The Bistro salad is quick and easy to make and comes directly from one of my all time favorite cook books, The Joy of Cooking. The Joy of Cooking Cook Book is full wisdom and recipes and should be an essential part of every cooks cook book arsenal. It is fresh and delicious and tastes like my favorite of all time foods…. bacon! …. Mmmm…. Bacon….. Continue reading

Another month and another Daring Bakers Challenge.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

Last month when I discovered we were baking canoli I joked about how I thought the daring bakers were reading my mind as I had wanted to give them a try for a while. At the end of my post I continued the joke with predicting the fact that this month’s challenge would be Gingerbread houses as I had wanted to make them this month as well. Well imagine my surprise as I read that this month’s challenge was – in fact – going to be gingerbread houses! I just about fell out of my chair! How awesome!

Homemade gingerbread houses instantly bring me to memories of my childhood. I can remember going over to grandma’s house every year for Christmas or Christmas Eve and spending a majority of the day decorating my gingerbread house with as many pieces of candy I could get my hands on as if it was yesterday. While those houses were not made from scratch, unlike the one we did for this month’s challenge; I still enjoyed every little bit of it!

Another thing I remember from my childhood was the snow. Growing up in Minnesota I got plenty of it. We spent many a Christmas sledding through the woods outside my grandmother’s house and engaging in afternoon long snowball fights and loved every moment of it. It truly has been a long time since I enjoyed a white Christmas seeing as how I have lived in
Texas for a little over 10 years now.

Well lucky me because this month not only gave me a flash back of my past with the making of gingerbread houses but I also got a white Christmas as well! For the first time in many a year we received snow here in Dallas and I doubt that there could have been a bigger smile on my face for the holidays! The only thing that is unfortunate is that shortly after taking pictures of our gingerbread houses and some of our newly fallen snow our camera decided that it was time to quit! I was extremely disappointed as I wanted to share with you pictures and recipes of all our favorite Christmas cookies!

I guess we will have to be on the lookout and pick one up soon so that we can get everything back to normal around here as soon as possible.

Now back to the gingerbread houses!

I never knew it could be so difficult making gingerbread houses from scratch. In an effort to save myself some time with this challenge I wanted to make my dough in advance and have it ready to go so that I could really have some extra time in decorating it. However, while the instructions say you can refrigerate the dough overnight, I highly recommend you do not. The dough cools too much and becomes impossible to work with. It also dries out significantly despite being wrapped in plastic and got to the point where I decided to just throw it out and start over. I also added an extra 1/2 cup water to the recipe to give it a little more workability.

Then came the Royal Icing…. What a pain! This icing recipe sets up so fast that I could barely squeeze it out of the pastry bag. I ended up using it for a couple of pieces and then opted for a fall back Royal Icing recipe that I had saved from some cake decorating classes I took. It was much more workable and I think saved myself a tremendous about of time. While it takes a little more time to set your wrists with thank you!

Basically the recipe mimics the one we used for the challenge but adds a quarter cup of water to it and removes the vinegar. You can then add powdered sugar to stiffen it up a little bit if it is runny or add more water to it if it becomes difficult to work with. All in all I was really happy with my final result and still had a blast doing it. After all the point of a challenge is to challenge your capabilities right?

With the last of our out of town guests starting to leave tonight I am reminded of all the wonderful memories we have created over the past few weeks and look forward to the ones that we will make in the future. I wish you all the most happiest of holidays and ask you to hold those who may be less fortunate in these times in your thoughts and hearts.

Merry Christmas! Continue reading

For Jess and I this holiday season will prove to be one that is both exciting and exhausting. It will be exciting in that a week from now her sister will be getting married. That means we will have many extra guests from out of town that we normally wouldn’t expect for our holiday festivities. This is also where the exhausting part resides as well. We will have many extra guests from out of town that we normally wouldn’t expect for our holiday festivities…..

While I’m glad that they will be here for this special occasion and even more excited about the fact that many of them will be extending their stays throughout the holiday seasons a few problems do eventually pose themselves.

I would love to believe that our holiday season budget can easily expand to allow us to get everyone a unique gift that they were secretly wishing for all year. However, sadly that is not the case. This is why I love DIY Christmas present ideas. Not only do they extend your gift giving budget so that no one is left behind but it also shows the recipient that you cared enough about them to take some time out of your busy everyday life to make something that you are sure they would appreciate. (I mean who doesn’t appreciate a homemade DIY Christmas present?). DIY Christmas presents also allow you; the gift giver, a chance to make things that you are almost certain everyone will like, which really helps when you are dealing with the problem of getting something for that distant relative who you don’t normally see on a regular basis.

DIY Brandied Cherries Christmas presents will be part one of a multi part gift Jess and I will be giving out this year. While I would love to tell you that this is something you can whip together in a couple of minutes this week to cover those last few gifts you were struggling with, alas, I cannot. See I knew that we would have extra guests this year and had been thinking about what we would be able to get them 4 months ago actually. That is why I did this post on How to make Brandied Cherries. It takes about 3 to 4 months for the cherries and sugar to blend perfectly with the alcohol.

I wanted to make the DIY Brandied Cherries Christmas presents special so I went out and bought some inexpensive glass bottles with corked tops to create a really cute presentation. Now you can gift these brandied cherries simply by giving away the containers in which they were stored (which are cute enough). What’s nice about that option is the cherries come with the gift and will make one of the greatest ice cream toppers I have ever had.

However, I really wanted my recipients to focus on the cherry flavored brandy that has been created. This is by far a unique and delicious creation. You can drink this straight or use it in your cooking. Like a holiday ham glaze. You could also create some really interesting mixed drinks. Like Cherry Coke? You’ll love the brandied cherry coke this can make! Let your imaginations be your guide!

Seeing as how doing this has resulted in some brandy soaked cherries sitting in a container in my fridge I will have to get creative and use these up. I already have a few great ideas in my head and can’t wait to make the rest of this year’s gifts…. Continue reading

How cute are these?!?

I took a little inspiration from Bakerella this weekend and decided to give making some cake balls a try for the holiday. What I really love about making cake balls is how creative they allow you to be. Simply bake a cake (possibilities are endless here) mix add in some frosting to give yourself some sculpting power and freeze them in any shape you desire!

I decided since this was my first time making cake balls I should stick to a flavor combination that is relatively classic, dark chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream icing, however, I am really tempted to start experimenting with different flavor combinations in the near future.

The only thing I had a hard time doing was deciding what shape to make with them? Seeing as how these delicious little treats were going to be for a holiday party we were throwing I wanted to make them matched our holiday decorations. That’s when it came to me. What about Christmas ornaments?

Christmas ornament cake balls were a perfect idea! They matched our decorations perfectly!

The only thing I do caution about making Christmas ornament cake balls is to give yourself enough time to let these suckers freeze completely. I pushed the envelope with time as I had a few things to take care of before the party and found that if you only let them set for 30 to 40 minutes the cake is still a little too sticky when dipped in the candy melts and can create some problems with crumbs being left behind. After rolling a couple I decided that they were too soft and I stuck them back in the freezer to harden a little more. After an hour and a half freezing the cake balls dipped into the candy melts perfectly. Continue reading

Another month and another Daring Bakers Challenge!

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

I have such fun with this group of talented bakers. While I have only been a member for a few months it’s as though they read my mind. Last month I had been thinking that I really wanted to make some Macaroons for the holidays and sure enough that’s what we were asked to bake!

This was quite a pleasant coincidence I thought. Then it happened again with this month’s challenge. I had been watching an episode of “Cake Boss” which if you have caught by the way is an awesome show. They did a cannoli throwback a few episodes ago and totally got me wanting to make those delicious looking treats. Well sure enough I went to The Daring Kitchen website to see what this month’s challenge was going to be and wouldn’t you believe it was cannoli!

I really found making cannoli to be quite entertaining and definitely delicious. I especially enjoyed eating my mistakes! While most people like to fill their cannoli with something savory, I had different plans. I wanted to use a chocolate raspberry mousse and I cannot even begin to describe what a great choice that was. As I was pulling out some of my ingredients I also noticed that I still had some of my pumpkin spice mousse from a party I had thrown a couple of days ago and decided to fill a couple with that as well. This was also a winning combo!

The great thing about cannoli is that you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to flavor combinations. The cannoli is simply a shell waiting for your creativity! So if things continue the way that they have been…. maybe next month we will be making … our own gingerbread houses? I’ve always wanted to do that ….. Continue reading

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I wanted to post a little bit about the Thanksgiving holiday at The Gourmet Foodie Blog household. I love Thanksgiving! What food blogger in their right mind wouldn’t? I mean, who could wish for a holiday more focused on food then Thanksgiving itself?!?

I personally feel blessed as my family has a long standing tradition of getting the largest group of family and friends (all are welcome at our celebration) possible together for the holiday! An average Thanksgiving holiday will have 12 – 15 people minimum! With this many people in attendance leaving the cooking to one individual or couple would be utter insanity. So The Gourmet Foodie Blog family; (like many other large families I assume) have each couple (or individual) responsible for a dish. The dishes range from gourmet desserts, to secret family recipes that have been passed from one generation to the next.

For Jess and I we use this holiday as an opportunity to expose our family to some of our favorite recipes we have created over the course of the year. As I posted earlier this year one of my favorite recipes of all time was (*wait what*…Was?) lobster macaroni and cheese. Lobster macaroni and cheese is a great way to gourmet up a classic favorite. While many would feel that lobster macaroni and cheese couldn’t be improved upon…. I beg to differ…..

About two months ago Jess and I were enjoying this delectable dish when Jess had an epiphany. How much better would this be with pancetta?!?

“Pancetta?!?” I thought. You’re right! Who doesn’t love Pancetta?!? … Well the only people I can think of are those who don’t already love the flavor of bacon; but that is a sad bunch to begin with.

The idea had been thought of but the opportunity to try this recipe out had been lacking, until this weekend that was. My parents had been working their tails off out at the farm and have had little time to get out so Jess and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give this recipe a try! Well needless to say pancetta macaroni and cheese is a new favorite! So much so that we plan on bringing this gourmet macaroni and cheese to our Thanksgiving celebration so the whole family can get a taste! The Pancetta gives this dish just the right amount of saltiness to create an even more gourmet version of an already gourmet dish. While I’m somewhat disappointed that our gourmet pancetta lobster macaroni and cheese won’t be on the main stage of our event I am excited about the opportunity to share something I love with friends and family!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving from our table to yours! Continue reading

What a weekend! Things have been pretty interesting around the gourmet foodie blog household lately. Not only did we throw a wedding shower for Jessica’s sister, it was also their birthdays! Yes, Jess is a twin! While we love to host parties at our house it definitely takes a ton of planning and time to get things set up, especially when you are planning two events put into one, which would explain the absence in my posts lately.

Things started out a little shaky on Friday. As we were setting things up for the following day I decided to open a window because the ovens had been running full steam ahead and heated the house to the point where we were about to pass out. I slow opened the window (which had a screen by the way) and was promptly stung by a wasp! WTF how did that get there!?!?! He must have been planning his attack for hours just lying there in wait, knowing we would have to open a window sooner or later! After a few choice words I decided to re-think this whole “Save the Bees” campaign I’ve been supporting lately….

Here is what I think it looked like when he attacked.

It has probably been 20 some years since I was last stung. I can remember this event as if it was yesterday… My brother and I were doing what children with loads of curiosity and time do. We had found a bee’s hive earlier in the week and wondered what you would expect any kid of this age to wonder… What would happen if you were to hit it with a water balloon? This was a completely legitimate question…. right? Well needless to say a couple of direct water balloon hits later we found out. I’m pretty sure you can guess that was the last time we did that.

Not only was I busy with planning and preparing our party this week, I have also been going crazy with raking leaves! For some reason this year our tree decided to produced extra leaves just to make things difficult. As soon as I have finished raking the yard the wind blows and the yard is completely covered again! Is there no end to the madness?!?

Since raking leaves is normally a really mundane task I decided to make it fun this year by enlisting two little helpers. They had a blast chasing the rake and running through recently stack piles of leaves!

Seeing as how this weekend was a two event party I wanted to make sure we did something special for the occasion. I wanted to make something that was representative of the season and perfect for a celebration of this kind which is what lead me to make one of my all time favorite cupcake recipes. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!

A Pumpkin spice cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting is basically a pumpkin spice pie baked in cupcake form. What I love most about these cupcakes is the unbelievable amount of moistness that is the direct product of the pumpkin pie filling. Many of my favorite cupcake recipes add pudding or extra milk to create a cake that is moist and delicious. Another great benefit of the pie filling is it makes them extremely hard to overcook.

Everyone at the party loved them!

With the end of the weekend finally here a day of rest was definitely needed. We did a quick lunch time meeting at Twisted Root (our all time favorite burger joint) and caught an afternoon movie with my parents and brothers girlfriend. We then went home and promptly fell asleep. What a week! Continue reading