Cupcake Ornament Quest

So, after containing my excitement about my newest cupcake ornament that incorporates yoga and cupcakes, I decided to go on a cupcake ornament hunt.  I wanted to see what Christmas ornaments or decorations were available for all of us Cupcake Lovers. 

Here's what I found:

2011

Hallmark has a series of cupcake ornaments calles Simply Irrestible!.  This cupcake is the 2nd in the series.  You can get it at any Hallmark store for under $10.00 or at Amazon.   You can get the 1st cupcake ornament from last year.  I also saw on Amazon where you can get the 1st and 2nd cupcakes in the series, plus a cute Merry Mixer ornament all together for about $40.00.  The cupcake ornaments are made out of felt.  I happen to like the 1st cupcake in the series.  I like the poinsetta on top and the fluffy white frosting.  This is a great gift for any cupcake euthusist!

2010

Marry Mixer 2010

Let's not forget about our bakers in our lives.  They need ornamants too!  Hallmark also has a series called Season's Treatings!  It features baked goodies, from a gingerbread house to decorated sugar cookiest to cupcakes in a pan.  The 3rd in the series sells for under $10.00 in most Hallmark stores.  The 2nd in the series sells for $24.00 on Amazon and the 1st in the series is a pricey $99.00 on Amazon.  I guess the 1st one from 2009 is now a collectible.  But they are all very cute and would make any baker happy. 

Or to get something more personalized for any little cupcake in your life, I found this cute cupcake ornament offered by PersonalizationMall for under $12.00.  The nice thing about this ornament is that you can personalize it not only with the name but also the message.  And you get to preview your ornament before you order it.  Now that is cute!

In my quest for ornaments, I found there are lots of cupcake ornaments everywhere.  I couldn't pull myself off my computer from looking at all the cute ornaments.  Before I knew it, I had been on my laptop for 3 hours!  I realize these make great gifts for any cuupcake lover and even your every-day baker.  But, I say forget giving these ornaments away...

Moral:  Buy these items and keep them for yourself!

My Cupcake Ornament for Christmas

Decorating the Christmas tree is always a tradition of my family the weekend after Thanksgiving. It definitely puts us in the mood for the holidays. We look at all of our ornaments for the tree, and the handmade ornaments the kids made when they were younger...and we reminisce about each one of them. I always try to buy one new ornament each year that reminds us of each other. So, last night, after dinner, we stopped by the Hallmark store to look at all the ornaments. The kids had fun looking and listening to the funny music radiating from some of those ornaments. I wandered over to a tree decorated with an array of ornament, big and small, some musical and some glittery. As I pulled back one of the tree branches to look at each ornament, I was face to face with the perfect ornament! I mean, I think this ornament was made for me and only me! It was absolutely perfect. Everything about this ornament said ME and I even think it may even resemble me a bit.  It really captured my life over the last year...the peace, the tranquility, the zen, the positive aura and of course the cupcake! I think this ornament is officially my favorite...

Moral of this blog post:  Girls DO just want to unwind...and what is more perfect than yoga and a cupcake! 



Go out and find an ornament that symbolizes you and reflects on your life this year.  You will be surprised what you may find.  I know I was very surprised! 

Happy Hunting!

My First Christmas

I am very excited for Christmas this year since it is my first one.  Well... it is my first Christmas with Cupcakes With Class, my home-based cupcake business, and my first Christmas with my blog, Frosted Memories.  I have so many holiday ideas that I cannot wait to get started, get creating and of course, get to sharing with you.  So, I want to share how to make the Turkey Cupcake I made with my family for Thanksgiving.  Super fun, super cute, and super easy!

1.  First, we will start with the ingredients needed to make these cupcakes:

• Cupcakes-any flavor will do
• 1 mini Reese cup
• 6 candy corns
• 1 Oreo cookie
• 1 Whopper
• Vanilla buttercream frosting
• Black piping gel
• Sprinkles

2.  Using the 5 candy corns, firmly hold Oreo Cookie in your hand and careful press each candy corn in the middle of the cookie forming the feathers of the turkey.

3.  Next, cut the bottom half of the Reese cup off...and eat it...place a small amount of frosting on the bottom of the Oreo cookie and adhere Reese cup to the cookie.  

4.  Using a small amount of frosting, adhere the Whopper above the Reese cup to form the turkey's head.  

5.  Next, cut the tip off the last piece of candy corn and with a small amount of frosting, place on the whopper forming the beak of the turkey.

6.  With the Vanilla buttercream, frost the cupcake and decorate with sprinkles.

 7.  Allow turkey to set for 10 minutes, then place it on top of the decorated cupcake.

Tom Turkey is Born!

You can use Black piping gel to make eyes or place candy eyes to give your turkey an interesting look!

 Just have fun with this cupcake...the ideas are endless!

Kids having fun!

...make a holiday tradition to remember...

This idea was courtesy of The Brown Eyed Baker

Black Friday Blog Deals

by Cupcakes With Class

Black Friday is full of chaos and frenzies for the great savings and doorbusters.  Before midnight. people camp out and wait in line at their favorite store to get that one great deal.  For me, the Black Friday Deal is all the blogs highlighting Thanksgiving cupcakes. It is fun to look at all the ideas and creations for these Thanksgiving-inspired little cakes.  Some are good, some are great ans some are...not so good.  I wanted to share some other blogs that I follow and read on a daily basis.  I find my daughters and I in the bed on a Sunday morning, looking at cupcake ideas and creations and even laughing at other blog posts. 

Blogging is fun.  It is an online diary that you share with the world.  It is a timeline of your memories and experiences about doing what you love.  I love baking and definitely love making cupcakes.  I have learned so much in cupcake making and decorating just from reading other blogs about cupcakes.  You can find blogs about anything...you think it and someone is blogging about it.  Some people read blogs daily, like myself, while others read blogs weekly.  Whatever fits your schedule, just do it!  It is a way to get away, read, and learn something new.  I hope my blog will be part of your daily or weekly reading, but also want you to check out my 2 favorite blogs:

1. Cupcakes Take the Cake- a popular blog for the ultimate cupcake fan!
2. Cake Wrecks- a hilarious blog about cakes gone wrong, and I mean very wrong!

Enjoy the weekend and when it is all said and done...Read a Blog! (preferably mine!)

And now...it's on to Christmas Cupcakes!!!

Eat More Cupcakes

    Today everyone is celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends.  Lots of food is being prepared and traditions are being created.  Today I am thankful for my husband and my children...creating memories for the holidays is what it is all about.  I hope everyone enjoyed their day...as mine ended with a glass of wine and making Turkey cupcakes with my children.

It was a good day...Happy Thanksgiving!

Cupcake Disaster...

     Not every cupcake creation of mine are pleasant.  Sometimes my Frosted Memories are Frosted Nightmares!  Today, I wanted to make some special birthday cupcakes for my neighbor for her birthday.  She requested chocolate cupcakes so I picked out a sassy leopard cupcake liner.  I decided to try a new recipe that I had read and thought it would be easier than my own recipe.  I followed all the directions exactly how it was written.  I set the timer for 15 minutes and waited.  One thing you never do is open the oven to look at your cupcakes, so I did not open it at all.  The timer went off and I was eager to see the results.  I opened the oven door to this...

Cupcake Disaster!

The middles sunk the minute I opened the oven door.  The edges were overcooked and burnt.  I have never had this happen to me when baking.  I have had recipes come out that may need something else added the next time I make it, but that means my recipe worked and there is room for improvement.  I could not believe it...these cupcakes were a "HOT MESS"! 

     So, I went into recovery mode to make more cupcakes.  I got MY RECIPE out and made more chocolate cupcakes.  I made some chocolate buttercream frosting while the cupcakes were in the oven.  Timer went off, cupcakes were removed from the oven, placed on the cooling rack, then in the box and frosted.  This is the new batch of chocolate cupcakes...

Cupcake Heaven!

The way I see this experience is you should Never try a new recipe when you need the end product that day.  I have tried many chocolate cupcake recipes and I always go back to my original recipe every single time. 

Moral of this blog post:  Don't fix what is not broken.

Question:  Have you had a kitchen disaster? I would love to hear it.

My Book Signing...

     Saturday I woke up with thoughts of my first book signing event.  I have personally never done anything like this in my life.  I thought to myself...this is going to be AMAZING!  I had my hair done the day before...thanks to my fabulous hairdresser, Shaunita at Just Fabulous, decided to wear something pink...since I think it would look good in pictures, and actually put on more makeup than I ever have...foundation and all!  My kids were even excited...not as excited as me!  And then Saturday arrived, time for the book signing...

Okay...so it is not my own book

     We arrived at Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Tysons Corner Mall in McLean, VA around 12 noon, paid for my copy of newly released The Cupcake Diaries  by Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne and got my number for the book signing...#45.  In my mind, I knew this was going to be a good day.  The book signing started at 2 pm, but everyone was coming to buy the book and get their number.  At one point, all the books were gone!  I was so happy that I had reserved my copy way ahead of this day.  The TLC's DC Cupcake ladies arrived just a tad bit late but everyone was excited to see them, plus, they had cupcakes!  They were super friendly and eager to answer questions from the audience. 

I was even able to ask the two ladies a question..."What are your favorite cupcake flavors?"  Sophie said her favorite flavor is the "Salted Caramel cupcake" and Katherine replied her favorite was the "Chocolate Hazelnut cupcake".  Hey...did I just ask a question and did they just look at me and answer?  Yep...how cool!

After  the question session was over, it was time for the book signing and pictures ... and of course, Cupcakes!  The event was well organized and people lined up without any problems.  While in line, I wandered around a bit and guess who I found?  i found Sophie and Katherine's mother in the bookstore.  She was very kind to take a picture with me and sign her picture in the book!  I mean, this is the woman who gave birth to them, right, and to me, she is just as important...right?  And by the way, her favorite cupcake is the Blueberry cupcake. 

     So, it didn't take very long before we were face-to-face with the DC Cupcake Ladies.  I told them how the first time I went to Georgetown Cupcakes, my husband ate the Salted Caramel Cupcake before I could taste it.  But today was my lucky day...they bought Salted Caramel Cupcakes today!  I took my pictures and got my cupcake!  And it was delicious!

   

     The people in the crowd were funny and quite entertaining.  Some wanted to hear the ladies speak and answer questions while others just wanted their books signed.  I overheard one young girl say. "Hey, I just saw those two ladies in the bathroom!"  i guess she didn't realize it was Katherine and Sophie.  One lady I chatted with a bit had 5 books in one hand and an adorable little redhead girl named Sophie Rose in the other hand.  She had planned to sent the books to her family, but I did notice that she did not have a camera.  So, being that I always try to do one good deed a day, I asked her if she wanted me to take a picture and email it to her. I would think she would want something to remember this moment...so, I took pictures for her and yes, I did email them to her.  Good deed for the day...done!

     Some people would ask me "Why would you want to stand in line and wait for just a signature?"  I would respond and say, "Why would anyone want to get up at 2 am on Black Friday and stand in line for DVD player or a TV or Whatever?"  The answer would probably be the same..."It's for the thrill!" and it was worth it.  Another cupcake book for my cupcake library.

Sweet Success!