Happy Valentines 2012

Happy Valentines Day!! 

Pink Funfetti Heart Shaped Pancakes

  For all of you mushy Valentine followers...I hope this day is bringing you the happiness that you desire.  For all of the rest of us, aren't you glad it's almost over!  Between the heart shaped pancakes, the heart shaped sandwiches, the red milk ice cubes, shaped like none other than hearts...I'm about hearted out today!  I'll say it again, I do this for my kids.  I believe children deserve to be just that children.  Fun, whimsy, enjoyment.  I do my best to make sure it ALL happens.  Everyone wore their pink and red today and handed out Valentine cards, cupids arrow has definitely hit our home!

Hearts for Lunch

Handing out Valentines is a fun tradition for little kids.  My littlest was instructed to either make a "mailbox or mailbag" for the Valentines party in school.  Being my child, the mailbag seemed to dull...we had to go for the mailbox.  Luckily, I have a plethora of boxes to choose from, so we at least had that to start with.  

Littlest G selected a box that opens from the front and doesn't require any extra work to look "pretty".  I'm ok with that!  LG picked out what kind of paper was going to be covering this box and the accoutrements that would also be involved.  LG picked super simple things, this was going to be a LOT easier than I anticipated.  

After we were all said and done, this is how it looked

Front View

Top View with mail slot cut out, a few stickles and a couple of smidges of Glossy Accents

Side after we embossed

Super quick and simple, I'm really starting to like how LG is thinking...maybe simple is better??

'Till next time...

 

Sweetheart Cupcakes

With Valentines Day fast approaching, so are the requests to make things.  They sound a whole lot like "Mom, can you...blah, blah, blah?"  or "Mom, I need _____ by about 4 o'clock, can you do that?"  Sure, I can.  To the best of my ability, I won't let my kiddos down...NEVER, I just won't.  I want them to know that I can pretty much do anything they ask of me (of course within reason)  Yes, I can sew you curtains or make your Halloween costume, sure I can bake cupcakes or help you make your project "fabulous".  I can be your hairdresser, manicurist, laundress, chef, baker, driver, supporter, etc.  I can fix the vacuum after you've sucked up all the friendship string that was on the floor...arg!  I can even make sure that your bedroom door doesn't squeak when it opens (thanks to my friend WD-40)  Of course, these are just a few of the things on the top of the list in the past two days...there's always MORE!  I can do all of these things, as long as you follow our house rules, have done your very best at school (the best I know you are capable of) are kind, honest, respectful and gracious to others and yourself.

So, when our youngest requested "special" cupcakes for an upcoming school dance, I said "sure, I'll come up with something"  The littlest of g's wanted a cupcake that "...nobody else will have baked."  I got my thinking cap on.  I'm pretty good in the kitchen.  I like to bake more so than cook, but either way, I'm usually successful.  As you've heard, I'm on this fabulous site called Pinterest.  There are about a bagillion ideas on the site.  Lately, I've been seeing recipes with Oreos in them.  My children LOVE Oreos.  As they seem to be very trendy right now, I thought I should make an Oreo cupcake for the school dance.  

Here is what I came up with:  French Vanilla Ooey Gooey White Chocolate Oreo Cookie Cupcakes.  Salivating yet???  Oh, I forgot with Whipped Icing....OK now are you salivating?  I didn't want to make my icing too sweet since so much was already going on in the cupcake and boy was that a good call on my part.  The cupcakes were delicious with vanilla whipped icing.  These cupcakes were super easy to bake and well I was told they were gone in a flash.  Kinda makes a Mom smile when that happens.

French Vanilla, Ooey Gooey White Chocolate Oreo Cookie Cupcakes with Vanilla Whipped Icing

Anyway, here's how ya make them.  It's super-dee-dooper EASY!

Supplies Needed:

French Vanilla Cake Mix

Eggs

Veg Oil or Applesauce ( I use applesauce)

Water

Cool Whip (thawed)

Cream Cheese (room temperature)

Vanilla

10X

Hershey Kisses

Decorations (if desired)

Icing Coloring ( I used Wilton's Rose)

Plastic Solo cups

Cupcake Liners

1.  Line cupcake pan with liners 

2.  Drop one Oreo in each cupcake liner

3.  Prepare cake batter according to box directions

4.  Next, add about 1 cup of White Chocolate Chips to the batter

5.  Pour batter all the way to the top of the cupcake liner edge.   

I swirled a drop of red food coloring into each cake

6.  Place in oven at 350-370 degrees and bake for 17-22 minutes.  Check for doneness (is that a word?) with a toothpick.  Be sure that the cakes are cooked thoroughly, the chocolate chips will cause the cakes to be gooey.

7.  While cakes are baking, make icing.  Place about 1/2 pkg of cream cheese and the entire contents of cool whip ( I used extra creamy) and 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Beat until you get a good cohesion between the ingredients.  Next, start to slowly add the 10X in the bowl while beating the icing.  You can add more, or less depending on taste.  Next, you want to add the rest of the cream cheese to the icing and beat well till the icing is a good spreadable consistency.  Lastly, select your frosting color and add to the mix.  Refrigerate icing till ready to use.  Do NOT frost warm cupcakes.  The cakes must be entirely cool.  

8.  Let cakes cool on cooling racks when finished baking.

9.  Frost cakes and decorate

 

Here is the inside...YUMMO!

After everything was decorated I placed each cupcake in a clear Solo cup that I cut down to "cupcake" size.  I saw this idea somewhere on Pinterest, or at least a similar idea, I don't think they cut the cups down. Anyway, I think having the cakes in little cups made handling them easier for both kids and parents alike.  Less messy!

Next on the list....A valentines mailbox for school.  As much as I'm not a fan of Valentines Day for my husband and myself.  It is fun making all of these things for the kids. 

'Till next time...