Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Cupcakes... Tips and Tricks

Who loves cupcakes? ME!!! I absolutely love them! I think I could eat one every day and not get sick of them. Can I get an Amen on that?

But in addition to eating cupcakes I love to make them. I love to try new recipes and make up my own recipes with Jesus' help! He always helps me... :) 

I wanted to share some tips and tricks of my recent cupcake baking that might help you in your cupcake baking adventures! 

First of all I got these adorable cupcake liners at Ross! For only $2.99. I thought they added a nice touch. 

Pray! Pray! Pray! I always pray and ask Jesus to help me before I cook or bake. Include Jesus in your baking adventures and everything will turn out better! :) 

TIP #1.  It is always vital that you sift/mix your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, (Flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder etc.), before adding them to the rest of your ingredients. That way you will get a uniform dispersion of the elements. If you just throw it all in one bowl with the rest of the ingredients it will not be dispersed evenly and your cupcakes might not rise properly.

TIP #2. Homemade frosting is a cinch! It doesn't take a lot of ingredients and it's easy to make a simple chocolate or vanilla butter cream frosting with only 5 ingredients or less. The results are awesome!

I recently made a delicious chocolate butter cream frosting and instead of using cocoa powder for the chocolate taste, it said to melt chocolate chips in a pan over medium heat. I was considering just eating the melted chocolate by itself but I resisted! :) Well... I might have had a spoonful just to make sure it wasn't poisonous.

After the chocolate cooled I added it to the rest of the frosting ingredients (blended softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract etc.) It produced a very nice milk chocolate flavor.

Most butter cream frosting recipes consist of these ingredients:

1/2 Cup Softened Butter 

3/4 box of Powdered Sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you want it)

1 Tablespoon Milk 

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

This is the typical measuring amounts that I use to frost about 6 or so cupcakes. (I don't like to make more than I will eat) If you want to frost a cake or make 12 or more cupcakes, I would double the recipe. 

*Add cocoa powder to flavor it chocolate. Or melt some chocolate and add it in last, once it has cooled*

TIP #3: One huge tip that I learned a long time ago was to put my cupcake batter in a plastic storage bag (Ziploc) and cut the tip off. And use that to fill the baking cups. Let me tell you...it is SO much easier than trying to use a spoon or trying to tip the bowl to fill the cups. 

TIP #4: Make sure to only fill the cups a little less than 3/4 full. Otherwise you will have a mess on your hands and they will not be cooked evenly. 

FUN FACT: Did you know that you can mix a little tiny bit of white vinegar to milk in order to make buttermilk? I love to add buttermilk to my cupcake recipes but I hate to buy a whole bottle of buttermilk only to use a 1/4 cup or so of it. So I went online and found out how to make a buttermilk substitution... white vinegar and milk! Can you believe that? I thought it sounded gross, but trust me, it's awesome when it's mixed in and baked. Gives a really nice buttermilk type flavor. :) Here is the ratio I found online for making it: 

1 Tablespoon white vingar

Just under 1 cup of milk

Mix together and let set 1 minute and then use as much as you need for your specified recipe. 

You can use this for any recipe that calls for buttermilk.

I hope these easy little tips help you next time you bake cupcakes! :) 

Enjoy... 

Charm is Deceitful and Beauty is Vain...

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." 

Proverbs 31:30 (NASB)

I feel like I'm in a battle every day. A battle between focusing solely on being the woman God wants me to be and trying to be a "Christian" version of what the world tells me I should be. Whether it's a desire to have the latest, greatest fashions, shoes or hairstyles or to be the "perfect weight"; I have to battle EVERY single day.

A typical day goes something like this; maybe you can relate...I'll be doing great, confident in who God made me, feeling beautiful in Jesus' eyes, and then I go to the grocery store and see the magazine ads staring me in the face at the check out line. By the time I get in line to the time I check out I've already decided that I really need to change my hair, overhaul my wardrobe and lose a few pounds. WOW! Did that really just happen from the time I set my frozen chicken on the conveyor belt to the time I walked out? Yes, yes it did. And why? Because the world, my flesh and the devil are never going to stop fighting me in my desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman. 
 

I believe this is a battle that all of us women and young girls are facing right now. Our world tells us  that in order for our husbands, friends, family members, co-workers or anyone to love us we need to be in fashion, in shape and flawlessly perfect. But what does God say? One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 31:30. It literally says that beauty is "vain". What does that mean?

The definition of vain is: producing no result; useless

WOW! Let's think about that for a second... The world's definition of beauty produces no result, it's useless. That really puts things into perspective.

All that the world tells me is "beautiful" is not going to produce any good result in my life; it's all useless. I'm realizing slowly but surely that the world is never going to tell me I'm beautiful just the way I am. They're going to tell me constantly that I need to change something, and it will end up leading to a life of discontent, misery and being self centered. That's not what I want! Do you? If I die tomorrow, I don't want people to remember me for my shoes, clothes or the make-up on my face. I want them to remember my example. My example for Christ, my example as a Godly wife and mother. 

Have you ever seen someone that was "beautiful" on the outside but was ugly on the inside? Their attitude and the way they treated people was ugly? It's not a pretty sight to behold. I don't want to be like that. But whenever I start to listen to the world; I become that woman I fear the most. I'm not perfect; I fail, and every day I have to re-focus and ask God to help me not to fall into that pit. I battle this daily!!

I believe that as Proverbs 31 women we can be beautiful on the outside and most importantly on the inside. I know many beautiful Proverbs 31 women that have beautiful hair and faces and dress lovely. It doesn't mean dressing in potato sacks, wearing no makeup and eating unhealthy. Verse 22 of Proverbs 31 says that: "her clothing is fine linen and purple". She was dressed beautifully and she truly was a beautiful woman as our Lord would define it. I love to do my makeup, I love clothes; what girl doesn't, but when those things start to define who I am; I'm in trouble. We can dress nicely, and look pretty but we must realize where true beauty lies. It lies in being the woman God has called us to be. 

My husband always tells me something. Whenever I start to focus more on my outward than on my inward he notices. But it isn't a good thing. He always tells me that I'm the most "beautiful" when I''m acting like, talking like and mirroring my precious Jesus in all my actions. The second I start focusing more on how I look, how much I weigh and whether or not I fit the world's mold my attitude begins to change. I get snippy, I get discontent, I get miserable. And most importantly I take my eyes off of Jesus. 

I'm sharing all this because I'm battling this alongside so many of you. I hope one day, in God's strength and grace that we can truly be free from this battle as women! Let's pray for one another that we can have victory together!

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

 

Do You Trust Me? Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Many of us have read, quoted, memorized and meditated on Proverbs 3:5-6 probably most of our Christian walk. Sometimes I feel like I've heard a set of verses so many times that I almost become desensitized to them. Which is not a good thing. Many times in the last few years of my life, with various circumstances and trials I have heard the Lord's voice ask me, "Do You Trust Me?" Whether it was worries and scares with the pregnancy with my son, health concerns, financial concerns when I quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom or numerous concerns and worries about the future and day to day anxieties. Over and over again God would speak to my heart, "Trust Me". 

But do I really TRUST God? I have to admit that this is one of the most difficult areas of my Christian walk. I'm constantly doubting, worrying, fearing and filled with anxiety. I wish I could say that I have faith like Abraham or Moses but most of the time my faith is more like Thomas; mostly when it comes to the anxieties or concerns of life. 

One wonderful definition of trust is: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

I love that!! Obviously as believers we know that the "someone" in this definition is GOD. Trust is believing in God's reliability, His truth, His ability and strength. So every time I'm faced with an issue where I have to trust God; I ask myself: Is God reliable, does He have the ability to accomplish or take care of this, does He have the strength? And, of course, the answer to all of those questions is Yes! I have to believe that God can take care of everything that concerns me right now, today! 

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;" Psalm 138:7-8a (NKJV, emphasis added)

As I was facing an anxiety the other day, the Lord brought me back to Proverbs 3:5-6. My first reaction was, "I've read this a million times." But as I started to really meditate on the words and what God was trying to speak to my heart I realized how much I knew the verse in my head but not in my heart. This is a condensed version of how I felt God broke it down to my heart:

#1. TRUST in the Lord (He reminded me of the definition of Trust....listed above)

#2. Lean not on your own understanding (I need to stop relying on my own thought processes and ways of "working things out" in my mind) My understanding is very limited

#3. In all your ways acknowledge Him (no matter what the situation is; bring it to God. Acknowledge that He is there and He is in control)

And if we do all this we have a promise...

#4. He shall direct your paths (God will direct, He will move, He will work!) 

Wow! Thank you Jesus! What a reminder and blessing. 

I'm daily learning to trust and I'm definitely not "there". God has been so patient, so loving and so wonderful to me and constantly reminds me to Trust Him. 

Think about what is going on in your life today that you are not trusting God with. It could be a small concern, it could be an illness, it could be the salvation of a lost family member or friend, a marriage in trouble, financial hardship, personal issues etc. 

Let's learn to Trust God with these things! He loves you, He cares and He's going to move in your situation! 

Monday Baking a.k.a. Chocolate Attack

Today is Monday. Last week's Key Lime Pie is almost gone and the chocolate chip cookies I made two weeks ago are definitely not fresh. So... it was time to bake something else! This time I was having a chocolate attack so I decided that we'd skip the citrus and go for the cocoa powder. And I have to say it was the best decision I've made today. :) 

I got a wonderful recipe from All Recipes and started baking away. The result was a wonderful, dense chocolate cake with homemade chocolate butter cream frosting. Did I hear a Hallelujah? Or was that my stomach? All I have to say was my hubby and I  were definitely fans of this recipe.

I decided to make it a single layer chocolate cake and cut the recipe in half. I don't like making more food then I know we will eat so I decided one layer was enough! 

If any of you would like the recipe here is the link:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/extreme-chocolate-cake/ 

In an earlier post I shared about the fun of baking and the importance of baking from scratch! I know that my husband really appreciates a homemade dessert once a week. It's a nice way to end the day after a long day's work. 

And it's a nice way for us moms to end a crazy day of running errands, doing laundry and cleaning! Praise Jesus for chocolate! :) 

What Are You Thankful for Today?

As you well know...Summer is here! Summer means heat and heat usually means it's time to turn on the AC at home. We are extremely blessed to have central air in our home but it's something that I quickly take for granted. About a week ago I was reminded of how thankful I am to the Lord for air conditioning. It all started on a beautiful, sweltering day. I noticed that my house wasn't as cool as it usually is and by 3:30pm my son and myself were just about to sweat ourselves into large puddles on the kitchen floor. I felt like the wicked witch in the infamous scene... "I'm Meeellllttiiiinnggg." You get the picture. It was HOT. And if any of you have ever had your AC unit break, freeze, or the like; you know what I'm talking about. 

After a week of getting nauseous every day in the afternoon (from the heat) a very kind Christian from our church came out and fixed our AC for us! It was finished in about an hour and instantly I felt the cool air circulate through the house! 

After that, I realized something: How THANKFUL I am to the Lord that we have air conditioning. And then I realized how many things I really have to be thankful for every day. Things I don't even think about until they aren't working or they aren't there. For instance: the refrigerator, the AC unit, my car and the list could go on and on. So often I find myself focusing on what I don't have, or what I wish I had and then the Lord gently reminds me that I truly have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I mean really! I have so very much to be thankful for each and every day.  And so do you!

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow...Praise Him all creatures here below"

Thank you God for all You have given me!

So let me ask you...What are you thankful for today??? Try writing a short list of things that come to your mind and thank the Lord for all that He has blessed you with! 

Here's some of my list: 

The AC :) 

Jesus

My husband

My toddler

My health

Forgiveness of sin

Chocolate... (seriously) God knew what His daughters would need... :) 

Summer Dessert - Key Lime Pie

Have I mentioned that I love to bake? Well, just in case you were in doubt...I LOVE TO BAKE. And I love to eat what I've baked. :) This week as I was melting from the heat in my kitchen I thought, "Hmmm...what kind of dessert can I make that would be cool and refreshing?" And then like a message from heaven I thought "Key Lime Pie!". I have never made Key Lime Pie before so I started scouring the internet for a good recipe. I decided to use "The Pioneer Woman's" recipe* and proceeded to go to the store to buy the ingredients. (One side note I must add is that I didn't use real "Key Limes", I used good ol' regular limes and bottled lime juice.) I don't even know if they sell "Key Limes" in California or not. But they didn't have them at Target.... before you wonder why on earth I'm buying limes at Target; it's because we were there already for other needed toiletries! So, like any other crazy busy mother who doesn't want to make two trips, I picked everything up I needed there.

The recipe was so easy to follow. I started by making a homemade graham cracker crust (easiest thing ever and is so much better than pre-made)

After that, I mixed together the filling (pictured at top of page) and poured it into the cooled crust. The filling consists of:

1 Cup Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon of Lime Rind

2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Egg Yolks 

I baked the pie for 25 minutes at 350, let it cool completely and then let it stand in the fridge for about 3 hours. WOW! Talk about a delicious, easy dessert! I decided to top the pie with whip cream. You can make a meringue topping or homemade whip cream. 

My husband was happy and so were my taste buds. Despite the boiling temp outside we felt cool! 

Might I also mention that the cost of making this pie was fairly inexpensive? I already had the graham crackers (a toddler's best friend), butter and sugar (a mom's best friend) and 4 egg yolks. So, all I needed to buy was the rest of the filling ingredients: 

Two limes (for rind) $0.39 a piece

2 Cans sweetened condensed milk $1.69 a can 

1 Bottle Lime Juice around $2.80 or so

So if you already have some of these ingredients you are only looking at about $5.00 or so (depending on what you already have) to make a delicious pie! 

*This recipe was taken from "The Pioneer Woman" website. I doubled the recipe ingredients and altered the bake time*