Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes (& Pie) - Yum!

I love this time of year.  Finally local veggies and fruit are popping up at the farmers markets and roadside stands. One of my favorite childhood memories is heading to a farm on a hot, sunny summer day to pick super ripe strawberries.  Nothing tastes more like summer than sweet juicy berries, especially freshly picked.  This past weekend I took the girls strawberry picking about 20 minutes from my home at Swanton Berry Farms.  It was definitely fun and I believe they may have eaten more than they picked.  They just couldn't resist those juicy red gems.  When we returned home, the girls and I then made some cupcakes to take to our annual block party (They were a hit!).  I made a Strawberry Rhubarb pie for my hubby, which just happens to be his absolute favorite.  The rest will be made into jam .. more on that to follow!

French Macarons

Today I made 3 varieties of french macarons. The first, vanilla w. rhubarb creme turned out just ok. But the 2nd (chocolate w.nutella creme) and 3rd (lavender w/lemon creme) turned out perfectly. I have idea what happened the first time.

Definitely an easy dessert that looks difficult!

I used the recipe from David Lebovitz and subbed in different flavor combinations.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/10/french_chocolat.html

Yummy Deserts

This weekend was a busy weekend. First I made these tasty s'mores cupcakes for a camp out birthday party .. Graham cake w/chocolate center and toasted marshmallow topping. Then I made Fresh Strawberry Basil cupcakes with strawberry buttercream for a baby shower. These are definitely a favorite!

Easter Chick Cake Pops

I finally had the courage to try making these cake pops after seeing bakerella's blog. They didn't look as perfect as hers but for my first try.. they came out pretty cute. I dropped them at my daughters school for an Easter party and the kids & teachers loved them.

I'm sure I will get requests next year!

I made my own carrot cake & combined it w/a homemade cream cheese frosting. The cakes were still moist after 5 days! Good to know since the decorating can take some time!

Easter Fun

Easter is one of my favourite holidays, especially now that I have children. I love decorating & hiding the eggs, visiting the Easter bunny and Sunday brunch at the Ritz. This year I helped my daughters, Abbey & Sophia, host an Easter party for their friends. We ate margherita pizzas then indulged in carrot coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.. they were a big hit!
A great time was had by all.