Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

I love coming up with new ways to

make your everyday cake mix different.

I'm not sure where I came up with this idea (maybe Pinterest), but I thought I'd give it a shot.

It's super simple!

All you need is what you see above!!

Cake Mix - I like the Pillsbury cake mixes for cupcakes.  They are thicker so you don't get the batter all over the pan.  I use a very small ice cream scoop for the batter. 

Oil - the amount called for on the box.

Eggs - Once again, the amount called for on the box.

Guinness Beer  - Now here's where I changed it up.  Use the beer to replace the water in the mix.  For the Pillsbury brand, add maybe an extra 1/4 cup.  The chocolate is super thick!

Then follow the directions on the box.  I usually make the mini cupcakes and bake them for about 11 minutes.  Oven temperatures vary, but that is what works in mine.

Here's my finished cupcakes.

I frosted them with my normal salted butter cream recipe minus the salt.

Salted Butter Cream

1 cup room temperature Butter

Vanilla (I just pour in a bit)

4-5 cups Powdered Sugar

Half and Half (because that's what I use in my coffee)

Sea Salt (to taste)

Beat the butter and vanilla till soft and smooth, add in the powdered sugar.  I usually add a cup or two at a time.  I also wrap a towel around my mixture so I don't have powdered sugar dust all over my kitchen.

Beat that bad boy till it's well mixed. Add the half and half a bit at a time until it reaches the correct consistency.  I then beat it for a few more minutes that fluffs it up a bit and makes it really smooth!

I used a 1A round frosting tip and white dragees.

I made these along with Lavender cupcakes for my daughter to take to school (cosmetology school, not high school) for her Birthday.  They devoured these and left quite a few lavender ones.  She graduated this past week so I made more...they disappeared too!!

Even if you don't like beer (ME!!) these are so good!!

They'd be great for St. Patrick's Day!!

Let me know what you think!!

I have not been compensated for mentioning brands in this blog.  These are all my opinions!!

Snow?

So, I've lived in Tempe, Arizona most of my life (we won't mention how many years that actually is). Tempe is a suburb of Phoenix.  We boast of 120 degree summer days and we quite often we say that we live here for the winters.  While the rest of the country is shoveling snow, we're shoveling sunshine.

Yesterday was a day like non-other.  In the past, I've seen small flakes of snow hit my windshield and immediately melt but yesterday , well, yesterday was a day that will be talked about for years to come.

THE GREAT PHOENIX BLIZZARD OF 2013

 Yes I said blizzard. Ok so maybe not a blizzard but snowy hail that sticks around for a while.

Yep, for us Phoenix folks, yesterday was a crazy
weather day!

Thanks for humoring me:)

Coming up next week...a NEW cupcake recipe!!
 

What Do You See?

This week has been quite stressful for me. Things have not gone like I planned. I've had to change product deliveries a couple of times, missed taking my daughter to lunch for her 20th Birthday all due to circumstances beyond my control. Fortunately everyone was very gracious and understanding.

Today, after I finished my "real" job, I needed to make one of those deliveries. It's about 15 miles from where I work, so I stopped at that coffee place, you know the one with the siren, to get some ice tea. I know it's February, but I live in Phoenix, I wanted ice tea. I pulled into the parking space and saw a homeless young man walking behind my vehicle. He asked if I had some change so he could get a donut or something to eat. I dug to the bottom of my purse where my change likes to gather, pulled out a handful and gave it to him. He of course thanked me and told me "God bless", and went on his way.

After I bought my $3.00, ok almost $4.00, I got back in my truck and drove off. As I got to thinking, I wish I would have told him "sure I'd be happy to give you some change, but what I'd love to do is buy you a sandwich". I wish I would have walked in proudly with him, bought him some lunch, set and talked to him for a few minutes. I know it would have made my day, but it may have made his week, month, even his year. Not because it was me, but because someone took the time to look beyond his dirty clothes and hands and spend time just talking to him as a fellow human being.

These past months, God has been softening my heart to see beyond the way homeless people look and to see that they are people. Someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, maybe even husband, wife, father or mother whose life choices or circumstances have put them in that situation.

I'm challenging myself and I'd like to challenge to you too, to take a closer look, to see the heart of others in every situation, homeless or not.

I'm not going to apologize for not talking about pretty things but in reality, what could be more beautiful than taking a few moments to show love to someone that may not be lovely in our eyes.

Matthew 10:42 "And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."

Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

I'm Still Here!! Valentine's Day Giveaway

It's been a long time since I've blogged.

I guess I haven't had much to say.  My husband would beg to differ on that, I'm sure!!

Life just gets so busy and the things that are important to you are not always at the top of the priority list.

So what has been at the top??

God

Husband

Kids

Work

House

Church

My Business

and everything that those things entail.

Since I was last here, I've been to San Fransisco twice.

The first time with our family this past summer.

 Haight and Ashbury

Then this January with my hubby!!

I was able to get my new clutches in a second store in Scottsdale.

Jam 

Got a new puppy and a great niece!

Plus so much more!!

Ok, so I'll try to do better with my blogging :)  I do have a couple of yummy new cupcake recipes to share!

But for now, how about a Valentine's Day Giveaway?? 

So here's what you will win!!

 ~~This fun blinged out "love" necklace!! The chain adjusts to 18 inches the "love" is approximately 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

~~ This pretty rhinestone heart bracelet.

and

~~ A pink sparkly heart ring. Approximately 1.5 by1.5 inches.  The band is adjustable.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will have 24 hours from the time I notify you to respond.  This giveaway ends Thursday, February 7th at Midnight Arizona time!!  I want to be sure to have plenty of time to get it to you!!