Finding My Direction...

 

  A good friend of mine recently sent me a sincere and uplifting email. She wrote to tell me that as she was performing the mundane task of grocery shopping, she was thinking about me. About how much she admired me.

 "ME? "I thought? How can that be?

  She is an accomplished mom of two energetic and talented young boys. She has the kindest heart and an energetic love of life. Surely she can't be serious.

  As I read on, I realized that often times we just go through our daily routines barely pausing long enough to even take a deep breath. Every once in a while though, someone manages to give us reason to stop and take that breath.

This is what she wrote;

"As I was doing my groceries this morning I was thinking of you and how much I admire you! Many people wish to follow their dreams, and you were living one of yours, then poof it was yanked away! You found your strength amidst many personal and family issues and in your quiet way you rewrote your life! You are truly an inspiration and the fact that you are being followed and read by a fellow author I think really captures this moment for you. I am grateful to have such a person as yourself in my life and to be able to call her a friend. Have fun celebrating your moments!"

   Not only did this email make me pause, it made me smile.  Indeed I am re-writing my life. One word at a time.  It's been a long journey, but I am re-gaining my balance and finding my direction.  With the help of truly wonderful, caring friends and family I am forging a new path.  I thank my friend for making me remember that I truly have many moments to celebrate.

    Ironically, we just celebrated my daughter's twelfth birthday with a One Direction themed party. I had such fun helping to create her fabulous cake, decorate the house and welcome her giddy girlfriends.  Moments such as these are special, and if we pause to take the time to notice them, we will realize that they are many.  Where we are going may not always be clear, but unlike the name of the boy band, in life there is more than just one direction.

 

 

 

Thanks to Sweet Revenge Bake Shop for helping me create this spectacular cake!

How Lucky We Are...

 

     It's no secret that I love to read. Combine reading with baking, and I am in my glory.  People often fantasize about their ideal "Me Day."  Mine would involve a great book, a fantastic recipe, pyjamas and an endless cup of tea (or possibly glass of wine, but that may impede my reading ability!). 

 

     I recently picked up How Lucky You Are by Kristyn Kusek Lewis. It's a novel that not only inspired me to be more thankful of my own life, but also introduced me to the doughnut muffin.  How lucky I am indeed! Not only did I enjoy the book, these muffins are fantastic!  Even more delicious is the fact that I have found a new author, something I am always on the look out for. Her next book doesn't hit the shelves until January 2015, but as we all know, good things come to those who wait.

 

 

Doughnut Muffins

*This recipe makes 12 muffins

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

You will need:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk, 2%
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Topping:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted   

Directions:

~ Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

~ In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy

~ Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

~ Gradually beat in milk and vanilla

~ In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda

~ Add to creamed mixture and stir until just moistened, batter will be thick

~ Fill paper lined muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean

~ Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack

~ As the muffins are cooling, prepare the coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and melt the butter

~ Dip the tops of warm muffins in melted butter then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat

 

Too much of a good thing?

  

  Sometimes there is no reason to bake other than to use up ingredients that are going to go bad. In this case, it's holiday chocolates.  We have so many boxes of chocolates left over from the holidays! Perhaps this is due to the fact that my family now has a taste for fresh baked sweets.  For this, I cannot fault them. Whatever the reason, these chocolates have to go... they are taking up too much room in my cupboard! 

  I highly recommend these cupcakes. They are sinfully delicious. If you happen to have a box of Ferrero Rocher taking up space in your cupboard (or three as in my case),  I suggest you bake up a batch. They sure don't last long in cupcake form!

*PS- if anyone out there has recipe ideas for Quality Street or Pot of Gold chocolates I'm all ears!

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

This recipe yields 2 dozen standard sized cupcakes
*Adapted from Julie Wilson*

For the cupcakes you will need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
• 1 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 cup strong black coffee (I used 1 cup hot water + 2 Tbsp instant coffee, vanilla hazelnut flavour)
• 24 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, unwrapped

Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 350*F

~ Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt

~ In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla and butter

~ Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and fill it with the egg mixture

~ As you stir, slowly add in the milk and coffee (the batter will be soupy!)
~ Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 350* F for 17-20 minutes

~ Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

~ Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting 

For the icing you will need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup Nutella
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp of instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm milk

 ~ Blend Nutella and butter using a mixer until creamy and fluffy~ Add sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with a few drops of the milk/coffee mixture and mix until        well combined
~ Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes
~ Garnish with unwrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolates