Caramel Frosting...

... for National Caramel Day. You think I'm making this up? Nope. Head on over to the American Food Holidays site. I enjoy it. Although I've not actually made something because it was a holiday. I meant to do it on Friday, which was Chocolate Mousse Day. But I didn't check ahead of time and failed to notice that the mousse needs EIGHT HOURS to set. So that plan got slashed.

But today I totally followed through on my plans. I looked around for caramel recipes, but really wasn't feeling making my own caramel. And didn't want to make a trip to the store JUST for caramels. I did have caramel ice cream topping here though. So I found a recipe for frosting that uses the topping!

After I figured out my frosting I had to decide what I was going to put it on. I JUST did cupcakes yesterday, so I didn't want to do them again. And I wanted a recipe I could scale down easily. I don't need desserts floating around here for days. I found a chocolate cookie recipe (sorry, I didn't save the link). So chocolate cookies with caramel frosting it was!

Hubby may eat all of them tonight if I let him. Of course he also said he could eat the frosting with a spoon. So if you want to give it a try...

Caramel Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese, soft

3 tbsp. butter, soft

4-6 tbsp. caramel sauce/topping

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Mix the cream cheese and butter until light. Mix in caramel and vanilla on low speed. Add powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until incorporated. Beat on high for two additional minutes.

Crazy Days

So I gave you a bit on Friday about what I was doing. We had rescued a duckling Thursday night. And we took him to live in Madera. He was supposed to get a friend (a little chick!), but I haven't been back to see him. Here he is hanging out with us though.

Yesterday I baked. And made filling and frosting. Sissy was having a party at her house and I was going to make cupcakes. It was one of "those" girl parties so I wanted to do something appropriate. That's when I realized the contents of the shot known as a Blow Job would translate into some EXCELLENT cupcakes. And I was so right.

Chocolate cake with just a little coffee and Kahlua. Bailey's filling (some STRONG Bailey's filling). And Kahlua whipped cream frosting. So. Good. I may play with it a little before I make them again. Because whipped cream loses it's prettiness when left out. And the filling may be too strong for some people. But, WOW!

And the fun part of yesterday... I totally burned my arm. I haven't burnt myself cooking since high school. And this one's a good one. So turn away if you have issues with wounds. It's not gross, but some people...

See? Ignore the funky lines around it, I had just taken off my band-aid. It's not bad though. I'm still functioning. I even braved the oven again today. But that's another blog post...

Later

I promise I haven't been neglecting the blog. It's been a busy couple days. So to make up for it, I'll upload some pics later and post them for you. Complete with what I've been up to.

This Time Last Year...

Hubby and I are sitting watching The Price is Right (because my buddy Steven was in the audience, and I found him!), duck-sitting Bromberg (did I mention we rescued a baby duckling last night?) and planning our day.

Off to Madera (where Bromberg is going to live). Then the baking supply store (I have my first paid cupcake gigs next week). Then down to my former college campus to buy some oh-so-delicious zwiebach.

What? You don't know what it is? Only the best bread in the universe. It's a Mennonite thing. Which I didn't know about until I transferred to my school. They only sell it one weekend in April as part of a big thing at the school.

And that got me thinking. Last year, on the Friday of the big event, hubby and I had another busy day. I was student teaching half a day. Then we went to get our marriage license! Then we went to get bread.

Just random that I remembered that. And crazy that it was already a year ago. Our anniversary is coming up in just over two weeks!

I'll try and remember to take pics of our adventures today. Especially little Bromberg. :)

Sharing the Cuteness

It's Thursday and many people are just surviving today so that they can reach Friday. So I thought I'd give everyone some cuteness.

In the form of my little fuzzy friends at the apartment.

I hear "peep peep" regularly now. It's my friends dropping by to say hello.

American Idol - Elimination

Too busy watching Lost, so checked online.

Bottom three were Anoop, Allison, and Megan Joy. Megan Joy went home.

Anoop and Allison so DO NOT deserve to be in the bottom.

American Idol - Top 9

The contestants got to pick from a pretty wide range... a top download. This is probably the biggest catalog they've had in any season.

Anoop - Caught Up by Usher - Totally. Pulls. It. Off. Hubby confessed that he actually likes him. Me too. His stage presence was great. He sang the song well. Randy said it wasn't the right song (WRONG). Kara said he played it safe and said it felt like it was done on a dare. Paula rambled about crap. Simon thought it was a mess. I seriously started questioning if the judges were going to be jerks all night. Hubby, Tad and I liked it.

Megan Joy - Turn Your Lights Down Low by Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill - Meh. She really wasn't great. She was better than karaoke, but not good enough for the show. Kara said she thinks she's in trouble. Paula told her she needs to dig deep and "take them by surprise." Simon said the song was boring and all the things they liked about her are disappearing. Randy agreed that it was boring. But she's the baby of Vote for the Worst, so she'll probably stay.

Danny - What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts - I liked it. Didn't love it. I love Rascal Flatts though. So that might be part of it. Paula loved it. Simon called it his best performance. Randy said that the night's show started with Danny. Kara said he "moved everyone in the room emotionally." Seriously, are the judges watching the same show as me?

Allison - Don't Speak by No Doubt - I love this song. So I was almost worried. I liked the verse. No, loved the verse. The chorus was a little rough to me. Still good, just not as good as the verse. Of course she rocked it the whole time. She may be one of the few people who can sing Gwen Stefani. Randy was struggling with what she was wearing (I have to agree), but said he still has "mad love" for her. Kara also hated on the clothes and called it a good performance. Paula used the word "axe" in reference to Allison's guitar. The term is officially uncool. But she also said Allison was great. Simon addressed the outfit too. He thought it was a little like an act, with her shouting the song.

Scott - Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel - I don't know what they did with his hair. It was all kinds of wrong. The performance was good. I like that song. And Scott did it well. Would I call him outstanding? Not quite, but he was really good. Kara loved it and called it an "honest performance." Paula said she's proud of him. Simon called it his best performance "by a country mile." Randy loved it.

Matt - You Found Me by The Fray - I can't think of The Fray without thinking of Scrubs. Just a random note for ya. He was really good. As Tad would say, "Great!" I liked him. he was totally in his element. Paula called it a "sound-alike" to the original. Simon didn't like it either. He called it "uptight" and "put on." Randy called it the wrong song. Kara didn't love it, but also said he doesn't deserve to go home this week.

Lil - I Surrender by Celine Dion - That dress... no. Who decided they wanted her to look twice as big as she actually is??? Her performance was good though. I didn't love it. She had a couple strong parts of the song, but I just didn't love it all the way through. Randy STILL didn't like the song choice. Everyone else pretty much said the same thing. The judges are getting very redundant. *yawn*

Adam - Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry - Of course Adam took the song in a different direction. But it was a good direction. He killed. The girls in the audience were screaming. Paula was up dancing. I found myself enjoying him. His performances really are like mini-concerts. Legitimate concerts. Paula rambled and compared him to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler (not so sure about that). Simon called it original. Randy said he was in the "star zone." Kara made herself look like an idiot by referencing Studio 57. Um, no Kara. It's Studio 54.

Kris - Ain't No Sunshine by Al Green - Okay, I still don't find him hot or anything... but that performance! Holy COW!!! I love him a little after that. He was amazing. That was his best performance for me. Randy said it was one of the best of the night. Kara said "that is artistry." I hate the fact that she feels the need to throw industry words around. Paula called it his best performance. Simon liked the arrangement and called it his best performance as well.

Okay, Kris turned into my favorite last night. But I still liked Anoop. Tad says he liked Anoop. And Danny. And Scott. And Matt. And Adam. And Kris. Uh-oh, is he already reaching the "girls are icky" stage? Hubby liked Anoop.

Results later.