WFD?: Spiced Pumpkin "Muffin Cakes" with Cream Cheese Butter Cream and Salted Caramel

Yes, it's a "muffin cake".

"Muffin cake": A term made up by me, just now, that describes a cupcake that is mixed like a muffin.  Which would technically make it more of a muffin, but it's very cake like in texture....and there's frosting so ya know...

Makes sense to me.

Lot's of parts to this "muffin cake", which should prove to be a rather long recipe packed post.  :)
So let's get right to it shall we??
Yes...yes we shall....
Ok then...

Surprise...

**Ok, well if your a friend of mine on Facebook this might not be such a surprise.... but I'm getting ahead of myself....**

You may have noticed my absence....or maybe not.  I'm not THAT important...just saying...I've been fairly unparticipative on the inter-web for the last...uh...4...5 months??  I have valid reasons....I think so anyway.

Firstly, and probably the most influential reason, is that my computer bit the dust.  I mean crash and burn.  Crash being that I was carrying it and tripped...*crash*.  I had a small service.  There were a few attendants...ok, so my husband and me really.... and that's only because I dragged him to the living room to pay his respects before it was shelved.  Shelved with all of my data trapped inside....*sigh*...sorry, it's still a little rough.

I'll be fine...

Anyway, without the good old technology, posting was well.....difficult.  So that's that.

On happier notes...a lot of good stuff has been going on since I rejoined the living here in the real world (where I tell people I run a cookie decorating blog - "I decorate cookies" - and they look at me very perplexed...."You do what?").  August has been birthday month.  My birthday was on the 14th.  The big 3-0.

30.....I don't want to talk about it....

But it was also my grandma's 75th birthday and she was here to celebrate with me in Joplin :)  Not to mention my sister in law and my father in law...it was their birthdays in August too.  So basically it's been a month long party.

I'm tired....and fatter.

Birthday present:  a new computer....yay!!!!  So it took a little while to catch up with everything I missed and get back in the swing of things.  Get all the work uploaded and edited that I have been making over the last who knows how long....  But basically, I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm caught up (as best I can) and I should be back to regular posting.

And you know, life isn't all about cookies and food (blasphemy!!!)
....look what else happened while I was busy living...
( this is the surprise ).....on the way...

We're due in March 2013 with kiddo #2!   :)

Beautiful Bridal Shower

 So there isn't going to be toooooo much talking in this post.  Basically, I made cookies for a local wedding shower.  And there's not too much to say about it.  Tho, I am going to show you, in one photo, my general inspiration to design process.  Exciting, yes?  Ok well maybe not thrilling....

 

Lemon Chevre Cheesecake Ice Cream with Berry Coulis Swirl

 So This recipe isn't diet.  Not even kind of.

But it is perhaps some of the creamiest, most indulgent ice cream I've ever eaten (that wasn't chocolate).  It's been calling to me from my freezer for days.....

I'm bringing it to our family 4th of July pool party. 

Anywho.  I could go on and on and on about the deliciousness of this ice cream but I won't.  I'll just give you the recipe and threaten you with a spatula to your throat STRONGLY ENCOURAGE  you to make it post haste.

Patriotic Pool Party - Star TUTORIAL

So, I know, I've been gone FOR-EV-VER!  My computer broke...for good this time.  Bye-Bye hand-me-down Dell laptop.  I would get a new one and get straight back to work but you know...there's a mourning period.  I've been moping about my house for a month, wearing black, crying at random moments, scaring my family with my mood swings.....but never mind my personal life....my computer moved on to a better place, namely the bottom shelf of my book case.  I find comfort in knowing that it will make an excellent makeshift coloring table for Sophie....  *sigh*

Anyway, I stole borrowed my husbands laptop while he was sleeping with permission to do this very special tutorial.

Tutorial: Writing in Cursive

 I've been a little MIA.

Things have been going on and it's been a little crazy and stressful.  But I'm still here.  And I haven't forgotten about my blog.  :)

Needless to say with all the action and adventure going on over here I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on new cookies.  So I thought I would post something I prepared a while back but never got around to posting.

Writing in cursive on cookies.  I know it's not the most exciting topic and tutorial but important none the less.  There will be SO many occasions when a client asks you to write someone's name on a cookie

WFD? Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Hooked on the ice cream maker.  :)

That, and the local store was having a fabulous deal on strawberries....

I wanted to make a strawberry rhubarb ice cream that I saw on cooking light but when i went back to the other store they didnt have rhubarb.  You see that's what I have to do around here.  I have to hit 2 different grocery stores to get most of my shopping done....because one has better looking produce and the other one has all the usual food staples.

Anyway, I didn't want to make straight up strawberry.  It's Sophie's favorite but straight strawberry sounded so boring.  And I was feeling....AMBITIOUS (I know, that like almost never happens)