limoncello cupcakes

Don't these just look absolutely dreamy???

trust me... they are!!!

lemon cupcakes with lemon curd filling and lemon buttercream

I'll repeat: lemon love, love lemon, lemon, lemon, lemon, love, love, love :)

Limoncello Cupcakes

cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter

2 oz cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoons limoncello

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup lemon juice

zest of one lemon

Beat softened butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the limoncello and beat until well mixed. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to butter mixture. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest just until combined. Pour into prepared cupcake pans (it made 18 cupcakes for me) and bake at 325 for about 17 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

lemon curd filling:

1/2 cup lemon juice

zest of two lemons

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Mix lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar of medium heat until boiling. Whisk egg and egg yolk. Whisk lemon mixture into eggs off the heat (to temper). Add all back to sauce pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Cool completely.

Use a melon baller to scoop a hole into tops of cooled cupcakes. Fill with cooled lemon curd.

lemon buttercream icing:

1/2 stick butter

6 oz cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons limoncello

Beat butter and cream cheese. Add limoncello and beat until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until desired icing consistency is obtained. Ice filled cupcakes. Garnish with lemon slices.

They are so pretty and so yummy! Especially to someone who enjoys lemon as much as I do!

A perfect summer treat!

 (and even though it's only March, since the weather has been between 70 - 85, I'm in full summer mode)

Recipe origionally found here (I adapted the buttercream to my taste)

rolo pretzels

How do you feel about: Chocolate? Caramel? M&Ms? Pretzels?

Pretty good right???

How about all together?

Pretty great right???

I made these easy rolo pretzel treats and they were a huge hit at work and at a game night with friends!

All you need is:

1 bag unwrapped rolo chocolate caramels

pretzels

M&Ms

You just place the the pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place a rolo on each pretzel and melt in oven set on 300 for 5 min

(the rolo's should be slightly melted, but still hold some shape).

Take the tray of pretzels out of the oven and press 3 M&Ms into each rolo pretzel.

Let set and then try not to eat too many at once!

you are my sunshine, my lovely sunshine

You are my sunshine, my lovely sunshine...

I instantly fell in love with this pillow I found via pinterest

it's origionally from here, but it was a wee bit of a luxery item at $159!

Then I saw this great tutorial, also via pinterest, for the same style pillow.

I've never loved using stencils because I have a hard time getting everything lined up and looking as neat and straight as I want it to, but I kept thinking about this pillow and then a lightbulb went off!!! I used scrapbooking letter stickers instead of a stencil, it was easy and I love how it turned out!

Here's the breakdown of how I did it:

I cut an 18" square of fabric (for a 18" pillow form) and taped it to a 17" square piece of cardboard.

Here's the front

and here's what the back looked like at that point.

Next, I marked off even sections with a water soluble pencil (so I'd be sure to have straight lines across the pillow). I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, but I don't think this step was necessary and would skip it next time because of how well the ruler worked in the next step.

I used a ruler and placed my letter stickers how I wanted them to look (there are lots of different styles of letter stickers in the scrapbooking isle and they are only about $1.50 a package when Hobby Lobby does their half price sale).

The stickers provided a great visual and I was able to move them around a little until I had everything to my liking before I made any permanent marks on my fabric.

I then used a fine point fabric marker to outline the letters,

once all the outlining was done I removed the stickers,

and filled in the letters with a larger tip fabric marker

I heat set the pillow front by ironing it, attached a pillow back with a zipper enclosure and washed out the water soluble pencil lines.

Now I have a great pillow to prettify my deck!!!

You are my sunshine

my lovely sunshine

you make me happy

when skys are grey

you will know dear

how much I love you

Just another installment in my pinterest

project resolution challenge!

(see here)

shared at http://www.younghouselove.com/

and at http://www.whipperberry.com/

spring green

Today is a little bit colder out than it has been, but our yard has green "stuff" coming up all over the place!!! 

Spring is by far my favorite time of the year... I love the newness, freshness, flowers, birds, rainbows, and anticipation of summer!

Here's the hyacinths coming up in the front flower bed. 

And the daffodils on the side of the house

Callie wanted to check out all the green with me :)

Happy happy allllmoooost spring!!