Eat Pray Love

I own the movie but decided I would start reading the book. Hey, why not? Perfect time of the year to start reading this fascinating adventure! In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want-husband, country home, successful career-but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This book is the story of how she left behind all those outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. In the movie they really couldn't have picked a better person to play the role. The Oscar Winner Julia Roberts, formally a Smyrna, Georgia native. She has always been one of my favorite actresses. Down to earth, under the radar, loves to be with her family, her husband a great Cinematographer. She was also featured in last months issue of Allure and says in her interview, "I have a huge amount of giggly gratitude for what I've accomplished in my work, but I have a pretty clear perspective about it. It's not the defining aspect of my personality." Roberts says over lunch at a Malibu restaurant. As for the public's interest in her family, "Every day isn't exactly how we hope it turns out in that respect of being... viewed, as it were. But we're lucky that our life is relatively quiet." If I were ever famous, this is exactly how I would want my life. Far from that of the, well, Kardashians. I'm really really looking forward to seeing her new movie, "Secret in Their Eyes," which comes out on November 19th, costarring Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor. In this thriller, Roberts plays a rising FBI investigator whose life unravels after the brutal murder of someone she loves- her daughter and who, years later, sets off on a quest for justice. The role was an intense emotional workout for Roberts, who felt fortunate to have her Husband on the set as the film's cinematographer. She goes on to explain that she's not sure she could have been successful in the efforts of playing that role if her Husband hadn't been there. There's something about having the safest place in the world for you in the same room. I couldn't agree more. Another thing I noticed during her interview when asked the question, if you could be famous in a different way, what would you want to be known for? She replies, "I would be a great writer or painter. It's the CREATING something out of nothing that I find astounding." Then it really hit me, there's that word AGAIN and I see what my problem is. I'm not so much of a painter, never really have been very good at drawing or painting objects, people or buildings. I could do a flower but that's about it. I'm far more into the art of Hair, Food and Writing. If I could be a chemist I would CREATE scents for perfume! Now that would be fun :) Creating something out of nothing. Ok, enough of that, it's back to reading my book and winding down before getting ready for Monday's mundane.

Grateful

So it was the end of March and I had to make a quick decision as to whether or not I was going to stay yet another year at Lincoln Hills. I had already spoken OUT LOUD that I WAS moving in May when my lease was up and that was that! Well, I started sinking back in my despair because I still had a seed of doubt. I said to myself, "Screw it, what's another year in this depressing, run down apartment complex. I mean I've lived here six years why not go for seven!?" I was already pretty depressed so it didn't matter either way. The last Sunday of March I ended up going to a Women's Day that was at the Church I attended pretty regularly while I was Married. Not really knowing what to expect, I knew I would get something out of it and at least run in to "old friends." I also knew that God was nudging me to go. By the end I had taken a lot away from it. The stories of all the women who shared, hurts they had gone through and endured, never feeling good enough, putting their focus and energy on all the wrong worldly "things" and that they were always getting their self worth through the eyes of men, etc. but in the end God loved them through it all. Compassion. Real Love. The kind that you can only get from ONE and that is Him. Well, I left feeling really full and more hopeful than I had in a pretty long time. April came and so much good happened in that month I didn't even expect it. I got a raise from my job and I signed a new lease at the end of the month. NOT at Lincoln Hills. Immediately all I could think was, do I even deserve this? Counting up all my past mistakes and selfishness. Maybe I need to torment myself and make myself feel guilty!! Yeah! Why not? You see I'm really good about letting the Enemy get to me. Letting those inner demons tell me different. We all have 'em and it's so easy to slip into depression when you're continually doing that to yourself especially when you are listening to the crap, re-living your Past that you CAN'T change or trying to take back what may have happened and who you used to be. Maybe friends judged you? Family? Co-workers? Ex-boyfriends or girlfriends? I've definitely learned who I need to "let in" and who doesn't even deserve that priveledge. Words, actions, your Past will ALWAYS be brought up. Even if it's only you that's bringing it up in your head. Don't let it define you though. You can't change anything, move on. Learn from it. Seriously, Thank God I'm not running for President. Oh dear God. Every one of those canidates, their Past always gets brought up! Makes for juicy judgement and gossip right? I've also learned to do my best with just getting through the day sometimes. Not stressing about the next day. I'm not an uptight person so I also can't be around others with crazy anxiety and restless energy otherwise it physically makes me ill. A challenge I'm learning to get around where I work right now. I'm pretty compassionate so I really do my best to not go crazy when I listen to the anxiety of others. In my head, I may be but I try and bring balance and keep my calm around those that are having mental breakdowns at work. I also struggle with being around people that are OVERLY positive, it can have the same affect on me not to mention it's super annoying. Every day really is a battle of the mind. We have to be careful to not let our brains get the best of us. Grateful. Grateful for this day, even though it's now day 7 for rain. At least when I see the sun again I'll be even more grateful for that light. As a reminder that we may go through a lot of rainy days in our lives but at some point the sun is gonna shine. Learning to always be grateful even through the storms of life. You never know when your day will soon come.☀️

Because FALLing is usually what needs to be done before we can stand

It's here. The month of November. We meet again. Again and again I always feel like it's still the year 2011. Only in this month though. When things were, well, normal. At least I thought. Baking cupcakes, not having to worry about a boring, stressful job, dealing with co-workers that didn't mesh well with my personality or having to listen to the bickering of others. I was able to sleep in until late mornings and would watch my morning show, The View, an afternoon favorite was The Talk. I would write out some recipes or blog and maybe even talk to a friend. Some days I may even be able to get out and enjoy a great Brunch with my friend Jenny Chesser. At this time it's already been one year that I've not worked. My Husband at the time worked non-stop, he was a man with a plan, always had our best interests at heart, knew how to save for the worst of days and we normally would spend our "time" together for our Anniversary which was.. well, in November. Visiting a few great cities with just enough time to do it in, a short 4 days worth and it was back to reality. Fast forward 4 years later. It's now November 6th 2015. To say a lot has happened in the past four years, heck even five would be an understatement. Now, divorced and currently working in an office setting. Monday through Friday, early mornings, ok you get the picture. Before I was at a Country Club for about two years working 6 days a week as a Hostess and having to do very long days and maybe even getting a nap in either my car or the restaurant booth. Getting here hasn't been easy. At all. 2015 has been a great year for me overall, I truly believe I'm finally reaping the benefits of my hard work, so I really can't complain. I moved out of a suburbian area I had been dying to get out of for YEARS. I finally get to experience real Atlanta. Old Atlanta. A great area that is the "new up and coming." I also got a dog back in April. Not that I needed any more pets but I really wanted a dog after getting into a extremely stressful industry and not being able to sleep because of the anxiety. Charlie has been my saving grace. So, with lots of great new changes that have taken place and being able to hit a couple of my goals because I was so determined to NOT give up, I truly believe I am able to apply so much I have learned independently on my own now. I've come to realize that even though the industry I'm in now isn't my passion it's given me the financial stability I've needed since my Divorce. I've learned to push through when I don't feel like it. I've cried a lot. Yet I still fight. I don't give up. I'm a fighter and even a survivor. Sometimes I can't even believe it myself, that I've made it down here considering my family is still up North and I have very little of genuine friends I can connect with. I probably don't give myself enough credit as maybe we all don't at times. Life's tough. Life always goes on but it's tough and we all deal differently with the obsticals that may come up in our lives. My dream is to get to where I need to be. Sharing my gifts, being a joy for others to be around, giving advice and listening to others, seeing what their gifts are, pointing them in the right direction, knowing that I'm not the only one struggling to figure out how I need to get from Point A to Point B. So what is my passion? What am I in love with that gets me so excited to talk about with others? That would be, CREATING. Cupcakes? Duh. Of course, always, but other things as well. Wow, it feels so good to write again...

Yes. I said it.. Avocado Cupcakes

So, I have a little bit of an obsession. My obsession with AVOCADO. Typically, I'm making guacamole with it. You might be thinking that avocado in cupcakes might be a little strange but they are actually pretty tasty! It does not interfere with the cupcake flavors, it actually adds a subtle flavor. It’s barely noticeable, yet it’s a special touch. I like to watch Cupcake Wars when there is nothing else good on television. I heard a girl talk about making avocado cupcakes and I thought that it would be an interesting idea. The technique for these cupcakes is what makes the texture so soft and smooth. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of cake flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup of sugar 2 eggs 1 ripe avocado 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup of milk + 1 tbs Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup powder sugar 1/2 cup of butter, room temperature Pinch of salt 1 tsp madagascar vanilla Instructions 1.Preheat the oven to 350 and line the muffin pan with cupcake lines. 2.Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready before starting the batter. 3.Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside. 4.Mash the avocado very well or even put it through food processor, set aside. 5.Beat the sugar and eggs together, on high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. 6.Lower the mixer to medium, with mixer running, drizzle in the oil and beat until well combined. 7.Add the avocado mash. 8.Alternating, beat in dry ingredients and milk on low speed. Starting and ending with dry ingredients. 9.Divide the batter between the cupcake cups. 10.Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Although Summer isn't here yet and it's not time to pick fresh strawberries, I'm still a huge fan of trying different ways to eat a strawberry cupcake. They always seem to hit the spot for me when I'm not craving chocolate. Refreshing, clean, and the perfect amount of subtle sweetness. Almost as good as a Key Lime cupcake.. almost. Ingredients: 5-6 medium strawberries 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla 1 3/4 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Frosting: 8 oz Mascarpone cheese 1 cup of heavy whipping cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup of sugar Strawberries for topping, diced Instructions 1.Preheat the oven to 350 and line the muffin pan cups with cupcake liners. 2.In a large mixing bowl, mash the strawberries with a fork. 3.Add sugar, vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk well until all incorporated. 4.Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until all smooth and combined. 5.Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them 3/4 of the way. 6.Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting. 7.Frosting: in a bowl of an electric mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Start on low to mix the ingredients and gradually increase the speed over a few seconds to medium-high. Do no walk away, this will be ready fast! Slowly pour in the sugar. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form and gradually lower the speed, over a couple of seconds. 8.Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them and top off with diced strawberries.

Banana Toffee Cupcakes

I have landed on a new favorite cupcake! All thanks to a Cupcake Wars episode & the Food Network.. These are DIVINE. So, if you're looking to serve something for Easter other than the typical coconut cupcake or carrot cake... here is a good one to Wow your guests with! 2 ounces unsalted butter 2 1/2 ounces light brown sugar 2 ounces granulated sugar 1 3/4 ounces whole egg 6 1/4 ounces ripe banana puree 7 ounces of cake flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 ounces chocolate toffee candy bar bits 2 ounces buttermilk Dulce de Leche Toffee Filling: 7 ounces prepared dulce de leche (available at Latin-American grocery stores) 3 1/2 ounces chocolate toffee candy bar bits Caramel Cream Cheese Icing: 7 1/2 ounces butter, softened 24 ounces cream cheese 12 ounces powdered sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 9 ounces prepared dulce de leche (available at Latin-American grocery stores) For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard size muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and banana puree. Cream for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix for 30 seconds on low speed. Add the toffee bits and buttermilk. Stir on low speed until combined.Bake about 23 min. For the filling: Stir the dulce de leche and toffee bits together until fully combined. Place in a pastry bag with a round tip large enough to allow the toffee bits to pass through without becoming lodged. After making the cream cheese frosting: Stir in the dulce de leche in by hand to create a marbled appearance. To assemble: Remove the center core of the cupcakes and fill with Dulce ee Leche Toffee Filling. Pipe the Caramel Cream Cheese Icing generously on top of each cupcake.

2013 & 2014 Cupcake Trends

The decadent cupcake has had a revival in recent years, pushing traditional sponges out of the limelight. There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of specialist shops and businesses offering custom designed cupcakes with exotic flavors and sophisticated decorations. More unique and original ideas are being created and the interest around baking has surged from TV programs and competitions. Multitudes of cupcakes are now replacing more traditional celebration cakes as well as redefining high tea. These are the key cupcake trends to watch out for the 2013 & 2014 year. Recenetly, in an Entrepreneur article, Andrew Freeman, CEO of a San Francisco-based hospitality consulting firm, predicted that cupcakes, donuts and croissants were on their way out for 2014 and ice cream sandwiches, biscuits and unusual food combinations like the ramen burger and dessert pizza are on the rise. In my opinion, I truly believe that even if the trend of cupcakes slows down--- it will never "go out." Creme Brulee, It has finally made it's way into bakeries around the country! I almost feel like I started this trend back in 2011 with the help of a friend who actually inspired me to try this incredible idea, in turn it became one of the most popular cupcakes ordered off of my menu-- It's nice to see that it has made it's way to the top in other places, around the globe. I think this will always be the PERFECT cupcake for a wedding. Not to mention, many different ways as to how you can go about make this amazing piece of art. Rose & Pearl, These dainty little treasures would tie in beautifully if the bride chose a pink rose bouquet and wore pearls as her ‘something borrowed’. The elements of roses and pearls are both traditional wedding features as well as being so classically elegant, so they make the ideal wedding cupcakes. Silver foil cake cases only add to the cakes’ class and style and will look so pretty on the cake stand as they reflect the light. This will be a huge trend in 2014. Naked Cakes, These little cupcakes are going back to basics with minimal or no decoration. The flavors are left to speak for themselves and are often more unusual and exotic. Sometimes two flavors of colors of sponge are marbled together to create a beautiful swirled effect and a fusion of flavors. Occasionally a little bit of butter cream may be added for extra flavor, but no sprinkles or gold leaf here! Hidden Surprise, This is a trend that translates to larger cakes as well; but the idea is to keep things simple on the outside and make the most of the hidden inside. Patterns, different colors and hidden chocolate, fruit or jams are all amongst the surprises embedded behind the simple icing and cases. The outside of the cakes are always minimal, usually in one color with few decorations and neatly piped icing. The inside becomes a gala of flavors, textures and colors. With this trend, as long as it is on the inside; anything goes! Romantic Decorations, These are most suitable at a wedding or celebration, or if you’re just feeling particularly decadent. The decorations have a romantic edge, with edible lace and icing gently folded to make ruffles. These cupcakes are both beautiful and delicate. Pale colors and subtle flavors really give this trend a vintage feel and they are extra appealing because they are easy to achieve at home! Pastel Colors, More and more people are opting for color instead of the traditional white decorations for their celebration cakes. Pastel colors in icing have become particularly popular because of their their softer tones and pretty, summery shades. Subtly colored sponges or fruity decorations are a good idea for the less obvious nod to this trend. Intricate Additions, Alternatively, there has been a lot of focus on sugar craft and the possibility of making virtually anything to adorn your cake. Whether it is an elaborate storybook scene, tiny lifelike sculptures of a bride and groom or perfectly piped butter cream, cake making is becoming more and more of an art form. Even the cupcake boxes are beautifully designed! Vintage, Paying homage to era’s past, wedding cakes will be showing muted colours, ruffles and lace. Lace on wedding cakes will dominate 2013 & 2014 styles as embellishments, edging and overall icing design. Mimicking bridal dresses including corsets, ruffles and lace details, will be also be very popular and will be seen accented with jewels and bling! Mint, Mint green made a start in 2012, and it’s popularity will continue to grow in 2013 & 2014. Cupcakes and cakes coloured mint, with matching elaborations will be popular on cake tables this year. Pairing the colour mint with the flavour, chocolate cakes filled with mint buttercream will create the perfect match. Lace wedding cakes acquire more and more popularity nowadays. This could be explained by the romantic and soft appeal and charm they add to the wedding reception. Lace, Lace Wedding cakes aquire more and more popularity nowadays. This could be explained by the romantic and soft appeal and charm they add to the wedding reception. The lace wedding cakes are able to suit the wedding receptions in distinct styles: if you want to stick to the traditional reception, simply opt for the white lace with the vintage feel. In case you plan a modern-type celebration, go fo the fabric-inspired cakes. Rustic, Rustic looks are going to be a big trend in 2014, and simple cupcakes in shades of brown, beige and white can look chic while adding to the theme. Art Deco, Since the release of the Great Gatsby, many brides have been dreaming of 20's inspired wedding receptions, and art deco cupcakes are perfect for adding to that vibe!