Valentine Cupcake Idea Round=up! + Hello, Cupcake!

For Valentines Day this year, E surprised me with an early present... and Guess what it was!?!?

THAT'S RIGHT... the CUTEST cookbook I've ever seen.  Hello, Cupcake! So, I decided to find all the helpful items I'll need to make some of these delightful confections and share them with you, so you can all make some awesome Valentine's day treats as well!

My favorite designs are the dirt + worms garden cupcakes.  They are absolutely adorable, with itty-bitty shovels stuck in the "dirt" next to sprouting carrots and peas made of various candies. 

And here, is What's New, Cupcake?  In case you already have Hello, Cupcake!
















For your favorite little princess at home... the sweetest little kit with flower baking cups and princess cake toppers!

A Cupcake TOWER Stand for presenting your creations at home!

And then, a great holder for travel!

 

And, to finish it off... these cute little boxes to transport gifts!

Gluten Free Wedding Cake in SoCal!

So, I've been scouring the web in search of gluten free wedding cake vendors in Southern California, and with the help of friends and fellow foodie bloggers, I've found a handful of extremely talented cake vendors capable of making gluten-free wedding cakes! 

Here's the shortlist:

1. Enjoy Cupcakes!- Amber made me the most delectable cupcakes this summer, and I'd love to use her for a cupcake topping bar. 
2. Helena Wirth Cakes- Has beautiful cake designs and amazing reviews from clients. 
3. Rossmoor Bakery/ Sensitive Baker- The Sensitive Baker and Rossmoor Bakery have recently announced a wedding cake collaboration!  Sensitive baker specializes in kosher, dairy free and gluten free baked goods, while Rossmoor specializes in beautifully decorated confections... match made in heaven.  I ordered my birthday cake from the Sensitive Baker this year, and it was absolutely fabulous.  
4. A Sweet Design- Recommended by my caterer, this bakery also has beautiful cake designs and great reviews from clients!

Summer Birthdays- Oh the Beauty of Lazy Weekend Events

This will likely be part 1 of a series on summer birthdays (and the summer is coming to a close already).  I've got a big family, and therefore lots of birthdays to celebrate!  Summer is great because these birthdays always end up lingering, and being celebrated for weeks... with barbeques, dinners, brunches and cakes.

In late July, we celebrated with the niece + Vicky.  (It was part one of the niece's 6th birthday celebration)... We had quite the feast on a mellow Sunday afternoon.  The star of the show was Enjoy Cupcake's beautifully crafted gems.  I had been dreaming of them forEVER, when Amber of Enjoy Cupcakes had tweeted that week about starting to experiment with gluten-free cupcakes.  I was instantly consumed with the thought of finally being able to taste these scrumptious looking goodies.  Hours later, the opportunity presented itself when RayRay (that's what my niece used to call him) told us that he'd be in Santa Barbara for the weekend, visiting on his maturing wine.  I took advantage of this information, and suggested that while he checked on his wine, he go pick us up some cupcakes as well.

Celebrations! in Desserts and Flowers

Here's a little photo diary of the past few weeks... showcasing our desserts and flowers.  There have been numerous celebrations- from Birthdays to Anniversaries to Holidays.  There has been an extra Spring in everyone's step... maybe because of the weather?  Maybe because of the sugar?

Mother's Day Bouquet!

Gluten Free Foodie Week Recap!

So, this week, the man and I have been pretty busy w/ major projects.  And, it's also been a week of celebrations and visitors- so cooking just hasn't been on the table.  Which translates into: a week of foodie EXPLORATION!  Click for the re-cap after the Jump!:

             

          Image courtesy The Lazy Ox Canteen